#your muse could be trying to get what the crew wants for different reasons

[antvnger]

((Okay why not, let’s try this out - open starter))

Scott’s more used to pulling off heists, not stakeouts. And honestly, he thought he might never take up a stakeout job again.

When he was asked to do a stakeout against what looked like a ragtag crew of amateur thieves, he thought this would be a piece of cake, especially considering his size and skills set.

Worse. It was boring.

These guys were doing nothing. Scott watched for two full days with nothing to show for it. He was beginning to think his information was wrong, but his informant was hardly ever wrong with stuff like this. They were going for something big, and they apparently needed big help to get it done.

So when the crew had arranged for a meeting with someone who could give them big help, Scott almost cheered. Finally! Something’s actually happening.

When he followed the crew in question to the rendezvous, there was someone there waiting for them already.

“Holy shit,” Scott muttered when he realized who they were meeting. Scott knew them.

“What are you up to?” he wondered aloud from his hiding place as he watched the exchange go down.

Okay so maybe stakeouts weren’t too bad after all…

[north-blue-hearts]

Heart of Gold

CisFem Reader x Trafalgar Law

CW: ptsd, trauma, depictions/implications of suicide and suicidal ideation, language, violence, blood, canonical character death, mature themes and events 18+

Chapter 16: Well in Hand

Not much changed in the day to day of life on the Polar Tang. Your hand found Law’s when the two of you were near enough, and he’d kiss the top of your head in passing, no matter who was around. It was a little embarrassing at first, but the ease with which the crew accepted it, and the frequency of his small actions helped.

Your usual duties continued without interruption. You aided with making meals, learned more about the functions of the sub, and spent what spare moments you could with Law in his office. There was a different tension that built up between you two during these times, but you kept each other on task with continued research, reading and musings.

News from the gulls came in when you’d surface for air or laundry needs. One of the Warlords had been imprisoned for trying to take over a desert island nation, but aside from one of them, the Warlords weren’t your concern. The news had irritated Law, but only in passing, and you imagined, not because of Sir Crocodile.

“Doflamingo was credited with having brought the plot to light for the marines to handle.” You glance over at Law. “The move doesn’t make any sense.”

“Part of a plan that’s mostly obscure?” Law prompts and you shake your head.

“If Donquixote had complete control over who the next two Warlords were going to be, then sure.” You say, brows furrowed. “You could argue he was moving the pieces off the board that do him no good while trying to tighten a hold on all the Warlords for his own gain. But he’s in a business relationship with Kaido, as you’ve said. The other Warlords would do him little good. Duplicitous partnerships like that would only implode on him in the end.”

You consider the news for a few more moments, taking into account all you knew about Doflamingo and the other warlords from what Law and the crew had taught you.

“Is it… I mean.” You groan in frustration, setting the paper aside, and leveling a disbelieving look at Law. “Did he truly make such a move purely because he could?”

“He does enjoy setting off distractions for no reason other than the chaos they could cause.” Law explains.

“… What a chaotic little gremlin.” You mutter and Law nearly snorts.

“We’ll be at the next island tomorrow, are you ready?” He asks, shifting the topic to something more important.

“As I can be.” You admit with a heavy sigh. “Being preemptively anxious does no good, but I can’t stop it.”

Law puts a hand over yours, standing a little closer. “No matter what, we’ll get it figured out.”

You twine your fingers between his and smile. “Is it too much to ask that you kiss me even if I can’t leave the ship?”

He raises his brow inquisitively. “I wasn’t aware I was going to kiss you if you could leave the ship.” He teases.

You turn toward him with a smile. “It was a bit more that I expected I would kiss you, if I was successful.”

He leans down toward you, and you can feel the blood rush to your face. “You don’t have to earn a kiss.”

“Yes, well, no, I know, but in – in front of the crew.” You stammer, eyes focused on his lips.

“Even then.” He asserts, his free hand cupping your face gently as he leans down the rest of the way and kisses you softly.

“We-we’re getting off,” your words are halted by another soft kiss, this one ending in a sly smirk. “Task.” You finish softly. He kisses you again and you can feel a need bubbling up in you.

“I do believe you’re trying to seduce me, Mr. Trafalgar.” You say teasingly.

His golden eyes find yours, and there’s a shift in the gaze, a change in the air, and you can feel tension pull taut through everything.

“Do you want me to honestly try?” He questions in a voice sweet, and low, and dangerous, and terribly, terribly tempting.

“I, um, that’s – I mean.” You press your lips together and look away.

Law kisses you on the forehead before leaning back and giving you space. “No for the moment then.” He answers for you, giving you time to step back and straighten up on your own before he lets go of you entirely.

You excuse yourself long enough to make some tea, giving you both time to cool off a little, and providing a small break from all the research. The rest of the evening goes well, and the next day the Polar Tang is anchored in a cove on the new island.

The whole crew is on deck as Jean Bart and Bepo set up the gangplank from the ship to the shore. Law’s holding your hand as you watch the two work.

“The crew’s here for support, but if you want privacy, I can order them below deck.” He says quietly.

You shake your head. “I appreciate the support.” Your hand tightens against his. “We’re going to do this the same as before, yes?”

“Almost.” Law says, nodding toward Jean and Bepo who are waiting on the island. “Jean will lift you up if you can’t make it and see if that helps. If not, he’ll bring you back up here. I will only ever be a word away, okay?”

You nod taking another few deep breaths to try and keep yourself calm.

“I’ll head down first, then.” Law says, leading you forward gently as he steps over the railing, guiding your descent as he had on the other island.

The hardest part about trying a second time, was that you weren’t sure what was effecting you. Was your heart racing because you were nervous about things going wrong, or was it racing because things were going wrong? You focused on your breathing, and on Law, knowing that even if he had to risk you throwing up, he wouldn’t let you suffer trying to reach the island or the ship.

Halfway down the gangplank you stop. Law takes a few more steps, and then waits quietly. You take things one step at a time, assessing how you’re feeling with each step closer to the island you get. You want to know where the line is, more than anything else, but you also don’t want to assume your baseline anxiety isn’t covering that line up.

Law covers the rest of the gangplank, stepping onto the island and giving Jean Bart space to go get you if needed. You take each step slowly, eyes on the gangplank. You don’t want to look at the island, you don’t want to know where it is in relation to you, so you just keep your eyes on the path beneath your feet.

Each step feels like relief. Each pace forward is another small victory, and you can feel yourself slowly relaxing. You start to look up from your slow movement forward, glancing at the island, and glancing at Law. Another step. Another. It was slow going, but you couldn’t risk rushing it.

Your foot set down on the gangplank again and a zing hit your chest like a small jolt. You nearly gasped, and you knew your face betrayed you when you heard Law call out your name. You took another step despite it and the small jolt tightened, gripping your heart like it had before and making it hard to breathe. Frustration and confusion are painted across your face as Law orders Jean to get you.

The large man clears the distance between you and the island easily and picks you up, steadying you against his shoulder.

“Bell?” He asks, waiting for you to tell him to go to the ship or the island.

“T-toward the island,” you manage. “One step.”

Jean takes a step toward the island and the fear that comes over you tenses your entire body. He doesn’t even ask after that, heading toward the ship as quickly as he can, and setting you on your feet on the deck.

You put the backs of your hands against your eyes. “Dammit.” You swear in frustration.

There’s a tentative hand on your shoulder and when you don’t shrug it off, Ikkaku gives you a hug. “Sorry.” She offers quietly, and you can feel the rest of the crew around you. Different hands squeeze your shoulders, a few people pat your back. You can feel Jean Bart’s massive hand rest on your head for a moment before Bepo hugs you along with Ikkaku.

After a few moments you hear Law’s voice.

“(Y/N).”

“I’m okay.” You reply quietly, and Ikkaku and Bepo step back. You sigh deeply and move your hands away. Your eyes are red, but only a little, as you managed to keep your tears in.

“You don’t have to do that anymore.” Law assures you, running his fingers over your hair before you lean forward and set your head against his chest. He strokes your hair a few more times as you let your tears fall. They don’t fall to the deck, instead soaking into his shirt, but it wouldn’t matter.

Frustration only comes out as salt.

“It doesn’t make any sense!” You shout your frustration into his chest, muffling the sound of your raised voice a little before leaning back. “I traveled a lot, even before I was on the run, even before everything went wrong! I never, ever, had an issue with being on an island.”

“We’re not done experimenting.” Law says evenly. “We’re no where near exhausting all our options.”

“… Yeah. Yes, you’re right.” You say flatly.

Law leans down and kisses your forehead. “It’s okay to be frustrated.”

You nod. “It’s just… I was okay with the idea of staying on the submarine for as long as I could, but now that I know I cannot leave it, I want to.”

“That sounds pretty normal.” Shachi says, and immediately slaps a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, Bell.”

“He’s got a point.” Ikkaku adds. “Like when you injure a leg or your back and the captain tell you not to walk around-.”

“-unless absolutely necessary.” The entire crew chimes in with Ikkaku and Law grunts, a frown on his face.

“The second he says that I swear I remember a dozen things I need to do that require walking.” Uni admits.

“Bed rest is the worst.” Clione adds. “Especially if you don’t adhere to it.”

Hakugan snorts, smiling at you before he clarifies, jerking his thumb at Clione. “He got caught walking around so much Cap’n made him sleep in his office so he could keep an eye on him.”

The crew laughs and you manage to smile easily.

“Thank you.” You say as the laughter dies down. “I feel better, and I appreciate everyone’s help.”

“Do you want to try it without your heart now? Or later?” Law questions.

You look off the ship toward the island, and then back to Law. “Now’s fine.” You agree and smile. “That’s quite the way to put it.”

“You have a bad reaction to Shambles, have you had a bad reaction to anything else?” He asks as he takes a step back and creates a room.

You shake your head. “No, but I also haven’t had any of my internal organs removed by the fruit, either.”

Law nods. “You’re going to feel a little weak, but if you feel any pain let me know.” He explains. “This shouldn’t hurt at all.”

“Certainly.” You nod as Law puts his hand out toward you.

“Mes.”

The sensation of being cut, without the pain of being cut, slipped through your body like a hair across your tongue. Uncomfortable, and a little unsettling, but not painful. You could feel the shift in your body as it felt like you had to stretch to connect to your heart, but there was nothing alarming.

Your hand goes to the new hole in your chest before you look up at Law. His eyes are wide, focused on the cube in his hand.

Everything stops.

The heart in Law’s hand is golden.

[gritsandbrits]

Nia & The Mystery Woods

An original tale by gritsandbrits Based on the television program created by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton

Based on  The Railway Series by the Rev. W Awdry 

Original characters belong to me everything else to their respective owners (Mattel) 

Note: mix of the show & Shining Time/TATMR 

Since her arrival to Sodor, Nia the Orange Engine grew to love her new home. One landmark that fascinated her was Henry's Forest. While she thought a heavily wooded area was an odd choice to put a branch-line in, she couldn't deny she loved seeing such gorgeous greenery and sparkling springs up close. 

One afternoon, Nia was on her regular run (trying her best to bear with the stench of raw fish) when she arrived in the forest. A sign told all engines to reduce their speed. Nia didn't mind slowing down, it gave her the chance to embrace the serenity Mother Nature had to offer. 

"I wish I could stay here," she sighed. "If not for being an engine I could walk deeper into the woods and see more of it."

"Perhaps another time when we're free," her driver replied. 

Wistfully Nia continued on her slow journey when suddenly, she heard nearby bushes rustle loudly. Before she could process it something darted out in front of her. She jerked to a stop!

"What in the world was that?!" She yelped. 

"Must've been a deer," her frazzled driver said as they checked to make sure she was alright. 

"Whoo! At least nothing spilled out. The last thing we need is sturgeon juice all over the rails," the orange engine grumbled. Her eyes then noticed something was on the rails. Faint shimmer. 

Once there was no sign of any more deer, the little crew went on their merry way. But Nia couldn't help but feel uneasy. 

That night at Tidmouth she relayed the encounter to her shedmates. 

"It could've been a deer like your driver said," Rebecca mused. 

"What kind of deer shimmers?" Nia retorted.

"It could be a fairy!" Percy exclaimed. "One of the delivery girls at the mail station always talks about them!"  

"A fairy? Percy you know magic doesn't exist," huffed Gordon.

Everyone stared at Gordon with blank expressions on their faces. Then he remembered, "oh yeah that's right Lady," he muttered in embarrassment.

"We could ask her but she's all the way on the other side of the world," Thomas sighed sadly.

"You could ask Edward," Emily suggested. "He should know all about the weird things that go on in Sodor; he's been here longer than any of us!"

If she had a neck Nia could've shaken her head yes. "I will tomorrow." Deep down she was nervous about speaking with Edward. She never could muster up the courage to, she felt bad for replacing him. But if she was to get a concrete answer she would have to hide her fears. 

The next morning Nia spotted Edward lounging in the yard.

"Good morning Edward," she greeted quietly.  

"Nia! What a surprise," the blue engine exclaimed. "Uh, how have you been this morning?" 

"Fine. And you?"

"Well I'm just taking the day off. I ain't as active as I used to." 

A brief silence passed between them. Then Nia asked, "Um, Edward, do you know anything about fairies?"

"Fairies?" 

Nia explained her encounter to Edward. Afterwards he mused.

"If I'll be honest I think you saw a nymph.

"A nymph?"

"It's a different kind of fairy one that roams the forests and lives in trees," Edward continued. "They protect the forest, you know. I haven't seen it myself, but it is said they're the reasons why this island still has its natural habitats."

"I see."

"Perhaps we should test our hypothesis," said Edward. "I'll go with you to Henry's Forest and see it for myself."

"Oh! You don't have to, I don't want to take up too much of your time," Nia began.

"Nonsense, it'll do me some good to work out my wheels," assured Edward.

Later that day the two engines made their way to Henry's Forest. During the trip they didn't talk. Not out of rudeness but because both were too nervous to talk to each other.

When they arrived they stopped. "Alright," said Edward. "Show me where it happened."

Nia gestured with her eyes. "I think when I passed by those patches of blackberries when I saw them." 

The engines trudged along the shaded path. Listening out for their magical friend. After a while they had found nothing.

"Hm, maybe it was a deer after all," she said. "Still doesn't explain the shimmer."

"Perhaps some naughty children," said Edward. "People can be disrespectful to wildlife, unfortunately." 

Just as they were about to leave, Edward felt something soft whip past him. "What on earth?" He could make out some dust faintly shimmering in the sunlight. His nose started to itch…

"ACHOO!"

Steam whizzed from his underbelly as he let out a huge sneeze. His whistle squealed, jolting Nia to attention.

"Bless you!"

The blue engine sniffed. "Thank you, just some pollen."

"We ought to get back, it's getting late," said Edward's driver. When he reached inside his pocket he groaned. "Oi! My pocket-watch! It's gone!"

"Maybe you left it back at the station?" The fireman asked.

"No, I could've sworn I had it on me!"

Edward was confused. 

Nia's crew were preparing her too. When her fireman reached to fix her hat she felt nothing but her own hair. "Hey my hat is missing!"

The humans looked around for the article of clothing but found nothing.

"Maybe it's been blown off by the wind?" Asked her partner. 

"Darn! I really liked that hat!" The driver crossed her arms and pouted. 

The pair left, but as they did, a melodious laugh rang out from the trees. 

The next couple of days were tizzy for the NWR. Crewmen reported missing their hats and tools. More engines were sneezing. It wasn't enough to delay routes. But soon everyone was getting annoyed by the invisible pranks.

Every day Nia's curiosity grew. But so did her anxiety. After that brief time with Edward she didn't speak to him. Only hurrying off whenever he stopped by to visit Tidmoth. She felt bad for ditching but she didn't want to remind him of being his replacement either. 

A couple weeks later, Nia was running her goods (thankfully no fish this time) when she went through Henry's Forest again. This time she was determined to catch a glimpse of the nymph. 

"Alright you rascal where are you?" She looked around only to be greeted by trees and the large pool on the other side of the curve ahead of her. 

Feeling a bit bitter she huffed and went on. So maybe it wasn't a nymph? But that still didn't explain the random pranks. 

 Suddenly she heard a loud rustling. Once again something large darted in front of her! 

"Oh dear!" Nia screeched. 

"Shoot!" The driver applied the brakes as a great buck lept out in front of them! 

Nia squeezed her eyes shut expecting the impact. Suddenly felt her wheels lifting off the tracks. Then the unfamiliar tingle of grass. Finally careening to a stop...into the very sparkling springs she admired so much.

"Somebody...help me???" Was her gargled request.

Edward was sent to her aid. When he arrived with the breakdown train he gasped. 

"Enjoying some cool down time I see?" Edward jokes in hopes to lighten the mood. 

"Gleb! mhhee owa hee!" Nia sputtered drearfully.

"I take that as a yes."

It didn't take long for Nia to get put back on the rails. She sputtered out, "It was a real deer this time!"

"I guess this means we have to be extra careful," replied Edward. "By the way I'm curious. Why do you keep avoiding me?"

Nia's blushed. She didn't want to tell Edward she felt bad for replacing him in the shed. He seemed quite a good sport but she didn't want to instigate possible jealousy. 

"Well I-I've been busy," she replied quickly. 

Before Edward could say anything else, their drivers returned with some items in their hands. 

"I see what caused it, someone put a bunch of rocks and sticks on the line!" Exclaimed Edward's driver. 

"Whoever could have done that?" Edward wondered suspicious. 

"Maybe we should wait and find out," Nia murmured. Then she noticed a trail of sparkles streaking back behind the trees. She had a feeling there was more than just deer that lived in the forest.

[quinloki]

How about 22 for the self-ship prompts, for the ship of your choice? 💙

22 is: Write about a member of your ship giving the other a special gift.

I have a few ideas, I might do them all in short form (warnings for angst, canon compliance, AU, sappy shit idk what all I’ll do xD - sfw though!)

Gifting Eustass Kid

I put the last few finishing touches on the scrapbook and made a face. It was the best gift you had been able to come up with for Kid, but maybe it too personal.

Getting my hands on a snail that took pictures had been a trial and a half. Pretending to take up photography just to disguise my plans hadn’t been nearly as bad, and as a side effect I’d gotten pretty good at snapping pictures. Even managed to soften the flash so I could take day time images sneakily.

I’m the end I had a scrap book of photos from the last year. Celebrations, conquests, and even a few somber moments had been caught on film. Accented and documented with dates and quotes, and the best doodles I could manage.

It was personal. Intimate on a level I wasn’t sure was okay, but at this point I had put my whole ass soul into it, I might as well deliver it.

Wrapping it some cloth and tying it up I went in search of the Captain. Luck was on my side, at least with the delivery, since Kid was alone in his workshop.

I knocked and heard the customary grunt that wasn’t the noise he usually makes when he prefers to be left alone. Stepping in I hang by the door for a moment until Kid waves me over.

“What’s up?” He asks. “And stay back, I’m welding.”

“I brought you a gift.” I say, trying not to sound nervous. “A birthday gift.”

I can sense the change in his body language, but he keeps welding.

“Let me finish this.”

“Of course.”

It only takes him a minute to finish and he sets the torch up after turning it off and turns toward me. Lifting his goggles up I get to see the cheeky smile and the glint in his eyes.

“Well, you’re not wearing it this year.” He muses looking over me before settling on the package in my hands. “That it?”

“Yeah.” I hand it over and take a step back. I haven’t felt nervous around Kid in a couple years, but this is different than our usual little dance. It’s not like we weren’t intimate emotionally, but even then it had been in the small hours of the day.

He unties it and unwraps it. There’s a small twitch across his brow, but I can’t tell if it’s disappointment or confusion. The cover was leather with inlaid words. I couldn’t do it myself, but Wire was really good at it and he helped.

House was good at book binding, and Hop had helped me make the paper. Heat made the ink for me, and well, by the end of it almost the entire crew had helped, even if it was just distracting Kid before he caught me working on it over the last year.

His eyes never leave it as he slowly turns each page. I’ve only ever seen him so focused on his gadgets like that before.

“It’s… I … er, kind of sap-.”

“You made this?”

“The… the crew helped. I don’t know how to tan leather, or bind books or make paper and ink, but I took the pictures and such.”

“But you made it.” He asserts. “Decided on all the images and words, told everyone else what to do?”

“Y-yeah, that’s fair to say.”

“For me.”

I almost laugh. “I ain’t doing all that for anyone else, so yeah.”

“… Fuck.” Kid almost chokes on the word, and before I can ask him what’s wrong he’s set the gift aside and hauls me into a hug.

“Haaa… I was worried it wasn’t going to be well received.” I admit, feeling my face heat up.

Kid holds me in place easily, and I return the hug as best I can. I don’t know if he’s crying or blushing or what, but I know that at least half the reason he’s hugging me is to hide his face. Part of me wants to tease him, but this doesn’t seem like the time for it.

“… Happy birthday, Captain.”

Gifting Sir Crocodile - warning there’s some post Wano spoilers, so proceed at your own risk.

“What’s this?” He raises one eyebrow, regarding the humbly wrapped box I had set in front of him with some akin to disdain.

“A gift.” I answer with a smile. He’s not truly put off, I can tell, especially after all this time.

“I explicitly stated I had no desire to celebrate my birthday.” He’s trying to look irritated but I can see the smile tugging at his lips.

“This is hardly a celebration.” I insist, coming around to his side of the desk, leaning on the arm rest of the chair and giving him a smile. “I could just tell Buggy today is your birthday. I’m sure someone as flashy as him-.”

“Point made.” He grumbles, true displeasure on his face for a moment before he sighs. “Very well, I accept.”

I smile as sweetly as I can. “Well, don’t keep me waiting, open it.”

“Demanding for such a small thing.” He teases, reaching out for the package, and opening it. An emotion flickers across his face, and it’s confusion more than anything else. “My dear, it’s beautiful, but I have several cigar humidors.”

The oak box had a cherry wood finish on the outside, decorated in bananawanis and quill feathers. White and yellow gold filigree decorated it, and dark crimson, nearly black stain had the phrase “Desert Flower” on the top. Against the cherry wood stain it was almost impossible to read.

“It’s not for cigars.” I explain with a smile. “Open it up.”

When he lifts the lid it reveals a velvet lined interior, and a strong smoky scent wafts up into the air. It’s filled with tea leaves.

“It’s a tea box. It’s designed to be mostly air tight, hence the lining. And the oak doesn’t have a strong scent, especially dried, so it doesn’t interfere with the tea’s scent. It’ll absorb them though, so as you come to enjoy more types of tea we’ll have to get you more.” I explain.

“But this is the first one you enjoyed.” I grin. “I think this is the tea that saved my life.”

“… You’re not entirely wrong, desert flower.” He admits. The expression on his face is much softer, and his arm sneaks around my waist as he pulls me in, stealing a kiss that tastes like his cigars.

At this point, it’s a flavor and scent I quite love.

“Thank you.” He says softly.

At that moment the doors burst open and Buggy walks in with a massive cake and an unamused Mihawk with him.

“You didn’t tell us it was your birthday!” Buggy huffs, pushing the cart into the room. “I can’t plan a proper celebration when I find out on the day of it!”

Crocodile growls and looks at me.

“This is not my fault.” I assert.

[queenharumiura]

100 indulgent tropes - 92. one muse wears piece of clothing or jewelry that belongs to the other

[ he'd absolutely wear a bracelet she'd left behind last time they met for sweets just so he doesn't forget to give it back. then proceeds to forget about it even with it on. ]

Taken from meme: [x] ||Accepting|| @parallelroutes

It was just last week when Haru and Byakuran had met up to enjoy some desserts together. It seemed like Haru had two groups that she enjoyed sweets with. Her usual crew, and now Byakuran. She really had to be mindful of how much she ate if she didn’t want to balloon up. Well, with how active of a lifestyle she had, it shouldn’t be too bad (probably).

That’s when it happened. A woman who was carrying her child in her arms wasn’t paying attention to where the child’s hands were, and it had grabbed her ponytail hair tie. Haru doesn’t blame the baby, it’s very sparkly and shiny. It has a very vibrant color as well- suiting Haru’s need for a dash of color in her ensemble for the day.

She can’t blame the baby for being fascinated enough to basically yoink it out of her hair, but it didn’t stop her from being startled by it. The tiny surprised yelp caught the attention of the mother (who was on the phone with someone) and she tried to retrieve the hair tie from the baby and somehow in the fuss, the hair tie flew off somewhere.

It was very awkward, yes. Haru had a lot of different hair ties, so it wasn’t the end of the world, but it was one of her newer ones, so it was a shame she only got to use it a handful of times before it was shot… who knows where. She did try to find it with a quick cursory glance, but she couldn’t find it. Not wanting to make a big spectacle over something so small, she quickly dismissed it. It wasn’t like she couldn’t buy a new one, anyways.

Good thing they were already there for sweets because she could eat her feelings by downing a bunch of sugar! How opportune!

So why is this story so relevant right now? Well—she’s found it up ahead. They didn’t have any plans to meet up, nor did he say anything about it, but she can see Byakuran up ahead wearing her hair tie around his wrist. The vibrant green hair tie really clashed with the rest of his outfit, didn’t it? Was he going for an accent accessory?

No no, that’s not the important part. Did he just so happen to own a hair tie that looked just like the one she lost a week ago, or did he somehow find it and forget to say anything about it?

‘Does he ever pull his own hair up? Is his hair long enough for that? I don’t think it would look very good if he tried. The length of his hair should make it look like a stub, right? Would the stub just melt into the rest of his hair, never to be seen again? Rest in peace, hair tie-san.’

Stop getting distracted, Haru! Focus, Haru! She shakes the miscellaneous thoughts from her head.

She lightly jogs her way over to his side and pats his shoulder. “Fancy meeting you here today. I wasn’t expecting to see you on my way to run some errands.” She motions to a list of groceries she was holding in her hand. Her mom asked her to buy some things for dinner, and on the way, Haru intended to make a quick stop at the fabric store down the block.

Looking down at his wrist, “So, do you coincidentally have the same preference for hair ties as Haru, or did you find it?” What she didn’t know was that the reason why she could find it was that it had roll it’s way near his foot, and somewhere down the line, he’d moved his foot, covering the hair tie completely. That was why it couldn’t be seen from a quick cursory search.

He’d only found it after he left the store. Haru was called away by her mother for a quick errand so Haru had to run off first before she had the chance to look around the store once more. If not for that, she would’ve found out that the tie was underneath Byakuran’s foot the entire time.

“I must say, the color doesn’t really mesh with the rest of your outfit, it sticks out.” She giggles. “Were you safeguarding it for Haru this entire time?”

[run-me-through-but-not-like-that]

Your Stupid Face

Inspired by: Your Stupid Face - Kayden MacKay I was listening to this song the other day and could only think about Izzy

Word Count: 3808

Goddamn it, Izzy hated you. He hated you so goddamn much. He hated you just as much as he hated the rest of Bonnet’s less than mediocre crew. No, he hated you more if that was even possible. Now, Izzy hated most people, but he believed that he hated fairly. He hated everyone in the crew but for different reasons.

He hated Bonnet for claiming to be a pirate captain when he had done nothing to earn it. He hated Lucius for never doing any real work. He hated Black Pete for continuously boasting about his pirating capabilities when he actually had no real experience. He hated Ivan and Fang for merging with Bonnet’s crew with so much ease.

Oh, but Izzy despised you.

It was like you always knew what to do and say to get under his skin, and you clearly enjoyed it. You were never bothered by his threats or his snarling, often meeting them with a smirk and a comment of your own. Like you knew he couldn’t lay a hand on you, not when he was on Bonnet’s stupid fucking ship.

In the short time Izzy had been aboard the Revenge, you had become the bane of his existence, and without even trying which was even more irritating. Your presence alone was like an irritating buzz.

Izzy Hands despised you, plain and simple. He thought the Revenge would be just that little more bearable if you weren’t on it, if you were to just disappear into thin air, but life could never be so kind to him.

Just to sum up, Izzy hated you and you knew it.

“You’re a fucking nuisance. This crew is fucking useless, but it would still be better without you, at least be somewhat bearable. You do nothing but purposely piss me off” Izzy seethed at you, only growing more and more irritated when you continued to grin at him. Completely unbothered by his cruel words, he had been scolding you for a good few minutes now.

“Only when you deserve it. You can be a real ass, Izzy” you tutted, shaking your head at him like a disappointed parent.

“One fucking day I’m going to tie you to that damn anchor” he threatened, grabbing a fist full of your collar and aggressively pulling you forward.

Your grin turned into an amused smirk, scanning his face, dropping your gaze to his lips before meeting his eyes again. “Oh, Izzy Hands, you are going to fall hopelessly, desperately in love with me” you told him, complete confidence in your words.

Your words seemed to shake Izzy up a little bit, another little victory for you. “In your fucking dreams” he forced through gritted teeth as he released your shirt, pushing you away from him.

You chuckled to yourself as you stumbled back, quickly finding your balance again. “I count on it” you winked playfully before turning and leaving, letting Izzy seethe to himself.

-

Izzy fucking hates you, more than ever. He hates that you were fucking right. He is hopeless and he is desperate, but it’s all your damn fault anyway. Now you’re looking at him with that stupid grin spread out on your face, a playful but fond look in your eyes as you tease him.

“Alright, you don’t have to be so fucking happy about it” Izzy huffed, turning his face away from you. His face was red, it normally was due to anger but this time there was a little embarrassment and shyness in the colour.

“But I am happy, Iz!” you smiled brightly, cupping his warm face in your hands. “You’ve finally admitted it, you like me. I knew you did” you knew it was only furthering his embarrassment but he kind of deserved it, plus you didn’t intend on making fun of him for his gruff little confession.

“Fuck off” he muttered but didn’t pull away from your gentle touches.

“Not a chance now” you mused, “you’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

He was afraid too, incredibly so. Fucking terrified even, more than he can ever remember being.

“Look, if you’re going to get all sappy about it, make it quick” Izzy complained but he still hadn’t pulled away, you had a feeling he wanted you to get just a little sappy for a moment.

“You’re cute when you get all flustered” you cooed.

“I am not cute” he huffed again, this time pushing your hands away from his face.

“Yes, sorry, you’re very scary, love” you chuckled. It wasn’t completely mocking, he was a real life terrifying pirate, somebody to be feared, but he was also completely adorable when he was flustered.

“I swear to fucking-” you could hear the defensiveness coming back, his walls shooting up, but you were determined to not let that happened.

Your hands returned to his face, gentle with just the right amount of firmness to hold him in place and make him look at you. He couldn’t complain any further before you had pulled him towards you and kissed him, effectively silencing him. Thankfully, he didn’t resist for no good reason.

Izzy returned the kiss with eagerness, hands gripping your arms to keep you close, almost clinging desperately. Once you felt him relax, you broke the kiss, pulling away from him ever so slightly, just enough to smile at him.

“Hopelessly and desperately in love with me yet?” you asked playfully, though you had the feeling that your little premonition was coming true.

“You wish” he scoffed, despite being very obviously flustered.

“We’ll get you there, don’t you worry” you assured him, voice surprisingly soft, before you pulled him into another quick kiss. Just enough to distract him and help him relax some more before you’re skipping off to continue with your daily chores.

Alright, so maybe Izzy doesn’t hate you, maybe he even likes you a little. Hell, you were starting to make this godforsaken ship feel just that little but more like home. Everything about it felt so wrong, he felt so outside the rest of the crew. That only changed when you were around. You made things feel right, comfortable, like everything fit into place without having to force it.

Though, Izzy thought that if life was kinder, if life ever took mercy on him, he never would have come across Stede Bonnet. Never would have ended up on this ship. Never would have had you unwillingly burrow into his life. Because you were right, there was no getting rid of you now. Getting rid of you would be like amputating a part of himself, he didn’t know if it was necessary, but it would certainly be painful.

No, life never took mercy on Izzy Hands. That’s why he had formed such an attachment to you.

-

Fuck. Izzy could still remember the look on your face as the boat slowly drifted away from that tiny little island. The smallest he had ever seen. After the rupture between Stede and Blackbeard, Izzy had awakened the Kraken. It hadn’t exactly been his intention and he quickly realised he had bit off more than he could chew. Okay, bad choice of words.

None of that mattered now. Nothing mattered after Izzy repeatedly failed to convince Blackbeard to keep you as part of the crew. Blackbeard wanted Jim and Frenchie but apparently nobody else, for reasons Izzy couldn’t completely comprehend, but orders were orders. He had to follow them.

That didn’t mean it was easy when he had to push you and the rest of the crew off of that little rowboat.

“Izzy!” you called, standing right on the edge of that little island, the water lapping at your feet. “Come on, we can figure this out! We’ll speak with Blackbeard!” you tried to reason, tried to convince him that he didn’t need to leave you and the majority of your friends marooned and left for dead. The last thing he heard was his name on the wind, faintly sounding like your voice.

That was a couple of days ago now and he still couldn’t stop thinking about it. You had looked so betrayed as the boat was rowed away, not breaking eye contact until you had no choice, until each of you were just specks in the distance.

There were many things he had felt since the Kraken’s emergence but there was one emotion stronger than any of the others. Hell, he missed you.

He missed your presence, your little smiles, the way you knew how to get under his skin but also how to bring him out of himself, how to make him smile. He hadn’t smiled since that day, that morning to be precise, before he got orders from his captain.

Turns out, Blackbeard being back wasn’t everything he thought it would be. There had even been a time that he thought your absence would be for the best in the long run. Instead of things going back to normal, Izzy was left pining over you, missing you, all while you probably hated him.

It wasn’t like you didn’t have every right to hate him, to despise him. You must have been disgusted by him, cursing his name and the fact you ever met him, if you weren’t already dying from exposure. His stomach turned just thinking about it.

He knew life would never be kind to him, could never give him a break, why would this time be any different?

Izzy had tried being stubborn, to resist the things he didn’t deserve to have, but it didn’t work, you broke down his defences. Life gave him you, gave him some semblance of hope, just to rip it away again, thought he knew he wasn’t completely blameless in the matter.

He had been an idiot to think that he could have something good, to put his care and his trust into you. He knew better than to do that, but he did it anyway.

Some nights, when he was on night navigation and alone on deck, Izzy would find himself standing at the railing of the ship. Just staring out at the endless expanse of water, like he just might see you in a little rowboat following after the ship. Like you might return to him in the dead of night, climb up onto the ship and throw yourself into his arms.

However, Izzy had never been naïve, at least not since he was young and first getting into pirating. He knew that the thought of you returning to him, never mind returning to him without wanting revenge, was a fantasy. Something that could never happen.

Izzy also knew that he only had himself to blame for the situation he was in. He never should have let you ger close, never should have let you in past his defences. He never should have threatened Edward. Never should have left you on that island.

Right now, he didn’t stand on the deck, mulling over silly fantasies. Instead, he lay sleepless in his cabin, his mind stuck on one thing. You. These days Izzy wasn’t sure about much, nothing made sense anymore, but there was one thing he was sure about. Everything would be right, everything would be perfect, if you were here.

In his cabin, in his embrace.

Fuck, he didn’t even get a chance to kiss you goodbye, couldn’t allow either of you that. There were too many people around, too many emotions and questions in the air. He could barely look at you, never mind kiss you.

God, he just missed you so much.

-

When that little dingy packed with crew members that were thought to be dead, lead by Stede fucking Bonnet, sailed right up to the Revenge, Izzy couldn’t believe his eyes. Frenchie and Jim hadn’t even pretended to try to fight them off as they boarded the ship, welcoming their old friends back, glad to see they were alive.

While Jim got their reunion with Oluwande and Wee John lifted Frenchie off of his feet in excited that they were both alive, Izzy didn’t get that from you. Not that he deserved it.

Your focus had been on making sure Edward didn’t kill Stede, as was the focus of most of the crew. You didn’t get the time to confront Izzy, knowing the lives of you and the people you care about rested on the shoulders of the captains’ relationship. One challenge at a time.

After a few days, everything started to settle down. The captains had talked, with the guidance of the very-not-dead Lucius. They seemed to come to a better understanding and hadn’t left the captains’ cabin since.

So, since the ship was in a state of comfortable uncertainty, you finally got the chance to speak with the first mate. Who, had so very obviously, been avoiding you like you had scurvy.

When you arrived at Izzy’s cabin, you walked right in without knocking, knowing he was hiding away in there after designating tasks for the day.

The intrusion had Izzy on his feet instantly, glaring towards the door. “Don’t you know how to fucking knock?” the question was growled before he even saw who had stepped into his cabin.

“I have to knock now? Didn’t have to knock before” you tilted your head slightly, knowing that he probably hadn’t realised it was you when he spoke. You wouldn’t take it personally.

“What are you doing here?” Izzy sighed, his question a little less confrontational at the realisation.

“Stede showed up in his little dingy and rescued us from that island you stranded us on” you reminded him, knowing that wasn’t what he was asking.

“I know how you’re here, on the Revenge. I mean why are you in my cabin?” he asked with a huff, knowing you were just giving him a hard time. It should have made him mad, but he just wanted you to land the blow and leave him to lick his wounds.

“I came to talk” you answered simply, honestly, this time. No look of deceit or ulterior motives in your expression as you closed the cabin door behind you.

“What is there to talk about?” Izzy scoffed, shaking his head, suddenly feeling very trapped in the small room.

“Izzy…Stede left Edward, Blackbeard came back and went on a rampage, you stranded us on an island. There is a lot to talk about” you told him firmly. Stede encouraged the crew to talk about everything, no matter how little, and these things definitely seemed worthy of discussion.

“Exactly, I already ruined everything” to Izzy, you had only pointed out all the ways he had messed up, all the ways he couldn’t be forgiven, “Why do we need to talk about it?”

“Are you sorry for what you did? Do you regret it?” you questioned.

Surely, he had to be, he seemed to know that his actions had only made things worse. Admittedly, if he couldn’t see that, if he didn’t regret it, if he wasn’t sorry…you would probably just have to leave the cabin and accept that Izzy Hands might just be too far gone for you to reach.

“Don’t fucking rub it in” he had meant to scoff, to spit and seethe, but it sounded more like he was pleading. Maybe he was.

“I’m not. I’m genuinely asking” you assured him, just watching him with a neutral expression that was killing him. Just punish him already.

“Yeah, ‘course I fucking regret. Edward went insane, I pushed him too far, he cut off my goddamn toe!” Izzy managed to summon the force he was looking for, though his anger was only directed at himself.

“…yeah, I helped you bandage it before…well, you know” you reminded him, frowning slightly at the memory. Edward had put you on watch that night, you understood why when you returned to Izzy’s cabin at sunrise.

“Before I stranded you…that’s probably what I’m most sorry about” Izzy corrected your sentence before making his little confession. “Fuck, I’m so sorry” he sounded more defeated than anything as he sat down on the edge of his cot. He looked exhausted.

“I forgive you” the words came easily to you. “The others definitely don’t but I do” they others would still be happy to see Izzy thrown overboard but you had found forgiveness for him.

“No” Izzy snapped, suddenly looking at you with a certain fury in his eyes. “Don’t forgive me, I don’t deserve it” he was on his feet again, putting on that first mate Hands persona. Trying to be assertive, intimidating, maybe even trying to scare you a little. To convince you.

“It was fucked up” you admitted, you wouldn’t deny that. He really messed up, multiple times. “But everyone turned out okay, we even found Lucius hiding in the walls. Things turned out alright…you messed up, you realised you were wrong, you apologised. Now, I forgive you” you explained. You’ll admit that if somebody had died, you might not have forgiven him so quickly, but things turned out alright. You decided you could move on from it if he could.

“Don’t…don’t forgive me” and just like that, his anger was gone again. He sounded small, scared maybe. “Why? Why would you do that? Why would you give me another chance to just fuck things up?” he questioned, shaking his head to himself, obviously trying to come up with some sort of reasoning by himself.

He would never find the real answer without you telling him. So, that’s what you did.

“Because I love you.”

Three little words and they completely knocked the air out of his lungs, he felt like he had been shot in the chest. He even took a step back from the blow. He definitely didn’t deserve that, didn’t deserve those words. You can’t come back after that he did to you, after what happened, and tell him that you love him. He didn’t deserve that, not after everything he’s done, especially not from you.

Why did you care about him? Why didn’t you hate him? You should. You should shout at him, cuss him out, berate him. It was the least he deserved. Why weren’t you angry, you weren’t even glaring at him, you were looking at him so damn softly.

But that was just so you, wasn’t it? To forgive him for his misdeeds, to care for him and love him regardless. It was you that he fell for so pathetically because, after everything, you were still right here.

Against everyone’s better judgement, you were willing to give him a chance. Willing to try.

You must hate him, you had too. If you didn’t…if you didn’t hate him, then he couldn’t hate himself.

If you didn’t hate him, why should he hate himself?

If you could forgive him, could he forgive himself?

“Because you…what?” Izzy asked, breathless. “You should give up on me, take the chance while you can” he warned when you began to step towards him, almost like he was trying to talk you out of it. For your own sake.

“Iz, love, I’m not going to give up on and I’m not going to let you give up on yourself” you spoke softly as your hands made contact with his arms. You must have surprised him a little with the touch because he flinched, but neither of you pulled away.

“You can really forgive me? You think we could work this out?” Izzy looked at you as if he just couldn’t fathom you, like you couldn’t possibly be humans. Humans weren’t this forgiving, this kind, none that he had met anyway.

“Of course, I’ve already decided that we will” you teased slightly, hoping to ease the tension at least a little. Hoping to convince him that you weren’t angry with him, not anymore at least.

Izzy looked at you in awe. You really were forgiving him for everything he did wrong, every little thing. And yet again, he was willingly letting himself belong to you.

He released a sigh, hanging his head as he accepted your words. He was forgiven, even if he still planned on atoning, he still had you.

“Iz” you cooed, lifting his chin as you shifted closer. “I’m glad you’re okay, I was a little worried that you wouldn’t be here when we got back” you confessed. Once again, he was looking at you in utter awe. He left you all for dead and you were worried about him.

He didn’t deserve you.

Izzy didn’t get the chance to dwell on that thought much longer before you were holding him, you were tenderly kissing him. It was a short and gentle kiss to his lips, as if you were nervous to push too far too quick.

As you pulled away from the kiss, it was like you left Izzy in a trance, his mouth following yours before he realised what he was doing. 

“Alright, drop that stupid smirk” Izzy grumbled but didn’t make an effort to move away from you, beginning to feel like a tension had lifted.

“Nah, I think I’ve earnt it.” Of course you were smirking, you had returned from the dead and began to show Izzy that he deserved good things. You were breaking down his defences again, you would smirk all you pleased.

“Suppose you have” he agreed, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

“C’mon, stop pouting” you smiled, running your thumb over the seam of his lips, “just accept that I forgive you and I love you, and let yourself have something good for once.”

When he nodded his acceptance, you wrapped your arms around him and embraced him. His arms circled around your frame instinctively, holding you in return, glad to have you back in his arms. “I missed you” he mumbled into your hair, his arms squeezing around you slightly. He couldn’t be closer if he tried.

“I missed you too” you hummed, turning your head to nuzzle into his hair like he was doing to you. “I know it was Blackbeard’s orders…I heard you trying to convince him one night” you whispered.

“I thought you were dead” his voice cracked, arms tightening around you even more.

“I told you, you’re stuck with me, Iz” you smiled, pulling away just enough for him to see your face, running your fingers through his hair.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way” Izzy whispered, pressing his forehead to yours and letting his eyes flutter shut as you continued to play with his hair.

Fuck it, you had been right about another thing. He had fallen hopelessly and desperately in love with you, and he might as well just say it. He would, if he weren’t such a coward.

But Izzy supposed that when push comes to shove…

“I love you.”

[smutty-ki113r]

🪐Ticci Toby🪐||E.T

KinkTober Week 4. Day 16

NSFW||~ One-shot x afab gn!reader, includes—alien toby, oviposition, sex in space hehehe, minors—dni. (2.8k)

Inspired by: Katy Perry

The whole system was going haywire, a constant beep beep beep telling you there was a breach. You rushing to turn all the switches and push all the buttons, nothing working and rendering you helpless; your crew members locked in another part of the spaceship. A pair of full black eyes watching you from afar, pale green hands twitching to touch you.

To him, you were a mystery, a human with different thoughts and mannerisms. It had been the first time he did this, curious to meet another species and decipher your mind and body. To join with you, and unlock all the pulsing secrets you held. To share galactic connectedness between you, and become one.

Observing as you stressed to turn off the alarm, not counting on you going to get the emergency manual and finding him luring behind a wall. Stepping into the corredor and taking a second look at the being in front of you, blinking twice, frozen and trying to register what was happening. Realizing that the breach wasn’t just a malfunction and an alien had actually come aboard your ship. Fear prickling at your skin at the situation, not knowing if he wanted to eat you alive or abduct you.

Taking him in with a sharp inhale, hovering your gaze over his emerald skin and little antenas, twitching them in nervousness. He wore a purple long sleeved v neck and black pants. Your intense stare so heavy that his cheeks turned a deeper shade of green. If you didn’t know any better you’d say he was flustered.

In a moment of personal interest you lowered your guard, approaching him with caution. Your curiosity getting the best of you by far, the once in a lifetime opportunity to make contact with an extraterrestrial too valuable to pass up. Reason screaming at you to run and get away, but your body not responding, something about him hypnotizing you.

Ignoring the possible danger to make an effort at communication, to reveal what he could want with a human. His big dark eyes void of any light, his brow knitting, tensing at your receptiveness. Hearing stories about humans who only wanted to do experiments on his kind making him question if this had been a good idea.

To him you were alien too, his eyes wide and mirroring yours as you got closer to each other. Soft foreign words falling from his mouth as he tried to speak, diction fading into a roughly dictated version of your native language. “H-hey” he tried, hoping his mouth was forming the right shape.

“Hello” you said in an exhale, unsure what to say. Mind going hundreds of miles per hour, paralyzed, wondering if you should ask who he was, or what he was; where he came from or how old he was, maybe he had a name.

The creature’s brow knitting as he took in the greeting, smiling with pearly white jagged teeth; but he wasn’t scary, in fact it kind of turned you on. “I’m t-Toby” he introduced, his speech impaired by a vocal tic, perhaps it was normal in his world.

Responding with your name accordingly and letting him muse over the sound of it rolling off your tongue. “H-how interesting, on m-my planet we d-don’t have that n-name.” He struggled to talk fluently, the vowels foreign to carry out. Toby getting irritated that he was pronouncing wrong, he could tell from the face of confusion you were making. “I apologize f-for my accent”, Pissed because he had so much to tell you and share.

“It’s ok”, you told him in a soft voice, “you’re doing just fine”. Your caring tone making him throb in his pants, how could you be so kind? Especially to someone of his species. His hands twitching in his hold, eyes looking away in embarrassment from your empathy. You watching his every move, an iridescent shimmer of his skin showing when the light hit him at a certain angle, his composure showing that he was kind of shy. You were just so moved by the fact that he could feel emotions like you, that he tried so hard to speak to you.

But he wouldn’t let it sit at that, he wanted to display how he felt, to give you the fragment of transdementional knowledge he could held. To complement you and show you just how greatly you affected him, with your cheeks flushed and your curves hugged perfectly in that space suit.

“I communicate better a d-different way” he told you, spiking your interest. “I could show you, if you let m-me”

Doubt fading by the second as he lidded his gaze and took a step towards you. Your eyes wandering to the textured surface of his face. At the almost glowing aura he radiated, admiring how beautifully his freckles sprinkled across his blushing green cheeks.

“Yes” you answered, almost breathlessly. Slick trickling in between your legs and catching in your panties, heated all over as he pressed his chest to yours. A magnetic force pulling you together, making him so hard to resist.

Bringing up your hand in a parallel to his, finally sharing physical touch with the extraterrestrial. Shivering at the spark emanating from his palm to yours, your other hand moving to rest on his face. Entranced by his strange beauty and the way he looked at you, begging lightly “Kiss me”

Embracing you with a press of his lips, stunning you with the delight of his affection. A magnificent reverb of time and space shooting through your body as you understood what he had been struggling to say. Manifesting in a root of lust and passion in your core as his kisses graced you back, forth, and in directions you never knew existed.

Comprehending that love was the language that transcended dimensions, the one that both of you could understand. Locking lips with a creature not of your world, cosmic magic transfusing through your blood as it pumped faster, begging you to let him stretch you and let you be his victim, pulsing to feel the universal sensation of his sex. His tongue sliding into your mouth and exploring every cavity of your human body.

Greedy hands traveling to your chest and your sides, shockwaves rippling from every place he touched. Impatient and needy to strip your clothes off, sharing breath and not wanting to break when he took his clothes off too. Whining as he laid both of you on the floor. The corredor a sickly pale white with a shiny metal surface, windows that gave view to the entire galaxy surrounding you.

He wasn’t hasty to fuck you, first he wanted to taste you. Toby on his back, making you sit on his face and lean forward to taste his cock. He wasn’t like a human, he was longer and had defined ridges that made your mouth water, hard and pulsing as you grabbed onto his girth.

Hanging your head forward when you felt his long hot tongue take an experimental lick up your slit. Purring as he savored the taste on his buds, spreading your entrance with his hands and watching you clench around nothing. Seeing you convulse like that, begging for him, drove him mad.

Lapping and sucking at your juices, savoring in the taste of a human. To him you were so delectable, “this is the best t-thing i’ve ever tasted” he told you, “I didn’t know humans were this delicious”. Sliding his thick tongue in your hole and fucking you with it, purring as he said “maybe it’s just you”. Going in and out to feel how deep you went, to test how far he would be able to go with his dick.

His dick, which you could feel throb in your hand as you held him. He was so heavy, so easily stimulated that his tip beaded with droplets of white liquid. You had to taste it, bringing your mouth down and wrapping your lips around his tip. Sucking just the tip that had a delicious rough texture.

Stroking up and down his shaft as you gave him head, groaning around him as his tongue breached your walls and stretched you. Coating your pussy in saliva that burned and throbbed in your heat.

Your hand tracing the beautiful lines along his length as you fit him in your mouth and edged him to the back of your throat. Feeling all the layers of his cock pulse and shift as he got harder, unsheathing more and pressing to the back of your throat.

Making you gag and groan as he thrusted his muscle back into your hole, sticky wet sounds meshing with the clack clack sounds of his tongue hitting his palette. Eager to take in more of you at once.

Unsure of how your anatomy worked and taking a test run on your body. Licking up and down your folds and pressing the flat of his tongue to your clit to see how you would react. Pleased at the jerk of your hips you gave involuntarily and focusing solely on that area. Grinding his teeth lightly on the area so you could feel the chill of delight.

Both of you enveloped in the sixty nine, chests pressed together with skin against skin. Sweaty and beaded as you shared an intimate moment with the alien.

Popping his cock out of your mouth to lick it from the bottom, sucking on his balls and hearing him give the most existencial “Aghh” you had ever heard. Your cunt throbbing at the nearing of your orgasm, his finger pumping in and out of you as he barely held on, letting out a strained “Nghh” as you praised him.

Toby was feral, so overcome with these bodily sensations he had no control over, each wave racking his lungs in a carnal need to connect with you. His grip on your torso tightening as he dug his fingers into you, ignoring the prominent need to release just to hold on long enough to fuck you.

Him giving a foreign kind of growl as he slapped his hands on your ass, pushing you forward and getting up. Taking you by the hands to bring you up as well, meeting in another kiss and letting you taste each other. 


His arm wrapping around your chest and pressing his cock to your ass, forcing you against the window as he trailed kisses down the side of your neck. Your hands leaving thermal fingerprints on the glass as you struggled to hold, sopping and slicked up, ready for him to enter. Squirming as you heaved, him grinding up to your slit and teasing you. “Take me” you pleaded in a heavy breath, waiting for him to line himself up and spread you apart, “please”

With a shaky breath and a press he finally inserted his flushing tip into you. Holding your folds apart with his fingers to push into your hole, your breath catching and sighing as he brushed all the right areas. It wasn’t normal, probably downright wrong, letting yourself succumb to the desires of a creature from another dimension.

Your hole taking every inch of his cock, swallowing him and begging for him to spill inside of you. Looking back at his lips that lie open and wet. Yours swollen from how hard he had kissed you. Mixing breath as he rutted into you, molding your walls with every curve and design on his monster cock.

“You feel amazing” he told you, breaking the kiss and melting into a haze of intergalactic lovemaking. “So tight and warm around me”, with little ruts of warmth enveloping you, his arms firmly securing your figure against the window surface.

His words going straight to your core, pulsing as you too approached orgasm. Your breath fogging up the glass in intervals at a time, with each slow delicious roll of his hips that he granted. The outside oxygen-less environment freezing and making for your combined warmth to mark the transparent surface with sweat.

It felt like a sin, to watch such an ethereal sight of the cosmos outside while you let him use you so obediently. Yet, it was the most miraculous thing you had ever experienced. Lacing a raw connection between species, rutting into your hole and filling every void of emotion with the sensation of chromatic color and flashes of light.

Tears of happiness slipping blissfully out of your eyes, the marks of his act bruising on your neck as he sucked it, hickeys as gorgeous reminders of your passion. Lewd, meaty, claps from where he stood, taking you from behind and feeling your ass vibrate with every thrust.

It felt as if everyone on earth was watching, as if everyone in the entire universe had their eyes on you. Observing you unraveling into each other. Lost in the vulnerability held in the tender flesh of your bodies.

Completely swept away by how perfectly he fit in you even though he wasn’t human. Like the element you had been missing all your life, galaxies away clenching and waiting for you to appear.

Pounding into you with such caress and rhythm it made you throw your head back, your legs struggling to stand still as he opened you up and thudded against your womb.

“Holy shit this feels g-good” he groaned, his brow weaving at the sensation of his foreboding high.

“Is this your first time with a human?” You asked, not helping but being curious.

“Yes, f-fuck just you” he breathed, “i n-need you”. Absolutely carried away by your body and your emotion. Stretching you out, his size otherworldly big and opening you to extents you didnt know were possible.

“need you to have my kids” he rasped, uncaring of the consequence and only focusing on leaving you with child, with his children. Wanting to see them grow inside you, taking root in your stomach and ready to hatch. The worst part was, you couldn’t bring yourself to disagree, wanting so badly to feel him breed you as he flicked your clit to the edge.

Slamming into you relentlessly with his scratchy tip kissing your cervix, twitching and ready to lay inside you. “Gonna give you my eggs”, it awoke something in you, his fragility and his careful tone, somehow still managing to dominate you with his vibrating touch. Keeping you bouncing for dear life in the commitment of bearing his spawn.

His hand crawling to the front of your body to play with your clit, his hips giving concentrated thrusts into the glass. With thud thud noises that rung in your ears, your eyesight focusing on the marvelous view of the universe, constantly fogging it up with your breath.

You crying out his name as he built you to the edge, “fuck Toby I’m gonna cum”. Rasping out a whine of “can you feel me?”, as you clenched around him. He gave a strained nod and breathy sigh that made you shiver.

Him mirroring your movements in a lustful mimic, bringing his free hand to your stomach and pressing against the belly bulge you had just noticed. “Can you feel me?”. Sobbing as he sped up at an inhuman pace and twitched, tensing and pulsing your muscles as you felt his cock waver and get ready to release something, something more lewd than just his juices.

Finally stilling and letting you cum, your skin breaking, rippling release from your body at the extraordinary sensation you were feeling. Making you light headed, spectacular in a way that you felt like you were floating. Salty tears staining the glass view of the stars and planets as you opened the doors of your mind and were enlightened with the secrets of the universe.

“Fuck gonna give you my eggs”, and you wanted him to mix like this with you, combine dna and create a sinful mess resulting of your cosmic fervor. So lidded in hazy desire that you couldn’t stop milking him, “Take em’ take em’”

Trembling as you felt a warm liquid seep into your hole, eyes rolling back at the feel of his cock fluttering and releasing oval-like things objects of you, extenuating your orgasm. Giving light thrusts with each small egg he dumped inside of you, and you could feel them settling inside your womb. Laying on top of eachother as you saw their outlines from the front.

His balls unloading all the children that would stay and feed from you for months, easing the transference with the hot goopy liquid that encased them. Your tummy bloating from the interaction, filling you with all his poison and intoxicating you with adoration.

Rough groans falling from his lips as you shifted between an extreme cold and hot, passing eras of time and overwhelming you with simmering droplets of love. Wavering through your skin and blood that held as he finished tending to his needs and sharing them with you.

He nuzzled and have a pretty sigh into your hair, “so now you k-know”. His antennas twitching as he turned you around and met your lips again, his pelvis keeping your legs closed so no eggs would fall out. “That I love you on another level”.

Giving what appeared to be a chuckle as he gave you a peck on the cheek, narrowing his gaze in a sort of protectiveness as he spoke seriously. “Hope you’re r-ready for abduction”

[thewildwaffle]

Humans are Weird - Helium

It's been a while since I got a new story up. I'd been working on some other projects, then had some pretty unhappy life events happen. I am doing fine, so don't worry. Hopefully, now my muse is back and will stick around a while :)

This story is from a prompt ao3

*** *** ***

When you bring together a wide variety of races from different planets and environments, you tend to have an equally wide variety of needs that need to be met from species to species. Ships were typically staffed by a food and nutrients safety team. Custodial teams were careful about residual chemical and oil cross-contamination between particular races. Sections of hab suites had controlled ventilation systems that could be set to various atmospheric needs. Outside the hab suites, at work stations or in communal areas, some species have to be fitted with atmospheric filters. Over the years, these devices have gotten less uncomfortable, thankfully. They weren’t the best, they were a bit bulky, noisy, and in some cases obstructive to the wearer, but hey, being able to properly breathe on a ship with beings who had different atmospheric needs than you was more important than comfort. When the humans joined the galactic community, the newer filters started becoming noticeably smaller and less obtrusive. Many were concerned that the changes would make them less effective, but leave it to the humans to tinker around and invent the impossible when they really wanted to. The latest models were supposed to be so small and comfortable, you could sleep with them on. Heck for some races, you could barely tell they were wearing an atmospheric filter at all. Not only that, they were up to 40% more effective at filtration and gas delivery for many species. This opened up crew rosters for ships. Species who couldn't reasonably be stationed in the same ship due to the gases they breathe being dangerous to others, or vice versa could now be on the same crew.

That included duibs like Marvi who breathe large amounts of helium. She’d been serving aboard Galactic Coalition ships for more standard solar rotations than many of her fellow crewmates had been alive. It helped that duibs were long-lived, of course, and in her time, she’d seen many new technologies come and go. If you pressed her hard enough, she’d likely say that the atmospheric filters the humans developed were by far her favorite. Being able to safely and comfortably pass through different atmospheric biomes was an important ability when you had a long list of custodial and maintenance duties each rotation. Marvi huffed a deep sigh as she rounded another corner. Lighting beam replacements weren’t heavy, but maneuvering them around corners like this was a bit of a pain. “Need a helping paw Marvi?” Marvi turned to see a dark gray priso steadying the end lighting beam she was carrying. The furry face was relatively expressionless, but a clear look at his flicking whiskers and triangular, alert ears and bright eyes told her that he was holding back laughter. He must have just come up from around the other corner and seen the small duib struggling. “Oh, hello Aurrin. I definitely would appreciate some aid, though I would understand if you are busy right now,” Marvi replied politely. Honestly, the help would be very nice and she hoped the offer was serious. “I’m waiting for Human Karl, I can help until he gets here,” Aurrin rose to his back paws awkwardly and grabbed the ends of the light beams in his dexterous front paws. Priso were normally quadrupedal on flat ground, but the forested terrains of their homeworld meant they were at least somewhat adept at grabbing and climbing. He followed along, holding on to the light beams and kept them away from the walls and corners as the pair walked. “I was actually just installing something by the hab suites over there,” he tilted his head back to gesture behind them, “I’ve got something I wanted to test before I go off duty. After that, I’m looking forward to two whole cycles of rest and whatever I want to do.” The corridor here was darker and Marvi stopped walking. This was where she needed to replace the light beam. “Two whole cycles, huh?” She set down the light beam carefully, Aurrin following suit. She pulled out a tool from her hip pack and started working on opening the control panel. In order to open the panels to install the new light beams, she had to make sure power was redirected for safety. “What are you going to do with your time off? Any fun plans?” “A few plans. They might change depending on how my experiment goes.” Marvi worked quietly, waiting on the priso to expound, but other than chuckling to himself, he didn’t say anything more on the topic. Well, Marvi supposed it was not really her business, so she changed the subject and chatted cordially until the new light beam was installed and she rerouted power back to the panel. The darkened hall was filled with bright, cheerful light and Marvi let out a satisfied sigh. “Well, that’s that. Another task down.” The old light beam would need to be taken back to her shop for a repair and gas exchange, or refill, or whatever it ended up needing to get it up and running again. “Thank you again for your help. I should be able to get these back alright myself, I don’t want to take up too much of your time if you’ve still got your experiment to run.” From around the corner of the corridor, the distinct sound of a hab suite door opening was followed by approaching footsteps. A light on Aurrin’s comm device flashed and the priso’s long tail flicked excitedly back and forth. “No worries, it looks like my experiment is already underway.” Marvi felt the frills all along her body perk in curiosity, but before she could ask anything else, Human Karl rounded the corner. He grinned without showing his teeth, as it would have been a sign of aggression to many species on the ship, and gave a small wave as he approached. “Hey Karl,” Aurrin started. Marvi only partially listened as he started in on a spiel about his upcoming off-duty

plans. Instead, she was more interested in a quiet hissing noise and was trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. It sounded like… well it sounded almost like an atmospheric filter, one beside her own. Hers was in light operation since she was in a sector of the ship that was tuned to a generalized setting, but this noise sounded like a filter at full power output. Did Human Karl hear it? Could he hear it? Surely Aurrin could? She studied them, they didn’t seem to notice. The noise had started when Karl arrived, did that mean…? Her suspicions were confirmed the moment Karl opened his mouth to reply to Aurrin. “I’m actually on my way to…” What. The. Frewan? Human Karl’s voice, which was usually a calming deep tone, was disturbingly high and unnatural. The surprised expression on his face made Marvi’s core freeze. That meant this vocal change wasn’t some weird human thing? What was going on?! “I, woah,” the squeaky voice stuttered, “is this… helium? What is this? What’s going on?” He looked at the comm device strapped to his wrist and pulled up the readout. Sure enough, it was an increase of helium output from his atmospheric filter. The skin on his forehead wrinkled as he looked from the readout to Marvi and Aurrin, his eyes finally locking on the latter who was fiddling with something on his own comm device readout. “You punk! How did you do this? Change it back!” Karl started laughing a bit, Marvi wasn’t sure if it was directed at the ridiculousness of his voice or if it was because the helium was affecting his cognitive functions. She worried it was the latter. Panicking, Marvi approached to see if there was some sort of override. She had to act fast! Humans didn’t breathe helium, he could die! Before she could do anything though, Aurrin spoke up while trying to muffle his laughter. “Okay, okay, hoooo… I’ve deactivated it, you’re good. Keep talking though while your voice turns back to normal, you’re hilarious.” Karl gave him a look that Marvi couldn’t interpret. “What was that? How did you do that?” His voice was already back to normal and it sounded like a mix between annoyed, intrigued and amused. “When you came out of your hab suite, you passed a sensor I set up that overrode your atmospheric filter controls. My latest invention. Imagine this: a ship gets attacked and boarded. Normal defenses prove insufficient and the crew is in grave danger. As the hostiles pass hidden sensors, their atmospheric filters are overridden and they fall asleep, get loopy and confused, or simply pass out before they can get to and harm any crew.” Marvi and Karl blinked in unison while Aurrin’s tail swept side to side proudly. Marvi was the first to find words. “Your… your experiment?” Marvi glanced between Aurrin and Karl worriedly, “Is this what you were experimenting with? You ran it on a crewmate?!” “Well,” Aurrin’s ears pulled back slightly, but his whiskers still kept their amused look, “I say experiment pretty loosely. This was more of a field test. I ran all the actual experiments long ago. I knew exactly what would happen. And I did research on humans and I found out what effects helium has on them and I had to see it for myself. That’s why I was waiting for Karl.” The human in question was still laughing a bit - of course, a human would be able to laugh after nearly being asphyxiated, they’re crazy - before he ran his hand over his head to compose himself. “So this was a prank?” “For science.” “Of course. For science.” Karl’s smile suddenly morphed into a thoughtful frown. “Wait. Is this payback for the soap thing I pulled on you last week?” Aurrin’s face was statuesque and solemn as he stared silently at the human for a moment. “Yes.” “You’re the worst.” “Thank you.” “Want to go do this again in front of Aylin? She and Maruti-kar would think it’s hilarious.” “I had been planning on it. But only if we can get video evidence of it.” “For science?” “Naturally.” Marvi watched, hearts still beating rapidly from her panic, as Aurrin and Karl deactivated and retrieved the sensor to reenact the stunt she had just been a witness

to. Almost reflexively, she started tracing the side of her atmospheric filter. The quiet hum and hiss were calming. Helium to her was life. She’d thought it was toxic to others. And yet Aurrin thought it fine to use it on a human, and Karl was not only unworried about it but found it funny. Was it not dangerous?! And his voice? Why did it do that? She pulled up a search screen on her comm device and searched in the human database. Helium. Breathing. Voices. Apparently, helium took up space in their lungs that normally would be filled by oxygen, so yes, it was dangerous because they could asphyxiate. It also amplified higher-pitched tones of their vocal tract while simultaneously dampening lower tones because of the gas’s low density. That explained the voice change. And for some reason, the funny noise was enough of a reason to play around with deadly materials. Well, if anything, she supposed humans did keep to their MO pretty well. She picked the spent light beams back up and headed back to her shop, careful to not hit the ends on any walls or corners.

[poisonouswritings]

Hi! I love your LL hcs! Thanks for including lots of different characters! Do you have any hcs for what would happen if the Anisa route crew kept traveling together, i.e., what could happen next in her route if Azimuth joined Anisa, Saaros, Ayanna, and MC on their next adventure? What sort of group dynamics or cool discoveries would they all have? I just think they'd make such a fun RPG party and family. Thanks!

(I got your extra note and don't worry that's what I assumed you meant lol)

GN!Reader, musing, MC/Anisa and Saaros/Azimuth pairings

Firstly is this after Rivath or after the main plot? Because considering just how passionate they are about every aspect of Rivath being superior, I can't imagine Saaros would really want to explore if they didn't have to. So either this would be during their investigation into LoS so that it would be required or something happened that disillusioned them with Rivath. And depending on which one it was, you're going to get very different answers. For the sake of fluff we'll assume it was the latter.

We're also going to assume whatever Ayanna's issue is, it's resolved, so you guys are good again. Just for fluff reasons.

Since Ayanna was a traveler, she has the sort of insider knowledge on a lot of places that will help you guys along. Saaros, meanwhile, is the one who actually does the research and gets a scholarly overview. Azimuth uses their future sight to get an idea for what's gonna be going on to help make sure none of you get murdered. And you and Anisa?

:)

That's it. You two are there to be amazed and explore and touch and eat everything.

Actually Azimuth has never left Rivath before so all three of you are going :) at everything

But also Ayanna is just naturally like that so

I guess what I'm getting at is Saaros has the braincell

Saaros likes getting Azimuth little gifts from every town they stop in.

You and Anisa try to go on dates everywhere!

Ayanna just likes sneaking into places and exploring. Always keeps a closer eye on you and Anisa than it seems because she doesn't want you two getting hurt or arrested.

Azimuth will delicately direct everyone in the direction they need to go today. They can't say too much at the risk of changing future events but they don't want anyone walking into a trap or anything so

Saaros learns how to make the local foods so you guys can have an authentic experience (and also because Azimuth gets excited)

Side note Saaros cooking really extravagant dishes and Azimuth is like 'oh did you just want to impress me?' and Saaros blushes and scowls because No They Do Not Thank You Very Much They Are Just Expanding Their Horizons but Azimuth fucking knows

I just think Saaros is the biggest nerd when they're in love don't mind me

You and Anisa go out to sightsee and something is cordoned off because it's under construction or whatever and Anisa just fucking picks the lock (she learned it from Ayanna) and you guys sneak in to make out

Yes I think Anisa, once she stops obsessing over the rules and all that, probably is a little into breaking the rules and will get frisky depending on the situation

Ayanna never hesitates to make sex jokes good for her honestly

Azimuth is very good at charming people so if y'all ever need something they can probably get it (with Ayanna's help ofc)

Anisa's name has traveled far and wide. You'll get some people who still believe she saved Astraea the first time and still thank her for what she did five years ago, and you get other people who think she failed and the second time LoS came back was her fault and therefore blame her for everything that happened.

You're regarded as a hero though.

And, honestly, Anisa is okay with all that. She's made her own peace with what happened (mostly) and it's not like they're wrong

Obviously you come to her defense when the subject is brought up, but surprisingly Saaros also threatens to commit crimes against people who harass her

You guys are exploring a temple and Azimuth suddenly starts walking next to you and two seconds later you trigger a trap and you both get yote into a basement,,, Azimuth smiles and says they knew that was gonna happen and they did't want you to be alone because it's gonna take 5 hours to get out :)

'Why didn't you just tell me not to trip it?'

'..... oh yeah'

The two of you share a braincell

Saaros and Anisa both go into Partner Panic and try to rescue you two and end up getting themselves thrown into a different dungeon

The reason it takes five hours for you to be rescued is because Ayanna went ahead and stole the treasure :)

[thursday-writes-fanfics]

Choose, part 4. (Reader x Jack Sparrow or Will Turner. )

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean, Will Turner, Jack Sparrow.

Warnings: None lmao

Words: 2.3 K

First - Former - Next

It's been a while since my last update, so here you go!

One year had passed since the faithed night in Tortuga, where Y/N left everything she once knew behind, to seek the truth she needed to find within. One eventful year where she had gone alone through more than most would in their lifetime. Travelling along with different crews, battling across the seas and polishing her hastily growing reputation as one of the most fearsome pirates the world has ever seen. None dared voice their annoyance with her being a woman, for she had allies all across the seven seas. She had seen so much of the world, her confidence grown and her heart set aflame with adventure. Y/N was an even finer pirate and woman than she had been ever before.

Other pirates either wished to be her or be with her, the secrets of many slipped into her ears. It amused the young woman, and the many who worked in the brothels along the coasts. When Y/N needed information, it was not other pirates or navy officials she sought out. No, it was the brothels’ gossip she tuned her ears to. For the women there knew far more of the world than any other. All news came to their homes and it was all available for the famous pirate.

She had earned an even better reputation with them as well, as she sought out the women there the first thing she did each time she came ashore. She treated them kindly, paid for their food and brought along gifts, treating them like friends. Her actions earned her a handsome reputation with the women, and in each town she could always find a loyal embrace to keep her safe. After all, the women of the brothels ruled the cities from the shadows. To anger one of them was to anger an underground nation.

Y/N’s locks had grown long since the night one year ago, her clothing expensive and proud on her frame. A treat she gave herself due to her wide success in both informal and formal businesses. She was a true pirate, yet could strike a bargain with the British navy without a problem. After all, they too were afraid of her.

The feather on her black hat curled down to her shoulder, its size another show of her wealth and power. The weaponry which clad her shape were the most efficient, on all the ships of the sea, not even the British army able to supply her better. Only the finest for herself, the woman had decided. Dual pistols she had strapped to each side of her chest, and upon both hips she held blades, one magnificent sabre and one deadly cutlass, all adorned with the most elaborate details. These were all weapons to show, the rest she had hidden in pockets and secret departments on her curves. Small explosives and hidden blades were better kept in subtle crevices than to be seen by the naked eye when one made deals. All about the fearsome pirate screamed confidence and to show respect, and that respect she had earned many times over.

“We’ll be docked in an hour, lass,” came the captain’s voice, the merry band she was travelling with now not as roughhousing as most of her fellow pirates. Mercenaries of the law they were during the day after all, and they weren’t too keen on going out during the night when there was ale to be drunk with stories to be told in old taverns. It was a life-altering change from how they had once been, when the captain and his crew had been young and adventurous. A smirk clad Y/N’s lips when she faced the man, her fingers fiddling with the sabre’s handle. “Aye, thought it was about time to dock, Captain Henry. And still I’m not sure if I will take my leave of you when we get there, or if I will meet the navy together with you in the morrow,” her deceptive nature made the captain laugh, for he knew just how little control anyone had over the young pirate. He joined her side with a few strides to the railing, gazing at the sea from the quarterdeck.

“Aye, ye do as ye wish, lassie,” mused the older man, finding his gaze once more sought out her face. “Yer not notorious for knowing every pirate for no reason. Can’t keep ye in place forever” he snickered, his mind on the many rumours he had heard over the past year of the pirate. He had seen it himself a few times too, how the famous Y/N had stepped off one ship only to board another in the same port. Her name was known by all, whether they liked her or not. Her presence on a ship could deter a dispute between two crews, for no one wanted her gone. And those who did were quick to find themselves cornered and silenced for good after voicing such atrocious thoughts aloud.

“Oh shut your gob, “ sneered the woman in reply, earning more laughter from the captain as his head fell back to let the thunderous noise wash over the ship. A simple “Never,” Henry retaliated, winning their argument as he strode to attend his crew and ensure the docking process would flow smoothly. Y/N watched the sea for a moment longer, trained on the horizon in an attempt to find a peculiar ship. One which carried black sails. Fingers carded through her hair as she thought about her old companions, but discarded the thoughts just as quickly. A turn of her heels and the woman came to face the incoming port, nothing she wished to see there either. A defeated smile curled her lips when she ventured to help her current crew, missing the hint of black that rounded a nearby island with a course for their port.

“ Alright, lads!” with easy leaps and muscles bunched for one last jump, Y/N climbed halfway up the crow's nest and gazed down at the many faces who all gave her their full attention.

“ I’m saying this just once because Henry doesn’t seem to be able to get it through your thick skulls. If we don’t get this cargo to the bay within the first few hours of us getting to port, the taverns will be full and the brothels closed,” the crew stared at the woman, most having just woken up from their midday nap. Too many faces were disinterested, the woman sneering maliciously as she knew exactly what would get them on their feet.

“Which means, no ale and no lovers!” Y/N roared, drawing enjoyment from the panic growing in the men’s eyes. They had been at sea for a month now, and the lot needed more than the icy waters could ever offer.

“So unless you wish to mope around the ship for the entire night, alone, get to it!” the crew leapt to their feet, their rushing steps and loud cries satisfying to Y/N’s ears. The pirate’s piercing eyes found the captain who let his chest heave with a sigh, not one to question the woman’s authority. She had gotten the crew off their asses with a single threat, when he had shouted at them all day to get ready. The ship groaned when they threw down the anchor, straining against it as it still wished to traverse further. A gangplank found its hold against the port, the cargo soon to cross over it. Both the captain and Alexandra oversaw the process, to ensure their goods would be gone by the hour.

“Ye know,” Captain Henry spoke after a long while, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Ye should consider becoming a captain one day,” Y/N snapped her head to face the man, eyes threatening to fall out. “Me? A captain?” she ridiculed, shocked by his words. The captain let a snicker pass his lips at her surprise, for being able to shock the immovable Y/N was quite amusing. Work roughened hand, tainted by the deep sea came to rest on his back, clasped together.

“Just sayin’. Ye’ve got the guts and respect for it,” with a smirk the captain passed his current crewmate, stepping onto the railing. “I will leave the rest to ye, for I am in need of a drink,” a wink was sent the woman’s way before Captain Henry made his way down the docks, disappearing without a trace. His back was followed by Y/N’s incredulous gaze.

“You fucking bastard,” Y/N shouted after him, her spiteful words only a show of affection to them both. With a shake of her head and a smirk on her lips growing when she heard the captain’s faraway laughter, the pirate got back to work. With an easy step, she leapt atop the railing, gazing at the crew working by her side.

“We’re making good time, lads! If you keep this up you’re probably going to be one of the first crews of the night to get to the pubs!” Y/N encouraged them. The merry men laughed and cheered whilst their work pace increased tenfold at the praise and promises of entertainment. Even the stand-in captain dared to laugh herself, unaware of how many eyes watched her joy from far out at sea.

It started with Ragetti looking through the captain’s spyglass, minding his own business as they had yet to start preparing to get docked. When turning his eye to the port city, he could tear his wandering gaze when it laid eyes on an extremely familiar figure. Too far away to make out entirely, yet the pirate was certain of who he saw. None he had ever encountered before looked and stood like their old acquaintance.

“Oh, would you look at that!” the pirate laughed, Pintel looking over at him with a raised brow. The spyglass fell from his eye, Ragetti free hand pointing to one of the largest ships docked in the nearing port.

“Y/N is aboard Henry the Savage’s boat!” the words he spoke carried over the deck, the silence that followed deafening, the group trying to comprehend what had just been said. A moment later and the crew rushed like a stampede for the two pirates who shrieked in fright at the threatening approach. The spyglass was taken from Ragetti’s hand and passed to them all to get a look for themselves.

“I can’t see ‘er!”

“Is it really Y/N the Courageous you saw?”

“Courageous? No! Her title is the Unbeatable!

“No, she’s Y/N the Ace of the Sea! The greatest pirate yet!”

The commotion on deck drew Will and Jack from the captain’s cabin, the crew’s loud and incoherent discussions about titles and names soon finding their ears. The former blacksmith was with the crew temporarily, as he had a job to be done with them before they ventured to Port Royal. Both captain and his companion froze in their steps when a well-known name echoed across the crew over and over. A shocked gaze was shared, but the two strode forth together for they could not believe in illusions just because a name was mentioned a few times.

“Right. What’s all this then?” came from the captain’s chest, the crew jumping at the sound of his voice. Jack Sparrow regarded them all with his hands propped on his hips, the loyal blacksmith at his side. Gibbs was the first to speak and took matters into hand, roughly pulling the spyglass from the nearest pirate’s. “It’s Y/N, Jack,” his words piqued further interest in the two newcomers, the two striding through the parting crew to the first mate.

“Y/N?” Will asked, unable to hide the hope that bubbled up in his voice at the mention of her name. The blue eyes grew clearer, not the wistful one’s the crew had come to be familiar with. Jack snatched the spyglass from Gibbs’ offered hand and turned to face the port. With his gaze, he followed the finger pointing at the supposedly familiar pirate. Jack froze upon seeing who they meant, eye narrowing when he stared her down. “No, it can’t be her,” the captain muttered, more to himself than anybody else.

“Far too curvy and longer hair. She didn’t look so cheerful to everyone all the time,” the jealousy and denial dripped from the captain’s tongue, the disbelief he held in his heart fading with each second.

“Can’t be her. No way, you’re all dreaming,” Jack continued before yelping as Will tore the spyglass from his hands, the force of it almost making the captain fall overboard. The blacksmith’s own gaze sought the port for the one they spoke of, his heart beating so quickly it drowned out all sound.

He too came to stand still once he found her form. She stood proud and tall upon Henry the Savage’s railing, her hand thrown out as she barked orders to the crewmates. And there on her lips was a grin, a grin that only the closest of her friends had seen before. Now as she shared it with the rest of the world, the former blacksmith’s blood boiled with jealousy.

“It’s her. There’s no way it’s not her,” Will snarled in reply to Jack’s incessant mumbling, handing the spyglass to Cotton. Will turned to the Black Pearl’s crew, and just like the woman on the other ship, began to bark orders. Where hers had been kind and joyous, he’s were angry and determined orders, none on the ship daring to stand in his way. The desperation in his anger was evident, and the fact that their own Captain Jack did nothing but mumble was a telltale sign that this was a serious matter. Otherwise, Will would have had a sword at his neck for even attempting to command the crew. Their efforts to hurry were doubled, when Jack regained his mind only to shout orders alongside his friend.

Oh, how oblivious the woman they had sought for was, for she heard none of the shouting on the nearing ship. For her well-beloved face was already being shown in one of her favourite taverns.

[cyborg-franky]

Can I have something fluffy with gn reader x Law please? <3

I WENT ABIT MAD ON THIS. Law is like my best boy. I even have Law tats haha. so writing him after so long I was very nervous. I hope you like.

Law x GN reader SFW Fluff/Angst Words: 1,558 Not proof read oops

You had always wanted to go to sea, being a pirate wasn’t exactly what you had been thinking when it came to visions of the wide-open sea, beautiful sunsets and amazing adventures. But adventures you got regardless of the unforeseen career option. Your only real complaint apart from the dangers of the job was the fact that you felt lonely, being a Straw Hat pirate was great, you loved your crew but there was no one you felt a deep connection with, not the type you’d always longed for, someone to hold your hand, share a bed with.

That was until you’d met the surgeon of death, you didn’t think someone as harsh as him would have been your type. The way he always seemed pissed off and irritated at even being around your crew, the fact he just needed your captains help and had formed a hasty alliance that every moment of every day you thought he deeply regretted the choice, that much was always clear on his face.

You were shocked he didn’t have wrinkles with how much his brows were permanently furrowed, even when the man ate at dinner with you all, the way his stern expression never left his face. Whenever you’d glance at him you always thought he would be so much more handsome if he smiled.

Just like everyone that you’d come across during this new life of yours, Law was no exception, scars of a tragic past remained on his soul. You couldn’t blame him for that and at least he wasn’t ever nasty or ill willed towards anyone. He seemed to even get along with some of the crew. The less intense members.

Thinking back to the first night you really made progress with the heart pirate you recalled how it changed the way you thought about him. It had been late into the evening, everyone settling down to their own devices.

You knocked on Chopper’s office door, opening it before you got an answer, often the small medic had issues rushing from his chair and to the door to open it so you always just stepped in. “Chopper can you look at this for me?” you asked closing the door.

“The Doctor went to bed an hour ago.”

You gripped the doorknob, that deep voice certainly didn’t belong to the sweet fluffy reindeer, you took a breath, why didn’t you just wait for a response like a nice normal and polite person? You had never been in a room alone with Law until now. Taking a breath and telling yourself that your hand wasn’t going to get any better by just going to bed.

“Oh, sorry” cradling your sore hand close to your chest your eyes darted around everywhere you could to avoid looking at him.

He was sat at the doctor’s desk, a medical textbook open, a pot of coffee at his side. His normal irritated expression however wasn’t present, his brows relaxed, his whole posture in fact looked lazy, his long legs stretched under the table, he looked comfortable in the chair, like he was on his own ship.

“I can look at it.”

“Huh?”

He turned to face you, cocking his head to the side to give you his full attention, his gaze rested on your chest, or rather the aching hand you clutched there, feeling your own beating heart as he nodded for you to come forward.

“Are you sure?” You looked at the comfy stool next to his desk, inching towards it.

Your hesitation made him laugh, actually laugh, it was such a nice sound you decided, deep but smooth, you’d never heard him make any show of amusement, he hadn’t even cracked a smile in all the time you had known him. But here he was, the very person who had the reputation of being a twisted individual, a current warlord for gods sake, the surgeon of DEATH in fact, smirking at you as you nervously sat down where he’d gestured.

“I am still a doctor you know” another chuckle as he straightened up in his seat.

“I know I don’t look like one, but my father was a doctor, I learned a great deal from him, it’s not just my devil fruit that affords me my gifts” Law explained and crossed his arms over his chest waiting for you to go on.

“Sorry, I know you shouldn’t believer every rumor that floats out at sea, if I believed everything the papers or drunks in bars said I’d think my captain was the devil but I’ve seen that man with chopsticks up his nose, I’ve seen him sleeping like a baby, he’s no devil” You knew your nerves had turned into rambling, feeling your palms sweat at being so close with the other captain but his soft chuckle, under his breath, trying to be discreet. But you’d heard it, such a nice sound you mused feeling a little more at ease around him now.

“So?”

“Well, my hand hurts, ever since I climbed down from the crows nest about three hours ago, I think I got it tangled in the ropes as I slipped a little” You explained. Law nodded his head before he held his tattooed hands out.

You held your hand out for him, he gently took it in both of his, long nimble fingers moved over your digits, feeling different parts, he was surprisingly gentle, his hands warm and welcoming. You couldn’t help but stare as he expertly examined your aching hand. You felt your gaze drift from his hands, up his arms and towards his face. His expression was like nothing you’d ever seen on the warlord. Soft. The way his tired eyes looked over your hand, he seemed happy to help, in his true element.

If not for whatever plagued him in his past, would he have been happy just being a village doctor? He seemed at peace right now. You allowed yourself to smile, your heart beating faster for an entirely different reason then when you’d set foot into the doctor’s office.

His grey eyes met yours when he pressed a certain painful part of your hand and you yelped. He clicked his tongue pressed a little harder, flexing your hand in his grasp. You bit your lip and focused on where your hands met.

“Sprain”

“H-huh?”

“You sprained your hand” He pulled his hands away and you hated how your heart dropped at the loss of contact.

“Oh..”

Law pushed his chair out and stood up, walking around the doctor’s office and looking for things, opening a few draws. You did your best to stifle any laughter from watching the very tall man try navigating his way around storage designed for a very small reindeer. It was comical.

“Avoid using it wherever you can for starters” he explained pulling out a small box and returning to the desk. “Ice will help it; you should have come to me sooner about it but” yeah, he was a doctor alright you mused as he took your hand once more. “Ice for twenty minutes every two to three hours will help with the swelling, I’m going to bandage it up right now, a compression will help support your hand while it heals, I suggest elevating it as much as possible.”

You nodded along while watching him work on your hand, he did so much damage to people, you’d seen some of the things he was capable of, he was terrifyingly powerful. But the way he held your hand still, being firm but gentle was a side you didn’t think someone who’d swapped out people’s body parts and rearranged souls for what seemed like fun could ever be capable of.

“Come to me tomorrow morning and I can re-do it if needs be” you wished he’d hold your hand longer, but he moved to get something else, a little cup which held two pills.

“For the pain”

“Thank you” You watched him pour you a glass of water and handed it you, aiming for your good hand. You gulped the medication he’d given you and drinking the water to chase it down you let out a sigh.

Law simply nodded in response to your gratitude, saying nothing more as he got comfortable in his seat once more, taking a swig of his black coffee, no wounder the man never slept, you stood from your seat and excused yourself with a small ‘goodnight’ closing the door.

Walking along the deck, just the sound of waves lapping against the ship to keep you company. You turned the corner and pressed yourself against the wall, your newly bandaged hand laid over your heart as you stared out to sea, watching the moon shimmer across the dark surface of water. You felt your lip tremble.

The feeling you’d wanted all your life, the tight feeling in your chest, the fluttering of butterflies, all-encompassing feeling and desire to be by someone’s side. You were in love. You were in love with Trafalgar Law of all people, and you knew this wouldn’t end well for you.

You bit your lip, slowly sinking to your knees on the wooden deck of the ship. You could feel tears prick your eyes. This was going to hurt, worse then never knowing what it was like to long for someone.

[gritsandbrits]

Thomas and Friends: Nia and the Forest

An original tale by gritsandbrits, Based on the television program created by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton & Based on  The Railway Series by the Rev. W Awdry 

Original characters belong to me everything else to their respective owners (Mattel) 

Since her arrival to Sodor, Nia the Helpful Engine grew to love her new home. One landmark that fascinated her was Henry's Forest. While she thought a heavily wooded area was an odd choice to put a branch-line in, she couldn't deny she loved seeing such gorgeous greenery and sparkling springs up close. 

One afternoon, Nia was on her regular run (trying her best to bear with the stench of raw fish) when she arrived in the forest. A sign told all engines to reduce their speed. Nia didn't mind slowing down, it gave her the chance to embrace the serenity Mother Nature had to offer. 

"I wish I could stay here," she sighed. "If not for being an engine I could walk deeper into the woods and see more of it."

"Perhaps another time when we're free," her driver replied. 

Wistfully Nia continued on her slow journey when suddenly, she heard nearby bushes rustle loudly. Before she could process it something darted out in front of her. She jerked to a stop! 

"What in the world was that?!" She yelped. 

"Must've been a deer," her frazzled driver said as they checked to make sure she was alright. 

"Whoo! At least nothing spilled out. The last thing we need is sturgeon juice all over the rails," the orange engine grumbled. Her eyes then noticed something was on the rails. Faint shimmer. 

Once there was no sign of any more deer, the little crew went on their merry way. But Nia couldn't help but feel uneasy. 

That night at Tidmouth she relayed the encounter to her shedmates. 

"It could've been a deer like your driver said," Rebecca mused. 

"What kind of deer shimmers?" Nia retorted.

"It could be a fairy!" Percy exclaimed. "One of the delivery girls at the mail station always talks about them!"  

"A fairy? Percy you know magic doesn't exist," huffed Gordon.

Everyone stared at Gordon with blank expressions on their faces. Then he remembered, "oh yeah that's right Lady," he muttered in embarrassment.

"We could ask her but she's all the way on the other side of the world," Thomas sighed sadly. Nia caught a faint blush on his cheeks but waved it off.

"You could ask Edward," Emily suggested. "He should know all about the weird things that go on in Sodor; he's been here longer than any of us!"

If she had a neck Nia could've shaken her head yes. "I will tomorrow." Deep down she was nervous about speaking with Edward. She never could muster up the courage to, she felt bad for replacing him. But if she was to get a concrete answer she would have to hide her fears. 

The next morning Nia spotted Edward lounging in the yard.

"Good morning Edward," she greeted shyly.  

"Nia! What a surprise," the blue engine exclaimed. "Uh, how have you been this morning?" 

"Fine. And you?"

"Well I'm just taking the day off. I ain't as active as I used to." 

A brief silence passed between them. Then she asked, "Um, Edward, do you know anything about fairies?"

"Fairies?" 

Nia explained her story to Edward. Afterwards he mused.

"If I'll be honest I think you saw a nymph.

"A nymph?"

"It's a different kind of fairy one that roams the forests and lives in trees," Edward continued. "They protect the forest, you know. I haven't seen it myself, but it is said they're the reasons why this island still has its natural habitats."

"I see."

"Perhaps we should test our hypothesis," said Edward. "I'll go with you to Henry's Forest and see it for myself."

"Oh! You don't have to, I don't want to take up too much of your time," Nia began.

"Nonsense, it'll do me some good to work out my wheels," assured Edward.

Later that day the two engines made their way to Henry's Forest. During the trip they didn't talk. Not out of rudeness but because both were too shy to start a conversation! 

When they arrived they stopped. "Alright," said Edward. "Show me where it happened."

Nia gestured with her eyes. "I think when I passed by those patches of blackberries when I saw them." 

The engines trudged along the shaded path. Listening out for their magical friend. After a while they had found nothing.

"Hm, maybe it was a deer after all," she said. "Still doesn't explain the shimmer."

"Perhaps some naughty children," said Edward. "People can be disrespectful to wildlife, unfortunately." 

Just as they were about to leave, Edward felt something soft whip past him. "What on earth?" He could make out some dust faintly shimmering in the sunlight. His nose started to itch…

"ACHOO!"

Steam whizzed from his underbelly as he let out a huge sneeze. His whistle squealed, jolting Nia to attention.

"Bless you!"

The blue engine sniffed. "Thank you, just some pollen."

"We ought to get back, it's getting late," said Edward's driver. When he reached inside his pocket he groaned. "Oi! My pocket-watch! It's gone!"

"Maybe you left it back at the station?" The fireman asked.

"No, I could've sworn I had it on me!"

Edward was confused. 

Nia's crew were preparing her too. When her fireman reached to fix her hat she felt nothing but her own hair. "Hey my hat is missing!"

The humans looked around for the article of clothing but found nothing.

"Maybe it's been blown off by the wind?" Asked her partner. 

"Darn! I really liked that hat!" The driver crossed her arms and pouted. 

The pair left, but as they did, a melodious laugh rang out from the trees. 

The next couple of days were tizzy for the NWR. Crewmen reported missing their hats and tools. More engines were sneezing. It wasn't enough to delay routes. But soon everyone was getting annoyed by the invisible pranks.

Every day Nia's curiosity grew. But so did her anxiety. After that brief time with Edward she didn't speak to him. Only hurrying off whenever he stopped by to visit Tidmoth. She felt bad for ditching but she didn't want to remind him of being his replacement either. 

A couple weeks later, Nia was running her goods (thankfully no fish this time) when she went through Henry's Forest again. This time she was determined to catch a glimpse of the nymph. 

"Alright you rascal where are you?" She looked around only to be greeted by trees and the large pool on the other side of the curve ahead of her. 

Feeling a bit bitter she huffed and went on. So maybe it wasn't a nymph? But that still didn't explain the random pranks. 

 Suddenly she heard a loud rustling. Once again something large darted in front of her! 

"Oh dear!" Nia screeched. 

"Shoot!" The driver applied the brakes as a great buck lept out in front of them! 

Nia squeezed her eyes shut expecting the impact. Suddenly felt her wheels lifting off the tracks. Then the unfamiliar tingle of grass. Finally careening to a stop...into the very sparkling springs she admired.

"Somebody...help me???" Was her gargled reply. 

Edward was sent to her aid. When he arrived with the breakdown train he gasped. 

"Enjoying some cool down time I see?" Edward jokes in hopes to lighten the mood. 

"Glurb mhhee owa hee!," was Nia's gargled reply. 

"I take it as a yes."

It didn't take long for Nia to get put back on the rails. She sputtered out, "It was a real deer this time!"

"I guess this means we have to be extra careful," replied Edward. "By the way I'm curious. Why do you keep avoiding me?"

Nia's cheeks ached. 

"Well I-I've been busy," she replied quickly. She didn't want to admit she was intimidated by him. 

Before Edward could say anything, their drivers returned with some items in their hands. 

"I see what caused it, someone put a bunch of rocks and sticks on the line!" Exclaimed Edward's driver. 

"Whoever could have done that?" Edward wondered suspicious. 

"Maybe we should wait and find out," Nia murmured. Then she noticed a trail of sparkles streaking back behind the trees. She had a feeling there was more than just deer that lived in the forest.

[silverwings22]

Caught in the Crosshairs: Chapter 15 Falling Inside the Black: Skillet

Series warnings: Smut, mind control, canon typical violence, childhood trauma, language, chronic illness

Chapter warnings: SMUT, crippling self doubt, references to child-stealing, really painful foreshadowing if you've seen the series

Translations: cyare: beloved

Previous chapter:

Next chapter:

"I don't like the sounds of this mission, General.  This isn't our usual style." Hunter and Miria sat on the bridge,  reviewing their latest dossier. 

"I'm not too thrilled with it myself. I've faced Ventress before,  but her master? That's an entirely different matter." Her fingers drummed busily against the armrest of her chair,  the only indication she was anything but serene. "This will require careful planning."

The mission was straightforward.  Get into Dooku's castle on Serenno, hack his private server,  and use the data to flush traitors from the Republic.  Miria was far more preoccupied with something she remembered from Geonosis.  

"What if I told you the Republic was under the power of a dark lord of the Sith?"

She'd assumed then that Dooku was the Sith he'd referred to… Ventress the apprentice that replaced Maul and fulfilled the Law of Two. But something didn't add up to her, and she couldn't explain why.  

"How are we even going to get in? Tech could try that tunneling mechanism he's been working on." He mused.  

"No.  I don't think that will be necessary." She mused.  "A door will do."

"I don't like the look on your face,  General." Hunter frowned.  

Miria smiled sheepishly. "You should be able to just walk in the back door while he's answering the front."

"And why would he do that?"

"Because I'm going to knock."

Hunter blinked. "With all due respect,  General…. Are you insane? He'd kill you on sight."

"No he won't.  You forget,  Dooku was a Jedi once,  too. He may have strayed from the path but his methods are shaped by the Order, as mine are. And he tried to convince Obi-wan to join him on Geonosis.  He's going to want to make me see things his way. " She rested her chin on her steepled fingers.  "Maybe I'll finally understand how one of the most decorated knights fell into darkness…" 

"Crosshair's gonna lose his shit."

"Oh, I'm sure.  But I'm prepared to handle this.  We've been on more missions than I'd care to count by now, what's one more?"

"You've got a hell of a lot more to lose now, you know."

She smiled.  "That's just more reasons to fight as hard as I can.  I need you to trust me,  Hunter. Can you?"

He sighed. "You know I do."

"Then get the guys ready for a brief.  We'll need to land far enough away from the castle to avoid being noticed." 

"You're explaining this." He sighed.  "Meet you in the cockpit."

She nodded quietly. "Of course."

Hunter trundled off and she leaned back in the command chair.  This was exhausting,  the grind of battle clinging to her skin. 

Not much longer.  It's coming together, I'll be able to settle down with Crosshair and be at peace…

She heaved herself upward and went to see about the boy's brief. They weren't going to like this.

She settled into her seat in the cockpit,  looking at four pairs of expectant eyes.  "We're dealing with a Sith,  gentlemen.  This is going to be one of our most difficult missions yet. Fortunately,  this Sith was once a Jedi.  I believe I can keep him distracted long enough for you to get into the system." She lay the specs for the castle down for them to look at.  "There is a rear servant's entrance and he is running with a skeleton crew of four servants at this time.  Just enough to maintain the household.  With Hunter's senses,  it should be no trouble to avoid them."

"And you will be in combat with him the whole time?" Tech frowned.  

"Goodness, I hope not. Dooku was a cut above the other duelists in the order. Even at his age, he defeated Anakin and Obi-wan on Geonosis, and they're better duelists than I." 

"Then there's no way you're going in there alone." Crosshair hissed. 

"Yes, I am.  It will be fine.  I'm going talk to him." She smiled.

"Talk to him?!" He started.  "He's a fucking Si-"

Miria leaned up across her seat and kissed him. "Hush."

He grumbled, but pulled her to him and she finished the brief from his lap. "When the data is secure,  I'll extract myself. In the event of trouble, I'll send a distress signal. And Wrecker?"

"Yes, General?"

"Stealth,  dear."

"Oooh, I hate that word!"

The castle was big and eerie,  the Force around it both severe and lonely.  Miria wondered if whatever had turned the former Master Dooku from the light had seeped into the stones themselves. She approached the main gate and quietly lifted her hand to knock. 

Force give me strength.  

She slammed down the brass knocker a couple times and stood back to wait. An older human woman with gray hair and a maid's uniform opened up. Miria smiled politely.  "Hello, ma'am.  I'd like to see the Count if he's not too busy."

The woman eyed her.  Miria had left her armor on the ship,  wearing her cream colored dress and brown cloak. "You're a Jedi."

"Yes,  I am.  But I'm not here for a fight."

The woman frowned again.  "... I'll ask him.  Wait here,  Jedi…"

"Halcyon.  Miria Halcyon."

The maid closed the door and Miria waited patiently. Her hands clenched and unclenched in her wide sleeves, nerves settled in.  This was madness and she knew it, going into a Siths home by herself.  

Plo Koon would skin her hide. 

A few minutes later, the door opened and a stern looking old man in a very classy robe and cloak appeared.  "Why is the newest member of the Jedi council on my doorstep?"

"To talk?" She smiled faintly.  "Do you have a few minutes?"

He eyed her for a moment, brown eyes thoughtful and surprisingly… welcoming.  "Come in then,  Master Halcyon.  Do you like tea?"

"Yes sir.  Very much." She said gently, and he nodded.

"Let's go to my study.  I'll have some brought up."

She followed him inside, looking at the grand and stately stone and columns of the front hall.  "This is a lovely place…"

"It is my inheritance that I collected when I left the Order." He said quietly.  "My homecoming wasn't quite what I'd hoped for." 

They went up a set of marble stairs and into a large dark wood paneled study,  laden heavily with leather bound books.  Real books,  which delighted Miria.  He sat her down in a wingback chair and settled next to her in another.  "So what brings you,  a Master, to me?"

It was a half truth,  but he'd sense a lie in an instant and she knew it. "I need to understand." She murmured softly.  "You were an esteemed Master of the Order, the Grandmasters padawan, and I was only a youngling but I remember no great fight when you left.  I can't understand why… but the key to ending this war is here.  I know you spoke to Obi-wan Kenobi on Geonosis, you were willing to talk then. Can't you talk to me now?  Can't we end this?"

He chuckled quietly as another maid brought in a silver tea service and set it on the low table between them.  "So hopeful,  aren't you?  But that's not the only reason you've come.  You question the Order,  don't you?"

Miria looked askance at how quickly he read her.  "I don't deny I have many questions… I thought I'd understand better when I joined the Council,  but…"

"But you see that they don't listen. I remember that moment." He murmured,  bringing his teacup to her lips.  "And the Republic is even worse."

"What do you mean?" She frowned.  

"I once petitioned the council for a restructuring of the Order.  To push the Senate to form its own defensive guard,  so that the Jedi could serve their actual purpose and aid those in need." He said delicately.  "I was denied. Repeatedly."

She frowned,  thinking of her own petition to help slaves in the Outer Rim.  "We serve the Senate…."

"Politicians who serve their own self interest.  They line their pockets while others suffer. And as long as the Jedi are their lapdogs, nothing changes. The trouble starts with Yoda."

"Master Yoda is-" she rushed to defend the grandmaster, but his raised hand cut her off.  

"He is complacent,  dear girl.  He no longer notices the little evils the Republic fosters.  He's been around it too long. He is perfectly pleasant and even kind when he directly involves himself,  but he doesn't stand up to the wickedness in the Republic and it thrives under his lack of action." He leaned forward. "I see kindness in your eyes.  Tell me,  what in your opinion is the worst state of the galaxy? What would you address,  given the chance?"

"Slavery." She answered automatically,  mind on Chisee and Anakin's mother on Tattooine. And the clones, trapped in the war they had no choice but to participate in. 

"And the Jedi know of it and do nothing,  because it lines the pockets of the rich and powerful.  They can't help the slaves.  But they can help the slave masters."

Mirias eyes fell to her lap.  "Is that why you left?"

"Among other reasons. Family being one of them." He mused.  "Do you remember your family?"

"No… I was born on Naboo, but I was too young to remember…"

"Do you ever wonder about them? Who they were?  Why they let you go?  Who you might have been if they'd raised you?"

Her heart ached with sudden longing.  A childhood free of illness,  wrapped safely in a mother's arms,  free of the shadow of death breathing down her neck.  A full life before her,  she might have still met Crosshair and… "Once or twice…"

"Every Jedi is a family who decided they could live without them." He murmured.  "The Order convinces them they must give their children away,  and then they send them to die on fools errands for a Republic who doesn't even permit them voting rights. Does that seem fair to you? I remember you,  Miria Halcyon.  I know what happened to you on Illum. What would your mother think if she'd known the Jedi would send her daughter to an early grave?"

Miria clasped her hands tightly,  knuckles going white.  "It was my fault,  on Illum. I was careless…"

"You were a child. And you've been so blinded by your belief in the Order that you've let them convince you that the fault lies in a little girl looking for a kyber crystal,  not the adults meant to be watching over her."

She closed her eyes. How did his words feel so true?  She was Jedi,  she'd resisted the dark side as a child,  so why did she feel so… wavering?  "But the Jedi serve the light…."

"They're meant to.  Perhaps some do. But the Order itself is lost.  This war will teach that,  regrettable as it is.  But you…." She startled when he took her wrists.  "You are strong in the Force. A worthy apprentice.  Join me,  dear girl. Your life can have meaning,  short as it may be. You want to help others,  let this be the way."

Mirias eyes shot wide as she tugged back,  shaking her head.  "N-no! I'm not a Sith!"

"You hardly need to be." He didn't let go,  and she shoved down the rising panic building in her chest.  

There was a click in her earpiece.  "Data acquired, General. Proceed to the rendezvous point." Tech murmured.   Her team,  her boys were out.  She let that small comfort ground her in the moment. 

"Please let me go.  I came to talk,  not to join you.  Please."

The count chuckled quietly and released her wrists.  "Remember the offer, Master Halcyon.  It will still stand when you leave the Jedi." He turned away.  "I trust you can see your own way out."

She looked at his back a long moment.  "Thank you for speaking with me…" she murmured before hurrying out the way she'd come.

Miria left the castle,  and as soon as the door closed she was running,  sprinting like she could outrun the words the Sith had muttered. If she could escape the seed of doubt before it took root,  she could still be herself. She could still be a Jedi,  she could still serve the light,  she could still have faith…

Strong arms wrapped around her waist,  pulling her off her feet and into an armored chest.  She got only a brief glimpse of a gray helmet with a sniper's crosshair over the right eye before she was burying her face into his neck and sobbing. 

Crosshair stiffened as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Miria, what's wrong?" He murmured,  pulling his helmet off and dropping it on the ground carelessly.  "Did he hurt you?  We'll go back and-"

"No!" She wailed helplessly.  "He didn't hurt me,  I'm o-okay, just don't go back." Her arms turned to durasteel around him.  "Stay. Just st-stay."

He was throughly confused, but swept her legs from under her. "Okay.  Okay, I'm here. Let's get you back to the ship." His voice was soft,  what she needed,  and she snuggled in tightly as her sobbing quieted to whimpers.  Tech shrugged and picked up his helmet for him.  

They trekked back to where they'd hidden the Marauder, eerily quiet as they all shot worried glances at their inconsolable General.  This wasn't like her. 

Everyone stayed in the cockpit as Tech got them off Serenno, leaving Crosshair to take care of Miria.  He carried her to their bunk and set her down gently,  carefully as he knew how.  "Hey.  Hey,  baby girl." He murmured,  thumbing the tears off her cheeks.  "Look at me.  You're okay,  right?  You're not hurt?"

She shook her head.  "He didn't hurt me…."

"Then what's the matter? You're shaking." He frowned sharply.  "What did that bastard do?"

"It's not what he did." She shuddered.  "It's what he said."

That gave Crosshair pause. He'd watched her laugh at the cruelest digs, ones that played on her every insecurity,  without flinching.  But this…  he'd never seen her cry like this.  "What did he say?"

"That the Order is wrong. That we're the problem,  we're the reason for the war.  That we allow corruption and we steal children and we-"

"He hates the Jedi.  Of course he did."

"But he's right,  Cross." She whispered.  

He pulled her to him,  shaking his head.  "They can't be like that.  You're not like that." He murmured.  

"Aren't I? How many younglings that I taught had parents who loved them?  Parents who only gave them up because a Jedi like me told them it was for the best?" She snuggled to his chest.  "And the slaves in the Outer Rim,  like that little girl on Tattooine. If it hadn't been related to the war no one would have helped.  They didn't help Anakin's mother. They didn't let me help when I became a knight.  They just let it happen. They let all this happen…"

Crosshair was not good at this. Comforting someone was Wrecker's thing.  But she needed him,  and he was going to have to be enough.  "They can't be all bad, cyare." He murmured.  "They raised you,  and you're good.  So whatever they've done or not done,  they… have merit.  And you're a Master,  right?  You can make things better before you leave. I know you can. You're… Miria,  you're fucking amazing."

She looked up at him tearfully, scrubbing her eyes on the backs of her hands. "I certainly don't feel amazing,  Cross. I… he asked me to be his apprentice."

Crosshair made a face.  "Like you'd ever join that asshole."

"I thought about it, Cross.  I kept thinking about Anakin's mother,  and how I got sick… he asked me what my own mother would think if she knew.  And… Force,  I considered it." She laughed hollowly. "The Council would put me through a bloody tribunal if they knew I ever doubted…"

"You have to choose." Crosshair ran his gloved fingers through her hair. "What kind of person you want to be.  Not what kind of Jedi. You don't have to agree with everything they do, and you don't have to join the Sith. But when we were cadets… 99 used to tell us we’d have to decide who we were going to be, with every action. So…who do you want to be?"

She frowned quietly. "I… I don't want to fall to darkness." She whispered.  "It's a lonely place.  I've been there, on Illum. I want to follow the light.  I want to have friends and find joy and… I want you. My guiding star."

He smiled. "Then I'll always be right here, watching your six."

She smiled back, shaky, cradling his face in her hands. "I love you."

Crosshair smiled back,  a real one.  "C'mere, cyare. Lemme hold you."

She nodded eagerly,  desperate for comfort after such a jarring day.  He slipped his armor quickly and laid down with her,  warm hands running gently over her hip.  Smoothing away the ragged places in her bruised and broken spirit. It was almost enough to make her cry again.  

She cuddled a little closer,  pressing her lips to his neck in search of a particular spot that always made his arms tighten around her. He chuckled.  "That what you want, cyare?"

She nodded.  "I feel filthy." She whispered quietly. "Like his words cling. I always feel right with you…"

Crosshair propped himself up on one elbow, a slow smirk spreading across his angular features. "Then lemme make you feel better." 

His lips pressed to hers,  warm and welcome as she let him into her mouth.  He kissed her slow, firmly shifting to pin her under his chest while one hand twined into her hair.  Miria whimpered softly when the other one pulled her belt open and started tugging her dress apart. It was one of those simple wrap styles,  parting under his fingers until they pressed comfortingly against the soft skin of her belly.  "So pretty." He murmured. "My girl,  so pretty just for me. Gonna give you the galaxy one of these days, you know that?" His mouth moved to her shoulder,  sucking marks into the white skin there. "Make you my pretty little wife."

Miria closed her eyes,  focusing on the sweet ache. "Your wife…" His.  Not the Jedis, with their endless conflicting teachings she found herself more and more lost in.  Not the Siths, with the darkness threatening to swallow her alive.  Crosshairs. 

"Mmhmm. Build you a house somewhere.  Have a couple kids,  with those eyes of yours." He chuckled when she let out a contented sigh,  tugging her breast band down below the inviting swell of her chest.  His tongue drew one nipple into his mouth, free hand palming the other side.  Finally he pressed a kiss against her tattoo. "Love this.  Having my symbol tattooed right over your heart. " He lightly nipped her hipbone on his way down.  "Can't wait to see you every morning,  first thing.  And every night,  just like this."

She cooed when he lifted her hips to tug her underwear out of the way.  "Cross…"

He just chuckled and hooked her knees over his shoulders, pressing his mouth between her legs.  Her first little moan was sweeter than music.  "That's it, cyare. Just let me take care of you. Always be there to take care of my girl."

She sighed and gasped as his skillful tongue went to work,  drawing her to the brink of shattering.  It was good,  mind numbing in the surety of his words.  He'd always be there to pick her up if she fell.  She didn't need to fear mistakes with Crosshair,  because he didn't expect perfection. He didn't want it. He wanted her,  with all her flaws and broken places.  He could push the veneer of a perfect Jedi away and still think the women below it was beautiful.  

She stifled a moan in her hands when his fingers breached her core, searching out the right spot to drag her to her release with snipers accuracy.  His other hand pulled hers from her face.  "Don't hide from me,  ner cyare."

"Y-your brothers…"

"Let 'em hear.  Who gives a shit if they know I'm making love to the girl of my dreams? If it's a problem,  they can die mad about it." He chuckled, hand never stopping it's work.  "They know I'm gonna marry you anyway."

She couldn't argue with that and her next soft moan echoed through the recycled ship's air. "Oh, Crosshair…"

"There you go.  Come on, gimme a good one and I'll fuck you through this mattress." He purred softly against her thigh before sucking a mark there too. 

Miria complied with a high pitched whine, tensing up as everything went blinding and debilitating white in her vision.  She was dimly aware of Crosshair murmuring praise and kissing her hip as she came down, processing the words slowly through the din of her panting.  

"There you go.  That's my girl…"

She curled her hands in his silver hair,  tugging him up her trembling body until she could kiss him again.  She tasted herself on his tongue. 

Crosshair kept his word and wasted no time sliding into her silken heat,  shivering when her legs crossed behind his back and locked him into place.  He settled his weight on his forearms,  kissing her slow and deep with the pace of his hips to match. "I'm right here,  cyare. Right where you need me." He mumbled,  turning his head to mouth along her bared throat.  "Right where I belong.  Next to you."

Force,  he turned her inside out when he got honest.  She held tight to him, where she belonged,  as he took his time rearranging her the way he wanted.  His hips snapped into hers,  the only sounds the strike of skin and their pants mingling together.  "How's this,  baby girl?" He crooned. "Feel better?"

"Yes." Miria half whimpered.  

"Good. Can't- fuck,  can't stand to see you cry…" He groaned faintly in her ear.  "Can't fucking stand it… your pretty face…" 

She shuddered again, looking up with all the effort she could muster to keep her eyes on his.  They were warm and bright right now,  molten honey and everything she needed in the galaxy to keep it together.  "Darling…"

"Keep looking at me.  Just like that… wanna see your pretty eyes when you- fuck,  when you come for me." He mumbled.  "The shit I'd do for you… Maker,  I'd do anything for you..."

That did it. The confession,  the unabashed love in those amber eyes,  the way he hit every place inside her so perfectly all coalesced into an all- consuming wave that swept her off her feet and sent her tumbling,  her locked legs driving him impossibly deeper into her when she fell apart and dragged him with her. He painted her insides hot and dropped onto his elbows, shuddering.  Her muscles slowly unclenched and she traced nonsense over his back with her nails, holding him to her.  

"I love you…" she whispered.  "I don't know what I'm doing anymore.  But I know I love you so much…"

Crosshair chuckled weakly.  "Right now,  you're finishing getting railed."

"You know what I mean, Cross."

"Yeah,  I know. I love you too." He kissed her forehead, shifting so he could lay beside her and pull the blanket over them. "Go to sleep. We'll sort everything out later.  Right now,  I've got you."

Miria snuggled into his narrow chest.  "And you'll always have me?"

"If I ever say no to that,  I've lost my fucking mind." He smiled.  

[katzkinder]

Little Boy Blue

Mahiru is tired.

Kuro can see it, in the way his folding isn’t as neat, in the way the vegetables in their dinner aren’t as uniformly chopped, in the way his head bobs during school lessons, his laughter isn’t as loud, how he doesn’t check half so well before he crosses the street and needs the ever watchful hand of Sakuya to drag him back from the curb, a shout on the subclass’s lips, scolding and fussing about the car that had just whizzed past their little group.

Mahiru is tired, but he refuses to rest.

And it’s driving Kuro mad.

It’s as Mahiru is jerked and prodded, worried and fussed over by his trio of school friends, that Kuro makes a decision.

His Eve will get some sleep, whether he wants to or not.

Thankfully for him, he knows Mahiru wants it. The frustrating part is that his stupid, incredible, wonderful human doesn’t think he’s earned it. Not yet. Not when there was still more to do.

Which meant, joy of joys… He needed some help.

Good thing he had three ready made volunteers right there with him on the curb.

Now to convince them.

***

The easiest part, by far, was getting them to go along with his plan. Slipping into Mahiru’s bag to use the cellphone Tooru had bought him (every time he thought about it, he still couldn’t believe it. His own phone, his own clothes, his own games, his own… Everything, really), he sent a single text to three different numbers.

Mahiru’s exhausted. Help me get him to chill out?

The hard part…

“Hey, Mahiru! It’s been a while since we all last had a sleepover, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it has…”

“Since we’re already going to be walking you home to make sure you don’t wander out into traffic…”

“It was an accident!”

“Party at Mahiru-sama’s place~!”

“Would you stop with that stupid… Fine! But Sakkun is paying for the food!”

… Wasn’t actually that hard? But, well. Leave it to the grungy joker to just… Steamroll his way into Mahiru’s place, invited or not. And become a steamed cabbage in the process.

The power of Mahiru-sama is frightening indeed…

***

The first order of business when the five of them arrive at Mahiru’s apartment is taken care of handily by, once again, Sakuya.

“Pizza time!” he crows, tapping the order into a website Kuro only vaguely recognizes the name of. It’s not a delivery app, but the website’s own page, and while he’s busy with that, Kuro hops out of Mahiru’s bag, ready to go fetch blankets and pillows from the linen closet in order to set them all up.

Except Mahiru’s two human friends beat him to it.

All the better, he thinks, as he hops up onto the couch to watch them spread things out right in front of the TV. The living room is small, the area they’ve chosen to occupy even more so, but it’s what he would have chosen for Mahiru, too, to cram them all together, to surround his Eve with the simple pressure and warmth of his loved ones crowded close.

Not for the first time, and certainly not the last, Kuro is so… Grateful for Mahiru’s friends. Before him, and even after him, they will love Mahiru like a brother, like a family, know him in ways he can’t, the same way Gear knows him in ways Mahiru never will.

And that’s fine. To be known is to be loved, and more than anyone, Mahiru deserves it.

“Mahiru, can you help Ryuu-chan? I’m gonna go make sure Sakuya doesn’t burn your kitchen down trying to make popcorn.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know, I’m always the one who makes the popcorn when Shamrock can’t!”

“And how much of it do you burn?”

“Less than you, so nyeh.”

… Maybe he should go watch them.

“Ah, Kuro, don’t get your fur on the counter!”

“Can’t deal…”

At the least, Mahiru seems to already be feeling better. It’s like magic. The best kind Kuro has ever seen.

***

Kuro spends the night as a cat, nestled in Mahiru’s lap or lying across his back, little paws kneading his Eve’s flesh and purring up a storm, extra sweet and extra soothing, while the other three pile around them. Mahiru is… Quiet. But not a bad quiet, no. A good quiet, letting the presence of the other people in their home wash over him, their bickering and their teasing, not a host but just a friend, just another kid, a kid with greasy fingers and a half drunk bottle of cola and two boxes of extra large pepperoni pizzas with cheesy bread set out before them.

“Where the heck do you find these pizza places I’ve never heard of?” Ryuusei asks after a particularly long cheese stretch has him craning his head back and holding his arms out, making the other three laugh, “This is great.”

“Vampire SNS,” Sakuya tells him proudly, and snickers once more at the tongue click it nets him.

Much to Kuro’s surprise, after building their little nest, the green haired vampire had graciously given up his preferred spot next to Mahiru without a word, instead settling himself shoulder to shoulder with the short one, Ryuusei, while he and Koyuki had pressed themselves up against Mahiru like they were trying to merge with him. It’s a tangle of arms and legs, like cats lying one on top of the other, physical closeness that speaks volumes of the emotional one they’ve cultivated with each other, and which they were slowly, Kuro felt, trying to ease him into.

It was a strange feeling. Being included.

But it wasn’t one he hated by any means.

Ryuusei flops his head against Mahiru’s arm, cheek squishing ridiculously as he squints at the screen. “Who picked this again?”

The crunching from Mahiru’s right stops, and a bowl of half eaten popcorn, buttery and with the perfect amount of salt, is nudged his Eve’s way. Wordlessly, Mahiru grabs up a big handful of it, stuffs it in his mouth with a knowing little smile, a sort of carelessness Kuro can never seem to invoke on his own.

The shuffling of fabric, and Koyuki leans onto Mahiru’s shoulder as well, the barest hint of a pout to his voice. “Does it matter? Even bad movies are fun when we’re together.”

“You’re cheesier than this pizza,” Sakuya teases, and Mahiru grins, laughs, finally says something, the exhaustion all but gone from his voice.

“That means Koyuki definitely picked it.”

“So you’re the one responsible!” Ryuusei shouts, and Koyuki flicks popcorn at him, bounces it right off his head.

“Shut up! You can change it, y’know.”

“Well, we’re already this far in,” Mahiru muses, and Sakuya quietly plucks the floor tainted popcorn up to place on a napkin, “Might as well finish it.”

Kuro is… So glad that Mahiru has friends who can do this for him. To do the things he can’t. This sense of total normalcy, of being just another teenager… It’s not really something he can help with. Not really. He knows he’s the type to overthink, to become discouraged when his efforts don’t get immediate results.

But now Mahiru is laughing again.

It’s everything he could have asked for.

***

Hours upon hours later, the only light in the room is from the flickering TV screen, and the only sounds are the soft breaths of four teenage boys, fast asleep right there on the floor.

Kuro finally rouses himself, gets up, stretches, and carefully picks his way down Mahiru’s back. Only then does he allow himself to transform back into a human, cracking his neck, his back, and sighing heavily at the relief it grants his stiff joints.

It’s time to get to work. All that effort would be meaningless if Mahiru woke to a mess, so clean up crew Kuro shall be.

First go the soda bottles. Back into the fridge, without a label or a care for who had drunk from what, because it’s not like those four cared anyway, but Mahiru hated to waste food. Honestly, Kuro was in agreement on that much, but especially when it came to his favorites. So, twisting each cap tightly back into place, he made sure to set them up in plain sight so that they’d be finished in the morning (and if not by their owners, by him), blocking the light of the fridge with his own body and the tails of his coat so as not to disturb the quartet of friends.

Next were the pizza boxes. Each one was completely empty, but that was no surprise, given that there were two shared between the five of them. Even the little banana peppers included had been devoured. If Kuro had to guess… Mahiru. For some godforsaken reason, his Eve adored things that set his mouth on fire, and no amount of “it’s not that spicy!” would change Kuro’s opinion that Mahiru, sweet faced, stubborn, wonderful Mahiru, just wanted to see what the fires of hell tasted like.

(And maybe he was a bit of a baby when it came to peppers, but clearly that wasn’t his fault)

Onto the counters the pizza boxes went.

Next came the bowl of popcorn, filled with nothing but unpopped kernels, then the plates, then the napkins, then the painstaking process of picking up every infernal piece of popped corn that had been jokingly thrown about between friends with zero thought for who would have to clean it up all up.

Considering how many Sakuya had tossed, he had a feeling the other vampire had known Kuro would take it upon himself to tidy up their garbage, and found himself cracking an annoyed, if fond, smile.

Little brat.

Mess more or less taken care of, Kuro had one last task to complete, and fetching the fluffiest quilt he could find from the closet that hadn’t already been used to pad out the hard tile in front of their TV, he carefully, carefully, spread it out over the pile of sleeping boys. Not a one stirred, not even Mahiru.

His smile turned ever so slightly bitter.

Well, that was fine. That was good, even, because it meant that, more than he’d thought, Mahiru had needed this night, this little slice of being normal, of simplicity.

Looking at each face in turn… He thought that maybe, all of them had.

Himself included.

Tucking himself into the crook of Mahiru’s neck was easy, a warm, furry weight that had his Eve curling up even more, ever so slightly, setting off a chain reaction as each teenager also shifted, one or two murmuring in their sleep, shuffling closer to each other like small birds seeking safety and comfort during a storm.

And that was fine, too. Kuro would watch over their dreams, every one.

Sleep tight, guys. Sweet dreams...

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

When You Are Ready

Summary: Years after the events of the akuma Truth Luka gets a visit from an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. And they’re finally ready to tell him the truth. Inspired by S4E01 episode “Truth”.

***SPOILER WARNING***

The story below contains spoilers to the ML episode "Truth". If you haven't watched, read at your own risk.

This is for all the heartbroken Lukanette stans out there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Great playin’ with you tonight, son,’ Jagged stuck his head inside Luka’s dressing room. For some reason his smile was wider than usual. 

‘Thanks, J,’ Luka nodded. Even after they managed to mend the 16 year gap in their relationship, he couldn’t bring himself to call the rockman “dad”. ‘You too.’

Jagged’s head remained at the door. 

‘You wanted something, old man?’ Luka asked. They’d been performing together for a few years already, but it wasn’t like Jagged to randomly pay him a visit after a concert.

Jagged gasped in mock offence. ‘I’m not that old, mind you. Still can kick your ass on the lead guitar, rookie,’ he waved a warning finger. ‘I’m heading out, just dropped to tell you there’s someone waiting for you at the back. I let her in because it’s raining cats and dogs outside.’

“Her”?

Plenty of fans loitered around after their concerts, but the security kept them in check. Who could make Jagged invite them inside despite their security policy?

‘Who is she?’

Jagged’s grin got positively sly. ‘An old friend, that’s all I’m sayin’. Just remember to show up to rehearsal tomorrow.’ He winked and shot the young man with a finger gun.

That was weird, even for Jagged. Luka quickly gathered his things, secured his guitar and left the dressing room. The corridor was dark and quiet, with most of the crew already gone, but Luka thought there was something strangely familiar in the air, like a memory of a forgotten song that suddenly slipped into his mind. He made a few tentative steps and turned the corner.

Indeed, there was a woman at the back door, leaning against the wall and fidgeting nervously. She turned a small package in her hands and tapped her foot, as if trying to gather courage. He recognized her song in an instant.

‘Marinette?’ Luka rasped, suddenly breathless.

She turned her infinitely blue eyes to him. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. When was the last time he saw her? At Juleka’s graduation? Maybe a few times after that? 

Her life was already a whirlwind when he had met her, and little had changed in the following years. She was always so busy, always in a hurry. Her song became more frantic, burdened with fear and guilt. Luka couldn’t take it. And so days of silence turned into weeks, then months and years. Despite their best efforts they drifted apart and even her occasional commissions for Jagged never served as an opportunity to meet or catch up. He got on with his life, even if Marinette always held a special place in his heart. 

‘Hi!’ She smiled hesitantly, brushing a stray curl of her hair behind her ear.

‘Oh my gosh, hi!’ Luka dropped his bag and hugged her tight. At first she went stiff in his arms, but it only took a moment for her to relax and reciprocate the embrace. 

‘It’s so good to see you,’ he said, letting her go. ‘How are you?’

It really was good to see her, although his heart stuttered in her presence. He wanted to ask an entirely different question. Why was she here? Why did she come to see him after years of keeping quiet? 

‘I’m okay, you know, just doing my thing,’ she shrugged. That obviously wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to go either.

‘So what brings you here? Still a fan of Jagged?’ He risked.

‘Yeah, yours as well, but- ‘ she paused and took a deep breath, ‘that’s not why I’m here. I’m- ugh, why is this so hard?’ she muttered under her breath.

Luka put his hands on her shoulders. ‘Easy, Marinette,’ he whispered, ‘remember you can tell me everything, always,’ he assured.  

She closed her eyes. ‘This was a stupid idea. I just-’

He waited patiently, feeling her shiver under his touch. Her song became erratic, panicked even. This was so unlike Marinette, he started to worry.

‘You said- that evening by the Seine you said, “when you’re ready”,’ she spoke quietly.

He could barely hear her, but still her words made him come back to that heartbreaking moment by the bridge, when she ended things between them even before they really began. He never found out why, never understood, but also never questioned her decision. 

‘It’s been 10 years,’ he said, more to himself and his memory. 

‘Yeah…’

‘So many things happened in those 10 years,’ he mused.

‘Mhmmm…’ Marinette murmured. ‘Your solo album came out. You were on tour with Jagged. We graduated, went to university.’

‘Hawkmoth was defeated.’

‘Only recently,’ she reminded him. ‘But yeah.’

Silence fell over them. Luka still couldn’t make anything out of her presence and her reason to come.

‘You said: “when you’re ready, I’ll be here for you”,’ she repeated, louder now, more determined, as if she finally found her courage. ‘Are you?’

‘If you’re asking, if I have been in a relationship since we were teens, Marinette,’ he replied carefully picking his words, ‘then yes - I’ve been in a few, actually.’ 

But she must have known that, he’d always been honest, not only with her, but with everyone. He never hid. Not after his akumatizations. He’d learned from his parents’ and his own mistakes. 

Marinette hunched. Before she turned her face away from him he glimpsed a tear in her eye. She bit her lip.

But none of them could ever compare to you, he wanted to say. The song of her heart has changed, matured, but it was no less fascinating. If anything, he found it even more captivating than when she’d been 14. 

However, at least one thing about him hadn’t changed either. 

‘I’m a simple, honest guy, Marinette,’ he said. ‘My heart doesn’t handle rejection well, neither dishonesty. Without the truth-’ he drifted off, letting her come to the conclusion on her own. He wasn’t that cruel to say it out loud.

‘I remember what you said and I remember what I’ve done, what I’ve been like,’ Marinette was calm now, but there was strange gravity in her tone. ‘I wouldn’t have come here, if - like you’d said - I wasn’t ready. Here,’ the box she’d been playing with appeared in front of his face. ‘Open it, when you’re alone. Then you’ll understand.’

‘Understand what?’

‘Me,’ she said quietly, turning to leave.

‘What about Adrien?’ Luka remembered that thorn as well.

Marinette halted with her hand on the doorknob. ‘That’s a long story.’

‘Believe me, I know,’ Luka chuckled humorlessly.

‘Adrien’s still a big part of my life, but we’re not a couple,’ Marinette said in a colorless voice.

‘Just friends?’ He couldn’t help himself.

‘Hah,’ she snorted. ‘Best friends. But just friends.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. Adrien has some stuff he needs to deal with and I- I finally know what I want and what I need,’ she turned and shot him a meaningful look. Then she left.

Luka stayed in the darkness for a while, mulling over the revelations of the past few minutes. Marinette had always cared for the truth, he knew that well. But there was a new sincerity to her today, laced with quiet determination, that shook him to his core. He wished he could comprehend that mystery.

Then his eyes fell on the little gift box and her words came back to him. “Open it. Then you’ll understand.”

Luka braced himself and slowly, carefully raised the lid. 

Oh.

Inside, on blue silk lay a single guitar pick. It was red with a pattern of black dots. 

Oh.

Finally the missing piece of the puzzle clicked into place. The part of the melody that’s been eluding him from the start, just out of his reach, but right under his nose. He smiled to himself as his fingers closed over the pick. And for the first time in years his heart skipped a beat.

[moonbeambucky]

I Promise (Part 1/2)

Pairing: Chris Beck x Reader Word Count: 4106 Warnings: fluff, smut, pregnancy

Summary: Before heading to Mars Chris Beck reconnects with his best friend, unaware of the outcome of their night together. With the burden of his mission will Chris make a promise he can’t keep?

A/N: My first Chris Beck fic! Rather than a really long one shot I’m splitting it into two parts. A big thank you to my love Allie @all1e23​​​ for beta reading 🍕❤️ gif source (x)

“Hey.”

The soft resonance of Chris’ voice brings tears to your eyes, ones you couldn’t help from slipping out. They fall down the curve of your cheeks past the uneasy smile you wore.

“I kept my promise,” he said. Chris flashed the top row of his bright white teeth, his mouth curving into a boyish smile that reached his eyes, the fine lines crinkling around them. He tilted his head as he looked at you through the screen, a comforting gaze that made you feel as if he was there with you. 

The quality of the video chat is near perfect making you almost forget Chris was millions of miles away. He looked the same, not that you expected him to look different. It had only been a few months since you last saw each other. 

His hair looks darker than usual but you suppose it’s the low lighting of the small room he’s in. He’s bundled up in a thick NASA sweatshirt and you can see several more layers he has on beneath the collar. Chris looks tired but that’s expected, what he’s doing right now is not a walk in the park. You know it’s the reason why it’s taken so long for him to contact you but you wish he did it sooner. 

More tears flood your eyes, burning their way out as you wished he never left at all. You can barely hear Chris over the sound of your own sobs.

“Please don’t cry,” he pleaded.

You lifted your head towards the screen and seeing the concern on his face only made you miss him more, wishing he was there to console you in person.

Your hand swept away tears from your cheek as your voice cracked saying his name. “Chris…” 

The streets are simmering with the heat of a summer that couldn’t wait to officially start. Calendars be damned, it was hot. You indulged in a cool shower when you got home from work but time didn’t allow for a languid evening of staying in your towel as you applied serums and moisturizers, lotions and creams and every other post-shower pampering you normally do. Tonight was dinner with a friend and you needed to get ready.

Chatter filled the air of the patio, a small secluded outdoor space at the back of an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side. It had an Old World Tuscan feel, from the stucco walls that looked purposely imperfect. Green patina shutters hung beside a wrought iron lantern that glowed in the early evening. Lush greens and bright flowers sat atop the half wall that surrounded the dining area making you forget you were in the city.

Chris looked the same, not that you expected him to be different. It had only been about two years since you’ve seen each other, right before he began training for his mission and now you can’t believe it was about to happen. Never would you have expected that the little boy down the block who became your best friend would actually be going to Mars.

For most of your lives you were in the same school, starting in Mrs. Kramer’s kindergarten class where you stuck together; two kids that were nervous about making friends and finding comfort in each other. As the years went on you weren’t always in the same classes but your friendship continued to grow. Chris was picked on for having a girl as a best friend and the girls always teased that he was your “boyfriend.” It never felt that way with Chris. He was your friend first and you never saw him as anything more. 

By the time you were in middle school Chris was already taking advanced classes in math and science and the only class you had together was art which he was famously terrible at. It was there you asked him a huge favor, whispering to him at the sink as you rinsed off your paint brushes. “Could you kiss me?” Chris turned as red as a boiling lobster, immediately sweating as if he was being roasted alive himself. It was later that day walking home from school that you clarified what you meant.

There was a boy, Justin Kaufman, who was the coolest kid in your grade. You had a crush on him like everyone else and you were shocked when he asked if you would go with him to the dance on Friday. You were worried he might try to kiss you and being inexperienced made you nervous. Justin was really popular and if you were a bad kisser then the whole school would know it. Chris was your friend, someone you trusted, someone you could practice with just to make sure you didn’t make a fool of yourself. 

You had no frame of reference for kissing back then apart from one sided smooches to pictures of movie stars that you had a crush on. But feeling Chris’ lips press back against yours was… nice. The best part about it was that things didn’t feel awkward after. Chris was still your best friend and nothing changed. 

A server hands you a menu and you thank him, scanning through it to see what you might be interested in. Chris looks up at the same time you do, wondering if you wanted an appetizer.  You nodded letting him choose, considering the limited food options he’ll have for over the next year. 

“Can you drink?”

Chris’ nose crinkled as he smiled. “In space? No. Tonight? Yes,” he chuckled softly. 

Two glasses of red wine were set on the table as you indulged in delicious food, catching up as much as you could before Chris’ mission. 

“So you’d love what happened today,” you began, leaning closer, “We filmed a restoration video and yours truly was in it.”

Chris’ eyes lit up as he gasped. “I love those! You have to send it to me. Hopefully I can see it before I go. What was it?”

“A sixteenth century European oil painting.” You went into detail and Chris loved listening to your knowledge of art history. It was no wonder that was your major, taking your studies further to work as a conservator at the Met.

Chris swallowed his food quickly to speak. “You were always good at that– art, attention to detail. Remember when we had to sculpt our own faces?” he chuckled.

There was a short burst of laughter as you remembered that day from so long ago. “Yes! Thankfully the real you doesn’t look anything like that abomination you made.” 

Chris drops his head down to hide a bashful smile that mixed in with laughter. He’s enjoying himself, catching up with you, eating. This was so good. He couldn’t help but scoop up another forkful of pasta, not expecting you to ask him a question. “So, how are you feeling?”

He paused to reflect and wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of his mouth. “I’m nervous… excited.” Taking a sip of wine, he sets the glass down carefully on the table. Chris’ face has grown more serious. “My mom’s worried.”

“Of course she is, I don’t blame her. I’m worried. Mars is… well it’s Mars! It’s not around the block.”

He chuckled. “No, it’s definitely not.” 

Chris is heading home to Connecticut tomorrow to spend the next few days with his parents. Chloe, his younger sister is coming in as well so they can all spend some time together before he has to fly down to Florida.

“Then it’s go for launch!” he said with a beaming smile, though Chris had to correct himself for the sake of accuracy. Once he’s down there the crew has to quarantine for at least ten days and go through a bunch of pre-flight checkups and procedures first. “Are you gonna watch?”

The incredulous look you gave him answered his question. “Did you really have to ask? Of course I’m going to watch the launch.” 

His eyes twinkled as he smiled back at you. “Oh and don’t worry I put you on my contact list so you can send me emails. Not sure how quickly I'll get them since CAPCOM directs it back to us. And as long as we have the right satellite coverage we can even do video calls.”

“Like Facetime?”

“In theory yeah, more like space Skype,” he laughed. “It’ll be nice to stay in touch.”

Your smile was bright in the dimness of the evening. You can’t imagine not staying in touch with Chris. The longest you had ever gone was during his Air Force training. He checked in with his parents when he first arrived and from then on it was sporadic. You were able to send him letters though and tried to write him every week though your own schooling and an apprenticeship at the Louvre had taken up a lot of time but that was how your relationship was. 

No matter where you were in life, across the world or hovering above it in the International Space Station, you always kept in touch. It’ll be harder now considering he’s going farther than ever before but you’ll make it work. 

Chris would be back by next November and his mom was already planning a big party for his return, one he’s certain you’ll be invited to. Though you haven’t seen his parents in a while you still kept in touch with them from time to time seeing as they were still friends with your own parents.

“It’s crazy to think you’re about to go to Mars.” 

Chris swipes a palm down his mouth, leaning his elbows against the table as he muses, “I know. Feels like I got the call yesterday.”

It was a night similar to this one, where Chris was in New York celebrating with you and other friends on his selection to be part of the Ares III mission. He had been working at NASA for a few years, doing biomedical research in their center in Virginia and now he was about a month out from spending two years training for his long term mission to Mars. 

He stayed at your apartment that night, continuing the celebration in your own private way. You had come a long way from learning to kiss with Chris. It wasn’t a big deal, neither was it the first time you had sex with each other. It was a special dynamic that worked for the two of you, one you don’t think you could have pulled off with anyone else. With Chris you had trust that was built up over the years. He was safe, he was your friend and this was nothing more than just sex. 

It didn’t happen too often, a couple of times here and there. You both dated a few people over the years and even though you were single at the moment you thought about the promise you made to each other as teens. “If we’re not married to other people by the time we’re thirty let’s promise we’ll marry each other.” Such a silly promise but thirty seemed so far away at the time. 

Chris couldn’t make it to celebrate for your thirtieth birthday but you did get a card from him where he joked that the wedding was off. You were in a long term relationship, one that Chris thought would lead to marriage but you ended things a year later. It wasn’t there; that natural spark that made your heart skip a beat every time they smiled brighter than the sun, or when their eyes sparkled like stars in the night every time they looked at you. 

You walked through the streets with Chris after dinner, casually strolling back towards your apartment and stretching out the inevitable goodbye that you didn’t want to say. It was so good to be with him in person again, not realizing how badly you missed it until the hours started ticking closer towards him leaving. By the time you get to your apartment Chris decided to come up stairs, wanting to spend as much of his time with you as he could. 

Chris sits comfortably on your couch, cozied up beside a large pillow. He places his wine glass down on your coffee table, needing to gesticulate with both hands as he starts getting into talking about his research. He’s been published before in numerous academic journals and now he’s going on about how excited he is for his latest topic, musculoskeletal alterations and the effects of deep space travel. 

He’s cute when he really gets into it, crinkles pulling around the corner of his eyes as his whole face lights up. You let out a shaky breath, smiling even wider yourself as you watched the passion he had for science and learning, one that matched the level you had for art and preserving their history. 

Chris apologized for rambling on, taking a sip of wine to clear the dryness from his throat. 

“So, give me the lowdown… can you jerk off in space?” 

He covered his mouth to prevent the wine he was choking on from spitting out. You couldn’t help the sly smile on your face that cracked wider the redder he became. 

“Well?”

Chris cleared his throat again. Pinching the bridge of his nose he looked down into his glass, chuckling a bit as he said, “The official stance from NASA is no comment so I’m going to stick with that.” 

“That’s not an answer!” You could barely hold a faux sneer before you broke into a smile. Teasing Chris was all in good fun, something that went both ways from the time you were young. 

You adjusted the way your legs were folded underneath you, brushing your knee against his leg. Chris lifted his arm up, a silent invitation for you to get closer and so you did, resting your head against him as his arm came around you.

Things had quieted down and you listened to the steady beat of his heart. This would be the last time you would see Chris for a long time. Your arm reached around to hold him for as long as you could.

“I’m going to miss you,” you whispered against him. 

Chris’ chest sunk as he exhaled a deep sigh. “I’m going to miss you too.” His arm squeezed a little tighter around you as he pressed his lips gently against your forehead. “Just look to the stars and I’ll be there.” 

His words brought a comforting smile to your face, one you shared with him as you tilted your head to look up at him. “Do you want to stay?”

The corner of his mouth tugs a little as Chris thinks about it. There’s nothing he really misses at his hotel more than he does you. The only reason he came to New York was to see you first before going home. 

“Yeah, I’d love to stay.”

You shifted yourself on top to straddle Chris, carding your fingers through his hair and taking in the gaze of his eyes that became pools of deep blue. You closed the distance between your lips, feeling his hands come around your back. Soft moans bubbled in your throat and soon you found yourself being carried to the bedroom. 

Clothes were discarded, lips were on skin that burned hotter than the stars. You writhe against him, thighs quivering around his head, reaching out to grip him by the hair, holding Chris in place as he coaxed out your release. His lips taste like you and he licks them again, savoring your sweetness as he crawls up your body. 

He tears open the condom, gathering your wetness on him as he slowly pushed in. A sinful moan falls from your lips as you feel the stretch of him inside you, inch by inch until he was fully seated. An experimental roll of his hips sets the pace for pleasure. 

Your hands graze up the curve of his arms, reaching his back and digging in half moon shapes into his skin with your nails as he thrusts into you.

“Ahh fuck, you feel so fucking good,” he panted, moaning as his hips snapped forward. His name fell from your lips, a sweet sound that he couldn’t deny he loved hearing. 

He changed his angle, hitting you with deeper, longer strokes. His mouth found your nipple, sucking at your peak as his hips gained speed; groaning and squeezing his eyes tightly as he fucked you, ready to explode.

“Shit!” Chris hissed, backing off quickly. You’re confused and concerned, sitting up and turning the light on beside your bed to see what was wrong. “The condom broke,” he said, still catching his breath.

Chris got up to discard it in the bathroom as you sat on the bed, crossing an arm over your chest, waiting nervously. When Chris walked back in the room he apologized for that, the stiffness of his length giving you relief that he hadn’t finished so you continued. Using your hands on him as he let out soft moans, distractedly opening another condom that you rolled down on him. You straddled him, leaning forward to capture his lips for a sweet kiss first before you lined yourself up and sank down on him. 

Soon enough you were riding waves of bliss together, gripping Chris as you clenched around him, burning white hot behind your eyes. He’s right behind you, on the edge of pleasure, exploding inside you like a supernova.

Dropping your head onto his chest, it felt like your body was made of overcooked noodles that splayed loosely against him as you were desperate to catch your breath, coming down from the heights you soared to. Chris’ arms hold you close against him, his lips languidly peppering kisses to your sheen covered skin. 

When his heartbeat returned to a steady pace Chris went to the bathroom to once again discard the condom and you followed behind him to use it. He went to the kitchen to get something to drink, bringing back an ice cold glass of water for you. 

Back in bed you cuddled together, with goosebumps breaking out on your skin as Chris’ fingertips graze gently up and down your arm. Your eyes feel heavy but you don’t want to give in because when you wake up you know you’ll have to say goodbye and that’s not something you want to do. 

“You’ll stay in touch, right?” you murmured against him, as worry took root within your stomach. His quick and emphatic reply should have been enough but you couldn’t help yourself from needing to make sure you would still hear from him during the mission. “And call me? With the space Skype?”

“I promise,” he said, as a smile spread across his face. Chris’ hand stopped moving, settling on your arm and holding you close. 

“Promise me one more thing?” He hummed in response and you continued, “Stay safe up there.”

Chris tilted his head down and feeling him shift you looked up as he said, “I promise.”

In the moonlight his eyes sparkled like clear tropical waters. Slowly, a soft smile spread across your face as you stared at him. “I love you, Chris.” There was no romanticism behind it even after being together, just pure love for your friend. 

Chris exhaled, planting a kiss to your temple. “I love you too, Y/N.” 

Despite wanting to spend your remaining hours together awake you reluctantly fell asleep in his arms, tearfully parting in the morning. Two weeks later you watched as the space shuttle launched, with proud tears filling your eyes as Chris’ picture flashed on your screen along with the rest of the crew. Seeing that made you feel hopeful and overjoyed at the prospect of hearing from him soon.

“Chris… I’m pregnant.” It was a relief to finally tell him but you didn’t feel any better, uncertainty weighed heavy on your shoulders, crushing the space for your lungs to expand. Chris knows but now what?

He’s silent, his lips parted slightly and you don’t know if there’s a delay in the feed. Maybe you should have emailed it to him. You were going to at first and instead chose to word the importance of needing to speak to him in such a clandestine way that you were contacted by someone from NASA. Upon speaking to them they allowed your email to be dispatched and then you waited. 

Chris’ eyebrows knit together, his shoulders slumping down as he stared at your face through the screen. He didn’t have any doubts, you were always truthful with each other, but he still wondered how.

“We put on a new one, I thought…” 

“I thought we were good too,” you said, letting out a shaky breath. 

You weren’t just pregnant, you were pregnant with his child and based off of some quick calculations in his head you were nearing the end of your first trimester. “H-how are you? I mean, how are you feeling?”

“Physically or…” Nervous laughter bubbles out of your throat. 

This was hard on you, the physical symptoms weren’t fun but you could manage. What was more difficult was not telling anyone. It was early enough in your pregnancy that you could hide it from your family. They still lived in Hartford and hadn’t been down to visit yet but you couldn’t avoid them forever. Work was a different story. You had to let your boss know you would have to modify your duties as working around solvents and other chemicals would not be safe.

There was never a doubt in your mind about keeping the baby. When you were younger you imagined having children by now but it didn’t work out that way. It was something you were okay with, finding life fulfilling in different ways. Work was incredible, you were able to travel and though your relationships hadn’t worked out in the past you didn’t hold on to any resentments. Life was always complete and now things were going to be different. 

You wanted to speak to Chris first before telling your family because you needed to know your expectations. Chris had a life of his own and you didn’t want your choice of having a baby to make him feel obligated in any way. You were an adult; a smart, independent woman and could do this on your own.

“I know this isn’t something we planned but…” Chris exhaled, the corners of his mouth lifting upward, “There’s no one I’d rather do this with than you... I promise.” 

Chris’ eyes glisten with tears as his smile grows and you find yourself brushing away your own from the corner of your eyes. It was comforting to know Chris will be part of the baby’s life. Truthfully it would have been weird if he wasn’t in some capacity considering how close you were. For now you have a lot of time on how you’re going to figure things out for the future.

After the call Chris reflected in silence, staring out of the giant triangular windows of one of the Hermes’ common areas into the vastness of space. He was lost in thought, startled by his name being called by a crewmate. He turned to see Mark whose bright smile fell with concern upon seeing Chris’ face, asking if he was alright.

“I’m gonna be a dad,” Chris responded, his tone mournful in the realization he’ll be missing the birth. He accepted the congratulatory hug Mark gave him, sighing heavily as they separated. “I always thought I’d be there for that.” 

You were due in March and Chris hated the fact that he won't be there for the first nine months of his child’s life, moments and milestones he’ll never get back. He doesn’t like leaving this all on you. He knows you can do it but you shouldn’t have to. 

“I can’t pretend this isn’t hard but don’t think of it in terms of what you’re missing, look at what you’re gaining, what you have to look forward to when you come home.” Chris nodded, his smile trying to come back. “I didn’t even know you had a girlfriend,” Mark teased. 

“I don’t. Y/N, she’s…” Chris’ face lights up as he thinks about you, which does not go unnoticed by Mark. “We’ve been friends since we were kids. She’s always meant so much to me and now…” 

Mark gave Chris an honest smile as he spoke plainly, “And now you’re having a baby.” 

With a proud smile that stretched from ear to ear he affirmed, “Yeah… we are.” 

PART 2