#without wedding rings or anything it's not like she would've had any way of knowing so she really thought she had a chance

[curemoonliite]

The older I get, the more I like Daisy. When I was a kid first reading the series, I was so mad at her for getting between Cloudtail and Brightheart like a typical shipper and thought she was annoying but like...she's just a chick who only falls for men who are taken or just want to hook up. She's annoying, but only in the sense that like, your girlfriend who can't catch a break on dating sites is. You love her to death, but damn if you don't want her to finally find someone who treats her right after like 100 terrible dates.

[penkura]

last forever [13/13]

Summary: Zoro only offered to marry you to keep you out of an arranged marriage with a man much older than you. You agreed without realizing how happy you would both become and the family you would create together.

Pairing: Zoro x Fem!reader, mentioned Sanami

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy and having a baby, that's all

Note: I didn't initially plan this. I was going to stop this fic at twelve chapters, but I felt like ch.12 was getting to be way too long so I broke it up and put the epilogue at the end of thsi one. Do not be surprised if I ever come back to this fanfic universe for one-shots or drabbles. This is shorter than I expected, but I'm happy with how it turned out, thanks for reading this fanfic, I hope you've all enjoyed it! :)

The latter bit is set ten years after chapter 12, Zoro is 31 and Reader is 30.

Taglist:

@misfits1a | @alucardsdaddyissues | @louweasleymalfoy | @fluffybunnyu | @yerrimm09 | @eyes-ofhell | @emmaiscool22 | @xenop0p | @hank88999

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2] ● [Ch. 3] ● [Ch. 4] ● [Ch. 5] ● [Ch. 6] ● [Ch. 7] ● [Ch. 8] ● [Ch. 9] ● [Ch. 10] ● [Ch. 11] ● [Ch. 12]

Your morning is quiet, despite Nami and Robin sharing knowing looks when you and Zoro entered the galley together for breakfast. Nami swears you're glowing and it grosses her out for a moment when she makes the suggestion to Robin who laughs, and says the three of you will need to have a girls night later to talk. No one asked where two had disappeared to the night before, it seemed like none of them had noticed, which you were grateful for. It kept you and Zoro from having to answer any awkward questions for the time being.

Zoro didn't notice or care, if someone had asked he would've told them, but still keep you from feeling embarrassed or anything, this is all still new to both of you of course. Breakfast goes by without anyone bringing anything up, even as Sanji gives you a smile that you return, discreetly showing him your ring and confirming that he was right, everything turned out okay so far.

Most of your day is spent doing the normal things you’ve always done, the Sunny is docked at an island for a restock, you choose to go into town with Robin and Jinbei, Zoro tried to go along but Nami pulls him back, telling you to go ahead while she takes your husband for help with other things. You don’t question it only because that’s completely normal, you don’t even question Robin in town when she tries to convince you to buy a pretty white dress you seem to be staring at. You try it on but don’t buy it, there’s no reason to.

“Are you sure, [Y/N]? It’d look lovely on you, I’m sure Zoro would think so too.”

“Nah, I don’t need it,” you laugh a bit as you go to look at something else that’s caught your eye, “Zoro doesn’t care what I wear anyway.”

“Mm…if you say so.”

You swear there’s something Robin isn’t telling you, even as you both try of different clothes and buy a few items, deciding you’ll bring Nami by later too, there’s plenty here she’ll like.

You do find it odd when Jinbei tries to get you to purchase a flower crown or a small bouquet of your favorite flowers for yourself, denying again that you really don’t need them. You’re not sure if you were imagining it or not, but you think the two share a knowing look with slight smiles as you head back to Sunny a while later.

When you make it back and see almost none of your crewmates around, you start to get suspicious something else is going on, especially seeing the way the ship deck is decorated to almost resemble a wedding, though with its own Straw Hat character, and Zoro waiting for you.

Face red, in a suit (that fits this time), and a bouquet of your favorite flower surrounded by daisies, heliotrope, and aster.

It dons on you immediately what Jinbei and Robin were doing, they were trying to get you ready for an impromptu marriage ceremony, but you didn’t catch on until now, you feel kind of stupid. Of course the white dress and small bouquet make sense now, even though Zoro hasn’t said anything. He doesn’t even notice you’re there at first, not until you say his name and he finally looks at you.

“Hey…you’re back.”

“What,” You’re trying hard not to cry but you can’t fight the smile that���s starting to creep onto your face as Zoro hands the flowers over to you, still nervous about this and maybe embarrassed over it, “What’s this about…?”

He’s quite for a moment, while you look over the flowers, a bright and happy look on your face. You know he’s had help with this, it’s what he and Nami were probably out buying while the others set things up.

“When we got married, legally, it wasn’t really a wedding,” scratching the back of his head, Zoro sighs just a bit before taking your hand and getting on one knee in front of you, returning the smile you’re giving him, “I know I was a stubborn ass about this for a long time, but you already know my thoughts on this, on us now…so I want to give you as real a wedding as I can. One you deserve.”

You have to stop yourself from laughing when it takes Zoro a minute to dig through the pockets he’s not used to find an engagement ring, one you don’t need but you figure Nami made him buy it just so you had one, even with your wedding band already on your hand.

“We’ve already got rings, and this time real witnesses,” you both can hear Luffy not so quietly asking Sanji for food before he's hushed and told to wait, everyone watching from the various places they’re hiding in, “Luffy’s ready to say whatever he needs to for us to be considered married on this crew, but I still have to ask you. So…will you marry me, for real this time, [Y/N]?”

“Of course, Zoro!” It’s not even something you can pretend to think about, not after everything you’ve gone through now. You throw your arms around him and Zoro hugs you close, there’s obvious relief like he was worried you’d changed your mind overnight while he tells you he loves you.

“Heyyy, can we do the ceremony now and eat?!”

“You idiot, she’s got to get dressed first!”

“Sanji made a great cake, it’s really sweet!”

“We were all glad when you went into town with Robin and Jinbei, we probably wouldn’t have gotten this all done if you hadn’t!”

“This is super great for both of you!”

“Yohohoho, I’ll get ready to play the wedding march then!”

“Mosshead, you better treat her right!”

“It’s wonderful to see you both happy now!”

“I may not have the full details of your circumstances, but congratulations to you both!”

You barely listen to your crewmates, your main focus being on Zoro and how this was pulled off so quickly, but you don’t bother to ask any questions, kissing your husband briefly.

“I suppose I should go get ready!”

“Yeah,” Zoro gives you a slight smirk before kissing your forehead, “I’ll be here, wife.”

Robin and Nami rush you off to your shared room to get you dressed, Robin having been sneaky and showing she’d purchased the dress she told you to buy, along with a small bouquet of flowers for you to carry. It’s nothing fancy, but that works perfectly with your relationship and how you’ve come together with Zoro.

Once they’ve got you ready the two go back to the deck to make sure everything and everyone is situated, sending Sanji after you a bit later, he’s agreed to be the one to give you away essentially, though you stop him just ad you’re about to head to the deck, he gives you a concerned look.

“Sanji, do you…do you think Zoro and I will last forever?”

Sanji takes a breath, before smiling and taking your hand as he lets it out.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a couple more destined to last than you two. Besides, I don’t think the mosshead is willing to wear a suit for just anybody.”

You laugh and agree, telling Sanji you’re ready before he leads you out to the deck.

It’s not a very long or formal ceremony, Luffy stumbles a few times trying to remember what he needs to say, he even gets choked up a few times when he thinks about how he’s seen you and Zoro go from a marriage born of convenience to now being in love and properly married. It almost gets to you as well, but you keep all your tears back, just a few slipping g out when Luffy tells Zoro to hurry up and kiss you which makes you laugh. You know Zoro hates public displays of affection, but he’s willing to look past it for you, only you he’d justify. After that Luffy shouts for the party to start, you and Zoro laughing together just a bit while he holds you close.

“Thanks for not giving up on me, wife.”

“Hmm, thanks for saving me, husband.”

Chopper is right, the cake Sanji made is sweet, you’re surprised Zoro even has some, that he mostly stays away from alcohol except when you bring him a drink later on. It prompts him to pull you to his lap, pressing a kiss to your cheek to make you giggle.

“What’s this for?”

“Nothing,” he sighs a bit, holding you closer and laying his forehead on your shoulder, “Just glad you’re my wife is all.”

“Forever, right?”

“Forever. No matter what happens.”

Nami and Sanji watch you two from the side, giving each other looks that tell more than anything they know you’ll make it. They’ve both watched you ever since they each joined, seen how Zoro treats you and how much you’ve come to love each other. Even when Luffy comes over and drags you away from your real, permanent husband to dance with your captain, the same look Sanji swore to you he’s always seen on Zoro’s face. Soft and loving, he just watches you while you and Luffy giggle together.

When everyone starts to settle down, you’re surprised by Chisa returning to you after being gone since you arrived in Wano. She stops in front of you with two letters, one you know is from Elias and the other from your parents, finally. You’re not sure what to think, even when Zoro wraps his arms around you and sets his chin on your shoulder.

“Well?”

Pursing your lips, you shrug, before tearing up the letter still in the envelope causing Zoro roll tighten his hold on you. For a minute you don’t say anything, before you sigh and lean back against him with a smile.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t want care about what they have to say…I only care about you.”

“Hmm,” Zoro kisses tour cheek which makes you giggle before you do the same to him, “That’s my wife, I’m proud of you.”

“Love you, Zoro.”

“Yeah…I love you too.”

You two are going to last forever.

+!+

~10 years later~

You have a newborn baby girl to care for now, literally minutes old as she lays next to you and cries, unhappy about her new surroundings. It’s the middle of winter and the only people you’re allowing around her at the moment are the midwives of Shimotsuki Village that had come to help you deliver your baby in the middle of the day. Every one of them praises you for doing so well, but all you care about is your daughter and Zoro getting to see her, to meet her face to face. He’d been more anxious about it as you got closer to your due date, neither of you knowing if you’d have a boy or girl until the moment you gave birth, and now you have her!

She’s perfectly chubby, her little hands trying to grasp at the air while she wails and kicks her feet at the same time, even as you take hold of one of her hands. You want to laugh seeing her hair is just a slightly darker shade of green than Zoro’s, but smile instead as you calm her down.

“Shh, shh, baby girl, everything’s okay. I’m here, sweetheart. Your daddy’s on his way.”

It’s not even five minutes later you hear Nami yelling outside your door about how someone could miss this, while Sanji starts to swoon at her for being so protective of you but asking her to calm down, stress isn’t good for her or their own baby either. You hear Luffy laugh a bit himself, saying something you can’t understand before Usopp and Robin suggest they all leave you alone, as the door to your room opens and you’re so glad to see who’s finally there.

“Zoro~”

“I’m sorry I missed it, I was asking master something,” Zoro takes your hand you reached for him with, kissing your forehead before he sits beside you, looking at your baby with nothing but pride and love on his face, “We…we have a baby…”

“We have a daughter, Zoro.”

“She’s perfect. Just like her mama.”

Rolling your eyes, you just watch for a few minutes while Zoro takes in the fact you have a daughter to raise now. Honestly, you had been expecting to have a boy, and Zoro never told you what he thought you might have, he said it didn’t matter because it was your child, you made this baby together, he’d love them no matter what. But seeing him gently stroke her hair and let her hold onto his finger, you swear you’re falling in love with him all over again.

“Did you ask your master what we talked about?”

Zoro doesn’t hear you at first, he’s too focused on your daughter and watching her settle down, starting to sleep, before he realizes you spoke to him and asks you to repeat your question. When you do so, he nods, looking back to your daughter.

“Well?”

“He said nothing would make him happier…”

Nodding, you sigh in content when Zoro kisses your forehead again, before doing the same to your daughter.

“Welcome to the world, Kuina.”

You plan to give your daughter everything you never had and more, all the love in the world and no expectations to marry rich unless she decides to. Watching Zoro with her the rest of the day makes you realize this was all you ever wanted.

To love someone and be loved the same, and give that love to your own child forever.

[s-brant]

Anything

Now that the council has been made aware of rumors regarding Anakin and his apprentice’s relationship, they’re put under the microscope of a careful investigation and must avoid rousing suspicion at any cost (or part three to teacher’s pet)

9k (18+)

Warnings: smut, p in v, somnophilia, dub-con due to the circumstance but they’re both very into it, choking, dom anakin, inappropriate relationships, unhealthy attachment issues, and strong language.

-

The ceremony itself was a quick, intimate affair.

How they pulled it off, neither of them knows, but they set their sights on a planet far away. Where nobody knew them personally or could know they were Jedi without their lightsabers visible. It wasn't a wedding most would've been satisfied with, but they were. It didn't matter that everyone they cared for couldn't know about it, nor did it matter to her that they couldn't exchange rings. What mattered was the fact that it was happening.

Dantooine ended up being the best option for them. On Naboo, he could be recognized by those who met him years ago when he was ordered to guard Padme's life, Coruscant was out of the realm of possibility for obvious reasons, and as easy as it would've been for them to go undetected in Tatooine, Anakin made it clear he had no fondness for his home planet and suggested Dantooine instead.

Using clothes they had from a mission in which they had to pretend not to be Jedi a year or so ago, they concealed their identities and traveled as quickly as they could. And though she tried to refuse given the fact that they didn't have credits of their own, a lovely older woman working for the man who married them insisted Y/N wear the wedding gown that was passed through her family for generations. In the short time they spent with these people, they learned that her daughter passed away long ago, and though the old woman had no living children, she hung onto the dress since it was the one she wore at her wedding.

When asked about their lives, it was surprising how quickly the lies spilled out of them. It was mostly her speaking while Anakin stood beside her, delighting in the way he could touch her and stand near to her without having to fear being caught there. She spun a tale of forbidden love, of her father promising her to another man and her running off with Anakin for the sake of true love, so it wasn't too far from the truth.

"Are you listening?"

The sound of Anakin's voice snaps her out of her memory-induced daze.

They are tucked away in a corner of the library where no one can see or hear them, leaning against the shelves and standing face to face. He asked her to meet him here before he was needed in an emergency council meeting that Obi-Wan warned him of ahead of time. It was supposed to be a surprise. It was supposed to catch Anakin off guard, but his old master couldn't help himself. There would always be a part of him that looked out for Anakin the way an older brother would. The reason for the meeting, he said, had to do with a troubling slew of rumors regarding him and his padawan.

"I'm sorry, I"—she shakes her head as though it'll do anything to clear her thoughts—"I don't understand. Rumors?"

Anakin's eyes move to look past her shoulder, scanning the room both manually and with the Force to ensure nobody has approached the area before focusing back on her. He steps in closer and says what comes next quietly.

"Obi-Wan didn't tell me what the rumors were specifically, but his meaning was clear. Someone knows about it...about us."

Much like it does whenever Anakin takes her out flying with him at the helm of the ship, her stomach drops at this. Before she can even think of what to say, she's already shaking her head in disbelief.

She mutters, "That can't be true. Nobody has even suspected us, let alone caught us."

He has to fight the urge to reach out to comfort her. His hand flexes at his side as he forces himself not to cup her face in it the way he knows soothes her when they're alone together. It's too risky, especially now after Obi-Wan's warning. All he can do is meet her gaze and offer her a phantom touch through the Force. She feels the presence of an invisible hand brushing her cheek and breathes more evenly in response to it.

"You're right, nobody has caught us. We've made sure of that. But someone does suspect us. I don't know how or why, but they do, and with a claim like that, the council has to take it seriously regardless of where it came from or a lack of evidence," Anakin explains. His expression hardens the more he continues to talk about it. "This is a very big deal, Y/N. If they discover the truth—"

She is quick to interrupt him.

"They won't."

There's a long pause after this, and she takes it as her chance to breech the distance between them.

The feeling of the soft pads of her fingertips touching his arm makes him take a step back at first in retreat, but she doesn't allow him to stray far. With one last look over her shoulder, she moves in close to him and throws her arms around his broad shoulders in an embrace. A kiss would be too daring, but a hug doesn't necessarily prove anything. They've hugged before, albeit after near death experiences during the war, so it could be overlooked again. It isn't the smartest move, but it's necessary. Because as soon as their bodies meet, he lets out a heavy sigh.

As relieving as it is, she's quick to pull away after a moment has passed. Her arms remain locked around his shoulders to keep him close, and the arms wrapped around her waist squeeze tighter as though she'll disappear the second he loosens his hold on her.

Those pretty eyes, a more vibrant blue than the oceans on Scarif, darken the longer he looks down at her.

"I meant what I said before," he says softly, calmly. "Nothing will take you from me."

She remembers that day so clearly. He said it with such conviction despite it only being their second time indulging in intimacy together, and she knew he meant it. It was clear in the way he looked at her as he said it, but it's different now. Now, the implication behind it is laced with something predatory and possessive, not a soft-spoken promise in the aftermath of tender lovemaking but rather a threat and promise tied together with a steely-eyed stare.

Her fingertips play with the sandy brown curls at the back of his neck as she nods and murmurs, "I know."

-

Y/N isn't sure why she hadn't anticipated her presence being requested in the council meeting regarding the rumors of her and Anakin's relationship. Now that she sits in front of all the Jedi masters who make up the council, she can't believe she'd been naive enough to think they would only question her master on the subject and leave her be.

They left the library five minutes apart. First, it was Anakin who left and walked out with a book to make his sudden appearance in the area make sense, then it was her. She counted out the seconds until she was safe to leave. They typically didn't need to take such precautions to avoid rousing suspicion. They had the perfect excuse to spend time together, after all, with him being her master and she his padawan. But now that the nature of their relationship has been put loudly to question, they were better off being safe.

The sun is setting in the distance through the windows of the room, casting everyone in a warm, orange-red light, and she chooses to focus on the beauty of that sunset rather than the nerves that tie her stomach into knots. They've hardly begun, but what has been said is already damning in and of itself.

"This is ridiculous," Anakin says with a straight face, although he is unable to keep the annoyance from shining through in his tone. "Ask everyone we've worked with and they'll tell you that Y/N and I have always maintained a professional working relationship. I care about her as my apprentice the same way Obi-Wan cared for me as his."

Obi-Wan's eyes flutter shut, and a deep sigh escapes from him as he leans back in his chair before opening them again. When they open, it's Anakin they're looking at.

"You forget your place in this meeting. Allow Master Windu to finish speaking, young one."

The inherent condescension present in the choice of words makes Anakin's chest muscles tighten up involuntarily. There are few things that make him as angry as being treated like a child despite being a Jedi Knight with an apprentice and missions of his own. But, he knew deep down, that would always be how Obi-Wan saw him, and he resents him for it underneath it all. In a way, he would always be the reckless and tempestuous boy they discovered on Tatooine all those years ago.

Hidden behind the overflowing fabric of his robes, his hand clenches into a fist with enough force that his fingernails nearly break the skin of his palm.

He has no choice but to keep quiet.

Master Windu watches the interaction carefully, as do the rest of the council, and waits for him to break. He waits for there to be a crack in the facade, for him to look over at her and reveal it all, but he doesn't break.

"As I was saying," he starts, shifting a bit in his seat to look at where she's sat across the room from Anakin, "we got an anonymous report yesterday, but, to be candid, these rumors did not start yesterday. They've existed for a few weeks now, but none of us would've insulted either of you by entertaining them. Not until now."

Her throat is dry, a lump forming at the very back of it, when she asks, "What exactly were we accused of?"

The way she says it is soft and calm, as she always forces herself to be in the presence of her superiors, but Anakin knows her. He can sense the rage bubbling beneath the surface of her skin that begs to be let out, and he's sure the others can too, but they won't mistake it for anything other than anger at whoever accused them. Still, she is told by Master Yoda to calm herself down before they proceed, so she tries her best.

A second passes, then Obi-Wan says as tactfully as possible, "Allegedly, the person who reported this witnessed inappropriate behavior between the two of you outside of the temple recently. At night. We have footage to prove you were, in fact, where they said you were, but none to prove this accusation of inappropriate behavior."

The news settles like a heavy weight in her gut, dragging her down and down until she has no hope of climbing out of this hole they've dug themselves in. They were always careful when they left the temple. Anakin had a keen awareness of where the surveillance cameras were as well as their blind spots, so she knows straight away that the footage they have is nothing more than them walking beside one another.

As if on cue, the footage is projected in the middle of the room.

"None of us are saying we believe these accusations without proof, but the existence of them is concerning nonetheless," Windu says. "Why did you allow your padawan outside of the Temple so late?"

Anakin stammers a little at first, the only sign of his true feelings thus far, before pulling himself together. He holds his head high as he always does and doesn't balk from the intense eye contact with Master Windu.

"It was just a walk. I couldn't sleep, so I planned to go on a walk myself when I ran into her."

"So, you had no reason relating to your duty to be escorting your apprentice into the city at night?"

The retort is fired back at him so quickly, he hardly has the chance to take another breath before opening his mouth to defend himself again. His palm stings from how hard he digs his nails into his skin as he begins to lose his composure little by little.

"Well, not exactly—"

"So, you decided to go for a walk?"

Before Anakin has the chance to respond, Y/N cuts in.

"It was my fault," she says, diverting everyone's attention away from the growing storm behind Anakin's eyes. "He was already outside of the Temple when he spotted me, and when he told me to go back inside, I refused. He stayed with me because he knew I was going to go out by myself if he didn't and wanted to make sure I was safe."

And while it's a perfect defense in comparison to them admitting the truth, it makes Anakin cringe internally all the same because it makes him look weak. It makes him appear as though he has no control over his padawan. Just another reason to deny him the rank of master, he supposes. Another to add to the list of reasons why he's a problem to them.

This admission, still halfway true, causes everyone to pause for a second.

Then, Master Windu sets his attention solely on her, and she knows that what's coming next will not be worded as carefully as what Obi-Wan said. It's never been in Windu's nature to be anything other than honest and straightforward. He has always treated them with respect, but he doesn't harbor the same fondness for them that Obi-Wan does.

"I have to ask you directly, for the sake of addressing the severity of the situation, has Anakin ever acted inappropriately with you?"

She stumbles for a second, drawing out the time between when he asks and when she responds, but it's deliberate. If they're going to accuse her of it, she will make them say it and stew in the discomfort caused by it. Let them be tortured just as equally as she is by this.

":..Meaning?" she questions.

The bluntness with which he speaks next knocks the wind from her chest.

"Has Anakin ever tried to instigate a romantic relationship with you?" he asks it with a stony, unbreakable expression, abandoning any attempts at sugarcoating it. "The report itself said he was kissing you"—the discomfort of everyone else is palpable in the air—"and...touching you. They alleged that it happened in a dark area, so they didn't recognize you were Jedi until they came closer. As your master, if this rumor were true, it would be an abuse of his power. To take advantage of a padawan..." He trails off into silence for a second before taking a deep breath to steady himself. "He could never be trusted again."

She doesn't even dare to chance a glance over at where Anakin sits with his face hardened into a mask of neutrality, refusing to give them anything to use against him.

Obi-Wan, in a much gentler way, says, "I know you both well, so believe me when I say I don't believe this to be true, but we must take these accusations seriously. Not only would it be an abuse of power, but forming such attachments is not the Jedi way."

This time, she scans her eyes across the room as though she's looking for all of their reactions, but all she's truly looking for is him. And the small glimpse she gets of him makes her heart ache. He is completely shutting down. His eyes are fixed ahead of him at the middle of the floor, refusing to stray and meet hers. It's all he can do to keep himself under control.

Windu then says again, "Y/N, I need your honest answer. It needs to be shown on record that you both deny these claims."

Without missing a beat, she speaks.

"He has been nothing but respectful and supportive," she says. Instead of looking at it as a lie, she frames it as a performance. She imagines herself as a character on the stage of a theater and plays the part. "Yes, I messed up by sneaking out of the temple, but Anakin never touched me."

In the back of her mind, she sees flashes of their memories together one after the next. His lips smeared against hers, his prosthetic hand clamped around her throat, and his flesh hand slipping beneath the waistband of her pants to feel how wet she got for him. But she fights to keep it under control, to keep the others out of her head as he taught her to.

"So, to answer your question, directly, honestly, and on the record, no. He didn't do anything he was accused of."

For the first time since they've been dragged in here, the members of the council have nothing to throw at them. Without their confession, they have nothing, and she would sooner leave the order than give him up.

Almost in response to this, Anakin looks up from the floor to find her glancing at him. It lasts a mere second, but it strengthens his resolve all the same it reminds him what's at stake.

"Anakin?"

The sound of Master Windu's voice brings his attention away from her. A few seconds pass before he realizes what they're waiting for.

"No. I've never done anything of which I've been accused."

The silence that follows is tense.

Neither of them knows what to do with themselves in the next few moments or so as the council discusses their alleged transgressions as though they aren't in the room with them, but they know not to look at each other. They already got one glimpse already, anything more would be reckless and greedy. After a long back and forth between Obi-Wan and Windu, they seem to come to an agreement.

Master Windu says, "It's settled, then. Y/N, you'll be temporarily removed as Anakin's padawan until we're done talking to witnesses and investigating. In the mean time, Obi-Wan will be your master."

-

It was a disgrace, an outrage.

Anakin's thoughts became poisonous as he was forced to walk out of the council meeting without sparing a glance at her, watching as Obi-Wan whisked her away to speak to her privately as her new master. Maker, even thinking those words made him grimace. There was something inherently wrong with the notion of her belonging to anyone but him. She was his first, he thought, much like a spoiled child having to share his favorite toy. After all, she was his apprentice, his best friend, his wife. How dare they try to keep them apart?

He could hardly process what Master Yoda was saying to him as they walked a little ways behind Obi-Wan and Y/N. It was something about letting the process of justice unfold without harboring any anger for the situation. It was clear in the way it was said that neither Yoda nor the others fully believed the rumors. They all entertained the possibility of them being true, but no one, except maybe Windu, seemed too suspicious of them.

Unfortunately for him, Master Yoda stuck by his side for longer than he anticipated, so he had no choice but to leave her in the hallway with Obi-Wan. If he lingered to speak with her, it would only fuel the rumors about them. He opted for going back to his room to meditate instead, but every time he closed his eyes, his mind became flooded with thoughts of her. Of the meeting, of the night they snuck out, and who possibly could have recognized them.

She, however, was too preoccupied with Master Kenobi.

He walked alongside her at a leisurely pace, speaking freely with her, "I know how upset this whole thing has made you both, but believe me when I say I tried to tell them it wasn't true."

Whether it be willful ignorance or outright denial, she didn't know, but he was being truthful. Of all the council members, he was the least convinced that these rumors could be true, and that was by their design. They've always been extremely cautious in his presence due to his close relationship with Anakin. Her husband taught her how to control her thoughts, to keep from projecting them and allowing the other Jedi into her head, and she practiced it every time they worked with Obi-Wan.

Y/N refrained from picking at the skin around her nails as she often did when nervous and nodded along to what he said.

"If it had to be anyone but Anakin, I'm glad it was you they chose."

"I actually requested it," he says. Upon seeing the confused look on her face, he adds on, "I know Anakin cares for you. I thought that it may ease his mind to know I'm the one stepping in as your teacher."

She can't help but offer up a slight smile in response to this. It was sweet. How Obi-Wan always looked after him, even when Anakin thought everyone was against him or didn't care about his feelings. His old master would always care about him. Later, if she has the chance to see him, she'll tell him about how Obi-Wan defended them to the rest of the council and made sure she was placed under his command.

"I appreciate that greatly," Y/N says. "And I think Anakin would too. He'd probably benefit from a talk with a friend right about now if you're able."

"I'll talk to him as soon as I can, but they'll be questioning me about the allegations in a few moments, so I can't yet. You have my word, though. I will speak to him."

The thought of Anakin being provided with some form of relief is comforting enough to let her contracted neck and shoulder muscles relax.

"Thank you, master."

He simply bows his head to her and offers his goodbyes before turning back toward the council room. In the distance, she sees Master Yoda waiting for him, and all she can do to stop herself from losing what little composure she has left is breathe deeply as she walks the other way in pursuit of the kitchens. Perhaps a light meal will soothe her nervous stomach.

-

It's an hour past the curfew set for apprentices to return to their rooms.

She relies on the light of the lamp beside her bed to read the book Anakin gave to her a few years ago. Annotated in the margins by Yoda, Dooku, Qui Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, she finds it helpful to read a page or so before bed each night to settle her mind after the events of the day and bring her focus back onto what's most important. Her duty.

Every time she comes across Anakin's sloping, cursive penmanship, her face lights up with a giddy little smile. The page is worn beneath the fingertip she runs over the spot where he signed his name, as though this book has been carefully handled and passed down from generation to generation. Her night clothes are little more than a thin, plain shift that falls down to her calves, so she doesn't feel too warm with the sheet pulled up over her body as she flips through the pages to read all of Anakin's annotations.

However, the joy she derived from reading his thoughts along the margins is quickly washed away by worry. Worry as she begins to wonder where he is and what he's doing. Have they continued to interrogate him? Hopefully he's been allowed a break from their incessant badgering at some point. Perhaps Obi-Wan has found the time to speak to him privately already.

She's so lost in her thoughts, she doesn't even sense his approaching presence until the door to her room opens without a sound.

Already, she's flipping the sheet off of her body and tossing the book onto the side table to meet him as he crosses through the threshold to her private dorm. But what he sees when he shuts the door behind him isn't a happy, smiling face, it's an angry one, and he's already being chastised before he has the chance to greet her.

"Please, tell me you weren't seen coming here? What if they find you with me? Then everything we did today would be for nothing—"

The last word dies on her mouth with a surprised "hmmpf" sound when he reaches forward to cup the back of her neck and pull her into a fervent kiss.

Her hands shoot out to grasp his arms reflexively as he traps her in his strong embrace, one arm around her waist and his other raised to hold her to him by the back of her neck, and kisses her the way a dying man gasps for air. As soon as their mouths meet, she knows where he's been. The taste lingering on his lips is that of his preferred form of alcohol, and she grimaces at how strong it is for a second before pushing at his arms to break the kiss.

You'd think she struck him. His brows furrow and eyes widen at the rejection.

"Why won't you kiss me?" he asks with a tired exhale, leaning forward and angling his head as though he's going to steal another from her in retribution.

"Because it tastes like you drank the whole bottle," she says with a chuckle and keeps him at bay for now. "Where did you go?"

He lets out a sigh, overdramatic as ever, and allows her to slip out of his grasp now that he knows he won't get any kisses until he answers her. The walk over to the bed is short for him with his long legs. All it takes is a few strides and he's collapsing onto the mattress with huff. The glove is already being ripped off of his cybernetic hand before he conjures a suitable response for her.

"Out."

A scoff escapes her.

"I gathered that."

"I went to a bar."

Her brows furrow at him.

His hands come up to allow him to rub his eyes as he says, "Not that bar, I went to a normal one."

The casual reference to that bar brings a searing heat to her face. "That bar" meaning the one they snuck out to go to the first night they were together, with the secret back rooms he led her into and had his way with her in front of a few of the sex workers lounging there. He felt it necessary to clarify that he would never go to such a place without her present for obvious reasons. The thought alone of her thinking he would do something like that, putting himself into a situation no married man should ever be in, made his heart ache a little.

She allows herself to smile at him just a little, even though he can't see it, and walk over to where he's laying with his legs hanging off the foot of the bed. Feeling the mattress dip beside him with her shifting weight, he drops his hands back down and looks at her. And even when he's drunk, angry, and worried, he still finds it in himself to look at her like that. Like she's more important than the Force itself.

In return, she gives him the same look. It isn't too hard to summon. It comes so naturally when he looks the way he does right now; effortlessly beautiful with his overgrown hair framing his face and looking up at her through his lashes with a pink-flushed face.

"What did they say to you?" she asks softly.

Her fingertips are feathery-light where they touch his hair, brushing it away from his face in a way she knows soothes him. It causes his eyes to shut in appreciation of it, then, once he's fully taken in the moment, he answers.

"Not much." His body starts to shift to allow him to roll onto his stomach, and he wraps his arms around her hips. In this position, he gets to rest his face on her thighs, placing tender kisses along the soft skin. "They repeated the all same questions just worded differently each time. When they finally told me I was free to go, they were bringing in others we worked in close quarters with."

"Did Obi-Wan happen to talk to you?" she asks. This piques his interest straight away. His head pops up from her lap, his arms unwrapping from her waist to help him sit up to face her. "He told me he wanted to speak with you. To let you know that he requested to be my master in your absence because he knows how much you care for me."

In lieu of a response, Anakin starts to lean forward to nudge her face with his. Their noses brush as he captures her lips in a wet kiss, humming in satisfaction at how she instantaneously kisses back without thinking. Call him what you want for it, but he knows the effect he has on her and how to use to for his own gain. Right now, he's using it to redirect her back to what he wants. Which is, of course, to hold and kiss his wife. He doesn't think he's asking for too much.

She murmurs against his mouth, "Why won't you answer my question?"

His breath is hot against her skin when he pulls away to dip his face down into the curve where her shoulder meets her neck. All she feels is a soft pair of lips caressing her skin followed by the sharp hip of his teeth. He finds a way to shake his head through it all, not faltering for a second throughout the process of kissing her neck and nudging her slowly onto her back.

"I don't want to talk about Obi-Wan right now," he whispers.

With his body now laid flush atop hers, hips nudged between her parted thighs, he brushes his lips against hers softly. It's a sweet, gentle kiss. One she hadn't been expecting with how eagerly he was crawling on top of her seconds ago, but no amount of sweetness can make her forget that he's not in his right mind at the moment. So, she lets him kiss her for a few more seconds, giving him the chance to revel in what he so clearly wanted all night while he was out drinking, before looping her fingers through the soft hair on the back of his head to pull his face away from hers.

He winces at the slight pain caused by having his hair pulled, but they both know it's something he enjoys. His lips curve down into a slight frown as he realizes what's happening.

"Why are we stopping?"

She chuckles a little and cards her fingers through the hair she just pulled to soothe his mortally wounded ego.

"Because you're very drunk, and I'm also quite tired so I won't let you do it until you've sobered up."

His brows furrow.

"You won't let me?"

Her head shakes, a coy smile teasing at her mouth, and this causes him to stop as though in consideration for a second before groaning and rolling off of her. He ends up flopping onto his back on the mattress beside her, causing her to laugh a little at his dramatics before scooting closer to him and cuddling up next to his body. Her arm wraps around his slim waist and pulls tight as though she fears he won't remain here if she doesn't.

Sensing this, Anakin turns his head to look at her. His eyes soften the moment they land on her, and he reaches out with his flesh hand to brush his thumb over her lips.

"Sleep," he says quietly. A command, not a request. "I'll be with you. Always."

It takes a lot less time than it usually does for her to fall asleep once she burrowed beneath the sheet and rested her head on his pillow, right beside where his was laid. Part of it is due to him. Not only because his presence is soothing but because he breaks into her mind. She's so used to having him in there that she doesn't notice or care when he encourages her to sleep. For her body to relax far quicker than it usually would due to the soothing presence of his force signature.

For the first hour or so after she goes unconscious, he stays to ensure she doesn't wake. But, then, the boredom gets to him. Not to mention, he reeks of liquor and sweat, so he doesn't see any issue with temporarily leaving her for the sake of freshening up in the bathroom. The spray of the water hitting the floor hardly makes enough noise to reach the door, let alone beyond it into her bedroom, and he keeps checking, using the force to sense if she's still sleeping. By the time he is toweling himself off in front of the bathroom mirror, he no longer feels as impaired as he was when he first arrived.

The substance is still present in his system, yes, but he doesn't feel like everything is fuzzy around the edges anymore. Another hour has passed once he emerges from the bathroom with the towel wrapped low around his hips and his hair damp. What he sees when he lifts the sheet to slip into bed with her, tossing the towel to the floor on his side, halts him for a second.

She must have taken off her thin shift in the time he spent in the bathroom. It isn't uncommon for her to do this, rousing herself to a dazed state of partial consciousness to rip the bedclothes from her body due to the heat causing her to sweat in her sleep.

With the shades pulled shut over their windows to keep the city lights from invading the dark sanctuary of her bedroom, his eyes have adjusted to the darkness enough to see her beside him.

A quick glance at the time projected onto the ceiling in faint red light proves he has been awake far too long, and it's hard for him to not huff in frustration as he rolls onto his side. Facing her...

The curve of her hip juts out in an exaggeration of its usual shape from her laying on her stomach with one of her legs bent up near her side and the other lying flat against the mattress. With the sheet pulled up just enough to cover her ass, looking at her is cruel torment for him. How else is he supposed to react when his wife insists upon sleeping in the nude right beside him? He refuses to feel shame for how his cock stirs to life at the sight of her nearly every night.

Anakin's left hand slides up from his side to grasp the thin sheet between his fingers, gingerly pulling it down until it only covers the lower half of her legs.

At first, his only intention is to touch her. To caress her soft skin, hairless and smooth for the first time in ages now that they're back on Coruscant where she can groom herself, and relish in the fact that she's here with him. There's something so intoxicating about watching her sleep. It occurs to him that that thought, if spoke aloud, would probably creep her out, but it doesn't feel wrong to him. It's nice to see her without worry for once. So much of their time together is spent fearing that someone will catch them, but when she's asleep, she's at peace.

His hand ghosts over the back of her thigh, climbs up the curve of her hip, and keeps going up until he finds her neck. So delicate, so pristine in the way he only finds women can be. Men are so rash, harsh, and unsatisfying to look at to him. Himself included. She, however, is a work of art. Everything about her, from the way her hips sway just so when she walks to how her hair blows around her face in the breeze, is beautiful. He has always preferred them as a sex. After all, everyone he truly cares for, aside from Obi-Wan, has been a woman. His mother, Padme, and, of course, his beloved apprentice and secret wife.

He thinks to himself as he allows his hand to dip down to cup her breast, They make more sense. Everything about them was designed with careful thought. In a way, he envied them. In other ways, he didn't. As his hand grazes down her navel in search of the apex of her thighs, he can't help but stare at her in awe. His fingertips dip into the delicate folds of her cunt. So warm. Soft. Inviting. Begging him to delve further and give her what she desires.

She has done this to him a countless amount of times—woken him up with her mouth around him, sucking hard into the back of her tight throat—so he has no qualms with returning the favor.

It becomes clear to him very quickly that he won't be satisfied with merely touching her. While it is invigorating to see her subconscious response to his touch, her thighs pressing together and trapping his hand there as he rubs her clit, he knows what he truly wants right now.

He wants to take back his ownership of her.

What happened today was nothing short of traumatizing for him. He isn't stupid, he knows what they're trying to do. If he isn't careful, the council will try to take her from him, just like every other woman he's loved has been taken from him. When he was assigned to protect Padme just before the start of the Clone Wars, he lost his mother. Shortly after, he lost Padme too. She refused to be with him in the end, saying she couldn't lie to the senate and the council. He refuses to let the same thing happen with Y/N.

Soon, he begins to feel a wetness seeping out of her. His fingertips dip down to collect it from her hole and spread it over her throbbing bud, rubbing faster. A soft, muffled sound escapes her lips at this, and that's when he loses whatever scrap of patience remained in him.

Anakin slips his hand out from between her thighs to stroke himself a few times. Although he's already hard, he takes it as a chance to spread her slick arousal along his cock to make it easier when he inevitably fucks her. With the stimulation now withdrawn, she begins to fuss a little. It isn't anything like it would be were she awake and aware, but she does writhe ever so slightly in her spot upon the mattress as if instinctually searching for the pleasure that evaded her.

He's careful not to wake her just yet. Since she was so tired, he thinks she should rest for as long as she can before she's woken up by him. So, he's gentle in how he guides her into the easiest position to allow him access. She remains on her side, but he brings her legs up closer to her chest, forcing her back to arch and offer up her soaked pussy to him.

From there on, it's too tempting.

He guides the broad tip, messy with precome, of his cock into her first, waiting a moment to listen to her deep breathing to assess if she's waking before nudging further into her inch by inch. Being inside of her is serenity itself. It's like coming home, and he delights in how responsive her cunt is to him even while she sleeps. Her walls clamp down around the thick girth of him only to relax a second later to allow him in the rest of the way. His mouth drops open in a quiet gasp at how good it feels to bury himself inside of her, pushing and pushing until he bottoms out with his tip nestled close to her cervix.

The hand that isn't devoting it's time to rubbing her clit reaches to cup one of her breasts. It squeezes softly at first, but, as usual, it isn't enough. With the first thrust he makes back into her after he pulls almost all the way out of her, he grasps her breast harder and rolls the nipple between thumb and index finger. Having both of his hands on her—one on her chest and the other anchored between her thighs—gives him better leverage to fuck her how he wants to.

"Feel so good," he murmurs into her bare shoulder, not caring that she cannot hear him say it.

He loses control of himself quite fast. It's all too easy to allow the pace of his thrusts to speed up little by little, but, more importantly, he can't help himself from going harder. He enjoys going slow sometimes, but he never goes easy on her. If he ever did, she would scold him. Most often, she has the control between the two of them when it comes to intimacy, and that's the way he's always preferred it. But now...He finds that he likes having total control over her more than he thought he would.

His lips press gently against the curve of her shoulder to help suppress the load moan that threatens to leave him in response to her squeezing down around him.

The haze of sleep has a strong hold over her still when her eyes begin to flutter open.

At first, she's certain it's a dream. Trapped in the space between consciousness and unconsciousness, her mind has yet to realize that she's slowly but surely coming back to consciousness. Her dreams have always been incredibly vivid, especially when they concern Anakin, so no alarms are raised at the feeling in the pit of her abdomen. It isn't until she feels his teeth graze her skin that she realizes that it isn't happening inside her head.

The light beyond the shut curtains, the only source of light at this late hour, illuminates just enough of her face to allow him the pleasure of watching her react to what's happening. Her brows pinch together, a crease forming in the skin between them, and, then, her eyes open slowly.

Y/N wakes to the overwhelming pleasure of him touching her, kissing her, fucking her—essentially doing anything he can to feel closer to her—and the first thing she thinks to do is reach being her to grab onto him. Her hand lifts from where it laid on the mattress to reach back for him, sliding down the side of his bare, muscled abdomen until it reaches his hip. There, her nails dig into him.

She says, evidently confused, "Ani?"

The second after she says the nickname, a particularly harsh thrust causes her to whine in both pleasure and sensitivity, head tipping back while he finishes sucking a mark onto the back of her shoulder. Even through the fog in her mind, she's thankful that he's only leaving marks behind in places she'll be able to cover. It wouldn't be wise to meet with Obi-Wan tomorrow morning with a love bite visible on the side of her neck.

He pulls his face from her neck to press his cheek against hers, lips pressing a tender kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"I'm not intoxicated," he says as explanation for the euphoric wake-up call. "And when I came out of the shower, I noticed you ripped your clothes off in your sleep..."

This brings a sleepy grin to her face, and she can feel him grinning back at her with his cheek pressed to hers. The fingers toying with his clit continue at that perfect, toe-curling pace that increases the bliss she feels tenfold. That, when combined with how consistently he hits the sweet spot inside of her, is almost too much for her to handle so soon after coming back to consciousness.

"You're acting awfully brave. Aren't you worried I'll have to punish you for it sometime?"

Every word is punctuated with a panting breath as he drives into her harder and faster, her breasts bouncing with the force of it now. The palm he had molded over one of them slides up to grasp the very top of her neck, just beneath the jaw, in a possessive act of claiming.

He shakes his head, pushing hers a little further into the pillow it rests on.

"No," Anakin pants, "no, you won't be punishing me for taking what's mine. You forget that I'm your master."

Knowing how angry it will make him, she says, "Actually, Obi-Wan—"

The hand around her neck squeezes impossibly tight before she can dare to finish the sentence, and his pace becomes nearly brutal in a way it's only been a few times before. After a loss on the battlefield or a man leering at her in front of him. But this is...this is different. She can feel it—his anger, the possessiveness, the jealousy.

A second later, he releases his grip on her neck.

"Take that back," he mutters, seething, and pulls her hair taut from her scalp, eliciting a sound that's a strange mix of a moan and a wince. "Or I won't let you finish. You can do it yourself if you're so quick to betray me."

The mere thought is enough to make her brows pinch together in displeasure, and she starts to shake her head frantically. How cruel of him to wake her like this and threaten not to see it through to the end. Although, it does arouse her even more to think that he's simply using her for his own gratification now that she's "betrayed" him. The tension brewing within her, readying like an asp about to strike, seems to enjoy the notion of that.

And, worried that he'll stop, she cries out, voice breathy and soft, "You own me, master. Just you"—the next rut he makes into her is hard enough for her to gasp—"There's only you, Anakin."

"Yeah?" he asks, turning her face with the hand that choked her a moment ago to force her to meet his gaze.

The eye contact is so intense, she doesn't know what to do with herself when she's pinned beneath him like this. And, of course, everything is heightened by the vitriolic feelings roiling inside of him. He projects them at her without a second thought, letting her in to hear every thought that is practically shouted at her. She can't deny to herself that some of them are quite...disturbing. It's nothing too outrageous, but it's obvious to her that he perceived what happened today as a threat. A threat he will not take lightly.

She nods her head a few times, their noses brushing with the frenetic movement, and he can't help but smirk.

"Good girl," he mutters.

He keeps his lips as close to hers as possible without breaking eye contact with her. The urge to kiss her is heavily outweighed by the power he derives from looking into her eyes as he pounds into her. The whole day, he has felt helpless, mad, and scared, but it's all mended by her. By this moment. Not only due to the physical intimacy, but the emotional as well. He can feel how much she loves him. It's a feeling he wishes he could bottle and keep in his possession forever. He'd get drunk off of her if he could, but he can't, so this is the next best option.

When her eyes flutter shut in appreciation of her impending release, building inside of her like the swell of the sea, he says, "No, I want you to look at me."

Seeing that he holds the power regarding whether or not she'll come, she obeys his command immediately. When her eyes open to find his face so close to hers, the sight of him hits her like a punch to the gut, and that overwhelming feeling of love he felt emanating from her increases tenfold. She takes this time, the few, never-ending seconds before she's pushed over the edge into oblivion, to commit every detail of him to memory. The hair that falls in his face, the healing scar slicing through the outer edge of his eyebrow, and, most importantly to her, those sultry eyes of his.

Even outside of the bedroom, he has a way of looking at her that makes it obvious to anyone who looks too closely that he's undressing her with his eyes, but it's far worse when she's actually undressed and at his mercy. It makes her inevitable peak come on stronger and faster than either of them expected it to, her nails digging into his hip so hard that they break the surface of his skin.

She says breathlessly, looking up at him with wide, teary eyes, "Promise you won't let them keep us apart."

And though he's already reassured her countless times that they'll remain together no matter what, he surges forward through the small gap left between them and kisses her with a hunger that'll never be satisfied. It only lasts a second or so, but it's all she needs to reach her climax.

"I'll do anything," he whispers, kissing her deeply as she begins to tense around him. "Anything."

It's such a powerful, explosive surge of pleasure, she cannot do anything but tense in his arms and surrender herself to it.

The noises she makes are borderline pornographic, and if he weren't so in tune with her, he would probably think she's faking it. But there's no way of faking her body's natural response to him. As he guides his cock in and out of her at a brutal pace, the sound of their bodies colliding and how wet she is filling the room, he feels every spasm and twitch of her around him. There's no avoiding those guttural sounds, the slack-jawed expression on her face, or the tight cunt milking him with every unyielding wave of her climax.

Anakin's mechno-hand squeezes around her neck with just the right amount of force to restrict her gasping breaths and provide himself the amount of control over her as he loses himself in it all. His thrusts turn sloppy the closer he comes to his end, and he buries himself in deep one last time before spilling into her.

His face falls into her neck with a whine, teeth biting down on her shoulder to stifle the sound. Her constant clenching and unclenching helps him ride out his orgasm, and he continues to fuck into her in small, dying thrusts until every spurt of his release is trapped within her.

Y/N goes limp on the mattress beside him.

Her head has fallen back into its original place on the pillow, and all she can hear is him breathing heavily into her neck. Behind her, his chest rises and falls at a rapid rate against her back. The hand that was around her neck has slid down to rest against her stomach, holding her close as he always does in the vulnerable moments following his orgasm. All the excitement and emotion turns him into a clingy, needy little thing.

They lay like this for so long, limbs entangled in the sheets and racing hearts beginning to fall back into a normal rhythm, that she can't tell if it's been five minutes or ten when he finally speaks up. Sometime in between him collapsing onto the bed with her and now, he pulled out of her and repositioned himself against her. Both of his arms are snug around her waist, and his face is no longer buried in her neck but rather right beside hers. His cheek presses against hers as it had when they were in the midst of fucking, savoring the closeness shared between the two of them.

"I love you," he says softly.

It isn't the first time he's said it, but she always gets the same fluttering sensation in her stomach as though it is. As quickly as the anger and jealousy took control of him, turning him into a demanding and domineering lover, he shifts back into his usual nature with her. It's as though his mind goes on autopilot after having sex with her, exposing the true motivators that drove the anger. Insecurity. Fear of abandonment. Worry.

Knowing this, she doesn't hesitate to say it back.

"I love you more."

The feeling of his chest moving against her back with a soft huff of laughter brings a smile to her face.

"Believe me, that's not possible."

She then starts to shift around in place, forcing him to loosen his hold on her for a second or two until she has flipped over to face him. Those strong arms are quick to wrap around her waist and pull her in again, their bodies flush against one another.

"And why is that?" she asks, a teasing lilt in her voice.

He answers it so quickly, so sure, she cannot take it as anything other than honesty.

"I was made for you," Anakin whispers, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face. "There's no purpose for me in this life without our love."

Her brows furrow in concern.

"That's not true. You have purpose regardless of whether or not I'm here."

He shakes his head, just once, and when she cups the side of his face in the palm of her hand, he leans into the touch. The tip of her thumb caresses the scar cutting through his brow, moving down until she brushes his bottom lip.

He says, "I don't want to know what it's like to not have you in my life. It was easier before. I didn't know what was waiting for me. But, it's different now. If I lost you, I'd lose myself."

Her other hand moves to hold the other side of his face, leaving him with no choice but to look into her eyes and hear every word, every thought, and every feeling that passes through her.

"You aren't going to lose me."

The soft look in his eyes transforms into determination at this, and he allows his forehead to rest against hers as he repeats what she said in his mind over and over again to reassure himself.

-

A/N: It's been a long time, but here's part three! I hope you all enjoyed it.

Tag List: @juniebugg and @riley12.

[drjohndisco]

Binding Ties (Chapter 07)

Warnings: descriptions of attempted sexual assault.

Ao3 Link || Masterlist

‘So, are all of the Grimms so normal?'

'You should meet my mother. She's been called a lot of things, but normal's not one of 'em.' Nick laughed.

'Does that mean we're related?' Trubel questioned.

'Maybe a few centuries ago. From what I can tell, it's like a recessive gene.'

'Must be a relief to know you're not the only one at least.' Briar said.

Juliette set the dishes down on the table and sat between Briar and Nick.

'So, you see these Wesen things, too?'

'No, I'm not a Grimm.' Juliette replied. 'Briar isn't either.'

'So, how do you deal with this?'

'Deal with what?'

'Being married to someone who can see what we do?'

'Um, we...We're not married. Not yet, at least.'

'Smart. You can get out any time.'

++

'Hey, here's a clean pair of pants and a shirt for you to sleep in.' Juliete offered, placing them onto the bed sheets.

'I'm fine with what I have.'

'Okay, cool. Well, I'm just gonna leave it there in case you change your mind.'

'We are down the hall if you need anything.' Nick added.

'I won't, but, uh, thanks for the Chinese.'

'No problem. Good night.'

(The Next Day - The Bank)

Briar really didn't want to be here at the office, but they had no choice. Particularly if Adalind had anything to do with it. But, Nick had convinced them to go when they got the email, to keep an eye on their sister.

'Your mother's house went through probate. It was determined at that time that your mother had not filed taxes for the last seven years.' The man said. 'Once legal fees, the IRS and the state were paid, there was a balance of $1,500.42, most of which has gone to pay the storage unit where her personal possessions have been stored as per your request.

It's a good thing you showed up when you did. Rent's only paid through the end of the month.It would've gone up for auction in 60 days. I hope she left something of value for you there. Were you close with your mother?'

There was a pause, as both Adalind and Briar thought about this. But, before Briar could answer the question Adalind replied.

'We were everything to her.'

Yeah, something was most definitely going to go wrong.

(About 3 hours later)

'What did Adalind do to you?' Briar asked, helping Sean up from where he'd been thrown on the floor.

'Threw a vase at my head.' Sean groaned. 'It seems the suspicions we'd both had turned out to be right, she ended up leaving with some of yours and Juliette's clothing.'

Briar wrinkled their nose at this information. 'Gross. You think you'd be able to do anything?'

'No.'

'At least let me give you the address, save you searching through all of those police files of yours.'

Briar then pulled a pen and a pad of paper out of their pocket (the benefits of being a journalist) and wrote the address down. Sean took it from them and pocketed it and left the house.

Damn. They'd forgotten to give him some ice for his head.

(Monroe and Rosalee's House - 3 Hours Later)

'Papa Haydn's all set with the cake, by the way.' Monroe said, placing the plates on the table.

'And you have the playlist for the reception?' Juliette asked.

Yep, that's done. And the place cards are ready. They just need to be picked up.'

'Oh. I'll do that.'

'No, I got it.' Rosalee replied.

'Wow. You're doing all that?' Nick asked.

'Full-service maid of honor.'

'There'd be no wedding without Juliette.'

'Wait a minute, what about the groom? Don't you need me?' Monroe questioned.

'Oh, for certain things.'

'Guys have it easy. All Nick has to do is...is not lose the ring and make a speech.' Briar said.

'What ring? What speech?' Nick joked, then shook his head when they all looked at him quizzically. 'Yeah, yeah, I got the ring.'

'And what about the toast?'

'It's getting there.'

'It better be there by Saturday.' Monroe stated.

'Saturday. This Saturday?' Nick said, laughing. Once again he received stares. 'Nobody gets me.'

'Yeah, no, we get you.' Briar sighed.

'Trubel, come on! We're hungry! We wanna eat!' Rosalee and Monroe called out.

'I'll get her.'

'No, you sit. I've got it.' Juliette said.

'Hey, how's Trubel handling all this, by the way?' Rosalee asked Nick. 'She seems to be handling it well.'

'I'm just glad I didn't find out when I was that young.'

'What about Juliette? How's she handling it?'

'Well, I think most women would have left me by now.'

How much do you actually know about Trubel?

'Not a lot. I've been trying not to push. I just know she's had years of people telling her that she's crazy.'

'Sorry. Was everybody waiting for me?' Trubel questioned, walking back over to the table and sitting down next to Nick.

'We thought we would all eat together.'

'Oh. I gotta get used to this too.'

'You like spaghetti?

'No.' Trubel said, and then paused. 'I love spaghetti.'

'Good. Then let's eat.'

'Can I say something, Trubel?' Monroe asked.

'Uh-huh.'

'I know I don't really know much about you. But I'd like to say that I think you're doing a pretty good job handling this, considering how incredibly difficult this must have been.'

'Well, I really didn't expect to live this long.'

Another uncomfortable silence followed this. Nobody at the table was used to anybody outright admitting their past troubles.

'Do you want more?' Rosalee offered, holding out the plate.

'Sure.'

'You remember the first time you saw a wesen?' Monroe asked.

'Yeah, I remember. It was in one of the foster homes I grew up in.'

'I was 13 when I found out I was a Fuchsbau.'

'You didn't know?'

'You don't really know when you're a kid. Kind of hits you later. But at least we had family to tell us what was going on. You really didn't have anyone to help you through this?'

'Mm-mm.'

'When did you find out?'

'Um...' Trubel began, hesitantly. 'There was this guy that used to fix things around the house. He was always really nice to me, till, uh... One day he asked me to help him in the garage. And he grabbed me. I saw his face change. And, um... he pushed me down on the floor. But I was so scared by what I saw, that I just grabbed, the first thing I could, which was a-a screwdriver. And really all I wanted to do was just push him away from me, but, um...' Trubel explained. Then, seeing the looks that everyone was giving her clarified what she meant. 'He didn't die... Or anything. He just... he didn't get off me really fast, though. And that was the first time I heard anybody say "Grimm." I-I told everybody what I saw. And that was the first time they locked me up. Said I was lying, and then when I said I wasn't, they said I had to be crazy so...Yeah, I got pretty used to being crazy. Until I met all you guys. I realised I wasn't alone.' Trubel then looked over to the pot of spaghetti. ' Can I have that now?'

'Yeah, sorry.' Rosalee replied, laughing.

Then Nick's phone rang and Monroe picked it up from where it had been placed on the table. 'I got it. Hello?' There was a pause as Monroe took in what the caller had said. 'Yeah, can I tell him who's calling?'

Monroe then took the phone away from his ear and turned to Nick.

'He says you won't know him,

but he needs to talk to you.' Nick took the phone from Monroe and continued the conversation.

What followed was a minute of a slow conversation, before Nick clicked the phone off and sat back down.

'What, he didn't want to give you his name?' Juliette asked.

'I get calls like that sometimes. They get cold feet. 'Nick said. 'It's probably nothing.'

Apparently Nick had been wrong, as a few hours later they were all in Nick's lounge sifting through the stuff that Josh's dad had left for Nick to look at.

'I can't find it.' Briar sighed.

'Me neither.' Hank said.

'If there's a key in here, I have no idea where it is.' Juliette said, shaking the suitcase the items had come in. 'But speaking of lost things, have you seen my grandmother's vase?'

'I think that was broken when Adalind hit Sean over the head with it.' Briar mumbled.

'What?' Juliette gasped.

'I'll explain it later.' Briar promised.

'Nick, there is stuff in here I have never seen in any of your books.' Rosalee exclaimed. 'You ever heard of an "Abartige Aasfresser"?' She then turned the book around to show Nick an illustration of someone with a unicorn horn in their head.

'Not until now.'

'You really see this stuff?' Josh asked.

'I haven't seen this one yet.' Nick replied.

'But it's all true?'

'Some people have kind of a monster within. And Nick can see them, Trubel can see them, and your dad could see them.' Juliette explained.

'Josh, just 'cause you can't see them now, doesn't mean you won't some day. Hit me pretty late, too.' Nick added.

'Well, at least I'll know it's real. Sort of.'

'I can't find this key.' Nick complained. 'Have you ever seen it?'

'No. All I know is he was really worried about it. Wanted to get it to someone who would understand.'

'So where else could it be?' Hank said.

'I don't know. I don't even know what we're looking for.'

'Well, he didn't drive all the way here without it,' Juliette said, shaking a small bag. 'So it has to be here somewhere.'

'When he told you about it, he was trying to get out of bed, like he was gonna show you where it was.' Trubel suggested.

'It wouldn't be in that hospital room. He never got out of bed.'

'Maybe he wasn't trying to get up.'

'He was asking for his cane.' Hank added.

'Yeah.'

'He's had this forever.' Josh said, lifting it up. 'He got it from his dad, who got it from his dad.'

Nick took it from Josh, and shook it. Then the end popped off and Nick looked at, stunned.

'Did I break it?'

'I don't think so.' Hank said. 'Can I see?'

Hank then inspected the top part of the cane, before placing into a small notch in the side and pulling out a nail. Hank handed Nick the key, once he'd tipped the cane.

'Is that a key?'

'It is now.'

(The Spice Shop)

Nick placed the net key in the ink and then transferred it over to the paper with the other key indentations.

Nick, remember that map I showed you at my house last year? Monroe questioned.

'Yeah, the one that your great-great uncle drew.

'It was actually great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side. But the point is... we are definitely talking Black Forest.'

'Germany.' Trubel mused.

'Yeah, it all seems to go back to Germany.' Juliette said.

'Well, we're one key closer to... God knows what.' Monroe stated.

'I wonder if we'll ever know.' Briar mumbled.

'I don't think I want to know.' Josh said. Well, at least I know my dad wasn't crazy. Unless all of you are.'

(Unknown Time - Nick's house)

'You know what?' Briar asked, looking up from their work at the computer.

'What?' Nick said, from the doorway. He'd gotten in late, once again.

'I've never realised how odd we must look to everyday people. Like, even as a person who could be classed as a 'beast' it's never really clicked until now. Does that make sense?'

'Yes, it does.' Nick replied. 'It was most certainly an odd adjustment when I was first learning the ropes. Had quite a few missteps, but I think I've told you about those. People thought I was crazy, hell, even Hank did for almost a full year!'

'Oh, I would have been insufferable had I known you back then.'

'You're not being insufferable right now?' Nick teased.

'Shut up!' Briar replied, playfully. 'Besides it's not like the way I met you was any better -- being brought to justify where you were because your mother murdered mine is not fun.'

Nick walked over to them and placed his arms around their shoulders. 'Come on, let's go to bed. Stop worrying about the past -- the future will be better.'

(If only he'd known how wrong he was.)

[w1dowed]

@leagueofdccm ; homelander : you think you’d be happy with someone else? no way. i’m it. dark & toxic ships ; accepting.

     𝘄𝗮𝘀  𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁  𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆  𝘄𝗮𝘀  𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀  𝗮𝗹𝗹  𝘄𝗮𝘀  𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁?     he  was  holding  onto  their  relationship  that  had  happened  over  two  decades  ago  and  had  ended  because  he  had  decided  that  being  vought's  golden  boy  superhero  was  much  better  than  actually  being  happy.     maggie  wasn't  even  sure  what  to  think  about  any  of  this,  did  he  really  expect  that  she  would've  just     𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱     for  him?     she  was  the  one  who  chose  to  leave  because  she  hadn't  liked  what  she  had  started  to  see,  she  had  been  in  love  with  john  and  not  homelander.     maggie  couldn't  help  but  feel  almost  sad  for  him,  he  was  so  lost  in  everything  that  was  going  on  and  he  clearly  wasn't  used  to  hearing  anyone  tell  him  no  or  would  even  tell  him  the  truth  anymore.     she  didn't  even  know  how  to  go  about  this,  he  was     𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲  𝗮𝗻𝗱  𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀     in  a  way  that  she  didn't  expect,  but  she  was  never  going  to  just  bow  down  to  him  and  do  whatever  it  was  he  wanted.     had  john  forgotten  who  she  was?     it  was  very  possible,  it  had  been  years  since  the  last  time  they  had  seen  each  other  and  it  had  been  on  a  professional  setting  for  vought.

     𝗮𝘀  𝗳𝗮𝗿  𝗮𝘀  𝘀𝗵𝗲  𝗵𝗮𝗱  𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻  𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱  𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆  𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲  𝗼𝘂𝘁  𝗼𝗳  𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵  𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀  𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀,     she  had  moved  on  from  him,  in  both  a  personal  and  professional  setting,  which  he  was  clearly  more  upset  about  the  fact  that  she  had  found  someone  else.     despite  all  his  demands  since  bringing  her  to  vought  tower,  the  one  thing  she  had     𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱     to  do  was  remove  her  wedding  band  and  engagement  ring.     maggie  was  going  to  continue  to  play  along  with  whatever  he  wanted  if  it  meant  keeping  the  love  of  her  life  alive  and  safe,  if  it  meant  that  her  children  were  going  to  be  able  to  grow  up  happy  and  healthy.     except  how  happy  could  they  really  be  without  her  there  and  she  didn't  even  know  what  was  going  on  half  the  time.     she     𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱     them  all,  she  missed  the  way  jack  got  excited  about  things  and  talked  a  mile  a  minute,  she  missed  the  way  tilly  was  always  so  bold  in  whatever  she  was  doing  and  she  missed  the  way  negan  made  her  feel  like  she  could  do  anything  as  long  as  they  were  together.     their  family  was  so  tight  knit  and  she  had  thought  nothing  would  break  them  apart.     but  homelander  had  come  in  and  just  turned  everything  upside  down  because  he  was  so  used  to  getting  what  he  wanted.

     𝘀𝗵𝗲  𝘄𝗮𝘀  𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁  𝗮  𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲  𝗳𝗼𝗿  𝗵𝗶𝗺  𝘁𝗼  𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁,     a  part  of  her  didn't  even  think  he  actually  wanted  her  anymore,  he  just  wanted  her  to  improve  his  image  because  of  the  whole  situation  with  stormfront.     trying  to  reclaim  something  that  had  been  so     𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲     years  ago  and  he  didn't  have  a  single  care  what  he  ruined  in  the  process.     it  made  her  furious  that  he  thought  he  had  that  much  control  over  her  and  maybe  it  was  even  more  infurirating  because  he  really  did  have  all  that  control  and  there  was  very  little  she  could  do  about  it.     she  was  no  longer  maggie  greene - smith,  mother  of  tilly  and  jackson,  wife  of  negan.     she  was  purely  just     𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲,     a  supe  who  was  part  of  the  seven  by  homelander's  insistence,  to  be  at  his  side  to  make  him  look  even  better  considering  how  much  damage  stormfront  had  done  to  his  public  appearance  and  appeal.     maggie  was  just  here  to  make  him  look  better,  it  didn't  matter  what  she  did  or  didn't  want  anymore.

     𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲  𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄  𝘀𝗵𝗲  𝗵𝗮𝗱  𝘁𝗼  𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲  𝗵𝗲𝗿  𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁  𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀  𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆,     something  told  her  that  whilst  he  had  allowed  negan  to  stay  living  for  now,  she  couldn't  always  count  on  him  keeping  his  cool.     nor  did  she  ever  want  to  see  her  daughter  put  herself  in  harms  way  to  keep  him  alive.     never  had  she  been  so     𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹     that  her  powers  had  been  passed  on  to  tilly,  except  she  knew  what  came  with  this  ability,  a  huge  amount  of  pain  that  she  was  going  to  have  to  learn  to  maintain.     she  wished  she  could  be  there  to  help  her,  but  instead  she  was  dealing  with  john  at  his  most  unpredictable  and  trying  to  figure  out  exactly  what  it  was  he  wanted  from  her.     green  eyes  stay  focused  on  her  as  she  looked  at  him,  hands  moving  behind  her  back  to  hide  the  rings  still  on  her  finger  because  she  knew  that  the  happiness  she  had  felt  with  negan  was  not  something  she  would  find  anywhere  else.     even  when  they  had  been  together  prior  to  her  meeting  negan,  she  had  thought  she  had  been  happy  with  him  and  what  they  had  was  special,  except  it  had  just  felt  so  empty  and  hollow  compared  to  what  she  now  had,     "     are  you  actually  happy  right  now?     i  caught  your  speech  at  your  birthday  party,  not  exactly  the  words  of  a  man  who  is  happy  with  his  life,     "     it  wasn't  exactly  the  best  way  to  deflect  on  what  he  was  saying,  but  she  did  not  want  to  talk  to  him  about  negan  as  she  doubted  that  was  ever  going  to  be  a     𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱     conversation.

     𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴  𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀  𝗵𝗶𝗺  𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘆  𝗯𝘂𝘁  𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵  𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲  𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀,     maggie  wasn't  scared  of  him  but  she  definitely  was  wary  of  him  and  a  part  of  her  knew  that  he  wouldn't  hesitate  to  hurt  her  or  make  threats  against  her  family,     "     or  are  you  doubting  that  when  you  and  i  were  together  that  i  was  happy?     "     it  seemed  like  he  was  doubting  everything,  questioning  everything  and  grasping  at  any  attempt  to  relive  the  better  parts  of  his  past.     a  part  of  her  might  have  even  been  flattered  that  he  might  consider  her  a  good  part  of  his  life,  it  was  just  the  way  he  went  about  it  and  it  was  clear  how  much  he  hated  that  she  had  been  able  to  go  and  fall  in  love  with  someone  else,     "     what  we  had  was  something  really  special  and  i  didn't  think  it  would  ever  end  the  way  it  did  because  we  were  happy,  we  were  really  happy  in  the  way  that  was  unlike  anythin'  else,     "     maggie  told  him  softly,  her  ring  free  hand  coming  up  to  rest  on  his  chest  as  she  looked  up  at  him  with  a  softer  expression  on  her  face  because  she  was  being  truthful.     the  relationship  they  had  was  something  she  had  never  expected  and  for  to  end  because  things  had  gone  so  badly  since  madelyn  stillwell  thought  that  she  was     𝗯𝗮𝗱     for  homelander's  image.     that  woman  had  singlehandedly  destroyed  his  happiness  and  he  was  just  grasping  for  something,     "     but  we  can't  just  ignore  the  last  two  decades     .     .     .     what  is  it  you  really  want  from  me,  john?     why  am  i  even  here  aside  from  being  some  pr  stunt  to  make  you  look  better?     "

[weakforarwen]

You ever think about how bad Arthur was at not marrying Gwen, or are you normal?

He first told Gwen they couldn't be together in 2x02, yet believed in their relationship the most in seasons 2 and 3.

He kissed Gwen once in 2x02, yet, only two episodes later, told Merlin she meant more to him than anyone, but they couldn't be together because Uther wouldn't let him marry a servant. He was already thinking of marriage before they even started dating. Even Merlin was taken aback by that! Was Arthur too noble to pursue a woman he didn't intend to marry, or just that far gone for Gwen he could already see his future with her? Probably the later.

Gwen told Arthur to marry Elena so he proposed with her blessing, and even said 'I do', but called off the wedding after Geoffrey asked if anyone had any objections. He objected at his own wedding. He humiliated his father and Elena's father in front of an audience. Arthur rarely disagreed with Uther in public because he didn't want to encourage rebellion or make it seem like they weren't a united front. What did the people think of Arthur's actions? That he was spoiled? That he was brave and genuine? That he was whimsical and unpredictable? That he was weak and an idealist?

He relinquished his right to the throne and chose to abandon all he knew for Gwen, and told her he didn't regret his actions and would do it again.

He foolishly broke up with Gwen but his resolution didn't even last half an episode. It didn't take him long to come to his senses and give Merlin his ring in case he died; meaning that, in case he died, he wanted Gwen to know he should've/would've married her.

He caught Gwen 'cheating' on him, so he cruelly banished her, but couldn't even see it through; in the end, he still married.

All it took to end his engagement with Mithian was Gwen's ring. Bear in mind Arthur that didn't know where Gwen was and thought she had betrayed him, yet he would either marry Gwen or not at all. He relinquished his ancient claim to lands for a woman who had deeply hurt him and whom he had every reason not to marry.

Imagine being a King and wanting to marry a servant despite your father, uncle and others you trusted thinking it a was bad idea, that it was unconventional and wouldn't benefit the Kingdom, but you announce it to the kingdom anyway, only to get cheated on the day before the wedding. Everyone finds out and you banish the person you were so adamant to marry. Months later, a princess unexpectedly shows up and you very publicly announce another engagement; it would be good for the kingdom, and you make a big deal out of it, only to break an engagement for the third time in front of your people, because your own kingdom means nothing without the woman who presumably cheated on you and you banished... That's three broken engagements for one woman he had chosen not to marry. Imagine what the people of Camelot, or his enemies, must've thought? It sounds insane if you put it this way. To us, Arthur marrying for love seems like an obvious thing to do, but he was kinda telling his people that he would rather follow his heart than sacrifice himself for the kingdom; the people knew he would do anything for Camelot but he was showing them he had a weakness. Many probably thought he was brave and better than other royals, but many probably thought he was being selfish as well, and endangering the Kingdom.

TL;DR: Arthur just couldn't not marry Gwen, bless his dumb heart. He fought for her and for their relationship hard, despite breaking up with her once and the whole banishment thing; those made it seem like he hadn't risked everything for Gwen, but he had, more than once. Arthur and Gwen only married despite Morgana's interference because he fought for her and loved her so much (he had Merlin's help, of course). I don't know what the people of Camelot thought of Gwen but I doubt she was most people's favorite person, yet that hadn't mattered to Arthur. Nothing had, but Gwen.

[kenny-writes]

ENOUGH FOR YOU

Now that the Avengers have invented time travel, Steve Rogers is suddenly feeling like he needs to be elsewhere.

steve rogers x female oc

Warnings: i don't think there's any, it's just kind of sad💔

yes, this is based off of the song by olivia rodrigo :)

CHLOE, NATASHA, AND TONY WERE

talking, away from the other Avengers.

They weren't talking about anything important or secretive, they just wanted to get away from the others for a bit.

"I think the first thing I'm going to do when everyone gets back is slap that Peter in the face for getting off of that bus." Chloe explains, her stern mom voice on.

"Will that be before or after you hug him to death?" Tony queries.

Chloe plays with the ring on her finger, a nervous trait she's picked up over the years. "After." She mumbles, getting a laugh from Natasha and Tony.

"I'm sure you're not going to say anything to Peter about getting off of that bus. You know why?" Natasha raises her eyebrows.

"Why?" Chloe laughs a bit.

"Because, you would've done the same thing. In fact, you did do the same thing, which is how you ended up stuck with us in the first place." Natasha reminds her.

She could only sigh in defeat, because Natasha was right.

Chloe Flynn was eighteen when she joined the Avengers, but she already knew Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury prior to that. Nick was her legal guardian, so, when Nick met Natasha, Chloe did too.

Seeing as Chloe didn't have any women role models in her life for her to look up to, she instantly found that comfort in Natasha when they met.

They both bonded over their rough pasts, Natasha actually made Chloe feel better about some of the things she did. Assuring her every step of the way that, she isn't a monster.

Chloe doing the same for Natasha.

Now, Chloe was twenty-nine. Part of her wishes she was blipped away so she'd still be twenty-four, but she knows she was lucky enough to have stayed.

"I wouldn't exactly say stuck with you guys. I like being here. You guys are my family." Chloe says to them.

Natasha smiles a little, Tony pretends to be disgusted as he rolls his eyes.

"You know you love me, Stark." She points an accusing finger at him.

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." He jokes. "You and Rogers set a date for the wedding yet?" He asks, glancing down at her ring.

"Nope. Not yet." She shakes her head. "He wants to wait until after we officially get rid of Thanos. He wants everyone there. So do I. I couldn't imagine getting married without Wanda there as one of my bridesmaids." Chloe explains.

Although that was true, she didn't want to get married without everyone else there to watch. But, she couldn't help but worry about the fact that Steve didn't even seem interested in planning this wedding.

Everytime she'd bring it up with him, he'd change the subject, or he'd completely ignore her and tell her, 'it'll have to wait, I'm busy right now, Chlo.' She knew he was stressed, but it wasn't sitting with her correctly.

Natasha nods, understanding where they're coming from, but Chloe knew Natasha had doubts too.

She's always had doubts about their relationship. She only wants what beats for Chloe, and most of the time it doesn't seem like Steve can give that to her.

But Chloe would insist to Natasha that they were fine. And they were.

To an extent.

"Well, as long as I'm your maid of honor, I don't care how long you wait." The redhead perks up, which puts a smile on Chloe's face.

"God, I can't wait to go dress shopping!" Chloe squeals with excitement.

"Kill me now, please." Tony says, as he squeezes his eyes shut.

Chloe waves a dismissive hand at him. "Don't be dramatic all of your life." She teases him.

"If I wasn't dramatic, you'd all be so bored." He shrugs.

Before anyone could say anything, the door opened. It was Steve.

"Hey, hope I'm not interrupting anything important." He says, debating on whether he should come in or not.

"No, you're fine." Chloe assures him, motioning him to come in.

Steve walks into the room. "Um, Chloe can I talk to you?" He asks.

"Sure. What's up?" She asks.

Steve doesn't say anything. He looks at Tony and Natasha.

"Oh, carry on. You're not interrupting." Tony says sarcastically.

Chloe holds back a laugh.

"We'll be right out there if you need anything." Natasha smiles at Chloe as she pulls Tony out of the room.

Once the door closes, Steve turns to look at Chloe, a smile that she's never been too fond of was on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"Nothing's wrong... I just, I wanted to inform you of this so you don't feel blindsided." He sighs.

He was avoiding eye contact with her, which worried her even more.

"Steve, you're scaring me. Can you please tell me what happened?" She gently grabs his face, making him look at her.

His eyes were watering. He puts his hands on hers and brings one of them to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"I talked to Bruce." He begins. "After everyone is back, and Thanos is dead. I'm leaving." He informs her.

She felt like all the air was knocked out of her.

"L- leaving?" She questions in confusion.

"I'm going back to be with Peggy. Bruce said it'd work and that I'd be fine. And everything here would be fine too. Nothing would change." He explains.

Chloe was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say. The love of her life has just told her he was leaving to be with another woman.

The woman she's been worried about since they got together. The woman he told her not to worry about.

"A- and you're serious about this? This is something that you for sure want to do?" She questions.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life." He confesses.

Chloe takes a shaky breath as she sits down in one of the nearest chairs.

Steve kneels down in front of her. "I know this is really inconvenient, and sudden..." he starts.

"You think?" She looks at him, nothing but hurt in her eyes. "Steve, you and I are supposed to get married." She reminds him, trying to keep the tears in.

He puts his head down. "I know."

"Then why are you doing this to us?" The first tear slides down her face.

"Because, Chloe, I can't stay here if I'm not 100% over Peggy. I thought being with you would help me in some way, but it hasn't. I'm still miserable." He explains, sadness in his tone.

Chloe stands up and walks to the other side of the room as she shakes her head.

"Eight years, Steve. That's how long we've been together. We've been engaged for three. You decide to tell me now that you're miserable?" She raises her voice, not meaning to.

Steve looks at her in disbelief. "Aren't you happy that I even told you? I- i didn't want until the day of to tell you this. You could at least give me props for that." He tells her.

"Give you props for what? For wasting my time? For confirming every worry I had? For proving Natasha right?" She shouts.

But she wasn't angry. She was sad— no, she was disappointed.

Steve didn't say anything, he knew she had a point.

Chloe stares at him, realization slowly setting in on her. "How long have you been thinking about this?" She asks him.

"Well, we just discoverers time travel so—,"

"Don't bullshit me, Steve." She folds her arms.

"A couple of years." He confesses quietly.

That was her breaking point. A sob left her mouth.

"Are kidding me? A couple of years, Steve?" She raises her eyebrows. She really doesn't want to believe this.

She runs her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Chloe I'm—,"

"Why would you leave now? We're about to get everyone that we lost back! What about Sam? Or Bucky? Or any of your fucking friends?!" She cries.

Steve doesn't say anything. Chloe is holding back on what she wants to say, and he can tell.

"What about me?" That's the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Chloe begins to cry. She feels like her heart has been ripped out of her chest and stomped on.

"Chlo, believe me when I tell you, I'm doing this for you." He grabs her hand.

She snatches it away.

"No. Don't. Don't do that. Don't act like this is some heroic thing, steve. This is selfish. You're being selfish. And you have been for leading me on for eight fucking years!" She argues.

"I didn't lead you on! I love you, Chloe. I do, please believe me when I tell you that. Just—," he cuts himself off with a deep breath.

"Just not enough to stay?" She finishes the sentence for him.

Since this conversation has started, neither of them have looked each other in the eyes, until now.

Now, it was evident to Steve how much pain he caused her by doing this. It was also now evident to Chloe that Steve meant every word he told her.

He puts his hands on her shoulders.

"Deep down, you always knew this was never going to work." He speaks gently to her.

She shakes her head in disbelief.

"Yes, Chloe. No matter what happened, you and I were just never going to happily end up together. I think it's better that we realized this now rather than later." Steve moves his hands to the base of her neck.

He stares at her, hoping to find some sort of validation that he's doing the right thing. 

"Chloe, please say something." He whispers sadly.

"If you knew this was never going to work, why'd you let me believe it would?" She asks him.

"I—,"

"Whatever the shit excuse is, I don't think I'll be able to handle it right now." She shakes her head as she moves his hands away from her.

Chloe backs away from Steve, avoiding looking at him at all costs.

"You know, I really hope this works out the way you want it to Steve. Fingers crossed you'll be put out of your misery." She comments, wiping the tear off of her cheek.

"Chloe, I'm—,"

The door closing is what made him cut his sentence short. She was gone. There was no use.

Chloe sees Natasha and instantly goes over to her. "Finally. That was a long— what happened?" Natasha questions once she notices Chloe's tears.

"He's leaving." She says, instantly hugging the older woman, sobbing onto her shoulder.

[neptunetheplanet7]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡

DM ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON THE TAGLIST!!

;mikasa ackerman x fem!lesbian!reader

;modern au, band au

word count: 2.0k

warnings: swearing, eren is a wee bit dramatic, a singular pervert

listen to the music masterlist

prev | next

"Shit!" Eren yelled, starting to chase after the police car Zeke was now in the back of. "That's my brother! Let him go!"

He shouted multiple profanities as he ran. He almost hoped they'd reach the ears of the cops.

"Eren, wait!" Armin ran forward after him. His hands latched onto Eren's shirt to stop him from running any further.

He was pulled back by Armin and he collapsed on the concrete. The yells he emitted made his voice scratchy and hoarse. He sat on his knees, breathing hard. The cars disappeared from your line of sight as Armin helped guide Eren to the group.

A deep voice made you tear your gaze away from them. "I apologize on behalf of Levi. He usually keeps a cool head." Looking up, you saw the blond man from before looking at your stumbling friends worriedly.

"Oh, yeah. I apologize on behalf of Zeke. He's always in some sort of trouble. Was that your wedding ring he pawned?" you asked.

He sighed. "Yes, it was." He paused and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Levi was really upset when he came home without it. But you don't have to apologize for what Zeke did. It's in the past and we can always just get more rings. I'm Erwin, by the way." He moved his hand forward to grasp yours.

You returned his kind smile. "I'm Y/n, nice to meet you. You should probably go before my friend gets back over here." You gestured to Eren, who was slumped against the blond beside him. "He can get pretty temperamental too."

Erwin smiled again. "I'll take your advice on that one. Take care, Y/n."

"You too."

After a few minutes, he reached his car and drove away. You couldn't help but wonder if Erwin's husband had anything to do with Zeke and Nebraska. However, you figured pawning something wouldn't get you banned from a state.

You decided not to dwell on it at that moment. So many things happened throughout the night and you didn't need another add-on.

Eren sat against the bench, sliding down the back. Armin was still by his side.

Annie and Bertholdt exited the restaurant, Bertholdt holding the door for her. Reiner trailed behind them.

They made their way over and stood by the bench. Reiner spoke up, "Everything's on the house, according to Marcel. Porco said we should probably get out of here, though."

"We didn't even get to eat!" Sasha whined. Her dress creased against the pavement as she kicked her legs.

Connie nodded and frantically looked around as if some food would magically appear from the ground. He wasn't far off.

"Holy shit is that a food truck?" He pointed across the road, and sure enough, there was one running in the parking lot of a plaza.

"I didn't even know food trucks were out this late. I'm thanking my lucky stars they are, though," Marco grinned.

Sasha's eyes lit up at the sight and she bolted across the parking lot. You were sure you had never seen anyone run that fast in your life.

"Christ, Sasha. Wait for me at least." Connie jumped off the sidewalk and charged after her.

The rest of you followed the two at a slower, more reasonable, pace. Careful to watch for cars instead of just running into traffic like your idiot friends.

The employees of the truck were pleasantly surprised when they saw the sudden line of people gathering at their window.

Eager chatter about the food you all would order quickly arose. All your stress from earlier events seemed to dissipate when Mikasa urged you into a conversation.

When the two of you reached the front of the line, the guy running the truck recognized you. He referred to you as 'the hot guitarist from that one band.'

Mikasa was visibly disgusted when she trained her cold eyes on the man. Grabbing the food, she ushered you away and glared over her shoulder as you sat on the ground in front of her.

The whole group was sitting on the pavement since there were no benches nearby in the empty parking lot.

Stores lined the end of the lot that faced your back. Dim lights emitted from inside a few of them. Other than that, there was only light coming from the food truck plus some street lamps.

The air was light and the sky was dark. Stars shone amongst the barely visible clouds. Your gaze shifted up at them just as you finished eating. They stared back down on you and a closed-eyed smile broke out on your face.

Mikasa stopped laughing with Sasha when you caught her attention. You looked so contempt and peaceful, especially after the night you had. Your foot tapped lightly against the concrete. Your face was illuminated by the moonlight.

She was entranced by you and couldn't avert her eyes. Coming back home made her fall into habits from a long time ago. Habits she used to be ashamed of.

The sound of Armin dropping their paper plate as he stood made Mikasa finally snap her eyes away from you. She blushed and Sasha side-eyed her with a teasing smile.

Eren dropped his plate next to Armin's and pushed himself up. He gestured excitedly to a liquor store behind you and proudly declared that all drinks were on him.

Ymir cheered loudly at this. She stood as well and tried to get others to join in. Historia chipped in a small yell of triumph as Eren dragged Jean into the shop to stock up.

Armin reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A wide smile stretched his face. "Do you guys like the idea of music right now?"

Reiner nodded enthusiastically and looked over the blond's shoulder at their playlist. He grinned and leaned over to hit shuffle.

Armin turned up the volume and set his phone down. An old song filled the atmosphere and he began to dance along.

Reiner joined in alongside Marco, Ymir, and Historia likewise. Sasha and Connie's dance moves were very uncoordinated compared to the others. Their limbs flailed in the air but at least they had the spirit.

Bertholdt was awkwardly overlooking the scene until Annie grabbed his arm and led him into the dancing circle. It was nice to see her letting loose, even if she was only making Bertholdt's obvious crush worse in the process.

Laughing to yourself, you got up to dance with your friends. You beckoned for Mikasa to come along and she didn't hesitate to follow.

After a few songs, Eren and Jean emerged from the liquor store with cases of beer. Ymir emitted another cheer and helped them unbox some of it, taking a bottle for herself and her girlfriend.

Mikasa stopped dancing to grab bottles for the both of you. After multiple attempts, you claimed to be too weak to open yours so she gladly took up the responsibility. You thanked her and drank it happily.

Eren stepped in to dance and stole Armin's attention from Reiner. A hurt look graced his features for a moment before shaking it off as quickly as it came. He opted for intruding on Bertholdt and Annie.

Jean took hold of Marco's arm and spun him around over and over while they laughed like idiots.

Ymir was loudly singing along while twirling around in various parking spots with Historia.

A few yards away from the others, you kept swaying to the music with Mikasa. Sasha and Connie were snickering to themselves and pointing but you pretended to not see them.

Mikasa snorted when she looked at your clumsy form. "You're not a very good dancer. I guess that's one thing that'll never change."

Your jaw dropped as you feigned offense. "That's rude. I happen to be a great dancer. Remember homecoming?"

She smiled and laughed. "Do I? You must've stepped on my feet at least fifty times."

"Damn, sorry about that. But if I'm so bad then you must be great. Teach me your ways, Mikasa," you jested. Even though you were joking, you still felt your face heat up at the idea of her showing you how she danced so well.

Her smile was still evident when she took hold of your hands and moved you along to the beat. "I'll take you up on that offer."

She never took her eyes off of you as her hands guided your body to move with the music. You flushed under her stare and prayed it didn't show in the moonlight.

Each time she sent you a reassuring smile you wondered if she was thinking like you. Not that it mattered much. All you knew was that when you met her eyes, there ceased to be any problems nagging your mind.

By the time Armin's songs replayed for the third time, you had your fair share of drinks. A lot of your friends had drunk a little heavier, though. The only ones who weren't extremely drunk or passed out were the designated drivers and, coincidentally, you and Mikasa.

At this point in the night, the food truck was long gone. Eren and Armin were making fools of themselves trying to dance together. Marco was doing his best dealing with Jean's clinginess but he was barely holding on by a thread. Ymir and Reiner were fast asleep on the ground on either side of Historia. Sasha was surprisingly sober, you guessed she had to drive a drunk Connie home.

A slower song started to play and Mikasa made the bold move to pull your arms around her shoulders and put her hands on your waist.

"Like them," she whispered and nodded to Bertholdt and Annie. You would've shrieked at the sight of them dancing so closely together if you weren't already so surprised by Mikasa's suddenness.

You swayed with her to the rhythm of the song as she led the dance. You hoped the clicking sound you heard behind you wasn't Sasha's camera.

Continuing the quiet dance, you knew the familiar song was coming to an end. Call it the alcohol talking, but you felt a sudden burst of confidence run through your veins.

You adjusted your arms around her neck to pull her closer and she did the same at your waist. Butterflies swarmed in your stomach as you eased into her embrace.

When you looked into her eyes you realized she was leaning closer to your face. She stopped to ask, "Is this okay?" Her voice was shaky as she whispered. Her warm breath tickled your nose from the proximity.

You nodded. Your hushed words came out even shakier than hers, "Just listen to the music."

You didn't fight the feeling when your lips collided with hers. A warmth spread throughout your chest and you felt like fireworks were exploding inside of you. Her kiss was soft and her scent was intoxicating. This is really happening.

When you finally parted to look up at her, you felt everything and then nothing at all. The world faded from your view and you were no longer staring into her eyes when it went dark.

posted: 9/9/21

neptunetheplanet7© 2021

no reposts, edits, or modification to my work by anyone other than me.

[neoculturetechxgot7]

Gardenia on the crown - J.J.H.

2; Sun kissed gardens

pairing: Jung Jaehyun × Reader

genre: angst

length: around 2k words

warnings: profanity

``

The distance from the ballroom to the gardens is fairly short, having to cross only a few wide halls buzzing with the usual morning preparations as maids and servants swiftly moved around with hasty steps.

You're surprised to soon find yourself crossing a large patio paved with thick, grey gravel to reach what the king said to be the countryard, where a seemingly endless sea of green spread under the skyline. Without wasting a moment, you follow both elders as they begin making their way between big, voluminous bushes and blooming flowers covering each side of the stone path.

It seems to be more of a maze than a garden, its complicated spirals of greenery pushing you to the brim of dizziness, constant turns killing your sense of direction. At this point, it's a fact that you'd get lost if left alone in there.

The sky is clear and gifts you a generous supply of sun beams, which you presume to be nature's way of sympathizing with your new reality, trying to provide the slightest comfort. It's hard to enjoy even that though, with Jaehyun by your side. At least he makes sure to keep more than enough distance and you feel internally grateful for his understanding of personal space.

You steal a brief glance on your right where he strolls carelessly, hands in the pockets of his dress pants like a gentleman. Glaring far into the horizon, he seems to have retreated into his own thoughts which causes you to feel a little more relaxed, knowing he isn't intently watching your every move.

The sudden urge to run away almost overpowers you when his eyes, pink and purple lavender mirroring in their depths, lock with yours and embarrassment pierces through you so brutally. Once again, your cheeks probably get more blush than any rose in the entire palace as you quickly snap your head to the other side.

He literally just caught you staring.

But there is nothing wrong with that, right? He is your husband-to-be after all...

Thanfully, Jaehyun doesn't comment anything, only leaves a blanket of silence drape over you and the bold decision of looking at anything but him takes a good seat in the back of your head.

Thankfully, the plants around you can provide a great distraction as you get fascinated by their vivid colours and freshness, early dew still sliding off of velvety petals and leaves. They aren't as Iively as those back home nor is there as much variety, but still it remains a pretty sight.

What really catches your attention though are a few snowy white blooms emerging from a plush bush beside the path and your heart flutters, inevitably drawn to them. Ducking with golden satin pooling around your ankles, your fingers reach out to pluck one and the next moment you're burying your nose to deeply inhale in the beautiful scent that makes fairies dance on the crisp air.

You love it. That's why you can't bare to avert your gaze, instead standing over the plants as if you can somehow escape in their dreamy world, wiping tiny droplets from their surface to feel the coolness of morning.

"Gardenia." A voice comes from behind and you quickly realise it's Jaehyun, his heavy footsteps growing louder as he approached.

"I know." You reply, almost allowing a chuckle past your lips. "My mother adores them. She says it takes a lot of care for these to grow."

"We do take care of them here." There is a tone of pointing out the obvious lacing his words as he halts before the flowers and slowly leans to sniff one.

"You take care of them?" You ask with a finger pointing at him, genuinely curious to know if the prince of ice has a soft spot for gardening after all.

"No, of course not. Servants do." Jaehyun explains nonchalantly and, after looking back at the path, gestures for you to follow, since both your parents have already moved way ahead.

The hint of enthusiasm in your chest is quickly crashed by his answer and once again it feels so unbearably cold to be around him, an imaginary yet sturdy wall built between you two. He continues walking, completely ignoring the uneasiness being alone with him causes you.

You wish to rush to your father's side, hide under his wing and plea to stop the marriage, but your pride and unbending sense of responsibility leaves you simply scurrying to catch up.

You don't trade any other words as he continues pretending oblivion to your existence and you begin hating even the slightest idea of him, burning with desire for all of this mess to end.

♤

A torturous amount of time later, your heels are digging into the expensive burgundy carpet decorating a high staircase leading up to what the king said to be your royal chambers. You can't wait to go up these steps and sink in the peace and quiet of a well-made bed. Privacy and some time alone is all you need to put the tornado of incomprehensible thoughts racking your mind in order.

And while you're daydreaming about soft pillows and the chilling touch of cotton sheets, Jaehyun's father keeps on with his relentless ramble regarding the wedding, which, from what you understood, will be held under the next full moon, in about a month from now.

It then dawns on you how, truly, you have only 25 days before you allow that awful prince to slide a band of polished platinum on your ring finger and tie your lives together in eternity. Then, as the unwritten laws of the ancient proclaimed, you'd be inseparable.

Fuck all of this.

Screaming and shouting until the moon itself tears in half seems like a tempting option to let out the despair now nibbling at every inch of you skin. Hatred and so much fury boils in your bloodstream, especially after your gaze lands on your betrothed, who was eyeing you back, possibly with raw dislike.

You realize now that, really, you despise him.

He's standing just a step below, too close for your lungs to breathe freely but close enough for your nails to claw at his eyes and-

"...and the ceremony will take place at the palace, before the grand feast..." The hoarsennes of the king's voice scratches your ears almost cruelly.

You can't stand hearing whatever shit is coming out his mouth, already way past your breaking point. You can't take it anymore, you can't wait for him to finish that annoying monologue.

Your fingers start to tremble ever so slightly, golden rings clashing inaudibly against each other.

You don't want to hear anything else about that damned wedding, the upcoming end of life as you know it, and right now all you can think about is how to reach your room as soon as possible.

Then, a god-sent idea flashes before your conscious, dramatic yet somehow good, the distress in your eyes replaced by glimmering relief.

If this works, you'll be in the security of a spacious room within seconds, away from the overwhelming royals and their annoying chit-chat.

A soft gasp falls from your parted lips and a hand shot up to your forehead, knees bending slightly.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Your dad's concern coated tone sends traces of guilt to crawl under your skin.

"Yes, I'm just feeling a little dizzy, father." You whine, sounding pathetic nonetheless, leaning towards his embrace for support.

"Do you need me to call the maids?"

Your inevitably gaze shoots to Jaehyun's father eyeing you, awaiting your answer.

"No, no, it's alright. I'd prefer to retreat from your company, though." You mentally cringe at the immerse politeness you're forced show when in reality all you long to say is a simple fuck off, all of you.

So your plan might be...really pitiful at its execution after all. You aren't sure if anyone will believe your pretentious groan of pain and the helpless tone, but even so, who can refuse a princess a such simple request?

"The sun. Its probably the heat that's caused this, my Lady." The unbothered king points out, without a single drop of regret in his voice for having you wander around the entire garden under the searing licks of sunshine.

And then, fingertips scorch a tight grasp around your wrist making you flinch, eyes darting daggers at Jaehyun who is taking a step forward to tower over you, blaze adorning his gaze.

"Are you sure you're alright, princess?" His other hand snakes its way around your waist so smoothly, fingers squeezing waves of newfound heat against your side.

You can burst any moment now and slap that pretty face of his that's now only a breath away as he pulls you ever so slightly towards his chest.

If you had a fake headache before, it's a certain fact that a real one is starting to pulse inside your head at right now.

"Guards!" The king loudly calls for the two men in light armor standing on either side of the base of the stairs and they hurry away from their positions to approach you. "Take her highness to her royal chambers immediately."

You'd be glad to be escorted by them, followed by the soft clatter of iron as you head for the comfort of your apartments, away from that stupid prince.

But apparently Jaehyun isn't about to allow that luxury, when he throws a sharp nod to stop them dead on their tracks.

"I got her."

No, no, no, no. Damnit, no.

You can barely contain your body's reaction to violently wiggle out of his grip and pick up your skirts to bolt away, not giving a shit about manners at this point. Being almost pressed flush with his body strangely drains you of energy and clouds your mind with a heavy daze, sensing his every warm inhale brush against your neck.

"Father, please continue without us."

You don't make it to hear what the others mumble -probably their farewells- as he spins you around, palm moving lower on the small of your back to support it, although it's really not necessary. If it weren't for his tight hold though, you would've fallen flat on your face after tripping on the first step, the clumsiness striking you yet again.

"Do you need me to carry you?" He leans to whisper in your ear, freezing you in place at the proximity and his spine-chilling touch.

You are somewhat disgusted. His concern is probably nothing more than sugar-coated pretence.

"No, I'm okay. I can do this alone." That's all you manage to blurt out, insides lit on ruby fire as you try to move away hopelessly.

Even so, his bony fingers don't loosen up. "There's only a few steps left."

His voice rings faintly, because everything around you except him seems to disintegrate into a blur and you melt painfully slow into his unwanted embrace. The erratic heartbeat thumping on your temples is louder than gunshots at this point, making you wonder if he can hear it so clearly too.

Jaehyun's scent of sandalwood and rosemary has a shaky breath hitch at your throat so painfully, overpowering all your senses in a feverish way.

You curse at your impatience, regretting not waiting for the king to end the annoying palace tour and bidding all three men goodbye to find your room all alone. Yes, that would've been perfect compared to the current situation.

Your whole body is tense, every muscle buzzing with electricity as you keep going up the staircase in the heated hands of your betrothed.

The devil holds you tight only to burn you tighter.

//