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luimagines · 6 months

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Soulmates from the Start Part 6

Another commission!

It's extra long this time. :D And guess who couldn't finish the story in one go like I thought I would?

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Content under the cut!

Twilight was too busy being stuck in his own head to fully take into account what was happening around him.

You had mentioned bokoblins.

Bokoblins.

You had never mentioned them before. At least not in the way that told him they were near you. You had once told him, years ago when you both were fantasizing about meeting each other, that you were far away from Hyrule. You said that you didn’t have bokoblins where you were from.

You said ‘Bokoblins suck. I didn’t think they were as big as they actually were. Did you know they smell? I feel like I’m going to pass out.’

Twilight wasn’t sure he was processing that right. It would have to have been the first time you had seen a bokoblin in person for you to say that. Bokoblins were only in Hyrule.

YOU WERE IN HYRULE.

The knowledge of being so close to you had frozen him in place. Twilight could only vaguely recognize that The Champion, with all his loyalty, was sitting next to him. He noted that the stances were eerily similar to what has happened many times before.

However this time the roles were versed.

Wild had sat him down against a tree while he kept his guard up. Twilight would be thankful later, when he was done trying to make everything make sense in his own head. The Rancher knew he was in no position to even remotely defend himself at this moment.

What else had you said? What else could he decipher if he tried hard enough?

No idea. I heard a horn and then an arrow shot by my foot. I just took off running.

Twilight wants to bite off his own tongue. Everything stopped once he heard you were in danger again. He was too focused on trying to not panic and make it worse for you. He was such a useless soulmate. Everything in his body was telling him to find you, to protect you, to hold you close and tend to every cut and cruise that would have been inflicted on you should he have been even a hair too late.

He heard a horn too but it was Hyrule, Warrior and Time that had gone to investigate the nearby monsters. It would be foolish to think that it was in any way related.

Twilight shook his head, feeling things calm down in his head to think clearly again. It was incredible luck for you to be in Hyrule as it was. Anything more would be asking for too much. But he could work with this. He was a hunter to some degree. He was a wolf for a reason whether he liked it or not.

He was going to find you.

He was going to meet you and hug you and follow through every promise he had ever made to you since he fell in love with you.

There are a lot of them. He has to make up for lost time.

***

You all but screamed.

How is this possible? How are you here? How is he here? Wait-! You DO recognize him! You’ve seen him before!

Fully aware that you’ve been staring at the poor boy as if he had grown a second head, you give him your hand to shake. It was slow and robotic. Your limbs didn’t want to cooperate just yet.

The boy laughs under his breath as you shake hands. “I don’t bite.”

“...Right…” You force a smile on your face. It’s awkward and tight. You remember him now, even though you’re not entirely sure from what game he belongs to. His clothes and appearance are too unassuming. There’s nothing to tell him apart from all the other Links you’ve seen in your life. However, he travels with Link. Your Link. Your Link should be somewhere nearby.

Your muscles tense with the idea of getting to see him after so many years of pining. You introduce yourself to the person in front of you first and dust yourself off. Everything hurts and you’re tired. But instead your brian is now going a thousand miles a minute.

Link is here. Link is close. You’re in Hyrule. You’re in Hyrule.

The Link who is not your Link tilts his head as you speak. “That’s an unusual name. You’re not from around here, are you?”

You shake your head with a weak grin. “What gave it away? My ears?”

You tease by exposing the ears that would have no doubt made you stick out like a sore thumb in this type of world. As it stands, you figure you might as well get it out of the way as it is. You’re not entirely sure how it’ll blow over but the only person who’s even remotely connected to people with round ears is your Link. You’re hoping beyond hope that this little thing will lead him closer to you, if only so they don’t send you away immediately now that you’re saved.

“Hyrule? Find anything interesting? Where’s the person that screamed?” Another voice calls out. It’s deeper. Far more deeper than you would have anticipated, and yet, you know it too. Although far more intimately that you would have realized at first.

Within moments, a man steps into the little space you’ve found yourself in and looks you up and down. A vague sting reminds you of your current injuries but you’re struck dumb at the look of him. So familiar, yet so different. He’s younger. He’s alive.

“Hero’s Shade…” You whisper under your breath. Do you make eye contact? Is that rude? Would that be a threat? Oh my god- he’s the Hero of Time! Isn’t he related to your Link? Wouldn’t he be related to you too? Maybe? By marriage? God- you hoped so. At least in your future. It would mean that Link would have forgiven you for pushing him away and for what you still have to confess now that you’re here in person. It would be awful to do so in front of all these other people but they deserve to know.

Guilt sinks deep into your gut and you feel your face get warm at the very thought of it.

What would they think of you when you tell them?

“Do you require immediate medical assistance?” He asks you instead, unaware of the turmoil going on in your head.

You shake your head and pull your arms close to your body. He nods once and gestures for you to follow. “Come. We’ll tend to you first before we move on.”

“O-oh…” They’re taking you with them anyway? At least for now it looks like. Your feet feel like lead but you follow them.

“All clear!” A third voice calls out when you step back onto the path. He looks straight out of a model magazine if you ignore his clothing. But even with his clothing, there’s a sort of cutting edge to him that would have certainly held your attention if you didn’t instantly start comparing him to your Link.

It felt really good to say that. Your Link. You doubted you would ever get tired of saying it like that.

However, your eyes instantly narrowed in on the scarf that he had slung around his shoulders. You don’t remember it being that big- but it takes every fiber of your being so turn your eyes away from him. Knowing him and all that he’s been through- was probably the worst one you’ve investigated. He was the one you hoped to meet the least. Should he learn, no, when he learns about the things you’ve done, he would most likely take it the hardest.

Unfortunately, you can see the moment he pinpoints your unease and tucks it into the back of his mind. You flinch. The others see that too.

“You know…” He says slowly, taking his time to walk over to you. “There aren’t a lot of people with ears like yours.”

“I’ve gathered that.” You say softly. You want to own up to what you’ve done and what you know. You want to be the adult you are and take accountability… but not yet. You have to see him first. You have to see that your soulmate is safe and real in the flesh.

The Hero of Warriors bites his lip awkwardly. You’re not sure what he’s thinking but you have the slight suspicion that none of you are on the same page. He scratches the back of his head. “I haven’t met a lot of people like you but we know a guy who grew up with cropped ears. Come form a group of them. They live in Ordon Village. Heard of it?”

You can’t help it. You perk up and your heart starts beating faster. There’s no denying your recognition, or the way your face lights up. “Yes! I do!”

This could be your ticket straight to your soulmate! And you didn’t even have to say anything yet!

“He might be a bit out of it though.” This ‘Hyrule’ Link mentions quietly. “Is this really a good idea after everything he’s going through right now?”

You bite your tongue. If this ‘he’ is who you think it is, then you have to be patient. You’ve waited years to meet him. You can wait a little bit longer.

“You know him?” The Hero of Warriors looks back to you instead of answering his friend. “He knows about everybody from his village. Name’s Link.”

You have to force yourself to nod normally and calmly. “I… should.” This is a make or break moment. Now or never. You have to be brave and face the consequences no matter what happens. “...I’d know for sure once I see his face though.”

“Very well.” The Hero of Time, albeit older and more scarred. You’re not sure why he has the Fierce Deity marking on only half of his face or why he has a scar over his eye already. “Maybe a familiar face would do him some good for a time. He needs someone other than us to talk to.”

You don’t comment, too focused on appearing normal as they begin to lead you back to where they were as a group. You faintly notice that ‘Hyrule’ (you have to figure out where he’s from or quickly before you accidentally spill any secrets he may be trying to keep) has glowing hands as you walk. Your injuries and the pain begin to fade.

So this one does magic? Which Link can heal?

You try to keep the conversation light and away from true thoughts and feelings as you nervously follow them through the forest. You didn’t think you would be so shaken by all of this. You didn’t think you would find yourself this anxiety ridden. Oh you hope that he’s here, that he will forgive you! You have to apologize for everything you never said.

***

Twilight finally managed to get a grip on himself and on reality after what felt like an eternity later.

“Hey. You ok?” Wild reaches over and pats him on the back, trying to be as soothing as possible. “Are they ok?”

“Y-yeah… I think so.” Twilight takes in a turbulent breath. “They feel… calmer. I’ve never been able to simply feel them before. They must have stopped shutting me out so much…”

“That’s great, Rancher!” Wild cries, punching him on the shoulder. It’s such a brotherly move that Twilight can’t help but smile, albeit weakly. “You’ve just hit a rough patch. It’ll all be ok in the end. You’ll see.”

Twilight coughs and nods along. “It’s something… I just hate that they were so scared for so long… I couldn’t… I can’t do anything…” He shudders. “But I think… I think they’re here. I think they’re close.”

Wild freezes in a similar fashion that Twilight had earlier. “...Are you serious?”

Now that he’s said it out loud, it feels weightier. Hearty. Real. He nods fervently as the smile on his face turns into a grin. “I am. I think they’re here, Cub. …I need to find them.”

“Then we’ll help you.” The Champion replies without hesitation. “After all of this, this is the least we can do. We’ll find them first. Everything else can wait.”

Warmth and adoration bloom in Twilight’s chest as he brings the younger hero in for a bone crushing hug. There are no words that he can say that would properly convey what he’s feeling but he’s going to fight to keep it.

There’s rustling to the side of their makeshift camp. Everyone turns to the sound with expectant eyes. Time brushes some of the brambles out of the way as Warrior comes through, stretching his arms as he goes. “Hey Rancher. We got someone we thought you’d like to meet. You up for it?”

Twilight raises an eyebrow and stands. “Depends on the per-”

The words die on his tongue. You walk in, roughed up and dirty. But beautiful. So, so beautiful.

You seem nervous as you look around. Hyrule walks around you and everyone is watching for anything to explode. You see him and suck in a breath.

You stare at each other.

Twilight thinks his heart has stopped entirely. Surely this was too easy. He had only come to the conclusion that you were in his grasp. Now you’re just here? Like that? All but plopped onto his lap to love and adore and spend the rest of his life with?

The weight of the situation seems to finally settle on everyone’s shoulders. Wild shoves Twilight forward and he stumbles from the action. He can’t even be mad. He can’t bring himself to glare at his friend. It would mean he would have to take his eyes off of you. And he refuses to do that.

“...It’s you…” The words leave him breathlessly. You’re perfect. Better than anything he could have imagined. Those visions did not do you justice. “...It’s really you…”

Suddenly you tear up and the hazy dream of it all shatters. Twilight feels like a bucket of ice water has been dumped over his head. “What is it? What’s wro-”

“LINK!” You run and jump on him, holding onto him like he’s a life line. It’s enough to knock him over and knock the wind out of him, but he’s used to a little rough and tumble. He catches you with ease, spinning to disperse the remaining momentum and holds you just as tightly as you descend into heart wrenching sobs.

It breaks his heart.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Twilight says quietly. He starts crying too.

Everyone else is aware that this should have been a private moment but they’re too invested in this to look away now.

You pull away and cradle his face. Your fingertips are gentle but shaking. You’re drinking him in just as much as he’s drinking you in. He feels you trace the markings on his face, lip wobbling with unspoken words as fat tears continue to roll down your cheeks.

He wipes them away gently.

You sniffle, caressing him in a similar manner, no doubt wiping away his own tears he’s been set on ignoring. “I could kiss you.”

That’s all the permission he needed.

***

Link kisses you.

He’s sweet and tender and although you’ve never kissed another person before it was everything you thought it would be. You’re not sure why. It was clumsy and awkward but you were too caught up with finally being in his arms to care about it at all. It was as it should be.

You let yourself have this. You kiss him back. You hold on tightly. You run your hands through his hair and try to map him out as fast as you can before you inevitably have to explain everything.

You know this because you cried out his name.

It was a spur of the moment thing. You hadn’t intended to. Since you had never shared each other’s name, he would no doubt start to ask questions once the high dies down. It would ruin everything for you, kill you off before you had a chance to fully live through this, but you wouldn’t lie to him. You’ve done enough damage without him knowing.

So you’ll take what he gives you while he’s still willing to give it. And you’ll hold the memory close for all your future years to come when you inevitably separate.

You finally allow yourself to pull back and gulp down the air that you’ve been missing.

You’re messy and tired and you’re sure that this is going to end poorly but for the hell of it, you kiss him one more time before relaxing slightly.

Link for his part, was absolutely stunning. He was warm and solid. The arms around you spoke of pure power. His strength was no laughing matter and you knew that. You were completely caged with his grasp but instead of feeling threatened or concerned, you were at home. Every cylinder in your brain was firing off that this was where you belonged.

You have to force yourself to pull your hands away.

You sniffle, looking away from his enchantingly blue eyes. Have they always been that shade? Were they always so bright? You could have sworn they were different. You fix up his fur pelt and the collar around his tunic, trying to bring yourself back into some working order.

You feel his hands gently, almost hesitantly card through your hair and around your ears and neck- toying with the idea of feeling your skin. It fires off goosebumps over the rest of your body.

You gulp and force yourself to speak. “...I didn’t think I would ever see you in person.” Your voice gets thick with emotion. You can feel your heart betray you further, nearly sending you into another sobbing fit before you can reign it back in. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

He nods and laughs wetly as he gives in to his compulsion to play with your hair between his fingertips. “Neither did I… I was so scared I lost you.”

You shudder at the raw and thick feeling that shoots through your bond. You can feel him. It’s warm and sturdy. You think you can feel the brush of fur along your heart- a calling to the beast he holds within. It shakes you. Was this how your bond was supposed to eb from the start if you weren’t separated from realities? You take in another deep breath, the tears fall anew regardless. “I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head and holds you impossibly tighter. “Never say that to me again. You have nothing to apologize for.”

You’re stunned. After everything? He was obviously frightened. And at the same time, you know that your time is up. You have to explain yourself.

“That’s not true, Link.” You sniffle, hoping that by ripping off the bandaid it would make it easier for you to heal later on. You can’t bring yourself to hide it any longer. “I have so much to apologize for.

His face crumbles as he rubs his thumb over your cheek. A deep, dark growl emanates from him as he bares his teeth. You’re not entirely sure he knew that he did that. “You’re hurt.”

It’s startling how otherly he looks in that moment- but you’re not afraid. Guilt is replaced by intrigue.

There’s so much you’d love to learn about him. But you can’t keep up this charade. It might as well be that everyone is still watching your very downfall before you could truly begin.

***

Twilight could feel himself growl before he could stop himself. You tensed up but didn’t pull away.

Good. He was worried that the effects of the magic in his life would have turned you away the second you saw it in person. He forces himself to relax. Putting aside the driving need to tear apart the very things that harmed and threatened you into shreds, he gently bonks his forehead to yours. “I forgive you.” He tells you, because it’s true. Whatever you want to apologize for- if it’s for scarring him, for blocking him out, for dropping out of your bond for those terrifying 7 hours- he forgives you. You’re here. He won’t lose you so easily now that he has you. “I don’t care about what’s happened. I’m glad I finally get to see you after so many years.”

He’s dreamed of this moment for as long as he knew you were meant to be his. He never would have imagined that it would have been under these circumstances but he can feel you. He feels you. There’s no more door in his way. There’s no more tampering the connection or even remotely trying to hold back what you’re both thinking and feeling.

You’re bright and fluttering and sharp. Like a rose if he had to pinpoint both your intricacy and your ability to put him in his place whenever he would need it. It’s almost delicate but intimidating. You could cut him in a heartbeat- but he could crush you without meaning to. The thought is exhilarating. He hadn’t imagined that the bond would have been this intimate or vulnerable.

You’re feeling guilty. So, so guilty. It’s enough to catch his heart in a vice grip and mangle it beyond its bruised exterior. He wants to wipe the sinister feeling from your heart and mind. Twilight wants to soothe all your worries and troubles with a single swipe of his hand.

He kisses your forehead. “I don’t believe you. This mess wasn’t your fault. You’re not a malicious person. I would know. We’ve been in each other’s head since we were old enough to toddle.”

The guilt gets worse and he’s questioning how he could feel everything about you but not your thoughts. Maybe he misunderstood the manner of your bond and this new strange and wild feeling.

You hang your head, hitting his chest gently as you sink into him. The feeling is good and drives itself deep into his bones. He sighs, closing his eyes to block out his unfortunate audience. You hug him and begin to shake slightly. “You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know what horrible thing I‘ve been keeping from you… But you have to promise me, let me explain it all first! I just-... I didn’t know at first how bad it would have been. I didn’t think it would have gone this far.”

Twilight feels his heart start pounding. He doesn’t understand. What kind of trouble did you find yourself in? “What are you talking about?” He pushes you away with his hands on your shoulders, looking deep into your eyes. “Are you in danger? Did it bring the shadow to you?”

“Shadow?” You echo weakly. You seem to get what he’s saying and shake your head. He sighs of relief but then you tense up again and wince. “Actually- maybe? I wouldn’t know. I don’t think it would work like that but I can’t be certain.”

He grits his jaw and squeezes your shoulder a little tighter- keeping a conscious decision to still be gentle with you. “Are you working against us?”

He has to ask you point blank. He has to know you got caught up with the enemy. He had thought that you were in danger before. You would have had to spill secrets to save your own life. He wouldn’t be happy with it- but he doesn’t think he would hold it against you in the long run. You had a lot of secrets to give, that he knew. You were a perfect target with zero training and zero experience. He shudders at the thought.

He wouldn’t blame you. You’re clearly beating yourself up over something and it’s tearing you apart on the inside. He can forgive you- even if it would complicate a few things.

To his surprise though- you jump, looking like you’re about to smack him for the very thought to your honor. “What? No! I would never! I would never put you in danger. I would rather pitch myself off a cliff before I ever come close to anyone wanting to hurt you.”

The spark of indignation overshadows the guilt for one bright moment and Twilight finds it himself to smile. “I know. But I had to ask.”

You huff and pout. It’s cute, Twilight thinks to himself, being careful to not send the thought your way. He chuckles and twirls your hair around his finger. It’s so soft. Softer than he would have ever imagined it to be. Would you let him brush it for you?

“I just…” You start again. Twilight sees you hype yourself up to say the words but you hang your head again, guilt creeping over the bond you share like shards of ice. “I’ve done a not good thing, Link. I… know things I shouldn’t. About you. About your friends.” You flinch violently as if you’ve finally remembered that everyone else is watching you. “I owe them an apology. I owe them all an apology. I’m worse than Cia.”

The familiar name sets a good portion of the group on edge. Twilight sees Warrior stand up straighter as a dark look comes over his eyes. Before Twilight can so much as warn the other man to back off from his soulmate, the Captain strides forward and speaks lowly. “How do you know that name?”

You start to shake again. When you speak, your voice is weak and quiet but Twilight hears it all the same. “Can we sit down?”

“Of course, darlin’. Come on.” Twilight guides you to one of the logs around the cooking fire and sits you down. He’s quick to put himself between you and Warrior just in case he tries to get any closer.

Warrior gets the memo and doesn’t try to approach either of you any more but he crosses his arms. “There are only a very select few outside of my Hyrule that know that name.”

You flinch and bring your hands to your lap, fidgeting with your hand nervously. “I know, Link. But there are places outside of Hyrule that know that name and it’s quite common among those who know the Hero of Courage.”

Twilight feels like something is off with that sentence. Then something clicks. “I never told you my name. I was never able to, no matter how much I wanted to or how much I tried..”

You wipe your eyes and your nose with your sleeve. A long beat of silence passes. “I know… I learned it… As soon as I heard you say Midna… I managed to search for you…” You turn to him. There’s so much unspeakable emotion in your eyes. Your heart feels light but turnt in a way that’s painful for you both. “I found you, Link.”

Twilight sucks in a breath. “...what do you mean?”

“I found you.” You say again. “I found Ordon. I found Hyrule. I found the Twilight Realm. I found your story.”

He suddenly feels sick. It’s as if he’s been punched in the gut. “...What?”

You take a second to swallow your spit. You take a moment to reach for him but decide against it. Twilight reaches out for your hand anyway before you could fully take it back. He’s made his choice. He won’t let you push him away again. But he needs to process the implications of this.

There’s an even longer pause. Slowly, you squeeze his hand. He squeezes your hand back. You lick your lips and keep your head down, focusing on the way your hands are laced together. “I found your story. I found out everything. I knew how it was going to end before you even knew what it would lead up to. I …knew Midna would leave. I’m sorry, Link.”

Your hand squeezes his tighter and shakes. “I wanted to tell you. But I was scared. I was so scared. I found that no matter what I saw, what I knew, I couldn’t spoil it for you. I was worried it would hurt you in the long run. All I could do was point you in the correct direction so you wouldn’t get hurt worse.”

Twilight can feel the memories coming back to him in an avalanche of recognition. “All those puzzles…” He finds himself saying. “...I was always impressed that you could figure them out so quickly.”

“I was cheating.” You try to joke. It falls flat. “I found a walkthrough and it told me the solution. Of course I had to tell you.”

Twilight chuckles but it’s not quite where it should be. It’s not fully fake, not fully bitter, but it’s certainly toeing the line between the two of those. “...I can’t even be mad. You saved me so much time and effort.”

You whine and try to pull your hand away. He doesn’t let you. “I wish you would be. I wish you would be mad. Even if it was a little bit. I deserve it, Link. I know so much. I saw so much. You don’t even know my name yet I know your darkest secrets!”

Twilight takes a deep breath and tries to put away the sting of betrayal. It feels stupid to get upset over this. After all, you had truly helped him. Through the worst of it, you were still protecting him. “You’re my soulmate. Our bond shares thoughts and visions. You would have my secrets even if you didn’t find my story. It would be silly to be mad at you when you helped me with everything. You were my rock. My safe space. I trust you with my secrets.”

You shake your head again and choke on another sob. Twilight still doesn't understand what’s the problem. You finally look up to the rest of the group and whisper.

“I know all your secrets too.”

#linked universe #linked universe x reader #linkeduniverse #lu x reader #lu twilight #soulmate au #soulmates from the start

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sophswritingthings · 6 months

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hiya! okay so something i think about a lot is what if reader and taigen get along really well, always chatting and telling jokes. but reader is really oblivious to his flirting and sees it as friendly bantering but mizu can see right through it and gets jealous.

eventually mizu gets fed up and caves in and confesses to reader? something about jealous mizu man…oh lordy 🥴

pairing: mizu x fem!reader

warning(s): swearing

a/n: jealous mizu makes me feel something lmao

summary: seeing you “flirt” (or what she thinks is flirting) with taigen never made her happy. you being around taigen made her pissed, in the first place. at some point; she caves, confessing her feelings that you were very oblivious to.

word count: 526 words / 2,841 characters

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you were giggling at him; smiling and laughing at his goddamn horrible jokes.

It killed her to think that you were even remotely interested in him; why you would even be wasting five seconds of your precious time thinking about him was beyond her.

you were sitting around the fire, mizu sitting near ringo and you sitting beside taigen.

taigen. taigen!

“taigen! that’s so bad,” you said the words through a laugh, batting him off with a hand. “you can’t be saying things like that to a lady.”

he chuckles back at your words, “I know, I know,” he gave you a wink.

you giggled, adverting you’re gaze. it was as if you were blushing at him. taigen, of all people, you were blushing at fucking taigen.

mizu huffed, hauling herself to her feet. ringo watched as she want; arching an eyebrow at the samurai. she had just gotten her stitches done—it’s not like she didn’t need the rest.

she flopped down on her side, her opposite, side, not wanting to injury herself any further.

that’s when she heard footsteps behind her. she shifted a little.

she looked up to see you, standing over her body with a smile.

“you stomped off so I came to find you,” you stepped around your body, settling just in front of the side she was facing.

“wouldn’t you rather be spending your time with taigen?” she adverted her blue gaze, letting out a little huff of breath.

you raise an eyebrow at her response, “what do you mean?”

she rolls her eyes, letting them land on you, “you know exactly what I mean, damn it—don’t act stupid,” she narrowed her eyes.

“.. I don’t,” you whisper.

“are you really that damn oblivious to your own feelings? he likes you, you like him, is it that hard to figure out?” she hissed, allowing herself to sit up—pouring a drink of water down her throat.

you gazed at her.

“like taigen? we’re.. friends, yes, but I—“

“bullshit,” she hissed. “don’t play dumb with me.”

“I-I’m not,” you murmur. how in hell were you supposed to go about this, without confessing your feelings for the samurai, and very possibly being rejected?

“you are. I can see it; and it fucking hurts, (y/n), because I have all these goddamn complicated feelings for you and i—“

mizu stopped herself.

shit.

“you… what?”

you stared at her, your eyes wide and your mouth slightly agape, as if you wanted to say something. but no words would come out.

she decided to just own her words. they were the truth, weren’t they?

“.. you—heard me,” she narrowed her eyes a little, looking up at you.

and before she knew it; your lips were on hers.

she let out a little gasp; her blue eyes wide as the moon as she looked at you. she hadn’t been expecting anything to come of it; let alone a kiss.

her hand traveled up your back, coming to rest of the back of your neck as her eyes closed in the warm kiss.

“I-I don’t—I don’t like taigen,” you mumble against her lips, chuckling nervously.

“yeah.. I see that now.”

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#mizu x you #mizu x reader #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu #blue eyed samurai #x reader #ask #asked and answered #request #fic request

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gold-rhine · 3 months

Text

What the guard dogs are for

There are some things you never want to hear your secret years-long crush saying, such as “I’m getting married,” “I think we should stay friends” or “I’m the destroyer of the present order, the one who shall judge all gods, and the foe of humanity.” Wriothesley’s very bad, no good day of trying to unravel conspiracy theories, fumbling a tea party with Chief Justice and learning Teyvat’s ancient history and vishap lore from the leading expert lector.

Genre: angst and misinformation campaign

Characters: Neuvillette\Wriothesley, Enjou

Warnings: sfw in a sense that nothing even remotely sexy happens, but there is dissociation, ptsd episode, brief mention of self-harm, and Enjou doing same thing he does in canon, which is not quite gaslighting? Anyway, let me know if you feel any other warnings need to be added.

Chapters: 1 out of 2. Wordcount: ~8k

With his morning tea, Wriothesley riffled through the reports as usual. Nothing was marked urgent, so he started with the most boring part, - the official ones. The production numbers, coupon consumption statistics, everything is prepared for Neuvillette’s upcoming inspection, which was mostly a formality, but he would want it to go as smoothly as possible.

Reports from the surface informants. Traveler stirring up a ruckus with the research institute… Well, about time, that pit couldn’t go on forever pretending that massive explosions are just a part of science routine.

Next, creatures called “vishaps” appeared recently in Erinnyes Forest. These vishaps are apparently a lesser form of dragons, and connected to Liyue vishaps, also lizard-like creatures, though in Liyue they are aligned with geo, not hydro. Non-hostile to humans, aside from one accident. But in that one they fought back against the hunters sent by nobles to capture them as novelty pets. So the only regrettable part was that they didn’t get the nobles, only their lackeys. For shame.

Next, there are gangs with new lingo going around, which generally was a good thing to pay attention to as they usually ended up in Meropide. Wriothesley frowned, reading the lingo translations, as he suddenly felt old. “Trendy Zaytun Peach” was something he’d got called for taking it up the ass a lot in his days, but now it’s a hip and cool nickname with the youngsters.

Informal internal reports. Victims of beret society are rehabilitating fine, preparations for the wedding are underway. Good. Albert, a new guy from the shop, is sending him tea. Quite good tea at that. Obviously a bribe attempt, though he didn’t ask for anything as of yet, so it was basically free. Everything was fair in love and bribes as far as Wriothesley was concerned. You could throw everything at the feet of your beloved as to the feet of your targeted bureaucrat, and receive nothing and you would have no claim to complain. Now, the fact he wouldn’t take it into account when making decisions about their proposals, and sometimes would even consider it a negative, was a different matter altogether.

He perked up reading the last report. There was a new conspiracy, whose agenda was not very clear, as they were more careful than the others, but the gist was something against Neuvillette, so Wriothesley was tracking it for some time. It was hard to get anything concrete though, as they were pretty good at keeping a low profile, but now apparently one of the members by the name of Jacque got into the Fortress on unrelated charges, and he was reportedly not the brightest shank on the block.

Wriothesley made the arrangements.

Half an hour later, he happened to stroll by when Jacque was being beaten up by three guys in the shadowy corner.

“Hey, what’s going on here? Leave him alone!” he said, walking up to them.

“Oh yeah?”, said one of the bullies, turning to him. “Well, make me!”

They were paid double for the pretend fight. It might have been an overkill, usually Wriothesley would go for just scaring them off without combat. Especially because anyone who’s been in the Fortess for some time or had a head on their shoulders would understand that nobody would try to openly fight the Duke outside of the fight club arena. But Jacque was as fresh as they get, allegedly stupid, and it was Wriothesley’s first chance at any info in two whole months, so he decided to make it as impressive as possible.

He went as easy on the guys as he could, they theatrically threw the fight and retreated.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, kneeling next to the guy in the corner and putting his hand on his shoulder for emphasis.

“Yeah, yeah, I think I’m fine,” Jacque muttered, shaking his head.

“Why did they attack you?”

“They don’t want me to spread the truth...” Jacque said with heavy emphasis. “But uh, thanks for helping me out.”

“No need to thank me. I feel bad enough that honest folk like yourself get picked on in MY Fortress. That’s not how I want to run my place, so it’s only natural that I stand up for you.”

It took a moment, but finally the guy gasped.

“Your fortress? Are you… the Duke?”

At least he knew what “Duke” is.

“Yeah,” Wriothesley grinned, turning up the charm. “And allow me to get you a couple of drinks to compensate for the rude welcome you’ve received so far.”

He got them to the Coupon Cafeteria, where best meals were already arranged, and generously poured alcohol into the poor guy, listening to the story of his life and misfortunes that brought him to the Fortress, nodding empathetically. He didn’t ask about Neuvillette at all, to not spook the target, trusting that he will come to this anyway, and finally his patience was rewarded.

“You know, you’re good!” the guy said drunkenly after some time, clasping his hand on Wriothesley's shoulder, which he beared stoically, grinning with all friendliness in the world.

“You know, they say we can’t talk to you because you’re bought by that lizard, but I think you’re a good guy. You just don’t know all the facts!”

“Which are?”

The guy leaned closer to him and lowered his voice to a dramatic whisper. “Neuvillette is an evil dragon!”

Wriothesley choked on a laughter, which was way too obvious to turn into cough even for the dunce this stupid.

“No, you don't understand! Dragons were enemies of humanity that Celestia conquered. But they come back when killed! They reincarnate! He is a hydro dragon who was reborn in a human form so he could more easily trick us!”

Wriothesley blinked, remembering Neuvillette standing under the rain, and the old children’s song. “Hydro dragon, Hydro dragon, don’t cry….”

“He put our rightful archon Furina on that trial, right? No one else saw the verdict, so he pretended she was declared guilty. He forced her to abdicate and took the power for himself!”

Wriothesley realized long ago that Neuvilette, of course, was not human. It was clear to any idiot who talked to him for longer than a minute in an informal setting, not to mention a lifespan of at least five hundred years. But there were a lot of options other than “evil dragon”. There were old gods who did not receive archonhood, but instead decided to serve the archon, like Liyue’s adepti, and he always assumed Neuvillette was of the same kind. But the idea that Iudex was some kind of evil monster with a grudge against humanity was ridiculous. Especially when he showed up at the Fortress and saved the entire Fountaine and Wriothesley’s own hide from the flood.

“Really?”

“Yeah! We should restore our true archon Furina to her rightful throne!”

Furina’s insurrection? Interesting. Wouldn’t peg her for someone capable of this type of conspiracy.

“And did Furina herself give us her blessing?”

“She can’t speak publicly, as this monster threatens her.”

Hmm, inconclusive on Furina’s involvement.

He spent more time with the drunk Jacque, trying to get more details, but couldn’t get much more than unhinged ramblings on how evil the dragons are and how insidious it was for a dragon to pretend to be a human. He had to leave to prepare to Neuvillette's arrival the next day.

_____

Neuvillette stepped out of Opera Epiclese into the rain and slowed down his pace to prolong the sensation. It was a bit of what humans called guilty pleasure, as he felt guilty from inflicting rain on humans for his own pleasure. Though from his understanding, humans felt guilty because they saw this pleasure as something bad for themselves. Even if often this supposed harm made no sense to Neuvillette. Eating too much food until a human's stomach hurt was at least understandable to see as such, but he heard one of palais’ secretaries say that romance novels were her guilty pleasure. How could humans feel guilty for something as simple as reading? He stopped and asked her why she would feel guilty for reading, because melusines kept telling him that socializing with humans is very easy, you just need to ask them questions about themselves and let them talk about what they like. Well, it didn’t seem to work, as the secretary stumbled, started hyperventilating and emanated levels of panic and anxiety comparable to someone in the defendant’s chair. Sensing human emotions did not actually help Neuvillette in communicating with them, as he could not discern the reasons. He asked her if she perhaps came into possession of any cursed texts? He could generally sense the stench of corruption and there was nothing on her, but there was always a possibility that it was a curse he could not register. She panicked even more and vehemently denied. At this point he decided to give up on socializing, as it was obviously very distressing for humans, but felt obliged to tell her that if she ever did read anything she felt was cursed, to inform him. He hoped it would assuage her fear of reading. She thanked him, stuttering, and after that day avoided him at all costs.

The rain was a compromise solution in any case. Neuvillette always felt a bit strained and uncomfortable in his body, but after obtaining full dragonhood and most of the memories of past lives, the human shape felt downright stifling. He now remembered thousands of years of being something much bigger, long coils that could easily crush the spire of Opera Epiclese. Now, when he looked at his own reflection, it was hard to comprehend that this small and ridiculous frame was actually him. In addition, all of his memories and instincts called him to be submerged in water. But even with his poor understanding of humans, he realized that seeing the Iudex floating in the river would alarm humans much more than him standing under the rain. So rain was the closest solution he could get at his position.

He summoned rain instinctively, to be as close to engulfed in water as possible. It was a bit embarrassing that even humans noticed it and composed a rhyme, even if that rhyme was inaccurate. He didn’t cry, as vishaps didn’t cry at all and even his current human shaped body didn’t have tear ducts. The closest he could pinpoint to human experience, as he understood it, was being stressed and desire to be comforted, for which water was his best remedy.

And currently he was quite stressed, looking over the Fontaine laws in an attempt to revise them. The current system that treated justice as theater was clearly imperfect, which he realized long ago. But he never saw himself as authorized to change it, as humans were the responsibility of the archon and even without it, he was well aware he didn’t understand humans, so he knew it wasn’t his place to question the human justice system, to which he was only a temporary guest. But now, as fontanias became part of Teyvat after his decision, and so, a part of his responsibility as Teyvat’s god of life, even if the usurper tried to deny him, he couldn’t ignore the need for change any longer. The problem was that he did not understand humans any better, so it was very stressful to try and restructure their systems of governance.

He extended a hand, catching raindrops on his palm, when he noticed a silhouette near the elevator to the Fortress, and stopped himself from visibly controlling the weather.

Wriothesley caught his eyes and grinned, approaching him at brisk pace, umbrella over his head.

“Greetings, Monsieur.”

“Good morning, Your Grace.”

Wriothesley always somehow managed to make a “Monsieur” sound more impactful than Neuvillette could “Your Grace”, despite one being a noble title and another just a polite greeting.

“Would you like to…?” Wriothesley extended his arm with an umbrella, without actually covering Neuvillette with it. In the past, as a part of playing a role of “normal human”, Neuvillette accepted such offers, though there were not many aside from Wriothesley who dared to approach him with it. But now, as he was a full-fledged dragon, at the height of his power and influence in this land, surely he could afford to discard this role? Surely he could afford to be himself at least in this?

“No, thank you,” he said, smiling and trying to sound as cordial as possible, so that Wriothesley would not think it was a slight against him personally. “Don’t take it as offense, but I actually like being under the rain.”

The Duke smiled back, shaking his head.

“No offense taken, but why didn’t you say it last time? I felt like an idiot forcing you under an umbrella.”

“Really?” Neuvillette perked up, falling in step with the human. “You could tell that I…”

“Hated it? Yeah, for sure.”

“....prefered not to have an umbrella.”

Wriothesley let out a low, guttural bark of laughter that somehow got to the dragon despite him not being interested in humans in general.

“Not only I could tell I disturbed you, but I had to walk on the flowerbed to get to you, and then I trailed dirt in the Palais while everyone here glared at me for the audacity. Meanwhile you walked on the same dirt, but stayed pristine!”

“I’m sorry for…”

“Hey, don’t apologize. I’m just kidding, don’t worry.”

Neuvillette met the greyish blue eyes of thawed ice directly and sensed that he was truly not bothered, which didn’t make much sense. But Wriothesley was one of the very few humans who was not scared in the dragon’s presence. He was, probably, the only one who emanated only positive emotions at their meetings. Neuvillette mostly encountered negative reactions in his daily life at the trials, so he could not tell apart which positive feelings exactly that he read from Wriothesley due to the lack of exposure. But perhaps…

“I wouldn’t want you to feel unwelcome at the Palais,” Neuvillette said after a short pause.

Wriothesley grinned with a careless shrug.

“Then I will be there, even if the rest of your bureaucrats make faces. As I said, don’t worry.”

Neuvilette frowned, but didn’t see much point in pressing this further. After a confrontation with Navia, the dragon realized that his lack of understanding of humans hindered him, instead of making him truly impartial. Especially now that he was de facto in charge of the entire Fontaine government. And practice showed that only direct interaction with humans could give valuable experience, as watching from the Iudex seat did not allow him a nuanced understanding.

So perhaps, if Wriothesley was a rare human who was not scared of him, and he proved rational and trustworthy in the years they knew each other, Neuvillette could confide in his true nature and maybe ask for advice in understanding humanity?

“Perhaps staying for some tea would make up for this past offense?”

Wriothesley stumbled for a moment.

“Seriously?” He sounded as casual and ironic as usual, but the surprised burst of positive emotions from him was bright and obvious. “After all these years you finally decided to deign my humble office with your presence?”

“It’d be a completely unofficial visit, of course.”

“Sure, sure. It was never my secret plot to bribe you with a tea party, trust me, even I realize my tea is not that good.”

His voice was ironic, but for a moment Neuvillette could see his crooked grin turn into a genuine smile. So, reassured that he was not imposing, Iudex nodded and followed the human into the Fortress’ entrance.

_________

The inspection itself was mostly a formality. The Court of Fontaine technically had no direct authority over Meripode, but it provided guards and substantial resources, and so it had a right to oversee the use of these assets. The actual budgeting was done on the regular in behind the scenes reports though, as the data was not visible in the in person visit. Still, it was a time honored tradition that got Neuvilette to show up regularly.

“Take a seat. It will take me a minute to make tea.”

Neuvilette gracefully sat down on the visitor’s chair In Wriothesley office, folding his hands on the cane. He still sat with a ramrod straight back and perfect posture, but there was a certain lightness to him today, which was hard to put into words.

“The inspection is over, yet you are still nervous.”

Wriothesley knew he had a poker face good enough to cover it, yet Neuvillette saw it anyway. He had theorized for a long time that the Iudex could sense emotions, but usually he would not acknowledge it directly like this. “I wasn't nervous about the inspection to begin with. But inviting a high and mighty Iudex himself to the tea for years and then disappointing him when he finally accepts would be a devastating faux de pas. They will mock me on the first pages of all the papers tomorrow.”

Neuvillette frowned slightly.

“I must underline that I’m not here in any official capacity, and I would hope I’m talking to Wriothesley, not the Warden or the Duke. If you agree, I would ask that we leave the titles at the door.”

“No, of course,” Wriothesley, who had fantasized about leaving titles at the door and then clothes on the floor for actual years, said quickly, frantically recalculating how he could turn the tea party to wine tasting, which best wines he had confiscated in his storage and how he could make turning on the gramophone and then maybe leaning against the edge of the table in front of Neuvillette look natural and smooth. “Absolutely. I was just joking anyway, don’t mind it.”

“Ah, I see. I apologize, I’m unfortunately prone to missing humorous intent, so I appreciate your clarification.”

With how far the Iudex went out of his way to assure people of his good intentions in informal situations, Wriothesley really didn’t understand how everyone found him so intimidating. Especially because he very often had to interact with assholes in positions of power who did try to intimidate him on purpose and the contrast was very apparent. Neuvillette projected an aura of power without really wanting to, and then tried to over-explain himself to make others feel at ease. His earnest awkwardness was something like the clumsiness of a huge beast like an elephant trying not to step on the gaggle of kittens at his feet.

“In any case, there is nothing to be nervous about. After all, tea is liquid, and it’s really hard to make liquids unpleasant. So far I think only Fonta truly managed it.” Neuvillette drummed his fingers on the table and glanced at Wriothesley. “To be frank, if crimes against water could be prosecuted, Fonta would receive life in prison.”

Wriothesley snorted. “So no sugar in your tea, I take it?”

“No, thank you,” Iudex said politely and then, after a short pause, “And to clarify, I was not serious. There is nothing wrong with people liking sugary drinks, of course. I was just making an attempt at a joke.”

He really was horrendously bad at pretending to be a human. How could anyone hear him talk and still believe he’s a scheming manipulator was beyond ridiculous.

“No, I got it. It was a good joke,” The Duke grinned, placing a teacup in front of Neuvillette and sitting down across the table with his own.

Neuvillette gave him a graceful nod with a little smile and picked up his cup, giving it a swirl before tasting.

“Hmm. Interesting. Poignant. Bitter,” he said thoughtfully, tilting his head.

Wriothesley was about to mention that this sort was not usually bitter, but Iudex continued.

“Not by nature, but forced by circumstances. Not nearly enough water to be nourished, so it had to adapt and conserve strength, letting leaves seen as unimportant to die and concentrate on survival of the main branches. But there is not just hunger… there is a dream of rain. An ache of something not ever known, but yearned, longed for, without realizing what it is. But then…” Neuvillette closed his eyes for a moment. “It happened. There is a memory of luminous joy of water not gathered by mere drops, but drank in full, overwhelming, a feast after a life of fighting for scraps of morning dew. It had tasted rain at least once in the end.”

Wriothesley put his own cup down, leaning forward in disbelief.

“No way. This was a harvest from a drought year and it’s normally a mild sort, considered unusually strong in this season. How could you know this? Are you cheating?”

“You’re welcome to test me with other samples,” Neuvillette said with an air of a magnanimous ruler granting a boon and put the teacup down with a delicate clink.

“Oh, I’m taking you up on your word, trust me,” the Duke grinned, but then paused. He didn’t want to spoil the mood, but he remembered how strongly Neuvillette felt about the perceived melusines conspiracy. Wriothesley had to tell him about the evil dragon idiots just to make sure he’s not thrown off balance later. That’s what the guard dogs are for, after all.

“Actually, before we move forward with testing your psychic tea reading abilities, there is something concerning official business that I think you should know. And then we can forget it completely.”

Neuvillette inclined his head with a small smile.

“There is a small group of conspirators, - and I must reiterate, it’s very small - who operate on the ridiculous idea that… uh, that you’re some kind of an evil dragon who schemed to overthrow Furina.”

Neuvillette's smile froze.

“You don’t have to worry about it, really. It’s negligibly small, and well, anyone with a working brain would not believe that you’re a monster in disguise.”

Iudex was silent for some time, not meeting Wriothesley’s eyes.

“Are melusines implicated in this?” he said finally.

“No. No, there’s no connection to them in this stupid theory.”

“Good. That's good. They do love living with humans so much.”

Wriothesley suspected that Iudex was taking things kind of out of proportion again.

“Listen, it’s really nothing…”

“No, no, I understand. It would be so unacceptably horrifying for humans to learn their ruler is a… monster.”

Neuvillette's voice wavered, but his face was impartial, strict, previous lightness gone completely. Wriothesley saw his hands tighten their grip on the handle of his cane a moment before he abruptly stood up.

“I must apologize for impropriety, but I have important business in the Palais which was inappropriate for me to neglect for so long. I must beg your leave to depart.”

Wriothesley stood up too, scraping to understand what he did wrong.

“Wait, it’s not…”

“Thank you for your time, Your Grace.”

Wriothesley shut his mouth, the title feeling like a slap for the first time in his life. The formality and politeness somehow only made it worse. He took a deep breath and willed himself to sound calm.

“I hope you have a nice evening, Monsieur Iudex.”

Neuvillette left in what for his usual dignified pace could be considered a hurry. Wriothesley followed him without being seen, partly to make sure he doesn’t get bothered by inmates and partly on an instinct to investigate.

At the Fortress’ entrance, he watched Neuvillette walk under the rain, lifting his head upward. The blue strands of his long hair glowed and so did his coat-tails. They extended, shining brilliant bioluminescent blue, trailing behind the Chief Justice, in a moment looking like fish’s fins, then the next - as colossal snake’s coils. Sea waves crashed against the ridge without any wind, rising high, reaching to a lonely glowing figure of Iudex. With bated breath, Wriothesley watched Neuvillette extend a hand, as if catching raindrops - and rain stopped mid-flight in the air, lingering over his palm, waves frozen cresting over the earth. The raindrops gathered in a shuddering spheres, and then stretched upwards, against all laws of gravity. Wriothesley’s heart skipped a beat as Neuvillette closed his fist and the rain flew backwards to the skies.

Wriothesley stormed back into his office and frantically searched through the reports, pages flying about, until he found the one about vishaps. He looked at the photos, seeing similarities he would never look for before. The dark blue color of vishap’s hide was nearly identical to Neuvillette’s attire, but that was small beans, easily written off as coincidence. Their eyes, bright magenta with white vertical slice of a pupil, resembled Iudex, but there was room for debate, as his eyes were much paler, lilac merging into gentle blue instead of a bright pink, even as white vertical pupil was so similar. What really struck Wriothesley after all this, was actually the little blue feather at the side of the head of both vishaps and Neuvillette. It was identical and looked so… deliberate. It had to be chosen and placed precisely like this.

Still, this was not enough. He needed more evidence. He needed… he needed answers.

He walked to Jacque's block as quickly as he could without alarming inmates, but when he got to the conspirator’s room, Jacque was sleeping on the bed and a man was sitting on the chair next to him, reading a book. He looked up when Wriothesley walked in and stood up, clumsily dropping the book. He was tall and gangly, had dark hair, Inazuman features and light brown eyes behind the glasses.

“Who are you?” Wriothesley was really not in the mood for playing games.

“Well, my organization caught wind that you are interested in learning some… historical information, and our poor Jacque is really not the best source, which is why I’m here to answer any questions you have,” the man gave him a groveling smile. “You can call me Enjou.”

“Not here. In my office. Follow me.”

When they got there, Enjou whistled musingly.

“Uh, what a nice office! Must be a pretty sweet gig. I wish I had an office instead of slinking in dump ruins all the time.” He sighed theatrically. “So, I assume your main questions are on the vishap situation. I…”

“Wait,” Wriothesley said, walking up to one of his wall cabinets. “You can’t expect me to just believe you on your word.”

“Oh, of course, of course! You’re free to rough me up a bit first. Maybe a little bit of torture? But only a little bit, I’ve got a glass jaw, haha!”

Wriothesley didn’t live so long as an undisputed champion of fight club to not recognize a freak who gets off on pain. He grimaced, walking up to the table where Enjou was already trying to rifle through the papers. He stopped with an apologetic grin and put his hands up. Wriothesley put a glass vial on the table.

“Drink.”

Enjou raised his eyebrows.

“Are we dining and wining first or?...”

“It’s a truth serum,” it was a secret project of the Sumeru Akademiya, before the sages were overthrown. Dendro Archon reportedly could read the thoughts of people, and sages were trying to replicate the effect at least partially. Wriothesley came into possession of it after using his network to get the sages connected to the needed people in Fontaine institute, as Fontaine was at the cutting edge of mech technology and the sages were apparently building an artificial god. Didn’t pan out for them, but the serum worked. Wriothesley was sure of it, because he tried it on himself first.

“Oh! How exciting! How does it work? Will it perhaps burn my insides in agonizing pain if I lie?”

“Drink,” Wriothesley said through gritted teeth.

Enjou smiled and drank the vial in one shot.

“Well, nothing is burning so far, but the evening is young, haha,” he said, smacking his lips.

Wriothesley took a deep breath.

“Why are you here?”

“Huh? What do you mean? To explain the history to you, as I said.”

“Because of the goodness of your heart? What’s your agenda? Your goal?”

Enhou cleared his throat.

“Well, first of all, I do believe in uncovering and spreading so-called “forbidden” knowledge. But with your particular case can you really question my agenda? I didn’t come to you first. You were the one who sought us out. I didn’t even want to be here! I was doing my own thing without knowing about you, to be honest! But, well, I am in an organization with some unfortunate morons who thought that recruiting a convenient idiot and then sending him into underworld prison to make sure he isn’t heard is a great plan. And then when the Warden takes note of the idiot and gets him to blabber, these same morons go, Enjou, you have to get there, because you’re a vishap expert! Ugh.”

Enjou shook his head in seemingly sincere frustration.

“But um, yeah, I’m not trying to recruit you or anything. We know how you’ve disposed of House of Hearth agents and how you generally obstruct Fatui’s activity, and we just don't want you to do the same to us. Because we’re not your enemy! So I’m here to provide you with the necessary context to see that.”

Wriothesley drummed his fingers on the table.

“Okay. Start talking about Neuvilette and vishaps.”

“Well, Neuvilette is a Hydro Dragon, that should be obvious. To clarify, Hydro Dragon here means Hydro Dragon Sovereign, because technically all hydro vishaps are hydro dragons. If you didn’t know, which is understandable, as you’re more of a fighter type and not a bookworm like myself, haha, vishaps are primordial elemental creatures, original rulers of this land and mortal foes of humanity. Long before Archons, there were Dragon Sovereigns in charge of each element. Then there was a war with Celestia, specifics of which are not widely known, but we do know that Celestia won, dragons were largely eradicated and the huge chunks of powers of Sovereigns were taken from them and given to the Archons. Hydro Sovereign was killed.”

Enjou made a dramatic pause, before leaning forward with a grin. “But you see, vishaps reincarnate. Neuvillette is a Hydro Sovereign reborn in a human shape. There was actually an Inazuman prophecy about it, recorded in the Byakuyakoku Collection. That Hydro Dragon will descend in a human form, and it specifically mentions a cane. This really baffles me, to be honest. How could they predict the cane? Why does he even need a cane? Surely not because of any weakness, he’s an immortal dragon, 500 years is very young for him. And the records say when Neuvilette took his position as the Iudex some 400 years ago, he already had a cane. Was he born with it? Like, had he sprung fully formed, with a cane? Did he pick it up as, I don't know, honorary agreement with a prophecy? Or were his fashion choices actually predetermined to the degree that the prophecy knew them millenia ago?”

“Get back on track,” Wriothesley growled.

“Oh, sorry. Hmm, this serum works by forcing you to spell your thoughts out loud, yes? Well, then it’s not my fault I’m even more blabbering than usual!”

Wriothesley clasped his hands together and said slowly, carefully watching Inazuman’s reaction. “Even if he is a hydro sovereign dragon, as you say, this alone does not make him evil, as your conspiracy claims.”

Enjou fixed his glasses. He really had the hands of a bookworm, no work calluses or fighting scars. But there were spots of reddened, peeling skin that looked like burns that didn’t get to fully heal before getting burned again.

“Did you miss the “mortal foe of humanity” bit? But okay, sure. This is Fontaine after all, presumption of innocence and all that. I mean, I can’t read his thoughts to tell you under oath that he’s evil, so don’t take me to court, hehe!” Enjou grinned, clearly pleased at his own joke. “But I can tell what I know and ask some questions. My first question is why, after losing a war and presumably being killed by Celestia, would an ancient dragon god want to serve a servant of Celestia? The Archon, who rules with what is actually his own power? Unless he had some sort of agenda, perhaps? And come to think of it, why would Hydro Archon put a mortal foe of humanity into a position of such institutional power?”

“Are you implying Neuvilette forced Furina to give him the position of Iudex?”

“Well, I wasn’t here!” Enjou raised his hands defensively. “But why else would he become the Iudex?”

“There are higher beings and gods serving archons in other nations. Like Liyue adepti serving Rex Lapis.”

“Morax was known as the prime of the adepti. None of them could compare with him at strength. Same with yokai and Baal in Inazuma, she was the strongest by far. It’s natural that they would accept servitude. But here…” Enjou glanced at Wriothesley with a sly smile. “If you had to make a bet on a direct fight between Neuvillette and Furina, who would you bet on? Come on, I know tales that her own court would not listen to her until the Iudex tapped his cane.”

Wriothesley couldn’t really argue with this. When the Primordial Sea started breaking out, he himself sent for Neuvillette and didn’t even think to ask the actual Archon.

“In that case, why didn’t he just kill her immediately? Why would he play the judge?”

“Well, you see, he would not get his power back from just killing her. It would just pass to the next Archon. No, the Hydro Archon had to destroy her own throne. And running out the ruler requires a long game, as you know very well yourself, You Grace.”

Wriothesley kept a calm face, but something must have given him away, as Enjou grinned predatorily.

“Next set of facts and questions. You know of the infamous Archon trial, of course? When it was revealed that fontanian people are actually oceanids, given human shape by the previous hydro archon, Egeria? And the prophecy of the flood works because Primordial Sea waters dissolve fontanians into their oceanid forms. Well, the flood actually came. Why were fontanians not dissolved?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me that.”

“Hehe, yes. It was because Neuvillette turned them into real humans with his powers of Hydro Sovereign. How generous of him, yeah? The question is, why did it take him so long? It’s been 500 years, and yet fontanians were made human only minutes before the flood.”

Despite a feeble bookworm posturing, there was a shadow of unhinged madness in his eyes, dangerous enough that in any other case Wriothesley would cut contact. But the stakes were too high right now. He needed to get all the information he could out of this lunatic.

“You might also remember that on the same trial it was proven that Furina is not a Hydro Archon. And I can tell you that the actual Archon, Focalors, was in the Oracle machine the whole time. Sorry, I’m not even trying to pronounce that full name, haha!”

The urge to punch this bastard was overwhelming, but Wriothesley kept himself in check, mostly because he could tell he was being baited into it and he didn’t want to give the piece of shit the satisfaction.

“Anyway, Neuvilette had an audience with her right after a trial, and as result she killed herself and gave him power back. You see, Hydro Archon doesn’t have the ability to turn oceanids into real humans. All of you were just… things, playing at being humans,” Enjou said with a smirk that looked more fascinated than mocking. “But Hydro Sovereign, the original god of life, does have the power to do so. And he also, conveniently, has control over the Primordial Sea, which you, Your Grace, already know as he stopped the flood in your own Fortress.”

Wriothesley raised an eyebrow and Enjou smiled with a shrug.

“Again, I was not there! But I do know Hydro Sovereign controls the Primordial Sea, and that there is an entrance to the Sea in the Meripode Fortress. I also know that there was some emergency in the Fortress, where inmates were told to run as close to the surface as possible, and then Monsieur Iudex visited and the disaster was somehow avoided.”

Wriothesley frowned.

“If he was really a mortal enemy of humanity, why wouldn’t he just let the gates of Meripode break and the flood happen right there and then? We would all be gone and he wouldn’t need to lift a finger. Instead he ran to help when I… when the Fortress called.”

“And what would that achieve? He still wouldn’t get his power back,” Enjou shrugged dismissively and then smiled, almost wistfully.

“No, you know what I would do if *I* was the Hydro Sovereign with an ability to take human form? And if the Archon who held my power hostage was relatively weak AND had the prophecy involving a flood of the Sea I control? Well, I’d infiltrate human society, take a position of high authority and make sure the humans not only see me as the personification of law and justice, but also respect me more than their own Archon. And when the prophecy deadline is coming up, I’d make sure I have people loyal to me in some key positions. Such as Royal Duelist… and the Warden of the Fortress.”

“He didn’t make me the Warden,” Wriothesley gritted out.

“No, but he did make you the Duke, didn’t he?” Enjou smirked with a wink. “Our sources say the Court was not thrilled to give the highest noble title to you. And if the Iudex did not throw his own weight behind it, it would have never come to pass. How generous of him.”

It was true, Wriothesley’s own informants reported that the Court loathed to give him a title, let alone as high as the Duke. Neuvillette was the only one who fought for him and fought hard, because usually Iudex’s one word was enough to make a decision, but here the stalemate lasted for two months. They wanted to compromise and give him the viscount, but Iudex wouldn’t budge, so in the end, they caved.

Wriothesley never asked Neuvillette for the title. Neuvillette never mentioned what he did for the Warden and never dropped anything even as close as a hint of asking anything in return.

Unless you see it as a part of centuries long game, where mundane favors didn’t matter, but being called first to the access of the Primordial Sea did.

“Ah, you’re starting to get it, don’t you?” Enjou sensed blood in the water, like a proper shark would. “Then I would orchestrate a public court hearing to absolutely discredit the current ruler and corner the actual Archon. And when Focalors is forced to talk to me…. I would make a bargain. Saving the lives of all fontanians in exchange of getting my full power back and Focalors dying. Isn't it ironic that the dragon playing human was the one to turn human-shaped water things into actual humans?"

Enjou leaned back against his chair, grinning with satisfaction.

“And then I’d have an entire country loyal to me as a ruler, which would make a great foothold to use for attacking Celestia.”

Wriothesley took a deep breath.

“You really expect me to take you on your word? You might believe it yourself, which will pass the truth serum, but the word of a lunatic is not evidence.”

“Oh, of course not! I would never expect you to take my lowly word for it. Instead, why don’t you take Monsieur Iudex’s word?”

Enjou made a dramatic gesture of spilling a heap of conches onto the table. Wriothesley raised his eyebrows, when the other man poked one of them awkwardly.

“Now that I have reclaimed one of the Seven Authorities from the hands of the usurpers, I have regained my true form,” a calm voice that was undoubtedly Neuvillette, said out of nowhere. “I am now a fully fledged dragon, powerful enough to judge the rest of the gods. My final destiny is to judge the Usurper-King in the heavens above.”

“This could be faked,” Wriothesley said automatically, just to argue, but his heart already fell.

“You wound me! These are his words, and I spent an entire night fishing them out for you, I’ll have you know. It’s quite hard to capture this. You’re welcome to listen to all of them and see for yourself.”

Almost against his will, Wriothesley reached out and touched one of the conches.

“…I shall fulfill my vow to judge all of The Seven in turn, even if the sky should fall and the ground give way.”

Wriothesley took an abrupt breath through his teeth. Enjou sighed and stood up.

“I think it’s better for you to listen to this alone. After, you’re welcome to reach out to us, but please don’t make any hasty decisions. I’ll see you soon, Your Grace!”

Enjou walked down the stairs, and by the time Wriothesley got to them, there was no one there. The Duke couldn’t bring himself to focus on that though. Instead, he walked up to one of the wall cabinets and took out a bottle of whiskey he was saving up as a possible gift.

He didn’t bother with the glass. He fell down into the chair in front of the conches and clenched his fingers on the bottle, icy veins springing up from under them. He took a sip and touched another conch.

“…my grievances with the usurpers have yet to be settled... They owe a debt of blood that shall not be forgotten.”

He drank, staring blindly into the distance, and listened, and the quiet words burned worse than whiskey sliding down his throat. He caught himself on a familiar thought. “This can’t be happening. This is too monstrous.” The same feverish thoughts he had when he discovered the truth about his foster parents.

As if by now he shouldn’t have learned that nothing is too monstrous in this world.

“As a survivor of the dragon race who has regained my full dragonhood, I must fulfill my oath and obligations even if it means returning all the water in the oceans back to the heavens.”

It really did sound exactly like Neuvillette. Wriothesley tried to find the lie, something that sounded fake, but not only the voice, but the cadence and word choice fit. And it sounded calm, impartial as usual too. And then there were hydro vishaps appearing in Erinnyes…

Fuck, was it really that easy to fool him? Was he really this big of a fool? He learned to distrust sweet words and warm smiles, and he was so sure that he wouldn’t get caught in the same lies ever again, even if he sacrificed his ability to love for this. But all it took was a seeming opposite, direct and harsh, too cold and intimidating to appear manipulative, but endearingly awkward just sometimes, just enough to make him believe that… That there was something true and clear in this rotten world. That he could trust in *someone*.

“Nothing will stop me from rendering judgment on each of The Seven.”

He went through all of the recordings, frantically at first, wanting to find contradictions, then, when none were found, numbly re-listening to the few that hit the worst.

“…also the destroyer of the present order, the one who shall judge all gods, and the foe of humanity. “

Wasn’t it too obvious in hindsight? Why would the Iudex stake his own reputation on Wriothesley’s title? How could you not see it coming? Oh, because you thought you “deserve” it for turning this dog-fighting pit of a prison into something with a modicum of fairness? Because you thought he recognized your redemption? Gods, what are you, fucking fourteen again, did you learn nothing, why would anyone ever care about you, you naive goddamn idiot?

Soon, the bottle was somehow almost done. At this point he was running one recording on repeat, mindless and purposeless except for repeating slashes of pain, familiar rhythm like the knife on his wrists years ago.

"Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don't cry." Whoever had penned that rhyme, as well as the Fontainians who came to believe in it, must not have known the Hydro Dragon all that well, considering that they thought the Hydro Dragon could cry. What did they take said Dragon for, some sort of bleeding heart who grieved for humans and the heavens alike?”

If this was true… If this was true, then Wriothesley didn’t just get fooled himself. Then he helped a monster take control of the country and potentially use it in war against heavens.

He clenched his hand and it took him a moment to realize he broke the bottle he was holding in it. That pain from glass pieces in his palm felt small and distant now. But at last, it spurned him into action.

If this was true, he only had one shot. He’d already told Neuvillette of the dragon conspiracy, like a good little idiot eager to please. And any tyrant worth his salt would make sure to take him out after his, especially now that he outlived his purpose in giving access to Meripode vaults. He might have some time because of how oblivious he was, dismissing the conspiracy openly, but it couldn’t be long.

He couldn’t take his time. He couldn’t hope for the better. He had to act like it’s the worst option possible. More than anything, he needed to confront Neuvillette, dragon Sovereign or not. He had to fix this, no matter the cost.

He realized he needed leverage. Brute strength was out of the question. Even before the flood, Neuvillette absolutely destroyed Fatui Harbinger in one flash, quicker than anyone in the audience could see what happened. Wriothesley would put himself against Harbringer with no hesitation, but he wasn’t an idiot. If this was how powerful Iudex was before, then after allegedly gaining his full power, there was no way Wriothesley could threaten him. No, he needed something else.

He took out the paper and wrote a note, taking care to not stain it with blood. Fortunately, he held the bottle in his left hand, so he could keep it out of the way.

“....and so confess that I, Wriothesley, Warden of the Fortress of Meripode, killed Chief Justice, Iudex Neuvillette.”

He finished the note and carefully put in his signature, then folded the paper into an envelope and closed it with his personal seal. Then he walked up to a safe, one of the hidden ones, and punched in a code. When the safe opened, he rummaged in it for a moment, until finally taking out two vials.

This was sold to him as the poison that could kill a god.

#rhine writes #rhine writes light #neuvillette #wriothesley #wriolette #genshin impact #enjou #i had a lot of fun with enjou here #anyway let me know what you guys think

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penny00dreadful · 1 year

Text

Steddie time travel, anyone?

Part 2 Part 3

“For your modesty, dude.”

What the fuck, Eddie? That was not subtle, that was not even remotely subtle. Might as well have started humping his leg for how fucking unsubtle that was!

Robin, Steve and Nancy were giving him looks now, like he’d just outed his big god damn stupid motherfucking bonkers crush on Steve fucking Harrington like some kind of teenager.

Which he probably had. There was no need to get so pissy about the big googly eyes that were being shared between Nancy and Steve. It’s not like Steve was his property or whatever.

The look Nancy was giving him was a look he was very familiar with. What is wrong with you?

Steve looked irritated, though that was directed at the denim itself rather than the hopeless queer who’d thrown it.

Robin looked at him like she was seeing straight through him. Into his soul. Seeing him.

Fuck.

Eddie’s train of thought was swiftly thrown to the side as the ground beneath all of them began to rumble, shaking violently and sending Robin backwards into his arms. From what he remembered of her in school she never had great aim. Her dodgeballs barely made it past the halfway line in PE.

Her accuracy had not improved in this weird fucked up dimension shit and she drove her elbow directly down into his balls as they fell.

He curled inwards in pain which only resulted in him wrapping himself around her more, resting his head on her shoulder as he tried to breathe through the agony and not pass the fuck out. She was now resting squarely in between his legs. A position, if his suspicions about her were correct, she would not have picked if given the choice. He barely even knew her but he was pretty sure he knew that.

Through the breathless pain that was slowly starting to ebb, he heard the roaring scream of some kind of eldritch creature far in the distance that seemed to rattle him down to his very bones.

The silence that followed the screaming was louder, every one of them freezing in place, barely daring to breathe in case the Eye of Sauron or whatever found them through the trees.

In the end it wasn’t Eddie, Robin, Steve or Nancy that broke the silence, but a fifth voice coming from directly in front of him groaning in pain.

Two extra figures were on the ground, curled up in much the same way he and Robin were, hanging onto each other as though the mini-earthquake they’d just experienced knocked them over as well.

Where the fuck had they come from? They were definitely not there a few seconds ago.

Eddie’s pain was thankfully mostly gone now, allowing him full movement of his body again and he had a brief panicked moment where he thought maybe teleportation of some kind was possible here? Like, what the fuck did he know? Anything could be possible in this alternate fucking dimension!

He whipped his head around to look behind him, just to make sure Nancy and Steve were still there and hadn’t somehow zapped in front of him and yep, they were still clutching to each other like the cover of some bodice ripper novel under Skull Rock.

He rolled his eyes internally and tried not to feel too damn bitter about it because Jesus H. Christ, wouldn’t he love to be in Nancy’s position right about now, held securely in strong arms while everything around them shook.

Steve seemed to sense him watching, glancing down at him and Robin. He dropped his hands from around Nancy as soon as he caught Eddie looking which was…

Interesting.

Steve was a PDA guy. He used to scoop Nancy up in the school hallways and swing her around, he used to cage her in with a forearm against the wall and lean in, smooth as silk, he used to-

Nevermind.

He didn’t know these things, how would he know these things? It wasn’t like he watched Steve through school or used to hover in the record store across from Scoops or anything.

He was getting off track.

Focus Eddie.

Sudden strangers in the Upside Down, actually, yeah, what the fuck?

“Ow, you hit me in the balls, dude.” The first figure groaned in pain, rocking back and forth ever so slightly like he was trying to work his way through it.

“Yeah? Well you crushed my tit.” The second figure snarked. Her voice was slightly accented with a European lilt, if Eddie had to guess. Where in Europe, though he had no idea.

“Oh, excuse me for damaging your precious- OW!” The first figure flinched as the second whipped her hand out to whack him on the side.

“My boobies are not yours to talk about.”

Eddie kicked his legs out, scrambling backwards and dragging Robin with him by the waist. He didn’t stop putting distance between them until he collided with the rock and couldn’t move any further.

Steve and Nancy were staring ahead at the two figures in complete bewilderment while Eddie managed to push himself to his feet, pulling Robin up with him. He leaned towards Steve.

"Is this usual? People popping up out of nowhere in the Upside-Down?" He asked in a whisper.

Steve glanced towards him and just shrugged. “There's no gate.” He whispered, turning to Nancy. “They'd need a gate right?"

"Apparently not." She whispered back.

The two figures sat up facing away from them and grumbling as they did so. Eddie could see even through the dim light they were grown-ups, adults, which never seemed to bode well.

For him at least.

“I’m too old for this shit.” The man said, scrubbing his hands over his face and leaning his elbows on his knees.

The woman sat up straighter, taking in the surroundings in front of her.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She breathed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Her outraged breathing had now turned to outraged shouting. “Putain de conneries de Upside-Down! Êtes-vous sérieux?!”

The man next to her scrambled to his feet, “Oh fuck, no.” He whispered, whipping his head around wide eyed before he finally noticed the four of them standing and staring back by Skull Rock.

“Oh fuck.”

He froze in place with his mouth hanging open almost comically, his gaze scraping over all of them in turn and his eyes growing impossibly wider when they landed on Eddie.

God he really didn’t need this right now. What were the chances this guy was one of the handful of people who thought he was innocent?

Probably pretty fucking low.

Though he definitely didn’t look like some evangelical church-goer.

“Ellie’s gonna be pissed.” The man whispered.

The woman beside him turned around and similarly froze, staring at them agape gearing up to scream again. The man clapped his hand over her mouth with a grimace before she could start.

“You’re seeing them, right? You’re seeing them?!” The woman shrieked, though it was muffled.

“Yes! Fuck. Would you lower your volume, or do you not remember the Demobats?” He hissed.

“How do you know about the bats?” Nancy asked, finally finding her voice.

“We’ve met before.” The man answered.

“Oh my god.” The woman finally pulled his hand away from her mouth, thankfully managing her volume. “Steve! You’re-!”

She darted forward, hands fluttering as though she was about to start fussing over him.

The man scrambled to catch her, grabbing her by the belt at the back of her pants.

Steve took a step back away from her, which pushed him into Eddie’s chest and okay, cool awesome. He could be totally normal about that. He placed a protective hand on Steve’s arm, keeping him in place.

See? Normal.

“R- Dude! Stop, you’re gonna freak them out!”

“Uh, excuse me, ma’am?” Steve defensively crossed his arms over his chest. Nancy snapped out of her calculating trance at the sound of his voice, stepping in front of Steve along with Robin which left Eddie the furthest at the back, trying to impart comfort where he could, absentmindedly tracing circles on Steve’s bare skin with his thumb.

The woman stopped short and her face twisted into a look of downright offence.

“Don’t ‘ma’am’ me Steven J. Harrington, who do you think I am, your mother?”

Eddie couldn’t stop the snort that escaped his mouth while the man snickered, despite the tension.

Their eyes met and the man quickly rolled the sleeves of his flannel down to his wrists, covering his numerous tattoos.

Weird.

Okay.

Steve looked at the woman completely bewildered. “Do I know you?”

She sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Ouch.” Placing her hands on her hips, she considered him for a moment before turning back to the man. “Fuck, how do we explain this?”

“Give them a second, they’ll figure it out.”

“Or you could just tell us.” Nancy huffed, reaching the end of her tether.

The man shrugged, scratching the back of his head, glancing in between Eddie and Steve though he tried to hide it. “Are we gonna follow any rules?”

“What rules?” The woman asked.

“You know, like movie and book rules?”

“I think Ellie said it didn’t really matter either way as long as the big things didn’t change.” She gestured at the man as she said big and he grimaced, rubbing his stubbly jaw. “We’re here now, we’ve already changed some of the smaller things. They should be in the woods by now. What harm could more information do?”

“Yeah.” The man sighed. “Guess you’re right.”

Eddie squinted at him.

He was so… familiar. But not. It was like looking through some advanced, upside down, inside out and backwards funhouse mirror.

Their eyes locked again and suddenly he could see it. Like someone had wiped away a layer of grime from the funhouse mirror and he knew.

“Holy shit.” He muttered. The others must have heard a note of understanding in his voice because all five heads snapped to him at once.

He gently pushed his way out from behind the group, trying to avoid the gnarly wounds on the back of Steve’s arms. He glanced back as he made his way forwards, waving his hand as if to say I got this, it’s fine.

He didn’t got this.

It wasn’t fine.

It was pretty fucking freaky to be honest but freak was his middle name.

And he had to know.

He had to be sure.

As he moved closer, he was able to make the two of them out easier. They were older than he’d initially thought, looking to be somewhere in their fifties.

The woman’s hair was cropped short at the back and sides turning into a swooping artful mess on top. It was grey but whether that was from age or intentionally dyed that colour, he couldn’t tell.

She had a septum piercing through her nose and wore masculine chains around her neck and wrists with a simple silver band on her left ring finger and black chipped nail polish.

Her face was freckled and wrinkled from decades of laughing. She wore a pair of mens slacks that fit her well, dressed down with red high top Converse and a graphic tee with an open rusty coffin, dug up from a grave with a shovel upright in the dirt next to the headstone. She had it knotted at the waist.

Her eyes were a piercing blue colour and they felt inexplicably safe.

The man’s hair was a brown curly mess, tied into a bun on top and heavily streaked through with grey. His pale face was wrinkled with smile lines and crow’s feet, the lower half covered by a salt and pepper scraggly beard.

His ears hung heavy with silver jewellery and he had a smattering of rings on a few fingers.

Though he’d pulled his red flannel sleeves down, Eddie could see tattoos peeking out onto the back of his hands and over the collar of his shirt. It had to be a band tee. The image screamed metal, a man in armour wielding a sword on top of craggy rocks and lava, though he'd never heard of DragonForce.

His jeans were black and tight, ripped through in various places, topped off with a chain at the hip and worn in boots.

His eyes were a deep brown, almost black in the dim lighting and those alone were enough to confirm his theory.

Time travel.

Huh.

It had been a hell of a week. What was one more insane thing to add to the list?

Maybe these things shouldn’t surprise him so much anymore.

When he was behind the DM screen, he had to go with whatever his players gave him, no matter how unexpected.

This was the same, right?

They were the exact same height, but of course they were.

One last test, just to be sure.

“Show me your arms?”

The man smiled wide at him and Eddie could see exactly where his own wrinkles would grow in, in the next thirty years.

The man rolled back up the sleeves of his flannel and there they were. Amongst years of new tattoos and some pretty sick looking scars that had taken over his arms, there were his bats and his puppet, aged and faded but exactly the same.

“Fuck.” Eddie whispered.

“Fuck indeed, my man.” His future counterpart replied, still smiling.

Eddie looked at his future face, underneath the wrinkles and age and the fact that he looked so similar, but so different at the same time, only one thought came to mind.

“We don’t look like dad.”

Future-Eddie’s expression softened into something gentle and sympathetic. “No, we don’t.”

Eddie looked back down at his future arms and hands again, taking in everything when his eyes snagged on a simple black band. It was different to every other piece of jewellery he had on.

His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened as he snatched Future-Eddie’s hand up, completely lost to the moment.

“No! Don’t-!” The woman shrieked, reaching forwards but too late.

Everyone froze.

Eddie could feel his heart in his throat as he stood there, waiting for the universe to implode or the two of them to turn to dust or something.

But nothing happened.

He peeped around at everyone apologetically while the woman seemed perplexed but just shrugged, before finally looking back down at the band around Future-Eddie’s ring finger.

He swallowed around a dry throat, his heart beating fast now for an entirely different reason.

“Does this mean what I think it does?”

Future-Eddie squeezed his hand. “Yeah.”

“When? How?”

“Eddie, what is happening?” Nancy asked. He glanced behind to see the three of his group had left the safety of the rock and were hovering nearby.

Eddie turned to her fully in a daze. “I’m married.”

“You’re what ?” Steve asked, looking absolutely gobsmacked, snapping his attention from the older woman in front of him to Eddie in an instant.

He looked back at his future self and asked in a low whisper, “Are they safe?”

Future-Eddie looked like that question shattered his heart. But he smiled at him again, ruffling his hair like he was a child. “Yeah, man. They’re safe. He’s safe.”

He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that his future self knew exactly where his mind was at that moment. Still it was both incredibly comforting and a little bit disappointing to know that Steve was safe. Because if he was safe, he was still more than likely separate. Safe meant ally, safe meant straight.

And Eddie was still in love with him decades down the line. He knew that look on his own face.

God, life was a cruel bitch sometimes.

“When did you get married?” Steve asked, baffled and a little… upset?

“I’m not. Not yet. It’s…” Eddie was at a loss for words. Steve didn’t know him very well. He couldn’t expect him to just guess he was holding hands with his future self, but the other woman… he knew who she was. Explaining this would be a bitch, but maybe he wouldn’t have to.

He gestured towards the woman. “Look at her.”

Steve stared him down for another second before he reluctantly moved his gaze onto the woman.

His brow furrowed. Robin had the exact same expression on her face. They were truly like twins.

A soft “Oh.” came from next to him and he turned his head to find Nancy now standing on his other side, staring at his future counterpart.

Future-Eddie smirked at her. “Greetings and salutations.” He tilted his head slightly at Nancy’s confused expression. “Oh right. That movie isn’t out yet. Look forward to it, Wheeler. It’s kind of our thing.”

What? In what universe did he and Nancy Wheeler have a thing?

“Robin?” Steve’s voice came out choked and disbelieving.

He was staring at the other woman, confirming Eddie’s suspicion about who she was.

The woman, Future-Robin’s, face broke into a huge smile. “Ahoy sailor.”

“What the fuck?” Robin shook her head as if it would shake the illusion in front of her.

“I know, right?” Her future counterpart responded.

“God, look at you!” Steve said, smiling. “You look amazing!”

Future-Robin laughed and ran her hands through both Steve and Robin’s hair. “And look at you! You’re only babies! And the hair! I forgot about the hair.”

Steve’s hands flew to his head. “What happens to my hair?!”

Future-Robin laughed again and pulled the two into a hug while Future-Eddie threw his arm around Eddie’s shoulder.

“Nothing happens to your hair, dingus. You’ve just changed the style a little.”

“Fuck, we really were babies.” Future-Eddie looked at the four of them in turn. “How did anyone let us get messed up in this so young?”

“We’re not that young.” Nancy knocked his elbow with hers.

“Yes, you are.” He knocked her back. “I mean Jesus H. Christ, Cassie’s my age and she’s m- the youngest.”

Future-Robin turned wide eyes to Future-Eddie. “Oh fuck, she is isn’t she?”

“Who’s Cassie?” Eddie and Nancy asked at the same time.

“Uh…” The two time travellers looked at each other, their expressions changing as they had a silent conversation.

“What do you think the chances are they’ll remember this?” Eddie’s future self asked his time travelling companion. “Because I’d really like not to lose the life I’ve built because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.”

“Yeah, you and me both.” Future-Robin tapped her own ring finger.

“I’m married too?! Who is s- Who are they? Anyone I know?”

“I’m afraid you’re gonna have to wait a good few years yet for them to turn up, baby Robin.” She turned back to her Eddie. “But I think I remember Ellie saying something like ‘You’ll know if you get there’ and I don’t know about you but I can’t remember any of this. It feels like they’re us, but they’re not us? Like they’re on the same path as us, just a little to the left. So our path should stay safe? They’ll probably end up in the exact same place as us anyway. It all feels pretty… consistent?”

“Yeah.” Future-Eddie nodded. “Yeah. I get you. And who knows if the memory of this will stick around this time anyway. So, full disclosure? About us?”

“Full disclosure.” Future-Robin agreed.

“When are you two from?” Nancy asked straight away. She had that face on. The one that usually meant she was either scheming or she was about to shoot something.

“March 27th, 2023.” Future-Eddie’s arm tensed around Eddie as he eyed up the makeshift bandages wrapped around Steve, almost as if he was trying to stop himself from reaching out.

Eddie couldn’t blame him, he was holding himself back from the same thing. What wonderful information to have. Old and married he was still apparently hopelessly pining over Steve.

“But why don’t we do questions while we walk? Stevie here needs to get something on those bites ASAP and there’s plot points you all still have to hit. Guns, plural, in your bedroom, Wheeler.”

The group of them started to delicately pick their way through the forest, doing their best to avoid the vines.

“But there’s no guns?” Future-Robin linked her arms with Steve and Robin’s.

“What do you mean there’s no guns?” Nancy asked, slightly panicked.

“Constants and variables. You still need to go through the motions to stay on your slightly left leaning path.”

“What happened to full disclosure?”

“Full disclosure about us.”

Eddie was barely aware of anything going on around him anymore. Nancy, Steve and Robin were up ahead with Robin’s future self while the two Eddie’s walked together in silence.

He had so many questions running through his head. He wanted to know who he was married to, but at the same time he didn’t want the disappointment of not getting the answer he so desired.

“How long have we been married?”

“Illegally? Twenty-five years. Legally, eighteen years.”

“Legally?!” Robin whipped around, walking backwards.

Ah. So she did know about him.

“Illegally?” Nancy asked.

“How can you be illegally married to your wife?” Steve had a small pout on his face, confused and troubled.

Eddie glanced across at his future counterpart, then back out to the others, catching Robin’s eye.

Well… he said they were safe.

“I don’t have a wife. I have… I have a husband.”

Future-Eddie slapped him on the shoulder. “Hell yeah you do.”

Part 2 Part 3

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djarinsphere · 1 year

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The help of a stranger | Din Djarin

Din Djarin x female!reader

Summary: When you need it the most, a stranger is willing to help you out. The stranger becomes someone you love, but could he ever feel the same?

Warnings: mention of abuse (workplace related), canon-typical violence, angst, only partially proof-read

Words: 4.2k

A/N: This took me a while to write, but I hope all of you enjoy it. I love Din in this and I hope you do too! Lemme know what you think :)

Request | Masterlist

The Mandalorian was used to travelling alone. He wasn’t only used to it, he actually preferred it a lot. Whenever someone else was on his ship with him, it was usually a bounty and most of them were dead as soon as they entered his ship.

But things had been different for quite a while. Since he met the little child next to him, to be precise. Grogu had turned his life around in more ways than one but even simple things like travel had become quite different. He now had a child on board with him at all times and had to care for it while also doing his job to make sure they had enough credits to get through the days.

It would be a lie if he said he didn’t have any problems arising through this new situation. It was hard to navigate everything at the same time and still be able to do everything just as efficiently as before. That’s why he decided to finally get some help on the front of the kid at least. It was just hard to find someone suitable for that job. Someone that wasn’t going to rob him first chance they got.

Din didn’t even know where to start with this. He wasn’t going to put an advertisement out that would say “Seeking Nanny for green child”. The thought alone made his cheeks turn red.

It was a rather lucky incident that eventually lead him to finally find someone that would be able to care for Grogu.

After securing another bounty on a remote jungle planet, he decided that all the canned and warmed-up food in the Razor Crest wasn’t anything they should eat today. Besides, Grogu seemed to be a lot hungrier these days, so he would allow himself and his little companion to eat something better than whatever he stored on his ship.

The small cantina was filled with all kinds of people. Din could spot pilots from the New Republic, workers and a few people that kept their faces hidden with cloaks and masks. If he had to guess, he would have guessed that they were smugglers or bounty hunters. But smugglers was more likely.

“You’ll behave this time,” he told the green child that he carried with him. “I don’t want to cause a scene again like last time. You aren’t supposed to eat all the insects you can find.” While he had gotten rather used to Grogu’s strange eating habits, all the people around them didn’t know that the small kid could eat basically anything and that was normal. But Din found himself looking away every now and then when Grogu would put a particularly disgusting insect into his mouth.

A waitress welcomed them shortly after they stepped through the door. She led them to a table in the back and brought a high chair for Grogu. As soon as the waitress had turned around again, hurrying off towards another table, Grogu grabbed the small salt shaker on the table and started pouring its contents into his mouth.

Din was looking away in that moment, eyeing a table in the back where a card game was being played, but pistols were laying on the table, clearly ready to be used.

You were tired of working in this cantina. Your boss was just ordering you around all day, making you do even more work since the droid he had used before broke down. The work wasn’t the only problem though. It was the constant delay of your payment, the customers that were always treating you like something inferior to them and you could not stand the horrible sanitary conditions in the kitchen. And there wasn’t much possibility to change anything since your boss was always monitoring everyone and if things weren’t done the right way, or the way he wanted them, hell would be let loose.

Today, you were serving a Mandalorian warrior and a child that looked rather strange. You had never seen his species before, but you adored his huge green ears and his adorable eyes. After bringing them a high chair, you went back behind the counter to get a datapad ready that would display the menu. With the sleeve of your shirt, you brushed off some dust from the device’s screen, letting out a small sigh. These also needed to be overhauled. It was an old edition and you already had to explain to your boss that some of the datapads didn’t even work properly at this point. A few of them couldn’t be turned on anymore either.

When you made your way back to their table, you saw the Mandalorian looking away from his child that was emptying the salt shaker right into his mouth. “Uh-“ you started, unsure if you would be allowed to do or say something about it, but you doubted that consuming so much salt could be healthy – for anyone.

You gently tried to take the shaker from the little kid which made his ears drop almost immediately. He looked sad, frustrated and you instantly felt bad.

By the time you placed the salt back onto the table, the Mandalorian was looking at you. A shiver ran down your spine, in fear. You could feel your throat drying up. This cantina had seen a lot of Mandalorians already and a lot of them had been looking for trouble, oftentimes not even stopping at the staff. It was always a challenge for you to be face to face with masked Mandalorians. Or masked people in general. How were you supposed to tell if they were upset or not? How were you supposed to prevent bigger mishaps?

“I’m sorry, I-“ you started, trying to explain yourself. Maybe it had been an issue that you stopped the child from emptying the entire shaker. What did you know about little green children with huge ears?

“No, I’m sorry. He has to learn not to touch and eat literally everything,” the stranger interrupted you, taking the salt and pepper shakers further away from the baby.

Relief washed over you. You weren’t just happy that you didn’t upset him, but also that you didn’t cause a scene and your boss would have another reason to come after you. You were pretty sure that you were on the verge of being fired and while this place was awful, you didn’t really have anywhere else to go and finding work these days was pretty hard. Most people earned their money by hunting bounties for guilds or the New Republic, but you weren’t very skilled with any weapons. You knew how to defend yourself with a blaster in a worst case scenario, but that was about it.

You cleared your throat eventually, handing the Mandalorian the datapad. “You can find our menu on here. I will be back soon to take your orders,” you smiled friendly, trying to get back to the safety behind the counter. The Mandalorian simply nodded, before you turned away and made your way back to the counter. You checked the window to the kitchen quickly, not seeing any new meals that needed to be carried to the tables, so you took the time to refill the bottles of blue milk. Lots of them had gone empty since your boss didn’t keep an eye on it and you were busy tending to the customers.

You were about to close the second refilled bottle when your boss came around the corner, already an angry expression on his face. “Sir-“ you started, but he was quick to interrupt you. “Did I tell you to refill these?” His voice was loud, booming through the cantina as usual. You flinched visibly, immediately placing the bottle down on the counter again. “No, but I figured they might have to be refilled like usual,” you tried to explain yourself, heart beating wildly against your chest. You were frightened, again. You wanted nothing more than to get rid of this job.

“But I didn’t tell you to do that now!” His voice just got louder. You could feel everyone’s stares on you already, all of that making your hands shake immediately. “I’m sorry, I-“ Your words weren’t more than nervous stammers.

“This isn’t the first time you keep messing up. It’s always you that’s causing trouble.” All you had ever done here was try to get everything right. So many employees had already left but you didn’t and now this is what you got for all of it. Not that you could have afforded to leave. But during your time here, you still didn’t want to mess up.

“Maybe I should finally get rid of you. This is your last shift.”

You knew the shock was written on your face. An uncomfortable silence spread in the room that had been so loud just a few minutes earlier. Your heart threatened to stop as well. Where were you supposed to go? How were you supposed to survive? You didn’t have many savings, your rent was incredibly high and you had no idea where to find a new job.

You were left standing in shock when your boss turned around and went back into the kitchen. You gulped, the world around you spinning for a second. Your hand found the counter to support you somehow, trying to prevent your fall. This was horrible. All of this was horrible.

You made sure to pack everything that belonged to you into your bag when the cantina closed later that evening. It wasn’t much. You had just kept a mug around to fill yourself a drink every now and then. And had left a jacket in the kitchen in case it would get colder than usual. Of course, you wouldn’t miss this place, but you would miss the money you received. How were you supposed to pay the bills now?

Your only hope might be a cleaning job in one of the New Republic office facilities. But you had to get off this planet for that first.

Your thoughts were interrupted though when you saw the Mandalorian standing outside the building, seemingly waiting for you. Was he waiting for you?

He approached pretty quickly then and you could hear a small sigh leave his lips. “I saw what happened earlier.” Of course he did. Everyone did probably.

“I think everyone did,” you replied, visibly frustrated at the memory. You didn’t only get fired, you got fired in front of so many people.

“Probably,” the Mandalorian added, looking around for a moment. He seemed kind of nervous for some reason, putting one of his hands on his hip. “Do you already have an idea of where to go? Job-wise?”

It was a strange question. From a stranger specifically. Yet you decided to answer it truthfully. “No. I have honestly no idea what I will do now.” Tears were making their way into your eyes, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. How could this get even more embarrassing? You were now even crying in front of a stranger.

The Mandalorian seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by your reaction, looking around helplessly and almost avoiding your gaze. He seemed to think for an awful long time, a time where you could feel more and more shivers rising up in your body.

Eventually, he spoke again. “I think I have a job for you. If you want.”

Looking back, it might have been a bit foolish to just follow a bounty hunter you barely knew through the galaxy. But Din Djarin, as you had found out, never mistreated you even once. “The Job” you had been offered consisted of looking after the small child. It wasn’t the easiest job, especially since both Din and Grogu had a habit of getting into trouble quite often and you were the one that had to stick around and stitch them back together or make sure that Grogu didn’t get into too much danger.

Almost a year had passed since you had left your old home behind and started to find a new one within the Razor Crest. Travelling the galaxy was intriguing and you got to see so many new places. Desert planets, jungle planets… things you couldn’t even imagine before. You had met new species, talked to more people than you probably had your entire life and tried so many new foods that you could barely keep track of them anymore.

Din was a quiet travel companion but you noticed that with each passing month, he started to open up a bit more. First, your conversations consisted mostly of small talk and what mischief Grogu had been up to again. But then, he slowly started to tell you about some bounties he had done in the past, about planets he had visited and worries he had about your next destination.

You also dared to open up more, especially about your time as a waitress, about everything that came before he gave you the chance to escape your miserable life back home. Din was a great listener. With time, your conversations got longer, the topics more meaningful and you sound found yourself talking about your biggest fears. Din was open with you about the fact that he was constantly worried about Grogu, that he had no idea how finding a Jedi was going to work out for him. You were honest with him about the fact that you didn’t really have anything but him, the child and your travels together.

During all these talks, often happening late at night or while the stars were rushing by in hyperspace, you could feel yourself growing more and more fond of the Mandalorian. One night he told you about how he invented a rock game with other foundlings when he was a child, laughter making their way past his helmet. And every laugh left more butterflies in your stomach. Soon enough, you were filled with them, just like the smile was not able to leave your lips anymore. These conversations made you happy, let you feel safe and his voice started to become the most beautiful sound you could hear. And every time he retreated back to his bunk for the night, leaving you on your pile of blankets and pillows, you felt a sting in your chest, like something you loved dearly was gone again.

With time, it became harder and harder for you to hide your feelings. You knew Din might be oblivious to some advances made by others – you had witnessed that yourself – but he would surely notice that your behaviour changed. Seeing each other every day, it would be inevitable. But you were determined to try your best at hiding whatever was going on inside you.

Maybe it led to less late night talks, less meals spent together, but you were trying to save yourself from more hurt coming towards you. Not being able to act on your feelings was one thing, but being openly rejected would be another. At least you would be able to have the fantasies in your head.

Today, you were sitting on the ramp of the Razor Crest, Grogu next to you, playing with his favourite toy – a ball. You watched him with a smile on your face. Din was out buying supplies and you decided to stay back and watch over Grogu here. It was like that a lot of the time. And sometimes Din would come back from a fight, armour dirty and sometimes even mildly injured.

That was also one of the reasons why you didn’t dare to tell him about you how felt. He was a warrior, strong, brave and able to stand his ground. He had a presence, a strength, you could never match. You weren’t even able to hold your blaster properly sometimes.

In your head, you imagined Din would like to have a partner, a riduur, that would be able to fight. Mandalorians were warriors and you were neither of these. Getting Din to open up had taken a long time, but learning how to fight for him would take even longer.

You could only dream about being with him.

Din was carrying a large bag with supplies when he came back to the Razor Crest. He already saw the two of you from afar and something about the way you played with Grogu, eventually picking him up and placing him in your lap, made his chest feel warm. His entire body started to feel warm, cheeks included. If he wasn’t wearing the helmet, the blush in his face would have betrayed all that was going on inside him.

You were simply wonderful in his eyes. There was also a certain calmness he felt whenever he saw you with Grogu. You were like a mother to the little green child, but you had also become his calm in a storm. The Razor Crest had never felt like home as much as it did with you in it.

But how could he ever explain all of this to you?

A few more weeks passed and as did the stars in hyperspace. They were rushing past you on your way to a new planet, a new location, where Din had located a bounty he was after. You were sitting next to him in the cockpit, watching the different screens and buttons. One day you would finally at least get the courage to ask Din to show you the basics of flying. For now, you didn’t want to seem annoying. Not that he had ever given you the impression that he could be annoyed by you.

It was just your own doubts. And the fact that you were probably not anything like an ideal travelling companion or partner for him. Other people surely knew how to navigate a ship, get rid of pirates and care for a child.

“Do you already know what to expect?” You asked eventually, breaking the silence. Din turned his head towards you. You always wondered what eyes were hidden behind that helmet. Behind that dark visor that you couldn’t see past.

“A bunch of smugglers that settled down in the woods. I’m supposed to bring their leader back to the client,” he explained, hand coming up to fix the armour on his shoulder. There was an urge in your fingertips to help him, but you held back.

After months of living together, travelling together, you had learned to hold back, even though you wanted nothing more but to finally touch him. Just somehow. Somewhere.

“Then I will already wish you good luck. I can wait here with Grogu again, if you want.” It was always easier for him to do his job without having Grogu, and now you, around. Not having to watch after a little kid while fighting was definitely a blessing you could get behind. So whenever it worked, you just stayed back on the ship with the little green one.

Din walked off into the forest as soon as you had landed. You left the ramp open again, but sat down on some tree stumps, letting Grogu play around in the grass. He was surely putting a few bugs into his mouth but as you had learned, it wasn’t harmful to him and he was never not hungry.

You still kept an eye on him. Din had told you about how important Grogu seemed to be to some people, for his abilities, and that they wouldn’t shy away from getting to him at all costs. You never let him out of your sight at all.

It seemed to take Din forever. The sun had gone down already, but he hadn’t returned yet and slowly, worries were starting to spread inside you. What if something happened to him? What if he was bleeding out somewhere and couldn’t make it back to the ship? What if he had gotten lost in the woods? So many questions, unanswered.

With every passing minute, your worries just grew. The worst scenarios started to form in your head. You could almost see Din’s armour in front of you, the shiny beskar covered in blood and dirt. His painful groans echoed in your head without actually being there. Panic was rising inside you. He had never been gone for that long.

You started to pace around, Grogu sensing your discomfort and sitting on a stump, watching you without much movement. You weren’t sure if you were confident enough in your skills to go looking for him. It had been hours since he had disappeared between the trees and there was no way you would be able to find your own way in those woods. You had no experience navigating anything beside a busy cantina.

Hope rose inside you as you spotted a figure in the shadows though. Same height as Din, almost the same built. Almost. This person as a lot broader, face covered as well, but with a mask of a different kind. A hood was pulled into their face and your heart almost stopped. This wasn’t Din. Without standing around much longer, you grabbed Grogu, pressed him against your chest and wanted to make a run for the Razor Crest.

But someone was also standing behind you, blocking the entry into your ship. You gulped, panic filling your body completely. What were you supposed to do? Your hands turned sweaty, but you knew you had to find a solution or else you and Grogu would be damned. You needed to make a move now. The man in front of you just kept coming closer and closer. With every step, he sent another shiver of fear through your body.

Then you could feel your limbs again and everything in your head was screaming Run!. So you did. You ran into the woods, hearing fast steps behind you, but you were good at running at least. Grogu was hiding his face in your top, the little child shivering as you carried him through the unknown forest. Branches scratched against the exposed skin of your arms, leaving it bloody and red.

It seemed like an eternity, running and running, and slowly, your lungs were starting to give in. You stumbled, again and again, until you met the hard ground, stone pushing into your hands, sending pain through your arm. Your knees hurt, scrapped open, your legs weak from the running while you were still desperately trying to breathe.

Then there was the cold metal of a blaster against your head, tears streaming from your eyes. You were really going to die here. And you weren’t able to protect Grogu at all. He would be taken away, Din would come back and find you both gone. If he was still alive.

“Please-” you started, already expecting the laser to hit you, but it never did. The pain never came, the sound never filled your ears.

Instead, you heard a dull sound and the cold feeling on your head left. You turned around, looking at the Mandalorian.

“Din,” you breathed out, more tears coming from your eyes. Relief. You were overcome with relief, the feeling taking control of your entire body. Grogu sat down on the ground as you leaned against a stone, trying to get your breathing even again. But your eyes never left the man in front of you.

The person that had attacked you laid on the ground, motionless. But Din was staring at you, through the dark visor once more. “Are you alright?” He asked. The trembling of his voice could not be hidden. He was worried, worried sick.

“Are you alright?” He asked again, sinking down in front of you. His gloved hands cupped your head, the rough leather moving over your cheeks.

Even though you couldn’t see his face, his body language betrayed him. He was shivering slightly, his breath faster than usual and all calm had left him completely.

“I’m alright. Just a few scratches,” you nodded, a hand finding its way on top of his. You gave his hand a slight squeeze and for a moment, he seemed to become even more tense. Until he wasn’t anymore.

A weight fell off his shoulders and his arms wrapped around you, pulling you into him. His armour was hard against you, but you could hear the beating of his heart and for a moment, the pain in your limbs didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered.

“I was so afraid to lose you. I-” He kept you in his arms, even as he spoke. “I have come to care for you a great deal. There are some feelings I can’t really put into words.”

He didn’t have to say more. You understood. It filled you with warmth, head to toe, with butterflies in your stomach and a smile on your lips. The pain was something from the past for now. Knowing that Din seemed to feel the same about you was all you had wanted for so long.

“I was worried about you too. You were gone for so long and… I also don’t want to see you hurt. Ever. I don’t want to walk the galaxy without you.”

Din let out a sigh, his gloved hand moving soothingly over your hair.

“You will never have to go anywhere without me, cyar’ika. I’m here to protect you.”

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asurius · 10 months

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Having Macaque x Reader x Sun Wukong timeloop thoughts and I’m considering the idea of, reader got isekai’d time traveled back to JTTW times and went on the journey and died.

And Sun Wukong is real broken up about it but as time goes on he starts to see the future that reader always told him about take shape and he realizes that if there’s ever gonna be a time where he finds them again it’s gonna be soon.

And he finds them! At first he thinks it’s a reincarnation and he gets another chance except-

Except things are too similar. Everything is unfolding just as they always talked about. Their home life is the same, their friends are the same.

This isn’t a reincarnation. It’s them. The them before they got sent back.

And that means they’re going to die.

And he could stop it! He could be there this time-

But…but what would happen if he did? Would that change things? Would he forget about them if he did?

But then the moment comes and while he’s been dreading it this whole time he reacts without thinking to save them from the truck or the stairs or the mugger or whatever else kills them and he saves them. He was there. No matter what else he can’t live with them dying when he could’ve stopped it.

But now. Now he realizes, the them that he fell in love with no longer exists because of him.

And oops that means they never get sent back so he has no reason to be there at that specific time to save them meaning they die and get sent back and the whole thing starts all over again.

Little things might change, Wukong and reader might feel immediately drawn to eachother. But they don’t remember. Not directly. It’s more like a sense of deja vu.

Macaque meanwhile, initially really only wanted Reader because they’re just another thing that he can take from Wukong, the best trophy he could have.

So when he starts to hear things that are happening way farther out than what he’s normally capable of hearing of? It doesn’t take much to start piecing things together, he doesn’t know specifics, but like a quiet whisper on a wind he starts to pick things up. Suddenly reader becomes forefront of his mind because they indirectly have given him a second chance. He did enjoy their company…He still hates Wukong but he’s found something he wants more than Wukong’s life.

So all the while Wukong and Reader are piecing together what’s going on, because Macaque sure as shit isn’t going to tell them, Macaque is busy doing his own scheming trying to put a stop to it and that usually involves kidnapping Reader and keeping them as far away from anything even remotely dangerous as possible. Hell at one point he tried bypassing Wukong entirely by replacing him from the get go and going around Five phases mountain, he lasted pretty long but still got murked in the end, (likely by the Samadhi Fire.). Eventually he grits his teeth, and temporarily sets aside his differences with Wukong and joins them in the journey but makes it very clear from the get go that he’s only interested in keeping reader safe.

And oops wouldn’t you know it without the prerequisite of stealing Wukong’s identity and cannibalizing his family Wukong is pretty chill with Macaque. The memories come back slowly and by the time Wukong remembers all that Macaque has done to him over several lifetimes…it’s hard to reconcile that bastard in his memories with this edgy loner monkey that’s been traveling with them.

Macaque meanwhile really wants to avoid having that particular convo but at the same time, he’s also getting exactly what he wants out of this. He’s on the journey, by his own merits! He’s getting recognition for his own acts, be appreciated for who he is. Shit if he keeps up this good behavior he has a real shot at being a buddha.

But he still committed very very serious crimes. And honestly he doesn’t even feel that bad about them. Didn’t then, and in this time he hasn’t even committed them yet so is he really responsible for them?

It would take a major heart to heart to finally get the two of them to reconcile everything that’s happened with where they are at now.

Could take the form of the Macaque arc in the book instead this time it’s actually dark reflections of themselves given form. (Like how it is in other tellings)

Eventually the timeloop would end by getting reader to the end of the journey and achieving the not-dying immortality. Because no doubt Wukong and Macaque both tried to feed them any and all manner of immortality granting fruit.

#jttw #jttw reader #sun wukong x reader #macaque x reader #Making Macaque suffer in angsty ways is my favorite pastime #also Wukong never fully forgives Macaque for being a cannibal let’s make that clear #but like considering he doesn’t get the opportunity to do so by the time he joins it’s easier to reconcile I guess you could say?

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magicalbats · 8 months

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Kinktober Day 3: Hate Sex

Rating: R-18+

Word Count: 4563

Warnings: Afab!reader, virgin! Diluc, brat taming, dubious consent, themes of sexual repression, a slight hint of misogyny/slut shaming, creampie

A/N: I took detail inspiration for this reader from the electro Cicin Mage, so that's about the gist of what we're wearing here 🤤

⭐

The air in Fontaine carries with it the ever present smell of cloying salt, seaweed, and decaying things. No matter how far away from the beaches one goes, that scent will always follow them and Diluc can’t seem to decide if he hates it or not. He thinks he does. It’s quite different from the air in Mondstadt, where the wind was somehow always fresh and clean, and vaguely scented of apples. Even with the walled off city situated in the center of a giant lake he couldn’t ever recall smelling anything quite like this before, and that nostalgic thought makes him wish for home. But, on the other hand, it wasn’t necessarily a bad smell in the strictest sense either. Just different.

He almost wished he could say the same about you. That you were just different and not necessarily a giant, regrettable pain in his behind that he could — would rather do without. But he is not nearly as willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, nor half as forgiving. He knows he hates you like he knows the back of his own hand. Didn’t even need to stop and think about it. He just knew.

Because even if you weren’t Fatui scum, even if you weren’t Snezhnayan by birth and guilty by association, that still left you holding the title of most frustrating person he’s ever had the unfortunate displeasure of meeting. You were incessantly talkative, headstrong and more than a little crass at times. You liked to gloat and take from his provisions when you thought he wasn’t looking, liked to tease him and then get lippy about it when he snapped back.

Had he not been working towards the greater goal of infiltrating the Fatui undetected so he could eventually reach their inner circle, he would have long since slain you where you stood.

Diluc knows he can’t do that just yet though. Not now, or he’d be risking everything he’d worked and obsessively toiled over to accomplish. It was only you and him out on this remote stretch of Fontaine’s rolling hillsides, after all. The two of you had been tasked with a mission so simple and benign that it would have looked incredibly suspicious if you suddenly went missing out of the blue. All evidence would conclusively point to him and he’d have blown his cover for nothing more than a few short days of peaceful, glorious silence before the Tsaritsa’s hounds were hot on his heels and hungry for blood.

Oh, but wasn’t it just so tempting to think about?

“And do you know what she had the nerve to say next? She tried to say I was the problem! I couldn’t even believe it! I mean, she started it so don’t you think that’s a little messed up to try and turn it back around on me like that?”

Heaving a weary, long suffering sigh through his nose, Diluc tries very hard to ignore you. It’s been hours spent ignoring you though; he’s not even sure how you can still manage to find something to talk about given that you’ve touched on every conceivable topic he can possibly imagine, and he isn’t sure how much longer he can endure it. The trek out into the countryside should have only taken about half a day but it felt more like years had gone by since you’d set off together from the port, as if time itself had slowed to a near standstill.

But if you notice the stiff, deeply bothered way he holds his shoulders, you don’t acknowledge it. You certainly don’t let it dissuade you from prattling on and on, nor do you let his lack of a response stop you either. If he didn’t know any better, he would have almost thought he was traveling with a hyperactive toddler rather than the grown woman walking about two paces behind him.

“Of course I wasn’t going to let that stop me. It’s not like she’s my mother or anything, and we weren’t even that close to begin with. It didn’t bother me one bit, but the drill sergeant still punished both of us for causing a scene. Oh, and another thing,” You huff, the tone of your voice abruptly taking on a sharp, fine tuned point. “Don’t you think it’s rude not to listen when someone is talking to you? I thought that was the first rule of common decency.”

“Unfortunately I don’t think it’s possible to tune you out. Trust me, I’ve tried.” He grits, his leather gloves creaking softly when he clenches his hands into tight fists as his sides. “And I’m afraid you’re hardly in any position to talk about the common decency of others. What a joke.”

You outright guffaw as if he’d offended you, and a petty little part of him sorely hopes he did. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Finally giving in to the urge, Diluc pivots on his heel and spins around so fast his long ponytail goes flying and you nearly walk right into him. He’s aware he’s tempting fate with this, dominant fingers itching badly to reach for the broadsword strapped across his back, but his patience was long past the point of caring. If he didn’t find a way to shut you up soon, he was very likely going to do something he’d later regret.

But even after having him aggressively round on you, not only much bigger but physically stronger too, you still don’t seem to get it. Something in your head must not work right because you just narrow your eyes up at him in petulant challenge. “Am I supposed to be scared of you or something?”

“You probably should be.”

“Hah! Maybe in your dreams!”

Drawing a slow, deep breath, Diluc forces himself to count to ten. It does absolutely nothing to cool the flames licking at his chest, making him feel hot and ready to burst. “I suggest you quit being such a brat and actually pay attention to what’s going on around you. This isn’t going to end well if you persist.”

“Sorry, pretty boy, but I don’t take orders from you.” Stepping forward, you viciously bring your foot down on the toe of his boot and grind your heel in for good measure.

He hisses, less at the pain and more at the fresh surge of anger that swells in him, but you clearly don’t understand the difference. Looking really quite pleased with yourself, you pull back and move to step around him like that would really be the end of it. He almost couldn’t believe the gall you had.

“Now, if you would be so kind as to get your ass in gear, we can — waagh!”

Whipping around, Diluc grabs the back of your hood and jerks you back so hard it takes you right off your feet. He watches you collapse in an inelegant heap on the ground, blinking owlishly at suddenly finding yourself sitting in the grass, but he can’t quite bring himself to feel any sympathy for you. He’d wanted to avoid it coming to this out of respect for the fact you were a woman not even half his size and without even a fraction of his physical strength, but you’d just kept pushing him. You could have stopped. Should have stopped, and now you only had yourself to blame for your current predicament.

“Wha - how dare you! How dare you put your hands on me like that!” You twist to look up at him from your spot at his feet, trembling slightly with what he thinks must be impotent rage. That was well enough but it wouldn’t do you any good now. Not when he was so incensed he could practically feel his fists igniting, growing hotter with the urge to be done with you once and for all.

“When we get back I’ll be telling everyone how you treated me! And filing a report too! We’ll see how big and tough you are then won’t we, hotshot?”

Slowly, Diluc cocks his head to one side. “What makes you think you’ll be making it back from this?”

You go very still, so abruptly it’s as if someone had taken a photo of you and then superimposed it over reality. He watches the uncertainty and fear slowly start to dawn, comprehension clicking somewhere in that empty skull of yours, but it was much too late.

Your hand jerks to grab hold of your catalyst where it’s secured at your hip but he’s quicker. Easily, he slaps it right out of your grasping fingers and he isn’t sure if he finds more satisfaction in watching it skim over the grass some few feet away or the horrified look on your face. You try to rally the power of your Delusion anyway but without a physical conduit to channel it through all you manage to do is summon a few impotent sparks around you, and he puts an end to that quickly enough.

Swooping down, he snags your wrists in his hands and shoves you down on your back. The bodily thump of impact seems to punch the air out of your lungs, making you gasp harshly up at him, but he’s already got you pinned. Trapped, with no way out. Slowly sinking down onto his knees to straddle your thighs, Diluc leans over you so he can put his face in yours and you glare daggers at him, bright eyes alight from within with a wild, powerless heat.

Looking at you up close like this, he thinks you might have been pretty if only you were not so damned incorrigible.

“I advised you to stop.” He intones, low and dangerous. “You didn’t listen.”

“I don’t have to listen to you!” All but hissing and spitting, you violently twist underneath him in an attempt to dislodge him from his perch. It’s no use though. The difference in size is far too great, and he must’ve had at least a hundred pounds in pure muscle mass on you. It was obvious you were at a sore disadvantage here but, still, you try to fight him. Still, you refused to stop.

The little bit of self control he’d been desperately fighting to maintain shatters, and Diluc aggressively shoves you into the ground, hard. You choke on a frantic, incomprehensible animal sound and flail underneath him, kicking your legs out to try and somehow shove him off or twist your way free. Growling, he drops his pelvis against yours, intending to use his weight to pin you down, but the intense heat between your legs freezes him in place. You feel it too; the tight press against your core, the weight of him in his pants digging into you, and you likewise go still as a statue.

For a long, tortuous beat, the two of you just stare at each other, panting hard from the exertion as much as the flood of high strung emotions.

“Was this what you were hoping for all along?” You finally manage to get out with no shortage of effort.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” That’s what he says and yet he doesn’t move. Can’t seem to find the strength or presence of mind to do so.

Diluc had never before found himself between a woman's legs like this and there was something horribly inviting about the soft cradle of your body, the way his narrow hips slot so nicely into place between them. The cushion of your feminine curves is a welcome relief against his own hard, muscle heavy frame, and he feels a sharp stab of shameful embarrassment when his cock begins to stir against his will. Filling out and stiffening, it instinctively reaches out in search of that overwhelming source of heat coming off you.

Your eyes go big and round, flashing at him in disbelief and anger alike. “Get off me.” You hiss.

“Why should I?” He snaps right back, unable to decide which he hated more. The thought of standing his ground, actually seeing this through to the end, or backing off and letting you think you’d somehow won. He should have known better than to be so headstrong and impulsive.

“Bastard … unless you’re actually going to do something with this,” You buck your hips and pointedly roll your body against him, grinding yourself on that heavy bulge. “Then you need to back off. I don’t know who you think you are but - -“

Snarling, Diluc slams his mouth against yours just to shut you up. You let out a muffled squawk of surprise, evidently not having expected him to actually call your bluff, and he takes advantage of that to shove his tongue into your mouth, practically choking you with it. Struggling against him, you try to bite him but he just bites back in retaliation, and the kiss quickly becomes something that’s more teeth than lips. He isn’t quite sure what he’s doing or why he’s doing it, but his body seems to move with a purpose of its own.

Juggling his hold on your wrists to one hand — it was easy to do when his were so much bigger than yours — he keeps them pinned down in the grass while the other reaches up to fumble with the strap across his chest. He manages to yank it loose so that the claymore slides off his back and he quickly shoves it to the side, well out of reach, before you can try anything enterprising. Then that hand is grabbing at your waist, squeezing tight enough to make you whimper against his mouth, before roughly dragging it higher to curve over the swell of one breast. He doesn’t miss the way you flinch at the contact but he also doesn’t overlook how you shudderingly arch into him, presenting your breasts to his seeking hand.

He hadn’t exactly expected that but somehow it comes as a great relief all the same. It was clear to him now that he wasn’t going to back down no matter how much you raised the stakes or flippantly dared him to do it, whether for his own pride or this instinctive urge he felt to put you in your place …and knowing you were perhaps not so unwilling would help him feel better about this. Whatever this was.

Suddenly tearing your mouth from his while he’s distracted with your chest, you turn your head and suck in a ragged, gasping breath of air. “I didn’t take you for the sort … I thought for sure you were going to blush like a fool and change your mind.” You pant, laughter dancing in your voice. “You always act so prim and proper, like you’re so much better than everyone else.”

His annoyance starting to spike again, Diluc reaches up to grab you face in a pinching, ironclad hold and he yanks you back around, forcing you to look up at him. “That’s because I am.”

Your eyes widen slightly but he doesn’t give you the chance to think of something cute to say back. Firmly holding you in place, he claims your mouth again and this time you all but melt into him, aggressively kissing him back as your legs lock around his hips. You meet him tit for tat, matching his energy and giving him exactly what he gives you. For every punishing bite of his teeth, you nip him right back until the bitter taste of blood floods his tongue. For every eager, grinding thrust of his pelvis you roll your body into his and press up hard on the weight in his slacks. You’re evenly matched in this regard, it seemed; and eventually, reluctantly, he releases your wrists.

Hands flying up, you viciously grab at his hair, one set of fingers digging into his scalp while the other latches onto his ponytail and tugs. He snarls into your mouth and, to his surprise, you growl right back. Spurned on, Diluc blindly reaches down to yank at your top, shoving your sleek jacket aside so he can pull at the flimsy material keeping your breasts from him. They spill out in a sudden flood of fleshy, bountiful skin but he barely has enough time to even acknowledge this fact, let alone appreciate it.

For your hands are wildly tearing at his own jacket, his own collar, and he grimaces at the quiet snap of latches and hooks giving out under the force. He can’t help but feel like he’s losing, somehow. Like against all the odds stacked against you, you’ve managed to one up him by meeting him head on like this. He thinks this game of chicken probably ended some time ago and now you were just a woman and a man battling it out for dominance, clashing in the deep rooted, primal way the sexes have always clashed, but he wanted so badly to best you. To put you in your place and remind you which one of you was truly in control here.

It certainly wasn’t you and, growling low in his throat, Diluc pulls back with a decisive motion so he can grab at the lower half of your tight bodysuit. He can’t figure out how to get it off without taking the time to completely undress you though. It’s too complicated, too many snaps and hooks. Completely ignoring your gasping protests, he takes two big handfuls of the form fitting material and tears it open at the crotch. The smell of charred, burning fibers immediately hits his nose and he has to remind himself to keep his Vision under control as you yelp and squawk, loudly complaining about having your outfit not only ripped but singed too.

In any other situation he would have been deeply embarrassed at losing control like that, about letting his self control slip enough to allow flames to lick along his fingertips, but not now. Not when he’s looking down at your cute, pudgy little cunt; so soft and inviting, and glistening faintly in the sunlight. Feeling light headed and dizzy, and like he’s having some kind of out of body experience while someone else dictates his actions, he reaches down to free his straining cock with quick, jerky motions.

Distantly, he’s aware of you hemming and hawing, and he thinks you’re probably trying to (rightfully) tell him off for being such a brute about it. He can’t seem to stop though and, guiding himself in one hand, he quickly lines up with your body and starts to push inside. You go ramrod stiff at the press of his tip sinking into your folds and creases, sliding along sticky wet lips until he catches at your entrance. The heat is immediately overwhelming and indescribable, his mouth falling open to groan but nothing comes out. It’s hard just to breathe when the profound sensation of having his cock gripped by the tight, wet warmth of your body seems to overload all his senses and short circuit his brain all at once. Suddenly all he can focus on is the way you take him, inch by staggering inch, the fit snug but accommodating when your cunt slowly relents under the pressure and grants him entry. It’s unlike anything he’s ever felt before, the backs of his eyes stinging as he finally finishes pressing his pelvis into yours, seated in you straight down to the base.

The sound of you groaning softly, as if in a hushed, half delirious daze, brings him back to the moment. Forces his reeling consciousness to return, and he looks down at you, spread open for him in the grass. You don’t seem to really even notice or care that your tits are hanging out in the open for anyone who might happen by to see (there hasn’t been another soul for miles now) or that your legs are shamelessly spread wide around his waist without so much as a hint of shame to show for it (not that you could have closed them even if you’d want to) and that strikes a particularly resentful chord within him.

Archons, he really did hate you. He’d thought women were supposed to be prone to subtlety, demure restraint and timid reservation when engaging with a man like this and yet … here you are, arching under him like a whore and impatiently bucking your hips, urging him to move. It was filthy. Disgraceful. Lurid in a way that made him feel dirty by association.

And he’d never been so turned on in all his life.

A deep, rumbling moan vibrates through his chest as he leans over you, pressing his face into the sweat-dampened crook of your neck. He tries to catch his breath, tries to ignore the way your guts eagerly squeeze around his cock as if you were trying to milk the soul right out of him, and he fails miserably on both fronts. Digging his fingers into the soil and grass in an attempt to steady himself, he draws a heavy, shaking breath.

“You’d better not misinterpret this as me liking you.” He grumbles, giving his hips an experimental thrust. All he seems to succeed in doing is rocking against you though, his cock wedged so deep inside your cunt it would have taken a miracle to pull him out.

“Funny. I was just thinking the same thing.” You sigh, dreamy and distant, and not nearly as affected by this as he’d (hoped?) expected you to be.

Realizing he’s going to have to move in earnest if he wants to change that, Diluc shifts against you to better settle on his knees and give himself the leverage he needed. You moan very quietly at the redistribution of his weight, only to choke on an incoherent exclamation when he angles his cock back, luxuriating in the stilted drag, and the following snap of his hips. The force of the thrust nudges you where you’re laying on the ground, and he can tell by the way your expression pinches and darkens that you like it. So he does it again and then again, quickly settling into a rhythm that leaves him panting over top of you, groaning at the mind numbing squeeze of your body.

The quiet sound of skin slapping against skin seems to dominate the air on this lonely little stretch of picturesque mountains and hills, serving as an efficient beat to time his thrusts to. He loses himself in it, lets it swallow him up and drown him in a way he’s never quite allowed himself to get swept up in anything else. So focused on driving his cock into you, he almost misses you reaching up for his ponytail only to snarl low in his chest when you suddenly jerk on it, pulling his attention down. So much for that idea, then.

“Your mind is wandering.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“Unlike you,” He manages to grit out. “I have a sense of propriety and I’m trying to imagine doing this somewhere a bit more appropriate.”

The grin that cuts across your face is a little mean, but mostly full of mischief. “I don’t buy that for one second, hotshot. It’s all you can do just to stop yourself from blowing right here and now, isn’t it?”

Diluc’s once (relatively) steady thrusts falter, surprise washing over him and turning his cheeks hot. “Crass woman.” He murmurs, bending close to catch your mouth again — to shut you up, he tells himself. Strictly just to shut up.

Of course it wasn’t because he enjoyed the taste of you on his tongue, nor did he really find having sex with you all that exciting. It was just his body reacting as it was naturally inclined to do and nothing more.

That’s why he slips a hand between his body and yours so he can fondle your breasts with his gloved hand, but he certainly doesn’t like the way your stiff nipples slip and slide against the smooth material. That’s why he doesn’t stop you when, mewling with an increased tinge of urgency, you reach down to rub hasty circles over the apex of your slit, and he most assuredly does not enjoy watching you play with yourself or the way it makes your guts clamp down on him even tighter. It’s why he fucks into you faster, harder, as if his hips have a mind of their own, and they quickly start to stumble over the rhythm he’d fallen into, but he doesn’t find much joy in the way his balls tighten and draw up, so close to the edge he could practically taste it.

It’s just a means to an end, he tries desperately to tell himself, even as he throws his head back and practically roars up at the sky, shooting rope after hot rope deep into your waiting cunt. You let out a tiny little yelp of surprise and then moan so luridly it sends another rush of orgasmic bliss racing down his spine to settle there. For a brief moment he worries he’s going to pass out, the force of his release was just that strong, and the way you tighten your legs around his waist to hold him there, keeping him in place, so you can grind on him and frantically rub your clit doesn’t help him in the slightest. Seething through his teeth at the overstimulation to his spent cock, he watches you shatter and jerk, falling into a fit of spasms that makes your tits jiggle and bounce. The sight alone is almost enough to have him springing up at attention again but he quickly disengages himself from you before that can come to fruition when you finally loosen your hold on him a moment later.

Shifting back to survey the damage, he’s immediately hit with an intense, suffocating sense of regret when he sees the creamy discharge slowly oozing out of your body in a sticky rivulet. “I shouldn’t have done that.” He blurts, the sincere note of apology in his voice surprising even him.

“You probably shouldn’t have.” You agree, still basking in the afterglow of your release and evidently quite content there in the grass. “But what’s done is done. I’ll take care of it later.”

“When?” He demands, his tone hardening enough to make you glance up.

With a wicked smile, you lift one leg into the air and reach down under your thigh to press your fingers into the meat of your pussy, pulling yourself open just to further taunt him. “If you’re so worried about it then why don’t you come clean up this mess you made yourself? It shouldn’t be my responsibility just because you can’t control yourself.”

His face flushing profusely, Diluc quickly finds his feet and sets about putting himself in order with sharp, jerky motions. Strangely though, that blinding anger he’d felt not even twenty minutes ago seems to have dissipated in the lingering haze of his orgasm, and he curses under his breath. Apparently you were going to live to see another day. “You are truly the most filthy, incorrigible woman I have ever seen. I really can’t stand you.”

You snicker as he turns away, lilting voice trailing after him when he moves to retrieve his sword from the ground. “Believe me, the feeling is resoundingly mutual.”

⭐

Crossposted: here

#genshin impact #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x reader #self insert bullshit

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anjuschiffer · 2 months

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The Void You Left Behind

For @official-timari-server event: Shutterbug Station 2024

Prompt: Dwelling

Tags: @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha

A03

When was the last time I was here? Luka found himself asking himself as he turned the key to their apartment.

Was it after the funeral?

Or a few days after?

Was it when he let Alya clean the apartment?

He couldn’t quite remember, but even so, he stepped in.

Why was it so dark in here? And cold? Wasn’t it always nice and warm?

Maybe it was because he hadn’t been here in a while. Yeah, that had to be it.

He probably remembered it wrong.

Luka kicked his shoes at the entrance, stumbling over one as he stepped further into their apartment. He cursed it as he let his bag drop to the floor, listening as the thud echoed out into the kitchen.

It was only then that he realized that he was probably going to have to order take out. After all, he wasn’t greeted by the usual aroma of freshly baked bread he would often smell upon opening the apartment. He stared at the barren counter and unused stove.

“Luka! Welcome back!”

For once, Luka saw the kitchen tidy and sparkling clean. Something he rarely saw in their five years of residing in their apartment.

Usually, he’d see the occasional pot or pan on the counter or on the stove. Some days it was a pastry on the counter cooling off or a plate of food waiting for him. There were days where he saw a timer and scattered recipes on the counter followed by a yell telling him to check the stove or oven.

“Luka! Can you taste the soup?”

His stomach growled, signaling him to hurry up with the ordering. So he made his way to their couch to be able to think about his possible decisions for dinner.

As he made his way over, he could hear each and every step he took with clarity, hating that his socks didn’t muffle it one bit.

He plopped himself onto the couch, quickly opening up his phone and scrolling through apps to see what he wanted to order. He felt the couch dip next to him, a smile curling on his lips as he felt something warm lean into him.

“Hey Mari, want any-” Luka stopped himself when he realized no one actually sat next to him, feeling his throat close up at the realization.

With his hunger long gone, he decided to just watch something on the tv when he realized that the remote wasn’t on the coffee table where it usually rested…on top of the coaster Mari made when they first moved into the apartment.

Luka picked up the crocheted coaster, chuckling at the uneven stitching and obvious mistakes she did while trying to make the round edges of the flower.

“Must you keep reminding me of your absence?” He whispered to himself, laying the coaster back onto the table as he got up, barely registering the answering machine that went off in the kitchen.

“-it’s Tim…just wanted to let you know…if you can’t stay the night, you know you can always stay with us again, okay? Just…call me when you can…okay? ”

He walked past barren walls that were once covered with their wedding photos and photos of their many dates. Photos of their friends and miscellaneous trinkets they would buy while they traveled the world. Photos that were now stored in their guest room that was probably thickly coated in dust.

Getting closer to their room, he swore he heard a voice coming from it, only to find no one there.

Instead, something shiny caught his attention thanks to the small crack of light that made its way through the curtains, causing a reflection to bounce off the metallic item laying on their bed.

He approached it, his throat completely closing up as he picked it up.

Her wedding ring.

The same ring she wore the day she died in the car accident.

The ring that matched his own.

A ring that was the pair to the one he never took off ever since they got married seven years ago.

A ring that once symbolized their promise to each other.

“Til death do us part.” Luka croaked out, feeling his knees give out.

He screamed into the bed sheets, gripping at them as he finally let out everything he had been bottling up all this time.

He didn’t know how long he had screamed and cried for, but he knew it was for a while.

His eyes felt heavy as he stared at the ring in front of his feet, laughing back at him as he pulled the comforter closer to his skin.

Despite its looks, the comforter felt cold against his skin. It did not comfort him in any way; it felt nothing like Marinette’s warm embraces.

Something he had to learn to live without…

A life without Mari…

He slowly closed his eyes, the quietness of the apartment lulling him to sleep.

He hoped he would never wake up…

#lukanette #Shutterbug Station 2024 #MSS 2024

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natasha-in-space · 8 months

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High Enough

Unknown/gn!reader;

For day 1 of Mystictober: favorite character/dance. I will be doing only a handful of these this year around, depending on which promts get me inspired enough to write something! This one's very self-indulgent. I always thought of what would have happened if you got a chance to interact with Unknown in the game. What if he shows up at the party?

"I never would have expected to see someone as mysterious and broody as you in the middle of such a posh event, Mr. Unknown."

You only laughed as your dance partner tightened his hold on your hand in response to your little jab, his cold eyes narrowing at you in a silent warning. A warning that only encouraged you to get ever bolder with your relentless teasing.

It's common knowledge to avoid playing with fire, unless you want to get burned. Alas, you were never good at following this saying. After all, who in their right mind would listen to a complete stranger and go to some remote location with minimum fuss? You didn’t know whether you were really that stupid, naive, or you simply didn’t care about your own life anymore. Perhaps, the truth was somewhere in the middle, as it often was. Either way, your every choice lead you to this very moment: with you now swaying to the soft jazzy melody, a man you met face to face for the very first time as your partner.

And, despite all the glaring red flags, you felt oddly at peace with it.

It was hard to see any red when all your eyes could focus on was this beautifully harsh mint that pulled you in, like an enchanted lake would lure some poor traveler's soul in those old-timey tales you would read as a child.

You knew that you should probably try to notify Seven of the presence of the very same hacker that has been tormenting their organization for days now. You knew that what you were doing right now was stupid at best, and outright dangerous at worst. You knew that this wouldn't end in your favor, regardless of how much fun you were having in the present. But, you also knew that you wouldn't do the right thing here. You had every opportunity to contact Seven and relay all the important info to him, once Unknown contacted you again for the first time a few weeks ago.

Yet, you didn't. You never did. Not even once. Not a single slip of the tongue left your lips about your secret guardian angel who was watching over your every move and word. Or, was he a devil? His smirk was certainly devilish, in the best way possible.

Instead, you indulged in this mysterious man's attention, cryptic messages sent between you two leaving you reading in between the lines, hungry for answers you knew you wouldn't find. You were just a plaything to him. A tool. His eyes. And yet, something about that left your heart fluttering in your chest, much to your own bewilderment and curiosity. You were connected. What you saw, he saw. What you heard, he heard. Something was alluring about knowing that someone was watching over your every move with such precision.

Maybe, you just weren't right in the head.

You brought up the idea of him going to the party as a joke, really. In hindsight, you probably should have known Unknown doesn't do jokes. Despite everything, you were unsure if he would arrive up until the very last moment. That is until you got a message from him. In a classic Unknown fashion, it was something that would surely make chills run up your spine if you were someone of sound mind. Nothing but the short: 'I see you ^^', that left you looking around the ballroom, as if you forgot where you were for a second. He wouldn't reveal himself to you for another 20 minutes or so, pulling you along for a frustrating game of cat and mouse. And, despite you supposedly being in the role of a cat in this game, you never felt more exposed. Much to your disappointment, he didn't let you find him in the end. He came to you instead.

When it came to Unknown, the game was always rigged from the start. He was the one in control, holding all the cards, and he didn't try very hard to hide that from you. In fact, you were pretty sure he found your little games exciting in his own strange twisted way. He enjoyed toying with you, and you played right into his hands every time. Like a good little tool, you were.

His appearance definitely blended well with the party. No one would suspect that the young man the party coordinator chose as their dancing partner for the night was of any threat at all. Truth be told, the moment he finally revealed himself to you fully, you found your breath getting caught up in your throat as you took him in, no physical barriers or mind games stopping you this time around. Unknown wore a captivatingly dark tailcoat adorned with mint patterns, and, if you squinted very hard, you could make out an eye or two between the thin intertwined lines. It was somewhat funny. As if he just couldn't help but make a point of him keeping his eyes on you at all times. The captivating mint accents on his black tailcoat certainly brought out his eyes of the very same odd color, making it that much more easier for you to get lost in them. You wondered if he wore contacts. Such eye color didn't seem natural. Then again, Unknown was always unpredictable, full of mysteries you would never solve, unless he let you. The plain white button-up he wore underneath his tailcoat was unbuttoned at the collar just enough for you to see a slick black choker around his neck. You certainly didn't have any naughty thoughts of hooking your finger under it to pull him closer to you, until he was pressed flush against you. Not even once. His white hair with pinkish ends was messy, not at all styled to look neatly combed like the rest of the guests here, and you couldn't help but marvel at the way his slightly curly locks would sometimes fall over his eyes, making the desire to reach in and brush them aside almost unbearable. He was simply exquisite to look at. A lovely treat for your eyes. Or, was he more like poison? Luring you in with this irresistible facade, only to capture you in his claws once you were too close for comfort?

No matter what he was, you hoped he felt the same way about your party outfit as well. Maybe it was just your wishful thinking, but you swore you caught him occasionally looking you up and down, the intensity in his gaze increasing ever so slightly, as he would then swiftly pull you close in your dance, making your body brush up against his ever so slightly. Judging from the low chuckle that would rumble in his throat whenever he did that, he knew exactly what he was doing to you. So, is that really such a crime to pay him back a little?

"You sure have a lot of sass for someone who's supposed to be so seemingly perfect, party coordinator." Unknown hissed just loud enough for you to hear, suddenly dipping you as you gasped and stared up into his eyes, completely taken aback by this unexpected move. He didn't have to do much to leave you breathless. And you didn't really try to conceal that fact from him. Just as quickly, you were brought right back up, with him now twirling you around, your back pressing up against his chest. His hands playfully slid down your sides, until they gripped onto your hips, leaving you trembling in place, your face suddenly growing too hot for comfort. You barely managed to suppress a choked whimper as his breath ghosted the shell of your ear in such a delicious way. "You're in no position to tease me, Y/N. But, I admire your boldness. Makes it that much more tempting for me to tame you. Oh, but you probably would like that, wouldn't you? That's why you left those bastards in the dust without a second thought. You know your place."

Fuck, what are you even supposed to say to that? In fact, it was becoming difficult for you to even think straight, not with the heat of his body against your back making you feel all hot and bothered. You gulped. "...Is it too early to take you up on that offer of yours?"

Both of you were well aware of what you were referring to. It was the very first message he sent you after you foolishly stepped into Rika's apartment at his request, essentially sealing your fate.

'It'll be really fun from now on. Enjoy your time with everyone. I'll go get you soon.'

Your chin was tickled by a gruff chuckle as his thumb caressed your hip. God, this man was driving you wild. "Patience, dear party coordinator. The end will be the same either way. But, if you do a good job for me... I might consider giving you a reward once that time comes."

"A reward?"

As his chapped lips briefly brushed against your cheek, you could only gasp, trembling in his arms like the silly butterfly you were. Except, this butterfly landed into the spider's web willingly. You wondered what that meant for you.

"I'll personally welcome you to our eternal party. Consider this your personal invitation to paradise, prince/ss."

#mm_mystictober2023 #mystic messenger #mysmes #mysme #mm #unknown choi #mystic messenger unknown #saeran choi #unknown x reader #saeran x reader #this man makes me feel some sort of way #this is technically a song fic??? but also not???#high enough by k.flay was playing in the background of me writing this

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photmath · 1 year

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Reine - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Thread

Summary: Your twin brother was getting ready to travel the world and what better way to send him off than a week-long get together with him and your friends in a remote town in France.

Pairing: Kylian Mbappe x Reader

Word Count: 5.0k

Warnings: mentions of deceased father, angst, fluff!

A/N: I’m still on the fence of what teams I want in the final, not going to lie. Also, I think I’m going to start a taglist so if you want to be tagged in the next chapter, let me know!

You had spent about thirty minutes in the restroom calming down. You stayed up there longer because you heard the boys go downstairs.

Finally, working up the courage, you opened the door and went straight across to the bedroom. You closed the door behind you and decided to go ahead and wind down. There still seemed to be music coming from downstairs but it wasn’t as raucous. You grabbed a change of clothes and went to take a quick shower.

You quickly brushed your teeth and braced yourself to see Kylian in the bedroom but he still wasn’t in there. You relaxed a bit and closed the door. You put up your dirty clothes in the closet and grabbed the extra blankets for his bed. You pulled the mattress from the bottom of his bed easily and laid out the blankets.

You didn’t want to wake up in the middle of your slumber to him making noise trying to get the bed together. You turned off the lamp and laid in bed. Even though you felt extremely tired, you were still restless, and your neck seemed to hurt in every possible position.

You were unsettled. Being trapped in a closet with Kylian was a nightmare. It started off as okay, and then being excited for him making his dream a reality, and then it just went downhill from there. You thought about maybe what you should have said instead. Or what you forgot to say. But it didn’t matter anymore.

In the middle of your thoughts, there was a soft knock on the door. You immediately flipped over and gave your back to it. You were going to pretend to be asleep, even if it was by far the most embarrassing thing you had ever done.

The door opened slowly and a soft whisper came, “Reine?” Kylian stood on the other end. You heard as he quietly walked in and closed the door behind him. He took off what sounded like his hoodie and then laid down in his bed. He moved around minimally before he let out a soft sigh.

The tension felt abnormally thick that it made you want to throw up. You squeezed your eyes from trying to rid yourself of this overall-consuming feeling. It was like a weighted-blanket: wrapping around you and sinking you down.

You tried to ignore your own thoughts and tension.

------

You woke up in the middle of the night to pure silence. The room was eerie dark and no light was coming in. You don’t dare move a muscle, thinking Kylian may have been awake.

You never get great sleep when you sleep with someone else. You always wake up before the alarm or to something in the middle of the night. It was a blessing and a curse.

You hear Kylian shift below you. His even breathing had stopped a while ago you realized. He had to be wide awake by now. The two of you mindlessly staring into the wooden ceiling.

What a week this was going to be.

“Reine,” he spoke. His voice was rough and dry. He shifted around once more but stayed laying down. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”

You debated on answering. Toyed with every possible response. Mentally weighing the pros and cons. How did you want the rest of the trip to be? Tense and awkward? Or somewhat-on-good-terms acquaintances?

“Yes.”

He let out a sigh, “I’m sorry.”

You bite your tongue from spitting out whatever your brain thought of first. You were always a good listener after you had let out a remark.

“The day of your dad’s funeral, I was on a camp with the U16 French team. Theo had known about it before and he begged me to go to that instead of the funeral. I didn’t want to upset him. I meant to tell you but I forgot. Everything went so fast at that time, I just imagined myself doing it, but never realized that I didn’t actually do it.”

He moves around again on his bed but you still have your back to him. You were holding in tears that were threatening to escape once more.

He continues, “I visited when I finished with the camp, after the funeral, but you were already gone. You went on that trip to Mexico with the girls.”

The trip to Mexico was planned a week after your father’s funeral, way before your father got into his car accident. It was filled with a lot of tears but Ana, Simone, and Lili got you through it and helped you through your grief process.

“I figured you’d be gone for maybe a week, so I knew to just come back the next week. And I did come by, for a month. And then the next month came and you were still gone and finally I asked Theo when you were coming back, and he told me you’d be back the next month, but then I would be gone. It just wasn’t great timing and it gnawed at me. I thought about texting you or calling, but this was when we started to talk less, and you know, everything was going--so badly--so I still didn’t. I thought too hard about it. Thought that if I texted you it would ruin your mood or trip so I didn’t.”

Silence fills the room as he confesses. You can’t remember much during that time because a lot of things were a blur after that. You had come back to France, and would be starting your second year of high school. Kylian would be busy with school and then football afterward.

You rarely saw him once school started; you didn’t have any classes with him that year and hanging out as a group became study sessions now that you all had harder classes. Kylian was rarely at them because he would be doing something football related during that time.

“I didn’t want to know what happened with our friendship because I knew it was something I had done. Knew it was something that I screwed up on and I just remained oblivious because I knew I hurt you. I didn’t want to face it. I didn’t want to be confronted with it. I was scared of losing whatever grasp of a string we had left, and even if it was a thread, I knew I had that at least.”

You held in your sobs. He had a thread of hope he was hanging on.

“I didn’t pass you the ball because I wanted to impress you. At fifteen, I had the biggest crush on you. It was one that just kept growing and growing since we were thirteen that I was doing out-of-character acts. I was wanting you to notice me. And somehow, that ended up pushing you away. And I knew it did. I noticed when you would get up and walk away from me if I sat down next to you. I noticed when you would turn around if you saw me talking to your brother as you were walking up to him, or one of the others.”

He pauses and lets out another sigh, “When you came back from Mexico and I came back from summer training, I didn’t know what terms we were on so I shied away most of the time. As time went on, I knew that you didn’t want to see me and I accepted that. I stayed out of your hair. But after a while, I missed you. I missed your laugh or the way your eyes lit up when something made you laugh so hard. I missed just hearing your voice.

“And I wanted that string of attention back. I wanted you to see me. So I started teasing you again, making sure to never go too far, but I knew it broke you after a while. It wasn’t the smartest approach, I know. But I was also fifteen, and sixteen, and seventeen–just plain oblivious of my actions.”

He stops momentarily, “I had enough time in hindsight to realize that it was the most selfish thing I have ever done because again I made everything about me. I disregarded that your dad had passed and how that impacted you. I disregarded any of those feelings you felt, and I am deeply sorry about the mess I left you with, Y/N.”

You couldn’t contain the cry that escaped your mouth. Having to listen to his monologue of words without a break, made you hold them for a long time. You tried to hold them in, but knowing Kylian was being vulnerable, you decided to be too.

You guys were now twenty-one, it was long overdue to be spoken about and that relief to finally have answers, was a greater feeling than no other.

He held off this conversation for so long to keep some sort of grab on you, and by having it, he finally cut it off. He had held off to have a piece of you, and realizing that, hurt.

Kylian shuffled around a bit and you could feel his weight lean against the side of the mattress. He had propped himself up against it.

You threw the blanket off of you and swung your legs around his silhouette, making sure to not accidentally kick him. As you sat down next to him, he looked in your direction but it was still so dark that you couldn’t see where he was looking exactly. You grabbed ahold of him and wrapped yourself around him. Your arms going around the tops of his shoulders.

He smelled of warmth but also a hint of pine, a scent of his that you rarely smelled. His arms were so hot around your back that the cold room didn’t feel so cold anymore.

Kylian tensed up when you first drew contact with him, but then soon relaxed afterward. His arms were awkwardly wrapped around your back.

“I feel undeserving of this,” he admits while his head is hidden in your shoulder. Soon, you feel his body start to shake as he begins to cry.

“I wish you told me sooner,” you whisper. You keep your embrace tight as he removes one of his hands to wipe his tears. You don’t even care that your tears have now wet his shirt and he doesn’t seem to mind it that much either.

There was a lot to digest from his words and it was no debate that you would definitely want to bring up the conversation again. He admitted to having a crush on you as teens, was that still true now? You didn’t want to question it any longer because even if he did have a crush on you, the apology was worth more than that.

“I was scared,” Kylian says. His voice is barely audible and it’s uneasy. He bites his lips to quit more tears from coming.

You pull back from him and he looks in your direction. Your hands trace his shoulders and cradle his head. You can feel his warm tears trickle between your finger tips, “But I’m glad you told me, Kylian.”

He lets out a throaty sigh and leans his head further into your palm. You can feel his eyelashes brush against your thumb as he closes his eyes. Six years of turmoil and pain finally erased and he couldn’t be anymore relieved.

Six long, grueling years. For both him and you.

------

The next morning, you woke up to banging on the door. You popped up quickly from your bed; Kylian below you was already on his feet getting to the door. He was rubbing his eye adjusting to the light as he opened it.

“Good morning, lovebirds, how was your sleep?” Laurent teased. Kylian stepped back and groaned. Laurent swatted Kylian’s chest, “Breakfast is almost ready, thought you guys should know.”

“Thanks,” Kylian mumbled and shut the door as Laurent walked away. You fell back into your bed with a thud, earning a chuckle from Kylian.

You grab a pillow and place it over your head, “It’s only been five hours!”

“Maybe we can nap later on,” Kylian suggests.

“We’re going hiking today!” You yell into the pillow. You were looking forward to the hike but valued your sleep time.

You hear Kylian let out a small groan, “That’s right. How are you feeling?”

“Like I need at least two more hours of sleep.”

“Nap in the car.”

He starts folding up his blankets and pushes the bed in, causing you to remove the pillow from your face. He sports a goofy closed smile as you see him crouched a foot away from you.

“What?”

He suddenly grabs the pillow that was on you and throws it towards your body.

“Kyks!”

He lets out a laugh, “Good morning, Reine!”

You grab the pillow and throw it in his direction but miss. He watches it fall onto the floor and laughs. You rub your eyes, “Go shower or something, you stink.”

“Aww,” he mocks. “Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“You are so childish, you know that?”

He cheeses towards you before going to his duffel to grab a change of clothes. He turns towards you, “Okay, I’m going to go shower, do you need to use the restroom first?”

You nod, getting up and then flipping him off. He feigns hurt and throws his shirt at you.

“What is up with you throwing stuff?”

“You’re awake now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and I regret every decision I’ve made leading up to this point.”

He drops his jaw dramatically and you leave the room before he can bicker back.

You quickly take care of your business and then let him shower. You could already smell the food from downstairs so you knew breakfast was about to be done. You spend some time cleaning the bedroom a little bit while Kylian finishes showering.

The owner of the house had a wax melter that was designed in the shape of a book. Digging through scents, you found a balsam and cedar wax melt. You drop a piece of it into the wax melter.

Kylian comes in and puts away his dirty clothes. He now sported gray joggers and a navy blue hoodie. He catches you staring at him, “You ready?”

You nod and follow him downstairs. Everyone was already awake and sitting around the kitchen and living room. Theo and Lili were the ones finishing up cooking.

“Oh, hey,” Theo says to you as he nears closer to you. “How did you guys sleep?”

You shrug, “Could have been better.” Kylian was already by the couch talking to Simone and couldn’t hear a word you were saying.

Theo furrows his eyebrows and shoots a direction towards Kylian, “Did he bother you?”

You shake your head, “No. It just took me a while to fall asleep, that’s all. But I’ll feel good after a cup of coffee.”

Theo nods and then places a kiss on your forehead, “Okay, good, eat up.”

“I definitely will, thank you.”

You grab the stack of plates that were on the counter and spread them around the table. Theo announces that food is ready and you take a seat in one of the seats furthest to the right. Kylian comes and sits next to you and places a cup of coffee in front of you.

He gives you a small smile as you look up at him, “How did you know?”

He shrugs, “You were grouchy this morning.”

You chuckle, “Thank you, that is very nice of you.”

You hadn’t even seen him go to the coffee machine, let alone open the fridge. He did it so stoically and you had to give him props. He was quick with it.

He leans towards your ear as the others start to sit down, “It has two seconds of creamer and one sugar.”

Your cheeks can’t help but to warm up, he remembered your specific coffee measurements. You would always count ‘one, two’ when pouring creamer and then add a packet of sugar. That was something you told him perhaps years ago when he teased about you probably liking your coffee black because your heart was ‘too bitter.’

“Also,” he leans back towards you. “I’m sorry for keeping you up last night.”

You wave him off, “It’s okay, it was needed.”

You look at him and he reads your face for a couple of seconds before nodding. He passes you the plate of eggs after he pours some on his plate. You also grab a couple of pancakes and fruit that Lili had cut up.

A two-mile long hike was something you had done before with relative ease but the weather was colder in this part of France so you were making sure you had enough energy.

“No way this is going to be your first time hiking,” Simone chimed. You looked up to see her looking towards Kylian who sat in front of her, Laurent beside her in front of you.

He nodded while chewing, “Mmhmm, I’ve never gone before.”

“You should be okay,” Theo said from the other side of Kylian. “You’re pretty fit.”

Kylian laughed, “Thanks?”

“At least this isn’t that six mile hike Theo made us do last time,” Lili groans, which causes the rest of the group to let out groans of complaint. Kylian hadn’t gone on that trip, he had been away playing for Monaco at the time.

The hike had taken maybe three and a half hours to make the entire loop but it was gruesome. You guys thought you prepared for the steepness but didn’t prepare enough. It was a total pain and the rain washed through the mountain the day before so your boots were caked in mud. Every step was weighted even more down and it burned your energy fast.

“Don’t even remind me of that one!” Laurent closed his eyes as if he was in pain.

Theo chuckles, “You guys said you were ready.”

“You are so lucky you missed out on that one, Ky,” Lili rolled her eyes.

“Was it really that bad?” Kylian looks around the table and then stops on you. He heard the others continue grumbling but he only cared for your opinion.

“I couldn’t look at Theo for the rest of the month,” you say and he laughs. “It was muddy, steep, cold but hot at times. And then I ran out of water and had to get some from a stream but getting to the stream was caked in mud. It was just a lot–and almost four hours long.”

Kylian leans back in his chair, “That sounds like an interesting one but I may actually have gotten lucky with missing that.”

------

The ride to the trail was pleasant. There wasn’t much going on except everyone having to cram into Laurent’s Jeep. Somehow Laurent found himself sitting in the trunk even though he was the one that owned the car. Kylian, you, and Simone sitting in the back while Theo drove with Lili beside him.

Arriving at Cascades du Cirque de Saint Même was breathtaking. You kept your gaze on the trees the entire time. They were still very green with some hints of snow in them.

This was going to be exciting.

You rubbed your hands together to keep warm once you all exited the car. You made sure your backpack was secured on your shoulders and felt for the extra pairs of socks you put in there. You knew your feet were bound to get cold and you didn’t want that to slow you down and possibly ruin the experience.

There were other hikers around beginning to start their hike as well.

“Everyone has their stuff?” Theo asked.

Laurent huffed, “Yes, Dad.”

Theo stuffed the map back into his jacket pocket and led the way. You and Kylian strayed towards the back. You knew you were going to want to view the scenery and take pictures so you always were at the end. You made sure to always stay at least six feet behind because that also helped you prepare for the difference in terrain. If someone tripped in front of you, you knew to pay attention more.

Theo and Lili led the way while Simone and Laurent strayed behind them.

Kylian had his hands looped on his backpack straps as he turned towards you with a childish-like smile, “Have you ever gotten lost on a trail?”

“God, no.”

He chuckles as he slows down his pace a bit to walk next to you, “You ever go alone?”

You shake your head, “No, always with Theo at least.”

He nods, “That explains why you wouldn’t get lost then.”

“I wouldn’t get lost even if I was alone,” you say and look towards him with determination.

He glances down towards your lips, “I know. Theo just seems like the one to have the map and you just follow.”

You shrug. That was true. You did enjoy hiking but enjoyed it more when you weren’t in charge of leading. Following Theo or the rest of the group helped you relax and take in the scenery more often.

“Got to stroke his ego every now and then,” you take a jab towards Theo and Kylian laughs.

“Funny.”

The two of you follow along closely behind the rest of the group bumping into each other's shoulders often. There had already been a lot of tree roots that took you by surprise at times because you had your attention on something else. Kylian would have to grab ahold of your elbow to steady you.

Your nose had already gone cold and you could see you and Kylian’s breath every time you and him pointed towards something along the trail. Laurent had already tripped on a tree root sticking out and landed right on his shoulders.

“I knew it was going to be cold, but not this cold,” Kylian spoke after about thirty minutes in silence. “My feet are freezing.”

“Did you bring extra socks?”

“No,” he furrowed his eyebrows. His nose and cheeks had a hint of pink on them. “Why would I do that?”

You shrug, “I don’t know, maybe to warm up your feet.”

He rolled his eyes playfully, “Let me guess, you brought some?”

You nod, “For me.”

He groans, “I didn’t think about my feet. Ooo–look at this flower.” He picks a yellow flower that was the only one left surviving beside a tree. It was most likely a dandelion but you weren’t about to crush his dreams. He holds it out towards you and bows, “To the strongest one of us. Like a flower sprouting in the winter.”

You let out a laugh as he deepens his bow, your cheeks warming up, “Kylian, get up.”

“Not until you take the flower.”

You take the dandelion from his fingertips and he stands up beaming. You secure it onto your shoulder strap that has a small pocket. “Thank you, that was sweet.”

He nods and the two of you pick up your pace a bit to catch up to the group. You guys were supposed to be getting near the waterfall but you still hadn’t seen a glimpse of it yet. You could hear it though.

Kylian leads in front of you as you all reach a narrow and steep part of the trail. You couldn’t help but to think about Kylian picking out a flower for you. It was a tiny gesture but it made your heart swoon because the tiny gestures were always better than the bigger ones.

At least they were to you.

He turns towards you with furrowed eyebrows, “Hey.”

“What?”

“What do you study at uni?”

“Chemistry.”

He scrunches his nose, “Rough.”

You chuckle, “I love it.”

He nods and then turns back around and continues up the rugged terrain.

“Why do you ask?” You call out.

You see him shrug his shoulders, but he doesn’t turn around, “I remember you liked science back in high school so I was wondering if you followed with it to uni. But I was also thinking history.”

How he knew you liked science and history in high school went beyond you. You two hadn’t shared a single class of science or history together; the only class the two of you shared at one point was a literature course.

“Oh this is beautiful,” Kylian breathes out. He had stopped at the top part of the small hill that you bumped into his shoulder once you got to the top.

The waterfall, you guys finally made it. Simone and Laurent were already running towards the rocks around the edge of it. Theo wrapped his arm around Lili as they walked towards the arching walkway that overlooked the waterfall.

Kylian and you followed behind in quiet awe. It was beautiful. The sound of the water colliding into each other quieted down any thoughts in your head and you felt yourself immediately relax.

Kylian leaned onto the wooden frame, not scared of it collapsing. Although you were hesitant, you leaned on it with him. He had a small smile on his face that had yet to leave.

You pull out your phone to quickly take a picture. You try to get a photo of just the bridge but Kylian starts to smile, and so you have to snap the photo of him giving the camera a shy smile.

“You are so funny,” you comment.

“Send me the picture when you get the chance,” he scoffs.

“I will when my fingers aren’t freezing.”

“Okay,” he says quietly. Theo and Lili were on the opposite side of the bridge as you two but he didn’t want to interrupt the peace that much. “That last hike you guys went on, I wish I went on it.”

“It was brutal,” you shake your head. “And Theo rented this old van that looked so nice and vintage but its tire popped on the ride back. Theo and I spent like an hour trying to change it because we didn’t have the right tools.”

He chuckles, “Is this the trip where you stayed in a tent?”

You nod, “Yeah, at this camp site. That was fun though. We had one big tent.”

“Ah, how nice,” Kylian lets a noise through his lips. His elbow brushes against yours but neither of you move away. Some warmth of his was leeching onto you and it made you want to lean closer but you don’t.

He looked again towards you and instead of speaking, he dropped his head onto your shoulder to nudge it. You resist making a comment and instead take in the moment.

“I wish I could come on these trips more often, I have missed you guys a lot,” he says as he picks up his head. And he did. He also missed what could’ve been if the two of you had been on good terms in the past. He would have definitely tried to make it out to these trips more.

------

You fell asleep on Kylian’s shoulder on the way back to the house. Your boots were in the trunk so you were wearing two pairs of wool socks and ended up giving your extra pair to Kylian after noticing how wet his socks had gotten.

You woke up to a heavy, uncomfortable weight on the side of your head and let out a groan. They didn’t move and you realized it was Kylian’s head from his pine scent mixed with a bit of sweat. Theo and Lili had already exited and were opening the trunk for Laurent.

You moved your head from Kylian making sure his head didn’t fall down harshly, hoping he’d wake up with the movement but he didn’t. Instead his head rolled down to your shoulder before rolling down further and he snapped it up abruptly.

“Ouch,” you say as his face squirms.

He grabs his neck, “Ow.”

“You idiot,” you whisper. He closes his eyes and has the ghost of a smile on his face. “Come on, we’re here.”

He takes off his seatbelt and pushes the door open. He waits for you to get out and then shuts the door behind you.

“Your feet,” he says pointing towards your socks, his voice concerned.

“They’re fine,” you respond because they were. They didn’t feel any of the cool gravel and the floor wasn’t wet. You grab your bag from the trunk and leave your boots outside with the others.

Theo and Laurent stand at the entrance, “It feels…cold.” They walk towards the thermostat and see that it is on heat but the house still feels fairly cold.

Theo, coming to the rescue as he always does, says, “I’ll put the fireplace on. Looks like the heater broke or takes a while to turn on.”

The temperature had dropped a bit from yesterday. The house was colder in some parts, especially the upstairs, but overall, it was not super warm. The outside temperature being just above freezing wasn’t helping either.

“I’m going to go shower,” you tell Kylian as the two of you head upstairs. He nods and places his bag down on the dresser, emptying the contents.

You carefully grab the dandelion from your bag and set it on the nightstand next to the wax melter. The smell had already leaked into the rest of the upstairs.

You grabbed a change of clothes and then headed towards the shower. It was a little past midday and the rest of the day was going to be spent at the house anyway. You couldn’t remember what was exactly planned but it was most likely going to be watching a movie and perhaps the campfire later on.

The hike was definitely a lot calmer than before which was what you wanted. You didn’t want a super eventful hike because that meant something went wrong. And although those make for a more memorable time, they’re very stressful.

You needed either another cup of coffee or a cat nap. You wouldn’t get it until after this frigid shower though.

(Next Chapter)

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