#what kept her running what was within her that made her want to keep him safe

[advluv4life]

It is insane to me that Mary Hatford abducted her child to keep him from being killed or sold and then went on to never show him an ounce of affection and was just another hand that hurt him. wtf??

[xiakato]

Danielle - All Over Again (M)

Casual sex. Something that has become commonplace for many, maybe a little too common. You have people having body counts well into 100s. But for some, sex is more dear, a sacred act that one does with another that they truly love. A difference in opinion is most certain to happen. For Danielle, she holds the connection made through making love close to her heart, almost to a fault. Even though she’s only been with one person, that person holds their place in her heart and soul. She stares at the wall of the dressing room, her mind filled with replays of them and her. 

“Please Daddy~” She pleads and moans as their hands grip her tiny waist as they take her from behind. The way she fills so full with them inside. Her moans fill the room, one hand grips their forearm, the other the sheet. A position she is all too familiar with, under him. Her black lace panties were pulled to the side, she wore his favorite. Black, lace and see through. She knows the effect she has on him no matter what she wears but that set always did the most,”Fuck,” her throat hurts from moaning, they been at it for hours. Condoms ran dry, a new experience for her, taking him raw. 

“Fuck Dani,” His voice low as he grunts, she feels him throb inside of her. She knew he wouldn’t pull out, he held her down pushing himself as deep as he could without hurting her, “Would you have my babies Dani?” his whisper drives her crazy, all she could do is nod. 

“Danielle?” Hanni taps her shoulder, getting her out of her day dream, “Are you okay?” 

Dani looks around realizing she has been rubbing her thighs together, “I’m fine, I just need to go to the bathroom,” Hanni doesn’t seem convinced but nods as Dani rushes to the bathroom, taking a deep breath, locking the bathroom door. Her safety shorts are pulled down, her panties soon follow, “Shit,” She runs her fingers through her folds, drenched within seconds, dripping with her fluids. She only gets this way with him. The replays go through her mind again, her slender fingers slide inside of her, she covers her mouth to hide her whimpers. Opening her phone, she pulls up a video of her and him. He filmed it as he took her hard, her fingers frantically chasing her orgasm. Trying to keep quiet, as a puddle forms on the floor, her legs quiver as she cums collapsing over the sink. She quickly gets herself together and cleans up.  

“Dani, are you really okay?”  Hanni asks again when Danielle gets back to the room, “You were in there for quite awhile.”

“I’m fine, something just didn’t agree with my stomach,” Dani says, slightly smiling as she sits down. 

“If you say so,” Hanni shakes her head and the rest of the day goes on without incident. Even months go on without her thinking about him. Even started talking to a new guy, he just wasn’t him. She tried and tried yet she kept comparing them. She dropped him when he wanted to go further, they barely talked for a few months and yet he wanted that. Luckily for her, the day they were leaving for a few overseas schedules came quick. Unluckily for her, she took a quick glance while they were boarding the plane, and she swears she saw him. The man that plagues her mind,body, and soul. She ignores the nagging feeling, she occupied herself with her members. That lasted just enough to get off the plane. 

“I’ll catch up to you guys, I need to rush to the bathroom,” Dani says, taking off in his direction. 

“But Dani, the bathroom is the other room,” Minji screams out, watching her run off before sighing, “This girl.” 

Danielle’s eyes frantically search through the sea of people, typically she could find him because he is taller than anyone else but the people here are his height so she’s having a harder time. She spots him, rushing over as quickly as she can. 

“Y/n!” She yells out, making him look over at her, as she stands there, anger boiling in her blood. 

“Elle~” He smiles looking down at her, he can tell she’s angry. 

“Don’t call me that,” She stares at him, anger slowly fading as her deep rooted feelings start to take over. His perfect face in her eyes, his fit body that hides under those clothes of his, “Why did you leave?” 

“I didn’t want to get in the way of your dreams,” He stares back, “My my my, just as beautiful as I remember.” 

“Shut up Y/n,” She looks away trying to hide her face, “You know that you wouldn’t have gotten in the way of them.” 

“I would have, I know myself Dani, even if I didn’t mean to, I would have.” 

Danielle feels like he’s lying to her, she always had a good feeling for when he wasn’t being truthful. She can’t handle it, it’s not good for her right now. Shaking her head, she turns to leave, running into Minji. Minji’s eyes are filled with hate and disdain as she stares at Y/n. 

“Why are you here?” her voice filled with anger, shaky yet firm. She’s holding herself back, “I warned you not to bother her again.” 

“I’m not here to bother her Minji, I’m here because I live here, duh.” His smile never leaves his face, sadistic almost. 

“What do you mean you told him to not bother me?” Dani asks, curious by what Minji means. Snapping Minji out of her anger, quickly looking over at Dani then back at him, smirking as he backs away. 

“Not like that… wait, you don’t know the real reason why he left?” Minji inquires, stopping herself from defending her words. Dani shakes her head, making Minji sigh, “This will be harder to explain then.” 

“Girls?” Their manager finds them, “We need to hurry, our rides are waiting and we have a time limit.” 

“Manager-nim, tell her the reason,” Minji pushes the explanation off to another. 

“The reason for what?’ 

“Y/n.” 

“Oh fuck no,” The manager starts pushing them to the van, “We aren’t going to talk about him right now.” 

Danielle is lost right now, what do they know? Her mind thinks and thinks never coming close to a possible outcome. She stares into space even after they arrive at the hotel, the night overtaking the sky, the moon swallowing the sun’s light. She sneaks out of the hotel, the rest of the members are asleep, surprising her. Being back in Australia should’ve been more exciting for at least Hanni. She knows he’s in the city. It’s Friday, at midnight. She knows exactly where he will be. Finding a taxi was luck on her side, at first the driver was reluctant to drive where she wanted but after a hefty payment upfront he was more than happy to after they settled with a drop off a block away. The smell of burning rubber filled her senses along with the sound of music and engines. Taking a deep breath relishing in the smell she grew accustomed with over the years. 

“Well well well, look at what the cat dragged in,” A voice comes over the music with a megaphone, The person jumps down from their seat, “The little princess is back. First the king, now you.” 

“Shut up Nath, where is Y/n?” She asks, looking around, new faces, new cars, nothing really of note. 

“You hurt me so Danielle, you know where he is, you always do,” He chuckles going back to watching the drifting, the eyes she felt on her was she walked through the crowd was nothing new to her, she looks at some of the cars, enjoying the vibe of the car scene. She finally finds him once again, at the pool table, surrounded by the cars. One of them being his, it looks like just how she remembers it, the pristine white wheels going perfect with the black paint. 

“I see you still have the GTR Y/n,” She says, getting the people's attention. A few she recognizes. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were just here to enjoy the cars, Elle,” He turns to look at her, her hoop earrings, her crop top, tight jeans, “Brings back memories,” he says, checking her out.

“Eyes up here dipshit,” She snaps her fingers, “We need to talk Y/n. A serious talk.” 

He turns back to the pool table, taking his shot ,”What is there to talk about?” 

She steps in front of him and the table, looking up at him, ignoring the flashes of what happens when she typically does this, “Everything.” 

He sighs, handing his pool cue to someone, “Get in,” he says as she’s already at the passenger door. The two get in, she feels the start of the RB26 course through her body. 

“I see the seat hasn’t moved,” She quips, smirking to herself. 

“No one was allowed in my car other than you and still is that way,” he drives slowly through the crowd of people moving to the side, making way for the GTR. Getting to the street, he steps on it, throwing their heads back. Heading to the highway, he slows down, taking in the lights illuminating the night skies. The ride remains silent, the sound of RB echoes through the night. Her hand instinctively falls to the shift, holding his. The two say nothing as they relish the silence, none of them want to ruin the atmosphere. The scenery changes as they head to a spot, a spot they frequently went to. Overlooking the city, they are brightened by the headlights. 

“Why did you leave Y/n?” Dani asks again, “Not the bullshit reason, or the reason you think will hurt me last, the real reason.” 

“Your company forced me to,” He stared at the city, the concrete jungle, “They said I was too distracting and they knew for some reason that we were sexually active. Couldn’t take the risk.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me Y/n? I would’ve stopped them,” She makes him look at her. 

“I didn’t want you to lose everything you worked so hard for,” he smiles slightly, grabbing her hand, squeezing it. 

“I would’ve given up my dream if it might I would lose you,” Tears fell from her eyes, he wiped her tears, as he always did, “Why did Minji say that to you at the airport?” 

“No clue, my guess is that the company came up with something different,” he keeps holding her hand. 

It seems like she got her answers, but now she has more questions. She holds his hand, the familiar touch that she longed for. Staring out at the city, they stayed out there catching up, falling in love again, till the sun started raising. 

“I should probably take you back to the hotel,” He says, getting his keys out of his pocket, sitting up from the grass. 

She grabs his arm tightly, “I don’t want to go back,” She pulls him back to the grass, “I want to spend more time with you.” 

“But Dani, you have a concert today. One of which I have tickets to, I can pick you up after the concert if you want me to.” 

  She sits up quickly, getting on top of him, “You promise?” her eyes shining brightly with a smile as bright as the rising sun.

“Promise,” he offers her his pinky, which she takes quickly, giggling. They finally manage to get to their feet. Heading to the car, Danielle’s phone rings. She lets out a sigh as she gets into the car with him. 

“Hello,” She says, already knowing what they are going to say. 

“Where are you?” It’s her manager, a good manager though a bit too much at times. 

“I’m out, I’m on my way back right now though,” She smiles looking over at him driving.

“You better not be with who I think you are with,” The tone of her manager’s voice noticeably changes, always when Y/n is the topic.  

“So what? I’ll be meeting you guys at the arena instead, It will be faster,” Dani hangs up, not wanting to hear more. 

“So to the arena?” he takes a glance over at her leaning back in the seat. The frustrated look on her face tells him everything he needs to know.  

“Please baby,” he hasn’t heard her call him that in what feels like decades, eons even. He switches lanes, speeding up. Her hand falls back into place with his as they weave through traffic. The ride once again was silent,everything has been said. Merely enjoying the time that they had together is what’s left. 

New Jeans arrive at the arena, waiting outside their entrance for Dani. The rest are waiting patiently while Minji paces. Worry evident on her face, their company never liked Y/n and after what she heard from them, she didn’t either. Judging by Danielle’s reaction to everything that transpired, even though it was rather quickly. She didn’t get 100% truths, her pacing didn’t stop when a loud car came screeching to a stop in front of them. 

“Uh oh, I know that car,” Hanni says, taking a look, “This isn’t going to be good,” She quickly takes the other two inside. Dani hops out of the passenger side, a bright smile and all. 

“Where the fuck were you,” Minji storms over, anger trumping her worry, examining her outfit causes her to get more angry, “And what the fuck are you wearing?” 

“I was with Y/n, learning the truth,” Dani states simply walking past, ignoring the rest of Minji’s questions. Avoiding the manager and focusing on the concert was her only priority. The concert simply couldn’t start fast enough, luckily her accomplice Hanni helped her find a hiding spot. She spent her time talking to Y/n, selfies and all. He made her feel something, like he always did. Her day went faster and faster, till it was time for the concert. She performed her absolute best, the best she ever has. The encore felt great for her as well. The stage was on fire for her, she loved every second of it. 

Walking back to the dressing room, “Where did that come from Dani?” Hanni asks, hooking their arms together. 

Dani giggles and whispers into her ear, “Y/n is here,” Hanni looks at her with a knowing face, the two giggle to one another. Minji stares at the back of the two girls, she continues as she watches Danielle gather her things quickly, thanking the staff on her way out.  

“Dani, you have to stay here,” Minji finally says, stopping her in the halls. The surrounding staff stops and looks at the two girls. 

“I don’t need to stay anywhere, I did what I needed to do and now I’m leaving,” Dani keeps walking, ignoring the many looks. 

“You’re going to get in trouble with the company, I don’t want that,” Minji follows her, through the sea of busy workers. 

“The company meddled in something they shouldn’t have, making me feel like absolute shit. So Honestly I don’t care about the company right now,” Dani reaches outside, there he is waiting. If it wasn’t for the lights she couldn't be able to tell, she starts to jog slightly reaching the car, getting in with ease. Minji can just stand there looking on in disbelief as the car drives away. Dani’s smile is bright, as her hand is holding his hand tightly, “Did you enjoy the Concert Y/n?” 

He nods, taking a slight glance over at the gorgeous girl in his passenger seat, “I did, you were perfect tonight,” He kisses her hand, smiling as he gets on the highway. 

“I’m so happy,” She giggles, and thinks for a little bit, “Should we do something stupid?”

“What do you have in mind?” he asks as she starts laughing to herself pulling out her phone, getting on the New jeans instagram.  

“Just drive,” She says finally, as turns on the cabin lights, starts to take a video showing everything as she leans on his arm. She puts my hype boy as a little text, posting it on their story. She giggles, turning off her phone, “So your place?” 

“As forward as always Dani,” He chuckles, her lips grazing against his arm, her free hand rubbing his leg, moving to his noticeable bulge. 

“I know you can’t resist me,” She nibbles on his earlobe. He drives on double time, rushing to his place. Trying his best to ignore her teasing, pulling into his driveway both of them hurry out. He couldn’t unlock the door fast enough, as Dani locks his lips into a kiss. The feeling of her soft supple lips is enough to send him into a frenzy. The door finally opens, he tosses his keys somewhere and kicks the door close. His hands roam her body, his all familiar touch down her spine, sends shivers throughout her body. He moved away from her lips, her neck was his target. Finding her weak spot was no effort, her hands latch onto his hair, “Fuck Daddy,” she moans out as she feels his teeth sink ever so slightly into her neck. Danielle pulls away from her neck as she sinks to her knees, getting eye level with what she’s been yearning for. She kisses the outline through his slacks, her eyes flutter feeling the girth between her lips once again. She works on pulling them down, freeing his cock, letting it rest on her face. Peppering kisses up the shaft, her eyes look up at him not leaving him. He always loved it when she would look at him while she sucked his cock.  She finally takes him in her mouth, his taste is even better than she remembers. One hand on his balls, the other stroking his shaft as she sucks on the tip. 

“Fuck babygirl,” One of her favorite nicknames from him, she pushes him deeper in to her mouth. Danielle feels his hand latch onto her ponytail, using that as leverage to push himself deeper into her throat. She gags but doesn’t pull away when he does it for her. She coughs, spitting on his already spit covered cock.

“I haven’t done this since you Daddy, sorry for the gagging,” She smiles innocently as she licks around his cock, leaving the occasional kiss. Her kisses get more sloppy, spit dripping from her lips leaving a mess on the floor, “What do you want me to daddy?” she says, guiding her lips up and down his shaft, “Call me what you did, I know you want to.” 

He pulls Dani up by her hair, “Bend over slut,” She giggles bending over the couch, wiggling his ass at him as she slowly pulls her jeans down. Leaving the lace panties, “You wanted this, didn't you?” 

“More than you think Daddy,” She pulls her panties, as her pussy drips with anticipation of what’s to come. He slaps her ass, “Again please daddy,” he complies, slapping her ass more till it’s red. She reaches behind spreading her ass, “Please fuck me daddy, Please I need your cock so badly,” She pleads and pleads until she feels your tip enter her followed by the rest of your cock, “Oh fuck! That’s what I needed, I feel stretched out and so full.” 

He starts thrusting, the sound of skin on skin echoes throughout the house, followed by her moans and screams, “Fuck I missed this pussy,” Y/n says between his grunts, squeezing her ass. Taking her the only way he knew, Hard and rough and she wouldn’t have it at all. He quickened his pace before suddenly pulling out, making her squirt all over the floor, her legs shaking threatening to give out. He holds Danielle up by her hips.

“Keep fucking me please daddy! Fuck me till I can’t walk tomorrow,” She pleads again, he shoves his cock back in, she’s still just as tight, “Yes daddy! Give me that cock,” Her hands grip on the couch tightly as he fucks her with reckless abandon. Pulling on her ponytail, smirking as he sees her eyes rolled back. Y/n keeps his pace, getting deeper and deeper inside of her. Her legs have been shaking for a few minutes now, He pushes as deep as he could before cumming. Filling her to the brim, her eyes come back around and widen, as he slowly pulls out as she falls to the floor trying to catch her breath.  She looks up at him, his cock still standing proud, glistening her juices. She crawls over taking him into her mouth, cleaning his cock. Y/n chuckles looking at the eager girl. Pulling out of her mouth, he walks to the bedroom, Dani follows him crawling. He pulls her from her ponytail on the bed, spreading her legs, “Give me more daddy~” She giggles pulling him closer to her and she whispers, “Let me have your kids daddy,” His mind goes blank as he scrambles to get back inside of her. Slamming his cock in and out of her as they fight for dominance in their kiss. She longed for this feeling again, his body on top of hers, him using her in any way he wanted.  She cums over and over again on his cock, she doesn’t stop him. She wants this, she needs this. She feels him throb inside of her, “Give me your cum daddy, I want to feel it fill me up again~” 

“Fuck dani,” he moans out bottoming out in her pussy filling her up again, pulling out and collapsing next to her as she giggles rubbing where her womb would be. She cuddles up to him, kissing his chest. As sleep takes them over, his seed drips out of her, dirtying the sheets even more. 

Breaking News: New Jeans Danielle is pregnant?!

[aashi-heartfilia]

What MaoMao feels for Jinshi...

(Vol 5 epilogue discussion)

Love, duh. She wouldn't let just anyone choke her to death. Isn't it obvious? She just doesn't realise it yet because of her repressed emotions. I've seen a lot of bad takes and people hating on the Vol 5 epilogue, saying it's one heck of a disaster but honestly, it's not. Here's why:

I think it does a very good job of humanizing Jinshi, the imperial brother. Before this point, we were always given a picture perfect image of Jinshi, in his most angelic form...but after seeing this, it looks like he's very much capable of murder, lol. No seriously!

Previously, Jinshi was always all sunshine and roses and this is the first time we see a pinnacle of his anger and frustration taking a form.

Honestly, anyone would be angry. Jinshi has done so much for MaoMao and almost everyone close to him knows that he has eyes on her and only her from pretty early on in the series and only MaoMao is the one person who seems to be in the dark. Or more precisely pretending to be in the dark.

She is literally running away from her own feelings and that's what made Jinshi so frustrated.

It was the same thing in the 'Frogging chapter' (yeah, that's what we're calling it). She was "playing the role of an ignorant maid who's in the dark as to what her supiriors are upto". Jinshi was trying to tell MaoMao that he is the imperial brother and he does in fact like her but that never happened because MaoMao kept pretending that it was a frog.

Same here, even if he didn't say it outright, he was dropping so many hints! Who else could have gifted MaoMao a Moon hairpin? Who would have given her beautiful dresses to wear in the banquet?

Jinshi is called the Moon Prince for a reason and that hairpin had a moon and opium poppy. even other people recognised that it was given by him to MaoMao like Rishu's half sister, so a smartass person like Mao should be able to guess that this was all from Jinshi.

The same person who's busy day and night made preparations for her, only to see some unknown random person dancing with her and kissing her hand.

He was jealous and it's only human.

In fact, I'm glad that he's not a complete saint.

He was mad at MaoMao for pretending to be in the dark when he has gone to great lengths to take care of her, and he was hurt that the same person would even suggest him to marry someone else, i.e. consort Rishu.

He was trying to tell her how he feels, and she wasn't even willing to acknowledge anything that is between them.

Adding to the fact, she knew the thing between Basen and Rishu and yet she chose to turn a blind eye, to the love that could blossom between them and suggested her name to Jinshi. It was wrong on so many levels because MaoMao knew everything and yet chose to give the most political suggestion she could think of.

Maybe because of her repressed emotions, she herself has become heartless while making decisions but just like a double edged sword, it has consequences.

So it was a mixture of anger, hurt and jealousy for Jinshi.

And he wanted MaoMao to feel the same.

The same amount of frustration he has felt as MaoMao keeps running away, just because it would be a little troublesome.

Yeah, he's shitty just like that, and so is she.

(and we love them for it ❤️)

Does it justify what he did? No. But it seems like MaoMao herself doesn't even mind it that much. She looked like well within her comfort zone. Otherwise, we know how capable she is of defending herself. But she was there, pretty much sitting with Jinshi until she dominated him completely and made her escape.

Guess they're both far from the vanilla couple that are usually expected in these kinds of series and I absolutely love it.

She was just mad he didn't poison her instead, like he promised her, to which he replied he would NEVER let her poison herself (because he also loves her a lot too, duh)

This entire scene looks more like a battle for sexual dominance, which MaoMao won.

She always has, since the very first day he saw the real her ❤️

[hybbart]

Day 1904: The spread of sculk is too much to just clean. After salvaging what they could, the ranch is taken down...

Bonus short story below.

Jimmy watched as the last of the house blazed in the twilight. Around the edges of the flames Pearl and Sausage marched, searching for anything flammable that might catch. It was the beginning of winter, and the constant rains had kept everything soaked, but they couldn’t risk it in the middle of the forest. Lizzie had stayed closer as well, securing the last of their belongings to take away in the morning. It was only a few metres down the driveway, but the ranchers couldn’t even get that far.

Tango let out a low growl. His grip on Jimmy’s sleeve tightened, pulling the thick fabric further over his eyes. Puffing up his feathers, Jimmy pulled his rancher closer into his side. Tango only stayed because of Jimmy, and because he couldn’t bring himself to leave the ranch behind. It was what he’d said yesterday, before the first burning. But he couldn’t watch. He could barely help them clear it out before the sledgehammers came in. Sparks flickered through his hair in lieu of tears in his eyes as he kept his face buried.

Jimmy, though… He was entranced. Every crack in the beams that cause a burst of sparks or shift in the wind that billowed the smoke in a new direction. The smoke made his eyes water, but none fell. Maybe he’d finally grown numb. Maybe it looked too different. There was a pile of flaming rubble where his home once was, his first home, but his chest only felt hollow. All that was left with a twitch in his wing, the desire to run and keep far away.

Pity in her eyes, Lizzie approached them from the trailer. Reins were pushed into Jimmy’s hand against his protest. “Take a horse and head back to my house before it gets dark.” She said.

“But-”

“No arguing.” Despite the firmness of her words her voice was low and sad. “You need to sleep in a real bed, Sausage is going to stay here tonight. The last of your things will be fine overnight with us.”

Even after years, Jimmy was never able to argue with Lizzie when she said something reasonable, and he’d given up trying. Jimmy glanced to Tango, who was still hiding from the world in Jimmy’s sleeve. A small tug on his hem was all he got in response. “We’ll be back in the morning with more water.” He assured. They rounded up Bullseye and began the long, quiet ride to Lizzie’s. 

By the time they arrived it was dark, the home illuminated from within the kitchen. Though half the house was cloaked in tarps to save unfinished work from the rain, they’d moved into the completed half already. A bit of smart planning on Scar and Joel’s part.

One of the kids must have spotted their lantern, as the door opened before the ranchers could get down from their horse. Tom came rushing up with Revy on his tail. He took Bullseye's reins from them and led him to the cow pen. It was more cramped than it should be, since the rain had flooded the rancher’s outer pastures. Revy whined and licked at Tango’s hand until he gave the dog a weak pat.

Joel shouted something after him before guiding the men inside. “We just started eating if you want to sit down.” He explained as he took Jimmy’s coat. One glance at Tango was enough to answer.

“I’ll grab some in a bit.” Jimmy tried to smile gratefully, but it came out as a grimace. Joel let them be with a nod, hand held out to the hall down which Sausage’s room awaited.

It was colourful, though the furniture was rudimentary, with a mattress stolen from Scar’s hospital. The bed so much smaller than they’d gotten used to, but Jimmy doubted it would matter for tonight. Norman and Flick waited on the windowsill, and Joel had already set up Jimmy’s breathing machine. It took some coaxing to get Tango to change out of his coveralls - which went into a plastic bag to be washed separate - and take off his arm. Even more coaxing was needed to get him to let go long enough for Jimmy to also change. When Jimmy turned back around the blazeborn had Revy wrapped up in his lap instead. The dog’s tail beat against the bed, happy to be held, but whining, nonetheless.

“Do you think you can eat?” Jimmy asked quietly. Tango didn’t respond. He grabbed only one bowl from the kitchen, unsure he could eat much either without it coming back up. Smoke still clung to their skin and hair, dragging them back to the ranch every time it filled their nostrils, but it was much too dark to run a hot bath. Still, Jimmy knew he had to eat something, even if it was in silence.

Tango migrated behind Jimmy at the end of the bed, tail wrapping around the avian’s waist. Its tuft flicking with agitation. Jimmy could feel the heat rolling off his rancher. “It’s not fair.” He rasped.

Jimmy’s wings flattened. “It was an old wood house. It would have had a mold problem eventually unless we rebuilt completely.”

“But why did it have to be sculk!” He snapped, tail sparkling in Jimmy’s lap. Jimmy tried to smooth it down, but it had little effect. “Why’d it have to make it here?”

There wasn’t an answer, not one Jimmy could provide. Maybe Doc or Zed could explain. It was probably in the well and washing into the surrounding water supply now. Would it be washed away? They should have listened to Grian’s worries back when Jimmy’s feathers had been infected somewhere. Or, maybe, back when they’d first found that infested corpse, they should have done something more. It didn’t matter now that their home was already gone. When nowhere felt safe.

His wings itched while his rancher bristled. Tango couldn’t cry, but he was made to fume. “Why aren’t you angry?”

“There’s no one to be angry at.” Jimmy shrugged. 

“The stupid sculk! The idiots who let it loose! The world!” The bed creaked as Tango kicked off it to pace the small room. Revy whimpered, shifting his nose into Jimmy’s lap. “It’s been half a decade. It was supposed to get better. We live out in the middle of nowhere. And the end of the world still found us! We build our own home and make our own food and do everything we can, and it still comes and finds us!” The blazeborn was consumed in his spiral. Flames burst like firecrackers along his tail, startling Flick when it whipped past the poor cat. 

“Tango…” Jimmy sighed, giving the man a miserable look. When he continued to pace, threatening to scorch their hosts’ possessions, Jimmy finally put a hand up in front to stop him.

A hiss escaped Tango, narrowed eyes glaring at the hand which proceeded to latch onto his shirt and drag him off course. Tango tried to shake it off, but Jimmy kept his hold. “It’s not fair that there’s nothing to fight back against.” He lamented, voice cracking. “I just have to sit here and hope tomorrow it doesn’t get in your wings, or start growing into Revy’s brain, or infest another basement! That it doesn’t get everywhere and take everything. At least the stupid zombie I can punch in the face!” By the end his voice was so shrill and watery Jimmy could barely understand it.

“Me and Revenge are okay. We’re right here.” Jimmy assured, pulling Tango back down beside him. 

It made something finally break. Tango curled into himself across Jimmy’s lap, heaving dryly. Talons raked gently through the blazeborn’s hair. Between sobs Tango mumbled incomprehensibly while Jimmy cooed to keep himself from crying as well. There were too many things roiling just beneath his impulse control. If he let one out, the rest would follow, he was sure. So, he focused on Tango. His rancher needed him.

“I don’t think we’d win if it was someone you had to fight, to be honest.” He whispered half-jokingly as the sobs died down.

Tango stilled, then slumped further into Jimmy’s chest. “I could at least try, instead of this.”

Jimmy hummed. Even if they could, Jimmy wasn’t so sure he would in the moment, and he knew Tango wasn’t all that dissimilar. Unlike Joel or the downtowners, their talent was for running and hiding. That wasn’t the point though, Jimmy knew, so he didn’t argue. “What do we do in the spring?” He asked instead.

“… I dunno.” Tango mulled, head tilted out to look at his thoughts. “It’s not safe to rebuild there.”

“Scar has most of the grain safe, and Lizzie has our animals. We could find another plot, there’s plenty around.” Though, most of them had been stripped of their valuable supplies and building materials over the years or rotted away from lack of care. But the land was still good, and they and Pearl didn’t need much room. 

Would Pearl stay with them? They’d lived with her much longer than without her – if the time before her arrival weren’t so chaotic, he might not recall so well what it was like without her – but she always seemed to keep her distance. A guest, even after she was given her own room. Having someone there to take care of things even when they couldn’t let them grow the ranch to almost thirty cattle, but without her...

That Lizzie’s family would have their own ranch soon was the only thing that calmed the nervous itch in his wings recently.

“We’d have to move closer.” Tango’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“Huh?”

He was no longer curled up, though he hadn’t bothered to remove himself from Jimmy. There was that look in his eyes, where his brain was moving far too fast for Jimmy to keep up. At least it had occupied him with something other than the sculk and fire. “We can’t rebuild around the ranch, we won’t know how bad the infection around it is until next winter, and the water probably isn’t safe. If we rebuilt we’d have to move further west down the mountains towards the city, OR-” Tango raised his hand before Jimmy could protest. “We move closer to the hospital, somewhere around here, or maybe further into the interior on the other side.” 

Jimmy clamped up. They’d all had more than a few conversations about this, between them and the hospital, other settlements, and over the radio. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Keep spread out. Far enough that, if something happens, everyone else is safe, but close enough to reach neighbours relatively quick. Like a long chain snaking across the mountains. By now everyone had horses or bikes and access to the recap radio, and it helped them cover more resources. A farm needed land, anyways, especially to keep up with how many people there now were within the network. 

That thought seemed too much right now, though. He could feel the ash in his wings turning to lead. Losing the ranch didn’t just affect them. The cattle were saved but almost all their stores were gone, including two cows’ worth of beef that was to be sent out. It would take weeks, if not the whole season, to get things back in motion, in the months they were relied on most. Would people starve? Would the sculk spread from the ranch? It was a responsibility that seemed natural and seamless just weeks ago, but now felt suffocating.

“I’m not sure-” Jimmy finally replied. “I’m not sure I can rebuild the ranch right now.” Flashes of the burning rubble filled his mind, along with that numbness he’d felt. There was at least three months before they could begin, plenty of time to get over it. But right now… “I don’t even know if I want to.”

He expected perhaps a gasp or shouting from Tango. ‘We’re the ranchers!’ Maybe. But the blazeborn, to Jimmy’s surprise, nodded. Laughed, even. “We’ve been running one for years, why’s it feel impossible now?”

It was probably just nerves. Anxiety. In a few weeks it would wear away. But for now, Jimmy leaned his head against the top of Tango’s and entertained other things. “We could move back to the hospital.”

“That’d drive you insane, and Revy would kill Grian.” Tango chuckled. 

So would you, Jimmy thought. He was sure if Tango had to see more sculk every day he would lose it. “What about visiting Gem and Impulse then?” He suggested instead. “I heard they’ve been doing a lot of forestry. It might be good to learn from them. Or we could finally go to the coast.”

“We never did make it that far, did we?” Tango recalled. “… Why not both? Go back up the mountain and race back down until we hit the coast. Maybe find some more people outside the recap’s range and bring them in.”

“If they’ve survived this long then I doubt they’d want to move now.” 

“They might. Or maybe we can help extend the radio range for them.”

Jimmy smiled. “Maybe we should go east, instead. Find a ranch in the prairies. Be real cowboys.”

“Never been out there, even before all this.” Tango relaxed back against Jimmy, patting his leg for Revenge to come lay across. “You could stretch your wings.”

“That sounds nice.” He admitted with a sigh.

The pair continued to chatter, naming everything and everywhere. Making plans they’d likely never use. Anything to take their mind off the ranch. Just for one night.

[boiohboii]

Hi! Could you do like toddler Leclerc reader, like she’s the baby sister of the Leclercs and even tho they are quite a lot older than her they love her more than anything and are very protective and doting over her, especially Charles

The three big bad wolves (leclerc!toddler!reader)

N.B: dear anon, thank you for the request......i had this in my inbox for a while, I hope you like it.... WARNINGS: not proof read, don't focus too much on age and stuff, baby leclerc having a crush on mr carlos sainz (who doesn't), I feel like I could've written the ending in a better way of sorts..... if I missed anything please let me know....

masterlist

The three leclerc boys had fallen in love in 2016, Lorenzo was 20, Charles was 19 and Arthur was 16 when they saw their first love. It was when YN Leclerc was born. Her lips parted as hiccups left her small body, her hands laying on her mother's chest and her eyes twinkling as she looked up at her three brothers.

The three boys didn't think their love for yn could be deeper, could be so much more than their hearts dancing at the sound of her giggles, so much more than sitting on small chairs, having their nails painted bright colors and their faces smeared by their mother's make-up. They didn't know how far their love can go, how deep their feelings could be but when tragedy struck the Leclerc household the three boys swore that they'd not just die for their baby sister, they would kill for her, they would tear down worlds for her.

YN coming to races had been rare, Pascale rarely leaves her baby girl out of her sight, she always wants her within her eyesight scared of what the world might do to her little baby.

So when Charles made his way with YN on his hip, some would argue that she is too old for this, her face hiding in his neck and arms wrapped tightly around him feeling safe in her brother's arm. Lorenzo and Arthur were with them as well, just behind Charles, trying to get yn to look at them but to no avail.

"Is that baby leclerc?"

A British voice rang through the hallway as Lando ran up to Charles, pushing Arthur out of the way to take a closer look at yn, stretching his hand to squish her chubby cheeks.

"Hey!"

Lando's protest was loud and clear as soon as Charles moved yn out of his hands way

"Stay away from my sister norris"

Lorenzo's sharp tone scared the youn brit into moving away, allowing Arthur to squeeze himself back into his rightful place.

"Yn baby"

"Yes 'tur"

The sound of her small voice had all 4 men melting, wanting to wrap the little girl in a blanket and keep her away from everything bad in this world.

"Come here"

Arthur extended his hand so that he can carry yn, but Charles maneuvered away from his younger brother refusing to let go of yn

"You have to let her go man, you need to change anyway"

"No no, just for a bit"

"Charles!" His team principle came within their eyesight, looking at charles as he pouted, wanting to have yn in his arms for a bit more.

Not wanting to get fired Charles moved yn into Arthur's arms as Lorenzo kept running his hand through her hair upon seeing her yawn.

"Hey, little leclerc!"

All tiredness disappeared from yn's face as Carlos Sainz jr. entered the room, yn had a crush on him and it wasn't a secret. Her mother and Carlos found it cute, it was a silly little thing that she'll grow out of, her brothers however hated it they didn't want to entertain the idea that she should even have a crush before being 25 years old.

"No, go away" Lorenzo spoke as he moved in front of yn, trying to block her eyesight but it was too late.

"Enzo, moovee" yn whined as she tried to push lorenzo away from her so that she could see the Spaniard

"Come on man, it's just a baby crush, it'll go with time" Carlos reasoned as yn stretched her arms towards him and started fussing in Arthur's hold, wanting to be held by the oldest driver.

"Hey yn" Carlos greeted as he bounced her lightly on his hip, the two words making the little girl blush, a smile on her lips so wide that she would later complain of her face hurting

"Non! Not again! Carlos!" The heavy sound of racing boots running closer reached everyone's ears as they looked towards charles

"Leave yn alone! Give her here"

"Non! Charles, I want to stay with Carlos" tightening her grip onto carlos' shirt, yn looked at Charles, challenging him and making sure that he sees her little hands on his teammate's shirt as a way to make it clear that she's not going anywhere.

"Mon ange!" Charles whined as he stomped his feet

"Honestly, which one of you is the little kid?"

"Zip it norris"

"Be nice to landy" yn frowned at her older brother, reaching one of her hands towards Lando's hair as she patted it as a form of apology making all three leclerc brothers annoyed

"This is just unfair" Arthur complained as he watched his sister have a puppy crush on two drivers, they really shouldn't have introduced her to any of the drivers.

[ataraxiaspainting]

Never Let Me Down Again.

Yan Nanami x GN Reader.

Synopsis: You have been acting well, and therefore are now treated well. Kento was proud, then, before he found something under the bed that shattered everything he thought of you, everything he thought of the progress you two were making.

Warnings: Yandere themes, kidnapping, some infantilization, and implied violence.

Word Count: 600.

*~*~*~*

Kento finally found out where his old satchel went, after hours of looking for it.

It was under the bed frame, behind hastily and messily put shoes, your shoes to be precise. You rarely use them because Kento never takes you outside, even though he promises he will, those vows always break. Just like how his satchel was never worn, which was cheap and only meant to serve as a bag if there was an emergency where he only could pack a few essentials before running off from danger. He often tells both himself and you that it is too dangerous, with curses around every corner whose population seems to be growing more and more each coming day. 

You’re asleep now, just above the crime that you committed. If Kento was not able to hold his anger, his sorrow at this betrayal, he would have shaken you awake already, screamed at you, because he knows that whatever could possibly be the contents of the near-forgotten pouch is not good, especially for the progress Kento thought you two were making.

Like Pandora and the Pithos Zeus had given her, he could not resist the temptation to see what was within.

What came first was packs of dried fruit and nuts. The small ones that Kento gave you for snacking, when dinner time or lunchtime was not too far away, by an hour or so. There seemed to be at least ten, so at the very least there were ten days you pretended to be hungry so you could put them in the satchel when Kento was not looking. After all, you were not allowed to go into the pantry by yourself, Kento always said that he did not want you to mess up the little organized society he made up of cans and other nonperishable foods. What came next was some cartons of sugar-free fruit juice, which made sense as Kento never has plastic disposable water bottles, preferring to use a water purifier that he keeps near the sink for both him and you to use. Both the food and the drinks you kept in hiding when Kento gave them to you as either a treat for a good job with whatever chores he gave you to do or as a snack when you got hungry when Kento was starting to make dinner or lunch or whatever other meal you two ate together. Despite thinking that you two were making progress, Kento now sees that you have lied to him, and that hurts more than the insults that you hurled his way along with the biting and scratches you gave him when he first stole you away.

Kento has always said how he despises liars, and such values are still held up tightly even when it comes down to you and the rotten words that came out of your mouth. He should wash them out with soap, until you are crying and have the urge to vomit, maybe even use the other tools at his disposal to prove that he is not just brains, but brawn too. Due to your actions, the bond between you and Kento has regressed to its initial stage. It is solely your responsibility for this setback, isn't it?

Upon discovering the concealed knife in the bag amidst everything else, Kento resolves to act according to his fury and animosity, aiming to make you regret every transgression and even regret the very day you were born.

[captainheartcollector]

Doubts

Alastor x Reader

A/N: Hello, everyone! Here is my first (and probably only since I’m not really a writer) attempt at an Alastor x Reader. I don’t know why, but I got inspired to write a scenario involving the day after having relations with Alastor the very first time. It doesn’t go into detail. Being on the ace spectrum myself, maybe this was just my way of coping with things. This was very self-indulgent. Story is all from Reader’s POV, whom I kept gender neutral. I’m sorry if Alastor is super ooc. I don’t have any clue on how to capture his personality. But I hope that you can enjoy the story nonetheless!

CW: suggestive themes, excessive use of pet names

Word Count: 1,144

Last night was the first time Alastor and you made love. Why he decided to be so generous, you couldn’t say. But you weren’t going to complain. When you awoke the following morning, you awoke to an empty bed. His spot beside you was cold. He had undoubtedly been up hours before you were. Realization set in. Did last night really happen? Was it a dream? No. The evidence riddled all over your aching body proved it. You eventually found the strength to sit up. Was he upset with you? Did he regret his decision to go all the way? Is that the reason he didn’t stay? You hadn’t pressured him, but you were the one who really wanted it after all.

Brushing those dangerous trepidations aside, you washed up and got ready for the day as usual. It was your day off, so you took things easy. However, you couldn’t help but notice that Alastor was nowhere to be seen within the hotel. Was he avoiding you? Surely, he was out on business, attending to his duties as an Overlord or brainstorming ideas for his next radio broadcast. Maybe he was just taking one of his daily strolls, chatting with Miss Rosie. Would he tell her?

Sure, Alastor was a schemer, but at this point, it felt far too late to start doubting him now. So, you tried your best to push those feelings away and keep yourself preoccupied, aiding as much as you could with the daily tasks around the hotel.

✧˖ °. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁‧₊˚ ☾. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁˖°✧

It was hours before he finally returned. You glanced at the clock—it was nearly midnight. He sauntered through the front doors like all was right with the world. Once he detected your presence, he ambled across the lobby over to you smoothly. “Good evening, (y/n),” he chirped melodically with a flourish and a gleam in his eye. “I trust that you’ve caught up on your beauty sleep?” He sounded as pleasant as ever. So, you were clearly on speaking terms. Maybe that meant he wasn’t angry, or…

Despite your reservations, you couldn’t contain the eager smile creeping its way onto your face as you admired him. “Sure did,” you answered casually. “How was your outing today?”

“Frightfully illuminating, I must say. Thanks for asking!”

He acted like he was in a good mood. Therefore, you weren't going to sour it by prying further on the matter—especially when you could discern that he didn’t want you to. However, you needed to know the answers to the questions plaguing your mind. “Alastor,” you murmured, “do you think that we could talk…privately?” The last word was a whisper.

“Certainly, sweetheart.” That was easy. “Meet me in the library in ten.”

✧˖ °. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁‧₊˚ ☾. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁˖°✧

And that’s where the two of you were now—in a secluded, quiet corner of the library. You made sure no one else was around beforehand. Though why would there be at this hour. He sat next to you on the plush camelback sofa. You stared down at your hands which were fidgeting in your lap nervously as you spoke. “Alastor…you’re not upset with me, are you?”

He studied you silently for a moment before responding. You could never tell what was running through that demented head of his. Suddenly, he chimed, “Not at all, dearest. What reason would there be for that?”

Did he really not get it? Was he just pretending to be oblivious? Or was he truly unbothered by what happened?

“You know…Last night. You’re not mad?”

You felt his slender, clawed fingers cup your chin, forcing you to look at him directly. His smile was genuine and warm.

“Of course not, darling. It was consensual, was it not?”

“Yes, but I would never want you to do those things if they make you uncomfortable…or, if you just plain don’t want to.”

“I did want to. I wanted to because I knew you wanted to.”

What? That was so uncharacteristically thoughtful to hear him say. His thumb caressed your cheek in reassurance while his lidded gaze never faltered. It felt as though he was completely unperturbed.

“Wow…That’s so sweet of you, Alastor.” So sweet, you almost didn’t know how to process it. “But,” you interjected, “I want you to be able to enjoy it, too. Otherwise, I can’t—”

One of his fingers grazed over your lips, effectively shushing you.

He let out a low hum as if in brief contemplation before continuing. “I did enjoy it… More than I thought possible,” he admitted, seemingly in spite of himself.

You couldn’t fight back the hopeful smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. “So…you don’t regret it?”

“Au contraire,” he beamed as he leaned in closer, mischief glinting in those gorgeous crimson eyes of his. “One could easily grow accustomed to seeing all those pretty faces you make while chanting my name more often.”

Immediately, an intense heat began to scald your cheeks as you hid your face in embarrassment, swatting him away playfully. “Don’t tease me!”

He chuckled heartily at your expense. “No sense in acting shy now, darling!”

“Ah, Alastor, stooop!”

His laughter continued briefly before he wiped a gleeful tear from his eye and conceded, “Very well.”

As soon as the silly little incident died down, you mustered the confidence to behold his eyes once more. He appeared absolutely pleased with himself. And yet again, you couldn’t help but return his contagious, everlasting smile. He was so beautiful—beyond just his face or form. You knew he was a menace, but there were beautiful aspects to his personality, too. Well, when he wanted there to be. Being able to make you smile—sincerely smile—was just one of them.

“Y’know,” you said finally, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between you, “I’m glad.”

Alastor’s toothy grin somehow grew even wider as he leaned down close to you like he had before. His hand crept along the back of your neck affectionately as he placed a tender kiss gently upon your forehead. Even after he carefully pulled away, his deft fingers continued to brush lightly through your hair and along your scalp. You could have melted right there and then.

“That’s wonderful news, (y/n.) Let’s try and keep it that way, shall we?”

You nodded in agreement as you happily slid into his arms, wrapping your own around his lithe frame, never taking for granted how freely and frequently he allowed you to touch him during these soft and confidential moments. “I love you,” you sighed contentedly, nuzzling against his chest.

However, it was his unexpected reply that left you feeling giddy for the rest of the night.

“I know, my dear. I am…quite fond of you, too.”

And that was enough for you.

[cameronspecial]

I wanted to ask if you could write something with rafe where reader does selfharm and he finds out? Maybe with a soft version of rafe

Not Going Anywhere

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: SELF-HARM and Talks of DEPRESSION (Please don't read if these are a trigger).

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 1.1K

A/N: If you or anyone you know are experiencing depression, then please know you are not alone and there are people who can help. The internet has information on the best places for you to go to in your country. Not tagging anyone just in case this is a trigger for anyone on my tag list.

Masterlist

It isn’t for attention. That is one assumption most people make whenever they see the scars. It’s the reason why she hides them on her hips. She doesn’t have to worry about anyone seeing it because no one sees her naked, not even her boyfriend. The only times the marks see the light of day are when she changes or showers. She makes sure the cuts made can be hidden by her underwear and any panties or bikini bottoms she buys need to pass that test as well. 

No matter how wrong she knows it is, she can’t help but hold the cold sharp blade against the tough skin. It is resting on top of a barely healing scar because she has no other place for it. Her breath hitches as she pulls the Exacto knife across her, going a little farther than the mark already made. Tears are running down her face. Her eyes blur as she repeats the motion below the blooming red line. Her breath is uneven and hitches every time the metal touches her skin. In some sick way, the pain gives her a small relief. It gives her a reason.

Most people wonder why someone would cause harm to themselves. They would guess that the despair is caused by a lack of food, shelter, money, clothes or love. However, Y/N doesn’t have that issue. How could she when she is a kook? No, she has never felt hunger or fear and that is the cause of the turmoil inside of her head. Nonetheless, ever since she entered teenhood, she would experience these months-long periods of extreme sadness. She would do her best to hide them from everyone by pushing herself to get out of bed and go to activities that she would normally enjoy. She would make sure to cry when no one else was at home and to track her family members’ phones to verify she was alone. It was a secret she kept so deep within her that she started to question why she felt this way. That is when the true problems began. She felt guilty for feeling this despair without a reason and it was furthered by the secrets she had to keep, so she began to self-harm as her reason. In her brain, partly because of what society has told her, she needed a reason for why she was melancholy because there are people in the world who were dealt much tougher times in life. 

So, that is how she finds herself standing in front of the mirror, holding down the right side of her underwear and dragging an Exacto knife along her skin. She has fallen into one of her episodes and this time, it is the worst one to date. She has never pressed so hard into her skin with the blade. It has never bled this much. She curses as the blood begins to seep into the cotton of her underwear. Her attention is on stopping the red from staining her clothes, so she doesn’t hear the front door open. 

Rafe whistles whilst he uses his copy of the key to open Y/N’s front door. People thought it was too early when they exchanged house keys after only six months of dating. They didn’t though. It felt like the next step when she told him that she was saving herself for marriage. They found a different way to reach a new level of intimacy and it worked for them. Her house is eerily quiet and dark. Normally, she keeps the hallway lights on when she is home and if she is watching TV/listening to music, it is so loud that it could make a deaf person hear. He doesn’t let the lack of normality stop him from making his way to her bedroom, thinking nothing that her door is closed. He uses the doorknob to push it open and he is surprised to see her standing in front of the mirror with her hands pressing against her hip. It takes him a second to process that blood stains her hand. His shock turns to worry as he rushes to her side. He trips over something in his attempt to get to her and looks down to see a bloody Exacto knife, like the kind she uses to cut things for her art. He kicks it away and removes her hand from her side. He curses at the amount of blood. This needs stitches. 

“My love, what happened?” he asks, hoping the theory he has isn’t true. He sees the tears running down her face and the way her mouth opens and closes. She has no idea how to answer. The hiccups of her crying make it even harder. Instead of waiting for an answer, Rafe washes his hands and gets the first aid kit in her bathroom. He uses the bandage wrap inside it to catch the blood, instructing her to use it to apply pressure whilst he guides her to his car. The drive to the hospital is silent. 

———

Y/N told the medical practitioner the truth as to how she got the cuts and scars. She couldn’t lie with Rafe in the room. He had offered to step out, except she asked him to stay. She was tired of lying. It only added to her exhaustion. Y/N didn’t have to say much before the doctor excused herself to get a hospital psychiatrist. Rafe said nothing as she described the anguish she felt. He felt a sharp stab to his heart at every word she said, criticizing himself for not seeing the mental pain his girlfriend was in. 

With the doctor gone, he speaks up. “Is there anything I can do right now that can help you feel more comfortable?” She appreciates that he doesn’t assume that there is an easy fix to this or that at the moment there is something quick he can do to make her feel better. His focus on her comfort causes a flutter in her stomach. She nods, “Can you just hold me?” He joins her on the hospital bed and pulls her to his side. The buzz of the lights is the sole thing that can be heard for a while. “This isn’t your fault,” she clarifies, concerned that he might think it. He kisses her temple, “I know. Thank you for trusting me enough to be in the room when you told the doctor what happened. This isn’t your fault either and you are so brave for asking for help. If you want, I will be here to help you every step of the way.” A different kind of relief comes over her. She feels a glimmer of hope that she doesn’t have to do this alone. “I want you here,” she whispers, pressing her face into his side. “Then I’m not going anywhere.”

[vivwritesfics]

POV: Oscar saves reader

An NNTA AU

Just before she is due to marry Carlos, Oscar takes her away

For this, i'm pretending all the US immigration stuff doesn't exist, like, I know its seriously difficult to get a visa to live and work in the US, but i've ignored that here

Series Masterlist

It was the night before the wedding and Y/N was crying into her pillow

You know how the story goes, what happens when she marries Carlos

And, in a way, she knew it too

She knew what was going to happen to her, the impending tragedy she could feel coming

No amount of consoling from Oscar had any effect

In our original story, Oscar disappears to get some beers and let her have one last fun night

But, in this story, Oscar didn't do that

While she had been sleeping, Oscar was wide awake, putting things in place to get her away from Carlos's house

The hardest part had been getting a car and stashing it outside of the gates

If it was still there when they went to escape, he would have been incredibly surprised

"Pack your bags," said Oscar as he gently pulled her away from the pillow and wiped the tears from beneath her eyes

"Osc," she began, but he threw a bag onto the bed and pulled an already packed one from beneath it

Wordlessly, she got on with it, packing her things into the bag

The bag was tiny, not nearly big enough to pack all of her things

But she did what she could

"What're we doing?"

Oscar took her hand and kissed the back of it

He pulled open her bedroom door, keeping his hand on his gun as she looked up and down the corridor

When he saw nothing, he walked out, Y/N trailing behind him

He went to the stairs, kept his gun pointed down as he looked for any of Carlos's men

They had a clear run to the stairs

Oscar kept a tight hold of Y/N as they ran towards the front door

Outside would be a different story - there would be cameras everywhere and probably some men too

"When we're out there, run like hell," he said and waited for Y/N to nod before he opened the door

They did just like that, ran like hell

The gates weren't the most sophisticated and Oscar easily got them open

He took Y/N's hand and pulled her towards the car that was still stashed away

Within seconds they were driving towards the airport, and nobody even knew they had left

"Where are we going, Osc?" Y/N asked as she leaned her head against the window

Finally, he answered her, "The Sargeants have offered us a place to stay in the United States," he said as they drove on the highway

The flight from Spain to the US was long and Y/N slept through most of it

Oscar didn't, though

He kept his arms wrapped around her, alert and protective

When they touched down in Florida, Logan and two other men in suits were there to greet them

"I'm putting my ass on the line for you, mate," (because I love the way logan says mate) he said as he pulled Oscar in close

Oscar looked at the girl behind him

"She's worth it," he said

The Sargeants had multiple safehouses

That was where Oscar and Y/N found themselves, in one of the Sargeant's safehouses

It was their perfect little haven

It was hard for Y/N not to fall in love with Oscar

If she wasn't already in love with him when she lived in Carlos's house, she certainly was now

The safehouse had one bed (because I love that trope)

At first Oscar refused to sleep in the same bed as her

He took a couple of pillows and slept on the floor

But then Y/N insisted that he sleep in the bed with her

They fell into a domestic sort of bliss, and that was how they got together

They didn't think about it the first time they kissed, laying in the bed they now shared

It had become normal for Oscar to hold her close while they slept, still protective

For a full year, their life was normal

Y/N wanted to get a job, she wanted that sort of normality, so she did

She went by her middle name, calling herself Piastri instead of Norris

That made Oscar wear his polite cat smile

Oscar got a job too, working for the Sargeant family

It was really nice, working with his best friend

They went karting together, taking Oscar back to the days before he began working for Webber, when his Formula One dreams were close to being a reality

After a year of peace, Lando found them

It had been a solo mission, something he hadn't told anybody about

His men didn't know, the man that should have been his brother in law didn't know

Lando made the trip to Florida alone, letting Sargeant know that he was on his way

The Sargeants pulled Y/N and Oscar in

Oscar was immediately protective when Lando walked into the room, but the Brit held his hands up defensively

"Relax, nobody knows I'm here," he said, looking at his sister (who had been pushed behind Oscar)

"I'm proud of you," he said, "both of you"

"Both of us?" Asked Oscar, unable to stop the face he was pulling

Lando nodded his head

"You got my little sister away from a marriage that i never wanted to happen"

Y/N stepped forward. "Why are you here, Lando?"

Truth was that Lando wasn't going to come, not until he found out that she was going by Piastri

That gave a certain idea (that they were together) and Lando couldn't not check it out

He was right, it seemed

The way Oscar was protectively in front of her told Lando everything he needed to know

The way Y/N was holding the back of Oscars white button up shirt told him

"I'm here giving my blessing"

"I don't need it," Y/N replied quickly

"I don't care, you've got it"

Taglist (CLOSED): @biancathecool @multi-universe21 @formulas-bitch @gills-lounge @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @carlossainzwho @f1lov3r @samaib11 @charli123456789 @queenofmanydreams @ironmaiden1313 @vellicora @glitterf1 @80sloverry @lightdragonrayne @moonayu @bellsalabanccini @topguncultleader @handsupforamiracle @cmleitora @jenniferrvsesi @barcelonaloverf1life @sbella13 @nicolettecallednikki @darleneslane @thehufflepuffavenger1 @champagneproblems17 @aespie @yukheizcigarettes @rewmuslupin @hollie911 @ashy-kit @ririgy @stqrgir1 @zaynzierulez @minkyungseokie @rafaaoli @carolinesainz @ashies-ln4op81aa22 @measimp @mizelophsun11 @eviethetheatrefreak @andydrysdalerogers @chonkybonky @shobaes @celesteblack08 @watermelonworries @gracielukey @cassie0sstuff @goldenharrysworld @venusesworld @sparklyperfectionstranger @evans-dejong @graciewrote @formulaal

[zae-heeyyy]

Resumption

Summary: You and Arthur revisit the past. Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Female!Reader Word Count: 1,362 Tags: fluff, kissing, high honor Arthur

A/n: This is an anon request gone off the rails because I can't write less than 1000 words for some reason 😅. I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading!

P.S I understand and respect Mary, so I hope I did her justice here.

Resumption: The act of starting something again after it has been paused or interrupted. It implies a continuation of an activity, process, or state that was temporarily halted.

Traveling with your found family brought you back to this place you had long tried to forget. All that time ago, you left without much of a choice, pushing you straight into the clutches of the Van Der Linde gang. While the landscape had changed a bit, the people hadn't. Despite you remembering their faces, no one truly recognized yours.

You didn't blame them; you tried hard to forget them all, but being so close to everything again brought painful memories to the surface. This country somberly reminded you of loved ones passed on, desperate acts of survival, and a heartbreak that left you wanting to burn it all to the ground. You thought you could handle a simple supply run, but the longer you stayed in town, the harder you had to fight the affliction coming to a boil within you.

But every time you wanted to flee, the presence of a broad-shouldered, fearless cowboy kept you grounded. Arthur had sensed your uneasiness the second you hit town and made it his mission to protect you. You felt his touch for every minute of your trip, him keeping a hand on the small of your back as you gathered supplies and ordered from the catalog. He only turned his back on you to load the wagon while you hovered nearby.

A stagecoach stopped abruptly at the train station across the road. You didn't think much of it until you caught sight of a woman with child being helped out the side of the coach. She was clad in the fanciest day dress you'd ever seen, and her grandiloquent hat probably cost more than every piece of clothing you owned. Your body reacted before your mind did, your stomach dropping to the lowest pits of your being and your heart's rhythm multiplying by two.

The memory of her had engrained itself in you, etched deep in your brain. Yet, her role in your past was unclear at the moment, too clouded by the whirlwind of your life for you to put your finger on it. Arthur noticed your forlornness, stopping his task to look between you and the woman now disappearing into the train station.

"You alright? You know her?"

You opened your mouth to respond, but as the carriage drove away, it revealed a man in a dapper suit carrying luggage, his face no older than the day you left. You jolted like someone had doused you in cold water. Arthur came to the rescue, putting a calming, steadying hand on your back, but you were too distracted by the man you almost married once to notice. The phantom from your past blinked slowly with sad eyes, then turned his back and followed the woman inside.

Her identity gelled in your memory finally; she was the high-society woman he left you for. A time ago, your eyes would've shined with tears, but besides the initial shock of seeing ghosts, you felt a whole lot of nothing.

"You okay?" Arthur asked, breaking you from your trance. You were because you knew you'd never have to experience such heartbreak again. You just nodded, wanting to get as far away from this place as possible.

After things settled down for the night, Arthur whisked you away to a hilltop clearing, starting a fire and throwing a relaxed arm around you. He popped open a bottle of whiskey, had a sip, and passed it to you. His uneasy glance felt hot on your cheek, and you knew what was coming.

Scratching his beard, he spoke, unsure of himself, "so, that feller earlier…" His voice trailed off, the courage he had to ask leaving him as quickly as it came. Arthur hadn't pressed the issue of the brief encounter in town, trying hard to give you space. But his insecurity had gotten the best of him. You took a long swig from the glass bottle and shook your head, focusing on the ground.

"Somebody I really cared about once. Not so much anymore."

He didn't respond for a while, searching for the right words; he chuckled then settled on them, "he seemed real polished." You appreciated Arthur's mockery for once, his toothy grin lightening the mood.

"Oh, he is." You paused, eyes still focused down, eyebrows crinkling together. "Back then, I was doing what I could to survive, doing some things I'm not proud of, but he saw me. He saw me for me for me, invited me into his home, and cared for me.

Arthur scooted in closer, squeezing you into him. Talking about the past wasn't something either of you did much of. Yet, here you were, trusting him to carry some of the weight with you. It all left him feeling grateful and undeserving. You continued, "his daddy was a banker, and he follwed in his footsteps. They had money, a lot of it. His folks didn't think I was good enough, and then he made his choice. Found a girl who was more up to his standards, I guess. I loved him, and I thought he loved me. And maybe he did, but not enough."

You exhaled big when it all came out. Arthur laughed dryly, his eyes clouded over and focused off into the distance.

"I know all about that." You passed the whiskey back to him, and he accepted the silent cue, ready for his turn to open up.

"Had a girl that loved me once, Mary." The camp girls had whispered her name here and there, and even Grimshaw had commented that she liked you better than the last one. Many stories were told about her, and you weren't sure which ones were exaggerated for dramatic effect. None of it mattered, though. You trusted Arthur more than you'd ever trusted anybody and loved him enough to not only think of yourself in his rare moment of vulnerability.

"She was a fine woman. I can't bring myself to say anything bad about her, but her family, though…" he drew out a long, low whistle and started talking again. "I couldn't change, and well, maybe she did love me, but it just wasn't enough for us, either."

You took your turn to comfort him now, shifting positions to put your arms around his torso and lay your head on his chest. He hugged you back, resting his chin on your head.

"Didn't think love was for me. Was okay with that for a while. Then.—" vibrations from his chest tickled your ear as he laughed, "then Hosea and Dutch met this spitfire in the saloon and brought her back to camp. Said she was counting cards and scamming drunk fellers out of their money. The girl didn't even own a pair of shoes, but damn, was she sharp as a razor, and gorgeous. After a while, she had me thinking a lot about love again."

All that desperation seemed eons away now. Before Hosea and Dutch came along, you didn't know how you'd survive. Survival was the only thing on your mind; you didn't have time for anything else. Then, you met Arthur and knew it would all be alright again. Pulling away, you raised an eyebrow at him, grinning because you already knew the answer to the question you were about to ask.

"If that Mary girl came calling, would you go back?"

He grabbed you by the chin and spoke before he pulled your lips to his, "Hush woman. Can't you see I'm trying to be romantic? Yer my woman and yer stuck with me now. Ain't nobody for me, but you."

You kissed him for a long while, feeling his lips curving upwards. You pulled away and saw that all-so-familiar shit-eating grin creeping up on his face.

"What is it now, Arthur Morgan?"

"A banker, really?" he'd asked, his chipped tooth flashing under his lips, "I'm gonna try real hard not to hold that against you."

And then you threw your head back and laughed. Nobody made you laugh as hard as he did. And nobody else’s lips, hands, or body moved so perfectly in sync with yours. You were made for each other; you knew that for certain.

[shadowandlightt]

Of Nightmares and Memories /two/ Azriel X Reader

Series Warnings: Kidnapping. Mistreatment. Cursing. Pining. Violence. Depression. Talks of suicide. Eventual smut

Part one Part Three

You dream of the blue of his siphons. The hazel of his eyes. You see him every night, whether you’d like to or not. He seems to invade everyone of your senses, always. Even from miles away. Even if he was dead. But you swore you’d know if he perished when Amerantha took over. You felt as if you would’ve felt his loss deep within your gut. 

But there had been no word of Velaris, or the people inside it. Had your brother truly been able to hide it all of these years? He’d been stripped of so much of his power, but did he have enough to keep your beloved city safe? 

“He wants you in the dining room for dinner.”

“And if I say no?” You question the red haired fox. 

His eyes, one golden and mechanical, narrowed on you, “He’ll drag you down by your hair.”

“I’d like to see him try,” You bark out a laugh, knowing you could shred him in a moment if only you had use of your power. 

The faebane they kept you full of made sure you were just a sliver of who you once were. Your skin was dull and lifeless, gone was the wondrous glow of immortality. Because you might as well have been mortal, plain and easy to kill. But you still had the self defense that your brothers taught you. You still had the ability to fight back. You were weak now, yes, but you could still just as easily use one of the butter knives on Tamlin. 

“Please,” Lucien begged, “Don’t be difficult. It’s been a hard day.”

“He lost another, then?” I question, head cocking to the side. 

“Don’t bring it up or he’s likely to skin you alive,” Lucien warned you. 

“Again, I’d like to see him try.”

Lucien’s eyes seem tired as he looks at you. Your fight seemed to dissipate as you looked at him. You knew time was running out, far too fast. Soon enough Amarantha would take control over every Fae, no matter where they lived. Tamlin was the only one keeping her at bay, and his power was almost hers for the taking. Then what would become of you? When her goons came for Tamlin and ransacked the house, surely they’d find you and drag you before her. Then you’d just be a tool to further your brother’s pain. 

“Ah, I can see it now,” He sighed, “You’ve realized your fate, if this doesn’t work.”

“He’ll never convince a human to love him,” You shake your head, “No matter how charming  he can be.”

“For your sake, you best hope he does.”

You follow him from your room, or your cell, whatever seems to fit one day to the next. The manor house is quiet as you make your way through it, servants not sparing you a second glance. They all knew you were being held prisoner, yet they could do little to change it, without incurring the High Lord’s wrath. 

For once in your life, you were helpless, and had been since that day in the clearing.

“It would’ve been so much easier for him,” You mutter, “Had he just let them kill me that day. Instead he had them spare me and now I stay a constant headache.”

“More like a constant thorn in his side,” Lucien smiled slightly.

The thought brought a sly smile to my face. You prepared your stone mask as you grew closer to the dining room. Lucien was the only one you allowed to see a sliver of who you were. You allowed him to see more of yourself than you should, because he saw someone who was a little more delicate, a little more capable of love and sadness. Not the stone exterior of the Night Court that we worked so hard to maintain.

“Play nice with him tonight,” Was Lucien’s last warning before we reached the golden doors. 

You schooled your face into a bored mask, as if all of this was beneath you. For centuries you’d been playing this part. Without so much as a break from it. Only when you were sure you were alone in my rooms did you let the mask fall. Only then did you cry out for my family, for my home. 

“Glad you decided to join us,” Tamlin’s voice carried from the end of the table. 

Your eyes roll, “As if I had a choice.”

A snarl escapes from Tamlin, claws slowly growing. You smile sweetly at him for a moment, before throwing out what little power you had left to reach into his head. Just enough to let him know you were there, just enough to be a pest when you wanted. But it wasn’t without difficulty. Sweat beaded on your forehead as you strained against the confines of your power. 

“Enough,” He yelled, slamming his hands down against the table. 

You flinch back, seeing the beast start to emerge. For a moment you allowed yourself to feel the slight fear that crept in. You were weak now, unable to protect yourself as you used to. He’d taken your power, your freedom, and your strength away from you. Stripped it away as if it were nothing. He should have just killed you in the forest that day. 

“Where is the little human?” You question, sniffing the air, “Her…stench is hard to miss.” 

“She’s getting cleaned up,” Lucien spoke up, “Might be best if you eat before Alis is finished with her.”

I turn slowly to glare at him, before turning back to Tamlin, “Still keeping me as your dirty little secret then?”

“She doesn’t need to know about you.”

“You know, I hope you can charm this one,” You snarl, “Because time is running out. Soon enough we’ll all be-”

“Enough!” He roars, “I know how much time we have left. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

“Oh, you still have the chance, but the second he finds out I’m still alive,” You can’t help but laugh as you shake your head, “Well… then you’ll really wish you allowed them to kill me.”

“If she finds out you're alive…” Lucien trailed off with a look from Tamlin. 

I flop down into a chair and scoop up a glass of wine, “Well, this is going to be a fun couple of months, then, won’t it?”

“Behave,” Lucien snaps. 

“I am behaving,” I reply sweetly. 

“Eat, before I lock you up and forget about you.”

“Now now,” I sigh, “It’s been centuries, surely we can be a little more civil than that,”

“You’re too much like your brother,” Tamlin sighs, leaning back into his chair. 

“You almost sound sad about that,” You note, “Regretting crossing him?”

“No.” 

You hum and drink your wine before tucking into the food before you. Despite knowing there was faebane in it, you couldn’t stop eating. You hardly ate anymore. Just enough to keep you alive, but today you were starving. 

“Slow down before you make yourself sick,” Lucien said slowly. 

You growl at him before slowly down slightly. If only your brother could see you now. See what you’d become. If only Az and Cas could see you, what would they think? Or Mor or Amren. You weren’t sure what they would say if they could see you now. How different you’d become. 

Time passed slowly. The weeks dragged on, as you were only allowed out of your room when Feyre, the human, wasn’t around. Tamlin was doing well with dancing around your existence. Firenight was quickly approaching, and you felt the excitement deep in your bones. If there was one night that you would beg to be released it was Calanmai. 

“You know you can’t.”

“Please Lucien,” You all but beg, “He’ll be there, I know it.”

“Which is why you can’t leave the manor,” He explains.”

“I just want to see him for myself,” You whine, “I need to see him, just once before the fifty years is up. Just once.”

“He’ll know.”

“Tamlin will be too caught up in the rite to notice,” I remind him, “And you can manage a convincing glamor.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Just this once,” You say softly, “I wouldn’t ask if time wasn’t running out.”

“I know.”

“Just, please.”

“You stay next to me the whole time,” He explains, “Running off could get you killed.”

“I know.”

“Thirty minutes, that’s all you’ll get.”

“It’s more than I thought I’d get.”

Your heart hammered in your chest with the prospect of seeing your brother again after centuries of being apart from him. You knew you wouldn’t be able to tell him who you were, you wouldn’t be able to leave with him. Or speak with him. But you’d be able to lay eyes on him, and know that in whatever capacity, he was okay. He was alive, even if he was a slave to the bitch under the mountain. He’s still alive. And that’s all you could ask. Even if the rest of your family was dead, at least he lived on.

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Blood Ties Chapter 5

Series Masterlist

Warnings: Medical blood draw, allusions to abortion, poorly written smut

A/N: Even after figuring out where I wanted to go with it, this chapter feels weak to me. I’m sorry.

Moodboard by @dannyo000 💙

You looked over Daryl’s shoulder and squinted at the light before the man moved, wrapping a curiously gentle hand around your bicep to urge you into the building. 

“Daryl, you cover the back.” Shane ordered quietly. 

The lobby was eerily quiet, no immediate answer to Rick’s calls. You looked around for a moment and then tracked Daryl while he kept a keen eye out for walkers. A small hand squeezed your shoulder, startling you. When you turned, Carol was already pulling you closer to herself and her daughter. They were keeping the women and children in the middle, protecting them. 

You wanted to balk at the idea. You could very well handle yourself if they would give you a weapon but apparently that was still out of the question. 

There was the echo of a gun cocking, all eyes falling on the lone man at the end of the corridor, a rifle in his hands. “Anybody infected?” He asked, warily eyeing each member of the group. 

“One of our group was.” Rick answered solemnly. You could sense the collective shift in the atmosphere, now heavy with grief. “He didn’t make it.”

The stranger didn't hesitate. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

“A chance.” Rick countered immediately. 

“That’s asking an awful lot these days.”

“I know.”

There was a moment of contemplation, the gentleman once again scanning over each and every individual. “You all submit to a blood test. That’s the price of admission.”

Rick’s relief was evident in the tone of his reply. “We can do that.”

Weapons were lowered, the stranger nodding toward the doors. “You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed.” 

There was a sudden burst of movement, bags and people shuffling about. Your own bag was pushed into your hands, Daryl’s eyes meeting yours for a moment before he jerked his chin to indicate you should follow the others into a rather large elevator. It was a squeeze but everyone managed to fit. Even if it did mean you were pressed tightly against the redneck. 

“VI, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here.” 

There were beeps and rattles as the elevator closed. Introductions were being made, information shared but you could only focus on the heat radiating from the man nearly pressed flush against your back. With a careful step, you shifted closer to Carol. 

Everyone filed out once the doors opened but remained behind Dr. Jenner, listening to him explain the facility and what had been happening within the government sectors since the turn. Your thoughts, however, were running circles around the blood test he would be doing. Maybe you could manage to be the last draw and ask him in private to run the extra test if it wasn’t already on his agenda to do so. You could only assume that his priority was to ensure no one was infected. 

“Hey.”

Your head snapped up to find Daryl watching you with a narrowed, cautious gaze. 

“Keep up.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” You mock saluted, hurrying by him. He muttered something as you passed that you figured was probably nothing you cared to hear. 

Straight to business, Jenner began drawing blood samples. Chewing on your lip, you began to creep back toward the wall, ensuring everyone was in front of you until—

“The hell ya doin’?” Daryl drawled right beside your ear. You hadn’t realized he was still behind you. Snatching your arm from his grasp, you glared up at him. 

“Just getting in line.” You sneered, side-stepping around him just as Jenner announced he was ready for the next person. Only you and Daryl remained. For the briefest moment, you pondered if his thoughts were aligning with your own, his blue eyes locked on you even as his blood was pulled into the tube. 

You glanced around to find everyone else chattering about the facility and the things they had been informed of, not really concerned with the testing going on. 

Except Rick and Daryl. 

Fuck. 

You plopped down on the chair and presented your arm, wracking your brain for a way of asking for him to run a pregnancy test without alerting Rick to your plight. As you glanced up, you found the man in question saying something to Daryl but the redneck wasn’t listening, his eyes burning into your own. You felt your stomach churn, an uncomfortable tingling sensation prickling at your hands and feet. Your ears began to ring just as Dr. Jenner announced he was done. With a minute nod, you stood, albeit slowly but it wasn’t enough. The world tilted, littered with black dots. The wavering image of the floor was coming up to meet you. 

“None of us have eaten in days. She’s new so she could have gone longer than us without.” 

Consciousness was prodding at the edges of your mind, sounds and voices coming back all at once. As you peeled your eyes open, you waited for the pain from hitting the floor but it never came. In fact, you weren’t on the floor at all. No one was looking down at you. 

“There she is.” Jacqui smiled, patting your hand that was carefully held between her own. You offered the smallest of smiles back, your eyes flickering over to where your knees dangled off of something. 

A hand. 

You turned your head to find none other than Daryl looking down at you with an unreadable expression. 

“Um, thanks.” You mumbled, pressing your hand to your stomach. You still felt nauseous but the dizziness was ebbing away. “You can put me down now.”

“I gotcha.” He replied. His voice was low, almost soft. 

“No, really. I’m good.” You looked around, now extremely uncomfortable with all the concerned stares and hushed voices. “Please.” You added, just low enough for only him to hear. Daryl didn’t say anything but carefully lowered your feet to the floor, his arm remaining across the small of your back while you gathered your bearings. “Thank you.”

He merely hummed. While he was no longer touching you, you couldn’t help but notice that his hand was still hovering. 

“I think some food would be the next logical course of action.” Dr. Jenner gave a tight smile and led the way from the room. 

You followed on unsteady legs, but Daryl stayed close. You weren’t sure how you felt about that. 

You decided to forego the table, standing at the small counter in the kitchen area to pick at your pasta dish while everyone laughed and celebrated at the table. Even Daryl seemed to be in good spirits, choosing Glenn as the subject of his pestering. Everyone seemed so carefree in that moment, your thoughts wandered to your own family. How your father would have looked smiling brightly at that table and enjoying a good, hot meal in relative safety. 

You brushed away the tear that had escaped and began to poke at your food with your fork. Feeling eyes on you, a glance showed Daryl watching you with a bottle just in front of his lips. Heat began to burn in your cheeks and you looked away, forcing yourself to take a bite that you didn’t even really want, hungry as you were. When you dared to look again, he was smiling and partaking in the toasts to Jenner. 

“Here’s to you, doc. Booyah!” He shouted before taking a generous swig straight from the bottle. Glasses clinked and similar praises were given. You raised your water glass when the quiet doctor’s eyes drifted over to you. 

You could only hope that from where you stood, no one noticed you weren’t drinking. You could always blame it on the nausea but that might only fuel more suspicion. Lucky for you, Shane decided to steer the mood into the opposite direction and all celebrations died down quickly. 

The meal was finished in relative silence. Even Daryl was leaned back against the counter with the bottle still in his hand, his expression grim. 

Jenner showed everyone to the rest of the living area. Some rooms had beds while others had couches. There were two words, though, that seemed to halt everyone in their tracks: hot water. It was almost comical to watch the bodies scatter but you remained still, letting them go until only you remained in the hall. You could shower later. You needed a moment alone with the doctor. 

You found him at one of the control panels, a centrifuge with tubes of blood sitting inside. You were wringing your hands as you approached, steps so quiet that he didn’t seem to notice you. Now that you had the opportunity to speak with him, you were petrified. He could say one word that would change your life forever. 

“Hi, Dr. Jenner.”

The man was obviously startled, spinning in the chair to regard you with wide eyes. “Oh! Y/N, right?” You nodded, feeling your legs begin to tremble. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. A little. I guess.” You stumbled over words, twisting one hand within the other until it hurt. “That’s why—why I’m here, actually.”

“I thought as much.” He sighed, laying down his pen on a notepad with more care than necessary. 

You felt your stomach sink. “You—did?” He nodded, expression almost sympathetic. “If you know why I’m here, then that means—” Your knees all but buckled, hands steadying yourself against the console before the doctor stood and offered his chair. 

“I take it this wasn’t planned.” You shook your head, gaze as vacant as your mind felt in that moment. Dr. Jenner pulled up another chair and sat down in front of you. “May I ask, the father, is he alive?” You nodded absently. “Will you tell him?”

That gave you pause, cogs and wheels turning in overdrive  to make your brain function. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s my opinion,” Jenner tapped on the desk as if just trying to do anything other than focus too hard on the conversation, “these are the end times. It goes without saying that there are no blessings anymore. Nothing real to hope for anymore.” Words were failing you as you struggled to entertain his thoughts. “I can help you.”

You stopped breathing. Was he suggesting—No. No, you couldn’t possibly make a decision of that magnitude without Daryl. Regardless of how it came to be, the baby was just as much his as it was yours. He had to know. “I, um—thank you, Dr. Jenner. Really.” You stood, tripping over the chair when you stepped back. Jenner did rise from his seat to ensure you didn’t fall but promptly returned once you were able to remain upright. “I just—he has to know. I have to tell him.” You blurted another ‘thank you’ as you jogged from the room, miraculously making it to the final empty room before you allowed yourself to break down. 

Sliding down the wall, you let one hand rest on your stomach, now certain there was a little life there. The halls were quiet; anyone could hear. Your other hand covered your mouth, stifling your harsh sobs. 

You were pregnant. 

You were scared. 

You wanted your father. His advice, his embrace. You would have even taken his scolding just to have him there. What a cruel twist of fate, losing your family only to be gifted with a new one. 

And then there was Daryl. Rude, angry, impulsive. What were you thinking? Well, you weren’t thinking of babies, that was for sure. 

You needed to get yourself together, figure out what to do next. Deep breath through the nose, count to five. Out through the mouth, count to five. You continued, pushing yourself to your feet so you could start pacing the room. 

You knew you had to tell Daryl. But when? If you waited, anything could happen. You could be injured or you could lose the baby. Fuck, or both. If he didn’t know and found out that way, he’d be furious. You hadn’t experienced the full scope of his anger and truly hoped not to, especially when it came to anything regarding the baby. 

You couldn’t wait. You had to tell him. 

“Like a bandaid. Just rip it off.” You told yourself when you opened the door and stepped into the hall. Quickly, you realized that you didn’t know what room he was in. “Fuck.”

“Wha’re ya doin’?” 

Of course. You looked over your shoulder first, finding him leaning against the wall outside an open door. “Looking for you, actually.”

“Why?”

“Can we talk?” The smell of alcohol wafted into your nostrils within several feet of him. Distantly, you wondered if it was too early for your pregnancy to be responsible. His eyes drifted down your body and back up before he flattened against the wall to let you by. 

Daryl had chosen one of the rooms with a couch, leaving you instantly feeling guilty for having a bed in your own. You didn’t choose the room, it just happened to be the only one open when you came back from meeting with Jenner. Maybe you could offer it to him to smooth things over after you had talked. 

“Look, Daryl—” You spun to find him standing mere inches away, that unreadable expression firmly in place. “First of all, are you drunk?” You rubbed your lips together before pulling the bottom one between your teeth. You weren’t doing this if he was drunk.

“Nah. Take more than wine for that.”

Your eyes flitted over to the bottle of whiskey on the end table. “You mean, like that?” You pointed, raising an eyebrow when he actually turned to look. 

“Ain’t had any.” He sniffed and crossed his arms. “Yet. Whaddaya need?”

“Daryl, I went to—well, when I—” The food from earlier began threatening to make a reappearance, worsening as his eyes continued to narrow. “I need to sit down.” The hard look faded and gave way to concern, something you hadn’t seen him openly convey. He didn’t say anything, but you felt his hand on your back, urging you toward the couch. “I’m sorry.” Like a bandaid. Like a bandaid. Your brain chanted at you, even as you doubled over to put your head on your knees. 

“Jesus, woman. It ain’t that big’a deal.” His flippant tone made you yearn to smack him upside the head with one of the couch’s cushions until you sat up with something particularly snarky on the tip of your tongue, only to be met with him unbuckling his belt. Your mouth agape, you did little more than blink at him. “Finally,” he drawled, leaning down to cage you against the back of the couch with an arm on either side, “didn’t think ya’d ever shut up.”

You should have stopped him. You knew that. But the moment his mouth was on yours, you were a lost cause. All you could focus on was the warmth beneath your hands. Daryl ran hot, never failing to leave your blood boiling beneath your skin. In a world gone cold with death, it was a relief to feel something so alive. 

“Saw ya in the truck.” He all but purred, pressing open-mouthed kisses across your jaw. “Would’a handled it for ya if ya’d asked.” He used his knee to force your legs apart, leaving it pressed into the couch just in front of your center. 

“Didn’t—wanna do this again.” You breathed, arching up with your head back to grant him access to the full expanse of your throat. 

“Yeah, ya did.” Daryl grinned against your flesh, his warm breath causing you to shiver. “S’a itch ya need scratched, same as me.”

Goddamnit, he was right. At first, it was all about the pleasure. The man excelled at making you feel good. Soon enough, it had gone beyond that. It was a connection with another person. You’d begun to crave being touched, being wanted. You lusted for the rush of making him feel good. You could die at any given moment and had wanted to live while you could. 

You needed to tell him about the baby—and you would—but first, you needed this. You could revel in the feel of him without the looming dangers of being vulnerable in the outside world. 

Your hand splayed open against his chest, pushing him back enough to enable you to pull your shirt over your head. Your slender fingers began undoing the button of your jeans while his mouth danced across the newly exposed skin. Lifting your hips, you slid down your pants and used your feet to rid yourself of them completely before you desperately pushed his trousers down his legs. 

It was the first time you’d seen so much of his bare skin, wondering if he’d finally allow you to touch him without the barrier of clothing. “I want you.” The admission left your mouth in a breathless plea. Daryl kicked his pants away from his feet, never ceasing his onslaught against the swell of your breasts above your bra. 

“Yeah?” He teased while a large hand slid across your ribs and around to your back, skilled fingers snapping open the clasp of your bra. You shed the article without care and tossed it. His mouth and hands were on you instantly. Lips and tongue taunted one nipple while he palmed your other breast. The calloused skin over your sensitive peak had you arching into him, breathy moans escaping your parted lips with abandon. “Thought I’s a asshole?”

You whimpered when you felt the light graze of his teeth. “You’re still an asshole.” Knowledgeable fingers slid your panties aside to massage your clit with just the right amount of pressure. “But I still want you to fuck me. Like now.” Pushing him away, you rose to your feet and shed your last article of clothing, nearly groaning when he allowed you to push his underwear down his legs. He was kicking them aside when you pulled up on the bottom of his shirt. 

“No!” He barked, batting your hand away. You reeled back, caught off guard in the moment, eyes wide. While his expression was tense, shame and sadness overflowed from that beautiful blue. 

“Okay.” You whispered, stepping hesitantly back into his space. He flinched when you placed your hands on his sides, on top of his shirt. There was a story there, a deep wound that he wasn’t going to reveal anytime soon. It wasn’t a subject to be pushed right then. Your mouth hovered in front of his, the wine on his breath tempting you to slowly dip your tongue between his lips. It passed across his own and withdrew, enough to spur him onward. 

He kissed you hard, a dance of tongues and teeth. He was stepping backward while you walked him until the backs of his legs hit the couch. He fell onto it almost clumsily but his hands found your hips with ease as you climbed onto his lap. 

Your slick coated his cock with a drag of your hips, pulling a moan from him that you eagerly swallowed. “I fucking hate this.” You growled, repeating the action. 

“Think your pussy says somethin’ diff’rent.” He nipped at your bottom lip, his large hands roaming your torso, up up up to squeeze your breasts. You hissed at the hint of pain, grinding your hips down harder. “Grab a rubber from my bag.”

“Pull out.” You dismissed him quickly. If he objected, he didn’t voice it. What he did do was slide a hand down to your mound to circle your swollen clit with his thumb. “Damn you.” You tugged on his hair, earning a groan and a buck of his hips. Sliding your hips forward while lifting yourself slightly, the tip of him caught your entrance. Embarrassingly aroused, you were able to slide right down until your ass met his thighs. “Fuck, why does that have to feel so good?” The perfect stretch of accommodation had your cunt fluttering around him. 

“Cause s’mine, remember?” Daryl growled, pushing his hips up with a satisfied hiss. You did remember. That tight feeling in your chest stirred to life, but you shoved it down, rolling your body over him to allow pleasure to swallow you. You couldn’t think about his words, the deeper meaning that you subconsciously wished they held. You couldn’t think of the baby inside you that he didn’t know about yet. 

You shook your head and threw it back, riding him in earnest. Each bounce resulted in a slap of slick skin on skin, his cock hitting every nerve inside of you that had your toes curling within moments. When you looked at him, he was watching you with dark eyes, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth in an attempt to stay quiet beyond the occasional grunt. His hands had traveled back to your hips to help lift and lower you, successfully spearing you onto him. 

Your own hands slid down his clothed chest before you leaned back and braced yourself on his thighs. The new feel of his skin had the pleasure knot twisting hard in your belly. 

“Goddamn.” You heard him growl, one hand abandoning your waist to splay open between your breasts. “Slow down, woman.” 

But you didn’t. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to focus on the good you were feeling. Your chest was growing tighter and tighter until it felt like you couldn’t breathe. With strangled moans and gasps that felt futile, you leaned forward and fisted your hands in his shirt. Your eager bounces melted into a desperate grind against him. 

You just wanted to feel good. 

“Y/N, stop!”

And you did. You fell forward and all but wailed against his chest, any pleasurable sensation dissipating entirely. Everything came crashing down all at once, leaving you cold and scared and alone, even with Daryl still very much inside of you. Your sobs continued, any thought of moving quickly dismissed. 

“I’m—sorry.” You finally managed through the tears, your voice small to even your own ears. Daryl had yet to move and now, you were terrified to, fearing the look he was sure to be sporting. Still, there was only so long you could remain that way. When your sobs quieted to hiccups, you began to pull away from him only for his arm to encircle your back. 

Daryl was careful and quiet when he slipped out of you, keeping you pressed against him even as he rose slightly. He caught you beneath your legs to keep you from falling when he twisted to lay you across the couch. You stayed as he had placed you, watching him grab up his pack and head into the bathroom without a word. The shower turned on a moment later. 

You waited a moment more and then sat up, testing your legs before starting to gather up your clothing. You had really fucked this up, once again letting carnal desires outweigh any form of logic. How could you even face him after that, let alone tell him you were pregnant? 

“Damnit.” You whispered, finishing up getting dressed before you reached for the doorknob. You hesitated, taking a step toward the bathroom before ultimately turning around and leaving the room. 

[rebelliousstories]

You’re A Disappointment

Relationship: David x Reader

Fandom: The Lost Boys

Request: No

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Word Count: 3,393

Masterlist: Here

The Lost Boys Masterlist: Here

Summary: After a meeting with Max, David returns to the cave; he’s angrier than a bat out of hell.

A slower night gripped the boardwalk of Santa Carla. Unusual for this time of year, but not even the murder capital of the world could continue full throttle all the time. Resting against the railing, a young woman allowed her eyes to scan over the crowd. Her lover rested next to her, smoke billowing from his plush lips. His brothers were nearby causing havoc, but that did not matter as much to him. The girl next to him was gently linking her pinky with the hand that was down near his side. Just having her nearby, within holding range was enough to quiet the voices in his head for a little bit. He did not need to keep the carefully crafted image he spent so long making up with her nearby. However, the older man walking out of the back of his video store, and locking his eyes with the young man made the walls go back up. The man took another slow drag of his cigarette, waiting to see what the man wanted.

“Ha ha! You should’ve seen the look on his face, David! We totally made him need to change his pants.” A loud voice yelled as several figures bounced up to the couple that was leaning against the railing. But David did not turn his head towards his pack mate that had come near. No, his eyes stayed trained on the older man at the video store.

“David, I’m telling you… David?” The other blonde vampire had quieted down as he watched the leader. The entire pack watched with curiosity as David kept smoking, seemingly having a conversation with the older man at the video store. David’s lover and pack turned to see what he was looking at so intensely, and took a step closer together when they noticed. Dwayne immediately stood to David’s left, while Paul and Marko shielded the girl to David’s right. The bleach blonde took one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out beneath the toe of his boot. Watching the older man walk back into the video store, David spoke but did not look to the group around him.

“Dwayne, take the kitten back to the cave along with the boys. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” David went to go walk off but felt a hand grab his. He turned and was met with the concerned gaze of his lover. Leaning over, his unoccupied hand cradled her face while his lips pressed against her forehead. David turned quickly and did not spare another glance towards his pack, getting on his bike and riding off as fast as he could. The lady stood next to Dwayne who gently grabbed her hands to guide her towards his own bike. A concerned look refused to leave her face as the group got closer to the three remaining bikes.

“He’ll be fine, princess. David always is.” Dwayne reassured her quietly as she nodded. She kept repeating that in her head as much as she could, to try and convince herself that her lover would be fine.

“Yeah chicka. David’s always fine. And if he’s not, we just give him you and he calms right on down!” Paul got out in between laughs. Marko joined him in agreeing chuckles while Dwayne just shook his head. Making sure David’s girl was secured on the back of his bike and felt safe, Dwayne led the other two boys through Santa Carla. They whooped and cheered, screaming at the top of their lungs as the wind wiped across their face and through their hair. Getting all the way back to the cave, Dwayne gently navigated the young woman through the rough terrain of the the underground hotel. Letting the terror twins run amuck ahead, Dwayne made sure to treat her with a delicacy, knowing that if there was even a little scratch on her, David would not be happy. He already would not be happy coming home tonight; there was no reason to add fuel to that fire.

Marko ran immediately to check on his birds, while Paul lit up a joint from his coat pocket and made his way around the cave. Dwayne ran into his little alcove and grabbed his current book, eager to read, but watched the movement in front of him. The lady in the cave made her way and sat in David’s chair. There was a specific air around her, a mood that she had been in since leaving the boardwalk.

“Bela? You good?” Marko came around and placed his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, but there was no happiness behind her smile. Before Marko could continue, Paul slammed into him from behind which sent both vampires tumbling to the ground. She watched the boys tumble, swipe, curse, and rough house with each other. It sent out a small giggle from her lips watching them, but her mind switched to David. Whoever that man was at the video store made the pack tense and shield her, which did not make her feel good about her boyfriend being alone with the man.

Sunrise neared and there was still no sign of David. Dwayne had long since made sure that Laddie was safely tucked into his nest, and Star was in hers. Neither were seen much that night as Laddie was not feeling well leaving Star to stay with him and take care of the young halfling. The terror twins of the vampire pack had calmed down and stalked off to their sleeping perch in the cave. They did make sure to stop by the girl who had yet to move from her boyfriend’s chair all night, and give her some reassurance the best they could. Dwayne was the last to retire, trying desperately to wait up for David with her but the impending sunrise made him grow increasingly sleepy. But he went by the girl who was still up and tried to get through to her.

“He’ll be home soon, princess. You don’t have to stay up.” Dwayne spoke quietly, placing his hand on her shoulder. She blinked once, twice, three times before turning and giving him a soft smile.

“Thanks Dwayne. But I’m not going to be able to sleep anyways.” She said softly and squeezed his hand in comfort. The vampire stayed there with the young lady for another minute before giving her one last comforting squeeze, and walking further into the cave to prepare for sleep. Checking her watch, she started to worry as there was only about an hour of darkness left for her lover to make it home safely and he was still nowhere. She grabbed one of the books from Dwayne’s alcove, and settled back into her lover’s chair. Passing the time was difficult as she kept checking her watch every five minutes to make sure that David was not about to become a pile of ash. Thirty minutes from sunrise, and the barest hint of a changing sky, she heard it. The rumble of a bike pulling up above where the entrance to the cave was made her heart sore. Tossing the book back where she was sure Dwayne would collect it, she ran all the way to the fountain and waited.

Hearing a fierce screech, she watched as David flew into the cave. He landed but paid no attention to the girl that was clearly waiting on him. He threw a brick that was at his feet at the cave walls before moving onto a different target. His chair was thrown without care, and several cans that had been littered about were instead flung into the air in a furious flurry. David tore tapestries and fabric from their post, but did not dare tear down Star’s nest, having enough wherewithal to not destroy that. But he did not show the same care for the rest of the cave. Watching from the fountain, his girlfriend stayed quiet and let him vent out his frustrations. It would not be a good idea to get in the middle of the storm now, and figured he would either tire himself out and sleep the rest off, or get everything out of his system and then would turn to her. But as she watched him destroy any and everything, she knew it would be a while before it was out of his system entirely. David was uncharacteristically fired up and awake for this time of day, as the sun had finally broken the surface of the horizon.

The boys could no longer leave the cave but the new light had shown something that she had missed before. There was blood all over her boyfriend. All over his chin, chest, his hands, and in his beautiful formally bleach blonde hair. Her watch chimed on the hour and she watched her boyfriend slow down and breathe deeply in the shadow of the cave. Bright morning light had infiltrated just the very top of the cave, which meant the entire main area was still shrouded in shade but that did not stop David from finding the darkest corner and cowering in it like a wounded, wild animal.

“David?” She called, ever so softly over to her boyfriend. His chest heaved up and down as he took in deep breaths from the physical exertion.

“David? Hey, are you alright big guy?” She cautiously approached the man. As far as she could tell he made no indication that he was even aware of her presence. Her footsteps grew closer and closer, but David still did not acknowledge her. She got within arms reach of her lover, and slowly crouched down to be eye level with him. But this caused David to shift further back into his hiding hole. Reaching her arm out to place on him, caused David to violently shift away and hit his head against the cave wall.

“David? Honey, you’re scaring me. Are you alright?” His eyes closed as he tried to calm his breathing down.

“You should be asleep, kitten.” David rasped out. In his voice, anyone could see it was clearly used for even more talking and shouting than had been in the cave. It startled his girlfriend a little bit. She was not expecting to hear his voice like this. It sounded so… defeated. It sounded so unlike David. David was never one to show weakness to anyone. He was their fearless leader that protected them, and guided them.

“I couldn’t sleep not knowing if you were okay.” She whispered. His eyes opened slowly and looked at the girl in front of him. Her concern washed over her face and it made David feel bad.

“I’m always okay. You need to go to sleep. Go to your nest.” But neither made a move away from their current spots. That is, until, David’s lover got up and walked away without a word. He slumped against the cool cave wall feeling the exhaustion starting to hit him. Physical and mental exhaustion combined with the fact that the sun just made him want to sleep, it was all starting to be too much for David to handle. His eyes shut yet again, but they quickly reopened when he felt something cool and wet delicately touching his face.

His lover had returned with a damp rag, and had begun to clean up the blood that David had not bothered to clean off before. They sat in silence as she swiped the rag over his face, neck, and chest. The rag became stained with red, but David was steadily becoming cleaner with every pass. She finished up on his skin, before moving on to a clean part of the rag to gently wipe his hair as best as she could. But David raised his hand up and caught her wrist gently to pull it away.

“Wanna tell me why you’re like this? I’ve never seen you like this David.” She gently rested her hands on David’s legs and watched his face intently. The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out. He looked like he was trying to find a reply that would keep his problems away from his lover while reassuring her that he had everything under control. But he did not have everything under control, and he could not find anything to hide his feelings. He was far too exhausted to come up with a clever response.

“I had a meeting with Max.” He stated bluntly.

“Who’s that?” She asked with a curious expression.

“Right,” David sighed, “forgot you don’t know about him. Max is our sire. The vampire who made all of us vampires.” He explained slowly and quietly. His girlfriend stayed quiet and let him continue.

“He said something tonight that really got to me. I didn’t mean for it to but it did.” David wet his lips and looks down at his hands, still having a soft grip over one of her wrists but not doing anything more than resting on her.

“What, David?” But the man did not say anything. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, trying to get the words to come out. But they refused. He could not repeat what his sire had told him. Letting go of her wrist, his hand came up to cup his lover’s cheek. And that is when it flashed in her head. David was letting his memory flash through her mind’s eye.

She saw the same man from the video store in front of her, and felt herself inhaling a cigarette. But it was not her smoking or standing in front of the video store man; it was David. She watched as the man, Max, was rambling on and on in front of her.

“Honestly, David, all I ask is a little order. A little discipline. Is that too much for you to handle?” Max criticized the vampire in front of him, but David refused to back down.

“I said I would handle it, Max. If it’s rushed, it will backfire.” His voice stayed steady. David hated being treated like he did not know what to do or what was going on by anyone, including Max.

“If you keep that human around much longer without starting the process, it will not end well for anyone.” Max took his glasses off and cleaned them with a cruel smile on his face. In a flash, David was breathing the same air as his sire, staring him dead in the eyes.

“Are you threatening us?” David said sternly. Max brought his glasses up to rest gently on his face.

“And what if I am? That girl is not part of the family. You have no claim over her. As far as I am concerned, she’s an outsider. She is fair game, so to speak.” The elder vampire backed up, and threw his hands up in the air. Moving to his desk, Thorn sat at the side, kept it its eyes on David as he came closer to the vampire.

“I have staked my claim and she is under my protection. I have given her the choice to take it slow for her own sake so she doesn’t do what Star did and hold onto her humanity indefinitely. If you so much as lay a finger on her-“

“You’ll what David? Fight me? I am your father, boy. If I had known you would have caused me this much trouble over a couple girls, I would have left you in that alley all those years ago. I didn’t expect you to be such a disappointment.” Max’s words made David stop where he was. Still a few feet from the desk, but now feeling cold. So very chilly.

“What did you say?” He murmured knowing that Max would still be able to hear him.

“You’re a disappointment, David. I ask you for so little. I ask that you follow a few rules, gather a few new family members for yourself and the boys, and yet you can’t do that. The most basic aspect of our species that ensures our survival.” Max had stated all of this with the same blasé that someone would have talking about the weather. Both vampires watched each other intensely; neither making the first move. But when Max went to open his mouth again, David was quick to shut it.

“Listen here,” David slammed his hands down onto the desk of his sire, “I have followed your stupid rules, and done your bidding whenever asked. And it still wasn’t good enough. I gained the others, not you. Your blood may have turned them but I pulled them in. I made them what they are now. Star was rushed to turn and now look at where that’s gotten us? I now have a half in my cave that despises me for the gift that I gave her on your orders because you wanted a girl. But listen here, if you so much as think about turning my lover without my knowledge or hers, I’ll stake you myself.” David left before his sire had a chance to respond. He straddled his bike, and burned rubber turning away from his sire’s home. David knew that sunrise was approaching, but it did not stop him from following the sounds of a nearby beach party.

She was slowly pulled from the memory before she could see anything else, but the blood on him filled in the gaps. Her heart hurt to think that David had to go through that on his own. The comment had clearly struck a nerve with her vampire lover, and he was trying to deal with it the only way he knew how. She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to his forehead. Another on his temple, then his cheek. She repeated the actions on the other side and continued down. David simply allowed her to continue, not encouraging but not discouraging her either.

“You’re not a disappointment, David. You do so much for the pack to ever think that way. Don’t every believe him when he says that, my love.” She spoke so softly that it caused David to close his eyes and rest his head against her own.

“I’ll spend the rest of eternity telling you what an amazing man you are, as long as you believe me. And I appreciate you waiting on me, even if you’re dying to have me join you.” Her hand came to rest on the other side of his face that was not tucked against her own. And there they sat, simply existing in each other’s presence. David could not put into words what it meant to him to have her there with him after the night that he had. His body had finally let out its last bit of exhaustion and nothing seemed more amazing than sleep at that moment.

David pulled away and pressed a single, loving kiss to his partner’s lips, and stood up. She followed him up shortly, and rested her hands gently on his chest. With one arm around her back, David bent down and picked his lover up. Carrying her deeper into the cave, her nest had awaited them with his boys nearby. Her nest was specifically located in the nearest alcove to their perch so she was nearby in case David needed to check on her. But it also made it easy to check on the boys if he decided to sleep next to her instead. Ducking underneath the curtains, the inviting bed was just sitting there begging for the couple to lay down. They toed off their shoes, and David removed his jackets. As the couple laid down, David opened his arms for his lover to slot herself into. The daylight pulled David under the veil of sleep quickly and soon enough he was sleeping peacefully.

His lover stayed up for just a little bit longer to watch him sleep. She would feel bad about it, had she not caught her vampiric lover doing the same to her many times over. But it made her happy to see him finally get some sleep after the exhausting night that he had. And she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that David realized that he was not in any way, shape, or form, a disappointment.

[lunajay33]

Change

•🩰🎀🩷•

Summary: Y/n is a loner but loves ballet but her family doesn’t have enough money for her to dance at the studio, Daryl is a redneck who hates people and prefers bikes, until one day these two run into eachother and their lives change drastically, will Daryl toughen her up? Will y/n soften Daryl? Or both? How will things go when people start coming back from the dead

Pairing: Young Daryl Dixon x f!reader

A/n: This is going to be a series, it’s gonna start with how they met eachother and their lives before the apocalypse, eventually it’ll blend with twd story line!!

•Masterlist•

I’ve always wanted to dance, to strap on pretty pink ballet slippers and wear the tights and everything, ever since I was a little girl and first watch Swan Lake, watching how there was a light beautiful side but how also a dark side to a person it hooked me, but that dream was quickly crushed when my parents refused, saying they didn’t have enough money to put me in ballet because my older brothers football was more important and they couldn’t afford both at once

It’s always been like that, whatever my brother wanted he’d get within a reasonable price, but when I asked for the simplest things they would get mad and always turn me down, saying I should get a job if I ever wanted anything. So that’s exactly what I did, I got a waitressing job at the little diner in town, working after school and on weekends just hoping to be able to save enough for ballet classes, but balancing school and work everyday is exhausting and having a terrible home life ontop of that doesn’t help

My older coworker told me to make some friends and that might help things, help distract myself for a while and have a person to relay on for once but it wasn’t so simple, if you weren’t drop dead gorgeous, or had nice clothes and money in my school then the girls treated you like a ghost

So here I am sat at my usual bench under the wilting tree behind the school for lunch, sitting in the cafeteria all alone at a whole table felt pathetic, embarrasing, plus it was more comforting here, no pry judgemental eyes, plus the air out here smelt of fall, fallen crisp leaves, the towns forest right behind the school, it was comforting

I finished my lunch putting the book I was ready away in my bag and made my way back for my next class, biology and today we were getting a new seating arrangement, one I’ve been waiting for the whole month since I was sat next to one of the mean girls, I took my seat right as the bell rang

“Okay class today we are moving around, so find your spots” she said as she projected the new seating up on the board, I found my name at the second table to the back on the left, I made my way noticing I was sat with Daryl Dixon. He was quiet, usually kept to himself kind of like me, people would always talk bad about him but never dared say anything if his older brother was around, I remember the times my brother would complain about how obnoxious Merle Dixon was….as if he wasn’t the exact same

I plopped down next to him taking out my books and pencil case

“Hi”

“Hey” he said keeping his eyes on the table

That’s all we said to each other the whole period until the end of class

“Okay everyone, whoever you’re sitting with is now going to be your new lab partner, you’ll be working on this project together outside of class and it’ll be due at the end of next week, so I advise you figure out a time and place to work on this” she said as she handed out papers seeing it was a project on the cycle of frogs and their habitats

There was 10 minutes left in class for us to figure out how to get this project done, I turned in my seat looking at Daryl, up close I noticed he was actually kinda cute in a mysterious way

“Would you like to come to my house tomorrow so we can work on it?” I asked as tomorrow was Saturday

“Sure” I wrote down my address and gave it to him right when the bell rang

I was getting ready for Daryl to come over, I don’t know why I was so nervous maybe because I’ve never really had many people over and that my parents and brother were psychotic and mean and I didn’t want him to witness that. I looked in the mirror brushing out my hair that I’ve combed through a hundred times already, hoping my outfit was nice enough, a whiteish sweatshirt that had a hint of blush pink to it, paired with black leggings just wanting to be comfortable but hopefully still cute, that’s when I heard a knock at the door

“ILL GET IT!” I screamed not wanting anyone else to answer especially not my brother since he knew Daryl was Merle’s brother

I stood infront of the closed door huffing out a breath to calm my jitters, I opened it and there he stood, hands in pockets with his usual gruff demeanor

“Come in” I said stepping aside for him to come in

“Do you wanna work in my room?”

“Sure” he said as he kicked off his shoes

I lead the way to my room, it wasn’t a big house so it wasn’t like we had to go down hallways to get to my room, I closed the door when we got in as he dropped his notebook on my bed looking around my room which made me anxious, my walls had little framed photos of Swan Lake, little painting of ballet slippers, my room wasn’t much since my parents put so much into Jackson’s room but these photos were all I had to keep me happy

“Nice room” he said with a smirk

“You don’t have to lie” I said smiling as I crawled on my bed sitting up against the head board as he followed to sit at the foot of the bed

“I ain’t, it’s…..different, do ya dance?” He asked looking back to the pictures I adored

“No, I’ve always dreamed of it though”

He looked at me with a strange look I couldn’t read

“Well why don’t ya?”

“My parents won’t let me, said Jackson football is my important and will lead to something” I said shrugging my shoulders, if anyone could understand brother problems it would be him

His usual glaring eyes softened but I didn’t want the pity, I thought about my crushed dream enough I didn’t want to think about it more so I flipped open the text book to the section we needed and we got to work, it was silent for the most part and I welcomed it, until we took a break

“Merle says yer brother is always runnin his mouth, talks bad about ya” my heart thumped in my chest, Jackson could say anything about me and I’d have no way to deny it since no one really liked me and he had his whole football team full of guys who only thought with one thing

“What does he say?” I asked nervously

“Says yer a weirdo, says ya run around sleepin with every guy on his football team” my heart felt like it stopped and shrivelled up

“What……..I would never, I can’t believe he would say that, I don’t know why he hates me so much” I said as my bottom lip quivered try to control myself, not wanting to cry infront of him and make him uncomfortable

“Merle an I, we don’t believe ‘em……..plus it ain’t like everyone else in that damn school ain’t like that” he said looking back down at his note book, fidgeting with his pencil

“It would be better if I had friends that would believe me and be on my side” I said huffing a little sarcastic laugh

“I can be yer friend” he said so quietly I almost didn’t hear him

“You don’t have to pity me, I know you don’t like people” he looked back up at me with he glaring expression but for some reason it didn’t bother me

“I ain’t pitying ya, yer one of the few people that don’t annoy me at school, yer nice and keep to yer self” he said bluntly making my heart flutter

“Okay, I’d like to be friends then!” I said smiling as we both went back to work

After 2 hours of going back and forth working and talking we got the project done, I led him to the door standing there as he laced up his shoes, I opened the door as he stood back up

“So uhh, ya wanna hang out again tomorrow?” He asked gripping his backpack strap

“Sure, I have a shift at the diner in the morning but you can come by and we can eat there after I’m done, I get a discount!” I said excited

“Sounds good” he said about to leave before I stopped him

“Wait, here’s my number, it’s for my room phone so you can call anytime if you want” I said handing him a piece of paper with my number

“I’ll call ya later then, see ya” he said in his gruff voice as he left watching him disappear up the side walk

It was the next day and I was almost done my shift, I’d covered a lot of tables and was now just wiping down the counter waiting to see Daryl walk through the door, the door bell chimed and I looked up excited but instead it was Jackson and some of his football team members, they came in loud and obnoxious as usual

They came to the counter, filling three seats along the counter

“Jackson what are you doing here?” I asked putting down the rag I was using

“Oh come on sis we’re just hungry” he said sarcastically as his friends laughed with him

I sighed taking out my pad “well what do you wanted?”

“I wanna see you bent over my truck” his friend said, I was disgusted but I wasn’t good with this kind of thing

“Cute little thing like you mmmmm, what I wouldn’t do” his other friend said

I was beyond embarrased I just wish someone could help me, and as if my prayers were answered someone came in to intervene

“Leave er alone jackasses” I looked down to a seat further down the counter seeing it was Daryl, he must have just came in

“Oh ya and what’re you gonna do Dixon?”

“Just get outta here” he said sending a glare that could kill, they huffed and got up with a commotion

“Whatever, we’ll see you around bitch” they said to me before they left, I made my way to where Daryl was seated my face felt so hot

“Sorry you had to see that?” I said giving him a glass of water

“Do they do that often?”

“Ya usually when I’m working on the weekend, they think it’s funny”

“I can get Merle, set them straight” he said making me smile

“Nah it’s not your problem but thank you, I’m kinda use to it by now, even though it incredibly embarrassing” I said covering my cheeks

“Anyways, I’m done now so I’ll go clock out and be right back” I said trying to change the subject, I walked to the back taking of my waist apron and got my purse

“You done for the day sweetie?” My older coworker May asked

“Yeah, but me and my friend are going to have some lunch here”

Her eyes lit up “Friend? Did you finally manage to snatch someone up” she said twirling her pen as she smacked on her cherry gum she always had in her mouth

“Yes, he’s just easy to be around”

“HE?”

“Yes May my friend is a boy don’t get all crazy, but he’s waiting so I have to go before he thinks I left” I said blushing as I went back out and sat next to him at the counter

May took our orders and left to attend to the other few customers that were still here

“So why do ya work here?” He asked

“My parents said if I ever wanted anything I needed to get my own money, plus I’m trying to save to be able to afford ballet classes, it may be stupid but it’s my dream”

“It ain’t stupid, yer workin fer what ya want, I get that” his voice was kind but the grumble to it made me tingle

“Thanks, do you work anywhere?” I asked as May gave us our meals, my strawberry milkshake and grilled cheese, and Daryl’s coke with a burger and fries

“Sometimes I work on fixin people’s bikes ‘round town ta make some extra money, Merle said I’d make more if I did what he did but I don’t wanna fall into that crowd” I knew what Merle did, the whole town did

“Maybe one day we can get outta this town where people won’t judge us and we can have actual good jobs”

“Ya maybe”

With that we silently ate our food until we finished and May gave us our checks with my discount then we were leaving heading the door bell chime

We walked down to my house as neither of us had cars, until we stopped infront of the house awkwardly

“Lunch was nice, thanks for coming bye, you can come anytime”

“ ‘course, I’ll……I’ll see ya tomorrow then?”

“Ya I’ll see you tomorrow Daryl” I said smiling as we went separate ways, I closed the door to the house my heart thumping against my chest

I finally had a friend

Part.2

This will be a series so if you like to be added to the taglist and get notified of the next part comment below!!:)

Taglist: @deansapplepie

[littlest-w01f]

Warmth

Eris x Reader

ERIS MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

Summary: Eris helps comfort his brave mate getting taken down by her fae cycle

Cw: Period pain, Fluff, Eris being a warm blanket, the definition of self-indulgent cause I'm having horrible cramps and just more or less wrote my symptoms :')

You were having the worst cycle today, hand over your stomach as you lay curled up in the bed, you had told Eris, your mate, you simply weren't feeling well and wanted to rest, not wanting him to worry or disturb him from his High Lord duties.

You felt weak and helpless, hating it. You were Eris' general for Cauldron's sake, you weren't the one who showed pain even a little, but your fae cycle always hit you hard.

Laying in the covers, trying to warm yourself, you shut your side of the bond, not wanting him to feel your pain. Your body aches like a thousand tiny needles pricking at your skin, a dull throbbing pain pulsating through your lower abdomen. Each breath is a struggle, the room closing in around you as nausea rises up to threaten.

A migraine broke through your head, the aura making it hard to keep your eyes open in the light, so you had drawn the curtains, trying to keep as much light out as possible. A slow numbness in your cheeks and tongue made you nearly cry, you wanted to cry out when the numbness spread to your toes.

A shiver runs down your spine as the chill of your sweat-drenched skin sends a fresh wave of discomfort coursing through you. The cool air bites at your bare legs exposed by the nightgown that barely offers any comfort.

Your hands clutch at the sheets, knuckles white as they strain against the overwhelming agony consuming you. A lone tear trickles down your cheek, dampening the pillow beneath your head.

You wanted Eris, needed him, but at the same time, the last thing you wanted was to distract him from his work. So you kept to yourself.

You twist in the sheets, seeking a comfortable position to alleviate the ache in your lower back. The pain radiates outwards, each movement causing a fresh wave of agony to crash over you. The warm cup of tea you've managed to sip provides little relief, its warmth doing nothing to combat the icy chill that has settled into your bones.

The sharp tang of ginger root stings your nose as you take another cautious sip, its spicy flavour helping to settle your queasy stomach slightly. You place the cup on the bedside table, the cool wood offering a stark contrast to the burning heat of your flushed skin.

Each breath you draw is shallow, the effort required for even this basic function draining. The room spins around you, the once familiar walls now closing in, threatening to engulf you in their suffocating embrace. Not knowing you didn't stop your distress from going down the bond.

Eris, sensing your distress through the bond, strides purposefully towards your bedroom, leaving in the middle of a meeting. His brows furrowed in concern, he pushes open the door, the harsh fluorescent light from the hallway casting an unwelcome glare across your pained face as you cover your face from the blankets to hide from the light.

He crosses the room in three long strides, his movements fluid despite the urgency etched onto his face at the feeling of your pain on your mating bond. "Hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?" He whispered softly, pulling the covers away, and laying down beside you to pull you on top of him.

"Don't you have..." You barely spoke as Eris shushed you, wiping away your tears.

Eris stroked over the soft muscles of your abdomen with his warming hand, providing you comfort through your bond, "I doesn't matter, my lady needs me."

His touch brings instant relief, the soothing warmth seeping into your chilled skin. His fingers glide gently along your curves, tracing patterns that seem to ease the gnawing ache inside. Despite the turmoil within your body, his presence alone calms the storm raging inside you.

As you're pulled onto his lap, your aching chest pressed against his warm one, the soft fabric of your nightgown rubbing against his tunic. You sigh deeply, and your body relaxes ever so slightly under his tender caress, the tension slowly ebbing away.

"My beautiful, powerful mate... Wanting to deal with all her troubles on her own." His voice was a low rumble that vibrated through your entire being. Each word spoken is laced with love and concern, soothing your frayed nerves and calming your racing heart.

"Shhh," Eris whispers, his lips brushing against your temple, calming the pain growing there. "It's alright… I'm here." His voice is a steady, reassuring murmur that seems to echo through every fiber of your being.

His large hands cradle your face, tilting it upwards to meet his gaze, stroking your cheeks knowing the numbness was hurting you. His eyes are filled with a mix of concern and tenderness, reflecting the depth of his love for you. "Just let go, my love. Let everything else fade away."

Tears prick at your eyes again, but this time they're tears of relief rather than just pain. You lean into his touch, seeking solace in the strength of his arms wrapped protectively around you.

"I don't want you to suffer," Eris' voice was thick with emotion. "Let me help you." He got up from the bed, moving to the nightstand to open the drawers till he found some oils he kept there.

He soon returned, stroking your calf and going up your leg, massaging your legs in soothing circles, "I've got some oils love, can you lift your gown so that I can massage you?" He asked gently, raising your leg up to press kisses on each of your numbing toes, already starting to massage them with the oil.

At his gentle coaxing, you manage to muster a weak smile, grateful for his constant care and attention. With trembling hands, you lift the hem of your nightgown to reveal your abdomen. His fingertips trace delicate patterns on your skin, sending waves of pleasure that ripple through your body, momentarily pushing aside the pain.

Eris pours a generous amount of lavender oil into his palms as he uses his fire to warm his hands and the oil, before pressing them firmly against your abdomen, your muscles quivering under his hand. The scent fills the room, soothing and relaxing. His thumbs dig into tense muscles, working out knots with practised precision. His movements are firm and gentle, designed to provide maximum relief to your body.

"Does that feel better?" He asks, glancing up at you from under his lashes. The worry lines etched onto his forehead begin to smooth as he watches your reaction to his ministrations.

"Yes..." you whisper, your voice barely above a murmur, eyes closing as your body relaxes. "Don't stop… please."

His hands continue their slow, methodical exploration of your body, moving from your abdomen to your hips. The tension gradually fades from your muscles as he works out the tension, each stroke bringing you closer to a state of blissful relaxation.

His fingers delve deeper, kneading into sore spots that you didn't even realize were in pain. His touch is both tender and firm, leaving no part of your body untouched.

"You look so peaceful," Eris murmurs, his fingers continuing their rhythmic dance on your skin, going over your legs, and back to your abdomen, pushing your grown even more to massage your breasts that he knew were sore. His touch is gentle yet firm, each stroke sending waves of comfort rippling through your body. The pain that had been such a constant companion moments ago seems to have receded into the background, replaced by a sense of calm.

As you lay there, lost in the soothing sensations washing over you, Eris leans in to press a tender kiss to your forehead. His lips linger for a moment before he pulls back, his eyes sparkling with affection. "Rest now, sweetheart. I'll be right here."

He gently moved to lay between your legs, his tunic was gone, lying beside you both, and you didn't notice him removing it. As he laid on you, he heated up his body, his bare skin providing you heat way better than the mountains of blankets you had on you.

As Eris lay on your body, you can't help but notice the shift in temperature. His skin, warm like the fire in his blood, felt like a balm against your skin. The heat emanating from his body permeates your very core, chasing away the lingering chill.

His hands continue their massage to your sides, exploring the skin. Each touch sends jolts of electricity coursing through your veins, distracting you further from the pain that had previously consumed you. His fingers dance teasingly over the edge of your nightgown, promising more pleasurable sensations to come.

"We'll take a bath later, alright?" He cooed softly as you curled around him, pressing your face in his neck and he put the softest amount of his weight on you, as if to remind you he was there, "Rest up for now, my duties can wait till you're better."

You nod softly, already half asleep when he whispers, "And I've heard something else that helps with cramps... If you want me to warm you right at the source of your problem..."

{General Taglist- @nox-ceur @lilah-asteria @paleidiot

{Eris Taglist- @fxckmiup @slut4acotar @klytemnestra13 @secret-third-thing}

[cherriecove]

Fine Line Between Duty and Oaths (Part 9)

Gwayne Hightower x Targ!Reader

Summary: The second born daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Aemma is just as brave, beautiful and stubborn as her older sister but cannot deny her growing love for a certain red haired knight who just so happens to be a dear friend's brother. Cherrie's Note: Hi everyone hope you enjoy, please feel free to give any feedback! Masterlist | Previous Part | Next Part

The days following Rhaenyra's ascension to heir passed slowly, but gradually the weight of grief began to lift. It wasn’t immediate, nor was it complete, but in the small moments shared between sisters, between friends, a sense of healing started to take root. Rhaenyra threw herself into her new duties, determined to prove herself worthy of the crown she had been named to inherit, while you found solace in Gwayne’s steady recovery and the quiet, unwavering support of Alicent.

There were days when the grief still surged—when memories of your mother’s laughter or the scent of her perfume caught you off guard and sent a pang through your heart. But more and more, there were moments of light, moments where you and Rhaenyra could speak of your mother without the ache of loss twisting so fiercely. You would walk the gardens together, talking not of politics or duty, but of memories—of the times your mother had brushed your hair before bed or how she would hum an old Valyrian lullaby to calm your worries.

Alicent, always the steady hand, often joined you on these walks. She was the anchor that kept you grounded when the waves of grief threatened to pull you under. Her presence, quiet but ever supportive, allowed you and Rhaenyra the space to breathe and slowly begin to find joy again.

One afternoon, after a long walk in the godswood with Alicent and Rhaenyra, you returned to the keep, finding your father waiting for you in the royal chambers. King Viserys had grown distant since the funeral, his own grief a heavy shroud, but now he stood with a sombre expression, his gaze soft but filled with regret.

"My daughters," he said quietly, motioning for you both to join him. "I owe you an apology."

Rhaenyra’s eyes flickered with surprise, but she stayed silent, allowing him to continue. You could feel the tension in the air, the weight of unspoken words between you all.

Viserys sighed deeply, running a hand through his thinning hair. "I made choices... choices that cost us all dearly. I wanted a son so badly, I lost sight of what I already had. Your mother... your brother..." His voice faltered, his eyes glossing over with unshed tears. "I’m sorry. You deserved better. She deserved better."

Rhaenyra’s jaw tightened, but her expression softened as she stepped forward. "We miss her every day," she said quietly, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "But we will move forward. For her."

You nodded in agreement, your own heart softening as you watched your father’s remorse play out. There was anger, yes, but now there was also understanding. He hadn’t been malicious; he had been misguided, a man desperate to secure the future of his house. The price had been high, but it was not beyond forgiveness.

Viserys reached out, placing a hand on both of your shoulders. "I know it doesn’t change what has happened, but I will do everything in my power to make things right. You, Rhaenyra, are the future of this kingdom. And you," he turned to you, his eyes softening further, "you deserve happiness and love."

With your father’s apology came a shift in the royal household. There was no longer a cloud of unspoken grief hanging over every interaction, and life within the Red Keep began to regain some semblance of normalcy. The preparations for your wedding resumed, though now with a quieter, more intimate tone. The kingdom still mourned your mother and the infant prince, but it was time to look forward, to embrace the future.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the keep in a golden glow, you found yourself by Gwayne’s bedside. His recovery had been slow, but he was much stronger now, able to walk the corridors of the keep, though with a slight limp. He was seated in the window alcove, staring out at the sunset when you approached.

"Gwayne," you began softly, sitting beside him. "I’ve been thinking about our wedding."

His blue eyes flickered to yours, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You’ve changed your mind about marrying me, have you?" he teased, though there was a warmth behind his words.

You laughed softly, shaking your head. "No, I haven’t. In fact, I was wondering if... we could incorporate Targaryen traditions into the ceremony. I know you follow the Faith of the Seven, and I respect that, but... it would mean so much to me, to honour my ancestors in that way."

Gwayne’s smile softened as he reached for your hand, his fingers warm against yours. "I would marry you in whatever tradition you chose, even if it involved dragons and fire. Your family’s heritage is important to you, and if that’s how you want to be wed, then so be it."

His words brought a sense of relief, and your heart swelled with gratitude. "Thank you, Gwayne. I promise we’ll honour both traditions, but I wanted... I wanted to feel close to my mother. To the roots of my house."

Gwayne nodded, his expression tender as he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. "Then we’ll have the ceremony you wish for. I’m not afraid of a few dragons."

You smiled at that, the weight of the past few months slowly easing as you found solace in Gwayne’s unwavering support. Together, you could blend your two worlds—Targaryen fire and Hightower faith—into something beautiful.

As the wedding preparations unfolded, there was a sense of renewal in the air. Though the past still lingered, there was joy to be found in the future. You and Gwayne spent more time together, his recovery a constant reminder of the resilience you both shared. His teasing humour returned in full force, and you often found yourselves stealing moments of laughter and light amidst the planning.

Rhaenyra, too, seemed to find her own path forward. Though her grief for your mother would never fully fade, she had taken to her role as heir with grace and strength, her bond with you, and with Alicent, stronger than ever. The three of you often spent evenings together, sharing stories, memories, and hopes for the future.

Your father’s apology had been the first step in mending the fractures that grief had caused. Now, with the marriage on the horizon, it felt as though the kingdom, and your family, were on the cusp of something new. You were moving forward, together, united by love, loss, and the promise of what was yet to come.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, the atmosphere within the Red Keep grew lighter, though not without tension. The grief that had weighed so heavily on your family had begun to ease, replaced by the anticipation of your upcoming marriage. There was still an ache in your heart for your mother and the little brother who would never grow up, but the future now held the promise of new beginnings.

Preparations for the wedding were in full swing, and you spent many of your days with Gwayne, discussing the details, the guest lists, and, of course, the matter of the ceremony itself. The Targaryen traditions were ancient, woven with fire and blood, and they meant everything to you. When you’d asked Gwayne if he’d be open to incorporating those traditions into your wedding, his immediate acceptance had been a balm to your soul. But not everyone was as agreeable.

One afternoon, you found yourself in the council chambers with your father, King Viserys, and Otto Hightower, Gwayne’s father. The discussion had turned to the wedding plans, and as soon as the subject of a traditional Targaryen ceremony was raised, Otto’s brow furrowed in disapproval.

"Your Grace," Otto began carefully, his tone measured but firm. "I understand the importance of honouring your House’s traditions, but Gwayne is of the Faith of the Seven. It would be... unorthodox for him to partake in such rituals, especially the more pagan elements. A wedding under the eyes of the Seven would be more fitting, more appropriate for someone of his station."

You could see the way Otto’s gaze flickered, the carefully hidden discontent barely concealed. He was a man of order, of rules, and the thought of his son partaking in Targaryen rites, especially one involving the ancient Valyrian customs, was something he clearly found distasteful.

Before you could respond, your father spoke, his voice calm but firm. "My daughter’s wedding will honour both traditions, Ser Otto," Viserys said, glancing briefly at you with a soft smile. "She is of House Targaryen, and it is only right that we incorporate our customs, especially given all she has endured. Gwayne has already agreed to this. I see no issue with blending the Faith of the Seven with the traditions of Old Valyria."

Otto’s lips tightened, but he nodded, bowing his head slightly. "Of course, Your Grace. I merely wish for the union to be blessed by the Seven, as befits my house."

Viserys looked at Otto with a mild but commanding expression. "And it will be. But we will also honour the legacy of the Targaryens. I trust your son will not object."

Otto had little choice but to concede, though it was clear from the look in his eyes that he was not pleased. You left the meeting feeling lighter, grateful for your father’s support. For all his faults, Viserys had always loved you deeply, and in this, he had sided with you.

Later that evening, you found Gwayne in his chambers, sitting by the hearth with a book in his hands. He looked up as you entered, smiling warmly as he set the book aside.

"Another battle won for you, my princess?" he teased, his eyes twinkling.

"Indeed," you laughed, crossing the room to sit beside him. "Your father wasn’t pleased, but mine overruled him. We’ll have our Targaryen ceremony after all."

Gwayne chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I’m not surprised. My father has always been a stickler for tradition. But as I said before, I’m not afraid of a few dragons."

You grinned, leaning into him. "Well, I have something important to teach you, then. If we’re going to have a proper Targaryen wedding, you’ll need to learn a few Valyrian phrases. Specifically, the vows."

Gwayne’s eyebrows shot up, a playful glint in his eyes. "Valyrian vows? You know I’ve only just managed to grasp a few words of your language."

"That’s why we’ll practice," you said with a grin, pulling a small parchment from your sleeve. You handed it to him, watching as he unfolded it to reveal the words written in High Valyrian.

He squinted at the letters, his lips moving as he tried to pronounce the words. "Nyke īlot... rūvēbagon..."

You giggled, covering your mouth. "Close, but not quite. It’s ‘Nyke īlot rūvēbagon ao, issa jorrāelagon,’ which means ‘I bind myself to you, my love.’"

Gwayne glanced at you, his expression a mix of amusement and determination. "I see. So, all I need to do is say these words without tripping over my tongue, and I’ll officially be a dragon-rider?"

You laughed again, the sound light and joyful. "Something like that."

For the next few days, you and Gwayne spent your evenings practicing the Valyrian vows, his efforts both earnest and endearing. There were many moments where he stumbled over the unfamiliar words, his brows furrowed in concentration, only to break into laughter when he mangled a particularly tricky phrase. And then there were the moments where his voice softened, his gaze steady on yours as he recited the words with growing confidence.

"Nyke rūvēbagon ao... issa jorrāelagon," he murmured one evening, his voice low and full of meaning.

Your heart swelled at his sincerity, and you smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. "You’re getting better every day."

Gwayne grinned, pulling you closer. "I have a good teacher."

As the wedding day approached, the excitement grew within the Red Keep. The blending of two ancient traditions—Targaryen and Hightower—was a delicate balance, but one that symbolised the union of your two houses. The Faith of the Seven would be honoured, but the heart of the ceremony would be steeped in the rites of Old Valyria, something that brought you closer to your heritage, to your mother, and to the legacy of your ancestors.

Though Otto’s disapproval lingered in the background, the knowledge that your father had supported your wishes gave you strength. And with Gwayne’s dedication to learning the Valyrian vows, you felt more connected to him than ever. There was something deeply intimate about sharing the language of your ancestors with the man who would soon become your husband. It was a part of yourself you had never truly shared before, and Gwayne embraced it fully.

The days of grief and mourning, though still present in the shadows, had given way to a new sense of hope and joy. And as the day of the wedding drew near, you knew that this union—blending fire and faith—would be the start of something truly remarkable.