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lavenderbang · 5 months

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The Legend of 3racha

Fantasy au! 3racha x reader

Genre(s): Fantasy au! (y’all are wanders who do various quests :)), Fluff, comfort, comedy (maybe???), adventurer/wander/bounty-hunter 3racha!

Warning(s): monsters, fighting (slight blood/injury), swearing, alcohol consumption, but that’s pretty much it though

W.C: 13.7k

Summary: You and your trio of misfits are known for taking a variety of quests and odd-jobs that require your skill set. What happens when you are requested for specifically to take down a monster near the dark woods?

A/N: I had this vision of 3racha as a party (in the dnd sense of the word) and I haven’t got it out of my brain since! This has taken quite a long time to come to fruition, but it's here now! Enjoy, and as usual, ignore any typos, my brain is dumb :)

2nd A/N: Okay so I had the idea to set this in the same universe as my Felix fantasy au (which you can find here) halfway through writing this. Its NOT necessary to read to understand this fic, but there will be references if you want to check it out! Now back to 3racha being a party :3

They own my heart I’m soft...

You entered the tavern, kicking the mud off your riding boots and lowering the hood of your cape. It was gloomy outside today, cloudy and muggy with a drizzling of rain, but it was nothing you four couldn’t handle.

Four meaning the members of your little party, 3racha (Just go with it pls)

It was lead by Bang Chan, a strong, mysterious fellow who looked about as deadly as they come. He grew up alone in the northern mountains, learning everything there is to know about tracking and hunting. He could track anything, animal or beast. Despite his reclusive upbringing and outward appearance, Chan is a calm, and gentle soul; He manages everything (democratically of course), such as group funds, what jobs you’d be taking, where you’d move next, what the plan of attack was, etc. The three of you placed a lot of trust in Chan, which he received by never leading your group astray.

Then there was Seo Changbin, the proudest meathead around. Despite his shorter stature, he was easily the strongest on your team. He used to be a royal guard for the kingdom of Levanter when he fell in love with the royal apothecary. This was forbidden by the king, so Changbin was striped of his position and exiled from the kingdom. He has been on the road ever since, not having a definite place to call home. He is kind-hearted and loyal above all else, and wont hesitate to protect the rest of the group no matter what it takes. He also has a bit of a temper, but that makes it all the more fun for your team to tease him.

Han Jisung was the third, a foreign prince with a connection to medicinal magic. Jisung was lined up to be duke of the southwestern plains; he even was presented with a suitor, the princess to the southeastern sea kingdom Reve. However, not liking his destiny, he ran away, only to find his place with the group. He has an exceptional way of using charms and spells to heal. But don’t let the idea of a healer fool you; He is incredibly cheeky and playful, almost like a child. While his hyper personality has gotten you into trouble before, it also lifts the spirits of the rest of the group, which is always Jisung’s goal.

And that left you, (Y/N) (L/N). You used to be an apprentice to a great warlock; he taught you a fair bit of magic before you realized his only concern was himself. Eventually, when money ran short, he tried to sell you off to a brothel, but you managed to escape and find your place among the already established and well-known group of three. You were a powerful warlock now too, using every challenge to grow and cultivate your powers and reading up on spells when you could. You tried your best to help the boys as much as possible, as they became like a family to you and you cared for them very much.

“Thank god we are finally here.” Jisung shivered, blowing into his hands after entering the tavern, “It’s freezing.” The four of you looked around at the hustle and bustle of the tavern; joyous music, lots of chatter and laughter and the smell of warm food wafting into your nose.

“Go sit down over there, I’ll talk to the bar-hand.” Chan hummed, pointing to a table in the corner. You nodded, following where Chan had pointed and sat at the table.

“I wonder what she wants?” Changbin huffed out, digging the tip of his claymore into the wooden flooring. You had been summoned by letter by the duchess of central valley, told to go to the tavern on the northern border of the city of Miroh to receive further instruction. And who were you to ignore a request from a duchess?

She was directly under the command of King and Queen Yang, the rulers of every city on the western half of the map. The central valley was a large dominion gifted to her by the king and queen; a summoning from her was not to be taken lightly...

“Not sure, but doubt it’s good.” Jisung speculated, folding his arms on the table and leaning his chin onto them, “I mean, why be so vague if it’s good?”

“Maybe it’s secret and she couldn’t write it over letter.” You suggested, trying to bring the energy of the boys up. Jisung mumbled anxiously and Changbin just scoffed, leaning back in his chair. You looked out the window and bit your lip nervously; it wasn’t like you were criminals, but (at least your’s and Jisung’s case) you were runaways... Maybe that had finally caught up to you? It stressed you out thinking of it, so you shook the thought from your head, laying your staff across your lap.

Soon Chan approached you and sat down in the chair beside you, folding his arms over his broad chest and leaning back on the back of the chair. His face was unreadable, mouth pulled into a line and eyes glancing around the tavern.

“So?” You asked, blinking nervously at Chan.

“We are to wait a bit longer, as the duchess hasn’t arrived yet.” Chan said flatly, earning a groan from the other two boys. A woman approached the table to take your orders; you knew her as the wife of the tavern owner Felix.

“We’ll have a round of ale for the table.” Chan said politely and nodded his head as she left. You and the other two boy perked up to this.

“I thought you said we couldn’t afford any extra expenses until our next job?” Jisung asked, tilting his head like a puppy who just heard its name.

“We can’t, but you guys look glum and could use a little something to cheer you up.” Chan explained with a soft smile. Changbin cracks a grin for what seems like the first time since arriving, and Jisung sits up, cheering at the idea of consuming something besides stale bread and water (which was all you could carry at the moment). You nudged Chan’s arm to get his attention and when you had it, you mouthed a silent ‘thank you’, which sweetened his smile to the point where his eyes turned into little crescents.

He ruffled your hair, before he said “So, what do you think the duchess wants?”

“Not sure.” Changbin sighs. Your drinks arrive and you swear nothing felt better than the warmth of alcohol dribbling down your throat. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Changbin continues, “Worse case scenario, she’s going to try and arrest us, but we’ll just have to fight our way out then.”

“Oh yeah? what if she brings thirty guards with her?” Chan quipped, amusement painted on his features.

“I’ll take them all on,” Changbin boasted, cracking his knuckles, “I would never let some silly duchess take you guys away.” Your heart melted at the notion, but it was soon interrupted by someone behind you clearing their throat.

“Silly, am I?” The duchess said, eyebrow raised. The four of you turned to see her standing there, accompanied by two guards who you thought could probably pick you up and throw you. Changbin’s face went red from embarrassment and Jisung stifled a laugh, coughing to cover it as Changbin kicked him under the table.

“Apologies, Good Lady of the Central Valley.” You quickly apologized, veering at Changbin, “My associate here seems to have had too much ale, as he’s become a bit foolish.” The duchess hummed, unimpressed.

“Excuse me, My Lady.” Chan said, bowing his head, “Why have you summoned us here?”

“We must talk in private,” She responded, before turning and calling over her shoulder, “Come this way.” You looked at Jisung (who looked just a unsure as you) and then Changbin, who mumbled out a ‘sorry’ from the previous incident. You rolled you eyes and looked to Chan, who simple shrugged and stood. You followed the duchess to the back room behind the bar. It was a small room, lined with barrels and crates of spare utensils and glasses.

“Close the door.” She instructed, to which you followed with a polite bow of your head. The four of you stood, staring at her intently before she cleared her throat again and straightened out her posture.

“I’ve never been fond of your folk.” She spat, grimacing like you were a plague, “Wanders do nothing beside bring mess to the places they visit.” Changbin opened his mouth to argue, but you grabbed his shoulder to stop him. You turned you attention back to the duchess, but placed your hand in his, squeezing it to hopefully calm the boy.

“They are brash and rude,” She said with a glare to Changbin. It made your blood boil, but you relaxed for the sake of a smooth interaction. She then glanced at the rest of your party, her face still sour, “Living in lawless lands before coming to my domain and thriving off the wealth of my people.”

“My Lady, I’m sure you have not summoned us here just to speak ill of our lifestyle.” Chan said, voice tight. You noticed the vein in his neck protruding and you realized he was just as angry as Changbin.

“You are correct.” She confirmed before sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose, “You see, my distaste aside, I have a job for you.” You blinked a couple times, not expecting her to offer you and the boys a quest.

“There have been reports of a large beast in the Dark Woods to the east that has been attacking my people. We have already lost a few commoners to this creature, and it keeps venturing more west. It is estimated that within a week, it would get as far as this city here.” The duchess explained, brushing her hair out of her face. Changbin’s hand tensed in yours, so you instinctively rubbed circles into it with your thumb.

“You want us to kill it, right?” Jisung interjected, to which the duchess nodded.

“Why not send your guards out to deal with it?” Chan asked, his tone slightly annoyed, which made you smirk. It was nice to see Chan subtly disrespecting the duchess.

“We already have.” She said, making your blood run cold, “They have never returned.”

“So you’re gonna send us cause we are disposable right?” Changbin grumbled, causing the duchess to roll her eyes at Changbin’s blatant disrespect.

“Because you’re useful.” She snapped back, “As much as I dislike your lifestyle, I am whiling to admit that you are more knowledgeable in the subject of monsters than my guards. As well as knowing the wild better too. “

“I would not ask you if I was not desperate, but alas, I care for my people.” The duchess finalized, sincerity in her tone, “Will you help by taking down the beast in the Dark Woods?”

The three of you look to Chan, who was deep in thought, staring at the floor. He tapped his foot lightly before looking back up at the duchess.

“We do not work for free, My Lady.” Chan said simply, crossing his arms over his chest, “What do you offer us in return?”

“I will pay you handsomely of course,” She answered, unwavering, “200 gold pieces for each of you to slay the beast and bring me it’s head.” Your eyes widened. That was quite a good price, as you’ve done much harder tasks for less, but Chan hummed nonchalantly.

“You’ll pay us half before we leave and half when we return.” Chan negotiated, tilting his head up to feel out the duchess’s desperation.

“I’ll pay a quarter now, and the rest when you bring me that monster’s head.” She said firmly, eyes sharp and scowl deep.

“A quarter now, the rest later, but you’ll fund our stay for the night at the inn upstairs.” Chan bartered, flashing her a grin, “We did travel all the way here, did we not, My Lady?” The duchess rolled her eyes but agreed nonetheless.

“You will leave first thing in the morning, and I expect your return before the sun sets two weeks from now.” She explained, She exited the tavern, the two, large guards at her side once again. The evening was still chilly and cloudy, so you were glad you could sleep inside tonight; the duchess frowned at Changbin, who still had his hand in yours, “I also expect you to address me with respect the next time I see you.”

Changbin bit back his anger, wanting nothing more than to rip her head off, but simple settled for narrowing his eyes at her and grumbling. In all honesty, you wouldn’t mind ripping her head off either; but you refrained, keeping a blank expression.

“Of course, My Lady.” Chan said politely, waving her off as she got into her carriage. It sped off down the muddy street, and once it disappeared from sight, Changbin finally let out a growl, kicking at the dirt.

“How dare she treat us like trash and then expect us to help her.” Changbin shouted, finally letting himself go after behaving in front of the duchess, “Did you see the way she looked at me like I was nothing but the pavement beneath her foot?! I just- AGH!”

“Its okay Binnie,” Jisung tried to sooth the elder boy, but letting his own aggression out, “I think she pissed all of us off with that sweet opening number about how we are scum.” Chan just let out a scoff and shook his head, before taking a deep breath.

“Lets just go to the inn and rest for tomorrow.” He suggested, patting Changbin on the back reassuringly, “at least she provided us somewhere to rest.” You still held onto Changbin’s hand, it felt almost natural at this point, but it was warm and tense; so you simply gave it one more squeeze and it seemed to relax him a bit.

You were given a room upstairs that was pretty nice. There was a fireplace along the wall and an exotic rug in front of it. Above the fireplace hung a world map. There was a chair in the corner and a matching stool, but the main thing about the room was the two double beds that looked to have wool and quilted blankets on it, making them look more comfortable than anything you’ve seen in a long time. Each was accompanied by a nightstand that held extra candles and holders for more light.

“I wanna sleep with (Y/N)!” Jisung shouted out quickly, flopping down on the closest bed with a wide smile.

“No! I want to!” Changbin argued, jumping onto the closest bed too and trying to push him off. The two of them bickered and fought back and forth for a moment, causing you to giggle at their antics.

“I’m going to go and bring up something to eat from the tavern,” Chan called out over the ruckus, before nodding towards the other boys with a smirk, “Watch them and make sure they don’t break anything, okay?” You chucked and nodded closing the door as Chan left, approaching the other bed and sitting on it. You began to take off your boots when you feel the bed dip on either side of you.

“(Y/N), please tell Changbin you’re sleeping with me tonight!” Jisung huffed, only for Changbin to shove his shoulder. Jisung frowned, but held onto your arm, “I wanna cuddle.”

“No way! (Y/N), tell Jisung you’re gonna sleep with me!” Changbin pouts, holding onto your other arm. You laugh at the two of them, shaking your head.

“Both of you, figure it out yourselves.” You sighed endearingly, “Either of you would make a nice furnace for me to sleep warm, so I don’t care.”

“I suggest we arm wrestle.” Changbin says matter-of-factly, much to Jisung’s disapproval.

“No, that’s not fair! You’d obviously win! We need to pick something fair...” Jisung pouted, holding onto your hand, “(Y/N), pick a number between 1 and 10!”

Just then, there was a knock on the door, before it opened to reveal Chan standing with a tray; it had four plates of meat, potatoes and veggies on it which he brought for the four of you to eat. But the boys barely even spared him a glance.

“Yeah that’s fair, pick a number between 1 and 10.” Changbin agreed, “we’ll guess and whoever is closest gets share a bed with you.”

___________________________________________________

“Seven is the worst number. Nobody ever picks seven...” Jisung huffs, cheeks puffy with sleep and he pushed the blanket down to crawl under it.

“I know! It’s not fair...” Changbin groaned, sitting beside Jisung taking off his jacket to sleep, “Besides, Chan didn’t even care about where he slept! He shouldn’t have been allowed to guess.”

Chan simply snickered at the boys, who had been pouting and whining for almost thirty minutes about Chan winning the silly game.

“Fair is fair, he guessed the number I was thinking of.” You explained for the hundredth time, to which the other two boys let out a groan in agreement.

“Seven is stupid.” Jisung mumbled again, eyes closed and sleepiness evident in his voice, which made you smile. Changbin laid beside him, to which Jisung immediately turned and wrapped his arms around the older male.

“Goodnight boys.” You called, to which Changbin and Jisung grunted, snuggling up together to get some warmth. It wasn’t long before you could hear the heavy breathing of them sleeping comfortably. You opened the blankets to crawl under the covers when you hear Chan putting his boots on.

“Where are you going?” You asked, staring at him from across the room. He was only illuminated by the fireplace; if you didn’t know any better, you’d find the man standing there almost scary.

“Going down to see if I can get some local information on the beast we are fighting.” He said simply, smiling softly at you, “I won’t be long, so get some rest.”

“Do you want me to come?” You asked starting to get out of bed only for Chan to stop you.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll be back, okay?” He said gently, and with that he left, closing the door behind him. You laid back down, closing your eyes and listening to the crackling of the fireplace and small snores from Jisung. But you couldn’t help but think of Chan and if he was safe; bad thoughts of him getting in trouble and you being asleep wandered through your head.

Sighing, you got up and opened one of the windows for some fresh air. You could hear the faint chattering of the tavern downstairs, which was good; you still went and cracked the door open just a bit to hear better. If Chan got into trouble, you wanted to know about it. Next, you lit the candle that was on the nightstand and grabbed your book of spells from your knapsack and brought it back to bed where you read it.

If you were to be awake, it was best to be productive, right?

You flipped through the pages, only yawning and rubbing your eyes occasionally. Most of the spells in the book you had mastered, as you’ve read this volume maybe a dozen times now. It was hard to practice a lot of them though, as they required a lot of open space and a subject to use them on.

A few hours go by until the door opens quietly and your eyes snap up to see Chan standing in the doorway. The fireplace was all but embers at this hour, so you could barely make out his figure as he closed the door gently behind him as not to make noise.

“Hey Chan.” You mumbled, yawning. You felt at ease now that he was back and safe.

“Hey, why are you still awake?” he asked with a voice barely above a whisper, taking his boots and cloak off and coming over to the bed. By the light of your candle, you could see him much better now, eyes tired and a smile that showed off his dimples present on his face.

“Couldn’t sleep with you out by yourself, so I’m reading.” You said simply. Chan sat beside you and you scooted closer to him, placing your head on his shoulder.

“What are you reading?” He asked, although he already knew the answer. He leaned his head onto yours, squishing his cheek against it; he would often do this when you sat next to each other. Just his way to show affection you supposed.

“My spell book.” You hummed, glancing down at the pages. Chan wrapped and arm around your shoulder and pulled you even closer him, his big frame bringing comfort to you as you relaxed into him.

“You should rest now, you look sleepy.” He said, pulling the book from your lap only for you to grab onto it tightly.

“Let me finish this section first.” You said, to which Chan let go of the book, allowing you to pull it back into your lap, “It’s only a few pages. It wont take long.”

“I’ll stay up with you until you finish.” He said, and when you started to protest he shushed you, “It wont take long, right? So I’ll be sleeping in no time.” He chuckled deep in his chest and you smiled, enjoying being close to Chan.

You went to reading, looking down at the ink-work on the pages. However, within minutes, Chan could hear your small snores and he smiled to himself at how cute you were. He slowly pulled the book from your grasp, reaching over to set it on the nightstand before blowing out the candle. He gently removed you from his shoulder to lay you down onto his chest, to which you naturally wrapped your arms around him.

Chan felt his heart beat faster and his face grew warm, as he held you close to him. Secretly, he was really happy about winning your silly game, because it was comfortable and nice to have you in his arms while you rested.

“Night (Y/N).” He hummed contently, placing a kiss on your forehead and letting himself fall asleep too.

___________________________________________________

You woke up to a gentle shake of your shoulder, with the sun peeking right over the horizon and flooding into the room you were staying in.

“Come on (Y/N).” Jisung whispered, hand still on your shoulder, “We gotta get going now.” You groaned, pulling the soft blanket above your head. It had felt like you just fell asleep but it was already time to leave?

“(Y/N), the boys are already downstairs waiting for us,” Jisung reasoned; He tried to pull you up by grasping onto your shoulders, only for him to flop down and crush you with his weight when you refused to sit up.

“Just a bit longer, please.” You whined, taking your hands out from under the covers to hold onto Jisung tightly, not allowing him to stand up. He sighed, squeezing you gently as he relished in having you in his arms this morning because he couldn’t last night.

“As much as I appreciate this hug right now, we have to leave if we are gonna get to the Dark Woods and back on time.” He chuckled, patting your back and leaning you up, taking you with him.

You grumbled and let him go, wiping the sleep from your eyes.

“Besides, Changbin already packed up all your stuff for you this morning and put it by the door, so you just gotta get your shoes on.” Jisung explained, fixing your hair endearingly and nodding towards the door.

“Awful nice of him.” You mumbled sleepily, before getting out of bed and stretching your arms. You got your boots on and put on your knapsack, before finally grabbing your staff and opening the door. Jisung cooed at you for getting up, saying things like ‘good job’ and ‘I know you’re tired’ and you smiled at his thoughtfulness.

“Finally, sleeping beauty is awake!” Changbin teased when you came down the stairs. You rolled your eyes at him, used to his antics. Chan handed you an apple, saying breakfast was on the road today.

“Lets get going.” You agreed, biting into the apple, “lead the way, Tracker Man.” Chan smiled at the nickname, but nonetheless started the trek east. It was silent for the most part, aside from Jisung humming a tune and the crunch of your apple.

It wasn’t long until you finally got to the edge of the city when you finally made some conversation.

“So, do you guys know what kind of monster we are dealing with or..?” You asked, kicking at pebbles on the dirt road as you walked.

“Well, from what I learned last night at the tavern,” Chan began, talking over his shoulder at you, “Rumor has it the beast is something big. I heard stories of it eating whole horses.”

“We already knew that, silly.” Jisung said matter-of-factly, earning a glare from the eldest, “The duchess said it was big.”

“Yeah but I didn’t think that big!” You complained, feeling a bit nervous about the nature of your opponent, “What else Chan?”

“I heard a story that one of the farmers warded it off with a torch, so maybe it’s afraid of fire?” Chan said, but you could hear the pout in his voice, “But I can’t know for sure how effective that is without knowing what kind of monster we are dealing with.”

“I don’t care what it is, I’ll kick it’s ass all the same.” Changbin said proudly, smirking while lacing his fingers together to stretch his arms out in front of him.

“That’s because you do the same thing for everything we fight: swing your claymore around and hope you don’t take one of our heads off.” Jisung teased, earning a scowl from Changbin, but it quickly changed into a tiny grin when you giggled along with the jokes.

“I do not!” Changbin half-whined half-giggled, nudging Jisung with his elbow, “I’ll have you all know, I’m very calculated and tactical when in battle.”

“Oh yeah? You ‘calculated’ hitting the tree and one of the big heavy branches falling on my foot while we were fighting a pack of goblins in the forests on the edge of NCity?” Chan asked in a playful tone, eyebrows raised as Changbin tried to defend himself.

“How was I supposed to know the branch would fall if I hit the tree! If anything, you should have just moved before it fell.” Changbin shouted, crossing his arms and lips pulled into a pout, “Besides, Jisung healed you up well and you were fine within an hour.”

“Not to mention, last I checked, you were the one to call for Changbin’s help that day anyways.” You said with a cheeky smile, before wrapping your arm around Changbin’s shoulders, “He was just trying to help, so don’t be so picky about it.”

“You wont be saying that when its your foot getting crushed by a stray swing of Changbin’s claymore.” Chan reasoned, huffing out a sigh, but smile gracing his face nonetheless.

_________________

After a rather uneventful week of travelling on foot, you finally reached the little village of Alsea the evening of your seventh day; it was a river-fishing village that bordered the Dark Woods. Chan thought it would be best to stay for the evening, get more information from locals about the monster, as well as be fully rested and regain the most strength for a battle.

“Alright, it’s best if we split up.” Chan suggested as you entered a crowded pub. The air smelled of mud and rainwater, as it was a hot spot for many of the local fisherman to visit after work.

“Me and Bin will go talk to some of the tougher looking fellows over there,” Chan explained, pointing to a corner where there seemed to be an arm wrestling competition going on, “You two should go ask the barkeep and see what they know. We’ll meet up in an hour or so and go to bed, alright?”

“Sounds good, c’mon (Y/N)!” Jisung said with a nod, pulling you in the direction of the bar. You waved over your shoulder at Chan and Changbin, before following Jisung through the crowded pub to make it to the bar. You hopped up on one of the stools, Jisung settling down beside you.

“Excuse me, Sir.” Jisung called to the bar-hand over the chatter and music of the loud pub. He was young, and handsome if you do say so yourself. He looked up at the two of you, putting down the rag he had been cleaning the bar with, “We’ll have an ale for me and a glass of wine for my partner here please.”

“Right away, Boss.” The bar-hand said with a nod, preparing the drinks before serving you both. He grinned at you, looking you up and down and making your face heat up a bit from the attention.

“Here you are.” He almost purred, sliding the glass towards you and handing Jisung the mug of ale he ordered, “Enjoy.”

Jisung frowned, grabbing his drink and taking a swig of it before scooting closer to you.

“This place is pretty busy,” You said sweetly, “Is every night like this?”

“Usually, but it’s much more busy when the snow comes around,” The bar-hand replied, “I guess folks are wanting to find a way to stay warm, and the atmosphere and alcohol help.” You hummed, taking a sip of your drink. The bar-hand eyed you closely, biting his lip bottom lip as you swallowed the drink. It made Jisung feel sick they way he was watching you.

“What brings a pretty individual like yourself into these parts? Alsea isn’t really a tourist spot.” The bar-hand asked, brushing his hair away from his face. Before you could answer, Jisung slung his arm around your waist and pulled you into him, causing you to let out a little squeak in surprise.

“We are actually on our honeymoon, isn’t that right, darling?” He replied in a passive aggressive tone, frowning at the man behind the bar before plastering a fake smile on his face.

You resisted the urge to chuckle at Jisung’s behavior, but nonetheless leaned closer to him and nodded. Playing pretend doesn’t hurt anyone, besides, its a fun idea for you to tease Jisung....

“Yes dearest, and what a lovely honeymoon it’s been! I thought we were going to get lost on the way here though, with all the detours you decided to take us on.” You laughed, trying to keep your voice even. You playfully hit Jisung’s leg, making him chuckle and look at you teasingly. Game on.

“I only took detours because I wanted to get here as fast as possible for my love. ” Jisung confessed(?) while dragging his hand along your waist, earning a sarcastic pout from you before he turned back to to the bar-hand, who looked a bit annoyed now, “And it was lucky I did because this is the only town before hitting the woods. We would have missed meeting this fine gentleman if not for my detours.”

“Well how sweet of you, dearest.” You sighed, downing your drink and placing a kiss on Jisung’s cheek. It quickly burned red and Jisung prayed he kept his expression at least a little bit under control. You smirked and turned to the bar-hand and smiled politely while you pushed your empty glass towards him, “We are headed out east through the Dark Woods. I heard it’s lovely this time of year.”

The bar-hand cleared his throat, regaining a bit of his composure before giving a fake smile at the two of you.

“Under normal circumstances, it is.” He confirmed, grabbing you glass and putting on the counter behind him, “But I wouldn’t recommend going there now. There is rumor of a monster that lurks there.”

“Oh really? What kind of monster?” Jisung asked boldly leaning on the bar and drinking from his glass. A bit of a direct question to ask the bar-hand, but at least it was useful.

“Nobody really knows.” The bar-hand replied, face serious and voice in a hushed tone and he leans closer to the two of you, “from what I’ve heard, it came down from the northern mountains, and its bigger than anything we’ve ever seen come from the woods.”

“do you know anyone who has actually seen it?” You probed, chewing nervously at your bottom lip as the bar-hand shook his head.

“Nobody who has gotten a good look at it has lived to tell about it.” The bar-hand replied solemnly, before sighing and brushing his hair away from his face once again.

The seriousness of this monster made your anxiety shoot through the roof. It was obvious by now this would be no easy feat to kill the beast, but the more you heard about it, the more it sounded impossible.

The atmosphere felt cold and you felt a sudden warm hand on yours. Turning to Jisung, you felt him squeeze your hand comfortingly as he smiled at the bar-hand.

“Well, maybe it’s best we don’t go through there for our honeymoon, Love.” Jisung teased, finally looking back at you with a gentle grin. He wrapped his arm around you once more, and you could feel your anxiety melt away, just for this moment.

“Well, I agree. The two of you should pick another route. Sorry you traveled here for your plans to be ruined, but better safe than sorry!�� The bar-hand hummed. Jisung took some gold pieces out of his pocket to pay for your drinks, thanking the bar-hand.

The two of you hopped down off the stools, but Jisung didn’t let go of you. He held your waist firm and lead you towards the center of the tavern where it was cleared out to dance. A man was playing the fiddle and while a woman sang some folk song.

“Care to dance, Love?” Jisung asked, teasing smile on his face as he turned you to face him. You nodded and slipped you hand into his empty one and reached up to grasp at his shoulder. You began to sway around to the music, carefully avoiding others who also decided to come out and dance.

“You know, you played a very convincing jealous newlywed.” You chuckled, pulling Jisung closer to you so you could whisper in his ear, “I almost thought you were jealous for real.”

The two of you continued to dance, spinning and stepping around the space smoothly. Jisung let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes at you before leaning in to whisper to you.

“I was jealous.” He argued flatly, tightening his grip on you once again, “That stupid bar-hand was practically drooling on the counter looking at you. I didn’t like it.”

“Oh, you didn’t?” You scoffed playfully, shaking your head at him. He let his annoyance play just slightly on his face, causing you to smile, “I couldn’t tell.”

The song ended, and Jisung pulled away slightly. He still held onto your hand as he gazed at you with a slight grin on his face. He placed a quick kiss to you hand, thanking you for the dance. You let out a squeal of surprise at the action as you swatted at him with your other hand. You both laughed at each other, walking away from the dance floor as another song started.

“Let’s go find the other two knuckleheads.” You suggested, holding onto Jisung’s hand as you weaved through the crowd looking for your companions.

You approached the table at the back with a crowd formed around it, shouts and cheers heard just barely over all the other commotion of the pub. You pushed your way through to see what all the excitement was about; you couldn’t say you were surprised at what you found...

Sitting in one of the chairs was Changbin, who was locked in an intense arm wrestling match with one of the biggest fisherman you’ve ever seen. You let out a laugh when you see Changbin yawn before he effortlessly slams the fisherman’s hand down on the table. The crowd of men cheers as Changbin celebrated his victory.

“Why am I not surprised..” Jisung sighed, as you just patted his cheek soothingly and shoved your way to the table.

“Who’s next?” Changbin boasts, making a ‘come here’ motion with his hand, “Who dares challenge me?” When he caught sight of you, His expression lit up and he swatted at Chan, who stood behind his chair monitoring the whole ordeal. By the looks of it, he also seemed to be making bets on Changbin, as he was handed a small pouch by one of the fishermen. When Chan saw you, his expression mirrored Changbin’s as he smiled and waved you over.

Another man sat down across from Changbin, his arms the size of one of your legs; it was a mystery on how he even got into the building as he looked to be bigger than the doorway.

You and Jisung slinked your way over to where Chan stood, greeting him before looking at Changbin.

“Who invited Goliath?” Jisung asked in a hushed tone, swallowing as he gazed at the big man across from Changbin.

Chan folded his arms across his chest and hummed. “I saw him earlier when we entered. I thought it was only a matter of time before he came to challenge Bin.”

Changbin sat unwavering, grasping hands with the beast of a man. He glanced up at you, to which you gave him a firm, but encouraging look. That seemed enough to give Changbin confidence, as he looked back at the man with determination.

“You guys seem to have been working hard at finding information out.” You mumbled sarcastically to Chan. The other fisherman were chattering, placing their bets as the two strong men prepared for their battle.

“We got a bit.” Chan protested, taking his eyes off of Changbin to look at the two of you, “But I’m starting to think this fisherman is our beast...”

You and Jisung chuckled at Chan’s joke, looking back to your friend to support him and cheer him on in this seemingly impossible feat. Changbin was the strongest person you knew! Surely this big scary man was no match for him!

______________________________

“I can’t believe it was over in three seconds!” Changbin whined as he flopped down on the bed, “my pride is more hurt than my arm!”

“So you don’t want me to massage your shoulder then?” Jisung asked teasingly, only for Changbin to grunt out a ‘no, please’. Jisung snickered, sitting down beside the dishearten man and began to gently rub his shoulder; an aura of blue coming up from his hands, causing Changbin to groan out in delight.

With the winnings from the bets on Changbin, Chan purchased a stay in the inn down the street. It wasn’t as nice as the tavern in Miroh, but it was much nicer than sleeping outside. Besides, you were going into the woods tomorrow to fight whatever this thing was, so it was best to get a good rest.

“Okay, so we know it’s big, it’s furry so probably mammalian, it’s prone to fire, and it’s supposedly from the north.” Chan hummed, tapping his chin lightly as he looked through one of his journals that he kept for monster information.

“Could it be a Worg?” You asked, looking up from a different journal of Chan’s to see him shake his head no.

“Worgs are usually bound to the plains, never up north or the forest.” He replied, flipping through the pages as he sat down on the other bed, frown on his face.

“Maybe it’s not from the north?” Jisung offered, turning to look at the two of you as he gently smoothed his hands offer Changbin’s shoulder, “I mean, it’s just rumored to be from the north.”

“I guess...” You hummed, closing the journal to hand it back to Chan as you yawned, “Whatever it is, we at least have a general idea of what it could look like and how we should attack it.”

“Yeah, we should rest up instead of worrying about whatever this mystery creature is.” Changbin suggested, voice muffled by the pillows. Jisung stood up, allowing Changbin to rise, “Besides, as long as we all have each other’s back, we can take on anything.”

“Like that fisherman you lost to?” Chan teased, causing Changbin to grunt, throwing a pillow at his companion. Jisung let out a laugh, earning a second pillow being thrown at his head.

“If I had all of your guys’ strength too, I could have won!” Changbin huffed, catching the pillow as Chan tossed it back to him and laying it under his head.

“I think that’s why we work so good together. We all have different strengths and we can depend of each other.” You said sincerely, going over to pick up the pillow at Jisung’s feet and bring it over to where Changbin laid.

“How endearing!” Jisung cooed before frowning, “I think I’m going to puke.” You chuckled, taking your jacket off and setting it on the chair beside the edge of the bed, pulling out the covers.

“Hang on, how come Bin get’s to sleep next to you!?” Jisung whined, coming over to your side and holding onto your hand.

“Because I slept next to Chan in the last inn and we got to play newlyweds earlier.” You replied with a grin; Jisung resembled a puppy in this moment, lip stuck out in a pout., “It’s Changbin’s turn.”

“And you had the audacity to shame us on how much information we were gathering...” Chan tutted, looking to Changbin as if to say ‘can you believe them?’. Jisung paid them no mind as he held onto your hand with both of his, almost pleading.

“Yeah, we’re newlyweds! Shouldn’t we sleep together?” Jisung bargained, “Besides, I hate sleeping with Chan! He drools and snores so loud!” Chan let out an offended protest as Changbin simple pushed Jisung away from the bed.

“(Y/N) said it’s my turn.” Changbin said matter-of-factly, causing Jisung to frown as Changbin slipped under the covers too. He laid on his back with a smug grin; an open invitation for you to lay on his broad chest.

“Next time.” You promised apologetically, blowing out the candle on you bedside table as Jisung sighed in defeat. He trudged over to Chan’s bed with a disappointed ‘fine’ falling from his lips

“Next time, I’ll just get us a room with one king sized bed and we can all sleep together if it’s going to be this big of a problem!” Chan scolded like a parent, opening up the covers for Jisung to crawl under.

“I’d rather eat one of Changbin’s sweaty socks than be trapped between all three of you.” You grimaced, causing the boys to chuckle.

“Goodnight.” Chan called out, blowing out the candle and sliding down in the bed. Jisung latched onto him a bit too quickly for someone who “hated sleeping with Chan” in your opinion, but the two of them seemed to relax, as their forms sunk into the mattress.

You laid down, ready to sleep close to Changbin so he would keep you heated; he seemed like he still wanted to be playful, as he flipped over so his back was facing you, tugging all the blankets with him.

You lightly smacked his back before shifting so that you were flush against him. You tugged some of the blankets back over to you before you buried your face against his shoulder blades and draped an arm over his stomach to keep him close.

Changbin laced his hand over yours, keeping it in place as he relaxed into the bed, letting out a gentle sigh. He whispered out a ‘goodnight’ to you; you hummed in response, nuzzling into him. You then allowed yourself to fall asleep under the gentle thrumming of his heartbeat.

_______________________________

Branches crackled under your boots as you trudged along; The canopies of the trees stretched far above your head, forming almost a roof that blocked sunlight due to haw thick the overgrowth was. but despite the lack of sunlight, much of the forest floor was overrun with many different species of flora.

“Ow! Son of a bitch...” Jisung mumbled, hitting the bramble he was standing in with his sword and instinctively bringing one of his hands up and shaking it. He picked out the thorn that seemingly was stuck into his finger and grumbled.

“Hey Chan, isn’t there another path that isn’t so.... poke-y?” Changbin asked, looking down at the bushes that came up to your waist.

Chan was leading you through the Dark Woods, following a seemingly invisible trail to your beast. The eldest turned back from his place at the front of the line, frowning at you all.

“Yeah, I’d assume so.” He answered simply before waving his long sword towards the bushels in front of him, “But based on these markings, this is the way the beast went. So I’m following that.”

“I can’t see anything?” Jisung huffed, his hand covered in a slight blue aura for only a moment before he shook it again to loosing his joints.

“That’s because you’re not a tracker,” Chan replied, rolling his eyes, cutting more of a path in front of him and continuing on, “Now quit complaining and lets go.”

“Let me go right behind Chan,” You suggested, squeezing past Jisung; you whispered a simple spell into the top of your staff, causing it to start to smoke. You grabbed it three quarters of the way down, tipping the top into the bushes to burn the edges, creating a more clear path.

“That should be better.” You hummed in delight, sweeping your staff from side to side as you walked, careful not to linger in one place too long lest to light the whole forest on fire. The two boys behind you let out grunts in agreement and you continued the trek deeper into the woods.

It was calm for a while, with the four of you just listening to the stillness of the air and the sounds of you and Chan making a path before you finally decided to speak.

“Chan, if you’re following a track made by the beast, you must have some idea of what it is, right?” You asked, careful not to burn the ankles of the man in front of you as he stopped abruptly.

He was quiet, looking out into the woods; you followed suit, dissolving your magic and silently coming closer to him, placing a timid hand on his shoulder as not to scare him. He didn’t move, eyes squinting to see farther into the distance.

Suddenly Chan crouched, whispering out a frantic “Get down!” at the three of you; you quickly comply, crouching low beneath the underbrush as your heart rate increased rapidly. Jisung and Changbin shuffle their way over to the two of you, close enough to hear their breathing as you all waited for Chan to explain anything that was going on.

That’s when you heard it; A distant thumping. It sounded like footsteps coming closer and closer to your party.

“Chan....” Jisung whimpered slightly, gripping the hilt of his sword, “What is that sound?”

The ground shook with each step the beast took; you tried to peak through the foliage to see what it was, but it was nowhere to be found. The footsteps seemed to be getting very close now, the crunching of branches loud as you could hear the beast.

Chan looked pale, holding a shaky finger up to his lips to tell you all to be quiet. He slowly removed the black bow he carried to notch an arrow in it. Changbin prepared his claymore, gripping it tightly with both hands, his expression stone cold.

And then, the footsteps stopped.

The air was silent, the only sound you could hear was the rushing of blood in your ears and the breath of your party members. The once calming stillness of the woods had now bred a tense atmosphere, causing a sense of unease to wash over you all as the silence continued.

You shifted you weight with uncertainty, looking up and around to try and get even a glimpse in the right direction before your eyes fell on Chan, who was gazing at the three of you with a look of concern.

And then it happened in a flash

The bramble around you peeling back, a loud roar that causing a great ringing in your ears and Jisung flying up towards the sky helplessly in the grasp of this great beast, screaming and flailing around in distress.

It’s fur was snow white as it stood on two powerful legs; it was easily 10 feet tall, gnarled teeth and small eyes pulled into an aggressive expression as it roared out again, brown spit flying from its mouth. You gazed in horror as his grey meaty hand held Jisung by the ankle.

A Yeti.

Jisung!” You cried out, quick to stand and try to conjure a spell with your staff; But just as quickly as you reacted, the Yeti was faster, swatting you into a nearby tree with the back of it’s other flat hand, sending you tumbling down through the sharp branches while knocking the wind out of you and sending your staff flying.

Chan shot his arrow, landing it directly into the knuckle of the beast’s middle finger; it reacted by letting Jisung go, dropping him into the thick bushes below with a crunch. The yeti let out an anguished cry, balling its fist to crush Chan, but he leapt out of the way and helped Jisung stand.

Changbin quickly dove between it’s legs, slashing at it’s knees with his claymore. The beast turned and swatted at Changbin; it missed it’s mark, slamming it’s hand into a tree and sending one of the large branches down on the ground.

It grasped it’s newfound weapon and swung it around at the ground, nearly taking Chan’s head off if he would have held it just a bit higher.

“Chan, what is this thing?!” Changbin barked, ducking his head as the yeti swung his tree club at him, “and how to we beat it!!?”

“Yeti!” Chan shouted, notching another arrow and shooting it at the monster’s face; it was unfortunately blocked by the tree branch it weld, but not without the yeti bellowing at Chan and attempting to crush him with its foot. The oldest jumped out of the way, pushing Jisung down with him.

The beast threw its branch away, slamming it into another tree as it let out another booming roar and leaned forward, placing it’s knuckles on the ground in front of it.

You coughed, a groan of pain escaping your lips as you sat up and clutched your back; the pain was indescribable as it took the brunt of the impact, not to mention your skin was also cover in cuts from the sharp branches you fell through. Your vision was a blurry still from the initial impact, but once it cleared up a bit, you were able to see Changbin slicing once more at the yeti, getting a good cut in at its hip area. This small victory was short lived, as the beast reacted on instinct and swatted at him, sending him flying a few feet into the nearby bramble.

Chan was able to use this time to climb up into one of the trees and get a good angle on the yeti with his bow. He got one good hit in on the yeti’s shoulder before it caught sight of him and grabbed at his legs, pulling him from the tree and shaking his body until he dropped his weapon.

Jisung went to help Changbin, clutching his sword tightly as he ducked into the overgrowth and helping Changbin up; he seemed to recover fast, moving to stand at Jisung's side.

“This isn’t working!” Jisung cried out as he slashed at the yeti, trying to get it to drop Chan. The beast tried to kick at Jisung, but the healer dodged to the side in the last second before scrambling back to his feet.

“Fire!” Chan yelled, beating the yeti’s fingers with his fists as the beast flailed him about, much too distracted with trying to get Jisung, “yetis hate fire!”

You blinked rapidly, processing what Chan was shouting about.

Fire...

Fire!

You could make fire! all you needed was-

“My staff,” You mumbled, looking around frantically for the object. You pushed aside some bushes, crawling around on the ground searching for the one thing you needed to help your party.

You finally found it, laying ten feet away on some gnarled tree roots. It looked to be damaged; a big crack running along the length of it. But it would work for now.

You used it to stand tall, trying to ground yourself despite your state; you willed all the power you could into it, conjuring up a bright ball of white hot fire with one of the most advanced spells you knew. You weren’t sure how strong it would be, as you’d only performed this spell once and that was in your best condition and a fully functioning staff...

The ball grew, sending waves of heat outwards before you launched it into the yeti’s back, setting its white fur ablaze. It howled in pain, dropping Chan ungracefully and starting to slap its back to put the fire out.

Unfortunately for you, the raw power of that spell send burning embers down the crack in your staff, effectively breaking the tool for good as it slightly crumbled in your hand.

What now?

Shit! It was risky for any warlock to try and do a spell without a magic tool to direct their power.

But you had no other option as of now and you needed to help the boys.

“Fuck you!” You spat angrily as threw your broken staff to the side and picked up a branch that had fallen from one of the trees; using a different, less complicated spell, you shakily conjured a weak flame and lit the tip of the branch on fire. You then lunged forward with all your strength, using the branch like an inferno-covered spear to stab at the beast.

You continue to push it back, burning it’s grey skin until you reach Chan, allowing his to recover a bit and grab for his bow that he dropped earlier. He placed a gentle hand on the small of your back before moving to the side of you.

The other two boys had seemingly made fire, Changbin wielding a burning branch covered in foliage with Jisung behind him readying his weapon.

The beast roared swatting at both you and Changbin with it’s hands, however still trying to maintain a distance between it and the fire you held. It looked to be backing away from you as you closed in on it.

Chan slung his bow around his shoulder and unsheathed a longsword before shouting “I have an idea! I need (Y/N) and Changbin to focus the fire down to the undergrowth and make a perimeter. We can’t let it get away!”

You and Changbin exchanged a knowing look, nodding at Chan before you sprang into action. You dipped you flame covered branch down into the bushes and ran around to make a big circle. As you did this, Chan kept the yeti’s attention by swinging at it with his sword, Jisung coming to help the ranger by diving between its legs to appear next to Chan.

You finally met up with Changbin about 5 feet behind the beast, giving it very little room to maneuver without stepping in the fire.

“You look like shit.” Changbin exclaimed, seeing the state you were in with scratches and sweat covering your body.

“Thanks?!” You replied simply, tossing the broken branch into the already blazing inferno creating a perimeter.

Changbin unsheathed his claymore before calling out, “What now Chan?”

“Now we all close in and attack it with everything we have!” The eldest shouted, already starting to move in and stab at the yeti with his sword. Changbin let out a yell before rushing the beast, using both his hands to swing his large weapon at it’s waist. Jisung let out a shout too, using his sword to attack near the beast's legs.

You reached for the only weapon you carried, a dagger that sat on your hip.

But before you were able to charge, you felt a wave of pain wash over you from the center of you back; it spread like electricity all across your body, making you feel weak in the knees.

Your vision grew spotted, with the sounds and sights of your friends going in and out of focus.

Ah shit...

that stupid monster really did a number on you...

And with that high level spell on a broken staff, your body was spent.

Falling to the ground you try and stabilize yourself with your hands;

But it was no use as you slumped forward and pass out.

------

When you finally came to, the sky was dark and the only sound that filled your ears was the crackling of campfire and the soft humming of a folk-song.

You felt a strong pair of arms wrapped tenderly around your frame as you laid in the comfortable lap of one of your dearest companions.

"You should be resting." Changbin whispered, delicately brushing a stray hair from your face, "Although I'm thankful to see you have some life in you."

"What happened?" You mumbled, turning your head to look around. you seemed to be at a makeshift camp, with Jisung laying on a soft bedroll sleeping as still as humanly possible. In contrast, Chan was sat up against a tree, arms crossed and eyes shut, but seemingly asleep as well.

Your boys were safe, that's good.

You drew your attention back up to Changbin, who just stroked your upper arm comfortingly. His face has a few cuts on it and his shirt seemed to be torn, with quite a few massive bruises covering his arms.

"We beat the beast, everything is okay. You fainted, but Jisung healed you up good." Changbin relayed in a hushed tone, gazing at you softly. You frown, weakly reaching your hand up to touch one of the scratches on his face.

"He didn't heal you?" You asked, voice trembling. Your arm felt heavy as Changbin grabbed your hand, placing a kiss on it and returning it to your side.

"Couldn't." Changbin replied simply, keeping a warm hold on your hand, "You were so badly injured he used up all his energy to heal you."

Changbin's voice shook slightly as he looked away. You could see the wetness of his eyes reflecting the light of the fire as he tried not to let out a tear.

"Hey, I'm okay." You whispered, squeezing his hand.

"I was scared we were going to lose you." Changbin admits, biting his bottom lip to keep it from quivering. You could hear the fear in his tone, which broke your heart. Using all the strength you could muster, you sit up, wincing ever so slightly at the ache in your back. You scoot closer to Changbin before you engulf him in a hug, holding onto him as if he would shatter.

"I know, but I'm alright now." You affirmed, reaching to gently stroke his hair as the usual barbarian let out a quiet sob into your shoulder. He carefully wrapped his arms around you and pulled you to sit in his lap. Changbin wanted to hold you as close as possible, worried you would be gone of he let you go.

You couldn't help but feel at ease in his grasp, melting into his touch as you tried to soothe him with hushes and adoring touches on his hair and back.

You both sat like this for a while, not a sound passing between the two of you besides Changbin's shaky breaths. When he finally did let you go, you placed a quick kiss on his cheek, right where a cut laid. Wordlessly, you kissed another, and then the other.

"There, all better." You joked with a cheesy grin. Changbin chuckled at you, before you cringed from another sudden wave of pain.

"You should rest." Changbin hummed, shifting so he sat up more straight, "I have to keep watch for a bit longer, but I want you to sleep right here with me, okay?"

He helped you lay back down in his lap before he reached for his blanket that was rolled up by his pack. He covered you lovingly with it, keeping his arms around you to make sure you were warm.

"We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow, so sleep well." Changbin wished. You hummed in response, closing your eyes and grasping onto the hem of the blanket.

"Sorry I wasn't much help fighting today. I'll be better tomorrow." You apologized, letting yourself relax in the safe embrace Changbin provided.

"Nonsense," Changbin reassured you, voice barely above a whisper, "You were brilliant today."

"Thanks Bin. Goodnight."

"Goodnight (Y/N)"

---------

"I can't believe you guy's were cuddling again." Jisung let out a huff, blue healing magic from his hands rubbing the bruises out of Changbin's skin.

"You were out cold too! You wouldn't have even known if (Y/N) slept beside you." Changbin argued, shaking his head at the healer and offering up his left arm for treatment.

"Even if he was awake, there was no way you were gonna let them go." Chan teased, turning to whisper to you, "He wouldn't leave your side from the moment you passed out. Not even while Jisung healed you."

"Knowing Changbin, I'm not surprised." You giggled, packing up your things relatively slowly; Your whole body still ached, but you were sure you'd be alright after a long rest, "I think its endearing how much of a big softie he is."

"Doesn't matter, it was my turn." Jisung grumbles under his breath. a pout played on his face as he finished up healing Changbin. The latter stood, saying a small thanks before he started to pack up his belongings.

Soon the four of you were all but ready to go. The fire was getting stomped out by Jisung, while Changbin made sure the monstrous yeti head was secured in a burlap sack.

You weren't entirely sure if the duchess meant it genuinely when she said she wanted its head, but better safe than sorry in your opinion. maybe she wanted to mount it as a trophy of the victory for her people? And if not, it would be entertaining to see her face when you brought it to her.

Changbin began the trek ahead, hoisting his things over his broad shoulders and making a move to go ahead and lead. You tried to tie the end of your bag to secure it, but you couldn't stop the trembling in your fingers enough to complete the fine motor skill. it frustrated you that you weren't back to your peak performance yet.

Jisung's healing can only do so much, especially when it came to magical damage; sure, your body was sore, but there was an underlying weakness that came from casting a spell without your staff. In the heat of the moment you didn't feel the toll due to adrenaline and being in survival mode.

A stick with no magical properties was better than casting a spell with nothing, but you would still pay the price for using such a common item with no embedded magic; weakness, fatigue, muscle spasms, and a whole plethora of other possible side effects was inevitable. Luckily it would fade as time went on, but it didn't make you feel any less of a burden now.

"Let me help you with that." Chan suggested warmly, crouching down and tying your bag closed quickly. You thanked him, moving to sling the bag over your shoulder as you stood. But before you could grab it, Chan lifted it and tossed it to Jisung, who gracefully caught it and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready to go?" The healer hummed, smiling at you.

"I can carry my own bag." You huffed in annoyance; you began to walk over to Jisung to take it back when Chan grabbed your arm, stopping you in place.

"Nah, there is no way you're lugging that all the way back." Chan insisted, before nodding to Jisung with a grin, "Besides, Jisung strong. what's an extra couple pounds?"

"This feels like nothing to me!" Jisung piped up, adjusting it with ease on his shoulder.

"Fine." You replied, knowing it was better to pick your battles when it came to Chan when he made a decision.

"Great." The eldest responded, before turning around and patting his shoulder, "Now hop on so we can get going."

Oh... this was a battle to pick!

"What? No! I can walk just fine." You argued, patting Chan's shoulders. When he turned back around, a frown played on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest in classic Chan fashion.

"Really? Because you could barely even stand up on your own." Chan reasoned, tone firm before his eyes softened ever so slightly, "I'm sure you could walk the entire journey if we had all the time in the world. You're strong."

"But we don't." He finalized, turning around and crouching down, speaking over his shoulder, "We have to get a move on and we don't have time for you to lag behind so I'm going to carry you."

You groaned; mostly because you knew Chan was right, as per usual... You would slow the party down and you didn't have time for it if you were going to meet the duchess on time. The least you could do at this point is not hold everyone up.

"What's taking you so long? Quit smelling the flowers, we have places to be!" Changbin barked back at you three. You turned to Jisung, who shrugged and went on ahead.

You rolled your eyes and sighed, giving in and climbing onto to Chan's broad back. The man hummed, seemingly pleased by your dismay.

"If you get tired, tell me and I'll make sure I can keep up." You said, almost as a whisper because of how close you were to Chan's ear. He could feel your breath tickle his cheek ever so slight as you rested you head on his shoulder. You felt frail in his grasp, as he made note to try and be and gentle as possible while moving around.

"I won't get tired, don't worry." Chan reassured you, shifting your weight in his strong arms before beginning the long trek back to Miroh. His large hands provided sturdy support to your legs as as he walked, trying to catch up with the other two boys.

You would never admit it, but you were secretly a bit grateful for Chan, as you weren't sure if you truly were strong enough to make the journey without his help. And being secure in his hold, feeling the warmth of his body close the entire trip would definitely a plus, bringing you a sense of ease you couldn't describe.

--------

"I can't believe she's making us wait. I'm tired of hauling this smelly monster head around." Changbin complained, leaning back on his chair.

"You're lucky they let us bring that thing into the tavern." Jisung scoffed, kicking the Yeti's head lightly, "It reeks!"

"That's because it's rotting." Chan said matter-of-factly, shaking his head, "Did you guys expect it to smell like roses?"

"No, of course not!" Changbin said, annoyance ever present in his tone as you grimaced at the head, "I just didn't think it would be this bad!"

The boys continued to bicker back and forth about the head as you sat quietly, picking apart a scone that Felix had baked today. You had begun to regain a bit of strength along the journey, not feeling as sickly as you once were. You were almost certain that a good night's sleep in the inn upstairs would bring you right back to normal.

But you had to wait until the duchess arrived for you to collect your payment before you could do that. But of course she was late, as she didn't seem to care about your time; it was probably negligible in her eyes.

You ate the scone, washing it down with a entire mug of fresh fruit juice before she finally did arrive with two guards in tow. Long after the sun had set, like she agreed, but she showed up nonetheless. And when she did, you swatted at your companions to quit arguing on whether or not rotting head smelt worse is worse than Changbin's armpits.

Chan stood from his spot and bow to the duchess as she approached, "Good evening, My Lady."

"What is that awful smell!" She wrenched, scrunching her nose up and covering it with her wrist.

"The Beast's head, just as you requested, My Lady!" Jisung beamed, standing to bow as well before he presented the duchess with the grotesque thing. You watched as Changbin tried his hardest to keep himself from smiling at her expression.

"Well, I did say I wanted it's head didn't I..." The duchess huffed out, expression sour. with the wave of her hand, one of her guards takes a hold of it and takes it away, finally allowing you to breath fresh air again.

Right, well," The duchess hummed, clasping her hands together, "Might I say well done. My people are safe thanks to you, which is all that matters to me."

"We are also glad such a creature can't terrorize helpless folk, My Lady." Chan agreed, standing up straight with a graceful smale across his face.

"Yeah, super glad." Changbin grunted out, eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, "anyways, I think it's time you paid us?"

The duchess scowled at Changbin who only smiled tantalizingly at her. "We did what you asked, My Lady." The title sounded patronizing coming out of the his mouth, but it was more so when accompanied by a haphazard nod that you could barely argue as a bow.

"It seems you still have yet to learn manners on all your travels." The duchess sighed, snapping her fingers quickly. The remaining guard pulls a bag out and places it on the table, "Thank you for your service to my kingdom."

With that, the duchess turned and walked away, practically stomping as she exited the tavern.

"Please doing business, My Lady!" Chan shouted after her before taking his seat again. Jisung followed suit, scraping his chair as he opened the bag, dumping the contents onto the table. He tucked the bag away after making sure all the pieces lied safely on the table in a pile.

"Splitting it up? Usually we pool everything together" Changbin asked, as Chan began to count the gold pieces.

The eldest nodded, jutting his head in your direction, "(Y/N) asked if we would this time." You nodded.

It was true, you had asked Chan if the earnings from this job could be split. It was pretty unusual for your group to split up earnings, as you were practically inseparable so you wouldn't make frivolous purchases outside a group setting. But this time, you felt you had a good reason for it.

"It's the most fair in my opinion." You explained, adjusting your bag in your lap, "I need a new staff and you should know that magical items cost a pretty penny. This way, it'll be a purchase that doesn't take away from your guys' funds, since you wouldn't use it anyways."

"That's very kind of you." Jisung said softly, touched at your thoughtfulness. He reached his hand over and held yours, squeezing it as a sort of thank you for your consideration. The moment didn't last long as Chan let out wry laugh.

"That crook, doesn't she have enough?" He scoffed under his breath before shaking his head and looking up at you all, "She scammed us."

"What?" You asked, looking down at the gold pieces; sure enough the piles were quite a bit smaller than expected.

"She only gave us half of what was promised," Chan stated sharply, half in disbelief and half in agitation, "and that's including what was given to use before we left."

"Last time we ever trust a high class cheat ever again!" Changbin growled, slaming his fist on the table. You could practically see the smoke billowing off him as he stood up furiously.

"It's alright, we still have enough to make ends meet." You reasoned, placing a delicate hand on Changbin's arm to calm him down. It does the trick, as he sits back down and folds his arms angrily.

"Yeah, but what about your staff? There is no way your portion will be enough for it..." Jisung said, shoulders slumping as he gazed at you apologetically.

"No, not even close." You sighed, standing and taking your share anyways, "but I'll just have to make do until I have enough. At least we have enough to put warm food in our bellies and a roof over our heads for a bit."

You tried hard to not sound so defeated; you weren't exactly sure how you would be able to practice magic without a magic embedded object to wield, but there was nothing you could do as of now. And truthfully, you had waited long enough for such a disappointment, you felt exhaustion catch up and felt more like something to deal with tomorrow.

Plastering a wistful smile on your face as you stretched your arms over your head. you placed your share in your bag before slinging it over your shoulder haphazardly.

"Where are you off to?" Chan asked, standing too.

"Bed." You said with a tired yawn, jutting your thumb in the direction of the staircase where the inn suites resided, "I'm still recovering, so I think a long rest in a comfy bed is exactly what I need."

"We'll come!" Changbin exclaimed, standing too; you shush him, and shake your head, quickly disagreeing.

"No, you guys should stay out and celebrate! don't pack it in on my behalf." You urged, smile finding its way onto your face as you looked at the three boys. You couldn't help but think about how much you adored them and how special your little family was. Sure, you got swindled, but at least everyone was alright. That's all that mattered to you.

"We defeated a huge beast and lived to tell about it! And we did get paid! Maybe not as much as we had hoped, but enough to have a few drinks and be merry." You encouraged, lips curling into catlike grin.

"(Y/N) right. There is no need to sulk on what we don't have when what we do have is wonderful company and good atmosphere." Chan agreed, cheerful expression slowly growing as he gazed back at you. He stood, grabbing a few gold pieces from his share and pointed to the bar, "First round is on me fellas!"

"Sure, why not!" Changbin agreed, collecting his share and placing it in his wallet.

"Enjoy the night. Be sure to come to bed when you're ready!" You cheered. Chan grinned, pulling you into a hug and placing a chaste kiss on your cheek before he whispered 'goodnight'. The ranger quickly slipped into the crowd, going to barkeep to get refreshments for his companions.

Changbin waved you over and placed a kiss on your other cheek, playfully telling you to dream of him. You agreed, barely able to contain the chuckles that bubbled up in your chest at Changbin's nature.

"Cheer up Jisung!" You laughed, poking the healer with your finger when he stayed slumped in his seat. A pout played on his face as you ruffled his hair, gazing up at you silently from his spot.

"The boys will keep you company, and if that fails, try the scone. perked me right up." You suggested, lightheartedness in your tone as you wave goodbye to the boys.

You scamper up the stairs, entering your usual room at the inn. You close the door behind you with a sigh, making quick work of lighting the fireplace and a few candles so you could see what you were doing as you prepared for bed. You took your boots off, followed by your jacket. You set them off to the side with your bag, trying to keep your things organized.

Just as you crawled into one of the beds, there was a soft knocking at the door. You hummed affirmatively, feeling too tired to get up and check for who it could be. Besides, it was most likely the tavern owners or one of the boys.

The latter was correct as Jisung opened the door, slipping inside before closing it behind him. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, much to your amusement.

"I thought I told you not to come to bed on my behalf!" You chuckled, sitting up and letting the covers pool around your waist.

"I didn't!" Jisung exclaimed defensively. He brushed his hair from his forehead as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, repeating his statement much softer now, "I didn't..."

"Then why are you here instead of celebrating, hm?"

"Because!" Jisung looked at the floor bashfully, biting his bottom lip before squeaking out, "it's my turn..."

You're only confused for a minute until you remember what he means. Snickering to yourself you open up the covers, fluffing up the pillow and pat the place beside you.

"Come on then," You invited, causing Jisung to grin joyously as he frantically starts taking off his shoes and jacket. In no time at all, all his outerwear is discarded and he practically leaps into the space beside you.

"Blow out the candle, would you?" You asked in a hushed tone, to which Jisung obliged, leaning away from you for only a moment to do what you asked. He snuggled up to you on his side so that you were facing one another before he wrapped one of his arms around your torso.

"Comfy?" You whispered, to which Jisung replied simply with a 'mmhmm'. "I've been waiting two weeks to not have to sleep beside Sweaty Changbin or Drooling Chan." He sighed dreamily, showing off his gums with a bright smile. You cant help but find him cute as you chuckle at his antics, clutching his shirt as you tuck your hands in the little space between the two of you.

"Hey (Y/N)," Jisung murmered after a few moments. You could feel his breath on your face as he spoke, tickling your flushed cheeks.

"Yeah?" You mumbled, eyes shut as you relaxed into the comfy bed.

"I'm sorry about your staff."

"It's alright. I'll get a new one eventually."

"About that... Me and the boys decided tomorrow we'd go down to the shopping district and pool our earnings together to buy one for you."

Your eyes fluttered open to be face to face with Jisung. His eyes held a sense of fondness in them that touched your heart, "Why would you guys do that? That's not fair to the three of you at all." You asked simply.

"Because we love you." Jisung said, as if he had said it a million times before.

"You do?" You feel your heart race as a well of emotions begins to fill in your chest at the notion.

"Of course we do. Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you love us too?"

"Of course I do." You replied delicately.

Because it was true. How could you not love them?

Chan was the leader, kind and thoughtful without fail. He would always try and take care of you, putting your needs over his in any given situation. He always made sure you were comfortable, doing everything in his power to help achieve your happiness and safety. He grew up alone in the mountains, but would brave the elements ten times over if it meant he could do it with you.

Changbin acted tough and strong, but truthfully was the most doting and affectionate of all. He used his strength to protect you from any harm, but when you were, he was adamant about never leaving your side until you are better. He's fight for you no questions asked; He already had his love taken once when he was exiled, he would rather die than have it taken again.

Jisung, a once foreign prince who understood you more than anyone. He was bright and playful, like a dream in a world where you have to fight day in and day out. He would heal you not only with his cheerful nature, but also his natural ability; even to his own detriment sometimes. In his mind, his body could be broken and energy spent up, as long as he was able to see your smile again it was worth it a million times over.

They were your home. Your team.

Of course you loved them.

"I love you all more than you could ever know." You spoke breathlessly, hoping to somehow convey all the feelings stirring up inside you at this moment.

"Good, then it's settled." Jisung said gently. You could tell he was beaming from the way his pitch sounded before he placed a toothy kiss on your forehead, "Now rest up. Big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight Ji." You whispered, not being able to help the corners of your mouth quirking up.

Life as an adventurer was hard; braving the likes of monsters, the elements, and scamming duchesses. But as you laid in Jisung's warm embrace, thinking about all the things you loved about your boys, you knew everything would be just fine, as long as you had each other.

____________________________

A/N: Ending is kind of dodgy/corny cause I'm always awkward when it comes to writing endings, but I finally finished this piece !!! When I tell you it's been in the drafts for l i t e r a l y e a r s... But its done now so hooray! I hope you enjoyed it <3

Also if you're reading this and liked Felix And Your Tavern (the fic I mentioned at the beginning)... I do have a part 2 in my drafts as well, but it has references to this story in it and I wanted to publish this first. So stay tuned for that, as it's not quite ready yet!

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t-h-i-n-g · 2 years

Note

hiii can i request one where the reader had a rlly bad nightmare while sleeping with jj and he calms her,basically full of fluff thingy. thank uuu

Beneath The Waters Surface

a/n: IM SORRY BUT THIS TURNED OUT WAY MORE AGNSTY THAT INTENDED slfdkgheol in the end there is fluff I swear. honesly i don't know where i pulled this text away from BUT STILL I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY WITH THIS <33333

word count: 1.3k

summary: when your eyes close at night they should be met with the sight of fairies and pirates not the terrible depths of your nightmares which JJ has to pull you from.

warnings: downing, deep waters, storms, night mares, screams, if i missed any please, please, please let me know!!!

obx - masterlist m.masterlist

---------------

Everything was going fine.

That’s what dreams are supposed to be like, right?

Dreams are supposed to be your break from reality. To whisk you away from all of your worries. Even if it was for a single moment. They take you to unimaginable places. They take you to kingdoms; to space, where maybe you are high fiving a dinosaur. Dreams should make your inner child come out to explore. Even if they approach the weirdest scenarios.

Dreams are supposed to keep you safe from all the bad memories. Keep you from all the terrors you have to face when you wake up.

But why aren’t your dreams gone like that? Why didn’t you get the broad spectrum of refuge?

It all started on the 17th of July. Just getting back from your month long trip to the mainland, you were more than excited to hit the waves. As well as experience being back with your most favorite people to ever exist.

A storm was scheduled, but none of you minded. Kie said that this was the only way to truly celebrate your return. Pope and John were more than happy to agree. JJ really just wanted to see how your skin shined while the bank’s water glistened across your body. Also to see your pretty smile being lit up by the sun.

But in the end there was no sun. Dark clouds instead blocked up its presence.

Maybe you should have taken it as a sign. It was almost like some higher power was pushing you away from the shore with the wind that cascaded through your hair. Warning you that it had been more than a month since you touched your board last. Almost twice as long when you last surfed in those types of conditions.

So when the waves pushed you under as soon as you stood, maybe it should have been an indicator that your body was already tired and sore from the amount of packing you did the day before. But yet again, you only saw the possibility of a good time. Of Course you got back onto your board. Sitting on the smooth wood while you caught your breath. Getting ready to head out again.

Cheers were heard to your right while you looked over to see Kie riding along the water as the boys held up their hands and hollered to egg her on. A smile made its way to your face. Your body felt warm even though the water was chilly. The memories and happiness all flooding back to you as you realized how much you missed this. Maneuvering onto your stomach you brought your attention to the ripples in front of you. Scanning across the vast waters, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And you took your shot when you saw it.

Back to the present you now knew your mistake. There were plenty of factors that stacked the odds against you: the wave was huge, the biggest you’ve ever coasted across, your legs were shaky when you stood, your breathing was still heavy, your balance was off, and your focus wasn’t placed where it should have been.

So now as you experienced all of those terrible events from then, it felt like you couldn’t breathe. The dark, muggy water surrounding you didn’t indicate which way you should go. With all of your strength you pushed to where you believed was the surface. Lungs burning as a glint of belief passed through you as everything became brighter. Only for it to be quickly ripped away from you.

Another wave had crashed down. Pushing you closer to the water’s floor. Slowly the edges of your already lacking vision began to fuzz. Kicking your feet in an attempt to get back to the surface, you grew frantic. It felt like your whole being was burning. The murkiness once again faded away as you swam up. But yet again another force took all hope away.

Instinctively your mouth opened to inhale. Attempting to grab any air it could, only for water to fill past your lips.

Your body thrashed around, striving to get some sort of relief. With every ounce of effort you had left you screamed. You yelled for anyone to hear you to help-

“Hey, hey, come on. Wake up, Y/n. It’s just a dream. Baby, please-”

With a gasp you were yanked from the fake reality. However as your hands shot out to your throat while you gulped in all the oxygen you could, you knew the situation had been oh so real.

A hand that was previously grasping your shoulder that didn’t belong to you moved to your back, rubbing it gently. The warmth from the contrast of the cold memories made you lean back. Another hand reached out to cup the side of your face. Pulling your chin into his direction, JJ’s blue eyes met yours.

“Just breathe, okay? You’re okay. You’re here. With me now, in,” His gaze was intense as he searched for some way to ground you. Inhaling through his nose, JJ motioned for you to do the same. Following his actions, you stuttered a breath in. “And out,” he directed, blowing air from his mouth slowly. Repeating these actions, the both of you wait for your chest to stop heaving and your heartbeat to slow.

You nodded once you calmed. When you did, you slouched into JJ’s hold. Instantly he held the back of your head. Directing it to his chest as his other hand wrapped around your middle. With your lip still quivering you curled into his embrace.

“Same one?” he asked. Without verbally answering you nodded once more. The boy sighed before kissing your temple gently.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. These nightmares have been happening for over two weeks now. And every time they occurred, you were woken up by J. Either with a light shake of your shoulder or him trying to sooth you out of the terrible cage of your own mind with his words. The bags under his eyes were the result of that but yet you must have looked worse.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he assured, pulling you impossibly close. “I should be the one apologizing anyways.” Huffing into his shirt, your head turned to peek up at his side profile.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Not answering JJ just leaned back onto the pillows. Pulling you with him. Silence ensued. The beat of his heart sounded beneath your ear. The repetition of the same argument almost nightly had grown on you both. Him saying he should’ve called the surf off. That the pogues should’ve just thrown a welcome home party or something instead. You say you overestimate your abilities and obviously shouldn’t have gone for that wave.

“I’m just glad you’re here,” he stated, a stuttered breath releasing past his lips. Humming you ran a hand across his chest.

“That’s thanks to you, J. Stop brushing past that,” you responded. The blurred images of you being pulled back to shore and placed onto the sand flooded your mind. JJ’s body was knelt beside you as he tapped your cheek gently before you jerked up to spill water from your throat. Once the haziness had washed away you were again on the ground; looking up at the crying faces above you.

Blinking hard you pushed the thoughts away, burrowing further into your lover’s warmth.

Taking his other arm JJ tucked it around your back. Pulling you flush against him, you felt his breath fan lightly across your face as he connected his forehead to yours.

The lulling and steady push and pull of his breathing made the attempt to hold your eyes open wither away slowly.

Maybe there would be more terrors behind your lids but you were sure JJ would save you from them. He was here now, next to you. As long as he was here you could float above the surface.

#jj maybank x you #jj maybank x yn #jj maybank #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank x reader

195 notes · View notes

ruewrites · 7 months

Text

Devotion

AO3

Ship: Diavolo/Lucifer

Word Count: 3250

Warnings: Smut

A/N: Some people had wanted to see Lucifer and Diavolo's honeymoon and oops more story progressed from there. I hope you all enjoy! Comments are appreciated <3

Summary:

Devotion: 1.love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. 2.religious worship or observance.

Sometimes in this life, others are more devoted to us than we can comprehend.

Lucifer sat on the bed with a sigh. Slowly, he slipped his silky gloves off of his hands and kicked his shoes off his feet. The affairs of today had been a grand one, doves as far as the eye could see, a cake crafted by Barbatos big enough to feed an army trimmed with gold and black flowers. Asmodeus had been chittering away with him every free moment he could squeeze himself in, eyes sparkling at every romantic aspect he could pin down and sprinkling in his own fantasies of what a wedding could be like.

"I could only imagine what this would be like," Asmo had said, "I can't wait."

Exhausting was the only word that came to mind for Lucifer.

It was mostly for show, a way to introduce the future co-rulers and gain them favor with the public. Over all, it was mainly a way in which the royal family could keep their favor with the people. A wedding was no more than a spectacle.

And yet-

A deep groan left Lucifer's lips as firm hands made their way to his shoulders, kneading away at the tense muscles beneath. He leaned back into the ministrations, allowing his eyes to slip shut.

"How are you feeling love?" The words were ended in a soft kiss to his neck that made Lucifer shudder. Diavolo's voice was low, soft, and warm like a thunderstorm rumbling in the distance on a summer evening.

Lucifer glanced down at the ring on his finger, appreciating the way it glistened when the light hit its surface. Without a word, one of Diavolo's hands traveled across his arm and to his hand. Carefully, he lifted the ring to his own lips and kissed it softly.

This made Lucifer give in the rest of the way, leaning into Diavolo fully and allowing his body to be enveloped by the warmth. Both of them continued to move backwards until they were staring at the ceiling.

Finally, after a moment, he let go of the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. The rest of the tension left his body. His fingers tapped against his abdomen as thoughts lingered in his mind. He knew what this was supposed to be for and yet-

“Happy to finally be alone and away from the commotion, but I suppose we still have a duty to keep.”

It was his way of attempting humor. Lucifer was more than aware that nothing would force him to couple with Diavolo, especially not Diavolo himself.

"So," Diavolo started, glancing over at him, "Sex?"

Lucifer snorted, hand flying to cover his mouth, "There were many ways you could have worded that. That was not the most… elegant option." Consummating a marriage was important, it was symbolic. Two people coming together just as two entirely different kingdoms did. It was important, it was expected, it "sealed the deal" so to speak.

"But what about it?" Lucifer asked.

"About what?"

"About 'so, sex'?"

Now it was Diavolo's turn to snort, "Ah I hear how it sounds now." He turned his head to look at Lucifer, his fingers started to drum as he spoke, adding to the illusion of that perfect summer storm.

"What do you think about it? About the moment now?"

The truth? Lucifer was starting to feel uncomfortable in his wedding attire as the storm inched closer, it was hot and muggy and made him feel rather sticky. He was waiting and watching as the clouds grew closer.

"What do I think?" Lucifer repeated. The uncomfortable heat was pooling, concentrating in a single area.

The surprised look on Diavolo's face was definitely worth a thousand kingdoms' treasuries. Lucifer straddled his waist, strong thighs gripped his waist as he sat proud atop the man beneath him. He shifted, making himself comfortable, "I think I need to see how desperately you want me, why you begged and stood determined to be by my side."

He watched as Diavolo's mouth dried, as want filled his eyes. His hands hesitantly moved to Lucifer's hips, trembling as he did so. The storm was upon them now, hot and heavy in the air. It was getting hard to breathe.

"Up," Lucifer commanded, and Diavolo followed, sitting up and pulling Lucifer even closer to his chest.

"Good boy," Lucifer purred, stroking along the side of Diavolo's face, watching as the man leaned into the touch, "You want me."

"I crave you," Diavolo corrected him quickly, "Ever since the first night you allowed me to touch you, and even before that. We have had many firsts together, and I am honored by your trust in every single one."

Lucifer's eyes softened, and his heart melted as the first patters of rain fell. He leaned in, kissing his husband to communicate what words failed to. Diavolo moaned beneath him as the Arcadian Crowned Prince ground against him. His growing need was evident, and Lucifer was growing feverish. Ripping away Diavolo's shirt became his first priority. They could deal with the rest later. Clothes hid secrets well, and very often Lucifer found himself at odds with his secrets. Does he share them or not? What were the consequences of letting his resolve, his masks, slip?

Disrobing meant leaving himself vulnerable.

But with Diavolo he was allowed to be vulnerable.

He waited with bated breath as Diavolo looked over his body. It was far from pristine and perfect like the prince had most likely imagined. A litany of scars marked him in places and the most prominent ones were on his back. He watched as those large fingers hesitantly reached out, and when Lucifer didn't pull away, he started to trace them.

"It's not everything you expected-"

"You're beautiful," Diavolo's voice was filled with nothing but reverence, "I have never seen you without your shirt off. Thank you for sharing this with me."

Allowing himself a moment to bask in the attention, Lucifer allowed himself to focus on how Diavolo touched him. How his body reacted to each gentle ministration. Then something glittering caught his eye.

Diavolo let out a groan as Lucifer yanked on the pretty golden barbell piercing through his nipple. "I've had my eye on these for a while now. Tell me Prince, do you like it when I touch you like this?"

"Hells Lucifer," he was breathless,"What are you doing to me?"

"Taking control, especially now that I can touch more than your cock in secret."

Quiet nights holding his hand over the prince's mouth as he stroked or fingered him to completion in defiance of his father. There was no better form of resistance than finding sneaking ways to get around the rules. And there was no better reward than seeing the way his at the time fiance had looked at him.

In Diavolo's eyes he was truly the most beautiful creature.

The storm was amping up now. He pushed Diavolo back. The arched form of his aching manhood was pressed against his rear, desperate and wanting. Maintaining eye contact, Lucifer leaned down. The taste of metal coated his tongue as he worked. A large hand entangled itself in his hair, encouraging him to go further. His hand played with the other side of his chest. Diavolo continued to groan above him, another hand moved down his back and Lucifer stilled.

"May I open you?" Diavolo asked.

Lucifer straightened. He had to keep the illusion of control. He was aware something inside of him was broken. He always had an illusion of control, but it was never something he could actually possess. It always evaded his grip. Playing a part was his job, his role was to be the Crown Prince of Arcadia, nothing more than a puppet on a string. Diavolo cut those strings, or began to, and he understood how fragile and delicate they were.

“Only if I give you permission.”

He nodded.

“And I can take it away at any time.”

Another nod, “You are the one in control of yourself, just as you always are. ”

Reaching behind him, Lucifer grabbed Diavolo's aching member. His husband arched letting out a low rumble in his chest, "And you are positive you won't mind? No matter what my decision?"

"As long as you are in throes of pleasure or content I don't mind."

Lucifer thought for a moment, then his mind seemed to be made up. He settled back down into the act he was comfortable in, the act they both knew gave him the power and control he felt like he lacked. “Alright then,” he whispered, “Go ahead.”

Eagerly, Diavolo grabbed for a small jar next to the night stand before passing it off to Lucifer. As he poured some on his own hand, he couldn’t help but focus on how warm it was and how slick it felt on his skin. His nerves struck him in that moment, and he considered retracting the consent he had given, but then those gentle hands changed his mind. The first finger slipped into him without issue. He hissed, eyes closed and brow furrowed. When the second was added was when the noises started. They were muffled and short, trapped behind pursed lips and gritted teeth. He reached behind himself and grabbed onto his husband’s cock, initially gripping it tighter than what he meant to. His hands shook and his body shuddered. When Diavolo stuck a certain spot inside of him was when he lost his resolve. The moan that escaped him was not a noise he thought himself capable of making.

His grip released the weeping member and went for Diavolo’s wrist instead, “That’s enough.”

Diavolo watched him curiously as his fingers were removed. Lucifer lifted himself, and with as much poise and grace as he could muster, impaled himself on his husband. Diavolo was a large man, he knew this to be true, but it quickly resurfaced in his memory as he struggled to bottom out. The fullness he felt was almost too much, almost.

Diavolo went to speak, but Lucifer held up a hand to stop him. Then he moved. Diavolo’s hands flew to Lucifer’s hips and those golden eyes were fixed upon him, “Lucifer-”

“Do you feel good?”

“Incredibly so.”

“Am I better than anything you’ve had before?”

“You’re the only thing I want. I am honored to touch you.”

His voice flattered and his hips stuttered as he tried to meet Lucifer, but the Crowned Prince had other ideas, “You’re being so good for me right now, and good boys get rewarded. Tell me, what would you like?”

There wasn’t a single sliver of hesitation from Diavolo, “I would like to make love to you.”

Lucifer’s brain stilled. Make love to him?

Diavolo had been a bit of a romantic ever since they’d met and even before that, but the answer still caught him off guard. It hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. The words ‘to cum’ were the first that came to mind. That was usually what he was aiming for during their more private sessions.

Diavolo sat up, it changed the angle and coaxed another sigh from Lucifer’s lips.

“Would that be quite alright?”

Lucifer studied his face, used his fingers to gently trace along Diavolo’s cheekbones and lips. The storm inside of him was quelling and in its place, a gentle shower. He didn’t say a word, rather, he let their lips meet once more in a gentle embrace. It was trust, it was openness, it was a sense of home.

All of it came together, a result of an act of devotion.

When they pulled apart he nodded, and he found himself being moved to his back. Diavolo’s thrusts were consistent, gentle yet powerful. Lucifer had one hand tangled in his hair and the other on his back. He didn’t want to break eye contact with him. Each movement continued to coax gaspy grunts and sighs of pleasure from his lips. This was good. He liked this.

“I would do anything for you, you know,” Diavolo whispered, “Should entire kingdoms turn against you, I would remain by your side. I would put myself before any danger in your name. My dying breath is for you.”

Something about this scared a part of him.

Words carried so much, especially words spoken into existence. He held Diavolo tighter, “Don’t make a fool’s promise.”

“I would never do such a thing.”

Lucifer could feel his eyes wetten, his breathing quickened, and with it the heat coiling in his stomach.

Right before the edge, Diavolo pressed their mouths together.

Lucifer had never seen stars quite like that.

***

"You are aware that there is nothing forcing you to be with him?"

"Besides the union of two kingdoms?"

"You know what I mean Asmodeus."

The pair spoke quietly as they danced, Lucifer spinning the Jewel of Arcadia around, the skirts he wore flew out around him, in the most elegant ways imaginable. Asmodeus looked happy, everything about him seemed happy, but looks could be deceiving. Lucifer knew this to be true.

Asmo was in close again, his eyes darted over Lucifer's shoulder once before the sunset met rubies once more. Lucifer struggled to find the most appropriate words, something that wouldn't be so… crass.

"You don't have to copulate with him if you don't want to," was what he finally settled on, "You have autonomy you know, laying with him is not mandatory."

No matter what anyone said.

Something faltered inside Asmo, but it was quick to disappear before Lucifer could say something about it.

"I mean, I want to," Asmo whispered, "Have you seen him? He's a total hunk. Just my type. Don't think I am any less refined but I wanted to jump him, I really did." Asmo's words became even more quiet as he reached the ending bit, as if he was worried someone would overhear.

Why Lucifer would never understand. A part of him worried it was because he was the first man in a while to give Asmo any ounce of attention. Lucifer didn’t trust him, not entirely anyways.

It was… also a bit more detail than Lucifer needed.

Their waltz continued, the tapping of their feet on cobblestone keeping them in time.

Lucifer took in a breath, "You deserve the world My Jewel, I just want to make sure you know that. His duty now is to make you happy. Every waking moment should be for you, and his dying breath is for your name alone. Anything less is less than you deserve. Anything less is worthy of more than divorce. Death isn't even suitable for such an offense."

Tears pricked at the edges of Asmodeus' eyes, "Lucifer."

"That is all I have to say on the matter, my job is to make sure you enjoy the rest of the daylight now," he smiled, he wouldn't have Asmodeus for much longer, so he might as well enjoy the rest of the song, "I'm a bit rusty at dancing, wouldn't you agree?"

***

“Sit.”

“But-”

“Sit.”

Diavolo let out a soft huff, finally taking a seat on the edge of their bed. Barbatos stood behind Lucifer watching the pair with a bemused smile. Cerberus had followed suit, confused by the command, but eager to follow it nonetheless. Lucifer pinched his brows together, collecting his thoughts before letting out a sigh.

“You are still in recovery, therefore you are to be resting and allowing yourself to recover.”

“But it has been ages since I’ve picked you up and held you in my arms!” his voice was bordering on whining. He reached for Lucifer pulling him forward, just short of into Diavolo’s lap. “Is it suddenly a crime to wish to display my devotion and affection to you?”

“You know that is not true.”

Diavolo plopped back onto the bed with an arm covering his eyes as he began his lament, “My darling husband no longer adores me. He is but a mean man, a mean mean man.” He peaked out from underneath his arm, a smirk on his face, “But oh do I love it when he is mean.”

His voice had dropped an octave. It was suggestive, playful.

Hands on his hips Lucifer wandered closer. Leaning over Diavolo he put one hand next to his head, “You know I am not mean. I simply take control, and you like when I tell you what to do, do you not?”

Diavolo hummed in response, eyes hooded.

“So you will rest for me, yes? Then we can play together.”

Instead of a response, Lucifer received a quick smack to his ass. Well, he supposed that was what he deserved for letting his guard down around his playful husband. He yelped, falling on top of Diavolo who chuckled next to his ear.

“This means punishment, correct?”

“Whatever am I going to do with you?”

“Perhaps let me kiss you?”

“You would like that wouldn’t you?”

He went to stand but Diavolo yanked him back down. Barbatos’ throat clearing drew their attention back to the other side of the room, “Shall I dismiss myself?”

“Apologies Barbatos, my husband seems to have gotten a little too eager."

Lucifer stood and righted himself taking a seat on the bed. Diavolo propped himself up on his elbows, eyes aglow, "Perhaps some tea would be in order?"

"We just received a new spiced blend, hand picked by Queen Asmodeus himself"

Lucifer's ears perked, "Queen?"

"It seems his majesty thought it a bit more appropriate. There's a letter attached as well, I have it with me if you would like to read it."

Lucifer all but snatched the letter from Barbatos' hands much to Diavolo's amusement.

"That blend sounds quite interesting! Prepare us some, would you Barbatos?" Once the butler bowed and left the room, Diavolo turned his attention back to Lucifer, "All good things?"

"It appears so," the pair moved from the bed to a set of ornate chairs so that Lucifer could grab his spectacles, "It appears they stopped in Estos, for a short while on their trip back to Wystyria."

"I hear it's lovely this time of year, perhaps we can stay there when we travel to visit them."

Lucifer put the letter down before taking Diavolo by the hand. He pressed a kiss to the wedding band, "After you recover a little more, then we can speak of such things."

“And when do you think that will be?”

Leaning back in his chair, Lucifer tilted his head to the side, “In time, but until then it is my duty to take care of you.”

“Personally attended to by the King of Arcadia himself? I’m honored.”

Lucifer stood from his chair and knelt by his husband’s side, “You have performed a great act for me, and now it is my turn.” Taking both of his hands, Lucifer held them tight, “Let me do this small act of devotion for you. It will be one of many, I can assure you. I am not always the gentlest man, but I am not hardened. I do this out of love, for you.”

Diavolo’s jovial form softened, and his hands melted under Lucifer’s touch, “I have heard that I am quite the unruly patient.”

“You are just you,” Lucifer smiled, “Your perseverance is one of the many things I love about you.”

“Even when it is seen as stubbornness?”

“Especially then,” Lucifer smiled, “Now, I believe we have a letter to draft over tea, especially if you wish to visit once you recover.”

#ruewrites #obey me #dialuci #obey me diavolo #obey me lucifer #obey me asmodeus #obey me barbatos #TaBoL #diavolo x lucifer #royalty!au #arranged marriage!au

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cookierunauprompts · 2 months

Note

and now

it is trauma time

Shadow Milk Cookie was rather curious about what had just happened. He had just finished up his date, when he happened to notice something odd in the forests around the Fairy Kingdom.

Strange machines - odd angular devices glowing with a strange green liquid - were following him and…just watching. Not doing anything else, just watching.

While he always liked an audience, the idea of these things spying on him - during his date - was not welcome. So, he began looking into them. Which led to this.

One of the odd devices was floating before him, projecting an odd panel from a sphere on its front. Said panel had words written on it in a much lighter green than the rest of the panel. What the words said was just as interesting as the machine.

Please come to the Simmering Swamps. I want to talk. (APPRECIATE THE CALMNESS OF THIS MESSAGE). - Withered Oil Cookie.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure who this was - and then, it clicked in his head.

Oh, Gleaming Oil Cookie! …or, well, Withered Oil Cookie.

Actually, now that he thought about it…after he and the other Beasts turned on the Witches, he never saw her again. He thought that she had just gone into hiding, or maybe died in what happened…

But it seems she had changed too. And she wanted to see him.

…he was pretty sure there weren’t any swamps on this continent though.

Turns out, there was a swamp on this continent! It was where the Ravenous Forest used to be. (Which was probably one of the other’s fault. Or his. Either or.)

The massive, wide-ranging woodland was now almost entirely a swamp. The air was muggy and hot, pushing down on everything around it. The mangrove trees scattered throughout the marsh seemed ill, yet also clearly still alive and thriving, some of them dripping with a neon green…sap? Whatever it was, there were pools of it scattered around, contrasting drastically with the foggy water of the rest of the swamp.

…also, it had been an hour and Shadow Milk still hadn’t found where Withered Oil Cookie was, so that was frustrating.

Eventually, however, he saw something new - a green ball of light had just shot up into the sky, which was very likely to be her.

The green ball expanded out into a full message. I’M OVER HERE, CURDLE!

…yeah, it was definitely Oil. She was the only one that called him that. Many times over.

Shadow Milk lifted into the air and zoomed through the forest, soon arriving in a clearing; there was a large puddle of the strange substance off to the side, and standing right before him was Withered Oil Cookie.

She looked very different from what he remembered. Back before…everything that happened, she had her hair tied back behind her head in a ponytail. She wore a visor over her eyes while she was brewing potions (and when she wasn’t), and a green robe with darker green accents. She constantly had a bag filled with potions hanging from her side.

Now? Her hair hung down over most of her face, covering her eyes. She was wearing a metallic jumpsuit with various green tubes across it, bubbling with that same odd sap. Black ‘rubber’ was at each of her joints, and on her right arm was a much larger gauntlet that seemed to be loaded with more capsules of that sap…and that was clearly a cannon embedded in the palm.

She smiled at him, her extremely wide grin twitching. “Curdle! It’s so good to see you again! I wasn’t sure if I would after the witches sealed you away for so long I couldn’t keep track of it and was constantly wondering if you would ever be freed.” Her right eye twitched. (which was pretty concerning.)

“It’s good to see you too, Oil. What’ve you been up to since-”

“Oh well Curdle I’ve been building a lot of stuff like my super observer bots the ones that sent you a message to meet here a super awesome under-swamp base where I can see everything from there’s also this cool jumpsuit that I loaded with weapons and powered with eternal oil that’s the green stuff i also made a bunch of defense systems to protect me a really big super mecha so i can finally be big like you a therapy machine that really didn’t work and i didn’t want to mention that last one aaaaa-”

Right. That was definitely concerning. Especially since her expression shifted several times in that whole…ramble. And she was constantly twitching. And also the mention of a therapy machine.

“Oil…what did you need a therapy machine for.” Shadow Milk said, (comparatively) stern.

“Nothing important! I just need to not think about it at all and focus on everything else, building stuff, my crippling loneliness, random balls of sugar fluff-”

“What happened to you?”

And it was that moment that Shadow Milk realized he asked the wrong question.

Why are they doing this? What did I do?

“If the Heroes turned on us, whose to say this one won’t as well?”

“It would be best if we disposed of them before they grow too strong.”

I’m scared…Shadow Milk, where are you?

“We could seal them away now…but then they could break free later…”

“Perhaps we could simply crumble them? It would save time.”

I don’t understand…

“I have a suggestion, my creators. All I need is access to the Oven.”

“You wish to rebake this one, Blinding Syrup Cookie? It is not a bad idea…”

What are they talking about?

“Not quite, my creators. All I truly need is the heat.”

“...very well, Blinding Syrup Cookie. You may.”

…What’s he doing? Stay back!

“And thus, the flames of perdition ignite. They grant my chains their searing grip, so I may enact the Witches' will.”

“You shall never turn against the divine, like your monstrous ‘heroes’.”

…

A̷̘̙̦̗͗͂̔͜͝͠Á̸̻͑̉A̶͔͆̀͆͝ͅḀ̵̇Ą̵̬̍̇̏ͅA̴̳͚̳̾͐Ă̷̪̞̙̘̑̕͘̚A̵̞̎́͝Å̷̮͍̒͂̐̿A̸̪͑̔̒̍Ḧ̶̘̬̤͖̤́̃͂H̴̠͊Ḫ̵͇͓͇̗̎̆͠Ḩ̶̪͙̙̥̇H̶̝̻̰̘̿͛͜H̵̺̟͑̃̄͊̍Ḩ̸̭̩̺͓̅̅̎̓H̸͈̎̆̇͘H̵̝̤̹͊͗̾̈H̵͍̣͋̿͛̄Ḩ̷̡̨́̈́͜H̴̢̛͈͎̦̱̃́̃͗H̶̥̱̟͉̀H̴̛̻̻͂̂̋̆Ḥ̷̨̙̩͐H̵̟͍̦̑̌͠H̴͕͓̓͜Ḥ̸̮̝̫̤͂H̴̗̣͛͌H̵͕͍̎̅́ͅḨ̷̭̼̥͌̆̊͘ͅH̸̨̬͓̝͒̈́̄H̵͈̅̈̇͠H̷͙̤̉͗̓̄̔H̴̲̔̏̂̓̕H̴͙̘͋̉̇H̴̼̉́H̴͔͔̍͑̒̊̓ͅḦ̴̩́Ḥ̷͇͇͉͊͝H̴̡͔̖̓̀͜H̶͎̳͆H̴̢̧̞̼̞̓̽͠Ĥ̷͚͚̳̓͝H̵̟̑́̀̋̕H̸̢̠̱͎̊͜H̴̠̥͕̊H̵͕̟̱̘͋͑H̷̙͖̪̳̎̏̊̄͊͜Ḧ̴̻̜́Ḥ̷̗̠̝̜͒́H̶̫͗̿̂̕-!!!!!!!!

Shadow Milk Cookie had no idea what happened, only that he really messed up. One moment, he was asking a very loaded question (he realizes that now), the next, Withered Oil’s eyes just completely blanked out before she fell to the ground, writhing in utter madness. And her screams…

He had heard a lot of screams over the years, but that scream?

It was different.

It was wrong.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he moved. He dove for Withered Oil Cookie and grabbed her smaller arm, even as she lashed out with her gauntlet upon contact. It didn’t hurt that much, and slowly but surely, Oil came back to her senses.

She stared at Shadow Milk Cookie in silence for a moment, before she lunged and-

Hugged him. (he did not expect that.)

She whispered something under her breath. “Please don’t leave me again.”

“I…I don’t want to be alone…”

…eventually, Shadow Milk returned the hug.

I’m concerned i wrote Shadow Milk out of character.

Also, if you see any shipping in this…DON’T.

There is no shipping here. Only sibling relationship. Shadow Milk is the elder brother theater gremlin and Withered Oil is the younger sister throws-stuff-in-a-pot-and-weaponizes-it gremlin.

(i should probably post this on my own page...)

THEY RE-BAKED HER ALIVE??? OH.

May I ask if I can crush Blinding Syrup with a comically large hammer? Because I want to.

Also i think you might be pretty in character for Shadow Milk here, it's pretty well done! All and all this was rather nice to read!

#not a prompt #other's ocs #other's writing

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thewordkeep-ffxiv · 9 months

Text

Longing

Ale Camoa Rehw-Bidit, Viera, Rava

Protector of Village Camoa, Warder of the Treetop, Beholden to Worldly Wind

Keeper of the Green Word

Child of the Golmore Jungle in the Kingdom of Dalmasca

There were no days off from being a Wood Warder. Duty demanded patrol through furious monsoons, watch through the muggy, roasting heat of the dead of summer, and sweeps through the inky-black still of night. The Green Word would not be denied, her secrets preserved no matter the cost, and Ale, as this Warder was named, had surrendered his life to the task.

He cherished the moments of respite. When borders were clear and there were no chores in his hidden abode to upkeep, Ale would take a swim in the lagoon near his home or watch the sun set over the canopy of the jungle. He'd soothe to the patter of rainfall in the quiet solitude of his tree-hut home, wondering how different his life would have been had he not been born male, an automatic sentence to a lifetime of solitude. Would he become a great dancer like he had originally dreamed, traveling from village to village, and towing merriment with him? Would he carry physical pursuits of hunting or gathering for the village? Would he be bonded with someone? Have children? Watch them grow?

Dreaming of those possibilities soothed Ale from nightmare from time to time, passed the idle time, and eased the loneliness. Sometimes such dreams amplified that loneliness, and Ale would find himself on the far edge of his territory, gazing down the top of a cliff to the village he had called his home throughout most of his childhood. The village he would live and die to protect. The village that would forget him, and his dreams, as it served to raise more protectors of the Green Word. The scent of roasted boar would waft from the rooftops, reminding Ale of the feasts the village would often share together. He'd hear the idle din of settling village life--tools tinking and clanging here, a sharp peel of laughter there, someone barking orders, someone grunting through carrying a heavy load, and so many more sounds and smells and sights blended together to form the atmosphere of a peaceful life. Ale longed to stroll into that village, to greet the women there, steal a bite to eat, tease the children, debate nonsense with neighbors. He yearned to dance to claps and cheers, to see smiling faces around him. He ached to be a harbinger of happiness, of life.

But that was not his life, and the longer he stared at what could have been, the more he'd miss what once was. So Ale would step away from the village again, throw himself into checking snares and fishing and patrol after patrol after patrol after patrol… and killing any and all intruders. A harbinger of death.

Ah, was there more to life than this?

#ffxiv rp #viera #ffxiv screenshots #ffxiv #gposers #leif renna #thewordkeep

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count-alucard-tepes · 11 months

Note

Some moron making the mistake of messing with Baby Croc.

Cut to Cross Guild - Crocodile grinding his cigar with his teeth and holding a tiny Sables in his hand;

Hawkeye slowing reaching behind and pulling his sword out.

And Buggy in the front, both hands full of knives and a Muggy-ball loaded foot cocked and aimed, ready to blast the fool to kingdom come.

Crocodile: is that the guy, son?

Baby Croc: Yes, daddy

Crocodile, Mihawk and Buggy: so you have chosen death…

#ooc #one piece #cross guild #sir crocodile #dracule mihawk #buggy the clown #one piece crocodile

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ladyhoneydee · 1 year

Text

hideaway

zelink | OoT happy ending | 1.2k

In the muggy swamp air, Link’s skin against her own almost immediately made her start to sweat, but Zelda welcomed it. As queen and consort, she and Link would be mocked behind closed doors for showing affection this way out in the open back at the castle, but here in Woodfall, that cuddle-sweat was a mark of victory. At last, she could feel him in the way they both craved.

Link and Zelda escape to their bungalow hideaway in Termina's Woodfall Swamp and enjoy some cuddling.

This fic was written as a thank-you for the wonderful Ace! Thank you for sharing your advice and perspective. <3

Read it on AO3, FFN, or under the cut!

The prow of their canoe bumped against the worn wood of the floating platform, sending both Zelda and Link swaying in their seats. Yet, what shook Zelda to the core in that moment was hardly the docking impact could: it was the heart-swelling sensation of utter bliss she felt at their long-anticipated arrival to their Terminian hideaway.

They’d embarked from Hyrule Castle a fortnight ago. Link had signed a few last fervent instructions to their daughters’ Sheikah nursemaid, and then taken Zelda’s hand and swung it gleefully all the way to the stables. They’d lingered three nights visiting with Malon and her wife at Lon Lon Ranch, camped another three on their trek through southern Hyrule Field, and then bid their farewells to the kingdom proper as they entered the shady canopy of the Kokiri Forest. Navigating the woods was admittedly quite challenging, especially with Link along; it was impossible to reach Termina without losing one’s way in the Lost Woods, they had long since learned, and Link’s unerring sense of direction had only become more of a hindrance through the years. Even when they had finally arrived in Termina, it had taken another week of gratuitously slow traveling to reach Woodfall.

But after all of that…they had finally arrived. Zelda couldn’t stifle her smile at the sight of their hideaway: a small bungalow atop a floating platform—the custom for all structures built in Woodfall Swamp, to allow them to avoid the perils of flooding—with its familiar wooden frame showing more signs of weathering than last time, but remaining utterly welcoming.

Link launched himself out of the front of the canoe, his sturdy leather sandals thudding against the dock. The momentum of his leap sent the canoe drifting backwards atop the murky brown water, and from her perch in the stern, Zelda stuck her paddle down into the water to steady it. He immediately set to work tying off their canoe to an old post, and then reached out a hand. She passed him her paddle, and then took his hand herself.

As it happened, Link was a lot of things, but skilled at taking a good portion of her weight while keeping his balance on the gently-rocking platform of their hideaway was not one of them. Together, they collapsed onto the deck, giggling wildly.

As their laughter subsided, Zelda stared up through the tree branches that tangled in the twilit sky, mirroring the mangrove roots in the waterways that they had so cautiously navigated over the last few days. Somewhere behind them—likely on the other side of their bungalow—a frog croaked. A dragonfly perched on her elbow for a single ticklish moment before darting away.

Woodfall Swamp was an acquired taste, but it was one that she had obtained the very first moment Link had introduced her to the region on their honeymoon tour of Termina. She adored the humidity, the local wildlife, the way the moss clung to the trees and the trees clung to unseen soil beneath the surface of the water, the way the waters themselves were murky with sheer indomitable life. And, admittedly, she adored it for its utter freedom. No one told the swamp how to act, and no one could try to tell her how to act when she was out there in it. That alone made the arduous journey to their hideaway utterly worth it.

Beside her, Link rolled his shoulders. The action tugged on their joined hands just slightly, and she turned her head to face him.

“Sore?” She traced her thumb over his knuckles.

Link raised his free hand to sign one-handed above their heads. “A bit. It’s hard work being the powerhouse of the canoe, you know.”

She laughed at the teasing flair he put into his words, the extra flicks in his wrists and wiggles in his fingers. “I’m sure, sweetie, but think about how much further you’d have to paddle if I weren’t the one steering the boat, and you made us take every wrong turn and dead end.”

Link’s exaggerated look of horror made her laugh harder.

“Ah, it’s good to be here,” she sighed, leaning back again. “It’s been, what, two years?” Link squeezed her hand once: yes. “That’s right, we got here right before we learned that Amelie would be joining us. And we left early that year, too! When my morning sickness started drawing the flies out.”

This time, it was Link who shook with laughter. He scooted closer to her on the dock until he was near enough that he could bury his face into her collarbone. Fingers pressed under her loose shirt and against her midriff, and for a moment she forgot to feel for the words her partner signed against her skin, as she shivered from his touch. She tuned back in, flustered.

“—promise I won’t make you leave early this time. We can stay out as long as you want.”

“Mmm, don’t I wish.” Zelda tugged the ribbon free of Link’s long ponytail and twined her fingers into his silky hair. “I think eventually my advisors would send out a search party, though. No matter how used to our shenanigans they may be.”

As if in response to her thoughts, Link snuggled closer to her heart, and made a happy noise as her fingers scratched lightly against his scalp. His own fluttered against her tummy: “Feels good.”

“I’m glad,” she murmured. Stroking down from his roots, Zelda’s own fingers caught in a knot, and she busied herself with taming Link’s blond mane. “You’ve got a lot of knots, sweetheart.”

“Ah, sorry. Do you want me to brush them out?” After tracing through the question, Link’s fingers tapped—whether in thoughtfulness or anxiousness, she wasn’t sure—against her skin a few extra times.

Zelda smiled down at him reassuringly. “No, no! Not at all.” She pointedly began working on another tangle with gentle fingers. “Don’t even think of it.” In response, Link simply pressed his lips lightly against her collarbone.

The task was almost meditative, and wholly pleasant. As always, Zelda loved doing what she could to take care of her lover. She lost herself in the slide of silk against her fingers, his warmth against her chest, the soothing motions of coaxing every knot free. Every now and again, he would kiss her, as if in thanks—as if she possibly needed any. This time together was reward enough.

Zelda and Link lay there, communicating in a language all their own with fingers in hair and on skin, lulled by the gentle rocking of their bungalow hideaway and the balmy air, until the stars (and the mosquitoes) came out.

#fanfic #loz #oot zelink #zelink #my fanfiction

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saratogaroadwrites · 8 months

Text

For King and Country (23/122)

For King and Country | saratogaroad rating: T total wordcount: 280,466 characters: Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane, Aranella, Batu, Tani, Lofty, Leander Aristidies, Bracken Meadows relationships: Roland Crane & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Aranella & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane & Aranella, Batu & Tani, Batu & Evan, Tani & Evan, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Lofty, Rolander other tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Mother-Son Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Place Slowly Becomes Home People Slowly Become Family, Found Family, For Want of A Nail warnings: none

Pulled from his world by mysterious powers, former president Roland Crane finds himself caught in the middle of a coup meant to take the life of the young King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum. Joining forces with Aranella, the pair of them set out to aid Evan in making his dream of a kingdom where everyone can live happily ever after a reality.

But the road to peace is a long and treacherous one and there is no promise of success in a world where darkness spreads ever thicker with each passing day. If they are to stand a chance, they must stand together, for king and for country.

(A retelling.)

Thunder rumbled overhead. Evan didn’t bother to look up, pacing back and forth down the hallway outside of Roland’s room. Everyone had been expecting the storms to come to Evermore sooner or later, and he was glad that they’d been able to finish construction before the storms had slammed into the little town with all the force of a charging Manticore. It was the only bright spot he could find in the last week.

Oh, why had he let Roland come with them into the muggy summer rains? Why had he thought that was a good idea?! Just because the trip had been simple didn’t mean that it had been good for him! He’d gotten steadily worse over the trip and then he’d—he’d collapsed out of nowhere! Sure, he’d come around a minute later, red in the face from embarrassment instead of fever, but still!

And then this morning…

He hadn’t shown up for breakfast this morning. Everyone had looked to his spot at the table and made quiet, not really amused jokes about him finally taking the chance to sleep in and get some bloomin’ rest—Batu’s words, not Evan’s—but as the day had worn on and no one had seen hide nor hair of the man, the little voice in the back of Evan’s mind started screaming at him again.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

He hadn’t been able to stifle his panic this time. His mind had whirled, remembering what King Leonhard had said when he had first taken ill.

”It’s just a little bout of cold, my son,” He had said to Evan one cold winter’s night, the pair of them sitting by the fire in King Leonhard’s study. ”It’ll pass and I’ll be right as rain!”

Obviously that hadn’t been the case. And obviously there were differences between King Leonhard’s situation and Roland’s now—Evan highly doubted anyone would have poisoned Roland!—but the panicked part of his mind hadn’t cared. It had sent him running for Roland’s chambers in the northern residential wing, his room just one door down from Evan’s. He had knocked first, of course, because Nella and his tutors had instilled manners in him from an early age, but when no answer had come he had gone right in anyway.

Considering he had found Roland still in bed, feverish and unresponsive, he was glad he had.

But it did mean that panic had been chasing him ever since, nipping at his heels and leaving him too nervous to sit still. Even now, pacing back and forth through the corridor, he was wringing his hands, his half-puffed tail lashing back and forth with every step.

What if this was poison? Or another curse? Or—or anything! Oh, why had he agreed to let the obviously ill Roland spend a week on the road with him?! Just because he had looked fine didn’t mean that he was!

“Oi!” Lofty’s voice broke through his whirling thoughts. Evan looked at his Kingmaker but still didn’t stop pacing. Lofty heaved a sigh. “Settle down, Evan lad, “Youell wear a hole in the floor if you keep this up much longer.”

“I know, I know,” Evan hissed. He stopped for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. He glanced at Lofty. “You’re sure this has nothing to do with the Darkness?”

Lofty heaved another sigh. They’d been over this a couple of times already, and each time Lofty’s answer was the same. “Aye, mun, I’m sure. It’s just a run-o-the-mill cold! Ol’ Rolly-boy’s gonna be just fine.”

Would he? Evan wasn’t so sure. He shivered, chafing his arms against a chill that came from inside of him. Thunder rumbled overhead, but the sound could do nothing to cover the click of the door as it open. Evan startled, whirling back around in time to see Nella step back out of the room. He ran towards her.

“How is he?!” Evan asked, trying to peer over her shoulder and into the room. She shut the door too quickly for him to get a good look, but not fast enough that he didn’t hear a wheezing inhale from inside. Evan’s already racing heart picked up speed as panic crept closer. “He’s not—”

Nella shook her head. “He’s an even worse patient than I am, but it really does seem to be nothing more than a bad cold. Going out into this mess didn’t help. Honestly, Evan,” She put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at him. “What were you thinking? You know better than this.”

Evan’s ears folded back. Biting his lip to keep it from quivering, he nodded. He did know better than to let someone sick into the rain or snow, but—Roland hadn’t looked that bad! And he’d…he’d been fine until the fight and he’d said he was fine and—

No. No, it didn’t really matter what he’d said. Evan was King, and that meant he was responsible for the lives of all his subjects. This included Roland. He should have put his foot down and made the man stay in Evermore, but he hadn’t.

He would know better for next time. Taking as deep a breath as he could manage, he looked up at Nella. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

“You’re right,” he said, swallowing thickly. “I should have made him stay here. I just wanted…I thought that he…”

Evan squeezed his eyes shut tight. He’d just wanted a little more time to go and see the world before he’d have to settle in Evermore, one more adventure with his friends. Had it been selfish of him? Probably. It had certainly been foolish to not make Roland stay behind, but…he’d wanted the man with him.

He just wanted things to be the same as they were before. But they weren’t going to be, were they? He shook his head, glancing down as Lofty laid a comforting hand on his knee. Taking a deep breath, Evan looked back at Nella.

“I thought that he would be alright. I trusted what he said.”

“I know you did,” Nella said, bending to his level. “Believe me, I intend to have words with him about this, too, but Evan.” She reached forward, pushing hair out of his face until she could meet his eyes without looking through blond strands. “You can’t just do what you want anymore. You have to think about what’s best for everyone, alright? Even stubborn sick men who think they’re perfectly fine when they’re clearly not.”

“I know,” Evan whispered, fear and shame twisting in his chest. “I’ll know better for next time.”

Next time. He really, truly, sincerely hoped there would never be a next time like this. He already had a mix of muddled terror and grief from how similar Nella’s situation had been to his father’s, and now Roland’s image was in the mix too! He shivered at the thought. Nella made a soft noise.

“I’m sure you will,” She said, standing up straight. “Now, try not to worry too much for him. He’ll be alright.”

Evan wanted to believe her. He really, truly, with all his heart wanted to believe her, but the mix of her collapse with Roland’s and his father’s kept playing on a loop when he closed his eyes. He gripped his trousers tightly.

“Really?” He whispered. Nella blinked at him. “Is he…he’s not going to…?

He couldn’t finish. Nella made a confused noise, then stopped. Her shoulders slumped.

“Oh, Evan…” She whispered. He could hear the understanding in her voice. His heart sat heavy in his stomach as she reached out with one arm, pulling him into an embrace. He sniffled, hiding his face in her shoulder.

“No, sweetheart,” She said, rubbing his back. He reached up to cling to her, feeling all too much like a kit once again. “No. I’m sure he feels utterly miserable, but he’s going to be fine! Although I will admit,” She shook her head. Evan pulled away, panic making his blood run cold. “I can’t get his fever to come down. It’s not getting any worse, but it’s not getting better, either.”

“What can we do?” He asked, “Is there any sort of medicine we can use, or—” he wracked his brain, trying to think, “Maybe magic of some kind?”

“Healing magic doesn’t work on illnesses,” Nella said, taking him by the arm and beginning to walk down the hall. Lofty trailed in their wake, quietly watching them. “But there could be some medicine that might help. The doctors in Dell always used a syrup of Sheermint to bring down fevers. You took it a few times when you were younger.”

“I did?” He couldn’t recall. He’d been sick so rarely as a younger child. Still, if it could help Roland he would go fetch it himself! They didn’t have a doctor yet, but maybe, “Do you think Auntie Martha would have any?”

“She’d be the first person I’d ask,” Nella said. “Why don’t you go and ask her?”

“I will!” Evan took off running down the halls of the palace, his feet thumping along the floor as he ran. He slowed only long enough for Lofty to leap up onto his shoulder, then picked up speed again and bolted right out the front door. Outside, the storm was coming down hard; Evan held up an arm against the driving wind and ran for Auntie Martha’s cottage not so far from the palace gates. By the time he made it, he and Lofty were both dripping went.

“Auntie Martha!” He called as he shut the door against the storm, “Auntie Martha, are you here?!”

“Just a moment, dear!” She called from her personal quarters in the back, her voice echoing in the nearly empty open public space she had asked for. Many of her colorful little creatures milled around in the front, all of them staring at Evan as he dripped onto the floor. Normally he would have greeted them, able to understand their meaning if not their odd language, but he just couldn’t work up the cheer right now. Footsteps scraped along the stone up ahead as Auntie Martha came out of the back, drying her hands on an apron. “I was just tidying up and—oh, goodness gracious me! What happened?!”

She didn’t wait for Evan to answer before she bustled forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and hustling him over towards her firepit. He didn’t have time to protest before she’d bundled him up in a towel, wrapping it tight around his shoulders. Lofty gave a token protest as this ended up with him squashed to Evan’s back.

“Now what’s got you so worked up that you’d come out without so much as a cloak in this kind of weather?” Auntie Martha asked him, stoking the fire. Evan sank back into the warmth, sitting down on a nearby chair.

“Roland’s sick,” he said, tugging the towel tight around his shoulders, “He’s got a very bad fever and he’s wheezing something awful.” He tightened his grip, stomach a hot pit of fear. “Nella said that syrup of Sheermint could help. Do you have any?”

“Not on hand,” Auntie Martha said with a frown, “But I know how to make it. You just sit right there a second.”

Evan squirmed, needing to move but forcing himself to wait, watching as she toddled off to a shelf built into the wall of the cottage. It was full of glass flasks and jars loaded with colored liquids or shards of crystal, some full of green herbs or colored flower petals. More of the little creatures ducked between the jars, but all of them parted as Auntie Martha worked her way down the shelf.

“Sheermint, Sheermint…” Auntie Martha shifted the bottles around with the clinking of glass. Evan watched, heart in his throat. “I know I had some in here somewhere…oh, bother!” She cried, and Evan’s heart sank as she pulled out an empty bottle. “Oh, twist my knickers why don’t you!”

“Is that your Sheermint, then?!” Lofty crowed, bouncing off of Evan’s shoulder. “Look’s like Sheerdust to me!”

“It’s rotten luck is what it is,” Auntie Martha said, setting the bottle down with perhaps a bit too much force. She looked to Evan. “And it doesn’t grow this time of year, either!”

“What?” He whispered, his grip on the towel going slack. “But we need it now! Roland’s going to—”

“Aye, I know, I know! But it only grows in the cold months, dearie. There won’t be any more ‘till winter comes ‘round.” She made her way back over and sat down beside Evan, rubbing a comforting hand down his back. He sniffled back tears. “But this isn’t about some cold now is it?” When he shook his head and sniffled again, her voice grew softer. “Why don’t you tell your old Auntie what’s really bothering you, hm?”

“It’s…” he looked down at his feet, scuffing his toe against the stone floor. “It’s just…my father…he got sick, too. It looked a lot like this at first and he didn’t…” He swallowed hard, the rawness of fresh grief catching in his throat. It had gotten easier to not think about and then this and his heart ached. “He didn’t make it. Seeing Roland like this is…”

It was too hard to say. He curled into himself just a little, hiccuping around a quiet sob. Auntie Martha made a soothing noise.

“I understand, dearie,” She said, rubbing circles in his back, “And you need to do something to help, don’t you? So you don’t feel so helpless this time?”

Evan nodded. He took a shuddering breath as several of her little creatures padded over, resting their tiny hands on his legs and making crooning noises of their own.

“But I don’t know what else to do,” he whispered, “If we don’t have any Sheermint, and it’s out of season, then…” His ears drooped. “What can I do?”

Was there anything he could do? Or was he as helpless as when Nella was cursed all over again? He’d never wanted to feel that helpless again. He hiccuped around another sob, trying to hold them back. The little creatures turned into blurs of color as the tears spilled over. He reached up, dashing a hand across his face. Spirits, he was such a crybaby kit sometimes!

“Hmm…well,” Auntie Martha sat back and hummed pensively, “I reckon Goldpaw might still have some. It grows up in the mountains and high places around the city, I think.” She tilted her head as Evan looked at her, hope bubbling up in his chest for the first time all day. “If you can get me some fresh stuff, I can whip up a batch of syrup quick as a wink.” She nodded firmly. The tiny bubble of hope grew larger until it pushed back the panic and he leapt to his feet.

“Oh, thank you, Auntie Martha, thank you!” he surged forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a quick hug, “I’ll go check right now!”

He took off at a run before she could get more than a “be careful!” out, grabbing a loudly protesting Lofty under one arm and darting back into the storm. He’d grab Tani and Batu and they’d head out to Goldpaw! It’d be quick, easy, and everything would be fine!

Roland was going to get better!

#nnk2 #ni no kuni 2 #nnk2 fic #!fic #fic: for king and country

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