#who was on the toe duty. feet duty. making sure those move perfect (cries)

[typhoonstrikes]

[tpwkjerii]

as you wish | 4

your one true love was lost in a pirate accident five years ago, and now you’re engaged to a cruel prince. with all your misfortune, you didn’t expect three unconventional thugs and a painfully familiar pirate to save you from a dreadful future. (inspired by The Princess Bride)

pairing: pirate!seokjin x princess!reader

warnings: fluff and angst (!!), reader is forced into engagement and becoming a princess, mentions of death, murder threats, mentions of tourture, cursing, jin isn’t in this part much (but he will be in the next one!!), hobi is the best person ever, dungeon/imprisonment, not rlly proofread 🗿

genre: fairy tale/pirate au, semi established relationship au

word count: 4.2k+

a/n: second to last part oooo. sorry that this is late - exams suck :(( i hope you guys like this part!! pls leave comments/likes as they always help me improve <33

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The silence was deafening. For a while, once both sides saw each other, no one made an effort to move.

You froze by Jin’s side and gripped his arm so tightly you worried it would hurt him, but Jin paid no mind to it as he guarded you with his tall figure.

Donghae and his soldiers rested stone-faced atop their armored horses, their swords hanging idly from their waists or backs. In those few moments, the Prince had an indiscernible facial expression. His eyebrows and eyes were relaxed as if he was nonchalant about the entire situation, but his lips were pursed into a firm line that suggested otherwise.

Another testament to your unfortunate engagement: even after two years of being his “fiancee”, you had no idea how to truly read Donghae. He was terrifying in that sense — the constant unreadability of his face and deceiving tone his voice carried kept everyone around him, including you, on their toes. One word could set off the crown prince, and his power could unleash a fiery wrath that most people trembled at the thought of.

His intense gaze on you and the slight quirk in his brow when your lips quivered in fear signified that he was waiting for you to speak first. Ironically, this was the first time he had ever been so courteous as to let you talk first.

You swallowed harshly and gathered every ounce of will in you to step out from behind Seokjin’s protective body and instead guard him. Pushing his urgent hands, desperate to pull you behind him again, away, you straightened your stance. With a clear and steady voice, you said, “If you promise not to hurt Seokjin, I’ll go with you.”

Donghae smiled terrifyingly at you, ready to unleash the venom of his lips. “You speak and bargain like you have a choice to go with me or not.”

Your eyes met his sharp ones. “You may think that you have the upper hand, Donghae,” you paused, taking a fleeting glance back at Jin, “but I promise you that you will regret every day you spend walking on this planet if you hurt Seokjin.”

The crown prince scoffed and turned to face the soldier next to him. “My bride seems to care an awful lot about another man, doesn’t she?” He turned towards you as he spoke the last two words.

It was your turn to scoff in disbelief. You didn’t even think about the words as they escaped you. “Don’t act like there was ever love in this wretched communion.”

Donghae’s eyes darkened as he absorbed your words. He felt the gaze of his soldiers, who were watching the tense interaction, burning on him. “Fine. Seokjin,” Donghae spit the name bitterly, “leaves freely, and you come with me.”

In one swift move, he kicked the side of his horse, advanced towards you and Seokjin, and tugged you to the side of the tall horse.

“Y/N, no!” Jin cried, instantly drawing his sword. The surrounding soldiers did the same, and the harsh sound of the molded steel brushing against their metal sheaths unsettled you.

“Jin, stop!” Your feet move and your arm extends in an attempt to reach him, but you’re quickly wrenched back by Donghae. “Please!” you shout, your eyes meeting his in a panic as the soldiers circled him, their swords pointed right at him.

The look that you shared told several sentences at once; a connected gaze of pure desperation. You begged him silently, begged him to give up before you lost him and he lost you for good. With great sadness, he understood.

“As you wish,” he whispered, voice barely audible to you, and dropped his arm to his side, his sword swaying uselessly by his legs.

Your eyes teared up when he averted his gaze from you. You desperately wished to reach out to him, to comfort him by saying you could run away with him. But Donghae’s firm hold on you prevented you from doing either.

“Drop him off at the next town over; I don’t want to see him in the capital city.” Donghae’s command was sharp, and amidst your teary sadness you missed the sly glint in his eye as he ordered his soldiers.

You gasped when Donghae harshly tugged you up and behind him on top of the horse. Jin turned at the noise, and you exchanged one last melancholy gaze before Donghae kicked the horse and quickly trotted away. Tears escaped your eyes as Jin’s figure grew smaller and smaller. Only one thing comforted you in this solemn moment: Jin was safe — alive and safe.

“You’ve had an adventurous past few days haven’t you?” Donghae asked, his tone sharp and unforgiving. “Anything you wish to share?”

You kept your face away from him and remained silent.

“Does my bride not wish to speak to me?”

He laughed dryly at your quietness. “You’ll speak to me whether you like it or not come Friday.”

Your brows furrowed at his words. If you counted the days correctly, then today was currently Tuesday.  What did Donghae have planned that would make you talk to him within a few days?

He observed your confused facial expression before continuing, “My father passed away the night of your disappearance.” Your face dropped and you turned to face him. He scoffed and shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself, you weren’t of importance to him. He finally succumbed to his illness.”

Your face screwed together at his apathetic behavior.

“Which means, my coronation and our wedding have been advanced. We are to be wed on Friday.”

All color drained from your face and your mouth dried. The shock temporarily halted your ability to breathe, and you found yourself barely listening as Donghae went on.

“I expect perfect behavior from this moment on, understood?”

You looked away from him — another attempt to show your dismay. But it was no use as his hand instantly raised and roughly gripped your face as he turned your head to face him. “I asked, do you understand?” His voice was low and threatening, and you were sure that if he held onto your face any longer, it would leave a mark.

Your teary eyes quivered. “Yes,” you mustered out.

Your return to the castle was not a glamorous affair.

Donghae ordered the guards to escort you to your room and the maids to give you a bath and get rid of the “stench of another man”. You followed his words obediently, every inch of your body seeped in exhaustion and dejection. It wasn’t until after your hour-long bath and the maids finally left your suite when you were finally able to close your eyes and rest.

Unfortunately, your rest was short lived. A few moments after you laid down and just before you fully submitted to the god of sleep, a heavy knock rang in your room. You groaned and hoped that whoever it was would go away if you didn’t answer, but they only continued knocking.

With great reluctance, you pulled yourself out of bed and opened the heavy doors. Instantly, the disgruntled frown on your face was replaced with a shocked smile.

“Hobi!”

“Y/N!” he greeted back with comforting enthusiasm. Quickly, he pulled you into a hug, but the shock of seeing him again prevented you from immediately responding. “Are you not happy to see me?” he asked with a wary voice as he pulled away, frowning at your still body.

You shook your head. “No - no, I am! It’s just…” your voice trailed off as you inspected his face, which hadn’t changed at all even after two long years. “It’s been so long,” you finished softly.

“Too long; I’m sorry,” he replied gently, taking his hands into yours.

“Don’t apologize.” You smiled at him and gestured for him to enter your room and sit. “Why have you returned to the castle?” you asked once he sat down next to you at the edge of your bed.

“I’ve resumed my old post — well, my old post with a new duty of protecting you,” he answered simply, and the intense focus he had on keeping a straight face immediately told you that his response was a lie.

“You have? Why?” you challenged, crossing your arms.

“Boredom?” he replied weakly. You rolled your eyes at his dishonest response. You knew that Hobi, who was the only son of a powerful lord and had a loving partner at his lavish home, would not return to this castle as the Head Castle Guard out of boredom.

“No one in their right mind would return to this castle for fun.”

He sighed and grabbed your hands gently as he looked into your eyes. “I was worried about you, and it seems I had full reason to be.” You looked down with a flushed face as he continued, “When I first arrived yesterday morning, I was informed that you’d gone missing! At first I thought, good for you, because you were always miserable here, but then the stablekeeper insisted that you’d been taken — kidnapped!” His facial expression conveyed pure alarm, and you instantly felt guilty for worrying your friend, even if it wasn’t your fault.

Hobi’s face relaxed and he brought his arms tightly around you. “But it’s ok now. I’m glad you’re safe,” he whispered. You felt the vibrations of his words as your head rested against his chest, and the comforting feeling of his hands rubbing your back like a parent would to a child brought tears to your eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he felt your upper body starting to shake. He quickly released you and held your shoulders to look at your face. “Have I upset you?”

“No, not at all,” you started, trying your best to gather yourself and wipe away your flowing tears. He waited patiently for you to continue, only whispering “it’s alright” and “take your time” when you choked on your words.

Finally, after a few minutes, you calmed down. And so, everything spilled out of your mouth. You easily confided in Hobi, who was your only friend when you first arrived at the castle and whose sudden departure after a few months left you even lonelier, and told him everything that had happened the past few days. You talked about the three thugs and how they took you, your reunion with Seokjin and how you almost escaped, and how you had to marry Donghae in just a few days.

Like a good friend, Hobi listened to everything you had to say. He didn’t judge or interject — just listened. And when you finished your long recount of your journey, he comforted you. With his comforting arms wrapped around yours, his soft hands wiping away your tears, and his encouraging murmurs, you finally felt alright for the first time since you’ve reentered the castle.

“I know you were kidnapped,” Hobi started with a humorous smile on his face, “but it seems like you’re more upset about returning.”

You laughed at the irony of the situation. “I was scared at first, but,” you paused, reflecting back to the eccentric thugs you met and your true love, “they — Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin — weren’t that bad. Honestly, I kinda miss them.” You paused again to take a deep breath, bracing yourself to say his name. “And Seokjin… I miss him terribly, but I’m just relieved that he’s safe… It might be wishful thinking, but maybe we can be together again one day.”

“Don’t lose hope, Y/N,” Hobi said reassuringly as he brought you into another tight hug. “You’ll get your happy ending.”

Much to your relief, Hobi was still at your side even as you awoke the next morning. He made sure to dismiss the other guards, who obediently listened to his order as his subordinates, and take your breakfast from the maids so you could have your much-needed space.

“Make sure to eat, you need to keep your energy up,” he scolded you when he noticed that you barely touched the fruits and pastries he piled onto your plate.

You sighed and shoved a strawberry in your mouth to appease him, mumbling as you chewed, “It’s too early and I’m too sad to have an appetite.”

He tutted. “You’re not skipping meals on my watch.”

“You’re too kind to me, Hobi,” you said after swallowing another bite of your toast.

“Only the best for my closest friend,” he responded with a shining smile.

After breakfast, you changed into a day dress and went on a walk around the castle grounds with Hobi. Your unexpected departure from your quarters (and the rare smile on your face) shocked the castle staff members. It was probably the first time you smiled since Hobi left the castle and his post.

Hobi had a miraculous way of brightening everything (and almost everyone) he touched. His infectious smile, heartwarming laugh, and gentle movements were once — and now again — the highlights of your day. Even now, as you coped with the loss of Seokjin and your upcoming marriage, he managed to put a smile on your face.

“Just my thought, but,” you started, a friendly smile on your face as you walked through the colorful gardens with your right arm looped around Hobi’s, “I’m sure that Yoongi would be more than happy to accept a proposal and marry you by now. It’s been, what, nearly three years now since you started courting him?”

The tips of Hobi’s ears burned red as he shook his head. “I still fear that he isn’t ready, and that if I ask too soon it will ruin what we have now,” he admitted honestly.

You sighed and gestured for him to stop walking. He listened, and you took your hands into his and looked up into his shining brown eyes. “Hobi, you are one of the best people I know. Anyone would be lucky to have you, and if you’re really worried about Yoongi not being ready, then talk to him. I haven’t met him, but he seems like he wouldn’t get upset if you ask.”

“He wouldn’t,” Hobi responded quickly, the speed of his words causing his face to flush red as you looked at him with a smirk. “You’re right,” he said after a few moments while resuming the walk.

The two of you continued your walk into noon, during which you ate a small lunch together, and the early evening. Within a few hours, your friendship was the talk of the castle staff. You tried to ignore the glances that a few servants gave you and the growing feeling of dread in your stomach when you returned to your suite and noticed that instead of your lady’s maids waiting outside, Donghae’s personal guard was.

You walked cautiously towards your open door and stiffened when you entered the room, immediately noticing Donghae sitting on the edge of your bed. This was the third time he’s ever entered your suite, and you didn’t anticipate it would be better than his previous visits.

Silently, you walked past him and sat down in front of your vanity. You remained quiet as you removed your jewelry, waiting for him to speak first.

“Why am I hearing whispers that my bride is in an adulterous relationship with her personal guard?” His voice was harsh, and you distracted yourself from flinching by picking up your tub of facial cream.

You eyed Donghae through your vanity mirror, carefully observing his scornful face. “Hobi? Don’t be ridiculous,” you quickly responded and placed your face cream down. Your heart beat faster as you saw Donghae advance towards you from the corner of your eye.

His hand gripped your shoulder firmly. “Ridiculous? I told you I expected perfect behavior. Prancing around with your guard is far from that.”

You turned to face him with a solemn expression. “Hobi is a friend — a friend. I don’t expect you to understand considering you have no idea what friendship even is.”

The prince’s lip curled into a snarl. “Shut up!” he shouted, the volume of his words causing you to flinch in your seat. Donghae turned away from you towards the guard at your door, commanding menacingly, “Get rid of him.”

Your heart dropped and you instantly stood, the heavy stool under you dragging loudly against the stone floor. “No! Don’t you dare!”

“And who are you to stop me?” he snarled.

Your hands balled up by your sides, and you couldn’t contain your anger as you responded, “You can do many things to me - you have done much to me - but I will not let you harm the one person in this castle who has truly tried to be my friend and did nothing but try to make me happy.”

Donghae laughed dryly. “Happy? Do you truly believe you deserve the right to be happy?”

You clenched your hands even tighter, feeling as if you were about to break your own skin, and your voice lowered to a threatening whisper. “If you even think about harming Hobi, I will end you myself, Donghae. I have nothing to lose.”

“You said the same thing about Seokjin,” Donghae replied with a smug smirk, his words causing your face to fall in confusion. “And I still beat you.”

“Wh-what?” you stuttered, a feeling of pure terror seeping through every inch of your body. You couldn’t forgive yourself if Jin was hurt — the mere thought alone brought warm tears to your eyes.

Donghae didn’t respond; instead, he turned back to his guard and pointed at you. “Take her to the dungeons, maybe a few days will knock sense into her ungrateful mind.”

“What have you done to Jin?” you cried, your voice shaky with desperation. You shouted as his guard grabbed your hands and harshly pulled them together behind your back. “Donghae, I’m talking to you!” you screamed at his retreating figure. “Shim Donghae!”

The cruel prince turned the corner and walked away, the sound of his heavy footsteps growing quieter as he walked down the hallway. You waited until the thump of his steps fully disappeared before turning to face the guard.

“I assume you’re not kind enough to let me go,” you mumbled weakly.

He remained stone-faced, and you sighed in mild disappointment. His expression morphed into confusion when you muttered a quiet apology, and his face twisted once your foot made harsh contact with his shin.

You took advantage of his distracted state and twisted your body so your knee could meet his crotch. He doubled over in pain, and you easily slipped out of his grip. Watching his sluggish movements carefully, you reached over for the empty vase on your vanity and, in one swift movement, knocked it over his head.

The guard’s body fell limply onto the ground, and you wasted no time in placing the cracked, bloodied vase back onto the table and running out of your room.

Your heart pounded loudly in your chest as you darted through the long halls and down the stairs. “Please, please, please,” you whispered repeatedly towards yourself as you pushed yourself to run faster.

Finally, after what felt like minutes of running, you reached the floor Hobi’s suite was on. You turned the corner towards his chambers, ignoring the ugly ripping sound your dress made as your feet stumbled, and desperately reached to push open his door.

“Hobi! Hobi! Hurry! You have to leave!” you announced between breathy pants as you staggered into his room.

“What?” He stood up immediately, alarmed by your urgency as you pulled him towards his window. Luckily, Hobi’s quarters was on the first floor and towards the front of the castle, allowing him a relatively easy escape if he moved fast enough.

“I - there’s no time to explain!” you cried, pulling his window open. “Don’t gather your belongings! You must leave now!”

“Why?” he asked, grabbing your frantic hands and holding them securely in an attempt to calm you down. But it was no use as you shook them off and continued to push him towards the window.

“Donghae’s out for you! He can’t harm you when you’re in your own home! Please go now!” you explained rapidly, praying that you wouldn’t hear the familiar sound of heavy feet running down the hall towards the room.

Hobi’s face fell. “If he’s out for me then he’s out for you,” he noted softly. In another non-life-threatening situation, you may have found his selflessness endearing, but right now, you wanted nothing more than for him to leave safely.

“Please… leave. I won’t let you get hurt.” Your voice was reduced to a quiet, frantic whisper. “You have a family.”

Hobi shook his head and squeezed your hand. “Go with me! I can protect you!”

The idea was tempting, but your thoughts immediately returned back to Donghae’s cryptic words about Seokjin, and you instantly knew that leaving with Hobi wouldn’t be the right option. “I can’t. There’s something I must confirm.”

Hobi’s face faltered, and you knew he wanted to argue more, but urgency began to flow through his veins when a distant shout rang through the castle. Both of you knew then that he was running out of time.

Hobi wrapped his arms around you and squeezed you reassuringly, whispering, “I’ll come back for you, please stay safe and don’t do anything stupid.”

“I promise,” you responded, but you both heard the uncertainty behind your words.

With that, he pulled back and gave you one last look, your teary eyes meeting his. You knew it was difficult for him to leave you at a time like this, but both of you understood that this was for the best.

Quickly, Hobi slipped out through the window, and you could barely see his dark shadow as he ran away from the castle and towards the open gates. You watched from the open window, and you breathed a sigh of relief when you saw him easily walk through the gates and towards the bustling town.

Only a few seconds later, the distinguishable sound of footsteps pounding against the floor rang from the hall. Closing your eyes to brace yourself, you sat underneath the window and waited for the guards to storm in.

Their steps grew louder, and you mentally counted down the time.

3...2...1

The door burst open, and you kept your eyes shut as the soldiers entered.

“Where is -”

“He’s gone,” you answered abruptly, your eyes still shut. “By now, Hobi will be safe at home with Lord Jung and Viscount Min.”

“Prince Donghae ordered us to-”

Your eyes flew open in anger. “I don’t care what Donghae has ordered you to do. Everyone knows that no one, even the royal family, can’t touch Lord Jung and his family.”

The front guard’s jaw clenched in anger, and you could see the frustration building in his eyes.

Despite the anxious nerves bubbling in your stomach, you continued to provoke the guard. “Isn’t it frustrating?” you asked with feigned innocence. “When things don’t turn out the way you want.” You laughed bitterly. “Did you really think I would just stand still?”

The guard walked towards you and aggressively pulled you up, not wasting any time to tie your hands behind your back. “You’re going to regret your foolish actions,” he muttered darkly as he harshly tugged you out of the room with him, the other guards following closely behind you.

You laughed emptily. “I regret nothing.”

“Enjoy your time rotting here, bitch.”

You whimpered as the guard roughly shoved your body into the dark dungeon cell. Stumbling to regain your footing since your hands were bound, you cursed as you heard the metal gate closed and locked behind you.

Once you were fully upright, you whirled around and walked to the steel bars, placing your hands on them before declaring, “I would like to speak with Donghae.”

The guard in front of you scoffed. “Prince Donghae is occupied this evening.”

“I don’t care,” you uttered. “Tell him I must see him now.” You slipped your arm through the bars in an attempt to grab him, but the guard spun around and moved out of the way before you could touch him. You grumbled as he started to walk away. “Don’t you dare walk away!” you screamed. “What have you done with Seokjin?”

The guard halted in his steps before turning back to face you with a menacing smirk. “Trust me, Princess, your lover is having anything but fun as we speak.”

At his words, you felt your heart drop and your head spin. A cold, suffocating sensation spread across your chest as your knees buckled underneath you. Hot, angry tears rolled down your face while you clutched your knees to your chest.

Your head throbbed as you thought of Jin and what they could be putting him through. Donghae’s torture tactics were not unbeknownst to you, and you often cringed in horror when you overheard him talking about them. It was one of the things about the Prince that truly made you question if he was really a human.

As you shut your eyes, you could see and hear Jin screaming in pain. Hurt and betrayal swam in his teary eyes — a stinging reminder that this was your fault. How could you have been so foolish to think that Donghae would really let Jin go freely?

“Oh, Jin,” you cried quietly with your head down. Your chest heaved as sobs started to wrack your body. “Please… please be ok,” you begged softly.

[amoosewritesfanfic]

. Jealousy

[Part 1]

[+18]

[Enji Todoroki x Fem!Reader + surprise guest]

[Warnings: kinda yandere Enji (he lowkey just jealous), creampie, spank, semi-public]

[Requested by: @madamcashe ]

[I don't own any of the characters or art posted, all credit goes to original creators, I do however own the story and I did make the edit :3]

-

No one knew about your purely sexual relationship with the flame hero, mainly because he wanted to keep up that perfect image of his, like any hero would. So why was he fucking you silly in his bed? Frustration mainly, being a pro hero, let alone number one, has it's stress and what better way to destress than fucking a cute innocent looking hero like yourself until you're both satisfied.

The way those strong hands gripped your hips made it feel like there was bound to be bruises left behind, the way his teeth sank into your skin leaving a few bite marks or two helped the body of you reach that high, that body trembling mind going blank orgasm. When the two of you had caught your breaths he pulled out, letting you off of his lap as you cleaned up. "You always fuck me so hard~ not that I'm complaining, it always feels good~" you hummed as you slid your panties over your thighs, then your pants seconds after. "Hmm, you must tell me if I'm going to hard." He said as he sat watching you carefully.

The way he looked at you now with your back turned to him, well, it looked like love, admiration, something the both of you had agreed wouldn't happen between the two of you. Neither of you were suppose to fall in love, yet here Enji Todoroki was... head over heels for the woman he had been fucking and keeping a secret from the rest of the world. He looked away when you were fully dressed and walked over to the bed giving his cheek a soft kiss. "I'll see you later~ call me if you need me okay?~" you would tell him, his hand cupped your cheek and he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. "Don't get into trouble Y/N." He said and you gave a nod before turning on your heel and walking out, but not before he gave your ass a firm smack earning a cheeky giggle from you before he himself got up and went to take a quick shower.

.....

It was late now, you and the number two hero happened to be on patrol tonight. "So, Y/H/N, you still single or has another man or woman swooped you off your feet?" His tone was somewhat teasing. "Nope, no one has swept me off my feet yet feathers." You teased him sticking your tongue out at him. "Oh? Does this mean I got a chance with ya now?" He asked, using his wing to pull you closer to him. "You might, but I'm thinking..." a pause. "See I'm not really looking for anything permanent." As you spoke Keigo decided to use his wings to incase the two of you away from any prying eyes. "Are you givin' me permission to fuck you little birdie?~" his thumb and index finger cupped your chin making you smile a little. "Oh that I definitely am, but we gotta wait till after patrol." As you spoke his thumb ran over your bottom lip, which you bit teasingly while not breaking eye contact with him.

"Nah I don't think I'm gonna wait~" he teased as he picked you up bridal style now, flying you to what seemed like a secret spot, "I don't bring just anyone here~" he teased as he set you down on one of the crates that were pushed against the wall away from prying eyes and even if someone did manage to see the two of you, they would probably only see Keigo and his wings. "Hmm yeah?" You hummed as he pressed a kiss to your lips.

Now, Keigo was a smart bird, he knew for a fact that you were sleeping with Enji, mainly because he noticed how Enji watched you with that lust filled gaze. So... this was all part of his little scheme, to show the number one hero that you were willing to sleep with anyone, he wasn't doing it to paint you in a bad light no far from it. He wanted to show Enji that falling in love with you honestly meant nothing to you. So with his lips moving against yours hand his hands trailing along your body, feather managed to grab your phone, you didn't notice it.

Your focus was on the way he grinded himself against you and slowly slipped off the bottom bit of your hero costume, teasing the bare skin before he knelt down to get a taste of you, keeping your legs nice and spread once he removed the hindrance of your panties, his tongue running along your soaked sex before flicking your clit which earned a breathy moan from you. "O-oh fuck~♡ your tongue feels so good~♡" you breathed out. "I'm just getting started birdie~" he teased as he slide his tongue between your folds rubbing against your walls.

You couldn't help but moan and whimper as he ate you out, fingers tugging at his golden locks earning a quiet grunt from him before he pulled back, this time he unzipped his pants pulling out his throbbing meat, the tip glistening with precum. "Fuck~ you look so big~" you whined, he wasn't as big as Enji however, but he made up for that in a bit more girth and somewhat of a curve which looked like it would really hit all the sweet spots and oh it definitely did, as he eased himself inside with a groan his hands gripped your thighs keeping them spread apart as his lips pressed to your neck, lightly sucking on the skin letting you adjust to him for a moment before he started moving his hips.

He wasted no time, thrusting hard and fast, skin smacking against skin, you couldn't help but moan out his name like a mantra, but you didn't notice or hear your phone, Keigo, fuck knows how, dialed Enji's number, it was silent on the other end but you filled that silence by moaning;

"Fuck Hawks~ your cock... f-feels so good~♡"

Keigo was grunting and moving his hips faster, fingers digging into your plump soft skin. "Fuck princess~ you're taking my cock like such a fuckin' champ~" he grunted against your skin. "You're g-gonna make me cum... fuck... your gonna make me cum soon~♡" you cried out bucking your hips against his, your toes curling and your thighs tensing as your walls tightened around his length. "Cum for me baby~" he coaxed licking your neck now, his thrusts had become more erratic a sign that he was about to cum as well, so with those last few thrusts the both of you reached that orgasm.

Fingers tugging at his hair as his hands dug into your skin as the two of you rode out your orgasms.

The call with Enji had been cut off too, not by Keigo or yourself no, by Enji. What exactly went through the flame hero's mind at that time?

.....

By the time Enji had finished his hero duties, stepping into his office he had gotten a phone call. He sat down and almost smiled as he saw your name flash across the screen. He answered expecting to hear your voice, but instead of hearing that happy cheering voice he heard that voice he was all too familiar with along with the sound of skin smacking against skin.

"Fuck Hawks~ your cock... f-feels so good~♡" he heard you say, Enji felt... jealous, he felt his blood boil at the sound of you moaning someone else's name that wasn't his, he zoned out for a moment not even realizing that he had burnt his phone to a crisp from the level of anger he had felt from it, but above all else he was jealous.

How could you go and fuck another man, let alone Hawks? It was outrages! You belonged to him after all, that smile and that sloppy cunt was all his! But hearing that pretty little mouth moaning like that threw him into somewhat of an aroused state, he wanted more of you, he wanted as much of you as he could get, but not before he punished you for sleeping with someone that wasn't him...

He had to punish you and Keigo too! He already had a plan in motion, he had the perfect idea to make sure you knew who you belonged to!

-

-

[thank you @madamcashe for requesting this!!]

[Part 2]

[get-your-fics]

Suburbia - Part Four

Man in Black

Summary: You have the seemingly perfect life, with the perfect house and the perfect husband. But the illusion threatens to be unraveled when you start to have strange but familiar nightmares.

Pairing: Albert Wesker x reader

Series warnings: Smut, dub-con/non-con, breeding kink, sex pollen, blood, violence

PART THREE

“You've been a very bad girl while I was away.”

His heavy boot made a solid thud as he took a step towards you. “Don’t move!” you shouted, pressing yourself against the edge of the desk behind you as much as you could. “Don’t come any closer!”

“Or what? What are you going to do?” he chuckled, but didn’t move. “You wouldn’t want to do anything rash now, dear. You’ll over exert yourself-”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” you cut him off through gritted teeth. “What the fuck is going on?” He didn’t say anything, merely stared at you. You felt like your blood was boiling in your veins. “Answer me!” You slammed your fist down on the desk, your voice bouncing off of the white walls. “I deserve answers!”

“Didn’t you find all your precious answers in those files?” He gestured to the manila folders scattered across the desk. It looked like a hurricane had blown through it. “I have to say, I’m surprised you caught on. But, you always were too smart for your own good.”

“Where are we?” you asked.

“We’re in an underground testing facility. Umbrella ran simulations here in order to sell the T-virus to government agencies worldwide,” he said. “Right now, we’re in a simulation of a suburban neighborhood. I thought it would be effective to replace your memory with artificial memories we concocted and place you here, that it would make you more compliant with the project.” He shrugged. “Unfortunately, the memory erasure had some unforeseen side effects. Hence the nightmares.”

“So you were just going to treat me like a pet?” you spat. “You thought it was okay to keep me locked up in this cage and breed me like a dog? That you could turn me into your little trophy housewife, have me cook and clean for you with the wool pulled over my eyes and get away with it?”

“Cage?” He laughed as if you had meant what you had said to be amusing. “Look around you, (Y/N).” He spun around in a circle, his arms spread wide. “This is hardly a cage. I was going to let you live obliviously in domestic bliss. I was offering you another chance at a good life, the kind of life that’s been extinct since the world ended.”

“You’re the one who ripped that chance away from me, from everyone, in the first place!” You pointed your finger accusingly at him.

“You act like I’m some kind of monster.” He pressed his gloved hand to his chest in mock offense. “Tell me, was I ever mean to you? Did I ever hurt you? Didn’t I always keep you fed and happy and content? Was I ever anything but the nice, dutiful, caring husband to you?”

You shook your head. “None of that matters. I was living a lie.”

“You can choose to see it that way, if you wish,” he said. “I was doing you a favor, (Y/N). Things for you could’ve been much worse.” He gestured to the computer, the paused video still displayed on its screen. “Well, you’ve seen the footage.”

You glanced at the video over your shoulder before looking back at him. “Was any of it real?” Your mind conjured up memories of coffee dates, of fancy restaurant dinners, of him getting down on one knee and popping the question, of him kissing you on your wedding day as you stared at him. But they were all fake, artificial memories implanted into your brain. They were hazy and lackluster, but all the emotion was still there. And even with all this new information, that didn’t make it just disappear. “Was it all pretend?”

“You mean do I love you?” You stared down at your bare feet. The fact that part of you still hoped this man loved you revolted you to the core. “I have respect for you, (Y/N). Love is trivial in comparison. You are the future - the superior evolution of mankind. You are the only one worthy of carrying my child.” His words made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. “With our combined genetics, we could improve upon the human race. Think of the things we could accomplish if we worked together.”

“I will never work with you.” You shook your head. “You just want to create monsters. You destroyed humanity out of greed. You kill people.”

He quirked a brow. “And you don’t?”

“I kill people because I have to,” you argued.

“You kill because it’s in your blood,” he said. “You see the weak and you eradicate them, making way for the exceptional species.”

“You’re sick,” you sneered. “You’re so obsessed with your perverted, demented version of saving the world, you don’t realize you’re ruining it. You don’t care about me or anyone else. You only care about yourself.”

He tutted disapprovingly. “Such harsh words, little bird.”

In an instant, you smacked his cheek with a resounding slap. His face fell to the side, his sunglasses sliding off his nose and breaking on impact with the tile. You could already see a red handprint spreading across his cheek. “Don’t call me that,” you hissed.

He looked back at you, and you gasped. His eyes - they were a bright, violent red. Every other time you had seen them, they were a clear, sky blue. But now, his pupils were black slits in the middle of each eyeball like a snake’s.

“You don’t want to do this, (Y/N),” he threatened. A golden tendril of hair had escaped his perfectly coiffed hairdo and now hung loose down his forehead. “We can forget this ever happened. We can go on living a perfect, normal life, and you can pretend like you’re none the wiser.”

“I would never agree to live in this house with you, Wesker.” You gripped the edge of the desk. You couldn’t trust him. The second you were no longer of use to him, he would throw you away like a worn-out toy.

“Then I will be forced to take you in. We’ll wipe your memory again and start fresh. And this time we’ll make sure to flesh out the details.” His lips curled into a sinister smirk. “Or maybe it’ll be back to the holding cell. Now why don’t you make it as easy as possible for yourself and come willingly?”

You readied yourself. “I’m not going down without a fight.”

He rose to his full height and cracked his knuckles. “Suit yourself.”

You threw a punch at him. He dodged your fist and latched onto your arm. He used your momentum against you and flipped you over his shoulder onto the metal table behind him. You slid off of it and landed on the ground, the wind knocked out of you.

He walked around the table and strode towards you effortlessly. Once he was within reach, you kicked at his kneecaps. He stumbled back, giving you enough time to leap to your feet. You swung at him again. He moved out of the way, but you learned from your mistake and brought your other hand up to connect with his jaw. He recovered quickly and pushed his heavy boot into your stomach.

You were knocked backwards, sending several test tubes crashing to the floor. You picked up a shard of a flask and stabbed it into his neck as he came towards you. He barely batted an eye. He plucked it out as if he was brushing off dust, unfazed by the blood dribbling out of the puncture wound in his neck.

He charged at you again, this time armed with the broken piece of glass. You ducked just in time as he thrust it at you, narrowly avoiding his hit. You retaliated with a blow to his side. He jabbed the glass into your hand as you did so. You let out a blood curdling scream as it sunk through your flesh. You gripped it and ripped it out with a yelp, discarding the fragmented pieces to the floor. You watched as the wound ceased leaking blood and closed itself up all on its own.

Wesker swiped at your ankles, and you dropped to the ground. You cried out as bits of glass scratched at and protruded from your skin. They crunched under his boots as he stopped in front of you. He buried a hand in your hair and dragged you off the floor. He hauled you off of the ground, your toes barely brushing the tile. You wrapped your hands around his in an attempt to lessen the pressure on your scalp and flailed your legs to kick at him desperately.

“Maybe we should have some fun first.” He pressed you back against the wall and slipped his hand under your nightgown. “One last go around for old times sake.”

His hand crept closer towards your clothed core, and you brought your leg up to knee him in the crotch. He let go of you with a grunt. You landed on your feet and regained your balance enough to kick him in the chest. He flew backwards, ending up on the other side of the room. You came at him with fists flying and teeth bared. You landed a few successful punches before he grabbed both your arms and pushed you back.

He wrapped his fingers around your throat and lifted you up. He slammed your back against the wall and tightened his hold on you. He stared at you with pure rage and fury in his glowing, red eyes. He squeezed until gray dots started to form over your vision, and you felt your lungs start to deflate as the oxygen left them.

“Just... do it...” you choked out.

His unwavering stare faltered, and his expression softened. His eyes faded to a warm amber, and the hard, straight line of his mouth twisted into a frown. He loosened his grip on you and slowly set you back down on the ground.

You spat out blood and looked up at him. “You do love me.” You flashed him a lopsided smirk.

He blinked, and his eyes turned red again. “Don’t be foolish,” he scoffed. “You’re more valuable to us alive.”

But something in the way he had looked at you told you otherwise. “Well, the only way you’ll take me in is if you kill me.”

You broke from his grip and roundhouse kicked him in the face. He staggered back, and you approached him again, fists raised. You threw a punch, but he caught your arm, twisting it. “Have you given up yet?” He threw you to the ground. His expression was stone cold and stoic. “We can do this forever, and you’ll never get anywhere.”

You slowly started to push yourself up again, but he stepped his boot-clad foot in the middle of your back, keeping you down. You knew you were both equally matched and could go at this for hours to no avail. But you also knew that he had a weakness you didn’t.

You spotted a green test tube that had rolled under the desk. You reached for it, stretching your arm as much as you possibly could. Your fingertips just barely brushed the glass. Wesker got out a syringe and uncapped it. He bent down so he was at your level as you got the tube within your grasp. Just as he was about to sedate you, you reached behind yourself and injected it into his neck before he could do anything.

He let out an angered growl and backed away from you. The syringe slipped from his grip and clattered to the ground. He grappled for the metal table to steady himself, pressing a hand against where you had injected him. He panted and fell to his knees, his skin turning sallow and pale as his T-virus levels fluctuated.

You rolled onto your back and noticed a handgun duct taped to the bottom of the desk. You tore it off and rose from the ground. You cocked the gun and aimed it at him.

He looked up at you and cracked a grin. “You won’t make it out of here alive. Even if you do, there’s nowhere to go.”

“It’s worth a shot,” you replied, and then you pulled the trigger.

The blast echoed as the gun went off. He looked down as blood seeped out of the bullet hole right where his heart was. He clutched his chest, blood running through the gaps in his fingers, and slumped back against the wall. His ragged breaths grew soft and shallow with each passing second. His arm dropped to his side, and his head lolled as he went silent.

You lowered the gun and stood still. Your heart pounding against your rib cage and your blood rushing in your veins were the only sounds in the now quiet room. You hesitantly padded across the tile towards him. You stopped right in front of him and poked at him with your toe. His body remained limp. His eyes were once again amber, blank and void with nothing behind them as he stared off into space. And this time he wouldn’t be getting up.

You felt something wet hit your cheek and swiped at it. You couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears from coming, and before you knew it, you were full on sobbing. You fell to your knees in front of him and lowered your head, clawing at your chest as if your heart wanted to burst out. You blamed it on the fake memories, that you were designed to react this way, but you knew deep down part of you had wanted to continue to live with him in ignorant bliss.

You wiped away your tears with the back of your hand. Your face was red and splotchy, your eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying. Your nightgown was tattered and practically hung off of your body in shreds. Every bone and muscle in your body ached. You imagined you resembled the way you had appeared in the video, tortured and battle-worn.

Suddenly, there was a sharp prick in your neck. You furrowed your brows as a buzzing filled your ears and something foreign pumped through your veins. The world spun around you, and everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. You teetered forward and collapsed on top of Wesker’s cold, dead corpse. The position you were in allowed you to see behind you, and the last thing you saw were men wearing thick, plated armor and gas masks moving towards you with their guns raised before everything went black.

-

You slowly came to. You were lying on an examination table in a room with beige walls that smelled like bleach. You were wearing a hospital gown and hooked up to some sort of machine with a screen.

“Hey, sweetheart,” you heard a voice whisper to you. You looked up to see a face hovering above you, and when you focused in on it, you recognized it as your husband’s. “You passed out once you got on the table. Don’t worry, the doc says it’s perfectly normal,” he placated you.

You looked down at your body and noticed something off: there was, barely perceivable but visible none the less, the start of a growing bump along your abdomen. You must be about two or three months along. No, in fact, you knew you were - you could remember the day you had told him about the two little lines that had shown up on the test and how he had smiled at you with all the love in the world.

“Congratulations, little bird. It’s a girl.” He placed a protective hand over your stomach. A wide grin spread across his face, bordering on wolfish. “The first of many.”

EPILOGUE

[timelordthirteen]

An Act of Kindness

Spinner!Rumplestiltskin/Belle French, Teen

Summary: Rumplestiltskin is being harassed by Hordor when an unlikely person comes to his rescue.

Notes: This not exactly whump in its purest form, but it's what I could manage in between ocular migraines. Rated Teen because of the blood and violence. For Writer's Month prompt #11: whump.

[AO3]

Rumplestiltskin stumbled forward into the street.

His foot caught on the edge of one of the cobblestones, sending him to the ground. He landed on his right knee, and cried out in pain, the already damaged limb crumbling and pressing into the rough stones. His walking staff rolled away as he scrambled for it, pulling himself over the street on his belly. The cut on his head dribbled blood down over his forehead, stinging his eyes, and his bottom lip felt bruised and swollen.

The soldiers boisterous laughter made him cringe. If he could just get to his staff and get up, maybe he could get away, even if he had to crawl the length of the road. He should have never come to Avonlea, but it on one would buy his thread in Longbourne anymore. No one wanted to buy from a coward and a cripple.

Just as he reached out to grab his staff, a boot came down, trapping both the staff and his hand. He yelled in pain, looking up through blurry eyes at the sneering face of the captain of the soldiers, Hordor, the one who had come looking for him after he’d fled the war.

“Please,” he begged. “Let me -”

“Let you what, Spinner?” Hordor leaned down, bearing all his weight on the foot that was crushing Rumplestiltskin’s fingers. “Let you run away like the pathetic coward you are?”

Rumple screamed in agony, his face dropping to the dirt. The soldiers laughed again, and he thought this was it, this was how he would die, penniless and dirty in the street. His last thought was for his son, Baelfire, hoping that Maureen’s family would take pity on the boy and give him a home.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The voice was sharp and clear, ringing out over the din of the crowd and the jeers of the soldiers. Suddenly, the pressure on Rumple’s hand eased, and Hordo stepped back as a row of horseback guards came slowly towards them.

Rumplestiltskin wrapped his hand around the staff, wincing as the skin on his injured knuckles pulled and split open further, oozing blood between his fingers and over the knotty wood. He rolled onto his side and blinked into the sun, wiping his arm over his face. He shuffled back, pushing against the ground with his good leg, and making his already dirty clothes even filthier.

The horses hooves clicked against the stones as they came towards him, and he began to shake with fear that whatever these men would do to him would be even worse than what Hordor had already done.

The guards separated to either side, and up the middle came a woman on a sizable white horse. She came to a stop and looked around, her mouth set in a hard, thin line and her eyes narrowing when she came to Hordor.

“Captain Hordor," she said, her voice sharp.

Hordor squared his shoulders and swallowed before he bowed low. "My Lady Belle, I am sorry, but your father made me responsible for rounding up deserters. I was only doing my duty.”

Belle twisted and slid down off the saddle, landing lightly on her feet, sending the skirts of her blue dress billowing out around her. It was a smooth, practiced move, and Rumple was momentarily surprised at how at ease she seemed. He had never seen a highborn lady riding a horse before, they were always behind velvet curtains in ornate carriages.

“Beating a man half to death is not rounding up deserters," she said, stepping up until she was nearly toe to toe with Hordor. “You’re relieved of duty, Captain.”

Hordor bristled. “My orders come directly from your father -”

“My father,” she interrupted, “is not here. He is seeing to our men on the frontlines, men who have given honorably of themselves and secured victory and safety for our people."

There was a murmur through the crowd, and she glanced down at Rumplestiltskin. He clutched his staff to him as he lay on the ground, uncertain of what to think of this Lady Belle, other than she had the most striking blue eyes.

"Per the laws of this kingdom," she continued, "bestowed upon us by his majesty King George, I am in charge while my father is away."

“I - I’m sorry, Your Grace,” muttered Hordor.

She gave Hordor a flat smile. “As am I. And I’m sorry for all those who have lost their lives to such senseless, pointless violence. But there is no war anymore, and as such no deserters. Certainly, not any that would deserve this kind of - of - barbaric treatment.”

"No! This man, and others like him, are traitors!"

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Captain, you forget yourself!"

Then she whirled on her heel, her blue riding dress fluttering out around her, and walked back to the line of guards. One of them, a handsome man with a beard and a blue sash across his armor, leaned down to speak with her for a minute, before dismounting his horse. The man motioned to two others, and together they approached Hordor as he babbled for forgiveness.

They took Hordor by the arms and ripped away his sword, before dragging him through the row of guards and soldiers. Immediately, Belle turned on the men who had been with Hordor. She didn’t need to say anything at all to have them groveling and muttering their pleas for forgiveness.

“Put them on stable duty, Graham,” she said to the bearded man, her lips curving slightly. “I think that will make them sufficiently apologetic.”

Graham smiled crookedly, and bowed at the waist. “As you wish, my Lady.”

The crowd of people began to disperse, and most of the guards followed after the men dragging Hordor away, down the main road in the direction of the castle. But Graham stayed behind with a few men and Lady Belle.

She came near Rumpelstiltskin, and knelt down. “Are you all right?”

Rumple wasn’t quite sure what to do or say. No words he knew of seemed adequate to thank a noble lady for saving his life. He nodded slowly, wincing as even that small movement caused him further pain.

Lady Belle’s head tilted to the side and she shook her head. “Of course you’re not.” Then she looked back over her shoulder at Graham. “Bring my carriage, please. We’ll bring him to the castle.”

Graham inclined his head, and then marched off to see to his Lady’s orders.

“Carriage?” Rumple said, confused. “Castle?” His entire body hurt, and he still wasn’t sure he could trust what was happening to him was real, but Lady Belle’s eyes were so soft and kind when she looked at him.

Belle smiled at him. “Yes, it will be easier to see your injuries there, and I certainly don’t expect you to walk.”

“Please, my - my Lady,” he managed, pausing to swallow some of the blood that had gather at the back of his throat. “It’s - it’s no matter. I’ll be fine.”

She frowned. “You are not fine. Please, I know - I know you have no reason to trust me as we’ve only just met, but I promise you no further harm will come to you.”

Her hand stretched out to him, holding in the air, palm up and open. After a long moment, he pushed himself as upright as he could manage, and held out his, larger, dirtier one. She took it without hesitation, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze, while behind her a carriage painted in a deep green rolled up, pulled by two light gray horses. Graham and another guard, helped Rumplestiltskin up, taking him under the arms and supporting him as he limped to the carriage. He looked back, and saw Lady Belle picking up his walking staff.

A few minutes later, he was situated in perhaps the nicest seat he’d ever sat on, with Lady Belle across from him. His staff leaned against the seat beside her while she arranged her skirts.

“I - I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” he said, keeping his eyes on the floor.

A hand reached out and touched his knee, and he looked up, meeting Lady Belle’s eyes. They were a truly unfathomable blue, like the sky on a perfect spring day.

“No, it is I who am sorry. Hordor is one of the King’s men, and my father foolishly believed he was honorable.” She took her hand away and sat back against the seat as the carriage lurched forward. “So, what is your name?”

“Ru-Rumplestiltskin.”

Belle’s eyes went wide. “My, that’s quite a name. Well, it’s lovely to meet you Rumplestiltskin. I’m Belle.”

She smiled at him, and he marveled at the sound of his name from her lips almost more than the fact that she was introducing herself to him like it was nothing, like they were the same station. They had just met, yet he knew without a doubt that she must be one of the kindest people in all the world.

“Belle,” he said softly, returning her smile. “Yes, it’s - lovely.”

[royal-babey]

Lily

I wrote angst and it hurts like hell and oh god I cried whilst writing it.

Featuring my OC’s Nico and Dima Mahariel, and their father Revas Mahariel.

TW’s for blood, death, slavery, and just a shitton of angst.

-

In the forests of Antiva, walked three Dalish Elves.

Keeper of Clan Mahariel, Revas Mahariel, accompanied his young twin sons into the wild woodlands to show them the foundations of survival. This was something the family did often, at least twice a week if possible, and it was valuable time together for them. Revas’s Keeper duties often kept him busy, and sometimes unable to spend time with his sons at all.

He had a son walking on either side of him, both clutching his significantly larger hands tightly. Dmitri Mahariel chatted away happily to his Father, rambling on about anything that caught his interest or something exciting that had happened to him earlier that week. His younger brother, Nikolai Mahariel, was quite happy to walk in silence, allowing his brother to do the talking for the both of them.

Revas couldn’t be happier. Of course if his ex-wife could be here, that would make things even better. Revas regularly mourned the fact that the twins would not grow up without a motherly influence in their lives, but they seemed to be doing just fine.

‘’-and then and then!!! Nini made a scary face and said ‘You pee the bed Daerian.’ Daerian went running crying back to his Mamae and I got my stick sword back!!!’’

Revas was snapped out of his thoughts as Dima’s excitable voice raised in pitch as he told his Father his story, and there was a very indignant ‘Dima!’ from Nico as Revas let out a chuckle in amusement. He then looked down to his left to see a very sheepish Nico kicking a small rock across the grassy forest floor.

‘’Is that true, da’fen?’’

Nico just shrugged as a response, then muttered ‘’He was being mean…’’

Revas couldn’t argue with that.

Every now and then, the elder Elf would stop beside a bush, either with oddly coloured berries or flowers, and attempt to tell the twins the properties of them. It was important they knew these things in case of emergencies. They were useful after all.

The twins genuinely did try their best to pay attention, but it was a struggle. And by the time they were an hour and a bit into their fathers lessons, they had all but given up on trying to listen.

Revas could see this, and figured he should give the twins something to enjoy instead. He sat them down on the abnormally gigantic roots of an ancient oak tree, that spiralled and gnarled in on itself both above and below the ground, and shielded them from the hot sun with its tall branches and large leaves. After he had gotten their attention, he held up a clenched fist, and smiled.

‘’Watch this, boys.’’

The boys watched in wonder as their Father’s fist glowed green, and gasped quietly when he opened it to reveal two stark white flowers where there had been nothing before. The twins recognised them to be lilies, and Dima bounced on the spot excitedly where as Nico was still staring, though he did have a small smile on his lips.

Revas reached forward, braiding the lilies into the boys long black hair one by one. They reached up to gently feel them at the same time, before lunging forward to hug their Father.

‘’That was so cool, Baban!!!’’

‘’Thank you, Baban…’’

Revas just grinned and hugged his boys back, laughing quietly to himself at their reactions. He loved making them smile.

And with a lily, he hoped to pass on their mother’s love. For that was her name, after all…

They were a happy family despite everything. A close knit and loving family.

Though like Revas had described to the twins once before, when a beloved Clan Halla passed away, the Creators often liked to pick the most beautiful things from this earth that they belovedly created.

Revas could not help the twitching of his pointed ears as he picked up on an abnormal sound coming from the east. They were outside of Clan hunting territory, so no one should be here…

That’s when he heard it. The sound of men laughing uproariously. They were no voices the Keeper recognised, and he froze to the spot, arms tensing around his children.

Humans. Human hunters had come to these woods.

Revas knew how much danger they were in instantly, and leapt to his feet. He easily picked up the twins, one in each arm, and took off running deeper into the forest. He knew these woods well, expertly avoiding upturned routes or particularly sharp rocks, taking almost completely hidden turns, getting past the more dangerous wildlife without getting so much as a second glance.

Nico and Dima were terrified, but knew to be quiet when their Father seemed to sense danger. They had not heard the humans, therefore having no idea what was wrong.

The Shemlen had heard Revas taking off though, footfalls much too heavy in his panic to get his children to safety to attempt stealth. They assumed he was a deer, having been spooked by their loudness. Revas could hear the beating of the horses hooves getting closer, and realised even if he were to make it back to the Clan in time, he would surely doom them.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

Sliding to a stop in front of a particularly large bush, he kneeled down, and placed his children behind it. He signaled for them to be quiet, and they agreed without question, nodding their heads to show they understood.

Revas knew that what he was about to do...May not turn out how he hoped.

So he hugged them both tightly, and whilst pulling away, slipped his necklace off over his head. It was made of shedded Halla antler, with intricate Elven symbols and words carved into it. He handed it to Dima, his lips trembling despite his trying to keep everything under control. He gripped Dima’s shoulders tightly, tight enough to make him wince involuntarily, and spoke in a panicked but hushed tone to his son, who had, as well as his brother, barely seen their tenth summer.

‘’I need you to promise me, Dima...Promise that no matter what, you will protect your brother. You will protect the clan. You will grow strong, and always protect those you love. Do you understand? Be strong.’’

Dima didn’t hesitate in answering, whispering a very determined ‘’Of course I promise Baban.’’ But also; ‘’What’s wrong though? You’re coming back, right?’’

Revas let out a shuddered breath, and gave his sons the best smile he could muster.

‘’Ar lath ma, ma len. I love you both so much...Be strong.’’

Before they could even question, Revas was taking off running into the clearing not far from them. Where the twins could see what was going on...Revas forced himself to stand his ground despite his fear as the humans approached, pulling his staff from his back and gripping it tightly as they pulled their horses to a stop and dismounted.

One human, with pale skin and a bald head, paired with a horribly patchy beard, was the first to approach Revas. Behind him were two more humans, dressed head to toe in armour. Revas couldn’t see their faces, though he could feel their stares.

He forced himself to greet the men in perfect trade with a smile, as wary as it may look, and a short bow.

‘’Greetings, outsiders.’’

He didn’t even get a greeting back, instead, the man in front of him just snarled, looking him up and down.

‘’Lookie here, boys. A knife ear, right here. Looks like we may not need to look for their damned camp so hard after all.’’

Revas tensed, knowing instantly who these men must be. Slavers, probably for the black market in the main city of Antiva. He reached back with his free hand to scratch nervously at his ear lobe, needing something to do as he answer, even if he wasn’t exactly asked a question.

‘’I-I beg your pardon? You can’t-’’

Revas was cut off by a sharp sword pointing directly at his neck, causing him to go stock still, too afraid to even breathe.

The man growled, pressing the blade against Revas’s neck. Enough to draw blood, for the moment, and make the Elf hiss slightly in pain.

‘’Shut your mouth, knife ear. Now listen closely. We know it isn’t just you here. We saw a stuffed toy on the ground. And you were quite happy to run just a moment ago...Who are you protecting? Your knife eared kid? Kids? Oh, the Crows would pay a pretty sum for some young Elves to train up.’’

Revas felt sick to his stomach. He wasn’t about to negotiate with some slavers, just so they could go hunt some other people.

So that left him one choice.

Carefully, he took a step back, and twirled his staff in hand.

‘’I’m not telling you anything, Shemlen!’’

He inhaled, ready to shout a spell, one powerful enough to knock them down and give him

time to run with the boys-

When instead it turned into a breathless gasp of pain, and he looked down to see a sword running right through his gut.

From behind the bush, there was a whimper, the leaves rustling as Nico attempts to get up to run to his Father. He’s stopped by Dima however, who yanks him down by the back of his shirt, and straddles him to keep him from trying again. Nico tries to yell for Revas, but Dima covers his younger brothers mouth and despite the tears forming in his own eyes as Nico writhes and struggles, whispers harshly for him to quit it.

Nico doesn’t see what Dima sees. Doesn’t see as the men kick Revas down onto his back. Doesn’t witness them sneering and taunting Revas as he bleeds out, amethyst eyes formerly shining with life beginning to go dull as he stares up at the sky. His lips barely moving as he words a silent prayer to Falon’din to guide his soul to the Beyond, the Creator who’s Vallaslin he has proudly worn since seventeen years of age.

He doesn’t see as Revas’s throat is slit easily by a spear tossed to the man who had also stabbed him, then thrust through the Keepers exposed chest.

Eventually, the humans get sick of mutilating the now dead Elf’s form. The murderer declaring Revas must have left the twins at the great oak tree and had instead tried to lure them away and distract them.

They mount their horses, and ride off. As soon as their horses beating hooves can no longer be heard, Dima and Nico get up, running over to their father’s unmoving form. He couldn’t be dead. Surely he was just badly injured, would still be breathing.

But there’s blood. Too much blood for any mortal man to surely survive. His dark skin is now an ashen colour, and his eyes are glazed over and lifeless. His expression is slack, and his chest…

It certainly isn’t moving.

Dima stands staring, completely frozen. He can’t tear his eyes off of their Fathers, their Babans, corpse. Nico however, collapses to his knees.

And he screams. A scream so heart wrenching it scares off any animals in the immediate vicinity. A scream filled with such unimaginable grief and fear and anger that it doesn’t sound human at all.

Dima can only drop down beside him, tears rolling silently down his cheeks as he reaches for Revas’s hand. Earlier it was warm, warm as Dima clung to it, warm as he pulled his Father behind him and swung and laughed and...Warm as Dima thought about how much he trusted that warmth to always be there...But now it was cold, and Dima could feel the remnants of Revas’s body heat slowly fading away.

‘’Papa…’’

He could barely mutter it. Beside him, Nico had begun to sob, clothing beginning to turn red with their Father’s blood soaking into it. He rested his head on Revas’s chest, hair mostly obscuring his face from his elder twins view.

And from his hair fell the lily Revas had left in it just twenty minutes ago. It landed in the puddle of blood just beside Revas’s body, and Dima could have sworn he heard his Father whispering the word- No. The name, Lily, in the small breeze that blew past them all.

Dima could only pull Nico to him, trying to find some comfort in his brothers still warm body despite the chilling aura that had settled in the area.

They only had each other now, meaning Dima was determined more than ever before now to keep his promise to their Father.

He would protect Nico with his life.

[yukiwrites]

A Dance for Their Family

Thank you so much for commissioning me again, @xpegasusuniverse​! This was such a cute prompt! I hope you like it ;D

Summary: Being married to Frederick brought Olivia so much happiness, she wanted to give it back to him tenfold. But what could she do when she couldn’t even massage away the exhaustion from his body? Perhaps with Inigo’s help, she could...

Commission info HERE and HERE!

After the Fell Dragon's defeat, Ylisse could finally enjoy long years of peace. Their relationship with the neighboring kingdoms couldn't be better, the frequency which crimes happened plummeted and the new generation could enjoy growing up in a land that knows no fighting.

Still, the Commander of the Exaltsguard wasn't named Frederick the Wary for nothing -- he continued to train the new recruits with the same fervor he did during the war days. The only differing aspect would be that instead of being called 'Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour', it was 'Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Morning', since he worked the poor men and women to the bone from reveille until breakfast. After it, he would still train them until lunchtime, then give each of them assignments to work on their body-building and dispatch them to work with a veteran in patrolling the city to make sure it would remain safe.

During the evening, he would receive the veteran's reports, file them on each recruit's documents and prepare for the next morning's FFFM. Of course, he still had his duties as Exalt Chrom's personal guard, so he always made sure to be his lord's shadow during the day, though still making time to go back to his quarters and shower his wife Olivia and toddler Inigo with love and bear hugs.

Since a few days ago, he had noticed how startled Olivia would look the moment he entered the room.

"F-Frederick!" She would squirm and zoom-in on their son, picking him up from wherever he stood, usually near her. "It's already this late?"

His wife was a terrible secret-keeper as much as she was stubborn. No matter how many times he asked, she would try and fail to play it cool, changing the subject.

"You were doing something again, were you not, my adorable wife?" He asked for the seventh time that week, ready to ask seven more times on the next one. He could somehow guess what she was doing -- perhaps practicing a new dance she was still too embarrassed to share, for one -- but it always amused him to see her cheeks flush with the slight pink.

To see her averting her eyes from him, growing more and more embarrassed as he approached silently, biting her lower lip as though to keep herself from spilling the beans. "M-m-m-me? Y-you must be imagining things, Frederick. Y-yes. Imagining! I'm not someone who hides... things." She would stutter, looking at his approaching lips with a helplessly agape mouth, always excitedly expecting his I'm-home kiss.

Once their lips conjoined, he would enjoy feeling her melt inside his hug, not being able to stop the growing smirk under the kiss. Whatever it was that she was hiding, he was actually having too much fun seeing her all flustered about it to dig too deeply into learning what it was about.

Inigo would usually choose that time to pout and hug his father's leg, also wanting an I'm-home kiss.

That was also the finishing blow to make Frederick drop the subject altogether -- seeing his tiny little son pout and demand attention made his father's heart turn to mush, his body quickly picking the toddler up and covering him with kisses.

After dinner, the both of them would put Inigo to sleep in their bed first, always taking some time of the night to simply spend in each other's presences.

As Frederick had been a soldier and a knight for most of his life, his body was naturally stiff -- no matter how much pressure Olivia applied to his 'knots', as she called them, she could never truly relax them. Yet, every night she tried, taking it upon herself to massage her husband's wide and powerful back. Sometimes her mind would wander to the gutter and her strokes would lose strength as she blushed -- such times usually led to other... heated activities -- but she mostly always tried and failed to make his body relax the way she knew how to.

He would laugh and enjoy his tiny wife's struggles, her small fingers all but tickling him.

To Frederick, these days couldn't be more fulfilling: He was performing his duty as best as he could and would go back to a loving wife and an adorable child. It was the perfect lifestyle.

To Olivia, she couldn't be happier -- she lived in the castle with her husband and son, while still being an official performer for the kingdom. She danced to heart's desire in front of huge crowds every now and then, her life's dream achieved to its utmost, especially with her little family giving her support. However, she always felt the need to do more and more to the one who made it all possible: her husband and love of her life, Frederick.

She tried to take his exhaustion away every night by massaging his shoulders, but it never seemed enough, so now she had to take... extreme measures.

The following morning, after finishing the FFFM for the day, Frederick dismissed the recruits after having a long talk with each of them regarding the previous day's reports.

The sky was bright, the sun almost at its peak, making the knight finally break a sweat. He used his handkerchief to try his forehead, looking up at the clear weather. Maybe he would recommend a picnic so his Lord could take his wife and children.

Yes, that was what he would do. That way, he would also be able to bring Olivia and Inigo to enjoy themselves as well-

As the thoughts of their family flooded his mind, Frederick heard his wife's shy voice stuttering from afar.

"W-wait, Frederick! You w-walk to fast!" She panted, holding little Inigo like her life depended on it.

The knight smiled widely, turning back so as to welcome his wife with open arms. "My dear! I was just thinking of you," he meant to take Inigo from her, "what are you two doing here?"

"Oh, um!" Catching her breath, Olivia took a step back lest she lost herself in her husband's arms and forgot what she went there to do. "I- We have something to show you!" She glanced down to the little toddler. "Don't we, Inigo?"

"Yesh!" He raised his chubby hands, kicking his feet. "Show Daddy!" He giggled happily as Olivia placed him on the ground.

The sides of Frederick's mouth hurt from how wide his smile was. "What's this?" He placed both arms behind his back, eager to watch whatever performance his wife and child had been rehearsing for that long.

"A-hem!" Olivia cleared her throat, swaying her arms up with fluidity. She tilted her head to the side, getting on the tip of her toes.

"A-hum!" Inigo followed as closely as his disorganized limbs could, mimicking his mother from behind.

Frederick was already beside himself with happiness, wanting to kiss the both of them to death.

Olivia took a deep breath and started singing a lullaby-esque melody, moving slowly so their son could follow.

When monsters lurked beneath my bed,

And scary dreams ran through my head,

When thunder growled those sounds I dread,

There you were,

My father.

They pointed to Frederick, clutching their hearts right after. He almost cried.

When scuffed up knees made me cry,

Soft hankies wiped my sad eyes dry,

Coaxing me each time I tried,

You were always there,

My mother.

Inigo jumped to Olivia's arms, sharing a heart-warming hug. She twirled around themselves, placing him on the ground carefully for the last stanza.

In times of trouble, times of need,

I feel such strength surrounding me,

Without whose love I can't succeed,

I love you all my family

They opened their arms finally, the toddler's movements stiff and stumbly, but charming as a thousand kittens.

Frederick sniffled, running to his family and accepting their hug. "Olivia! Inigo!" He cried, tears rolling down his face with astounding speed. "I love you!" He squeezed them hard, too hard for a child and a frail woman to take.

"D-daddy!! Hurts!!" Inigo threatened to cry, tears welling up on his eyes.

"F-Forgive me, little one." The knight flinched, loosening the hug. "I was just... so happy..."

"Oh, Frederick... You're crying!" Olivia dried her husband's cheeks with her thumbs, her own eyes shining with unshed tears. "Are your burdens lessened? Are you feeling better now?"

Frederick replied with a kiss, tender at first, desperate as it progressed. "Oh, my darling wife! I could not be happier! And I meant not only now -- ever since you accepted my proposal, my life's only known happiness."

A shiny tear fell from one of Olivia's eyes. "T-truly? I thought you were so burdened..."

"Never!" He laughed, twirling them in his bear hug. "Your love has always been enough for me, my dear wife. Yet, I am moved to tears by your consideration." He kissed her once again, then proceeded to shower Olivia and Inigo both with kisses.

To think he could be happier than he already was!

Original poem extracted from familyfriendpoems.

[inkjackets]

A Matter of Ace-ceptance Ch5  Who We Want to Be - Part 2

Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Epilogue

It can also be found on AO3 under the same username.

“Adrien?”

That one word hung suspended between the two superheroes. Chat Noir saw it shimmer and waver in front of him. He closed his eyes and swallowed, willing it to disappear, to vanish from the space between him and Ladybug. But when he opened his eyes once more, he found that that single word was still stubbornly staring back at him in the form of a pair of bright blue eyes.

Chat barely breathed. Those eyes... he felt ensnared by them. Their shackles gripped his spine and pinned down his mind, rendering him incapable of movement.

Chat wrestled against the shackles and let air fill his lungs. Maybe...just maybe, she had misidentified him. It wasn’t like he was the only Adrien in Paris...

“Adrien? Is that really you?”

Once more Ladybug’s voice rang through the air, soft and gentle despite the unmistakable disbelief in her tone. Chat noticed she wasn’t her usual confident self. Her posture was stiff and taut, her legs were locked together and arms squeezed across her body. She looked so small.

“There...” Chat croaked, he wet his dry lips before trying again, “There are many Adrien’s in Paris...” he said, weighing each word on his tongue before trailing off.

Once more those eyes held him captive before flicking to something behind him. With apprehension building in his gut, Chat turned to follow Ladybug’s gaze.

The floor disappeared beneath him as his eyes landed on a garishly bright billboard on the other side of the street.

There he was, in all his superficial prime, modelling the latest Gabriel collection...

Adrien Agreste!

The Golden Boy!

Paris’ Perfect Ray of Sunshine!

Chat felt sick.

“Chat Noir,” said Ladybug, more urgent this time, “are you Adrien Agreste?”

Chat flinched at the sound of his civilian surname. It took all his willpower to tear his eyes from the blinding lights and face Ladybug. He cowered under her gaze. He had been wrong, she wasn’t unconfident at all; those eyes held power.

“How,” Chat’s voice was weak, “How did you figure out who I am?” Ladybug sucked in her breath and widened her eyes but didn’t say a word.

Once more neither of them moved. Chat’s eyes gave off a cold power to equal Ladybug’s, demanding her to answer his question. It was as if they were frozen in a mental battle.

The world, however, moved on without them. Evening traffic and chatter drifted up from the street below, a couple of cats were growling in an alleyway, the soft pounding of music carried over from a nearby bar. One by one the lights turned on in the surrounding houses, bathing everything in a yellow glow, and finally, a breeze weaved between them, causing both their hair to flutter and sent a shiver down Chat's spine.

Suddenly, Chat couldn’t take it anymore. He released Ladybug from his gaze as exhaustion rushed into his heart. He collapsed against a chimney wall.

“Forget it,” he muttered.

He drew his knees up and hugged them as he gazed listlessly over the rooftop. This wasn’t how any of his reveals were supposed to have gone, identity, sexuality nor the love confession. He felt so empty.

His ears twitched involuntarily as Ladybug moved in his periphery vision.

“Adrien?” she said, taking a tentative step towards him.

Chat Noir rolled his heavy eyes towards her but refused to verbally confirm who she thought he was.

Ladybug bit her lip, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I can't do this right now." Then without warning, she spun on her heel, launched her yo-yo and flew away.

Chat felt the needles of numbness prick his skin as he watched his partner disappear into the dusty darkness. He tried to muster some anger, or annoyance, or confusion, or any emotion really to get him back up on his feet and charge after her, but his limbs wouldn't respond. The pricks of numbness intensified.

He lay his head against the bricks with a soft ‘thump’ and exhaled. His head started pounding. He was so tired.

A small part of him was worried that he wasn’t feeling anything, but he shoved that part deep down and smothered it with a layer of apathy and instead, drew his gaze to the sky.

The light pollution from the city reached its snaky tendrils up into the heavens, but right above his head was a patch of the clear midnight sky. The stars glistened at him, not a care in the world. Chat gave a wan smile. It was almost comforting how little the universe cared what he did, almost reassuring how he was just a speck amongst many in the universe. His smile dropped. Almost. He closed his eyes and let the cool night air wash over him, taking with it all his thoughts.

Chat sat there for what felt like an eternity, his mind comfortably empty as the night embraced him.

Suddenly a shriek from the street below pierced night air. Instinct caused him to scramble to his feet and reach for his baton before he realised it was just some kids mucking around. He slumped back to the floor with a sigh and rubbed his face. He tried to empty his mind once more but it was no good, the kick of adrenaline was pumping through him, forcing unwanted energy through his veins. Once more he turned his gaze to the stars; he may just be a speck in the universe, but he still had a job here on earth, a duty to the people of Paris.

He gritted his teeth.

He was still Chat Noir.

He forced himself to stand. Both mind and body screamed at him in protest, but he fought it and drew himself to his feet. He continued drawing upwards, stood on his toes and stretched up to the twinkling stars. He exhaled strongly and put his hands on his hips. He tried to cock a confident smile as he looked over the sparkling city and, though he wasn’t entirely successful, it still put some assurance back into his being.

In one swift motion, he leapt onto a ledge, twirled his baton, and leapt off the building into the night. He left his emotions behind in a messy puddle on the rooftop and instead let the exhilaration of bounding across the Parisian rooftops fill his mind and body.

Chat flew through his patrol route at record speed, something he soon regretted as it meant he had to face his emotions sooner rather than later. He slowed right down and ambled along the Parisian rooftops, coming to a complete halt when he saw a red figure in the distance. Chat scowled. He turned on his heel. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk to Ladybug. Chat froze... but neither did he want to leave things as they were. He rubbed his temples. He couldn't just run and disappear. If he had learnt anything from his past, it was that he could never, ever inflict that sort of pain on anyone, especially someone he loved. Neither was he so fickle that one little argument was enough to rid his love of Ladybug. Still, he wasn't ready to forgive her that easily.

So it was with a heavy heart that Chat bounded over the rooftop and landed behind Ladybug with a soft thud, crunching in the murky darkness.

Ladybug spun around as soon as his feet touched the roof. Her expression of hope quickly fell upon seeing Chat’s dark eyes.

“Adri- Chat!” she cried.

Slowly, Chat Noir drew himself up. His eyes never left Ladybug’s, but they were cold and vacant.

“I came back almost as soon as I left, but you had already gone,” Ladybug said a little too quickly. Chat didn’t blink. “Patrol,” he said dismissively and walked past her.

“That’s what I had hoped, which was why I waited here.”

He ignored her and jumped up onto a nearby chimney to gaze out at the city.

“Chat, I wanted to apologise.”

Chat took a deep breath of cool fresh air and said nothing, she would have to do a lot more than simply apologise to earn his forgiveness.

“Chat, please!”

He closed his eyes.

“Chat! Please!”

He gritted his teeth.

“Chat Noir!” she yelled.

“What!” He cried, spinning around and throwing his arms wide, before visibly deflating, “What do you want from me?”

“I, I,” she stepped back, “I just wanted to say sorry,” she looked at the floor.

“Yeah, well you've done that already,” he muttered.

“Can you,” Ladybugs voice shook, “can you blame me though? For wh-”

"For running away when you couldn't bear to face me? Yeah, yeah I can."

Chat felt cold anger trickle back into his being. He smiled dryly, at least his emotions were returning.

“But you act so different as Adrien!” Ladybug cried.

“Do I?” He rounded on her, eyes blazing, “Then you obviously don't know Adrien at all!” Tears welled in Ladybug’s eyes but she hastily wiped them away.

"I deserved that," she whispered. "The fact that you said you felt you had no one and I..." she drew a shaky breath, "I just ran away. The the fact that you," her lip wobbled, "you j-just lay your heart out in front of me tonight a-and," tears welled in her eyes, "and I just c-crushed it..." she choked and threw her hand over her mouth, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself,” she said horrified.

Chat made no move to comfort her.

Ladybug lowered her hands and clutched them at her chest.

“And then saying you are completely different as Adrien?” She shook her head at her own naivety, “You’re right, I don’t know you.” She looked at the ground. “I mean, my eyes have been starting to open today, but now everything's being torn wide and I'm only now realising the extent of my blindness and... how am I meant to help out the people of Paris if I can't even see the person who sits right in front of me?”

Chat stayed stoic and reserved but drew his eyebrows together. That last sentence didn't make any sense.

Ladybug bit her lip and gazed sideways. Chat properly looked at her and took in the strangeness of Ladybug's posture. Gone was her usual proud and sure self, instead, she was hunched in, her hands were shaking and her lip wobbled.

She reminded Chat of when they had first met, the shy superhero who had felt way out of her depth.

He hadn’t forgiven her yet, but there was no denying those warm memories that rose to mind. Of them taking down their first enemy together, of their first bout of banter, of them cowering before Hawkmoth before she rose up and showed the whole of Paris exactly what she was capable of.

Chat inhaled. He didn't want to feel for her right now, he really didn't. However, there was no denying the emotions that came crashing back into his heart. He gave an exhausted exhale.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug said, drawing Chat out of his mind.

He looked at her but didn't say anything.

"I know I messed up earlier," she said, "and I don't expect you to forgive me, but," she breathed in deeply and met his eyes with a fierce determination, "I think it's time to show you something."

Chat raised an eyebrow before realising what she was going to do a second too late. 

"Tikki-"

 “-No! Wait!-”

“-Spots off!”

A red light flashed just beyond Chat’s outstretched hand as Ladybug de-transformed.

A small red creature appeared and Chat followed its flight path a moment before turning his attention to the person in front of him. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Out of all the people she could have been, Ladybug was Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Marinette swallowed and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She lifted her hand in a small wave, "H-Hey," she said.

“H-Hey,” Chat replied instinctively, giving a small wave of his own.

There was another awkward silence.

“So, um...” Marinette rocked on her heels anxiously, “I know this is-“

 “You’re Marinette,” Chat stated.

“Uh, yes,” she nodded, “yes, I am Mari-“

“But you sit behind me,” Chat said incredulously.

“What? Oh, yes I do...and you sit in front of me,” she said.

The following silence was broken only by Marinette’s soft rocking. Her eyes darted about but Chat’s gaze was stuck on her. He couldn’t believe it. Ladybug was Marinette.

Something was different about her appearance wise though, and it wasn't until she shifted her head that he noticed the light glinting off something in her hair. Her hair! That's what was different. Gone were her signature pigtails and instead she had tied it up into an elegant bun, held in place with the beautiful pin he had given her.

“The um...the pin looks nice,” he said, his voice shaking for some reason.

"Oh," she ran her fingers lightly over the ladybirds, "Thank you- I mean, thank you for uh, giving it um...I mean," she took a deep breath, "Thank you for giving it to me," her voice was steady for once, "it really is gorgeous."

Chat felt heat rise in his cheeks. He didn’t know what to say.

"So, um, Chat Noir," Marinette's eyes darted once more, "I want to apologise for one more time for running away."

“Oh,” Chat’s expression went blank.

"Do you..." she bit her lip, "Do you understand why I ran away?" She looked up at him with expressive eyes full of both sorrow and hope.

“Because of-“ Chat’s eyes suddenly widened, “it...was because of who I am, wasn't it? Not the asexual thing...” he stated slowly.

Marinette’s expression changed into mortification, “The asexual thing? No, no, gosh, no! Is that what you thought? Oh my god I’m so sorry, no that wasn’t it at all!”

Chat felt a part of himself unwind from relief.

“I would never run away from someone coming out to me, you know that right?” Marinette gushed, “Oh my god, you do know that right? I mean I'll admit it took a bit of time to wrap my head around it but," her speech got faster and faster, "but yeah it was the realisation of who you are that completely threw me off and, obviously I know I shouldn't have run away that was completely wrong of me but I didn't mean for you to take it that way at all and... ughhh" Marinette threw her head in her hands and groaned, "I'm such an idiot."

Chat didn’t speak for a moment, he just observed the girl in front of him who was so completely unlike Ladybug, and yet the same.

“You are many things, Marinette,” said Chat softly, “but an idiot is not one of them.”

Marinette peeked at him through her fingers, not quite managing to hide her surprise. Pink dusted her cheeks.

"Though you do let your emotions get the better of you sometimes," Chat let the barest of smile's show.

Marinette blinked before releasing a nervous laugh, “I knooooww,” she groaned and returned Chat’s smile as she lowered her hands, “I’ll work on that,” she smiled.

Chat frowned once more, “Wait but, I get me being Adrien might be a shock... but why...?” Marinette cast her eyes to the side, biting her lip as she did so. It suddenly hit him, “Oh,” his eyes widened, “Oh!”

Chat's brilliant green eyes landed on her blue ones. "I love Ladybug," he whispered.

Marinette gave a small sad smile and nodded.

“My head was in a turmoil,” she said, “you had just confessed to being in love with Ladybug,” she scuffed the ground with her shoe, “but earlier today you...” she sighed, “you said you didn’t love Marinette.”

Chat was silent.

“Except I am both Ladybug and Marinette, how could love only one part of me?”

Chat didn't move.

“That was the question that was going around my head, that was the reason I had to leave, to get some space and think.”

Once more silence engulfed them. “But-“ began Chat.

“-I know I’m just as guilty,” Marinette said quickly before Chat could speak, “I’m...I’m not denying that.” She drew into herself, “I love Adrien Agreste, but I...” she swallowed, “I don’t love Chat Noir.”

“Oh,” Chat didn’t know what to feel. He was happy Ladybug was Marinette, there was no denying that. However there was also no denying the fact that he didn’t love Marinette, he loved Ladybug.

Chat felt a little dizzy. He was starting to understand why Ladybug had needed space. “But I'm both-“ he started to say.

“I know!” Marinette cut him off, throwing out her hand in defence. The other hand she clutched at her heart. “I know,” she said softly, closing her open fist, “and I hate myself for it.”

The silence stretched out between them.

Chat continued to try to make sense of the situation. He loved Ladybug, and Marinette loved

Adrien. But Ladybug was Marinette, and he was Adrien. All of a sudden it hit him

“Oh my god, we love each other.” Chat said deadpan. He met Marinette’s eyes. Her cheeks turned bright red.

 A bubble of giddy warmth rose up inside him. “Marinette!” He jumped down off the chimney, “Don’t you see?”

Marinette watched him but didn't say anything.

“I love Ladybug, but you’re Ladybug!”

Marinette gave a small smile.

“And you love Adrien, but I’m Adrien!”

Marinette giggled at Chat’s excitement.

“Don’t you see?” Chat cried, placing his hands on Marinette's shoulders, "We're idiots!” He threw back his head and laughed.

Marinette blinked before laughing at Chat more than his revelation. She jokingly scoffed shrugged Chat’s hands off of her.

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, "I thought you just said I wasn't an idiot!" She threw her hands on her hips and smirked at Chat with that twinkle in her eye he saw so often as Ladybug.

Chat blinked. “Nope changed my mind, you are a complete and utter idiot!” he grinned.

Marinette laughed, "Silly kitty," she said before letting her smile drop slightly.

Chat cocked his head to the side, “What is it?”

Marinette twisted her hands together, “I... love Adrien Agreste,” she repeated slowly. “...Yes?”

“Chat Noir is my best friend.”

Chat paused, “Oh.”

"But, you know what?" Marinette's blue eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, "I want to get to know Adrien as a best friend, and my love for Chat Noir can only deepen, so...," a blush rose on her cheeks, "What I'm trying to say is...will you let me grow to love you? The whole you?”

Once more those blue eyes held Chat Noir in their power, but this time instead of shackles and pain it was with love and comfort. It was her smile though that took his breath away, that small lopsided smile which was asking him to be nothing other than who he was. He knew he had mentioned Ladybug had his mother’s smile before, but now he realised why he had felt so at ease around Marinette earlier, she had his mother’s soft smile that only asked him to be whoever he was, in his entirety.

��I...,” Chat’s words stuck in his throat, he didn’t trust himself to speak so he nodded instead. Marinette’s eyes lit up.

“But only if I get the chance to know the whole you too,” Chat managed to say, “I want to know more than the outgoing, strong-willed, stubborn Ladybug.” He said softly, “I want to get to know the timid yet quietly confident Marinette.”

Marinette’s smile broadened, Chat thought she was positively glowing. “I’d love that,” she said softly, she took a small step towards him.

 Chat took a step back, “But, there's just,” his hand subconsciously went to the ring on his finger as he hesitated, “my aceness...” his eyes darted to the side, “It kind of...complicated matters.”

To Chat's complete surprise, Marinette giggled.

“Chat,” she said, with that gentle, understanding smile that made his heart melt, “When has love ever been simple?”

Her eyes pierced his. A lump rose in his throat.

“Adrien,” she said softly and gently raised her hand to his cheek, he almost flinched away but then she spoke once more and he let her touch him, “Chat Noir,” she murmured, as she stepped closer to him. Her touch was so soft it felt more like she was caressing his soul than his skin. His heart started to thump in his chest, “Ladybug,” his voice trembled as he too cupped her face with his hand, “Marinette.”

Marinette stood on her toes, “I will love you,”

He lowered her face to hers, “I will love you too,” his voice was barely above a whisper.

Then, Marinette boldly closed the gap between them and kissed him full on the lips.

Chat held the kiss and waited with anticipation for the spark, the fire, the passion, to shoot through his veins.

He clenched his eyes.

He willed it with all his might.

It never came.

Chat broke the kiss. He turned away and bit back the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Chat?” Marinette said softly, she put her hand on his shoulder but he flinched at her touch.

Chat spun on his heel, grabbing his tail in the process, “I do want to love you, please trust me, I want to but," he twisted his tail frantically in his hands, "I'll never be able to give you everything you want."

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Marinette cried, “You are everything I could want and more! Don’t you dare think you aren’t good enough for me and don’t you dare think you can’t give me what I need!” Chat blinked at the outburst.

“I do love Adrien Agreste and I will love Chat Noir. I will grow to love whoever you want to be, whoever you are, in your entirety! In. You’re. Entirety!” she repeated, “Do you understand?”

Chat froze before a sweep of relief rushed over him, the likes of which hadn't been felt in a long time.

Chat ran at her and embraced her with all his being, shoving all the love and emotion he felt for her into that one heartfelt hug. Marinette gasped with surprise and happiness.

“I have one condition though,” Marinette murmured softly into his hair, “that you do the same for me,” her voice was the gentlest whisper.

Chat squeezed her tighter in response and nuzzled his head into her shoulder.

Marinette wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back as hard as she could.

Together they slowly sank to the floor, neither of them daring to release the other.

And there, entwined with Ladybug, Chat felt it; the love, the compassion, the passion that he had so often dreamed of. He didn't even realise he was crying until he felt the dampness on Marinette’s shoulder.

"Shhh," Marinette stroked Chat's head, "you don't need to hide yourself anymore," Marinette gripped him harder and murmured into his ear, "I don't want you to feel like nobody could ever love you ever again."

Chat gave a sob and buried himself deeper in her arms.

They sat there, woven together, as the warmth that blossomed between them protected them from the icy air.

Chat’s tears slowed.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

 Bonus:

Marinette’s shifted as her legs started to go numb. She tried her best not to disturb Chat, but she failed. He lifted his head and looked at her with wide eyes. She grinned, it truly was like having a kitten on her lap.

“Is it time to go?” Chat asked.

 "I don't want to go either, Kitty," she ran her hands down his arms, "but it is getting late, and we have school tomorrow."

Chat nodded reluctantly.

“I will see you tomorrow though, right?” he asked.

“Of course!”

Chat smiled. He released her and stood up to stretch.

Marinette shivered as her skin, previously protected by Chat’s warmth, was pierced by the cold. Chat looked at her with concern, “Are you alright?”

"Yeah, I'll be- Tikki, spots on!" Heat flushed her body, "I'm fine." She grinned.

Neither of them spoke.

"So... tomorrow?" said Ladybug, taking a few steps away.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Chat agreed, also taking a few steps away. Both were reluctant to leave.

Chat started to speak, "Okay then, so um-"

“Chat! Wait,”

He froze at her cry.

“I just... I want to say something,” she paused.

Chat cocked his head to the side.

“You know,” she said, meeting his eyes, “I’ve always thought you were a pretty ace guy.”

There was stunned silence.

Ladybug sucked in her lips in an attempt to smother her smile.

Chat stared at her, stupefied.

At his idiotic expression, Ladybug couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The stars twinkled down on them both as Chat’s mouth widened into his biggest grin yet.

IT'S DONE!!!

Thank you all so much for your patience with me, I'm so sorry for taking ages to get this chapter up. It felt like no matter what I did, or what angle I came from, the story felt off. I think I'm happy with it now though.

I hope you guys like it at least.

Edit: Okay there’s an epilogue now, so it’s not quite over yet... :D

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