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et-lesailes · 5 years

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missing linc // chapter three

series masterlist

pairing: ceo!dad!steve x reader

word count: 2950

series summary: you are a college student working at a daycare full time during your summer break, and you have grown especially fond of one of the toddlers in your class, lincoln rogers. you are certainly not expecting to develop such a huge crush on his dad steve when you meet him for the first time, but you can’t help but be attracted to the businessman– despite the fact that he’s married. however, as intelligent and mature as steve comes across, he has a few secrets behind his marriage- one in particular he may never be able to make up for.

series themes: romance, drama, age gap, infidelity, smut in later chapters

chapter summary: steve and reader start getting to know each other more. while steve is on his business trip, reader is asked to babysit and ends up seeing something she definitely was not meant to see...

taglist: @viarogers , @evanstush , @chibi-crazy , @chalamet-evans , @world-of-losers , @songforhema, @sebabestianstan101 , @tanyam93 , @bval-1, @wonderwinchester , @little-miss-exo, @poerebel , @pining-and-tired , @gogomez-509 , @patzammit, @a-distantdreamer, @malthestorytellerblog, @rainbowkisses31, @jbug491writinghelp, @quaiderade, @melannie77, @gigistorm, @lille-kattunge, @teller258316, @rohaintahquil, @deidrashouseofpain, @firstangeldragonranch, @peach-acid, @allsortsofinterests, @xoxabs88xox, @honeyloverogers, @capsiclesdoll, @qrndevans, @mcueveryday, @drkstrangeson, @bangtan-serendipity, @heyyouwiththeassbutt, @cptn-sgrogers, @heyiamthatbitch, @captainscanadian, @kaithezaftig, @morganhoran1671, @booktease21, @hista-girl, @steeeeverogers, @okilover02, @collete04, @sadella-adams, @rumoured-whispers, @aletteredaffair, @shannon124, @isawritesstories, @knuffeltuff, @wxntersoldiers, @kelbabyblue, @macgruberrr, @troublermalik, @deepmuffinspymaker

notes: i swear if the taglist notification thing doesn’t work this time i will just resort to sending out an email newsletter to yall like i just am so done w tumblr ok. anyways, just wanted to say thank you guys for all the love and support you’ve been giving me for this fic, and tbh if you wanted to give a little extra tonight i’d really appreciate it because i’m having a suuuuper shitty night. :c

** please send an ask if you would like to be added to the taglist!

For the rest of that week, Steve dropped off and picked up Linc from daycare, much to you and your coworkers’ delight. Besides his enthralling looks, he was a genuinely charming and kind person, and it was easy to keep up conversation with him. He did not come past 6 again, but he did generally come at around 5:45 or 5:50, which still had Linc being the only toddler left in the class with you.

You supposed because it was just the two of you there with Linc and no other children for you to watch, it had been a given that there would be more conversation. He did not have to rush to get anywhere and neither did you, and so each day became hanging around slightly more whether it be in the classroom or out on the parking lot, chatting just a bit more than the day before. You would make sure to clean the room before he got there so he could walk you out, and you couldn’t help but wish this could be an everyday routine-- unfortunately, he had told you he would be traveling again just the next week.

You now knew a little more about him, and he about you. He knew you were a college student, a soon-to-be junior, to be exact. He knew you studied psychology and that you eventually wanted to work with children and child development. He knew where you were from, your favorite foods, hobbies, interests-- mainly the basics, really, nothing too deep. He had told you that he was a CEO of a pharmaceutical company and that he grew up in New York. He liked running and exercise in general (of course) and drawing-- he had even shown you a few photos of some sketches he did in his spare time and you were blown away, especially upon a particularly realistic portrait of Linc as an infant. He had told you that he loved seeing the ocean and that he wanted to be able to take Linc to the beach soon, hoping his son would appreciate the water just as much as he did.

When Sunday night came around, you were a little sad knowing that you would not be seeing Steve the next day. You weren’t even sure when he’d be back-- when you had asked, he said that it depended on how long it would take for him to get his current project done. Still, being with Linc throughout the days felt even more special than it did before. Now that you knew he got so many of his traits from his father, you felt more connected to him thanks to the many conversations you had shared with Steve throughout the past week.

You hadn’t expected to hear from Steve while he was gone; he hadn’t even sent you a message ever since he got your number, probably because he hadn’t needed any babysitting during that time. However, when a random number popped up on your lockscreen with a message underneath it at 1:30 AM on Wednesday, your heart skipped a beat simply from seeing the name that came with it.

Hi Y/N. It’s Steve. How are you?

Why were you acting like a girl with her first crush over this? You had been about to go to sleep, figuring you probably should since you had to be up at 8, but now you simply had to reply. You saved his number to your contacts before texting back.

Y/N: Hi Steve! I’m good, what about you? How’s the Philippines?

The screen showed him typing already, and you couldn’t deny you were pleased. The thought of having his full attention made you feel unnecessarily happy, but you also needed to force yourself to stop thinking about it so much.

Steve: Great. The beaches here are beautiful, I think you’d like them too.

He was already typing again and so you waited, biting your lip as you stared at the screen.

Steve: I told Tiana that you were open to babysitting and she wanted me to check with you if Thursday night would work. Maybe from around 6:30-9:30? She has a dinner event for work.

Y/N: Sure, I’m available that night! I’d love to help

Steve: I’ll let her know. Thank you- how much do you charge?

Y/N: Would $15 an hour work?

Steve: $25 it is ;-) Thanks again. Have a good night, Y/N.

You blinked and widened your eyes, wondering if he had made a typo, though the winky face told you otherwise.

Y/N: Wait, you meant 15 right?

You waited a few moments, but unlike before, no typing bubbles appeared.

Y/N: Just to clarify, 15. Just 15! 25 is too much!

Again, no typing bubbles. You stared at the screen in disbelief, though you couldn’t help but smile. Not because of the extra money, but just because of him. This was not good. You could not be catching feelings for Steve, it made absolutely no sense. You still barely knew the guy, and he was a married man, for God’s sake.

Putting your phone on your nightstand, you sighed as you settled into bed, wondering if you should explore dating options within your school-- anything to get your mind off Steve.

Thursday came around faster than you thought it would. Steve had texted you the address the night before, and you were now on your way there from work-- your boss had actually let you leave slightly early for once, and so you figured you’d just show up and wait in your car so Tiana did not feel rushed. She had seemed grateful to you when she had come to pick Linc up-- she had assured you she would have him fed before you got there, so you would only need to bathe him and get him ready for bed.

When you turned down Steve’s road itself, you were already in shock as you stared at the huge houses lining the street. Of course, Steve’s was at the very end and the most grand of them all, extending father both horizontally and vertically looking like a mansion right out of a movie. As you pulled into the long driveway, you noticed three cars-- Steve’s Mercedes, which made sense because he had probably been dropped off to the airport, and two others. One had to be Tiana’s, perhaps the other was another car they both used? To be honest, you were surprised there weren’t even more cars in the driveway, if that was the case.

You parked in a spot that was out of the way of all three cars, not knowing which one Tiana would use-- the driveway was quite roomy, and even if you were on the far side of it, it was probably the most convenient seeing she’d need to get out. You were parked on the other side of a rather large Range Rover, your much smaller car practically hidden behind it. Checking your phone, you saw that it was only 6. Eh, you could probably just go ahead in-- now that you were already in the driveway, it felt weird to simply sit there. You were about to open the car door when you noticed movement coming from one of the home’s large windows. When you looked towards it, your eyes immediately widened.

There stood Tiana and a male who was certainly not Steve, engaged in a rather steamy lip lock as his hands moved over her waist. She was continuously trying to pull back but giggling at the same time, clearly not bothered by the situation, gladly allowing him to keep pulling her back in for more kisses. You froze, staring in shock before making yourself look away, completely in disbelief. She was cheating on Steve? Who the hell could cheat on Steve? The more you thought about it, the more angry you got, but you took a deep breath. It was not your responsibility to be upset with her or lecture her, but you could tell Steve about what you had seen. In fact, you were itching to at that very moment, but the curtains suddenly closed and you were frozen again. Had she seen you? Did she know that you saw her? Did staying in your car look too suspicious, like you were spying? To make it seem like you had just gotten there, you quickly got out of the car, sliding your phone in your pocket. You could tell him after she left.

Trying to act as normal as possible, you walked up to the front door and rang the bell. She answered moments later, a smile on her face as she opened the door, though you could tell she looked a little nervous. “Hi there, Y/N!” You smiled in return as best as you could. “Hi, Tiana. Sorry I’m a little early, I got off work earlier than expected and figured I’d just head here. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” she assured, perhaps assuming she was in the clear if you didn’t seem like you knew anything. “Linc actually ended up passing out pretty early tonight, he was exhausted after dinner,” she explained as she let you in, and you couldn’t help but discreetly look around while listening to her; where did the man go? “So you can just sit back and relax-- there’s books in the study if you’re into reading, or the TV has Netflix, Hulu, cable, whatever you wanna watch. Oh, and feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”

She showed you around the main parts of the house just so you would know where everything was, and although you were still tense about what you had just witnessed, you couldn’t help but marvel at how luxurious this house was. It did not even seem like a toddler lived there until she showed you the playroom, Linc’s nursery where he was fast asleep, and even his own personal bathroom. She showed you where his diapers and other personal items were in case he were to wake up before bringing you back downstairs. You were still extremely confused on where her little “boyfriend” could be, wondering if he had actually snuck out of the house-- until she called out, “David? Are you still in the study?”

‘Wait, what?’ you thought, now even more shocked than before. She was blatantly admitting to having this man in her home? She looked to you with a smile. “David is one of my associates at work. We were just going over a presentation we have tonight.”

‘Is it a presentation on French kissing?’ you thought to yourself in disbelief, seeing she was clearly trying to make it seem like they were only coworkers. “Ah, I see,” you said politely nonetheless, then looked up as David came into the room, dressed in a suit and tie matching the shade of Tiana’s dress. “Hi. My name’s Y/N,” you introduced yourself, and he shook your hand with a smile. “David. Nice to meet you.”

“Alright, we should get going-- wouldn’t hurt to get there early.” Tiana picked up her purse. “Thank you again, Y/N!” You nodded and waved them off, waiting until they left before letting out an exhale and turning around, making your way to the living room. It was a little disappointing that Linc was sleeping, considering you had been excited to play with him, but at the same time, maybe it was for the best. You wouldn’t be able to have this conversation with Steve if you were bathing a hyper one-year-old. Plopping down on one of the leather couches, you took your phone out and typed a message.

Y/N: Hey Steve, are you busy right now? Think you could call me?

You figured telling him over the phone would be better rather than simply in a text, and besides, you did not exactly want potential screenshot evidence that you were involved in this mess, if it were to somehow come back to bite you in the ass. Your phone dinged a few minutes later and you immediately turned it on silent, even though there was no possible way Linc could hear it all the way from his nursery. The only reason you would even be able to hear him was because of the high tech baby monitor on the TV stand.

Steve: In a meeting right now, so unfortunately I can’t at the moment. Why? Is everything okay?

You couldn’t help but take note that he was texting you despite being in a meeting, but then reminded yourself to stay focused.

Y/N: I saw something and I wanted to talk to you about it. Just call me whenever you’re free? Linc is sleeping so I should be able to answer.

Steve: Sounds good. You’re okay though right?

You hated how nice he was, how thoughtful-- only because it was making you more angry that Tiana would have the nerve to cheat on him.

Y/N: Yes I’m okay it’s not about me or anything. Just call me as soon as you can okay?

Steve: Ok. Talk to you soon.

You started scrolling through Instagram to distract yourself, but you still couldn’t believe it. This probably had to do with what Stephanie had been saying about Steve and Tiana seeming to have an odd relationship based on how they acted with one another; had Tiana really been cheating for that long, though? How could she live with herself? You felt so disgusted with her, getting more and more irritated that she couldn’t appreciate what literally any woman in this universe would-- being married to Steve Rogers.

You realized you weren’t even looking at the photos on Instagram but rather absentmindedly continuing to scroll with your thumb; God knows how many you had missed. Sighing, you swiped out of the app and leaned back on the couch, resting your head back and staring up at the ceiling. What would happen now? Were you about to destroy a marriage? You felt guilty thinking about it that way, but it had to be done, right? It was wrong to withhold such information from Steve, he deserved to know.

Thankfully your phone rang, and you answered it almost immediately, just wanting to get this over with. “Hi, Steve. Thanks for calling me…”

“Of course, Y/N. I have a bit of time before my next meeting. What’s going on? I gotta say, you’re worrying me here…”

You wished you could tell him it was alright, but you really couldn’t, and you felt horrible.

“I, uh-- there’s really no easy way for me to say this Steve, but… um, well, I got to your house a little early,” you finally began, trying not to be so tongue tied. “And I saw Tiana in the window and… w-well… she was kissing another guy.”

There was silence for a few seconds, and your heart was racing. Why were you drowning in anxiety over here? You could only imagine how Steve felt in this moment. Was he just going to hang up on you? Was he going to explode? Was he going to cry? You didn’t know him well enough to know how he would take news like this, and each second was killing you.

“I.. see.” He finally spoke, and you bit your lip, wondering if he was maybe still processing. He sounded strangely emotionless, but perhaps that was how he showed his own disappointment or upset feelings. “I-- uh, wow. Thank you for telling me, Y/N.” You blinked. How was he so composed? Was this what being an adult was about? Maybe he was far too mature for you, because had you been in his shoes, you would have probably been flipping out. “Are you okay?” you somewhat blurted out, wondering if he was maybe just bottling up his feelings. “You.. you can talk to me about it, if you want, I mean I know it’s none of my business and that we barely know each other and that I just take care of your son but-- I, I’m sorry, I just--”

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he cut you off, and you swore that based off the sound of his voice, he was even smiling a little. “I really appreciate it. I think I just need some time to process and think about all of this. I wasn’t really expecting a call like this, you know?” You immediately nodded despite the fact he couldn’t see you. “Yeah, yeah of course. I get it. I-- I guess I’ll let you go, then? Again, I’m sorry, I just thought you should know… it felt wrong if I didn’t tell you.”

“Of course. You did the right thing.” Steve assured you, and you felt a weight lifted off your shoulders-- and then you felt guilty for even having that weight there in the first place. You had no reason to be feeling as if you were the burdened one from this. You wanted to help him as best as you could, but he was right. He needed some time to himself. “I’ll talk to you later, Y/N.”

You said your goodbyes and hung up, a loud sigh escaping your lips. You were still in shock over how… calm he was. Part of you wanted to sneak up to his and Tiana’s room to try and snoop around for more information, but you knew that was going too far. If anything, his maturity about the situation was actually somewhat inspiring, and so you picked up the remote and turned the TV on, telling yourself to stop thinking about it.

#steve rogers x you #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers au #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers fanfiction #ml

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thethoughtsfromthreeam · 4 years

Text

Lady of the Lake

Pairing: Ginger Ale/Elizabeth x Merlin/Hamish

Warnings: Smut

A/N: I finished this story last night, with some tweaking still to go. But my Jack x Shirley folks get a little something in the last part of this tale, so it seems like I’m closing the door on this group once LOTL is done. Unless people want drabbles.

Reminder: I haven’t seen Kingsman: The Golden Circle, so I’m just using the Wikia, IMDB.com, some gifs, and my own weird ass brain to make up this whole ass story.

Tag List:

@zeldasayer , @romanticgumchewer, @tarrevizslas , @coolmaybelateruniverse , @the-feckless-wonder, @lavenderl3mons , @pascalisthepunkest , @mandoandyodito , @randomness501 , @fioccodineveautunnale [please message me to be added or subtracted if you were just here for some Jack Daniels goodness! I don’t want people being tagged in something they don’t want]

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3] [PART 4]

Part 5

A Cinnamon Roll but Could Kill You

Hamish rolled over in bed and laid his arm out for Elizabeth but found the bed empty. He cracked open one eye and realized he could smell coffee brewing in the kitchen. He smiled as he hauled himself out of bed to see what his love was up to. He found her standing at the counter making breakfast. He leaned against the door jam and just watched.

The tee shirt she went to sleep in was replaced with a long sweater that came to the top of her thighs and he admired her strong legs as she moved around. Her glasses were perched on her nose and she bent down looking at something in a book. As if she sensed someone behind her she looked over her shoulder and grinned at him.

“What are you doing love?”

“Making breakfast.”

“Anything particularly interesting?”

“Nope.”

He pushed himself off the frame and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and dropping his chin onto her shoulder. She hummed a bit as she measured out flour and then sugar. She started to whisk them with her fork when he started to ask questions again.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re making?”

“Nope.”

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

She didn’t do anything to suppress the grin on her face because in truth, she did enjoy teasing him. He was prone to getting to serious at times and she loved being the one who could easily draw out his fun side. She could feel his smile and knew he was absolutely enjoying it. He glanced down at the recipe book and the smile got bigger.

“Cinnamon rolls?”

“Yep.”

“Beautiful. Anything else?”

“Yep.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“Nope.”

He stood up and dropped a kiss to the top of her head and went to pour himself a cup of coffee. He turned around and watched her continued her prep work, moving so comfortably around the kitchen. Hamish realized he loved having her here and his kitchen never seemed warmer than it did when she was around. Even though the two weeks just started, his heart clutched painfully in his chest.

This fantasy would come to an end. Again.

---***---

“Ging, come here a second, I need another pair of hands with this damn thing,” Cocoa looked over her shoulder at her boss. The older woman turned around and walked over to the work bench. “Thanks, just hold the handle and tip here where I covered it in rubber while I solder this damned wire in.”

Cocoa leaned down and began her work, tongue working out between her lips as she finished off another of the new weapons for the Kingsman agents. The modified cane had electrical points in it, and it was designed as a bigger, fancier taser, although the electrical shock would be enough to kill a grown man when used at full strength. Once she was done soldering, she tossed back her goggles and grinned at Ginger.

“Fifteen of these bad boys in an hour and all work perfectly. You’re a machine, Cocoa.” Ginger high-fived her specialist before turning to check on the work Garel was focused on a small piece of metal in front of them. Harry had brought the young tech in and they had proven to be as adept in building out tech components as Cocoa was building electrical ones. The two specialists had struck up a friendship and were already running Merlin ragged with new ideas and prototypes.

“How goes it Garel?” Ginger laid her hand on their shoulder. “Is that the new tie pin device?”

“Yep. I think I got it this time. The three other prototypes were duds.”

“Well fingers crossed; I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

She continued to move around the room, chatting with Lemonade and Gunner about their projects and reaching out to give Igraine’s shoulder a squeeze. The agent found she preferred the tech room to the field and seemed to blossom with her fellow specialists.

When she made the circuit, she flopped down on the couch next to Merlin, who was tracking three of the new junior agents from Statesman on a mock field test on his tablet. She rested her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She smiled when she felt his knuckles brush against her thigh and her hips jerked reflexively at the touch. He smiled but didn’t look up.

The two weeks had gone by fast and tonight was her last night before heading back to the states. It weighed heavily on them and every moment they weren’t at HQ, they were at home burying themselves so deeply into each other’s souls, there was no room for anything else. She didn’t know how she was going to handle going back to Louisville when the idea seemed so sad to her.

She began to think about how they were a year into this relationship and every month that passed, it seemed harder to deal with the lonely nights and empty beds in the morning. She knew she had it better than people like Shirley who was with Jack and had to worry when he was in the field, in danger. Merlin wasn’t. He was safe at HQ. But the ache was still there.

“Guys, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to head out.” Garel stood and popped their neck so loudly everyone in the room heard it. “Anyone up for joining me at the pub for a bit? I hear the Lady of the Lake has stew on the menu.”

Murmurs from the other techs went up and both Merlin and Ginger waved the young folks out of the room, leaving them alone. Ginger snaked her hand across the couch and laid it on the top of Merlin’s thigh. She could feel the bulge already beginning to form and this time she did nothing to hide the grin growing on her face.

“M’eudial, someone could walk in at any moment.” He tore his eyes away from the tablet and towards the door. She suddenly stood up and walked over, closing it and locking it for good measure. He set aside the tablet as she walked back to him and straddled his lap.

“Then we better make it quick, eh?” She looped her arms around his neck and bent down to kiss him. He brought his hands to her hips as he angled his mouth to deepen their connection. Soon, Ginger’s hips began to drag her core along his erection, seeking something, anything that would give her the friction she needed. In response, Merlin began to rock his hips against her, and their breathing became harsh. She threw her head back and dug her fingers into his shoulder.

“I need you Hamish, now.” She panted, trying to draw breath as her desire crowded everything else out of her chest. He nodded and unzipped his pants, drawing his cock out. He was so painfully hard, she always made him feel like an overly horny teenager. She reached her hand down and pulled up her skirt so he could pull aside her panties. In one swift motion, he entered her, and she bit down on his shoulder to stifle her cries.

He grasped her hips to hold her still as he drove into her. It was as if with every thrust he was trying to touch the very center of her, imprinting his love right into her very being. But she didn’t need convincing that he loved her, she knew it. It sparkled through her like the metallic threads of the tartan. And suddenly, she burst, coming hard enough that she couldn’t make a sound. She bowed into him and he brought his arms around her to hold her tight as he followed her into the storm.

#ginger ale #halle berry #merlin #mark strong #ginger ale x merlin #kingsman: the golden circle #fanfic #smut

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scenariosofkonoha · 6 years

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may I ask for an itachi modern au scenario where his foreigner girlfriend comes to visit him in Japan??

Hello there Anon! I’ve never done a modern AU before! It was fun, I’m still dusting of my full scenario skills so I hope this is to your liking! ~Admin Little Lace 🎀

Today is the day, the thought repeated in his head. It had been the only thought in his head since that morning. She’d be proud, his head wasn’t so bogged down with thoughts. Thoughts of numbers and figures, consideration of business deals, the planning of his schedule and so many other trivial things wasted away.

“You think too much Itachi,” He could hear her voice saying, as she had many times. So light and happy. But the giggling ton had always been through a screen or an ear piece. Today that would change. Because today, the girl he had given his heart to would be there with him. Sharing the same space for the first time in a long time. Today was the day his girlfriend was to visit him.

They had met when he had taken part in the Foreign Exchange Program his 3rd year. Her family had graciously agreed to host him. The small family of three were altogether very nice. Her parents were warm and inviting, a stark contrast from the formality of his family. When the program liaison had told him his host family had a daughter a little older than Sasuke, he had expected something like the strange blushing girls in his class. Girls that whispered and simpered whenever he was around.

To his surprise, she was smiling brightly and (with the poorest of Japanese) introduced herself. Not wanting to kill her enthusiasm he smiled back introducing himself. She was the very sun itself. Never without a smile or kind word, the girl show him around the high school they attended.

“I’ll show you where all the cool kids hang out.” She had said, her weird phrases always making him smile. There was never a dull moment when he was with her. And although he wasn’t sure that this was what her “cool kids” did, she had taught him to play darts. The Uchiha couldn’t help but laugh at the pouty face she made when she discovered how good he was. In return, he helped her with her Japanese. Long hours were spent on instructing her on characters and enjoying her clumsy handwriting and laughter. Her loved her laugh.

Her laugher was one of the few things that could break him away from his thoughts. It seemed like she was always laughing, while they studied, when they ate, while they walked to and from school. The girl was just so happy. The light and easy air, a far cry from the rigidity of his home life. He once asked her why she was so cheerful.

“Because I’m with you, silly.” It was so simple and answer but his heart gave a strange beat. The arrhythmia only worsened the more time he spent with her. His feelings hadn’t made sense until she was crying at the airport. He watched longingly as she wiped away tears, laughing at how silly she was being. In a move, bold for him, he wiped away a tear and smiled to her.

“I’ll miss you too,” he spoke, his words bringing a blush to her cheeks, “Please laugh while I’m gone.”

“Flight J492 Luggage has been moved to carousal 3,” the electronic announcer informed, breaking the dark haired man out of his thoughts. Standing from his seat, he made his way to the end carousal. His dark eyes searching for her. Amidst the groups of family reunions, tired business men, and flight attendants moving to their next destination, he didn’t see her. She had messaged him last night saying she had gotten on to her connecting flight safety and she would see him that morning. Perhaps she hadn’t disembarked yet?

A vibration went off in his pocket drawing him to his phone. Half expecting her, he shouldn’t have been surprised to see Shisui’s number with a message.

Say hi to your ‘girlfriend’ for me.

His best friend had known about the girl since the beginning. He had been there when their letters turned to emails. As the occasional email became daily text messages. But still hadn’t fully believed as they shared phone calls and video chats. Itachi, at first, understood the man’s ignorance. His ‘Host Sister’ had become a fixture in his life. It had seem like she had always been there. Someone the older Uchiha would ask about if he remembered his junior had a host family. All throughout his years in university and the start of hers, they had spoken merely as friends, close friends. Inquiring about school life, checking on each other’s families’. Merely topics of regular conversation until one night.

“I love you,” she blurted out as he went to explain her physics assignment. Neither spoke, not entirely sure the other had heard them right. Her eyes filling with tears as she broke first, looking away from the web cam. “Itachi, I’m so-”

“I love you too,”

The change had been easy, natural even. They had been friends at such a distance before, the distance as lovers didn’t seem to bother. It was difficult to be sure, being separated from the one you loved always was. But the late night/earlier morning calls made the days apart easier. Seeing her face before he left for work and then again before he fell asleep sought to quell any brewing anxiety and strengthened the budding romance. Soon her picture had made it’s way on to his desk, a sign to the twittering office girls the fight had been lost. The picture had also drawn the attention of his friend.

“Who is that?” Shisui stopped looking at the framed photograph.

“My girlfriend,” the incredulous look from his friend and co worker should have been concerning.

“No way!” Somehow, though the Uchiha could not figure out how, ‘host sister’ made more sense to him than girlfriend. As if it was too much of a stretch for him to be romantically engaged with in his words “A girl as hot as this”.

I will

he typed closing the app, the action bringing him his background, a photo of her. It had been taken a day again, she standing by her bags ready to go. Her form wrapped up in a jacket he had left all those years ago. Her smile dazzling as he remembered with the caption: Japan or Bust, across the bottom.

A shrill tone sounded as carousal 3 began to turn, bags falling on to the conveyor. His heart began to speed up a littler. Today was the day. All the plans they had made these past years were going to come to pass.

“We can go to the Ghibli Museum!” She squealed pulling a guide book into frame. The thick tome busting at the seams with colorful post it notes. “They have a Cat Bus you can board!” Her excitement contagious even through his laptop.

“Is that all you want to do?” his question met with a torrent of Pokemon theme places, studio city tours and anime themed attractions. After her excitement filled rambling about places he hadn’t even known existed, she stopped suddenly looking toward the camera, is if he had really been in her bedroom with her. Her abrupt silent worrying. “What’s wrong?”

“I think just seeing you is all I want to do,” she answered pensively, her signature giggle following. “Yes! Being with Itachi is definitely the only thing I want to do!” She had always sounded so sure. Even through all the set backs, being with him was the thought that had pushed her along. The thought of being with her encouraged him too, helping him believe one day she would be there with him. Today was the day the thought repeated again.

Swiftly, Itachi moved through the crowd, on the hunt for his love. Through his question of whether or not he should have made a sign something caught his eye. A familiar red and white fan. Following the glimpse he was looking at a jacket. One he was sure was long since lost to him. Standing to the side fo the luggage carousal, the article of clothing was drowning a smaller frame of a girl. He smiled as she lugged her brightly colored suitcase off the conveyor belt. Stealthily, he walked behind her, she taking no notice of her lover as she looked over her case.

His heart gave an off beat being so close to her once more. She had grown a little taller, and her hair was a bit different. But she was still the same girl who bowed to him saying it was ‘meet to nice’ him. Not one to let nerves get the best of him, he tapped her opposite shoulder. As she had always done, she looked in that direction. Finding no one she started a complete 360 before being stopped by his two fingers on her forehead. Her surprised face blooming into the most lovely smile. He had expected her to squeal, he had expected her to jump on him, he had expected so many other things. What he hadn’t anticipated was tears. Her eyes widened, tears falling.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hello again,” he returned copying her manner. Easily his arms found themselves around her, pulling her close. They had never been very physical when they were young, a hand touch here, a forehead tap there. But to embrace her like this, it was magical. As she returned his embrace, he could for the first time feel her giggle as she laughed. Itachi felt complete.

Placing a kiss to her forehead, he looked to his girlfriend. If it hadn’t been for the commotion of travelers around them he would have thought this was a dream. Picking up her suitcase he offered her his arm. “Come on,” he said, watching her eyes light up as she linked her arm with his. “I’ll take you to breakfast,” he took her squeal as an agreement. As they made their way to his car, the discussed her flight. True to form she was more interested in talking about what she had dubbed ‘Their Adventure’.

As she gushed about cat cafes and ‘finally riding cat bus’, he smiled. Itachi hadn’t had the heart to tell her that only children could board the pseudo-feline. Yet he hoped the the square box in his pocket would make up for it. That she would agree to their next adventure.

#ask #asks #naruto #naruto scenarios #uchiha itachi #itachi uchiha #itachi #itachi scenarios #oneshot #naruto one-shot #itachi x reader #admin Little Lace

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texanredrose · 7 years

Text

So, long story short, my work schedule changed again. While I deal with this bullshit, here. I’m really not sure when I’ll get a chance to update again and I don’t want to leave it off on an ambiguous note for too terribly long. (@makas0ul, I’m evil, but I’m not that evil. Also, @fallintolife, hope you’re feeling better.)

Oh, and though I generally don’t do this, warning: Yang will be reliving some moments from the war with Atlas here. I tried to focus more on the emotions than the graphic depictions, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped. If you’re especially sensitive to that sort of thing, proceed with caution; the mentions are relatively brief.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 (here) / Part 9 / Part 10

Yang froze, the bowl halfway to her lips shaking enough to splash a bit of broth onto her leather vest and lap. She hardly registered it, her gaze shifting to her wife and searching for something, though she wasn't sure what. There was nothing but cautious curiosity in those blue eyes, and she could tell that all it would take would be a gruff response from her for the conversation to be dropped entirely. "Who told you?"

"Your father," Weiss replied, setting her empty bowl aside. "He told me to ask whenever we came to the clearing again." She folded her hands in her lap, squaring her shoulders. "I shouldn't have-"

"No." The blonde growled and raised a hand, a heavy sigh escaping her lips a moment later. She should've known her father would catch on to what she'd been doing since they returned from war. While she didn't like that he'd chosen this way to confront her about it, keeping the story from her wife would do no one any good. "It's alright. It's just... hard." Yang busied herself with setting aside their bowls and bottles, forcing herself to swallow down the last wonton. "You deserve to hear the story. But..." She paused, grabbing the cloth she'd used to pack up their lunch while she searched for the right words. "I think..."

A small hand laid on her forearm, drawing her attention up to Weiss' soft, encouraging smile. She'd started seeing the expression more since they exchanged forgiveness and it stoked the fluttering butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach ever since it looked like the woman might kiss her, might want to be kissed by her. "Take your time."

Those two little words spoken in crisp Valen were all she needed to steady herself, covering her wife's hand with her own and grounding herself in the moment. "Thank you." A small, grateful smile curled her lips as she switched back to her mother tongue. It seemed only fitting. "Follow me. There's something I have to show you."

They both got up, the blonde leading the way towards one specific little deer path on the north side of the clearing, stopping only to move aside a piece of bark from one of the trees to reveal a little cubby hole she'd carved out years ago. Within were sticks of jasmine incense, little oranges Junior had sent to her from the mainland, and a stack of papers with Valen prayers written on them. She pulled out four of each before replacing the bark, mentally making a note to ask for more sheets when next she was called to one of the temples. It couldn't be much longer until the summons arrived, anyway. Setting the items inside the cloth, she tied it to her belt before continuing.

"I, uh, I think it's better to start from the beginning." Yang kept her eyes on the trail as they started moving, hoping the focus would keep her voice steady. Truthfully, she could follow it in her sleep, and spent more than one moonless night out in the woods when sleep eluded her. "My family's history, well, it's yours now, too."

"If you feel comfortable, I'll listen," Weiss replied, offering her a chance to turn back, set the whole thing aside for another day. She had no doubt the Atlesian would let her do it, too, and it was a thoughtful gesture, but her wife wasn't the only one prone to stubbornness when the situation called for it.

"Before the wars, my family were simple people. My grandpa was a woodsman, Dad was his apprentice, and it was their job to maintain the woods. They would cut down trees- the ones that were sick, or had grown too large, or were felled by storms- and plant news ones to replenish them. They'd take the wood into town, so everyone had some during winter for warmth and to cook- an honest living. Back then, the other clans would come to Patch to trade for rice and wood; we can plant all year and the trees here burn longer than those on the mainland. Some say the Maidens blessed us but it's just that the soil's better." She paused, trying to get her story back on track as they rounded a curve, her eyes catching on worn claw marks along the a tree to the side of the path. The weather and years had almost healed the bark but she had no doubt Zwei would mark his territory again once he returned. Whenever that was. Ruby probably wouldn't come home after her current quest ended; she'd find another cause to adopt, another soul that needed saving, and off she'd go again. Selfless and yearning for adventure- it could be a troubling combination. "Anyway, one year, the Branwen clan sent a group to Patch for trading, and Dad met who he swore was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen." Her lips curled up, remembering the light in her father's eyes when he told her the story. "Wild hair, burning eyes, a cocky grin- Raven Branwen was everything he wanted, and she seemed to like him. Even promised to return as often as she could with the traders, and she did. Every couple months, like clockwork. He begged Grandpa for a full year before the old man relented and went to talk to Yuanjia- our clan leader at the time. It took another two months but, eventually, Yuanjia and the Branwen clan leader reached an agreement, and the wedding was set for the summer of that year." A bitter chuckle escaped as they started to climb, the path turning steeper. "He swears they did it for love."

The path cut back and forth, forcing her to lean forward and towards her inside foot to keep her balance as the inclined grew steeper. Finally, the deer path fell away to one cut by an ax, going straight up the hill; Taiyang had cut it himself years ago, carving out a path through the woods and to the cliff beyond. All along the way, little bushes dotted with white flowers lined the well worn trail, and the blonde stopped to pick one, turning to offer it to the woman behind her. She'd always liked them, even though they weren't colorful or big, and now she noticed they matched the shade of Weiss' hair rather well. Among other things.

Obviously paying close attention to Yang's telling, her wife reached out and accepted the gift silently, neither goading the blonde into continuing or trying to change the subject. Just... patiently waiting.

"You don't have to be so quiet." A frown touched her lips, lilac gaze falling to the dirt between them. She preferred coming out here alone- this would mark the first time since Ruby left that she'd had company- but having the extra set of footsteps ringing in the air and the other, quiet breath of exertion as they moved along the steep path seemed... right, almost. Begrudgingly, she admitted she probably should've done this sooner.

"I wouldn't want to spoil the telling." Her wife spoke softly, somber and serious. Almost like she already knew how the story went, but she doubted anyone had told the woman. "But I suppose things didn't go to plan."

"They did... and then they didn't," she replied, turning around and continuing up the path. "They were wed, just as they'd planned- and, well, in the Atlesian way, too." Thankfully, Weiss made a noise of understanding behind her; she'd' always felt a little weird thinking about that part of the story. "But, the next morning... Raven was gone. Took her sword, left his ax, and disappeared- not even the Branwens know where she went." She lifted her arms and shoulders up in a shrug, releasing the tension and letting her palms slap against her thighs. "Or so they say, anyway."

The footsteps behind her stopped, a quick breath drawn between the woman's teeth. "Yang, I-"

"Don't." She paused, looking over her shoulder and offering a small smile- the best she could muster, all things considered. It didn't take any divine powers to guess where the Atlesian's mind had gone upon hearing that, the memory of their wedding ceremony and the night following it never far from her mind, either. In those blue eyes, she could see the memory replaying- lithe fingers fiddling with unfamiliar buckles, trying to loosen them to pull the cestus from thin wrists. "You didn't know. You really couldn't have, Weiss, and things worked out differently for us. No reason to dwell on it."

"Still." Her wife furrowed her brow, obviously reigning in her desire to argue the point and only barely succeeding. Rather than cede the battle or wage it in its entirety, she lifted up her unoccupied hand, offering it towards the blonde. A wordless apology that Yang found herself unable to deny, taking a few steps back to slip her larger hand into the other woman's. Silently, they made amends for the misunderstandings of that night, the trees stripped bare during fall bearing quiet witness. "How did your father take the news?"

"According to him, he was destroyed- and I think that's putting it lightly," she replied, shoulders sagging with the memory. "Wouldn't eat, couldn't sleep, he just sat around crying and blubbering gibberish, so Grandpa sent him to the Summer temple."

"That sounds a bit extreme." Weiss remarked, though her pale lips quirked into a small grin a moment later. "And vaguely familiar."

"Well, it's something of a legend that became a tradition, really." Yang explained, suddenly feeling a little sheepish. "When we're lost- physically, emotionally, spiritually- we turn to the Maidens for guidance, and the temples are where their presence resonates strongest. Sometimes, they show the lost the way ahead, and they return home to begin their lives anew, while others are welcomed into 'spiritual enlightenment' and stay at the temples." Lilac eyes slid to her wife, trying to offer a reassuring smile. "But the temples are the safest places in all of Vale; even during the clan war, no Valen would spill blood on such sacred ground. No harm would've come to you there, had you chosen to go."

"Comforting." The Atlesian lightly squeezed her hand. "But I'm rather content with the choice I made."

"I'm glad," she replied with a chuckle as they turned to continue up the path, the blonde found herself unwilling to let go of the slim hand clasped in hers as the two walked side-by-side. "And thankfully, Dad didn't take the second route, either. By the time he got to the Summer temple, he was weak and delirious; he collapsed on the temple's steps. Lucky for him, the Voice was there to catch him."

Weiss raised a brow. "The Voice?"

"Yeah, the head of the temple. They're said to be the 'Voice of the Maiden', and she was Summer's Voice. And they called her Summer, too." The blonde nodded, sniffling slightly as a cold wind blew through the trees. "See, she was born and raised at the temple, so they gave her the Maiden's name; to them, it was only a matter of time before she became the Voice, I guess. Dad says that when he finally opened his eyes and saw Summer for the first time, he could feel the Maiden's hand reaching into him and healing his heart." A beat. "I told him it was probably just the opium."

"You did not."

The chiding in her wife's voice brought a little smile to her lips. "I did. I thought it was funny and we all needed the laugh at the time." She kept her gaze on the ground. "But opium or not, she nursed him back to health, and he actually might've stayed at the temple if the message hadn't arrived." Briefly, she glanced at her wife, seeing that the little amusement at her poor joke had slipped back into rapt attention. "Shortly after he left, Grandpa passed away. I think seeing how hurt Dad was really tore at him, like he'd failed his son somehow... and considering the talking to he gave me when I got the proposal for our marriage, I can only imagine how hard Grandpa must've pushed back against him. Seeing himself proven right... I don't think it did well for his health, ya know?"

Caution appeared in the woman's voice again, as if she sensed where the story was heading. "So your father returned to Patch."

"Yeah, and Summer came with him. Offered to bless the burial- really, I think she just wanted to make sure he got home okay. She always looked out for other people like that- everyone called her Mother." Yang took a shaky breath as the two of them neared the top of the hill, and she stopped them for a moment to muster her strength. "Anyway, they hurried back here. Did the funeral rights. Laid Grandpa to rest. But she didn't trust Dad to take care of himself- he was almost as bad as when she first met him, by his accounts- so she insisted on staying with him at the house rather than bedding down in the tavern." She reached up and grabbed the orange fabric from around her neck. "He says they were halfway up the path when they heard the crying." Letting go of her wife's hand, she shook out the fabric, revealing the wear and tear over the years, the patches where holes had threatened to rip it to shreds. "They ran the rest of the way and that's when they found me on the doorstep, wrapped up in this, half starved and wailing with everything I had left." Her hands curled into fists, though she remained mindful of the old fabric. Even after all these years, she couldn't bear to part with it. "Raven, she'd just... left me there. I guess she figured, if I was strong enough, I'd survive."

Her eyes squeezed closed as she forced back the tears that stung, always threatening to fall as she tried to imagine it- a babe just a month or two old, with nothing but a blanket to ward against the chill of the early spring night. Whether they were born of anger or pity, she really couldn't be sure, and for years she'd tried to understand what would possess a person to do that, what trials the woman must've faced to make the idea of leaving a child's survival up to fate the best option. It would be easy to just hate her- this mysterious Raven who disappeared into the night- but more than anything she just wanted to know why.

"Yang." Her gaze snapped up, seeing the concern freely playing across her wife's features. "It wasn't your fault."

The blonde blinked, for a moment entirely confused by the words. Guilt was something she'd become intimately familiar with over the course of the past several years but she'd never felt any regarding Raven. Whatever her birth mother's reasons for leaving her there at the doorstep, she'd abandoned Taiyang first, and she refused to feel remorse over the consequences of Raven's actions. No, she felt fury, unbridled rage at the shifting shadow in her mind's eye who had hurt her dad like that and had probably driven her grandpa to an early grave. Sadness, too, because she couldn't help but feel pity for someone so reckless and lost that they'd destroy so many lives- and one twice over- with their mistakes, yet lacked the courage to face the fallout.

She opened her mouth to express that but stopped just short. The blonde couldn't read everything about the other woman, but she could tell the Atlesian was at a loss. There was empathy shining in bright blue eyes and the downturn of her lips into a small frown, the crease of her brow, yet her wife seemed a bit unsure how to articulate it best. Instead of wasting time trying to find the perfect words for the situation, she'd spoken up with what first occurred to her, perhaps an unintended side effect of the difficulties with communication still fresh in both their minds.

Yang made a mental note to think about that next time she caught the woman staring off into the distance, when things seemed to weigh heavily on her mind.

"Getting left wasn't, you're right. I think I know that, deep down, but... it did change things for Dad. For Summer." The blonde sighed, gaze falling back down to the cloth in her hands.

The wind stirred the dirt around their feet and broke a thin branch overhead, sending it hurtling to land in one of the bushes with a subdued crash. Tentatively, Weiss put a hand on hers, barely touching the fabric. "Why did you keep it?"

"Mom insisted; honestly, I thought she'd made it when I was younger. She said I wouldn't go to sleep unless I had it in the crib with me and then it became my favorite blanket. I... didn't grow out of it until I was older." She lifted it up, wrapping it back around her neck. "Then, she'd do this whenever it got close to winter, so I wouldn't be cold. Some habits stick, I guess." With a sigh, the blonde nodded towards the end of the path just ahead of them. "When I say Mom, I mean Summer... Dad says she took one look at me and she just got this light in her eyes. The next morning, she went straight to Yuanjia, demanded a marriage, and sent a letter back to the Summer Temple telling them she wouldn't be returning. She married Dad and raised me as her own daughter- best mom any kid could ask for, really. They had Ruby two years later and... well, we were a family. A happy one."

Finally, they emerged from the path, opening onto a small clearing that dropped off into a sheer cliff. Beyond it sprawled the fields her people used for growing crops and grazing the few animals they kept on the island- a small herd of cows, oxen, and a few horses. The forest circled the neatly divided areas, reaching to the foot of the lone mountain on their island that struck towards the sky like a sword's tip, the jagged edge obscuring a hollowed hole. It wasn't terribly deep, as she'd found out once she was strong enough to scale the rocky side of the mountain on her own, but the stench kept the villagers and birds alike away.

However, her gaze wouldn't focus on the scenery beyond the cliff's edge a mere thirty feet away. Instead, lilac eyes fell on the worn but well tended shrine built near it, the white paint chipping off the curled edges of the roof. Carved into a stone they'd hauled up from the shore was a rose, with the characters 'Thus Kindly I Scatter' etched beneath it- from her mother's favorite poem. Set above the emblem stone was a small prayer box decorated in the traditional manner for the villagers of Patch with a little flare thrown in to reflect the lands far to the south, where the Summer Maiden's temple stood, and at the base sat the offering tray.

"This was her favorite spot." The urge to cry returned and, this time, no doubts existed as to the cause. Guilt and sorrow pressed down on her shoulders, threatening to make her knees buckle, but she stood tall, forcing the words out despite how heavy they felt on her tongue. "She would bring us here after lessons to meditate. Sometimes, we'd bring food and have a picnic- she used to make these sweet cookies whenever Ghira and Kali brought us chocolate and she somehow could make it last until we got more no matter how long it took, but they always tasted so good." Yang drew in a deep breath, fighting to center herself. "We'd sit here for hours, until the sun set and the stars came out, and she'd tell us all the stories about the Maidens, and the old heroes, and anything else we asked about. Sometimes, I think she made up a story if we asked about something and she didn't know, but they were daring and exciting and funny... Mom always knew how to make us laugh."

Now that they'd reached the shrine, the wind seemed to die completely, as if knowing better than to intrude upon the moment. It always seemed to stop when she came out here, which just amplified how lonely it felt talking to the immovable stone that could never truly represent the woman buried beneath it. Ruby used to come with her, before she dashed off on her errand that never seemed to end, and Dad... he would never say anything, just stare silently beside her, so she stopped asking. He came out when he had the strength- the ashes told her as much- but if he had any words for Mom, they weren't for her to hear.

"I'm sorry, Yang." Her wife broke the silence gently, setting a hand just above her elbow. "Losing a mother twice over-"

Her gaze snapped to the side, eyes tinged red as fury overtook her and sent a cloud of steam billowing through the air. Not directed at Weiss- technically, not directed at anyone but those long dead, or close enough- but it surged forth regardless. "Raven was never my mother." She spat, immediately recognizing her mistake when the Atlesian recoiled, the concern formerly pinching her brow smoothing out into that nigh inscrutable mask she still donned from time to time. A deep breath and a heavy sigh later, the blonde continued in a softer tone, hesitantly reaching out to touch the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I just... I didn't know about my birth mother until after Mom died. That was when it felt like I'd lost her all over again- finding out that she took me in after I was abandoned... I had so many questions that I could never ask her." Slowly, tension bled from her wife's form, the mask falling away as a hundred questions flashed across blue eyes. They remained locked away though and she felt horrible for her outburst, cringing as she continued to probably make matters worse. "Did you ever hear about a large battle during the initial invasion? Almost three years ago, along the eastern shore- it was the largest group of Atlesian warships I'd ever seen."

Recognition sparked in the woman's eyes as she nodded. "We called it the Blitzkrieg. Our attempt to overpower Vale's forces by invading with a purely offensive strategy."

Their only attempt. It went unsaid but Yang had seen and heard enough reports to realize the profound impact that single battle had on the course of the war.

"Dad was hurt during the fighting and we thought his chi wouldn't be enough to save him. So he told me the truth just in case and..." Her temper flared again as she grit her teeth, fighting to keep her voice level and steady. "I got so angry. Up to that point, I thought I at least had a piece of Mom still with me, as part of me, the same blood running through our veins, but to find out we weren't even related? It was like losing her again, and worse than before. On top of that, I thought I might lose my dad, Ruby and I had gotten separated during the fighting- it was like everything got ripped away from me all over again." She pulled her hand away, raising both in front of her and clenching them into tight fists. "But I was stronger that time. I wasn't going to just let it happen, not without fighting tooth and nail to stop it."

The whole battle existed as a red tinged haze in her memory. No pain, no exhaustion, no sensation at all- just a fury that pushed her to keep moving, keep punching, keep shattering breastplates and shields, rip apart wood and metal alike with her bare hands, all while she was ensconced in the red hot flame of her chi. When she finally regained her senses, the Atlesian fleet lay shattered in the bay, charred wood surrounding holes as the ships sunk and motionless bodies were scattered across the beach among twisted metal. Junior limped along beside her, nursing a stitch in his side from trying to keep up, and every other Valen fell to their knees when she approached, whispering about the Maiden's blessings. That was the first time the clan leaders called her their Queen- the Dragon of Patch.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the way Weiss watched her, as if coming to terms with something she'd known all along. Yang wasn't a fool; she'd heard the Atlesian soldiers' interpretation of the battle- those who'd survived, anyway. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her wife had to have some deep rooted opinion of the blonde, formed during a time when the warrior's name sparked terror among even the most battle hardened of Atlas' troops. She stiffened immediately when her wife moved, worried that fear, disgust, or contempt might force the woman to take a step back, but instead the Atlesian approached her, though she didn't reach out to make contact.

"Yang." The smaller woman waited until lilac eyes met her own gaze before continuing. "You did what you had to, to protect your family and your country. It was war, and one you didn't start."

"I know," she replied, shrugging. "I offer prayers when I can, so their spirits might find peace, and we sent the survivors back to Atlas once they were strong enough to sail, but I don't feel wrong for fighting as hard as I did." Glancing down, she thought of the scars currently hidden by her clothes and shivered, more from having forgotten her cloak than the brief flash of memory that entered her mind- being soaked in blood, but only some of it hers. Whatever she did while lost to the all consuming might of her fury had kept her chi from blocking the attacks aimed at her, allowing axes and swords and at least one spear to pierce her skin, though no single cut sank deep enough to pose any danger. It still took her weeks to heal, though, and Ruby spearheaded the Valen defense in her stead; she recovered quicker from her injuries than the shock of being unanimously declared ruler over the whole country. Redirecting her attention to the Atlesian, she furrowed her brows and spread her hands. "If peace was an option at the time, I would've taken it. We all would have- we'd lost enough during the clan war. I didn't want to lose anyone else."

A few moments of silence passed between them, the blonde unsure as to what thoughts hid behind those blue eyes. She thought perhaps resentment might rise, or maybe fear like the brief flash she'd seen in the clearing as a response to Yang's demonstration, but instead she saw a solemn sort of understanding eventually overtake the woman's countenance. "You did the best you could, given the circumstances."

Yang frowned, unwilling to believe that was the end of it. "Aren't you mad?"

"Should I be?" The Atlesian raised a brow. "There was a time when I was very angry, yes. That battle stood as the single greatest loss in Atlas' history- in Mantle's as well. It demoralized our soldiers, and within our kingdom's borders, it eroded the trust our people had in my father's ability to rule. His temper became shorter, his strategies more desperate, his judgement less sound- it would only be a matter of time before the continued losses from the war and the hardships placed upon the commoners resulted in a coup." Weiss shook her head, scowling at the ground for a moment. "He was a fool. He could've had peace any time he desired, but that's never what he wanted. He wanted power, and when it looked like he couldn't have more, he wanted to retain what he had. So he offered me up- a sacrifice to protect himself, that he might continue to live in luxury while I came here, presumably to be treated as little more than a slave. A war trophy, to bend to your every whim." Her expression turned even more sour. "It's certainly how things would've gone, were they the other way around."

"That's not true." She frowned, taking a step forward and setting a hand on the woman's shoulder to pull her away from the dark turn her thoughts had taken. "You might've tried at the start to please your father, ordered me around a little, but I don't think you'd do it for yourself." The blonde's lips quirked into a smile. "You have a kind heart; it wouldn't be long until you fought tooth and nail for everyone to treat me with just as much respect as anyone else."

"You have more faith in the quality of my character than I do," Weiss replied, running a hand through her bangs.

"Well, yeah; I can see more of you than you can." She waited until her wife looked up at her, blue eyes searching for the sense in her statement. "Unless you carry a mirror around with you, I guess. Although, you'd need two to see behind you really well-"

"You oaf." The Atlesian shook her head in dismay, trying to hide the small smile at Yang's ridiculous joke, which prompted a chuckle from her.

"But seriously- we look at ourselves differently from how others see us." Carefully, she slid her hand across tense shoulders, wrapping an arm around the smaller woman and pulling her closer. Her smile spread wider when her wife neither tensed up nor pulled away, instead seeming to lean into the contact. She wasn't sure who was more comforted by that. "Things would've been different had I gone to Atlas. I'm not sure how I would've survived the winters there; I heard that the snow can come up to your waist!" Craning her neck, she brushed a soft kiss against white locks. "But I'd like to think I've gotten to know you pretty well in the past few months, Snowfall. You would bend to your kingdom's rules, but only for so long. You care so much about being good to people. That's why you stayed, isn't it? To give me a chance?"

Weiss hummed, offering only a single word in response. "Perhaps."

The blonde couldn't tell if that was meant to be an acquiescence to her point or an answer to her question. In the end, it didn't matter; trading what-ifs would do neither of them any good. She spent far too much time doing that, anyway.

They remained silent for a while, not even the wind intruding on the moment. Slowly, as if expecting a reprimand or perhaps out of hesitation, the Atlesian moved her arm, settling her hand on Yang's hip, and the two of them stared out at the scenery together. She could remember the last time she'd looked at the island beyond the shrine from this vantage point and so much had changed, yet, stayed the same over the intervening years.

"Your mother died during the clan war."

"Yes," she replied, clearing her throat to keep her voice steady. Already, she could feel the guilt and sorrow rushing back, but she tramped down on it as best she could while raising her other arm and pointing. "You see the shoreline from here, yeah? Between those trees?"

"I can."

"We'd stayed out of the war at first. Yuanjia said there was nothing to be gained from infighting, and he was right- we were happy and safe on the island. Until we weren't." She took a deep breath. "Mom had brought us up here for a picnic when Ruby saw them. Four boats, filled with warriors, and Mom just knew. She looked at us and said 'be strong, be swift. Find your father, warn the villagers, and stay safe. I love you both; now go. And don't look back.'" Tears pricked at her eyes. "Then she ran towards the shore, staff in hand. Ruby and I... we did our best. We ran back as fast as we could- I climbed the tower and beat the drum myself. Ruby found Dad as he was coming back from the market, told him what she saw and where to go. Half the village ran out with him." She couldn't hold them back any longer, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "They got there too late. Mom- she stopped them, every single one of them. But... she..."

In her mind's eye, she could see it still: everyone coming back with their heads bent, her dad screaming at the sky and crying while carrying a motionless figure in his arms, wrapped up in a blood stained white cloak. Ruby didn't understand back then and she barely did: Mom was gone, back to the Maidens- no more bedtime stories, no more cookies in the afternoon, no more playing hide-and-seek in the forest. She'd clung to her little sister then, tried to keep her back even as she'd squirmed, reaching out for her parents. The blonde had held tighter, though, because it looked like their dad would fall to the ground at any minute, like the moment he laid Mom down, he would lie down beside her and never get up.

Her hiccuping sobs were only interrupted when Weiss pivoted, wrapping her other arm around the blonde's waist and holding her as she cried. This was the only place she could allow herself to break down; something in Dad had snapped that day, and it took weeks to mend, but someone had to look after Ruby in the meantime. So, she'd stayed strong, just like Mom told her. She let her anger keep the sadness and guilt in check, wearing a mask far too severe for a child her age, and she did her best to be there for her sister. Then things just... got away from them, and she had to trade her anger for patience as she became the person everyone looked to for guidance.

"I wish I'd been stronger back then." The whisper left her lips between sobs, just as it did hundreds of times before as she stood before the shrine. "I could've gone with her, if I'd taken down just one-"

"She was your mother, Yang." A slim hand cupped her cheek, redirecting her gaze just enough so she could see her wife's face. "No matter what, she would've given her life to protect you. She loved you."

She sniffled, leaning into the comforting touch even as she fought down yet another sob. "But I miss her."

"Of course you do." Weiss gave her a smile. "You're a good daughter."

Her eyes shut tight as she shook, unable to contain herself any longer and nearly collapsing as everything coalesced. Her knees buckled suddenly, her weight briefly falling against her wife, but the woman held steadfast with one arm around her waist and the other over her shoulder, their height difference reduced as the blonde struggled to regain her feet. Tears poured down Yang's face as she clung to the smaller frame supporting her, the cold biting at her cheeks a distant thought she paid no mind. The inferno that burned whenever she came up to the shrine- her guilt, her anger, her loss, her mistakes- quietly slid away with every hiccuping breath, every drop that splattered onto white locks as the Atlesian's chi reached into her, calming the flame. It wasn't like being doused by reality, forced to shove all her burning anger back into a box until next she needed it so she could focus on whatever demanded her attention, placing her own emotions further down the list of priorities to help another, no; this felt more like the small hands rubbing soothing circles into her back and hip, the cool forehead pressed against her neck. A gentle coaxing towards calm with wordless reassurance that eased her pain.

Once the initial deluge passed and she could support her own weight, something unexpected engulfed her: relief, a cleansing sort of peace she hadn't felt in far too long. She kept her knees bent, not wanting to break the embrace yet even as Weiss' words replayed in her mind while her sobs began to slow. Despite being softly spoken, there was a confidence bolstering them, and that resonated with something deep within the blonde. She couldn't quite forgive herself- not yet, not after years of replaying those memories and thinking of all the different ways things could've gone, each triggered by an action she could've taken- but her wife didn't seem keen on holding her accountable for those mistakes, those errors of fate that had brought them to this point. That... well, it was something, and she appreciated it.

After a few more minutes, Yang composed herself, using the orange cloth to wipe her face as she caught her breath, chest stuttering as the crying subsided completely. She felt lighter than she had in years, but weary as well- the sort of soreness one got from carrying a heavy load that couldn't be felt until the burden was set aside. A watery smile came to her lips when she looked at the Atlesian, who was patiently waiting for her to come back to her senses with those blue eyes shining like freshly polished gemstones.

"Thank you." She couldn't be sure what she was more grateful for- the support, the calm, the peace, the kindness- and the words didn't seem to hold nearly enough to convey all of that, but other means escaped her at present. Weiss opened her mouth, probably to wave off her gratitude, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment and merely nodded. Lilac eyes lifted, seeing the dense storm clouds in the distance; though the wind had died down, the sea would send them to the island soon enough, and they would be forced to retreat indoors to avoid the cold rain. "We should head back soon." She cleared her throat, trying to rid it of the thick strain. "But, I was going to talk to her, since we're up here. Would, uh... would you like to join me?"

Weiss raised a brow but nodded, slipping her hand into the blonde's once more. "Please."

The warrior lightly squeezed the digits, a silent thanks, before leading them over to the shrine. They stood in silence before it for a moment before Yang bowed her head in reverence, her wife copying the motion. From her belt, she pulled the bundle she'd hurriedly packed earlier, kneeling down at the shrine's base to begin. First, she placed the oranges in the offering plate, with three on the bottom and the fourth set atop the others, and she wished she'd brought some sugar with her to sprinkle over them but resolved to simply do so next time. Next, she set the bases of the incense sticks in the four little grooves carved into the stone's base and pinched the exposed ends, drawing upon the fire in her chest to ignite them. Usually, smoke rose in the blink of an eye, her chi boiling far too close to the surface whenever she came to visit her mother's shrine and making a flintstone unnecessary, but today it took a few seconds of concentrated effort to call forth the necessary spark. Fleetingly, she recalled the worry that had driven her to leave the warmth of their bed so early in the morning, that the incident with Blake had left scars she couldn't see, wounds she hadn't yet attended, and that the closeness that came so easily to them when in the clearing might reveal what she had left to do before the incident could be well and truly behind them. However, as smoke slowly began to rise from each stick, Yang felt confident that only time could do more than they'd already done to heal the both of them; she doubted they could've shared the morning and afternoon as they had otherwise. Finally, she crushed each of the prayer papers into loose balls before setting them in the shrine's message box, stepping back to rejoin her wife once the preparations were complete.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the jasmine scent now curling in the air, lending a new fragrance to the sharp bite of winter. Although opposites by nature, her mom had always held a healthy respect for the Winter Maiden's season, silver eyes watching the freezing storms through the window as she spoke of ancient legends before tucking them in at night. It seemed only fitting for the weather to cooperate in turn, the wind remaining silent and the far off clouds lingering at a distance.

"Hey, Mom. I know it's been a while; I meant to come out a few days ago, but things got a little hectic. You know how it goes. Never enough hours in the day, right?" She shifted, a little lost now that she didn't immediately feel the need to offer apologies and air her regrets, always a hair's breadth away from begging forgiveness from the silent stone bearing her mom's emblem. After incorporating Jianhuren- the ancient dragon, etched in her signature yellow- to the design of her flaming heart, she'd thought about somehow incorporating a rose, too, but decided to leave that to Ruby. "It looks like it's going to be another hard winter; you always said that the gentler the Summer Maiden treated us, the harsher the Winter Maiden would, to remind us to be diligent. I used to hate it but I think I'm a little grateful this time around. I'm pretty sure my wife is enjoying the colder weather." She glanced at her side, where Weiss stood watching the smoke rise up. What little tension had built in her shoulders at suddenly being at a loss for what to say slid away, smile widening. "Speaking of, I brought her with me today, Mom. After listening to me talk about her, well, now you get to meet her yourself. This is Weiss, of Atlas, the one and only."

The Atlesian quirked a brow up for a moment, seemingly confused, but recovered quickly and bowed at the waist. "It's an honor, Ma'am."

When her wife straightened up, Yang couldn't help but chuckle softly, her smile somehow stretching even wider. "See, Mom? Told you she's something else."

The wind lightly swirled around them, blanketing the two in jasmine smoke as the storm began its inexorable journey to the island.

#Freezerburn Arranged Marriage AU #Queens of Vale fanfic #Freezerburn #TRR writes

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