#you will not be robbed as long as she's with you I can assure you of that. you will be safe and sound with her

[cerise-on-top]

What kind of dates would Gaz, Laswell, Valeria, and Alejandro take you on? (Assuming they had the time lmao)

I'm sick as hell but your blog gives me lots of lovely things to think about while I recover- have a wonderful day ❤️🙏

Hello! I hope you'll get better soon, being sick is just about the worst thing you can be, I was sick not too long ago as well! I'm glad to hear my blog can give you something nice to think about, that was my intention!

Dates with Gaz, Alejandro, Valeria and Laswell

Gaz: He’s a simple man, so he’d likely take you on rather simple dates. Something along the lines of going to the cinema, or maybe taking a walk in the park with him. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy for him, sometimes he just likes being able to spend time with you alone as well, so it’ll be an indoor date where you watch a movie  and cuddle with each other on the couch. Gaz can be a rather touchy guy if you allow him to be, so he’ll likely nuzzle into you a bit as he holds you close. If it was up to him you’d be blankie burritoed until you couldn’t move and would be reliant on him to carry you to bed. However, he also loves watching movies. While he may not be the biggest fan of anime he’ll watch it with you if you absolutely insist on it. Loves, and I mean loves, discussing the movies you’ve watched together afterwards. From the soundtrack to the visuals, the story to its message, he loves spending time with you and telling you all his thoughts about the movie. Saying something sophisticated makes him feel smart, and you actually agreeing with him makes him feel good too. Even if you’re not as movie-literate as he might be, he can still appreciate you listening to everything he has to say about it. If you do listen to him then he’ll invite you to another bucket of popcorn, it’s all on him, even if you insist on paying for him instead. Gaz just loves winding down with the one he loves, so he doesn’t always need to have the most exciting dates. As long as he gets to spend time with you, even in complete silence as you both do what you want, he’s a happy man.

Alejandro: I can see his dates being a bit more exciting than Gaz’. Alejandro is a rather active man and loves some action, so he’d likely love something along the lines of going to an amusement park. His stomach can handle quite a lot, so even the rougher rides won’t be too much of an issue for him. He just hopes that you can take just as much as he can. However, if you like going to amusement parks then you’ve scored with him. It doesn’t only have to be the rollercoasters you’ll be riding, though, sometimes he just loves going to a haunted house with you as well. He’d love it if you’re a scaredy cat about this sort of stuff who clings onto him for safety and reassurance. He’ll laugh a bit about you being so absolutely adorable, and call you out on being a bit scared, but he won’t shoo you away for holding onto him. In fact, he’ll encourage it. Alejandro doesn’t scare easily, he thinks haunted houses to be quite funny, especially with you. Please do hold onto him, though, he loves feeling like the stronger, trusted person who’s with you until the end of it all. He wants nothing more than to be someone you can rely on, even if it’s just something stupid. He certainly also wouldn’t mind going to a tunnel of love with you. Since he doesn’t need to always be so serious with you, he likes goofing around and giving you a big old kiss when he can. His favorites are the rollercoasters, though. He’s loved those ever since he was a child and wants to share that joy with you. Just hearing you scream and laugh with joy makes his heart flutter. He enjoys looking at you as the rollercoasters get to the scary part, all the while you’re either pale or laughing. It warms his heart to spend such a wonderful day with you and no one else.

Valeria: Unlike Gaz and Alejandro, even on date nights she needs to show off just how powerful of a woman she is. Ergo she’ll take you on dates where you’ll be eating some fancy food. Don’t even think about paying yourself. Besides, chances are if you’re a normal worker, then you likely won’t be able to afford the food anyway. However, going to a restaurant every once in a while would be kind of boring in and of itself, so Valeria would like to couple something like that with something else. The Christmas market is in town? There’s a musical you’d like to see? You just wanna go stargaze? Valeria is down for it all. Although she’d need some convincing to go stargazing with you since being outside is a huge risk for her, being seen even more so with you. Other than that she’d amuse herself greatly upon watching a play. She never got to see any when she was a child, even if she had always wanted to see something along the lines of a good musical. And now that she can she won’t let anything at all take that away from her. You better be ready to hear about some new musical or opera in town that you’ll be visiting. An opera she’s always wanted to see would be Carmen, so if that one’s ever in town she’ll be taking some days off to watch it with you, doesn’t matter what she has to do. As long as she gets to be fancy with you and show off to you just how great of a partner she really is, she’s happy. Besides, would you really pass up the opportunity to see her in either a beautiful gown or a fancy suit? Whichever she wears entirely depends on how she’s feeling that evening and how dominant of a person you are.

Laswell: Like Valeria, she’d prefer something fancy. Laswell can afford it these days, so she, too, would take you to a fancy restaurant before going somewhere else. I guess it would entirely depend on what you’re into. If you’re really into astronomy then you’ll go to a planetarium, if you’re really into marine biology then she’ll be taking you to the biggest aquarium nearby. Laswell is flexible like that, but she does prefer something where she can learn a thing or two as well, so she’d love it if you were into going to museums. Doesn’t matter what kind, it’s hard to gross her out with anything, or even bore her with whatever it is you’re into. As long as there’s a museum or an exhibition nearby you can be certain you’ll be going there at some point. However, if she has a few days off, then Laswell isn’t above flying somewhere with you either. A vacation with her is also her ideal version of a date. Just you and her spending time with each other, in the city, in the mountains, at the beach. Doesn’t matter where, Laswell has seen enough in this world, but she never gets to see any of it with you, which is a real shame in her eyes. Besides, she knows a lot of languages as well, so it’s not like you’ll ever have to actively worry about not being understood wherever it is you’re going, she’s got you covered. Laswell loves getting to see all sights with you, so you can be certain she’ll take a few pictures with you as well. Whether you’re doing a goofy pose in front of the tower of Pisa, looking tiny in front of the Sphinx, or absolutely beaming as you regard a temple in Kyoto, Laswell will treasure all of these moments in her entirety for as long as she can. The pictures are just an added bonus.

#cod #cod x reader #kyle gaz garrick #kyle gaz garrick x reader #gaz x reader #alejandro vargas #alejandro vargas x reader #valeria garza #valeria garza x reader #kate laswell #kate laswell x reader #this reminded me of the fact that I haven't been on vacation in almost ten years #I went to Rome at some point when I was in high school #but that was roughly six years ago or so now #I wish I had someone who I could travel around with a bit I wanna see the world as well #Laswell would be the best person to go on vacation with #she knows a lot of the local customs and can speak to just about anyone. I like to think she too knows eight languages #maybe she knows even more than eight though who am I to say~ #either way I just like the idea of going on vacation with her it would be lovely and relaxing since she can handle herself #you will not be robbed as long as she's with you I can assure you of that. you will be safe and sound with her #Laswell is a good woman like that. another reason why I like her as much as I do: She knows what she's doing #I can't say the same thing about myself haha

[peachesofteal]

Light on -single mom/neighbors fic Simon Riley/female reader Prompt(s): fire alarm, reader backstory, reader cooks for Simon, requested by multiple.

The chair at your kitchen table is small. 

It’s so small, he’s half afraid he might break it, the rickety wood creaking under his weight, and he shifts, leaning back to test its ability, hoping it won’t give way on him. The wood makes a louder groaning sound, and your voice carries from the hall, half of a jest in your tone. 

“Are you trying to break my furniture?” Shit. 

“No.” He shoots to his feet, patting the little wooden chair like he’s trying to comfort it, embarrassed that he’d been caught. “Jus’ trying to test it, make sure it’s not gonna collapse on me.” 

You have an eyebrow raised, returning from your bedroom with a pajama clad Emmaline, little red onesie dotted with deer, your hand patting her back firmly and bouncing her in your arms at the same time, her little brow furrowed like she’s irritated with you. 

“It’s fine. I’m just kidding.” You look down at her and sigh. “Are you going to let me put you down so I can finish dinner?” 

“I can take her.” He offers, and you flash him a relieved smile. 

“Hear that?” You hum in her ear, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Your favorite person wants to hang out with you.” His stomach clenches. 

“Come here baby girl. Let’s let mum have a break, yeah?” He reaches, and you bend down to place her in his arms, the smell of your skin, your hair, the scent of your laundry detergent flooding his senses. Emmaline is so small in his hands, but he’s growing more comfortable holding her, and when she settles against him easily, he can’t help the warmth that flares in his heart, overflowing through his body with pride, and… something else. Something strong. Something he thinks he knows the name of, but is too afraid to voice. Something that has him dreaming about giving you his last name, giving it to Emmaline too, tacking Riley onto the end of both you, as a stamp, a seal, a promise.

“She still needs to burp.” You tell him softly, pulling the cloth from your shoulder and arranging it onto his, fingers lingering when you smooth it out. “Do you know-“ 

“Yeah.” He assures, swiftly, and you smile again, hand brushing against his when you give her on last little pat on her back. 

“Okay. I’ll work on dinner then.” 

“You ah- don’t have to keep feeding me.” He tells you, even though the full plate of pot roast with stewed carrots, potatoes, and gravy makes his mouth water, massive portion settled in front of him like you’re trying to make sure he’s never hungry again. 

What a good girl, he muses indulgently. Good little mum. Good little wife. Emmaline coos in his arms, still awake, settled on his knee with her back to his stomach, one hand firm around her tummy. He bounces her, one hand with a fork stabbing into a carrot, the other holding her steady. Safely. 

“I can take her, if you want to-“ 

“No. You sit.” He inclines his head, and you blink, before automatically folding into the chair diagonal from him with your own plate. The room is quiet, fork chiming against china, until you speak again. 

“I don’t mind it.” You swallow, taking a long sip of water. “Cooking. For you.” You whisper it to your plate, like it’s a secret, like you’re ashamed, and he tamps down the urge to reach for you. “You do so much for us, you’ve- I don’t know how to repay you.” You’re mine now, sweetheart. You don’t have to repay me. It’s my job to take care of you. Take care of you both. It almost all comes out of his mouth, but instead he changes hands on the baby, putting his fork down and extending the one closest to you, palm open on the table, a gentle entreaty. 

“I don’t mind, helping. Someone’s gotta take care of you girls.” Your eyes go wide, lips parting, before you’re collecting yourself, looking down into your lap with a stunned little smile. “Sweetheart, I-“ 

The words are robbed from him, stolen by a screeching, blaring noise in the hallway, a high-pitched alarm that has him out of the chair, shoving the table with one hand and positioning himself between the door and you, curled over Emmaline who’s now crying, startled. 

“Fire alarm.” You wince, but when he doesn’t relax, your expression goes waxy, soothing, and your hand finds the inside of his elbow. “It’s just a fire alarm, Simon. People fuck with the pull station now and then. Probably nothing.” It takes a second, a second too long for his brain to catch up, and when it does, he blanches, looking you over for fear, repulsion, of him. Distaste of the secondhand reaction that he just cannot control. 

He doesn’t find it. Only blithe acceptance. Understanding. He clears his throat. “Let’s get outside then.” 

It’s cold outside. Winter is in full swing, and he’s happy he forced you into your winter jacket when did, amid your distraction, too pre-occupied with wrestling a screaming Emmaline into her coat and hat, swaddling her up in a fluffy blanket before you even stopped to think about yourself. 

“It won’t be long.” You tell him, alternating between trying to soothe the baby’s frantic tears, and looking around anxiously. “Station seventy-four is just a few blocks north.” Station seventy-four? “Look, see?” You point, cooing at Emma, red emergency lights flashing down the street. You stray closer to him, pressing into his side, and he puts his arm around you, squeezing your shoulder. You’re… nervous, and he’s not sure why. The fire alarm didn’t seem to rattle you too much but now, you’re chewing on your lip, eyes scanning across the people milling about outside. 

“You alright?” He murmurs, and you nod. 

“Just cold.” You reply through clenched teeth. 

It doesn’t take long for the fire service to get the building sorted, and once they give the all clear, you break from his side, beelining towards the front of the building. He’s about to jog after you, surprised at the pace that you've managed to make, when he hears someone calling your name. Practically yelling it, and he pulls up short.

It's a firefighter. He approaches you with an open palm, like he's trying to corner a wounded animal, and your face pinches at the corners, hand cradling the back of Emmaline's head. Simon inches closer, getting within ear shot, using the dark and the people still scattered about to sink into shadow, becoming Ghost, silent, unnoticed, and lethal. Nearly unseen.

"-are you?" The firefighter asks, staring at the baby in your arms with wide eyes.

"I'm fine. We're fine." You reply stiffly, looking away with a grim, haunted expression.

"You never come down to the station... we'd- we'd love to see you both. Or if you ever needed anything, we're here for you. We-"

"Thanks." you cut him off, trying to turn away, but he steps after you, protesting.

"I know it doesn't-"

"Officer." An older man interrupts, sharply, and the younger firefighter straightens.

"Captain."

"You're needed for system reset." He instructs, and the officer takes one last look at you, something conflicted in his face, before nodding and stepping away. "He's not wrong." The Captain tells you gently, and you shake your head.

"We don't need anything from you."

"You need community. Support. The station is a family, we look after our own."

"I'm not your own." You snap. "He was! He was your own. And how well did you look after him, Captain?" The words are vicious, pointed like arrows, seeking to maim, to hurt, and the look on your face is so anguished, so tormented, that Simon can't stand to see it for one more second.

"Everything alright?" He steps between you and the Captain, positioning his body so that you're half hidden, and your shoulders immediately slump, tension draining from you when you look up into his face.

"Yeah, let's go inside. It's too cold out." You tell him, and he nods, casting a glance over his shoulder at the frowning man, letting his hand slide over your shoulder and down your spine, directing you inside and keeping you close.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks again once you're in the hallway outside your door, and you turn into him, close enough that he can lean his nose down to skim through your hair.

"I'm okay." You whisper, fingers finding his at his hip. "We're okay."

#peaches writes #light on #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon riley

[carolmunson]

orange colored sky Eddie would get flowers for both peach and their lil Gwen

I feel like Peach (you) is more chill around Valentine's day. Not so big, not so small. She'll make dinner for him, or he'll take her out and they'll exchange chocolate or a tiny little 'I love you' type gift like -- 'I know you've been needing a new record storage case.' or 'I know you said your moisturizer was running low.' Stuff that makes you know that the other person is listening or paying attention.

But when Gwen is at pre-school and learns about Valetine's Day? Oh it's uh...it's a wrap, because Gwen loves Valentine's Day. I feel like it's so fitting for Eddie to have a little girly girl daughter. She loves pink and red so she feels like the holiday is for her and her alone. The second her teacher hangs up hearts and tells them about passing out valentine's she gets picked up and is like:

"Daddy, did you know Vawentime's Day is coming? What did you get mommy? Why don't we have and dec'rations like Miss Shonda does at school? How come we don't have flowers? Are you getting me flowers? Is mommy getting flowers? Rochelle said her mommy gets flowers from her other mommy every day," she rattles off, holding onto three of his fingers while they walk down the street toward the subway. "Um..." he starts, hoisting her up on his hip while they go down stairs to the 3 train platform, "Well, mommy doesn't really like flowers. But I haven't got a present for mommy yet. Maybe you can help me?" She brightens up, when he puts her down, bouncing so excitedly that her light up shoes twinkle as the train wooshes into the station, "I can help! And we can get dec'rations! We can-we can um-we can get hearts n' stuff like Miss Shonda has? Did you know Miss Shonda has a Valentine? She said it's Mister Shonda. But um -- " As quick as Gwen's excitement starts, it stops, her smile crumpling into a sad frown while they get on the train. He picks her up again, bouncing her with a soft coo, "Oh, Gwenny, what's wrong? We can decorate when we get home! We'll cut out some hearts!" "I-I-I d-don't have a-a-a V-vawentiiiiimmmme," she sobs, and he stifles a laugh, catching the eye of a woman across from him who is trying to stifle her own at the cuteness of his daughter. "Aw, honey, I'll be your Valentine," he soothes, kissing her cheek, "Me and mommy can be your Valentine." "You and mommy?" she asks, interest piqued, "And Auntie Rob and Auntie Nancy? And Uncle Steeb?" "Oh, absolutely," he assures, knowing that Steve would get a flight to New York for the 14th if Gwen even breathed the words 'Will you be my Valentine?' his way. "Dass a lotta Vawentime's," she mumbles, wiping her eyes, "That's too many, daddy." "So do you just want me and mommy to be your Valentine's?" he asks, pulling her tight to him on his lap when the car gets busier at the next stop. "Ya," she nods, "And we get her a ring, cause Marcus said his mommy was saying she wants a ring or a new boyfwend." Eddie and a few other train takers snicker at her lack of understanding. "Mommy has a ring, baby," he laughs, "Daddy got her a ring a long time ago before you were born. And I don't think we should look for a new boyfriend for her either." "Okay," she nods, pressing her forehead against his, "We can uh. um! We can get her somethin' ELSE! Somethin' pretty." "Yeah, we'll get her something so pretty," he agrees, "I think we'll get you something pretty, too." "Like a ring?" she squirms excitedly. "Maybe a bracelet, or something that won't fall off at the park," he offers, "We'll think of something." "Daddy..." she starts, sleep heavy on her eyes now while she settles into him. A yawn pulls at her face, scrunching her eyes shut, "I like Vawentime's Day." "Me too, Gwenny," he smiles, running a hand over her end of the day curls, "Me too."

#valentine's blurbie #orange colored sky #ocs!eddie #orange colored sky!eddie #blurbie

[hannahssimblr]

Night descends upon us and yet, as usual, the stars don’t shine brightly the way that they did last summer when our bonfire roared under clear, sparkling skies. I think of that night now as I sit on a patch of cool earth in the dunes above Dollymount Strand surrounded by rusting cans and the sun-bleached wrappers of discontinued chocolate bars.

I remember the balmy air of late July, how I didn't even heed it until now when the night is still too cold to sit out in yet we all pretend it isn't. Anyway, it’s too late to point it out to the crowd that's already gathered here, drinking and playing music from a speaker that crackles every time the bass gets too loud, so I sit as close as I can to the flames without climbing into the pit with them, and let their heat lick over my skin. 

I share a few beers with a big, severe looking boy next to me for a while. He's got silver spikes protruding from his lip, and high cheek bones that make his face look kind of gaunt and hollow like a Tim Burtonesque character. We called him Lurch at school, because he’s also about six foot five and rake thin, but tonight I learn that Lurch’s real name is Rob, and actually, Rob is a very nice person.

He talks to me about music for ages, about his drum kit and how the neighbours keep complaining to his parents about the noise. I tell him that I’ve always wished I was musical but I have absolutely no sense of rhythm. I’m kind of a loser like that, despite my dreams of being that guy with the guitar who impresses all the girls, but I have long since accepted that I will settle to be a humble music-recommender instead. Jen still keeps all of the silly mix tape CDs I made for her in primary school in her room, and it gives me an inexplicable sense of worthiness whenever I spot them.

Never once during my conversation with Rob do I tell him about the Lurch thing, though it crosses my mind several times. What seemed so funny once in the confines of my little group seems kind of obviously mean now, but I suppose I never took the time to think about it before.

Katie is nice too, the girl with a stammer who snorts when she laughs, which is often once she joins in our conversation, because she seems to think my stories are very funny, as does Rob, and I have to tell them not to laugh so hard because it only encourages me to put myself in more situations that might be entertaining to retell later on. They think that's funny too, but actually, I am being serious.

Still, I know they’ll love that one about the time I was using the desert as a toilet and a military helicopter flew overhead, convincing me that my great aunt’s busybody neighbour had called the FBI to report me for public urination, so I make sure to tell it in the most energetic way I can. It’s easier and way more fun to reveal embarrassing things about myself when I’m drinking, and by the time I have finished telling it, I toss my empty bottle to my feet where four others already lie. I hadn’t even realised I had drunk that much, but who cares when I feel this good.

“Jesus, you’re so funny,” Katie says once her giggles have subsided, “I can’t believe we all thought you were an arsehole.”

“You thought that?”

“Not really,” Rob assures me, “We just thought you were… like, a bit…”

“...of an arsehole,” I finish, and he’s clearly being polite so he denies it, but he shouldn’t bother, really, because I already know how I am. I'm aware of the things I’ve said and done to other kids for the sake of relieving my crushing, constant boredom, never really thinking about the consequences beyond ‘it will be funny’. Maybe I should say I’m sorry. 

“Nah you’re right, I’m kind of a horrible bastard,” and I laugh at myself, which gives them permission to do so too, albeit awkwardly.

“You’re not, you’re not,” Rob assures me, “You definitely weren’t the worst of the guys in our year…”

I want to ask him who is the worst, purely for the satisfaction of hearing him say that it’s Fitzy, or Murphy or Breener or any of those other awful, rugby wanks, but I don’t because someone coming through the grass has derailed my train of thought. 

“What’s she doing here?” 

I have interrupted Rob and now he’s blinking in surprise as he turns to where Leah, fucking Leah, is approaching us. 

“Uh, she comes to talk to Evan sometimes,” he explains, “just for like, a few minutes usually and then she heads off. Do you know her?”

“Yeah.”

I watch with a clenched jaw as she and Evan disappear into the darkness for a few minutes, and pop open a brand new beer bottle as Rob and Katie chat as I sit between them having lost all of my sense of fun in an instant. I’m also drunk, if not very much getting there judging by the slightly blurry flames that dance exotically in front of my eyes. I have a dim thought that it’s probably a good idea to stop drinking if I plan on seeing Jen later. I doubt Michelle’s parents will be too pleased if I show up steaming drunk at their door…

“Oh my God, Jude, I didn’t expect to see you here!” Leah is back and standing right over me. I don’t even bother to look up at her face, and instead just stare at her ratty Vans that I’m almost certain are the same pair she wore when we used to hang out two years ago, and they were ratty back then.

“Yep,” I say. She sits down so closely to me in the sand that I can smell her distinct, Leah smell. She doesn’t smell bad, just like an unpleasant sensory memory. 

“How are you?”

I clear my throat, “Are you buying drugs from teenagers now? Is that what it’s come to?”

“Oh, I thought you already knew how Evan and I knew each other.”

“No.”

“Well, mister policeman, it’s just weed,” she pulls the baggie I saw earlier out of her jacket pocket, “We can even smoke some together now if you like.”

“Weed makes me sick.”

“I remember that! Ha!” She offers it to Rob and Katie who both decline and exchange alarmed looks over our heads.

“Are you going to sit here all night?” I ask her, and even to my own ears it’s unbelievable how rude I am to her, but I don’t care, she deserves it, and it’s not like she even seems to register my tone anyway, she’s always been completely oblivious to what people think about her. She’s that person who hangs around at the party for way too long and keeps bringing up conversations that everyone stopped talking about ages ago. 

“Jude and I go way back,” Leah explains to Katie beside her, “I met him when he was, what,” a nudge to my arm, “thirteen?”

“Twelve.”

“We used to be friends, back when he was fun.”

I scowl and she drapes herself over my shoulder with an effortless laugh as though she somehow believes this is our usual banter, “I’m joking, he’s still so fun! And cute!” She tries to grab my face and I shake her off insistently so she settles for fisting a hand in the front of my sweatshirt to hold me hostage instead, “Isn’t he, though?” she presses poor, sheepish Katie who explodes in a ferocious blush. “Would you say he’s the cutest boy at school?”

“I- I don’t know,” Katie stutters. 

“Well guess what! I got to be the lucky girl who took his virginity!”

I rip her off me but she comes back at me with more grabbing hands and tickling fingers, “Ooh! It’s true, isn’t it? Isn’t it Judie? Oh, isn’t it?”

I wrench her off me with finality and clamber to my feet, my heart beating, my stomach queasy, “Leave me alone, okay?” I bend down to swipe my beer bottle out of the hollow I made for it in the sand and even then she tries to touch my hair. It infuriates me. “I’m serious! Piss off!” I spit.

“Oh God, mister grumpy!” She says as I stagger around the bonfire to get away from her and everything that she represents. I’m definitely drunk now, it's in my sluggish movements, the way my eyes drift unfocussed from person to person, but being drunk is preferable to remembering Leah as vividly as I would if I were perfectly sober. Right now, it is just snippets of an evening three years ago that play through my mind. The week I turned fourteen, and the hard, frozen November ground by a swing set. The things I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do but thought knew I should by then, and Leah, and the heat of her skin, the smell of her sweat, the hyper fixation I had on that piece of bark mulch I felt tangled in her hair which somehow became the strongest memory of all, something that I still associate with her when I feel the sharp dig of something in my palm.

When I don't see her I don't think of these things, so I circle the bonfire until she is invisible, obscured by the roaring flames and swallowed by the darkness.

Beginning // Prev // Next

#lucky boy 2009 #behold Leah #tw: sex mention #tw: drugs #tw: bullying

[justauthoring]

Shadow of Yourself [12/18]

Prompt: “You’ve changed, Eli. I barely even know who you are right now.”

A/N: WHEN I TELL YOU I AM SO EXCITED

Based off of: Cobra Kai 04x08, 04x09 and 04x10 Warnings: some swear words (because tumblr apparently doesn’t like that), poorly written fight scenes (i swear, i struggle so much) Pairing: Eli Moskowitz x F!Reader

Tag List: @moonydrafts - @ashwhowrites - @traveleraroundsworld - @truly-abysmal - @likecherriesinthespring - @hollxe1 - @asonofpeter - @scarlett-verse - @musically-ambiguous - @kayda1 - @moon-zoons - @dwcode - @day-dreamsinthedark - @leilani788 - @silvermagnolias - @hawkinsavclub - @animewolflover278 - @gruffle1 - @b-tchymoon - @maggiecc - @beetea38 - @hawkinsavclub1983 - @crpytids - @embersparklz - @kimilight - @httpjiikook - @marauderssmut - @fyckcore - @multinci - @lqveabby - @oh-well-whatever-nevermind - @redskull199987 - @silvermagnolias - @shortneko - @okjaeminn - @thecyclonetragedy - @vamproq - @siriusfahey - @cobrakaigirlie - @kaylinfayezink - @oursuh - @aphroditelxver - @minl0u - @cherrywinepoison - @bath1lda - @fixalice - @fallsofserinity - @maisieibae - @ssrcsm​ - @notplutos - @kaitieskidmore1​ -

THAT DAY THAT FINALLY CAME:

You were nervous.

Extremely so.

Hands wringing together, nerves bubbling up in your stomach, it was hard to simply take a step forward. The school gym doors were right in front of you, a single step forward and you’d be inside but a huge part of you simply just wanted to turn tail and run all the way back home. It’d be easier than dealing with the nerves in your stomach, at the very least.

But did you really wanna miss your prom?

It only happened once. Once that you could dress up in a pretty dress, do your hair and put makeup on and dance with the rest of your graduating class and just have fun… were nerves enough to rob you of this experience?

Eyes flickering down, you eye your dress. You’d felt beautiful in it when you bought it. Moon had assured you you look amazing. So why were you so nervous? 

Who… Who cared what people thought? You hadn’t chosen this dress just because Moon liked it – you’d chosen it because you’d liked it too. It had made you feel a way no other piece of clothing had ever made you feel, and you wanted to have fun tonight. Forget about karate, about your mom and just have fun with your friends. Just because Eli didn’t ask you to prom like you’ve been hoping he would since as long as you can remember, didn’t mean you couldn’t still have a fun time with your friends.

Yeah.

Sure, you’d been disappointed but that didn’t mean you couldn’t still walk through those doors, in your dress, feeling confident and have the night of your life.

Taking a deep breath, you brush away imaginary wrinkles from your dress, stepping forward and pulling open the doors to the gym. You’re instantly faced with music, laughter and colors all staring back at you, students fluttering past you as they go to dance, laughing with their friends or dates or get something to drink, racing towards the punch table. The gym was completely alive, music blaring and light’s dancing across your vision. And barely anyone batted an eye to you.

“Y/N!”

Or so you thought.

Turning at the sound of Moon, you smile as she beams over at you. “You made it!”

“Yeah,” you laugh lightly, “figured I shouldn’t miss my own prom.”

She laughs in response, shaking her head as her hand slips into your own. “When I saw Eli here, I thought maybe you weren’t coming.”

You blink at that, meeting Moon’s gaze as your lips part; “oh… well, Eli–he didn’t ask me, so…”

Her lips part; “what?” She exclaims, and you shuffle on your feet nervously, not knowing what to say in response.

“Well, he’s an idiot.”

Shrugging, you can’t help the smile that curls onto your lips.

“Seriously, Y/N, he’s an idiot,” she assures, squeezing your hand. “You look like a goddess.”

Blushing, you wave her off; “no I most definitely do not.”

“Uh, yes, you do.” She deadpans.

And when you turn to look at her, there isn’t an ounce of doubt on her face. Nor mockery. She means what she says wholeheartedly. 

No girl like her has been so nice to you.

“Thanks,” you offer quietly, nervous as you brush a strand of loose hair behind your ear, not sure what else to say.

“Of course,” she grins, “now, wanna come dance with me and my friends?”

She gestures behind her, and eyes following her gaze you falter when you see the group of girls she means. It’s not like you’ve ever spoken to them before this to really know what they were like, but those were the girls you’d always envied before; when you’d been nothing. Pretty, popular and confident. You in the past would’ve killed to be like them, and it felt odd to breach in on their circle now.

Sure, you had more friends now. But you were still lacking in the confidence department, and you wouldn’t say you were really any prettier.

“I don’t wanna impose,” you mumble, shaking your head. “I mean–”

“You’re not imposing,” Moon assures, pulling you towards her as she starts to step towards the group. “I want you to come dance with me. It won’t be fun without you.”

You’re not really sure what you did to make Moon like you so much and you’re not sure why she cares but you don’t think it’s a trick either. Moon’s too kind for that. She’s sweet and warm and she makes you feel like she genuinely enjoys being your friend and hanging out with you. You’d only ever had one other girl as a friend before and that was Sam – but it was different with Moon.

Just different.

“Okay,” you submit, voice quiet, letting a small smile curl on your lips.

And so she leads you, her friends instantly brightening at the sight of her. There’s a moment of tense silence on your end, every muscle in your body tightening, until they smile back at you, all bright-eyed and kind.

One girl leans over to you, speaking loud enough over the music. “You’re Y/N, right?”

Blinking at the fact that they even know your name, it takes you a moment to respond. “Uh, yeah.” Then, remembering yourself, you add; “Britney, yeah?”

“Yup!” She grins over at you.

“I’m surprised Moon managed to get you to come over here,” another girl speaks up. Leah, you think her name is. “She’s been waiting for you since we got here.”

When you glance over at Moon, she just has an embarrassed smile on her lips.

“I had no idea,” you admit softly.

Moon goes to say something but then Britney is squealing in excitement, her hand suddenly latching onto your wrist. “I love this song!” She calls, pulling you with her without another word and a surprised glance back at Moon has her laughing but otherwise, she moves to follow the both of you as well, Leah trailing behind her.

You fall into step with them easily.

Moon and her friends are easy to talk to, and they help fill in the gaps where you otherwise struggle to. You can’t remember the last time you had this much fun, spinning and swaying on the spot, allowing yourself to admittedly dance stupidly sometimes, but Moon and her friends do the same so there’s never any shame or judgment.

You just let yourself go.

And unbeknownst to you, there’s a pair of eyes that follow you as you move. 

Eli watches as you join Moon and her friends and dance, unable to tear his gaze away from you as you laugh, head thrown back in pure bliss. Eli can’t remember the last time he’s seen you so happy, a wave of guilt that flushes through him at the realization that he’s been a big part of why you haven’t been happy.

And as he watches you, he can’t help the semblance of disappointment -- in himself.

The truth is, he’d wanted to ask you to prom but felt he didn’t deserve to.

It was bad enough Demetri had forgiven him so easily after all he’d done and he knew you’d forgiven too but Eli knew he didn’t deserve you. The amount of times he’d made you cry, the fear in your eyes when he’d broken Demetri’s arm and it had been fear of him… or the way he’d played with your feelings and made out with Moon that night at the party. He can’t remember exactly what he was thinking that night, just that he was hurt and upset by your words and Moon had looked at him the way no popular girl had ever looked at him like.

Whatever, Y/N, I’m done trying to make you happy.

He’d said those words to you that night, when the truth was that was the farthest thing from the truth. Eli would give anything to make you happy.

He’d regretted it almost the second he’d done it. That much was clear in the way Moon had broken up with him.

Eli knows he should’ve asked you to prom. He should’ve stepped up, made the first move, especially when you’d seemed so… heart broken that night on your porch when he hadn’t. You’d tried to play it off, but Eli has known you long enough to be able to tell that you’d been disappointed.

He should’ve asked.

He knows that.

But you deserved better than him.

He was just some loser who talked a big game but did nothing but turn into a bully.

And you didn’t deserve a bully.

-

“I’m just gonna grab something to drink, okay?”

Nodding at you, Moon sends you a smile and with that, you move to turn, weaving your way through the crowd of people, trying not to get bumped on the way. Truthfully, you’ve built up a bit of a sweat dancing for as long as you have and your throat was definitely dry. But, despite the exhaustion seeping into your muscles, there’s an air of bliss around you.

Spotting the table with the punch of it, you rush forward. You probably needed water more than anything, but punch would be better than nothing, so with a shrug, you grab a cup and pour some in. 

Taking a sip, your eyes flicker to your right at the sight of a familiar face.

“Those were some dance moves,” you call once you’ve swallowed your drink.

Robby blinks at your voice, body tensing briefly before his body shifts, turning to face you. You offer a small smile when his eyes meet yours, and despite the awkward tension in the air, Robby does the same.

“Pretty sure you guys put all of us to shame,” you joke lightly.

Noticing your light-hearted tone, Robby eases. “Well, I did watch a lot of Dirty Dancing.”

You grin at his words, “it paid off.”

At that, an awkward silence falls over the two of you. You haven’t spoken to Robby since that night at the drive-in, and that had obviously gone anything but well. Not to mention, you were disappointed that despite everything, Robby in the end had still chosen to join Cobra Kai.

And he’d been the one to cut Eli’s mohawk off.

But, the fact of the matter was you couldn’t make his decisions for him.

And you didn’t want to lose another friend to Cobra Kai.

“No date?”

Blinking, you turn to Robby at his question; “no,” you shrug. “No one asked me.”

He raises a brow; “I would’ve thought Hawk would’ve.”

Yeah, me too. You can’t help but think.

“Nope,” you shrug again, purposefully keeping your tone light-hearted. You’ve been depressed over Eli not asking you long enough, and after the fun you’ve had tonight, you didn’t want it to dampen your mood. “Saw you brought Tory?”

“More like she brought me,” he snorts, “pretty sure I wouldn’t have been allowed in here otherwise.”

“Oh, yeah,” you laugh, “I guess that’s true.”

Smiling at you, Robby takes a step towards you. His face softens and his gaze turns sincere as he glances down at you, no ounce of any animosity between the two of you. Something that makes you feel happy at the thought.

“You look beautiful tonight, Y/N.”

Startled at his words, you can’t help the way your cheeks burn in response, that having been the last thing you expected him to say. When you meet his eyes, there’s a genuine, soft smile on his lips, and you hate the way it makes you flustered in response.

“C-Careful, Robby,” you try to laugh off, eyes flicking to your right where you see Tory staring at you. “Or Tory might actually kill me.”

He follows your gaze, watching the way Tory tries to play off her watching at having been caught, a chuckle leaving his lips. “I guess that’s my que,” he offers, pulling your attention back to him.

“Yeah,” you agree softly, “have fun, Robby.”

“You too,” he says sincerely, “it was good to see you.”

And your heart warms at that.

“It was good seeing you too, Robby.”

-

“Here.”

Eyes flickering up at the sound of your voice, Eli pauses in shock.

You laugh lightly at the look on his face, shaking your head as you take a seat next to him on the couch. You gesture to the cup held in your hand, urging him to take it and with only a moment more of hesitation, Eli slowly takes the cup from you. He glances down at it briefly, but doesn’t take a sip from it, instead his eyes move back to meet yours, still just as baffled.

“I can’t believe he just knocked that guy out,” you laugh, gesturing to the passed out guy Stingray had hit on the floor right behind the both of you. 

Eli blinks, glancing at said guy before back at you; “yeah,” he offers after a moment, admittedly quite lamely.

You eye for a moment, waiting for him to say something more, but he never does. “I’ve been looking for you all night,” you admit, turning to meet his eyes. 

“I didn’t want to bother you,” he explains, “you looked like you were having fun with Moon.”

Flushing faintly, you stare at your cup; “you saw that?”

Eli just smiles faintly, laughing; “of course I did. I’ve never actually seen you dance.”

Mildly embarrassed, you move to point at Eli. “Don’t ever tell anyone about that,” you teasingly threaten, not meaning a word of what you say. “I’m so embarrassed you actually saw that.”

“You were dancing in the middle of the gym.”

“I thought you’d be more focused on something else.”

You’re always what I’m focused on, Eli wants to say.

But he doesn’t.

Instead he says what’s been on his mind for far too long, nagging at him, echoed words in the back of his head that won’t go away. “I, uh… I saw you with Robby too.”

Head snapping up, you turn to look at Eli in disbelief, lips parting to say something before the words die on the tip of your tongue at the look on his face. He looks genuinely disheartened, his gaze upset as he avoids your eyes, fingers fiddling in his lap, the cup set aside on the table.

Moving to set your own cup down, you shuffle closer to Eli, his body instantly tensing in response as your leg presses against his own. “I already told you, Eli,” you whisper, voice soft and quiet but because of how close you are, Eli can hear you perfectly. “I don’t like Robby. I like you.”

His lips part, but he doesn’t say anything.

Feeling like you can’t breathe, but wanting more, you lean forward, inches away from him.

“I’ve always liked you.”

You wait for him to say something, anything. But he doesn’t.

Setting your hand on Eli’s own, you frown; “why didn’t you ask me to prom, Eli?”

His eyes widen, “I-I…”

“I wanted you to ask me so badly,” you admit after a moment, whispering, “I like you so much that it hurts…”

His eyes flicker from your eyes to your lips, and you wait; wait so patiently for him to do something, to make a move. But he doesn’t. He just stays there, frozen still, and it occurs to you somewhere along the way that if you want something to happen, you’re gonna have to make it happen.

So, you do.

Leaning forward, you close the gap of space between the both of you, eyes falling shut as you press your lips against Eli’s. It’s just as tense and awkward as the first kiss the two of you ever shared was, but you don’t let it sway you, leaning forward as your hand moves to slip into his own. Eli is still in front of you, not moving, but you think he’s just nervous, shocked and any moment he’ll–

Pulling back, Eli pushes you away, eyes wide and lips left parted as he stares back at you.

Then, suddenly, he’s standing to his feet and running off before you can even say anything.

Stunned, you sit there, dazed and confused.

He’d… Eli had just…

Slumping against the couch, you press your hands to your lips, still wet, and panic strikes you as you realize you misread everything. You’d thought… you thought maybe he liked you back still, that he still returned your feelings. You’d had your doubts and fear but you’d tried to ignore them, tried to convince yourself it was just your own insecurity making you misread things. Making you overthink things.

But someone didn’t run off like that just because.

He clearly was mortified at the thought of even kissing you.

You can’t believe that you…

Feeling your eyes burn and your vision turn blurry, you rush to a stand yourself, trying to hold yourself together as you move to leave. On the way your eyes meet Demetri’s, stood by Yasmine, and you’re mortified at the thought that not only Demetri but Yasmine had witnessed that as well.

It takes everything within you to hold in your tears.

Without another second of hesitation, you turn, making your way to the front door and out, humiliated.

-

The day of the tournament.

You’d always tried to distance yourself from the drama of everything that involved karate, tried to stay out of the fights and keep a middle-ground stance on everything. But today, you were more than ready to fight for your dojo. You think you owed Miyagi-Do and Mr. Larusso that. So, you pushed everything aside, pulling it from your mind and choosing to ignore everything other than giving it your all and proving to Mr. Larusso you hadn’t learned nothing.

You wanted Miyagi-Do to win. For yourself, for your friends and for Mr. Larusso.

When you walk into the tournament that day, you don’t let Eli phase you. All of that could come later, or maybe it never would – either way, you didn’t care.

Or, you convinced yourself you didn’t care.

You listened as Mr. Larusso gave his encouragement speech, ignoring the nerves in your stomach and the way your hands shook. You listened to everything he had to say carefully, taking it all in. When Demetri tried to talk to you, you brushed him off, ensuring him you were fine and that there were more important things to worry about.

He looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t.

It wasn’t hard to ignore Eli either, given that he seemed just as determined to avoid you as well.

It allowed for no interruptions. All you had to worry about was your nerves. Last time you’d been at the All Valley tournament, it had been as a spectator. Actually being a part of it was a whole new experience, and knowing there were a few hundred eyes watching you closely and judging your every move didn’t help.

“Just focus on yourself,” Mr. Larusso had told you when he’d noticed your shaky hands. “All that matters is you making yourself proud.”

And you took his words to heart.

The first section was the skills section. It was easier to walk into this knowing that everyone from your dojo and fellow dojo’s would be doing much of the same. You’d been tasked with showing your skills with a staff, and walking across the mat had felt like the most agonizing, nerve-wracking moments of your life, but the second you stopped, turning to face the ground, you’d remember Mr. Larusso’s words and focused just on what you had to do.

Not on the crowd. Not even on your friends.

Just you.

You passed with flying colors. No mistakes. Your form had been perfect, your skill had been precise and you’d managed to get yourself flying scores across the board.

“Amazing job, Y/N,” Mr. Larusso smiled down at you, squeezing your shoulder in encouragement. “You did well.”

You beam up at him, the smile genuine, and move to fall in line with the rest of your class.

Eli’s turn was next.

He was tasked with breaking boards. Four in total, three at waist level and one above his height.

You find yourself nervous, standing there, watching. Despite everything, it’s hard not to want to hope for the best for him. Not just because you need the points and not just because of everything to do with Cobra Kai, but because you want to see Eli do well.

He breaks the three boards seamlessly, but the very last one, he misses the mark just by a couple of inches. He makes the jump, and his form is almost perfect, but his foot just doesn’t quite reach, the tips of his toes brushes across the board but leaving it still intact.

When he lands back on his feet from the jump, the disappointment is clear on his face.

As he walks back to Miyagi-Do’s side of the mat, his head is bowed in embarrassment, and you want to say something, but you don’t know what. You don’t even know if he’d want you to say anything.

So, you just don’t.

The skills competition leaves Miyagi-Do in second place, Cobra Kai regrettably in first and Eagle Fang in sixth.

“I can’t believe Cobra Kai beat us in skills,” Chris huffs.

Sam frowns, arms crossed over her chest; “I thought we had that one in the bag.”

“It’s my fault,” Eli sighs, pulling your eyes on him with surprise. “I couldn’t break the last board. Sorry.”

“Okay, forget that, okay?” Mr. Larusso cuts in, shaking his head at Eli’s words. “You all did great. Besides, we’re right on their heels. This is far from over.”

Pulling your attention from Eli, you nod.

Mr. Larusso was right -- there was still a chance,

-

Somehow, you made it through qualifiers.

Truth be told, you’re not even sure how you do it.

Your first match in the quarterfinals is against Devon, Eagle Fangs new member and only female member. It felt like unfair irony that your first match is against the only other dojo you have no real intention of wanting to beat out, but as you make your way across the mat, you know that you still have to put your all for the sake of both your dojo and yourself.

Inhaling sharply, you glance behind you, meeting Mr. Larusso as he sends you a thumbs up and then your eyes drift elsewhere, falling on Demetri whose grinning at you and then, finally, Eli. His gaze is already on you, and when he realizes you’re staring back at him, he offers a small smile of encouragement.

Not wanting to let your thoughts be muddled, you just nod, turning back to your opponent.

The ref counts down, and then, on go, both of you start moving. You make sure to keep your eyes peeled, watching for any and all movements. The two of you circle one another for a moment longer before she jumps in first, going for the offensive. You dodge her hit easily, ducking under her leg and spinning as you kick your leg out, she just barely misses it, and adrenaline pumps through you when you realize you’re a lot quicker then she is.

You can do this.

Blocking her hit, you knock her arm away, ducking once more before striking your leg out, effectively knocking her off balance, pushing yourself up to your feet quick enough to slam the heel of your foot into her chest, gaining a point.

Cheers from Miyagi-Do echo in response, and as Devon moves to her feet and you move back to your side of the mat, you can’t help the smile that curls onto your lips.

She gains the next point, putting all her force into the offensive that you struggle to block, losing your balance enough that she strikes you on the hip.

Shaking your head, you don’t let yourself worry about it, drowning out the noises around you.

You’ve been training a lot longer than her.

You’ve put so much time into karate, you didn’t want it all to be to waste.

You can do this.

Once the referee gives the okay, you spring into action, moving forward as she pushes back in response. It takes her a second to leap into action, blocking one of her hits, but you don’t let it phase you, swinging your leg out to kick her back, stumbling over her own feet, before you race towards her, striking her in the middle of the chest.

Two-one.

One more point, and you win.

Heart racing, pounding in your ears, you keep your attention on your opponent. You don’t worry about the crowd or Miyagi-Do behind you, keeping on the defensive with every attack she swings at you. This last round lasts longer than the other two, Devon just as desperate not to lose.

But her desperation gives her away, and blocking a hit from her leg swinging out, she’s knocked back, you kicking forward as she narrowly dodges three hits in a row before your leg manages to hit her in the stomach.

It takes a moment to process.

The referee blows his whistle, announcing your win as he races forward, holding your arm in the air.

Stunned, you turn, meeting Mr. Larusso’s eyes as he grins at you, sending you two thumbs up.

As you make your way back over to Miyagi-Do, Demetri is excitedly clapping you on the back, cheering you on as Sam grins at you, Chris and the rest swarming around you to congratulate you. As you laugh and nod back at them, your eyes meet Eli through the crowd, keeping his distance, but smiling fondly at you.

Not sure how to respond, you turn your attention back to the mat, focusing on who you’ll be fighting next.

Tory wins her first match, no surprise, solidifying her as your next opponent.

You try to ignore your nerves. You’ve never personally fought her yourself, but you’d seen the way she’d fought with Sam and you know how aggressive she can be. You know it’s wrong to let your confidence waver, but it doesn’t escape you that you don’t think you're as skilled as she is.

-

Demetri wins his next match, a proud grin on your face as you cheer for him.

The surprise on his face is not hard to miss, and you have to restrain the urge to laugh; he should have way more confidence in himself. He was actually a very good fighter. You’d have to remind him of that yourself.

But with Demetri’s match ending, it means Eli’s is next.

And of course his opponent in Kyler.

“You're lucky your little friend didn’t have to face Cobra Kai.”

Speaking of which…

“Can’t say the same for you though,” turning around at the sound of Kyler’s voice, your eyes narrow when you realize he’s talking directly to Eli, a grin on his face as he walks with his other Cobra Kai friends. Like the jerk he is, he places his finger on his mouth, taunting Eli; “Lip.”

He walks off at that, laughing and clearly proud.

“Gonna make you kiss that mat.”

You watch as Eli’s eyes trail after Kyler, turning so he’s now facing you, 

The look on his face says it all, and your body is moving before you can stop yourself.

“Don’t listen to him,” the words come pouring past your lips, startling Eli as he blinks down at you, obviously surprised you’d even want to talk to him after what he’d done at prom. Ignoring the way your heart races in response, or the nerves fluttering in your stomach, you nod up at Eli. “He’s just a bully, but that’s not who you are.”

Surprise fading, Eli’s shoulders sink; “I don’t know who I am these days.”

“You’re Eli,” you say with ease, “or you’re Hawk. It doesn’t matter which, because they’re both you. Just because you don’t have your mohawk anymore, doesn’t mean anything.”

Jaw tense, Eli shuffles on his feet. “I’m the one who bullied Demetri, I’m the one who broke your heart,” he admits, voice quiet with embarrassment. “I don’t deserve you after what I did.”

Lips parting, realization falls over you. Him not asking you to prom, him running away from you last night but still being there for you, acting like more than a friend... being self-conscious about Robby... All of it clicks in then, astonished as you take a small step towards Eli; “is that why…?” Your voice trails but it’s obvious what you mean.

Eli nods, desperately avoiding your every-persistent gaze; “you deserve better.”

Feeling a renowned confidence in his words, understanding why he’d done what he had, you’re now determined to prove Eli wrong. You wanted, no needed, Eli to know that none of that was true. It didn’t matter what he’d done because you know and you’ve always known, that that was never who he truly was. Eli wasn’t a bully and you definitely didn’t deserve better than him. There was no else, and you’d show Eli exactly that. So, taking a step towards Eli, you smile gently up at him; “I don’t want anyone but you, Eli.”

Meeting your gaze, Eli frowns, shaking his head; “I’ve lost all my confidence…”

Shaking your head, you move to cup his cheeks, touch gentle as you ignore every bit of fear in you and press your lips against his own once more. There’s that nagging voice in the back of your head, but this time you’re sure. And you’re proven correct. It’s different instantly. Eli relaxes against you immediately, hands moving to fall on your waist as you lean into him, eyes fluttering shut in the moment.

You pour every bit of your emotion in that kiss, wanting Eli to understand just how much you mean what you’ve said.

When you pull back, he’s staring at you dazed.

“Next up in the quarterfinals, it’s Kyler Park of Cobra Kai versus Eli Moskowitz of Miyagi-Do.”

Turning his attention back to you, Eli pauses.

“You’ve got this,” you smile, setting your hand on his chest briefly, touch warm. “I believe in you.”

He hesitates only a second longer, before nodding at you, a smirk curling onto his lips. You let him pull back, making his way over to Mr. Larusso with new found confidence.

Kyler’s taunting only lasts so long.

Eli moves with ease, precise movements that are only able to be made so smoothly because of his training and skills. He gains the first point within seconds, and the second right after, Kyler not even able to make one hit on Eli. He wins the match two-nothing, and the smile on your face is infectious as the ref walks up to him and officially announces him as the winner.

“Yeah!” You scream, pulling his eyes on you as he turns, as if in shock, “go Eli!”

-

“You got this.”

Letting out a shaky breath, you turn to Tory who’s debriefing with Terry Silver before the match. 

“I dunno, Mr. Larusso,” you breathe, “I mean, I don’t think I’m a good match for her.”

Setting his hands on your shoulders, Mr. Larusso shakes his head; “your worst enemy is yourself, Y/N. You have to believe in yourself, okay?”

Meeting his eyes, you take a deep breath, nodding. “You’re right,” then, smiling, you grin up at Mr. Larusso; “it’s just me out there, right?”

Laughing, Mr. Larusso nods. “That’s right.”

Jumping on your feet lightly, you shake out your nerves, wiggling your arms at your sides to try and shake out your nerves. It takes you a moment longer to step onto the mat, meeting Tory in the middle.

“You’ve got this!”

“Kick her ass, Y/N!”

Turning back, you smile as you see Demetri and Eli cheering for you, the both of them yelling out your name in encouragement as the former sends you a thumbs up. Just the mere sight of the two of them together, cheering for you is enough to send a boost coursing through your veins. In that moment, it feels like how it used to be – when it was just you, Demetri and Eli and no one else.

It means the world to have them cheering for you in that moment.

The referee counts down, and the second he gives the okay, Tory is racing towards you. Her tactic is aggressive and she doesn’t give you a second to breathe, hit after hit swinging towards you. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever had to face before, and almost instantly you find yourself overwhelmed, just barely managing to dodge her attacks.

Your feet stumble back, your focus for a second wavering enough that she lands a hit square in the chest.

Your back hits the ground with a resounding thud, knocking the wind out of you briefly as you stare, stunned up at the ceiling.

There was no way you’d be able to beat her.

That had happened too fast, you’d barely even be able to process what had happened. How were you supposed to--

“Y/N!”

The voice is distant at first, echoing in your mind as you slowly push yourself up.

“Y/N!”

Recognizing the voice as Eli’s, you slowly turn to face him, slightly winded. 

“You’ve got this,” he calls to you, grinning at you. “I believe in you.”

Your heart warms at his words, your breath steadying as your eyes flicker over to rest of Miyagi-Do who’s all sending you thumbs up and smiles and then finally on Mr. Larusso.

All that matters is you making yourself proud.

That’s right.

Mr. Larusso was right.

Shoulders squared, you steel yourself, slowing your erratic breathing.

Winning didn’t matter. Tory didn’t matter.

You just have to make yourself proud.

Your movements are more precise then before, careful. You’re not as erratic and the panic from before has almost completely faded. Everything else fades to the background as you focus on what’s before you. You manage to land a hit next, the surprise on Tory’s face clear as she stumbles back from the hit, the score now tied.

In the end, however, you lose.

Three-two.

But you’re proud in the way you were able to hit an opponent you’d thought impossible.

Making your way over to Mr. Larusso, you try to catch your breath; “I’m sorry,” you breathe out, meeting his gaze apologetically. 

“That’s okay, Y/N,” Mr. Larusso brushes off with ease. “All that matters to me is you tried. And hey, you managed to get two points!”

Smiling at his words, you nod, turning as you brush strands of lose hair from your braids back, feeling your forehead slightly tacky with sweat.

“That was amazing!”

Blinking at Demetri whose suddenly in front of your face, it takes you a moment to realize both him and Eli are in front of you, both with wide grins on their faces.

“Seriously, Y/N,” Demetri continues, “I’ve never seen you move like that. It was great!”

Shrugging, you take the water bottle Eli offers you; “I still lost though.”

‘Doesn’t matter,” Eli says this time, smiling at you; “you kicked serious ass.”

Flushing faintly, you glance down at your feet.

“Well,” you speak up, eyes focusing on Eli. “Guess you two will just have to win for me, huh?”

Eli and Demetri blink at your words, but you just continue to grin, bright-eyed and confident as you send them a thumbs up. Demetri seems little less sure of himself, but appreciates your words nonetheless. Eli, however, smirks down at you, laughing.

“I guess, huh?”

And you don’t admit it, but his confidence is definitely attractive.

-

Eli and Miguel’s match gets cut short when Miguel hurts himself, his injury from before causing him to be pulled in the back and checked by one of the medical staff. Everyone is undeniably worried, unsure what to do.

When you’re assured that he’s okay, he’s given thirty minutes to step back onto the mat to continue his fight with Eli or be automatically disqualified.

In the meantime, Demetri and Robby are left to do their match.

Robby, unfortunately, ends up winning. But despite his loss, you can’t help but be extremely proud of Demetri – he might not have won, but he’d really showed off all he’d worked and trained for and to be able to face a fighter like Robby so evenly was impressive enough.

Then, as Eli moves back to the mat, you watch with uncertainty as the last thirty seconds tick by and everyone is left wondering if Miguel will even show up. Leaving it to the very last few seconds doesn’t make anyone feel anymore reassured.

Eli glances back at Mr. Larusso in confusion, who shrugs, when as the last ten seconds go by and Miguel never shows up.

Meaning, Miguel is disqualified.

“Well,” the announcer calls, “it looks like Miguel Diaz is not gonna fight.”

Meaning, Eli will be fighting Robby.

“Which means, the winner by default is Eli Moskowitz, who advances to the final, where he will face Robby Keene. The finals are up next.”

-

Realistically, you would’ve preferred Eli to fight anyone else.

Him fighting Robby made things hard. Despite Robby being apart of Cobra Kai and being the one that hurt Eli, he was still your friend and you cared deeply for him. He understood you on a level no one else truly could, and it made it hard for you to forget all of that just because he’d joined Cobra Kai.

He’d trusted you with information he hadn’t told anyone else, and when he’d been in his darkest moments he’d reached out for you. You didn’t take that lightly, and you certainly didn’t want to forget it.

But in the end, you know who you wanted to win, and that was undeniably Eli.

Taking Eli’s hand into your own, you squeeze it; “you’ve got this.”

He smiles down at you, albeit nervously; “thank you.”

“Of course,” you grin up at him, giggling. “Go get that trophy.”

And you say that without a doubt, because you know that he will.

Pressing his lips against yours, Eli smirks down at you, nodding. His change in confidence sends flutters to your belly, unable to ignore the way such a simple action can make you feel giddy and nervous all at the same time. And as his hand slips from yours as he makes his way to the mat, meeting Robby in the middle, you feel your stomach twist in nerves as you watch the match begin.

They’re both evenly skilled, and honestly, you feel privileged just to be able to watch a match like theirs. While you’ve grown in your own skills, Eli and Robby were on another world. It’s truly a testament to how skilled Eli is, and you watch with a barely concealed smile as he moves around the mat like he owns it, movements careful and planned. Every strike he makes or step he takes is made with the intention to gain a point.

Despite Robby managing to get the first point, Eli is easily able to settle the score by gaining the next.

“Score one-one.”

Face breaking out into a grin, you cup your hands around your mouth; “go, Eli!”

Hit after hit is blocked, from both sides. Neither Robby or Eli are able to gain a clear advantage, any hit that looks like a point being blocked; they’re both refusing to back down.

The match continues, and just before Eli looks like he’s about to get a point, a buzzer rings out.

“Unbelievable!” 

Confused, you turn to Demetri as the announcer comes rushing out. “These two amazing competitors have reached their three-minute limit in a one-one tie! Which means their championship match will be decided, for the first time since nineteen-eighty-five, by sudden-death overtime!”

The crowd erupts into cheers, blaring across the room.

“Let’s go!” 

Eli paces in the spot, eyes mesmerized on the roaring crowd before slowly he turns to Robby, bowing out of respect. Robby hesitates, obviously confused, before returning the respect.

“Go to your sensei’s.”

You watch as Mr. Larusso and Eli converse, eyes flickering over to Robby from across the mat as he talks to Kreese and Silver. The latter looks mad, and your brows furrow as you watch what looks like Robby geiting in trouble for simply bowing back to Eli.

“Competitors, back to the mat.”

With a single glance your way, you smile at Eli as he makes his way back to the mat.

In the next second, Robby is suddenly ripping off his gi, everyone pausing in bewilderment as he does, turning around to toss it at Tory who catches it with ease. Eli, baffled, turns to the ref who merely shrugs in response, and then, a second later, Eli is following suit, hastily taking off his gi as well, turning around to toss it at Demetri who catches it with confusion, hands held out before him.

Eli doesn’t say anything, moving to turn but not before sending a wink your way that has you flushing even more that it had from him just taking off his gi. He turns, and you’re faced with his hawk tattoo that stretches across his entire back, biting your lip in response.

Yeah, he definitely looked attractive when confident.

“Next point wins,” the ref reminds. “Good luck, gentlemen. Ready? And… fight.”

Fists clenched, you watch carefully, your breath feeling stuck in the back of your throat with nerves. Every single hit that comes Eli’s way has you flinching in fear for the worst, but he manages to block them all, not allowing a single point against him.

By the end of it, they equally look exhausted and you don’t blame them. The frustration both of them must feel at having everyone of their hits blocked is easily readable across their faces and you can barely stand the anticipation, your entire body feeling like jelly as you wait, desperate for Eli to just get that one opportunity.

And then, he does.

He’s able to flip Robby onto his back with his legs, not wasting a second to slam his heel into Robby’s chest, effectively scoring the point.

He… He did it!

You can hardly believe it, the moment feeling like a dream as the roar of the crowd erupts into cheers.

“Winner!” The ref calls, taking Eli by the wrist and helping him up as he holds his arm up.

Almost instantly everyone from Miyagi-Do goes running towards him, Chris reaching him first and raising him up off the ground as Eli lets out a cry of triumph.

The announcers step forward then, trophy is hand; “your boys champion… Eli Moskowitz!”

Eli glances back at you, searching for you through the rest of Miyagi-Do, and meeting his gaze, you nod, clapping for him with a bright grin on your face as he steps forward, taking the trophy from the announcers hands and holding it up with both of his hands, another cry leaving his lips as he cheers his own win. Miyagi-Do circles around him, clapping and cheering for him.

“And with that, Miyagi-Do vaults into the overall lead! It all comes down to the girls final, coming up next.”

“Yeah!” Eli calls, hands held out beside him as he faces the crowd.

You let out a laugh at his excitement, unable to stop the grin from your face – and honestly, you didn’t want to.

You were so proud of him.

-

Unfortunately, the excitement doesn’t last.

In the end, Tory ends up winning against Sam and therefore, because of their lead in points, Cobra Kai wins.

Even though, Johnny and Mr. Larusso had been able to push past their differences and work together, it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t hard to tell that Sam blamed herself, or the disappointment that drifted across both the Miyagi-Do’s and the Eagle Fangs, but there wasn’t much else to be said or done.

The fact was, you’d lost.

“I can’t believe Cobra Kai beat us.”

Swallowing thickly at Eli’s words, you glance down at your entwined hands. “Me neither,” you admit.

He sighs, shoulders falling with disdain and you watch him, the expression on his face, before shaking your head. “You were amazing though, Eli,” you remind, words sincere as he turns to look at you. “I’m so proud of you.”

Cheeks warm, Eli glances down at his feet.

“You won as yourself.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he whispers.

You brush him off, “Eli–”

“No, I mean it,” squeezing your hand, Eli pulls you to a stop. He turns to face you completely, letting his free hand fall on your cheek, softly cupping it as he smiles down at you. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”

Leaning into his touch, you bite your lip, flustered.

“This time I’m gonna do it right, okay?”

Blinking, you glance up at him. What did he--

“Y/N, will you be my girlfriend?”

Taken aback, you can’t help the smile that curls onto your lips, the words flooding through you and butterflies fluttering in your stomach. You feel like you’ve been waiting to hear those words for so long, you’d thought you might never actually hear them.

But here Eli was, asking you out.

“Yeah,” you laugh, rolling your eyes in the stupidity but sweetness of the moment. “Of course I will, Eli.”

Biting his lip, Eli’s eyes shine; “yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nod without hesitation, reaching up to press your lips against his own. He returns the affection with ease, lips warm against yours as he cups the back of your head, pulling you closer.

And when the both of you pull away, breathless, the smiles on your faces are undeniable.

#cobra kai #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai imagine #eli moskowitz #eli moskowitz x reader #eli moskowitz imagine #eli moskowitz x you #hawk #hawk x reader #hawk imagine #jacob bertrand #robby keene #robby keene x reader

[eddies-ashtray]

eddie cheats pt 1

***

“you know eddie’s gonna be there too, right?”

“i know,” you reply flatly, fixing your hair in the mirror above your vanity.

in the mirror, robin’s face comes into view as she sits on your bed behind you. you can tell she’s assessing you, looking you over to see for herself if you’re actually as okay with eddie’s presence at steve’s party as you’re pretending to be.

dropping your hands from your hair, you pin her with a look in the mirror before turning around in the chair so you’re finally eye-to-eye.

“don’t give me that look. i’m fine, rob, really,” you assure, standing from your seat at the vanity and grabbing your bag from where it hangs on the back of your bedroom door.

“what look?” robin asks innocently. she’s a terrible liar.

shouldering your bag, you turn to face her again, clarifying, “the apprehensive one like i might burst into tears at any second.”

“what-! i-i wasn’t. i was just…admiring your hair.”

again: terrible liar. you give her a deadpan expression and she crumbles.

“fine, i’m worried about you, okay? you cried over him for like three months. he hurt you. so i’m entitled to a little worrying,” she says, no longer masking her worry.

you sigh. you don’t need to be reminded how pathetically long you mourned the breakup.

“i’ll be fine, i’m over it. it’s been long enough now. i can’t avoid him forever,” you say. much like robin, you are also lying, but you’re only doing so to try to convince yourself that you really are fine. maybe if you keep saying it out loud it’ll become true. maybe it won’t hurt to see him.

except it does hurt. the second you and robin step foot into steve’s giant house, you hear eddie’s laugh. then you see him in the living room, arm draped over her shoulder; her perfect blond hair falling in loose curls around her shoulders. at least she’s not wearing that stupid green scrunchie.

robin leans in close to whisper, “you okay?” as you both walk deeper into the house, past the living room and into the kitchen at the back of the house.

you don’t think you can speak. you might cry if you say anything, so you just nod, try to take deep breaths. you didn’t think it would hurt so bad.

so, you get to work numbing the pain with alcohol; grabbing the first beer you see and drinking the entire bottle until nothing is left. then you start another.

this isn’t like you at all; you hate drinking, but you feel like you had when eddie had come home late, crying, telling you how sorry and how stupid he was. that it meant nothing. but it had. it’s clear now that it had. you knew about them of course. you heard shortly after the breakup. but you’d never seen them together. it felt so fresh all of the sudden.

“woah, okay, why don’t you slow down?” robin suggests, grabbing the bottle from you. then, levelling you with a more serious expression, “do you wanna leave? seriously, we can leave right now.”

you consider it for only a short moment. but you’re too stubborn. he needs to see you here, to see that you aren’t as fucked up about this as you feel.

“no. i wanna stay,” you decide and grab another bottle of beer.

robin looks unsure. you think she might pull you out the door any second, but she doesn’t. just nods and takes a sip of the beer she’d stolen from you. “but i’m staying with you all night, okay? i don’t want you to be alone.”

that plan goes out the window about an hour and another couple beers later when steve enthusiastically pulls robin from the kitchen. she tries to resist, telling him she wants to stay here with you, but you insist that she goes. you don’t want to be babysat all night. she relents.

you’re definitely a little sloppy at this point; a lightweight for sure, feeling pleasantly buzzed and loose-lipped. but the alcohol has done nothing to numb the pain. and now that robin’s no longer a distraction, you feel miserable as ever left alone with your thoughts.

you briefly wonder where eddie is. has he left with her? is he kissing chrissy cunningham in his van?

the second you wonder where he is, he appears. you’d seen him when you walked in, but hadn’t gotten a good look at him. in fact, you hadn’t seen him in months. not since the breakup. of course he looks as gorgeous as ever; long, dark hair waterfalling over his shoulders, chunky rings glinting in the soft glow of the kitchen lights, warm brown eyes so dark you could cry just by looking into them.

“oh. hi,” eddie says, eyes meeting yours for the first time in three months. but yours quickly flit down to the green scrunchie that sits snug against his wrist. when he walked in, you felt yourself soften for a moment, heart swooning at the sight of him. but that scrunchie. her scrunchie. you think you might be sick from the sight alone.

you have to bite your tongue and the inside of your cheek so you don’t start screaming or crying or throwing things or all of the above.

“h-how are you?” eddie asks tentatively. while he’s probably good intentioned, you feel yourself burn with anger and sadness. how could he ask you that? after kissing perfect chrissy cunningham. after breaking your heart. you thought he was the love of your life; you’d never loved anyone so much before. what were you even supposed to say to that? what did he expect you to say to that?

“fuck you,” you spit at him before storming out of the kitchen and out the back door.

no one else is out here, the late fall nip in the air a little more than a nip when you’re out with no jacket to cover your bare arms.

falling into one of the chairs by the pool, your shoulders slump and you bury your head in your hands as the tears start to fall. your face is probably puffy and tear stained, but you don’t care. you just feel so humiliated and stupid and alone and drunk.

you jump when a hand touches your shoulder. when you turn and look up to see who the intruder on your pity-party is, your feeling of humiliation increases tenfold at the sight of eddie who takes a seat on the pool chair across from you.

“i’m sorry. i was just-” he begins. but he doesn’t get to talk now. he’d had a lot to say the night you broke up; lame apologies, awful excuses. in an instant, he was a different person. you never thought he’d do something like that to you and the hurt and betrayal consumed you. you couldn’t speak. you’d just listened and left without a word. you were in shock. but now he’s here in front of you and you feel like shit and have felt like shit for three months and want him to know that. you need him to know how awful you feel. all because of him.

“i think about you everyd-day,” you start, shocking him into silence. his brows furrow and he’s about to continue with what he was saying, but you don’t let him. “i think about you kissing her. and i hope to god that you th-think of me when you kiss her. and i hope you feel bad about what you did all the t-time,” you slur and hiccup your way through the words.

it’s just the truth; the humiliating, desperate truth. because no matter the hurt and the pain he’s caused, you still find yourself wanting him and hope that some part of him still wants you too. even though you know he doesn’t anymore.

***

pt. 2

loosely based off of think of me by madi diaz bc i can’t stop listening to her album </3

#eddie munson #eddie munson x gn reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson angst #eddie munson blurb

[justallihere]

I️ LOVE and ADORE Xaden going from “I️ don’t care about you or your feelings 🙄” to “Why wouldn’t I️ come for you and take you home? 🥺”

It really reminds me of this post where someone made the commentary about Xaden refusing to coddle and be nice to Violet, even downright being an asshole about it

To giving her his flight jacket because gods forbid Violet be cold for the 2-3 minutes they would’ve stood in formation!

Love love love that growth for him, like yes king! Tell us how much you love her through your actions! Give her that flight jacket and everything!

Chapter 35 was such a GIFT! I️ loved it so much! From Mira and Xaden shelving their dislike for each other for V’s sake and just mother henning her! Loved Xaden taking care of her and reaffirming that she can be upset at the threat against her hair and the autonomy she would have been robbed of, had Aetos actually cut it. I️ love how gentle he was, making sure she was okay, even arguing with Tairn about it on the flight home because their whole dynamic in canon is just over protective dragon meets over protective enemy to mutually assured destruction to lovers, and amari give us mercy that Violet gets injured around either one of them.

I️ was so shocked and legit almost cried at the confession because bby boy X was NOT letting her think that he didn’t love her! Really gives a whole “Aretia could burn and I️ wouldn’t care as long as I️ had you.” vibe to it and I️. Am. Not. Okay!!! I️ am not normal or sane about this love confession! V is getting some HONESTY out of this man without having to jump through 5 million hoops or questions about it. X really just said it with both tiddies and his full chest!!

I️ also really loved the display of Rhi and Xaden’s conversation. He knows how much Rhi means to Violet, and having her best friend with her is the best thing for her! I’m so nervous and excited to see if you include a convo with the rest of the squad about her torture sessions and just showing how much they all love her! Cam was right! Everyone who knows Violet Sorrengail is a little bit in love with her!!

I’m curious if Violet is gonna think about how she basically begged for her mom to come with them to Aretia, when she was freed and I️ wonder what Xaden would have done if Lilith had actually planned to go with her daughter… thoughts and theories I️ suppose!!

God Alli, there are so many little things about this chapter that I️ adored and so little time to write about it! I LOVE this fic so much that I️ always am ready to read the next chapter immediately! So ready!! I️ hope this doesn’t pressure you too much but I️ did want to say that I️ adore this fic so much!! 10/10 would highly recommend!!

Also I️ hope my sleep-deprived ramblings made sense lol! Thank you for such a wonderful story and I️ cant wait for the next chapter 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Xaden’s growth has been so fun to write. Just the little moments of his growing respect for Violet, realizing he actually likes her, falling in love—it’s been one of my favorite things about this fic

Thank you! I had a great time with the two contrasting sides of Xaden in this chapter: the version of him who loves Violet and will wipe her tears and do anything for her, and the version that is just an absolute asshole to anyone who isn’t her 😂 if your name isn’t Violet Sorrengail he really doesn’t give a fuck

There’s some squad bonding next chapter 🫶🏻

Violet will definitely be reckoning with that conversation with her mom at some point—Lilith said she’d come, but will she really? Xaden would let it happen for Violet, of course, but it wouldn’t be an easy adjustment lol

Thank you so much for reading and for this ask, I appreciate you 🩷🩷🩷

#storm in the quiet

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Hey. I’m tired. I guess you are too. Do you – do you want some H/V fluff with trans girls? I think we could all use fluff with trans girls. Let’s go.

*

Through the Mirror

Before accessing Villainess’ lair, you had to step in a hall of mirrors. It was like entering inside a huge crystal ornament. Knowing the owner, Heroine supposed it was meant to have some symbolic sense, something like “dare to know yourself before daring to catch me,” or some pretentious message like that. Granted, it was confusing for the potential intruders. Heroine used to hate that hall. Now, she was pleased to find out it was nearly reposing. There was no guard in that part of the lair. It was just her and her hundred twins. She secretly thought that all of them looked quite good. Her stance was so much more self-assured than before. Her brand-new suit was better, too. Dull colors like dark green or blue or gray had worn out their welcome. She was a Heroine, she wanted something that popped. The costuming department had grumbled, lectured her a bit about the seriousness of her mission, but she hadn’t budged. Eventually, they complied. Now a vivid pink and blue skirt floated around her tights.

“Nice look,” said a voice from the hidden microphone.

“Thanks.”

“Come on in.”

One of the mirrors shuddered. Heroine pushed it back and entered.

Villainess’ hidden place looked like a comfortable but plain living room. Pale brown walls surrounded a large table covered with notebooks and sheets of papers, another table with a TV on it, and a huge, old couch who had seen better days. That was all. Villainess was there, arms crossed behind her head, laid down on the couch. She examined Heroine with a critical look, then raised an eyebrow.

“White boots,” she said. “Bold choice. Is that some kind of message? Something like “I’m so skilled I won’t even dirty them with the blood of my foes?”

Heroine clasped her hands behind her back.

“ The message is I liked them.”

“Ah.”

“Not everything has to have subtext.”

“Most things do, though.”

Heroine pulled out two bottles of beer from her belt:

“Fine. So if I have two of these with me, can you deduce the meaning of their presence?”

Villainess held out an arm. Her guest sighed and stepped forward to give her the bottle.

“Can you spare a bit of strength to scoot over, or is it too much to ask?”

The dreaded woman that made cities tremble in fear didn’t answer, too busy to open the bottle without exercising any actual effort. Heroine shook her head. Taking upon herself to move the long pair of legs on the couch to the ground, she sat on the free space.

“Give me that.”

“No, wait a minute. I need to prepare myself psychologically for my inevitable sitting up.”

“Didn’t we fight for hours last week?

“Yes, that’s the consequence of that.”

Seven days ago, Villainess had suddenly threatened to explode all the banks of the cities, which was news for everybody. Until then, she was only used to rob them blind. Some bankers had taken offense of the sudden abruptness. Heroes had been called, even Superhero, but no one could catch her. At a last resort, the agency had remembered that Heroine had always kept her in check.

“So, how are you enjoying your last victory against me?”

Heroine took her own bottle into her hands, fidgeting with it:

“It’s nice. Most people are kind to me now. Superhero even told me to keep doing whatever I was doing with my hormones if they made me that much better.”

“Idiot.”

“He really has no idea how it works.”

She sighed:

“But yeah, seems like people is okay with the new me. All it took was a whole afternoon of fighting with collateral damage all around.”

“Eh, you know how people are; morals are nice, but spectacular is better. I had to make one building or two collapse to prove a point.”

“Which is?”

“I’m awesome. And so is the woman able to stop me.”

Heroine blushed.

“Not really. We cheated.”

“Nah. I just told you my plan in advance and you just told me when the other heroes were trying to ambush me. I’m calling that good planing. Cooperation is so much better than competition.”

It was true that it was her motto. None of the banks could have been robbed without the active help of several employees. Heroes were still trying to decipher the genius way she was infiltrating the security system while someone else was just opening the door for her. It was said employees who had helped the evacuation of the buildings before the official fight. No casualties. There was no need. There was never any need.

Heroine knew that since long ago, but since she had better fish to fry and villains who actually murdered people to stop, she generally looked the other way. They were warily avoiding each other, until the day Heroine had officially announced she wasn’t Hero anymore. The quality of the news coverage concerning her had wildly declined until she’d received a text from an unknown number:

I have a plan. Let’s show the world who you are.

It’d worked.

With a weary sigh, Villainess pushed herself back up. Their fight had not been faked at all, and she still was bruising everywhere. Heroine looked at her tossing back her long hair and finally opening her bottle.

“Thank you,” she said.

Villainess shrugged:

“Hey, you’re welcome. You were there when I came out. You gave me that doctor’s address and voila, it’s going to be five years on hormones in two weeks.”

“How does that feel?”

“I’ve never been happier in my life.”

Heroine smiled and raised her drink:

“Here’s to you.”

“Here’s to us.”

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

#hero x villain #hero villain community #writeblr #writers on tumblr #trans oc #original fiction #my writing #writing snippet #writing drabble #writing dialogue #fluff #villain and hero #creative writing #hero and villain #heroes and villains #anyway in case that wasn’t abundantly clear this blog is safe for trans people #go support your local trans girls

[edenesth]

Undying Bonds (Part 3)

Pairing: Hongjoong x fem!reader, Seonghwa x fem!reader

AU: zombie apocalypse au

Word Count: 2.4k

Summary: What could be worse than being separated from the love of your life in a zombie apocalypse? Hongjoong was forced to leave you behind with his friend, Seonghwa, as he ventures out alone to search for the rest of his missing group members. Will Hongjoong be successful in his solo mission to find his members? Will he be able to return to you unscathed? And what happens when you're stuck with his caring best friend, who is hopelessly in love with you, for too long?

Part 2 | Masterlist | Part 4

"Stay right there, pretty boy."

Ah, shit.

Hongjoong felt his breath hitch when he tried to turn around, only to feel the barrel of the gun pushed harshly against his head, "Move and one of your little friend dies, you don't want that now, do you?" He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists furiously at the threat.

He realised from the voice that this person was a female, Hongjoong lets out a deep sigh, "Look lady, I don't want any trouble. I'm only here for my friends, I promise."

Yeosang and Wooyoung stared desperately at Hongjoong with tears brimming in their eyes, their mouths taped shut. The sight of his poor friends pained him, he could tell they were relieved to see him but were also scared for him. The pair whimpered as they watched their older friend being helplessly held at gunpoint, at this point just realising that humans are actually much scarier than zombies.

The stranger scoffed, "Yeah right, that's what they all say. The last time I trusted someone who said that, I was betrayed, robbed of all my hard-earned resources and left defenceless. You men are all the same, you're all trash. All you do is take and take and take. I'm sick of it honestly, so nice try, douchebag, but you and your friends are not going anywhere."

He immediately knew what or who she was referring to in an instant.

In the midst of this whole zombie apocalypse going on, there was a rise of this notorious gang who called themselves the Stray Kids. While most people struggled to survive with all that was going on, this particular group of guys seemed to be thriving in the environment.

Nobody really knew what the members of this gang looked like, the rumours that circulated around only tell people that they would cunningly approach groups of survivors who have managed to secure themselves a safe little sanctuary by playing the victim and gaining their trust before ultimately betraying them by robbing these poor people and leaving them to die.

Hongjoong reassured his younger friends with a small nod before slowly raising his hands in defeat, as if surrendering, "Listen, I'm really sorry you had to go through all that but I assure you we're not like that. If anything, I hate those men just as much as you do, if not more. There's someone that I love still waiting for me and I'd die before I let her go through what you did too, so I truly understand how you feel."

That sentence seemed to have done the trick as she lowered her gun slightly.

"I mean it, my friends and I got separated in an attack earlier and I'm just here to get them back. I'll take them and go, I swear you'll never have to see any of us again after this."

Still not daring to move, Hongjoong waited as the woman contemplated for a minute in silence, "I see, your friends must mean a lot to you then? For you to be here and not by her side instead, the one you love." He could tell she still doubted him but he couldn't exactly blame her for the trust issues.

"Okay, I guess you can leave but... only with one friend. The choice is yours to make, captain. Who will you take with you then?" He could hear the smirk in her voice and he let out a shaky breath at that, Yeosang and Wooyoung bawling miserably while shaking their heads in fear.

He should've known it wouldn't be that easy to convince her.

Whatever choice he had to make now, he only wishes that you would be able to understand him, "You have exactly an hour to think it through, I'll be back."

He finally turned around to take a look at her, only to be greeted with a hateful grin that made his skin crawl, "Tic toc, my friend, tic toc. You don't want your girl to wait too long now, do you?" She sang sarcastically, winking before slamming the door shut in his face, leaving him behind with the two.

Without wasting another second, Hongjoong made quick work to peel the tapes off his friends' mouths, "Hyung…" Wooyoung sobbed pitifully, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he watched the leader untie the both of them.

"W-what are we going to do?" Yeosang wiped his own tears with his sleeves, "Hyung, leave me. Take Wooyoung with you, I'll find my own way," His words caused the youngest in the room to cry out, "No, Yeosang!" Hongjoong sat down in front of them after untying them, head hanging low.

Yeosang frowned, not at all liking the leader's silence, "Say something, hyung. What is it? Is noona okay?" At the mention of his girlfriend, he lifted his head, "Yeah, sh-she's fine… She's with Seonghwa, we found a convenience store that's safe to stay in for the time being. That's where you'll both go once you leave here."

Yeosang and Wooyoung's eyes rounded in realisation, Hongjoong was going to sacrifice himself instead. The two protested noisily, "No hyung, you can't do this! What about noona? Just leave me here instead, we all know I'm the most useless one anyway!" Wooyoung wailed loudly.

"That's enough!" Hongjoong roared, shutting the younger members up, "I'm staying and that's final. Just… tell her I'm sorry and that I love her, okay?"

He could no longer hold his tears when feeling the two engulfing him in their arms, "We're so sorry, hyung… This is all our fault," Yeosang muttered, feeling Hongjoong pat his head, "Don't be silly, this isn't any of your fault."

After some time, the three broke apart reluctantly, "Guys, just please… promise me you'll take good care of each other and-and…" As if knowing what he wanted to say, Wooyoung nodded solemnly, "We'll protect noona with our lives, hyung."

Hongjoong smiled sadly, squeezing the two on their shoulders, "Thank you."

I'm so sorry, my love. I hope you'll be able to forgive me for this.

A loud bang sounded across the room, causing the three to jump up in alarm. It was the sound of the door slamming open and there stood the woman from before. With her arms crossed, she glared at the trio with a brow raised expectantly, "Time's up, captain. I hope you've made your decision."

Hongjoong nodded dejectedly, "Yes, I have. I'm staying, let my friends go instead," The woman rolled her eyes, "Ah yes, how benevolent of you. So touching," She wiped a fake tear off her face, "You bi-" Yeosang held Wooyoung back from lashing out.

"You do know what that means for you though, don't you?" With that, she pulled her gun out from her back pocket, "Wouldn't your girlfriend be too heartbroken if you don't return to her?" Hongjoong bit his lip so hard, it began bleeding.

"She'll understand," He breathed, his vision blurring with tears as he shut his eyes in defeat when she cocked her gun, "Just let my friends go and get it over with already." He could hear his friends stifling their sobs behind him, both clutching onto his sleeves in distress.

After what felt like forever, the woman let out a groan and gave in, "Ugh fine, you've proven yourself trustworthy, I guess." Hongjoong's eyes flew open in surprise.

"I actually listened in on your entire conversation earlier. This was to test your sincerity, you've passed the test with flying colours. You can all leave first thing in the morning. It's dark out, you'll be swarmed if you go now. But if I find you lying about any of this, if you try anything funny at all, I will not hesitate to let you and your friends die a very painful death."

Hongjoong let out a small chuckle, nodding quickly, "I have no doubt about that, you have my word."

The woman sighed and put her gun away, lifting her hand for the leader to shake, "I'm Soyeon, the leader of my group." Hongjoong took her hand in his and gave it a firm shake.

"Right. I'm Hongjoong, the leader of mine," Soyeon nodded amusingly at Yeosang and Wooyoung who sheepishly introduced themselves, the pair quickly wiping their tears and snot away, embarrassed.

They were led by the female to a larger unit where her group resided, the place seemed rather decent and well-cleaned up. It was a pleasant sight for the boys, even if it was only a sliver of what resembled normalcy, after the hell they went through ever since the initial outbreak of the zombie virus.

They were introduced to the girls of Soyeon's group; Minnie, Yuqi, Miyeon and Shuhua. The girls were visibly cautious around the three as they gathered around for a quick dinner, Hongjoong had no doubt that this was all the doing of Stray Kids. Thanks to those maniacs, people like Soyeon and her friends had a hard time trusting strangers. More specifically, in this case, men.

It was tragic, really. In a world where it should be humans against zombies, other humans turn out to be scarier than the undead instead. He made sure they had as little interactions with the girls as possible, not wanting to risk any chances of them suspecting him and his boys after all they went through just to convince Soyeon they weren't anything like those hooligans.

After dinner, Minnie took the three of them to a different unit which was clean and safe enough to stay in. He thanked the girl before she left them to their own devices. The boys cleaned themselves up with some of the washcloths and water available before they sat in a circle to discuss where they should head off next.

"I'm worried about Sannie," Hongjoong did not hesitate to voice his concern. Wooyoung sniffled at the mention of his best friend, "Me too but I think I saw him run in the direction of the nearby high school with Yunho," Yeosang agreed, "That's right, I remember seeing them go that way as well."

The leader nodded in slight relief, "Alright, that's where we're headed tomorrow then. He should be okay if he's with Yunho. Now, get some rest."

It didn't take long for them to fall asleep, tired out of their minds from the emotional stress they were put through just hours before.

The last thing on Hongjoong's mind was you as he drifted off to dreamland, yearning to have you in his arms. This was the first time in so long that he was going to sleep without you by his side after all.

You lay awake between Seonghwa and Mingi at your sides, staring blankly at the ceiling. The indescribable unsettling feeling inside you all throughout dinner earlier kept you up, you couldn't help but feel like something bad was happening.

Sitting up from your position slowly, you were careful not to wake your friends as you got up from your spot to move towards a nearby window instead. The night sky looked beautiful from here, littered with stars that could be clearly seen now that there was no more air pollution.

You wondered where Hongjoong was right at this exact moment.

Is he okay? Has he eaten? Is he getting any sleep? Has he found any of the boys yet?

You didn't notice you were crying until you felt a large hand gently cupping your face to wipe your tears. You looked up to find Seonghwa gazing softly at you, "I know you're worried about him. He'll be fine, I promise," You nodded, forcing out a small smile, "You're right, I bet he's sleeping soundly right now while I'm here crying for him like a fool."

Seonghwa chuckled at your attempt to joke, "I'm sure he is, you should be sleeping too," He tugged on your hand, "I can't sleep, Hwa. I just… I-I had this really bad feeling like something happened and god, i-it scares me..."

He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around your frame when your voice broke, you burst into tears at the warmth of his embrace, "Hey, hey, everything is going to be okay. I know this isn't a fairytale and we'll never know what happens out there but whatever happens, I'm here for you."

Your cries broke his heart and he only wished he could comfort you the way Hongjoong could, "I'm sorry," You pulled away slightly and furrowed your brows in confusion, "For what?"

I'm sorry that I love you.

"I'm sorry that I'm not Hongjoong. If he was here, you wouldn't have been this upset. Perhaps it should've been me out there instead, I am the eldest of the group after all..."

Your frown deepened at those words, "Oh gosh, no. I don't want you to ever think that, Hwa. I won't forgive you if you say things like this again!" The ends of his lips tugged upwards at that, "You're just as important to me, you have no idea how grateful I am to have you here with me. You... you make me feel safe, I want you to know that."

Seonghwa's heart melted at your words, lord only knows how much he wanted to kiss you at that moment. Instead, he settled for a peck on your forehead, "That's unfair, I was going to console you. Not the other way round."

You let out a small giggle, the adorable sound making his heart swell with affection for you. Seonghwa was afraid that you would be able to hear his heart racing with the way you gazed softly at him in gratitude.

The both of you eventually settled back in your sleeping bags and this time around, you managed to fall asleep rather quickly.

Sadly, that peaceful sleep didn't last too long when you shot up from a nightmare. Your heavy breathing and soft sobs wake Seonghwa again. Without a word, he pulled your shaking form into his arms and ran his hand slowly up and down your back.

He let out a small sigh of relief when your breathing finally evened out, noticing that you'd cried yourself back to sleep in the crook of his neck. Once he laid you carefully back down and was sure you were sleeping soundly, he checked on Mingi, who was thankfully out cold throughout everything, before lying down again.

I swear to god, Hongjoong, you better return to us safely. I don't know how much I can take seeing her in this state.

Thank you for reading! Don't be shy to let me know your thoughts on this part!

All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

#ateez #ateez fanfiction #ateez fanfic #kim hongjoong #park seonghwa #ateez hongjoong #ateez seonghwa #zombie apocalypse au #hongjoong x you #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x you #seonghwa x reader #ateez fic #undying bonds

[taivansupremacy]

Blue Pt. 2 (Robin x Reader)

Part 1

Summary: Robin comes to find you after Vickie's party, but things don't go as planned.

A/N: i was so surprised by how many people loved Blue and wanted a second part!! thank you all so much for your kind words! they really motivated me to get this out to you asap lol

CW: swearing

You jumped when you heard three loud bangs on your front door. When you moved to get it, lifting your tear-streaked face off of Steve’s chest, he gently pushed you back down, assuring you that he would get it. You were too devastated to argue.

Steve made his way downstairs and opened the door to an anxious, pacing Robin. She stopped in her tracks when the door swung open and faced Steve.

“Where is she? Is she okay? I looked around the whole party and everyone said she left but they didn’t know with who. I was worried sick.” She moved to step her foot through the threshold of the door but Steve blocked her.

“She’s fine, well physically.” Steve shook his head and sighed, “She needs some space, Robin. I’ll take you home and you can come back by tomorrow.”

“No,” She stated firmly, crossing her arms, “I need to see her.”

“Rob, she doesn’t need any more heartbreak right now, just please-“

“Heartbreak?” She blurted, “What do you mean heartbreak?”

Steve silently scolded himself for his mistake. He knew that telling Robin more information would make her even more determined to see you tonight.

“It’s not my place to tell you any of that. Like I said, come back-” Robin pushed past him as he spoke and dashed for the stairs. “Hey! Rob, I said-“

But she had already made it to your bedroom and pushed your door open slowly. She was met with the sight of your form in your bed, under the covers, and facing away from the door.

“y/n, thank god. I was looking for you everywhere.”

“Well that’s a first, isn’t it?” You bit back, sitting up and turning to face the blonde.

Before she could retort, Steve stepped into the room, about to give her hell for bothering you.

“I’ll leave when she tells me to, Harrington.” She groans, looking at you expectantly.

“She can stay,” You decided.

You had so much that you needed to say to her, so much that you kept bottled up for so long as not to disturb her happiness, but at your expense. You thought that especially after the events of tonight, you deserved to let her have it because as hurt as you were, you were also angry.

Steve threw his hands up in surrender and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“What do you mean ‘that’s a first,’ y/n? I was so fucking worried about you.” She spat, beginning to pace around your bedroom.

“Robin, you haven’t cared about me for months! I’m surprised that you even noticed that I left the party!” You shouted, tears threatening to start falling once again, “You’ve been ditching me at parties to hang out with Vickie, canceling our weekly movie nights to go to Vickie’s house,” You scoff, furiously wiping a tear from your cheek, “You’ve even been eating lunch with her and leaving me at our table alone. And when we are together, she’s all you talk about. Our conversations have all been Vickie-centered! You haven’t asked about me in who knows how long! And you know what? I haven’t said anything to you because I didn’t want to get in the way of your goddamn happiness!” You took a calming breath before continuing, “I’m tired of feeling like my only purpose in your life is to serve as a listening ear for your one-sided conversations and a shoulder for you to lean on when you won’t offer me the same.”

“That’s not fair and you know it, y/n!” She spat as she continued to pace a hole in your bedroom floor, “It’s not my fault that you didn’t speak up. I can’t read your mind!”

“God,” You scoff, “You completely missed the point but I can’t even say that I’m surprised.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that your head has been up your ass, as of late,” The tears were freely falling down your cheeks and neck as you spoke, “You haven't been able to see anything beyond yourself and Vickie in a long time.”

“I have a life outside of you, y/n. Fucking sue me!” She stopped pacing to look at you, her hands flying wildly as she spoke.

All you wanted was for Robin to hear you, to care about how hurt you felt, but the longer the conversation (or screaming match) went on, you could tell that she was no closer to understanding your feelings than she was when she walked in your room.

“But you don’t have a life outside of Vickie though, right?”

“Just because your love life is nonexistent doesn't mean you can you get to stick your nose in mine!”

Your heart stung and hurt flashed across your face. You looked down at your hands in your lap. Robin had never been this malicious before, at least not to you. She knew what it was like to be gay in Hawkins and how hard it was to show yourself to someone, especially someone you liked. You had confided in her about how you felt insecure about your lack of dating experience and love life and at the time, she felt the same. It was so unlike her to take a jab at something that she knew you were insecure about. You didn’t recognize your best friend anymore.

“I want you to leave now, Robin.” Your voice cracked.

“y/n-” She started, taking a step toward you, holding a hand out. Regret was written all over her face, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

“I said leave!” You fumed, refusing to let her see the hurt in your eyes, although you knew that she could probably hear it in your voice.

Robin wordlessly left the room, clicking the door shut behind her. It was only then that you allowed yourself to lay back down and sob.

****

After taking Robin home, Steve stayed the night on the floor in your bedroom. You didn’t want to be alone and he was happy to oblige. He sat in bed with you as you cried and vented about the fight that you had with Robin, although you were sure that she had already given him a recap from her perspective. He was there for you through it all, even in the weeks prior to the fight, when you felt like you didn’t mean anything to Robin and thought you were losing your best friend. You don’t know what you would have done without him. He even called out of work the next morning so he could stay with you.

You didn’t wake up until noon the next day, all the crying and yelling of the night before wearing you out. Steve offered to get pancakes for breakfast and you happily accepted but opted to stay home and wait rather than go with him. Just as he opened the door to leave, Robin appeared on your front porch, chewing on her lip and rocking on her heels. When she saw Steve on the other side of the door, her eyes widened.

“Listen, I know that you’re probably not gonna let me in because you didn’t want to last night and I was a bitch to y/n when I finally got inside and you and her probably hate me right now, but I feel physically sick when I reflect on my actions and words and I know that I don’t deserve it, but I need a second chance to fix this.” She looked at Steve pleadingly, her brows furrowing together.

“First of all, I don’t hate you, Robin. I think that what you said last night was shitty, but you’re still one of my best friends.” Steve said, “Go in and make amends, just please promise me that you’ll actually try to hear y/n out this time.” He stepped away from the door to allow Robin access before he headed out the door himself.

Robin pushed your door open slowly. Her heart was in her throat and as much as she wanted to make everything right, she was scared of how you’d react when you noticed her.

“What’d you forget this time ding-” You faltered when you saw Robin standing at your door, sporting a guilty smile, and not Steve coming back to retrieve something that he had forgotten. “What are you doing here?”

Robin’s cheeks flushed red and she looked down at her feet, “I-I didn’t come here to fight, I swear.” She walked further into your room, taking a seat in a chair adjacent to your bed. “I’ve been replaying last night in my head all night since I walked out of your room,” She sighed, playing with a loose thread on her jeans, “I couldn’t sleep because we weren't speaking. You are so endlessly important to me, y/n and I’m sorry that it took almost losing you to make me act like it.”

You nodded, finally allowing yourself to look at the blonde. You patted the spot next to you in bed and watched as Robin crossed the room and sat criss-cross beside you.

“I want my old Robin back. You don’t get to just apologize and continue to ditch me all the time until it’s convenient for you,” You sighed, “With that being said, I wasn’t exactly an angel either. I know that I should have been better at communicating when things started to bother me.”

She flung herself toward you and held you in a tight hug. You hold onto her just as tightly, burying her face in the crook of her shoulder. Your Robin was back.

“So, now that we’re on speaking terms again,” You chuckled, “Tell me all about your night with Vickie.”

“y/n…”

“No, it’s okay. I want to know.”

“Well, I don’t think that we’re a good match,” She shrugged.

“But, I saw you two-”

“Oh,” Robin’s face heated up, “You know, I had so many expectations as to what it would be like to kiss Vickie and finally get confirmation that she liked me. I expected to feel all warm inside and just so full of love, but I felt none of that. Actually… I’ve only ever felt that way with you. Aside from making sure that you didn’t get kidnapped by a drunk high schooler, that’s what I came here to tell you last night.”

A beat of silence passed as you processed what Robin had just told you, but she thought that the silence meant that you were uncomfortable or maybe even angry.

“Listen, I probably should have just kept that to myself because now you probably think I’m weird and maybe you won’t want to hang out with me anymore, but if you don’t feel the same, we can just forget I said anything and go back to being good old platonic Robin and y/n. I also want to add that I don’t think you’ll be interested in me just because you like girls but-”

You launched forward and connect your lips with Robin’s, winding your arms around her neck. She kissed you back slowly and moves her hands to your waist. Your heart leaped out of your chest as you came to the realization that you are getting exactly what you wanted for months. Robin noticed you and now she was kissing you with just as much enthusiasm as you were kissing her. When you finally pulled away, you looked at Robin with the biggest smile that you’ve managed in a while.

“I have been wanting to do that for such a long time,” You breathed, allowing a hand to linger on the blonde’s soft cheek.

Robin hummed and leaned into your touch, “Then why didn’t you?”

You thought for a moment, “There was always someone else,” You shrugged, dropping your hand from her cheek and taking her hand in yours, “Guess I just didn’t think I had a chance.”

Robin sighed, rubbing her thumb over your knuckles, “When we met at the beginning of junior year, I had the biggest crush on you. I was planning on asking you out, but by the time I got the confidence, you were one of my best and only friends and I couldn’t lose that, so I gave up and threw myself into Tammy, then eventually Vickie.” She paused for a moment, “But they never made me feel the way you do.”

You blushed, bringing her hand to your lips and dropping a kiss on her knuckles. You were over the moon and although you knew that you and Robin had a lot of growing to do, in the moment, you let yourself have the pure bliss of knowing that she was just as in love with you as you were with her. The rest would come later.

#stranger things fanfic #stranger things x reader #stranger things x you #robin buckley #robin buckley x reader #robin buckley x y/n #robin buckley x you #stranger things #robin buckley x female!reader #robin buckley fanfic #robin buckley imagine #wlw fanfic #reader insert #steve harrington #stranger things x y/n #robin buckley fluff #stranger things angst #robin buckley angst #stranger things fluff #angst #fluff #stranger things fanfiction

[ashvii]

“Darling Diamond”

Wc: 1.4K

Pairing: Ellie Williams x Fem!reader

Summary: Ellie Williams was gonna get over it, after all. A princess could never love a thief.

Ash talks: Hi! So this has been in my works folder 4ever and I’m finally happy with it. I’m probs going to write more for this but I might not post it because I think this will be an acquired taste. However I like it and I want more Ellie au’s. FEED ME. Also I can do a gh version if someone doesn’t want to read the fem one! ❤️❤️

Cw/tw: fem!reader, light violence, talk of old politics ig? Death, Language, stealing, touchy reader, use of y/n, angst, pet names, cheeky reader, not proofread

You were the jewel of the realm, beloved by all of your people. Your father said it was because of how beautiful you were. Gazing at you with a proud glint in his eye, straightening your emerald crown. Your mother waited until he left to attend meetings so she could lean to your ear and tell you it was because of your kindness. Everytime she told you such, you would smile and kiss her cheek before gathering your dress and rushing to your room for a tea party with your lady in waiting and maid.

Ellie was an orphan thief, she was sneaky and calculated even as a child. Just trying to make it through life on her own with nobody to take care of her. So she took care of herself however she had to. That was up until she met Dina and Jesse. She saw them enter her small village with a group, their posture attempting to make them look smaller. She watched as they asked for directions to the capitol city before she volunteered to take them herself.

“It's okay we don't want to trouble you-” Dina started to refuse “I'm heading up there to visit a friend anyway,” she had said in rebuttal. They were her ticket to the big leagues, Ellie wanted out of the kingdom, not only that but she wanted to take down the monarchy. She managed to convince them to trust her quite easily. Jesse slipped up several times throughout the long walk, leading to Dina giving up and allowing Ellie to leave with them after several rounds of back and forth.

Dinas parents were smugglers before they died which got her into the business and Jesse's were heads of the biggest rebellion against the king. After that first mission they became a team. Ellie did any jobs involving violence, they were her specialty really (that or intimidation). Dina came up with the plans and arranged things. Whereas Jesse had the connections. It was perfect really, they were making progress towards their goals. Ellie had a roof over her head, friends, food, and she still got the high from taking down such despicable and powerful people.

Ellie had known you before she left, you two met several times throughout your younger years. When your mother would take you around the kingdom to get out of the palace and feel some freedom, (not that you weren't grateful). You had the tendency to run off as a little girl, often getting lost, causing fuss over the missing princess. When you first met her the both of you were 13 and you had wandered off again. You had witnessed her trying to take an apple from a merchant, unfortunately for her the merchant saw it too and gripped her wrist before she could run.

“What just do you think you are doing here missy? Tryin’ to rob me hu’?” The scraggly man grumbled, pulling her closer. “Let me go you old fuck!” Ellie tried to pull herself away and as the man raised his hand to smack her you ran over. “Sir! I'm so sorry for her, i'll pay double. Please don't hurt her.” You placed the money on his stand, placing one hand on Ellie's waist, the other on your concealed dagger. Fully prepared to run or protect this girl if the man was feeling unforgiving.

He released her wrist making you grip her hips tighter and pull her body to the side, but not before squeezing her hip bone to assure her. Grumbling, he picked up the coins and started counting. He made eye contact with you two, narrowing his one good eye “Well? What ya’ waitn’ for? Scram!” he made a shoeing motion as you pushed Ellie forward by her hips, only stopping once you reached the woods outside of her village.

You finally looked at her face and saw her for the first time. You scanned over her freckles, noticing her eyes that looked at you widely, the color of the jewels on the tiara that waited for you at the castle. You gripped her face with both hands, twisting and turning her to check for injuries. “Are you alright? I'm sorry I grabbed you like that. I was quite worried he was going to hurt you.” She snapped back to reality when she determined you had spoken.

Blinking, she hummed before mumbling a small “why would you do that?” Your eyebrows furrowed and she caught herself getting lost in your features. The curve of your jaw, the soft color of your eyes. “What do you mean why would I, he was going to hurt you.” she heard the disbelief in your tone before she saw it in your eyes.

You looked at her with such care it stunned her. All anyone had ever looked at Ellie Williams with was disgust, anger, or pure hatred. She wasn’t sure what that fluttering feeling in her chest meant, but she wasn’t sure she wanted it to stop.

Ellie cleared her throat and looked away from you, “thank you.” She mumbled under her breath. Sensing her discomfort you decided to try to lighten the mood. Smirking, you leaned all your weight onto the hand you had placed on the closest tree trunk. Pushing out your hip, looking her up and down. You open your mouth, “what was that? I couldn’t quite hear you princess.”

Ellie felt the blood rushing to her cheeks at the term ‘Princess’ She didn't move. Her eyes stayed wide and her palms sweaty. Ellie looked at you and saw the smug look on your face.

She huffed and spoke louder “I said thank you.” You smiled at her and held out your hand, “you’re welcome, I’m Y/n.” She looked at your hand and gripped it firmly. “I’m Ellie.”

You two met many times since then, from you gifting her a guitar, to her lying about her living situation and hobbies. She often remembers the times when you two would go for walks in the woods. She would always watch as you would get distracted by every flower or creature you came across. Making her flower crowns or walking into the streams to grab rocks for her.

She kept as many of the gifts as she could with the little space she had at the time. Savoring all the shiny rocks, clothes and books. Her favorite is the necklace you gifted her on her 14th birthday. It Was simple which is why she loved it so much. Your name with a lilac wildflower, Ellies initials hand carved by you into the lettering. She played with it even now when she got anxious, fiddling with the metal. Every Time she saw a gift of yours she would recall how she had left you.

She left with Dina when you two were merely 15. You were all that she had, the only thing that made her want to stay. Ellie would remind herself that she couldn’t keep up the lies forever. She couldn't act like you wouldn’t be married off by your father to some lord, prince, king or duke. You would never go for her, it was just a crush and she would find someone else.

So she left. She stuck with them even when the plan went sideways. Even when Jesse panicked and stabbed the rich old bloke they were stealing from.

She was too focused to remember it was the 10th, one of the days you came to visit her. She was too focused on the pained yells of the man. “Thieves! Thieves!”

Ellie ran as the guards stumbled to catch up due to her head start. She tipped over the stands and tugged Jesse along. Navigating him through the unfamiliar surroundings of her village. Weaving her body through the crowds and alleyways. The two hurled themselves onto the back cart of a horse Dina had taken. “Fucking drive Dina!” Ellie shouted as the other girl swished the reigns.

“I’m trying! I’m not trying to get us killed Ellie!” Dina kept her eyes on the road through the forest, rushing them forward as Jeese exhaled. Ellie couldn’t believe that they had gotten away, in fact she didn’t believe it. She looked back and saw you telling the Guards chasing their wagon to stop. You furrowed your beautiful face at her. Closing your eyes you commanded the guards to help the injured man.

Once the guards took off running you turned your body to face her in the final moments, your eyes filled with tears before walking away from her.

#ellie williams x reader #x reader royalty au #ellie royal au #ellie williams x reader au #ellie tlou #ellie williams fanfiction #ellie x fem reader #ellie x reader #ellie williams x reader angst #ellie angst #tlou #tlou fanfiction #x reader #x reader angst #ellie williams #ellie williams smut #royalty au #princess reader

[animatorweirdo]

When the dragons fly(book 2)

You go to a town to fulfill some errands, but a little incident reunites you with a familiar face.

Chapter 2

Warnings: some snarkiness between the characters, a runaway horse, mentions of an injury, and odd feelings and sensations.

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

At the crack of dawn, when sunlight streamed through the tops of the trees and the forest was still shrouded in mist. Those who worked early on the fields were awake and preparing for a day of work while the rest of the village was still asleep. 

You were readying a horse you borrowed from the stablemaster while Aelon was waiting at the steps of your porch, yawning and leaning against his hand tiredly. 

"Do we have to go?" Aelon whined as you two were going on a trip outside the village today. 

"Yes, Aelon. Eda is out of supplies. She needs more ingredients and dressings since she had used most of them treating Dwenn," you explained as you tightened the girth on the saddle. The young boy yawned again. 

"I got that, but why this early?" He questioned. 

"There are fewer people and creatures awake, and I would like to be back before nightfall," you explained, then looked over to the boy. The boy looked more tired and less motivated each second as he waited. He was already struggling to keep his head up and not sleep on the porch while sitting. 

You felt worried since he would usually be quite eager when you allowed him to travel with you. 

"Ae. What has gotten you so down? Do you really not want to come?" you asked while keeping your attention on him. "No! It's just..." he jerked his eyes up at the question. "You know... since the kidnapping," he uttered, and you understood the lack of motivation to leave the village. 

"You do not need to be afraid. I will be with you,” you stated as you returned your attention to the saddle, "That's why I decided it would be safer for you to come with me instead of staying in the village," 

"I know... it's just. Are you sure we won't find trouble on the way?" Aelon asked worried. 

"I'm certain, Ae,” you gave him an assuring smile before motioning him to come to you, “ Now, come on. I would like to be there early," you said. 

Aelon sighed and walked over to you. You picked him up, helping him climb up the saddle before climbing yourself and taking the reins. Aelon hugged you from behind as you clicked your heels and rode out of the village. 

Maedhros was internally frowning as he followed his brothers through the busy town, asking himself why he had agreed to go on another outing with them. There were only two reasons. One, so he could watch and ensure Celegorm, his most trouble-seeking brother, stayed out of the troubles. Two, Maglor insisted it would be good for him to go out more. 

Why had he not simply said no and stayed inside the walls of his fortress? 

"Maedhros. You look like someone had robbed you of your breakfast. Do you really have to wear such a frown today?" Maglor sighed as they followed their two brothers. 

"Give me a reason not to," Maedhros said back. 

"You need to relax. This day could turn into a good one," Maglor started with a positive attitude, something Maedhros did not envy to have. 

"I hardly doubt that," Maedhros replied while they continued tailing their brothers through the busy streets. 

You stopped your horse in front of a shop. You jumped down, checking your list and money, before turning toward Aelon, who was still seated on the horse. "This is the first stop. Can you handle yourself while I’m in there?” you asked, handing him the reins. “Yes—” he said as he grabbed the reins from your hands. “Good. I won’t be long there,” you said, walking into the shop to buy the herbs Eda needed. 

Maedhros and Maglor had stopped for a break, allowing their horses to drink from a water place where travelers could leave their steeds to rest and drink. 

Celegorm was still boasting about something Maedhros did not care enough to listen. He could feel his patience slowly slipping away as his brother’s obnoxious voice continued harassing his ears. 

"How long till we can go home?" Maedhros looked at Maglor. “Have patience now,” Maglor awkwardly smiled. 

“And then we could … whoa!” Celegorm stopped when he felt someone dumb on his horse. He looked down and saw a human man recovering after unnoticingly walking into his horse. 

"Hey! Can you watch where you are going?" Celegorm asked. 

"Oih! Shut up! What are you doing standing in the middle of the road?! You sharp-eared freak!" The man said back. 

"Excuse me?" Celegorm said with narrowed eyes. 

"What now?" Maedhros asked, annoyed. 

"It seems someone had decided to say something very unwise today," Maglor stated as the two watched the confrontation. 

"You heard me! Or are you deaf even with those ears?! You punk!" The man said. 

"Oh, I can hear you just fine. The real question is are you gonna keep running that mouth, or are you gonna go on your merry way without any troubles?" Celegorm replied, and the man only scoffed. 

'"And what are you gonna do? You can't do anything to me here?" The man boasted. 

"Oh really now?" Celegorm's lips twitched into a small grin, unnerving the human man, who had no idea who he had messed with. 

The man screamed, running through the crowd as Celegorm chased him on his horse. The elf was laughing as he chased the human man like chasing prey. The people quickly scurried to the side to avoid getting hit or run over by the man and the rider, watching confused as the chase unfolded. 

Maedhros rubbed his brows tiredly before turning toward Maglor. 

"And you said this might turn into a good day?" 

"Well... there's nothing we can do about now," Maglor started before glancing at something. "I'm gonna go check that one shop. Wait for me," he said and left, not giving room to object. 

"Sure..." Maedhros uttered, staying with the horses. 

Aelon was patiently waiting on the horse, gently petting the creature. He then heard shouting and saw a man running through the crowd, getting chased by a blond-haired elf who was laughing like a maniac. 

People scattered and ran off the way, dumping on each other, and unfortunately for Aelon, one of the passersby was carrying chicken cages. The birds got frightened after suddenly getting slammed against the horse beneath him, shrieking and flapping, which as a result, startled his horse. 

His horse screamed, standing up and buckling. Aelon yelped, hugging the horse’s neck as it began galloping away from the shop. He tried to hold on to the reins, but the horse was too startled to obey and continued running away. 

“(Name)!” Aelon yelled desperately as the horse ran away from the shop. 

You walked out of the shop after hearing the commotion and panicked yelling. You then saw Aelon screaming and galloping away on your startled horse. 

"Aelon!" you yelled, running after him. 

Maedhros was gently petting his horse. The embarrassment he felt by his brother´s dramatics slightly gone. His ears then picked up the galloping and screaming of a child, who sounded oddly familiar. 

"Someone help me!" Aelon yelled as the horse ran through the crowd.

Recognizing the boy, Maedhros quickly acted, stepping in front of the running horse. He grabbed the reins, stopping the creature. Aelon shrieked as the stop was sudden, and he was flung from the saddle, but luckily, Maedhros caught him. Maedhros held on to him as the boy had landed on his shoulder, then crouched down to gently put the boy on his feet. 

Aelon was dizzy for a moment but then smiled when he saw Maedhros. 

"Oh hey! It's you! The tall elf!" he said excitedly. 

"Are you hurt?" Maedhros asked. 

"No. I'm okay. Thanks for saving me," Aelon answered with a smile. 

"Good..." Maedhros sighed, calming down the startled horse, "I mean no offense, but aren't you a bit too young to ride a horse like this one?" he asked. 

"I was waiting on the back for my sister till a man ran away moments ago. He was getting chased by a blond man," Aelon explained. "And my horse got startled," he added. 

Maedhros deflated, knowing full well what had occurred. "By the valars..." he cursed under his breath. You then appeared after catching up with Aelon. 

"Aelon! Are you hurt?!" you worriedly asked. 

"I'm fine. Mister elf from the river saved me, "Aelon pointed at Maedhros, and you looked at him with surprise. 

"Oh! Well, this is a surprise," you said with a surprised tone. 

"Yes... it seems I continue to trouble you, my lady," Maedhros said. 

"I'm afraid it was because of one of my brother's actions that your horse got startled and ran away with your brother. I deeply apologize for that," Maedhros bowed his head and returned you the reins. 

"Well, I am grateful you decided to intervene and stop the horse before Aelon could get hurt," you said. 

"It seems trouble finds you even in my company, Aelon," you teased as you looked down on your little brother. "At least. It wasn’t my fault this time," Aelon pouted. "But I never thought riding a horse could be that scary," Aelon stated, making you and Maedhros release a chuckle. 

"Well— once you become a bit taller. You will find riding a horse surprisingly easy," Maedhros said. 

"How? My heart nearly jumped out of my throat after that?" Aelon questioned. 

"Wait a few years, and you will see," Maedhros said. 

"Well, that reminds me. How is Bathor doing?" you asked. 

"He's recovering well thanks to you, my lady," Maedhros said. "I'm certain he will be good as new next week,"

"That is good to hear," you said. 

"My name is (Name), by the way, and this is my little brother Aelon," you introduced. "Hi..." Aelon waved at Maedhros. 

"May we know your name since we forgot to ask last time?" you asked. 

"I'm..." Maedhros hesitated for a moment. The odd sensation was compelling him not to tell for some reason. "...Nelyo," he answered. 

"Nice to meet you, Nelyo!" Aelon greeted, but you noticed the tone of hesitation in his voice. However, you decided to ignore it. 

"As well, Aelon," Maedhrows said, then looked at you. "Since one of my brothers did end up causing you trouble. Is there something I could do to make it up to you?" he asked. 

"I do not need anything since Aelon did not get hurt. Accidents can happen," you dismissed. 

"I appreciate the humbleness, lady (Name), but it would ease my soul to repay you for the trouble, especially if I end up troubling you for the third time. If that happens, it would be quite shameful of me not to," Maedhros explained, making you chuckle in amusement. 

"Well, if you insist, you could join us for company. I'm doing some errands, so It would make my job easier if someone else could watch out for accidents," you ruffled Aelon's hair, making him whine annoyed. 

"I'm not that troublesome!" Aelon snapped at you. 

"If... that's what you wish," Maedhros nodded. 

"Lovely, but is it okay for you? You do not have anything important to do in this town?" you asked Maedhros. "I was only here to watch my brothers. They tend to cause trouble, but they can handle themselves," he replied. 

"Alright... let's go then," you smiled. Maedhros smiled in return, leading his horse away from the water place and following you into the crowd. 

Maglor soon returned, looking around in confusion after finding Maedhros gone from the water place. “Maedhros?” he called out, unsure where his older brother had gone off to.

You three rode together around town. You three conversed about things while you fulfilled your errands on Eda’s shopping list. Maedhros watched Aelon while you did the shopping and then decided to help you carry when he learned one of your arms was injured. You insisted it was not necessary, but he convinced you to at least let him attach the bags and items on your saddle so that you didn’t need to worry about carrying them back home. 

His politeness to make it easy for you was touching, and you found a certain joy in his company. It was easy to converse with him, and you two found things to talk about. 

When the day was finally coming to an end, and it was time for you and Aelon to return home. Maedhros accompanied you to the end of the town to send you off. 

"Thank you for your company, Nelyo, and for helping with the errands. It was quite helpful of you," you said as you two came to a stop. 

"It was a pleasure. If I had known that you had an injured arm. I would have helped you from the start," Maedhros said. "Are you certain you do not need me to accompany you back to your home?" he asked. 

You smiled at his thoughtfulness. "I think I can handle it from here. No need to bother yourself further," you said. "You are more than welcome to visit us if you like."

"Oh! Can you come visit us?!" Aelon asked excitedly while staring at Maedhros.

"I couldn't possibly trouble you any further..." Maedhros shook his head.

"Nonsense. Friends are always welcomed, especially if we do end up meeting for the third time under strange predicaments," you teased with a grin.

"Yeah! Come visit us! Pretty please!" Aelon pleaded eagerly.

Maedhros hesitated, but when he saw both you and Aelon looking at him, waiting for his answer, he relented to the idea. 

"...Alright. How shall I find you then?" He smiled. 

"Follow the river like last time, and you will find us. It’s the shortest route, at least,” you smiled. “Take care now, and don’t let your horse run away the next time,” you clicked your heels and rode away from the town. Maedhros had a soft smile on his face from your little joke. He then turned his horse around and began making his own way back home. 

Birds and crows were singing in the trees as you and Aelon rode through the forest at a calm walking pace. The sky painted in red and orange hues as the sun was slowly setting in the distance. 

Aelon yawns and looks up to you as he was seated in front of you. "Nelyo is nice," he said. "Yes. He is quite pleasant," you smiled. 

"I never imagined that we would end up meeting again by catching each other's horses. A weird coincidence," Aelon stated. "Perhaps it was fate." You smiled, listening to him talk, but your ears then picked up a sound from the forest. Staring in that direction, you felt something odd.

You did not know why, but you felt like there was something in the forest, and you had an odd urge to go there and find it. It was like something was compelling you to step down and follow. Aelon's voice was talking, but you were not paying attention to his words. He noticed your lack of response and silence.

"What are you looking at?" Aelon asked after staring at you for a minute. You nearly jolted as you finally paid attention to him, not realizing he had stopped talking. "You've been staring at the woods this whole time," Aelon stated as curiosity filled his eyes. 

"Hm..." you felt unsure how to answer, "... It's nothing. I just thought I heard something," you answered, forgetting the strange feeling in the back of your mind. 

"Okay... can we have some duck for dinner?" Aelon asked, and you hissed. "I knew something was missing. We're out of duck," you said. "Oh no... is it too late to go back to get some?" Aelon asked. "Only if you're willing to ride back during the night," you said. 

"Eh... never mind," Aelon said as you two returned to the village.

Taglist: @natchayaphorn​ @kimnamnu@thatrandomidiot182 @springfountain

#silmarillion x reader #silmarillion #tolkien #silm fic #middle earth x reader #when the dragons fly #hotd x reader #hotd #middle earth #silmarillion imagines #various x reader #targaryen reader #silmarillion x targaryen reader #maedhros x reader

[coltermorning]

A Rival of Wills (RDR2 Fanfic, Arthur Morgan x F!Reader, 18+)

Summary: You have been stealing score after score out from under Arthur, reveling in annoying him to the best of your ability. Only, when you cut him out of yet another robbery and have him chase a false lead in the process, his anger finally boils over into something you didn’t suspect him capable of.

Author’s Notes: This was a fun request to write—love agitating Arthur to the best of my ability. Hope you enjoy and that I wrote a good balance of things ;) And let me know if you want a part two!

Tags: Arthur Morgan x reader, smut, low honor Arthur Morgan, rough sex, bondage, spanking, NonCon

AO3 Link

~

A Rival of Wills

Word count: 6711

“Why don’t I tag along? Better yet, forget him and we can handle this no problem on our own, women only. What do you say?”

Karen and Tilly had found a lead. A damn good one with a good payout if their information was sound, and you weren’t about to miss out on it. More importantly, you weren’t about to let them take Arthur and not you.

They had just asked him for his aid, needing a sharpshooter to hang back and keep them safe at long range. While Arthur was a good enough shot, you were better. Especially at long range. And you took every opportunity you could to let him know so, no matter how much it got under his skin. Because of how much it got under his skin. You couldn’t help it—making the outlaw fume over taking his scores and outperforming him was just too easy. Plus, the more you proved yourself within the gang, the better. You would be asked to run every score with every no-good degenerate in this camp in no time.

“I don’t know…” Tilly said, trusting Arthur more for knowing him longer. You flashed her an incredulous look, placing your hands on your hips and cocking them.

“Come on,” you urged. “You’ve seen me shoot. And believe it or not, I can keep my head better than that big brute.”

Karen snorted with laughter. “That ain’t too hard.” She looked to Tilly. “She’s got a point. What do you say? Give a little credit to the women? Show these men just how much we don’t need ‘em?”

Tilly studied Karen a moment before waving her off. “Oh, all right. But I’m not telling Arthur he’s uninvited.” They both looked to you then, and you could feel the wicked grin split your face as your favorite activity was offered up on a silver platter—telling Arthur Morgan your talents had been chosen over his yet again.

“Don’t you worry a bit about that,” you assured them, your eyes finding Arthur across camp already tacking up his horse. “Meet you at the hitching posts in ten minutes.”

Karen and Tilly turned to go change into their fineries, chuckling all the while at your savage amusement.

After spinning a quick story to Bill about a coach that needed robbing, you sauntered over to Arthur, leaning against the hitching post his horse was tied to and clearing your throat to get his attention.

He ignored you for as long as he could until he had need of his mount’s bridle just behind you. He rounded on you. “What you want?” Annoyance lined his every word, making you smile.

“Seems there’s been a change of plans.”

He reached around you and yanked his bridle off the post, the movement forcing you out of the way. “What plans?”

“Don’t play coy, Morgan. It doesn’t suit you.” When he didn’t respond to your barb, continuing to ready his horse, you pushed. “I think you know exactly what plans I mean. Involving two beauties and the turning over of a large sum of wealth from the notorious McCullough family into our pockets. Correction, my pockets. Not yours.”

These last words caught his attention. He stopped fiddling with his horse, his hands stilling not with realization but with rage. He turned to you slowly, the sight a would-be intimidating one to lesser women than you. He met your gaze, the smile underneath them, and said lowly, “Surely you ain’t stupid enough to do this again.”

“Stupid isn’t the word I would use,” you replied, picking something out from under your thumbnail with a calmness that would rile him further.

Before you could blink, he was in your face, pointing an accusatory finger at you. “You’re a goddamn parasite, and you’re a fool if you think they’d ever choose you before me. They didn’t, did they? Had to weasel your way in somehow-”

“Save it for someone who cares, Morgan,” you said, holding up a hand to silence him. You could see his frame nearly shake with anger at this, and you made yourself hold back a laugh lest he throw a tantrum so large it made you late for your appointment. “Whatever the circumstances before, they’ve changed. I’m in, you’re out. How’s that taste?” You winked and made to pass him. As you figured he would, he grabbed your arm and yanked you around. Only, just in time, he was interrupted.

“Morgan!” Bill said, drawing Arthur’s attention away. You slipped through his grasp, making way to your already saddled horse. You listened in on Bill asking Arthur to join him on a score you knew to be a false lead, smiling as you did. It was only when you were mounted up and waiting on the other women that you dared to look Arthur’s way. He was sitting on his horse, leveling you with a look so filled with hate you had to bite back another laugh. If he knew you had set up this little blindside, as it certainly seemed he did, he didn’t say a word about it as he turned to follow Bill out of camp, leaving your day wide open and rife with opportunity.

Soon enough, you were joined by Karen and Tilly, newly dressed and looking the part as they mounted up.

“How’d he take it?” Karen asked with amusement.

“About how you’d expect,” you replied. “Like a child.”

“Figures,” Tilly said, making you chuckle as the pair of them turned to lead you out of camp. You pulled your rifle out of its scabbard and loaded it as you went, kissing the wood grain after you did so, thanking your lucky stars for how the day was turning out.

After arriving at the secluded part of the road where Karen and Tilly would go to work, you picked a spot uphill and settled behind a large enough rock that would keep you hidden and allow for cover. You had already made them check to see that both of their hidden guns were loaded, checking your own sidearm in the process. No point in taking chances and messing up an easy score, especially one you had stolen right out from under another gang member.

Within minutes, Karen shot you a glance signaling the approach of the McCullough’s coach, and you hid farther behind your rock. You were still close enough to hear when Tilly’s voice split the air.

“‘Scuse me!” she called out. “Stop, please!”

And, right on cue, Karen began sobbing loud enough to be convincing.

“It’s dear Miss Franklin,” Tilly kept on. “She needs help and I…I didn’t know what else to do, where else to go-”

“Can I help you?” shouted someone from the approaching party, a man’s voice. You peeked around the rock’s edge as best you could without being seen, taking in the scene before you as you readied your gun. The coach had a driver and a lookout, both armed, and from what you could tell another guard inside. Three others rode beside the coach, the one in front seemingly the person who had spoken, as he pushed his horse forward and bent over slightly to check on Karen. “Miss?”

A woman’s voice rose out of the coach, saying, “Did she say Miss Franklin?” You smiled at Karen and Tilly’s cunning as the woman opened the door to the coach despite the protestations of the others inside, stepping down. “Abel Franklin’s daughter?”

And, like these had been the words they had decided on, Karen and Tilly pulled out their guns together and shot the nearest two men, signaling you to join in.

You set the next closest in your sights, the coach driver and lookout, and took them down with two quick shots. The third rider barely had time to round the coach before you mowed him down too. That left the coach passengers.

Based on the screaming coming from the coach, it seemed the woman had ducked down and gotten underneath it as the remaining passengers spilled out, all of them men. You were swift in deciphering the guard from the McCullough’s as you took down the former, letting Tilly and Karen surprise attack the latter and knock them out with guns to the head.

Watching to make sure no one else moved, you barreled down the hill to join them, noting the woman was indeed underneath the coach, still yelling for help. Karen grabbed her by her feet and dragged her out, proving difficult as she was putting up one hell of a fight. You got your rope out as you made your way over.

“Shut it before I put a bullet in you,” you snapped, bending to tie her hands behind her back. While she remained hysterical, this at least quieted her some.

“I don’t- Lilly-”

“Lilly ain’t here,” Karen interrupted. Word that the girl Karen had been impersonating was indeed a falsity sent the woman back into hysterics. She began yelling, louder than before, and you checked your surroundings to assure yourself no one was around to hear her before flipping her over.

“Was I not clear before? Shut the hell up and tell us where you’re hiding all your money before I kill you right here.”

Her eyes blew wide at the threat, but it didn’t do much to make her see sense. Instead, she formed the beginnings of a scream before you brought the stock of your gun down on her head. In a breath, she was quiet.

“Check her for valuables,” you ordered Karen. “Tilly, you check the two men. I’m gonna find this damn money.”

You rounded the coach and found no compartment on the back. You climbed under the coach instead just as the woman had, looking at its underbelly for lockboxes. There were none. You got back up and got in the coach, checking for loose boards, throwing decorative pillows out of the way and cursing the rich as you did. You were running short on time.

Sure enough, just as you found a way to raise the seat, Karen called out to you. “Riders coming! You done in there yet?”

You grabbed the heaviest lockbox you had ever put your hands on and yanked, nearly stumbling with its weight as you scrambled out of the coach.

“Hey!” one of the riders yelled, spurring his horse to catch up to you. On cue, you pulled your gun and joined Karen and Tilly in shooting at him and his friend. Within moments, they were both shot down, and you called for your horse.

Karen turned to you. “What about the box?”

“Mount up and get out of here before anyone else shows,” you ordered. “We can open it back at camp.”

“Whatever you say boss,” she replied with a grin that you returned.

“Come on, Karen,” Tilly said, running for it. And, when your horse appeared over the hill and made way toward you, you followed. You lugged the lockbox up and over as you swung into the saddle, wondering what on earth could be so heavy inside and praying like hell this had all been worth it. You took one last look at the scene behind you, knowing it could have gone better but that you would get by unscathed—especially as you hadn’t killed any McCulloughs. Seeing that no one followed, you kicked your horse up and rode over the hill.

After riding sporadically enough to lose any trail, you made way to camp, slowing your horse down and calming it with a loving pat. You set the box down in the saddle in front of you, its weight dropping like a stone. Just to be sure you wouldn’t make a fool of yourself in front of the whole camp, you got your knife out and jimmied the lock, opening the lid. What was inside made your mouth fall open before you laughed aloud, closing the box and pushing on into camp with even more confidence than before.

“What’s the take?” Karen asked you loud enough to draw the attention of a few camp members.

“Why don’t you come have a look?” you responded, wanting everyone to know how well of a job the three of you had done.

You hitched your horse and brought the lockbox over to the table in the middle of camp, setting it down with a loud thud. To your delight, Dutch and Hosea made their way over; this box would skyrocket your chances at being in their good graces.

You leaned on the table and looked to Karen and Tilly. “Who wants to do the honors?”

Not wasting a second, Tilly stepped forward and pried open the lid, revealing two solid gold bars and a laughably large amount of cash.

“Well would you look at that,” Dutch said, his greedy smile spreading. “Good work you three.” He never took his eyes off the gold as he spoke.

“How much?” Hosea asked.

You considered. “About $3000, depending on what we can get for the gold.”

“Oh, very good,” he responded. “Very good indeed. John! Where’s John?”

“Here,” John answered, as most of the camp had come over to have a look.

“Take this gold and find a fence to sell it to.” Hosea handed the unwieldy bars to him as he addressed you and Karen and Tilly. “And you three—nice work. Take your winnings. You earned it.”

You grinned at Karen as Tilly pulled the cash out, divvying it out to you both and taking some for herself. Just as you made to put it in your bag, your success making you giddy, you heard hoofbeats. You turned to see Bill and Arthur riding back in, the latter leveling you with a gaze so filled with wrath it could rival the devil’s.

“Where you two been?” Dutch asked, hoping for another successful score. Unfortunately, he would be sorely disappointed.

Arthur swung a leg over the horn of his saddle and dropped to the ground with a nasty fervor, never taking his burning gaze off you. It was Bill who spoke first. “Got tipped off about a coach that didn’t exist. What the hell kind of lead was that?” he asked you, getting off his horse and storming over. Arthur followed behind with an unusual quietness, one that filled you with uneasiness. No matter Bill’s anger, it was suddenly Arthur you felt need to worry about. You had never seen him so quietly enraged, like a snake poised to strike.

Bill got in your face. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

“Guess I was wrong,” you spat at him, slow to take your eyes off Arthur. “Faulty lead. Sorry.”

“Oh, ain’t that mighty of you? Leading us on a wild goose chase while you go get rich!” So he had known about the women’s plan. You smiled at him and crossed your arms.

“My fault.”

“Your fault,” Bill repeated. “Damn right it’s your fault!”

“Leave it, Bill,” Karen said, coming to your aid. “Ain’t like it hasn’t happened before.”

Hosea chuckled. “She’s right about that.”

When Bill turned on the others instead, you took the opportunity and excused yourself, making way to your tent. Only, it took all of three steps for a certain rage-filled outlaw to catch your arm.

“How much?” You looked to Arthur, to that burning hate in his eyes, and leveled him with your laziest smile.

“How much what?”

“Money. How much did you con me out of?”

“Hmm. Five hundred or so.” And when his eyes widened, “But that look on your face? Priceless.”

“You listen to me,” he growled, pulling you closer. “I don’t know why you insist on taking these scores out from under me, but you find your own damn scores and your own damn gang to steal them from because it ain’t gonna be from me anymore.”

“Is that so?”

He slung your arm away. “Yes, it is. Now stay the hell out of my business.” He turned to storm away.

“And when your own gang starts preferring my company to yours?”

He stopped. You thought he would turn, give some sort of retort. Instead, he sat there, his anger eating him alive before he walked away without another word. You knew then you had truly touched a nerve—he never backed down from a fight. Not unless he knew defeat was inevitable. You chuckled at the sight of his retreating back, wondering how far you had to push a man before he broke.

~

You woke up late that night needing to relieve yourself, half asleep as you stumbled through the woods south of camp. With the darkness of a cloud-covered night and your half-closed eyes, you went too far to the right and ran into the lake. You backtracked up the wooded hill, being a bit too loud and hoping whoever was on guard duty didn’t think you an intruder.

You found a well-hidden spot and went about your business, too tired to react quickly enough when you heard the sudden sound of footsteps. You yanked your pants back up and pulled your gun, whipping around and wishing you had adjusted to the lack of light better when you couldn’t find the source of the noise.

“Who’s there?” you called out.

“You goddamn- why are you always causing me grief?” This coming from Arthur, the man feet away from you and lowering his gun.

“Christ, don’t sneak up on a woman like that,” you chided, your heart racing from the dispelled threat.

“What the hell are you doing? I didn’t think anything of all the noise until you started circling the camp like a drunken fool.”

You were not in the mood for this. For anything, really, apart from sleep. “I couldn’t see where I- you know what? Forget it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice oozing sarcasm. “Now that I’m the one annoying you it’s intolerable, is it?”

“I said drop it, Morgan. Go back to guard duty or whatever the hell it is you’re doing.”

He scoffed. “How about you do me a favor and get the hell out of here? Out of camp, out of this gang, out of the goddamn state if that’s what it takes because in case you ain’t noticed, we don’t want you here.”

Bitterness lined his every word and, like it was contagious, took root within you so deep you clenched your teeth to keep from putting a bullet in him. “It’s you that don’t want me here,” you spat, taking a step closer. “In case you ain’t noticed, all those friends of yours do, and better yet, they don’t want you here, speaking for them, bossing them around, giving all of us grief for no good reason.”

He approached you, trying to intimidate you, still with that gun in his hands. “You better shut your damn mouth with all that.”

“Or what? You won’t do a damn thing, you-”

He threw his gun down and closed the space between you, and from the fire in his eye and the grimace on his face you had half a thought that he was going to hit you before he grabbed your hand, wrestling the gun out of it instead.

“Hey!” you yelled as he threw it on the ground, wrestling your knife away from you too, leaving you unarmed.

He towered over you and got in your face. “Won’t do a damn thing, will I?” he said before ducking his head and grabbing you around the waist, throwing you over his shoulder.

“Hey! Let me go you bastard!” You kicked and flailed, trying anything to loosen his grip as he started walking you away from camp. It was no use—your only means of besting him had just been tossed to the forest floor. You kicked and scratched at him, but he was wearing a thick coat that didn’t allow for much damage. He was still wearing his other weapons, and you tried to reach for his knife but found your reach to be inches too short as you huffed in frustration. “Let me go!”

“No,” he shouted, bringing his other hand up to keep you steady as you were flailing so much he almost lost his grip. “Stop moving!”

“Put me down! I’ll beat the shit out of you!”

He barked a laugh, the sound sharp in the night. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Put me down and I will you son of a bitch!”

At that request, he tossed you like you were no more than a sack of flour, making you hit the ground hard and bite your tongue in the process. You grunted in pain, blood filling your mouth. You looked up at him, at his grim satisfaction, and lost it.

“I’m gonna kill you!” you screamed, charging him. His expression hardened into that familiar anger as you collided with him. He remained steady and flung you off like it was nothing, making you stumble to the ground. He was on you in a second, finding your wrists and grabbing them, trapping your hands. You spat at him instead with your blood-filled mouth and used your knee, aiming for his balls. He dodged the blow just in time, your knee hitting his thigh. He pinned your legs down with his own, leaving you truly trapped.

“Get off of me,” you spat, his body weight so heavy it hurt.

“Not a chance.”

“Get off you no-good piece of-”

“Do yourself a favor and don’t finish that sentence.”

“You’re just full of empty threats, ain’t you?” you spat. “Not like you can do much else beyond beat me senseless. You gonna do that, Morgan? Would that fill the hole your uselessness digs? Make you feel big?”

Finally, his anger seemed to get the better of him. Before you had time to speak again, he pushed up and flipped you over, shoving your face in the dirt as he grabbed your hands and pulled them behind you.

“What are you-”

“Shut your damn mouth,” he growled, and you soon felt rope being tied around your hands, binding them together.

“Stop it,” you yelled, trying to kick and wiggle free once more. Only, your movement was cut short when he put his hands on your waist and yanked your still-unbuttoned pants down. “Arthur!” you chided, unbelieving what he was doing.

Your bare backside was met with a slap so harsh you cried out at the impact.

“Don’t you ever call me useless again,” he spat before spanking you again, harder, making you cry out all the louder. “Don’t ever steal a score from me again.” You strained against your bindings, but it was no use. He hit you a third time, his strength enough to make tears prick your eyes. “Don’t ever think about disrespecting me, fighting me, anything again unless you want more of this.” And, after one final slap against your stinging skin, you gave in.

“All right! Fine, Arthur, stop!” He stilled above you, and you tried to turn your head to see why. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him staring at his hand, holding it up in the darkness.

“What are you doing?”

His gaze fell on you and turned feral, the scowl beneath it worse. “Why’s my hand wet?”

Your head spun with confusion. “What?”

“You like me spanking you? You that sick in the head?”

This was the last thing you expected to come out of his mouth. “Excuse me?”

He suddenly reached for you, his hand slipping lower than your backside, low enough that you sucked in a breath as you felt what he was talking about—you were wet, your body disobeying your want to throttle him, your pure hatred for him. “Do that again and lose your hand,” you snapped.

“I don’t think so,” he growled. And with that he moved, yanking your pants down lower.

“Arthur,” you warned as he sat up, unbuttoning his own. “Don’t.”

His expression darkened, like that brutal anger of his had fled and arousal had taken its place.

“Maybe this’ll shut you up,” he mumbled. “Make you mind me.” You felt him shift above you, removing his gun belt and satchel.

“I ain’t- I’m not-” Words failed you. You couldn’t believe he was doing this. Worse still, that some small part of you must have wanted him to, because you couldn’t find the words to make him stop. Didn’t want to.

“Why don’t you be good for me and keep quiet for once in your damn life?” he said, crawling back over you like an animal. “Or I can always make you.”

“Fuck you,” you spat, your words coming back.

“The second option, then,” he said, fumbling with something out of your line of sight before stuffing it in your mouth—his bandana. You tried to spit it out but couldn’t, not with your hands still tied behind your back. You yelled out, but the sound came out muffled—it was no use.

Without warning, you felt his manhood slide against the inside of your thigh, making your eyes flutter shut. An unwelcome bolt of arousal shot through you. You wanted to fight and should have at least tried, but as the head of his cock met your entrance, his own groan rent the air, and something about it made you taut with need.

He made an impatient noise, the sound right next to your ear as he had settled himself flush against your back. “Knew you wanted this.” You let out a noise that was meant to be a helpless whimper but was more needy than anything.

Like the sound spurred him on, Arthur pushed into you, stretching you wide enough for your toes to curl in your boots. You wanted to moan but held your tongue, needing him to know you were still defying him, still mad as a hornet. Then he started to move, and you lost yourself.

The sound of him pushing into you again and again was accented by the brushing together of your clothes, by his body meeting yours, by his own arousal spilling from his lips. It was stirring your body into a bundle of feeling so tight you would soon explode from it. Not to mention he was splitting you, sliding in so deep your eyes had rolled back in your head. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing you were enjoying this though, and that meant one dreadful thing—you couldn’t find your pleasure. It would give you away.

You hadn’t had that thought for two seconds before he said lowly, “Christ you’re tight. Such a little whore, taking me so well.” You clenched around him, unable to stop yourself. He noticed. “That’s what I thought,” he said through a chuckle. “You like this, don’t you? Like me fucking you, girl?”

When you didn’t respond, his hand met your ass and squeezed. A small moan fell from your lips.

“So it was my hands on your ass, then. You liked me spanking you.” You still didn’t respond, and Arthur ripped the bandana from your mouth. “Answer me.”

You sucked in a breath, the fresh air welcome. All thought of yelling out was long gone as he fucked you deep and slow. “I-” You winced, him hitting you in a place that made your whole body tense.

He laughed. “Not so argumentative now are you? How about I make you find your pleasure, keep you compliant?”

“I won’t,” you responded, your defiance still finding a way across your tongue.

“We’ll see about that,” he said, slipping out of you. You held back a whine for the loss of feeling and turned to see what he would do. The sight of his manhood all covered in your slick did things to you you didn’t want to think about. He grabbed your hips and pulled you toward him so that you were on your knees, your ass in the air. He pulled your pants all the way off, tossing them aside. As your hands were still tied behind you, you couldn’t support yourself, and your face stayed pressed against the dirt. Without an ounce of hesitation, Arthur pushed into you again but stilled as he bottomed out. He let out a low groan, and it took everything you had not to join him in it—this angle was sinful. It nearly hurt it was so pleasure-filled. But he still didn’t move, his hesitation making you meet his eye out of the corner of your own. He looked at your ass, at where he had buried himself within you, and spanked you hard.

“Arthur.” You meant to sound chiding but only managed to sound needy instead.

“You love that, don’t you?” he said with a smugness you couldn’t stand. “Love taking my cock, getting spanked like a whore.”

“Shut it,” you snapped, his words driving you wild.

He spanked you again, and you tightened around him this time, feeling once more just how deep he was seated within you. You cursed, losing all patience. He grabbed your hips and pulled all the way out before slamming into you, making you moan louder than you had yet, louder than you would for any man. He began pounding into you, his pace building and building until you were sure he was going to rip your orgasm from you, take it just like he had taken you so forcefully.

As he continued to bury himself in you, he spanked you hard, forcing another moan to spill from your lips. You could feel your slick start to slide down your inner thigh. Maybe you did have a thing for that particular abuse—your body certainly responded to it. In fact, you felt your core tighten beyond the point of your ability to control it and knew, no matter how much you held yourself back, this man would force an orgasm from you eventually. So why hold back at all?

When he was fucking you hard enough to be considered abuse, you gave into him. And christ was it worth it. Your whole body tensed with pleasure as your high raced toward you.

“That’s it. Easy girl,” he said lowly, and for some reason it was your undoing. This man you hated, despised, only wanted to render obsolete, had somehow made you needy for his praise. Perhaps it had something to do with what he was doing to you, how roughly he was doing it, for within seconds you were moaning your pleasure. You came hard, wishing you had your hands so you could bite down on your knuckles, because you felt a pleasure so intense it rocked through your whole body—it made you weak and strong and complete and undone all at once. And damn Arthur Morgan for being the one to do it to you.

“Good girl,” he said, his smile cutting through his words. “Doing what I say ain’t so bad, is it?” He slowed and stilled, pulling out of you. He tugged at your arm and pulled you on your side. You looked up at him, such a sight all angry and smug as he was, heaving in breaths and fully erect.

“You’re mighty pleased with yourself for being such an idiot.”

His expression hardened as he pulled out his knife. “Seems you still ain’t learned your lesson.” You had a brief moment of panic before he set the knife to the ropes binding your arms.

“And you ain’t gonna be the one to teach it to me.”

“That so?” he asked, sitting back, pulling the knife away.

“I got what I wanted out of this. Don’t have to play by your rules no more.”

“Thought you might say that,” he quipped, rising to stand. He picked you up like you weighed nothing, turning you so that you faced him, your chest trapped against his, his straining cock caught between you, your legs dangling. You could have wrapped them around his waist but wouldn’t—that would be admitting defeat. He stepped forward until you felt your back hit a tree, the impact of it hurting slightly with the way your hands were still tied behind you. Now you knew why he had wanted to undo them. He flashed you an evil grin you wanted to slap right off his face.

“Undo the ropes,” you ordered.

“No.” And without warning, he knelt and pushed into you, began fucking you against the tree slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. Each thrust made your hands scrape against the tree bark behind you, the pain of it mixing with the pleasure he pulled from you once more.

“Wipe that fucking smirk off your face-”

“Or what?” he quipped. “You won’t do shit. Admit it, you wanted this. Wanted me to fuck you hard, make you mind me.”

His words made your blood boil, mainly because he was right about one thing—you couldn’t do a thing about it. So, you wrapped your legs around him, pulling him closer and making his angle within you pure ecstasy once more. You used the only thing you had left to wield against him: your words.

“I won’t ever mind you, Morgan. No one will.” His head had fallen back in pleasure when you’d wrapped your legs around him, but saying this made his attention snap to you.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he asked, his words lined with hate. “I have you right where I want you. And every time you try and defy me, this is all you’re gonna get,” he said, still thrusting into you. “This, and an ass so red from me whipping the hide off it you won’t sit a horse for days.”

As much as you should have fought against it, you knew part of you wanted that. Why? Why? You should have been angry, livid at him for doing this to you. You should be fighting and kicking and scratching until he bled beneath your fingers. But you weren’t. And that made you all the madder.

“You try this again, Morgan, and I’ll gut you before you so much as lay a hand on me.”

“You won’t,” he chuckled.

“I will,” you hissed. “Because this is just your ego, proving you can’t stand me getting the upper hand over and over again.”

He grimaced, pushing you harder against the tree, his pace becoming brutal. “You ain’t got the upper hand,” he said through labored breathing, looking down to where your bodies met.

“And this is the only way you’ll ever get it, huh? Can’t best me any other way, so you have to fuck me with my damn hands tied behind my back-”

“Don’t act like you don’t want this,” he growled.

“I don’t,” you shot back. “I told you, I already got what I wanted.”

He laughed then, a bitter sound. He slowed and leaned back, forcing his hand between you and down to your clit. It took everything in you to hold back a gasping breath at the contact, at how your nerves lit on fire with his touch. “Greedy little thing,” he said lowly before beginning to circle his thumb. “Tell you what, I’m gonna make you come on my cock a second time, and I’m gonna fill you up when you do.”

“Don’t,” you answered, full defiance.

“If that’s what it takes,” he said, his words trailing off through his pleasure. And with this, his pace picked back up, his finger on you making you squirm. You couldn’t stop him—your tied hands were useless, not to mention damn near bleeding from grating against the tree. But that pain somehow shot your pleasure even higher, your release nearing as he pounded into you, no mercy.

“Don’t,” you repeated, a breathless sound. A needy sound. No matter how much you said it, it wouldn’t convince you. Your mind repeated the opposite—do, do, do.

“I’m-” He never got to hear what you were. Instead, your release barreled through you, making your pleasure spill from you lips in the form of a moan so feminine you wanted to take it back. But you couldn’t, damn him, because he was showing you the best pleasure you had ever known, and your body gave into him with every continued thrust.

“That’s what I thought,” he said through a huffing breath before he stilled and groaned aloud, shooting his spend into you. The feeling turned you on so much you shivered, part of you delighting in it.

You both came down, breaths heavy, savoring your pleasure a moment before your anger took over, his pride.

“Fuck you,” you spat. “Let me down.”

He just chuckled, stepping back and giving you your legs. Your feet hit the ground and nearly gave. You tried your best to hide how shaky you were, how thoroughly he had worked you over.

“Get this rope off me.”

He just flashed you a smirk, continuing to button his pants. He turned to get his things, like he hadn’t just ravaged you, like this was the most amusing thing in the world.

“Morgan, I swear,” you threatened.

He put his gun belt back on and turned to you. “Look at you.” You were sure you were quite the sight, pants long gone, your slick and his spend dripping down your thighs, hands tied behind your back. “Nah. I’m gonna leave you here to figure this out on your own.”

The amusement on his face was filling you with fury. “You better get these ropes off me now, or I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” He pulled a cigarette out of his satchel and lit it, taking a drag. “Walk back into camp after me like that? Show everyone just what I done to you?” Heat crossed your face at the thought. “Nah,” he repeated. “Think of it as a…reminder. Of what that nasty ego will get you.” He flashed you a dark look as you considered him doing this to you a second time. You wouldn’t let that happen. No matter how much you may have wanted it.

You leveled him with a sneer, not deigning that with a response. He simply chuckled and shook his head, turning to walk back to camp. You saw the cigarette smoke billowing past him and shot daggers in his back as he went.

“I like the sound of that,” he said into the night, never turning. “Peace and quiet.”

You remembered your knife and gun on the ground, noting he walked toward them to pick up his own longarm but left yours, walking in the other direction. It was a good thing, too. Because not only would you use that knife to get out of your bonds, but you also had half a mind to bury it in his back the next time you got the chance. After all that he had done, after making you feel things for him you despised, it was only fair.

You watched Arthur Morgan walk away and, for the first time since joining this gang, doubted yourself. You doubted whether you could fight him off if this happened again. Doubted whether you could resist him. Because suddenly, things weren’t so black and white where he was concerned—outdoing him and enjoying doing so wasn’t at the forefront anymore. What the two of you had just done was. And it was confusing and intriguing and infuriating all at once. Damn the man for that.

When he was finally far enough away, you made for your weapons, found a way to cut through your ropes, and got redressed. It was only when you were put back together that you headed back to camp with your tail between your legs for the first time in your life, for the shame you felt over giving in to him. Despite being put back together, you had never felt so undone in your life. And worse still, you loved it. You grumbled curses under your breath as you laid back down to let sleep overtake you, feeling the ache in your body from his abuse, and vowed then and there that you would get him back for this. No matter if it took fucking him senseless in retaliation to do it.

_________

Part two is here.

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan smut #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #low honor arthur morgan #rdr2 arthur morgan #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 #fanfic #writing #nsft #lemon fanfic

[annaphoenix1994]

Ch.83 - No Such Thing as Quick

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

^ GIF is self-explanatory; Simon and Kiera engage in much-anticipated sex.

A/N: I got carried away with this smut chapter and I'm not sorry about it. Please enjoy because I know I did.

Simon lay on the couch with Evie on his chest, a pacifier between her lips as she slept soundly, her right hand clasped around the chain of Simon's dog tags, leaving them exposed as he knew they always sparked curiosity in her, using them to his advantage as Evie was still restless after returning home. 

His lids became heavy as the steady heat from the fireplace kept his skin warm, listening to the light clatter of pots and pans colliding in the kitchen nearby as Kiera was preparing for dinner, keeping the baby monitor on the counter to listen for signs of Jacob waking up from his nap, satisfied that he was rather hungry after his appointment, assuring his mother that a long nap would follow, giving her plenty of time to get things done around the house while she had the advantage. 

As Simon's eyes were about to shut for a nap himself, they shot open at Kiera's hushed scolding, knowing immediately that the cat had gotten up to mischief. "Church! You motherfucker! Stop trying to knock the glasses off of the counter!" She scolded, picking up the cat and setting him on the floor, hating how he was always entitled to jump up on the counter as he was always nosy when Kiera tried to cook. 

He breathed a chuckle at her slight aggravation, moving slowly to stretch his arm above his head to cradle the crown of his skull in the crook of his elbow, sighing through his nose while his eyes looked down to Evie, suckling calmly on the pacifier and her eyes relaxed closed. His free hand rested on Evie's back, keeping her secure against his chest just in case she tried to roll over in her sleep while the remote to the television rested on his hip, purposely putting on a show Kiera liked as she had a habit of trying to watch the television while the oven pre-heated or when she was cutting vegetables, Simon putting on a show that matched her mood. 

When she was in a loving mood, he put on This Is Us.

When she was in a funny mood, he put on Reba, Jackass or Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory

When she was in a frustrated mood, he put on 90 Day Fiancé. Which he understood, because when he'd watch it with her, he became frustrated too. Especially with how ignorant and oblivious to how some of the people were. Love is definitely blind, he would think. But my eyes are wide open with Kiera. I see no flaws. 

On this particular day, he put on Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, smirking at the sound of Kiera's distant giggles every time something happened, finding the show just as amusing as he wished he could have that much fun in his younger years.

"Do you need any help, love?" He asked, looking up at her as she sat on the edge of the couch, her eyes locked on the commotion within the television show as her free hand rubbed circles along his sleeved arm. 

"I'm alright, babe. Just passing the time while I'm waiting for the water to boil." She assured him, moving her hand up his arm to rest on his shoulder, slowly moving its way to his hair, pushing it back away from his face, his eyes growing heavy with every delicate stroke of her fingers. 

"What're you making tonight?" 

"Steak tips, macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, creamed corn, and sweet peas." She smiled. 

"What's the occasion?" He chuckled, moving his head to kiss her palm as it cupped his cheek. 

"Remember? You invited Price over for dinner tonight since he didn't want to participate in the festivities the wranglers are hosting tonight." 

He shrugged, "What festivities?" 

"Teeter put it together." 

"Bloody hell," He scoffed. "I can understand why he doesn't want to participate." 

"Teeter was explaining to Gaz and Rudy that she can team rope while being plastered. They didn't believe it, so she and the wranglers talked them into trying and if they fall off, they have to play Cowboy Poker." 

"Christ," He grumbled. "Please tell me they're not using a horned bull." 

"You should know better than that, babe," She giggled. "For the first round they won't." 

"Remind me to go down there and check on them." 

"They'll be fine, Simon. We'll go down there after dinner and when I put the kids to bed." 

"Okay, love. What time is Price supposed to be up here?" 

"Around seven. Him and Alejandro went into town to pick up some tequila. Alejandro was wanting to have a "Mexican Welcome" of his own by grilling at the barn for the wranglers." 

"I grow more worried the more you tell me what their plans are." He chuckled. 

"Trust me, I am too, especially if it was Teeter's idea, but I'm going to assume that no news is good news and that they really don't fuck with a bull." 

"I hope so," He sighed, his eyes wandering over her, pupils dilated at the sight of her in his military sweatshirt - a sweatshirt that he wasn't able to fit in anymore due to his muscle gain. "I hope you plan on changing before Price gets here." 

She giggled, "I will. I know it's not appropriate to wear just your shirt without anything underneath." 

She watched his breath hitch at the thought of the new information, Simon assuming she had been wearing a pair of shorts under his shirt instead of just panties. "Don't tell me that." He sighed, his heartrate quickening. 

"And why not?" 

"Starting something you can't finish, love." He arched his brow. 

His index finger couldn't help but twitch as she bit her bottom lip playfully, "Oh, I'm not going to start anything unless you have a condom. Can't risk getting pregnant again so soon." She teased. 

"Give me a half hour to go into town and back, then." He smirked. 

"By the time you get back, we won't have much time before Price gets here," She shook her head with a giggle. "But I'd consider it knowing you can make it quick." 

She knew it was a lie, but fuck if she didn't enjoy teasing him about it.

Mainly knowing that he always made it a point to last just ten minutes longer when she was overstimulated and begging for a release.

He scoffed, "Then I'll pull out." 

"We both know that's a lie, babe." 

"You're right. Can't help it." He chuckled playfully. He knew he could if it came down to it, but he enjoyed teasing her. 

"My point exactly," She giggled, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips. "Until you can control yourself or get a condom, I'm going to continue making dinner for us and our guest." 

He huffed at her answer, licking his lips as he took a glance at her rear as she got up, knowing exactly what was underneath that sweatshirt. 

He waited until she got back into the kitchen, looking down to see Evie sleeping soundly against his chest, holding the same position except her grip on his dog tags had loosened, letting him know that she was fully asleep. He got up quietly, seeing that Kiera hadn't noticed him stand up to take Evie into the nursery, laying her down in her crip and swaddling her with the handmade blanket Eva had made for her, Jacob having one to match except he was growing to not being a fan of being swaddled in the evening, seeming to want more room for his arms as his habit was stretching his arms to the side as he slept. 

Ensuring Evie wasn't disturbed when he ensured she was comfortable in her crib, he refrained from closing the door completely by leaving a slight crack in the doorframe before proceeding on the mission that Kiera had started. 

The couple had refrained from being intimate due to Kiera's healing journey which Simon respected, having no problem waiting to have sex until she was ready, although many conversations occurred during the predicted abstinence trial after having her C-Section. 

His steps were silent as he approached her from behind, his gaze targeting her as she had her back facing him while she had been washing the potatoes in the sink, his senses going mad at the sight of her hair in a messy bun to keep her hair from her eyes as she worked. 

Steadily, his hands found their place on her waist, Kiera gasping at his sudden appearance from behind her. "You like teasing me, yeah?" He whispered, nuzzling his face against her bare neck, placing a kiss where he felt her pulse quicken with excitement. He knew she was getting aroused, imagining how wet she was getting just by his touch alone. She may deny it was a playful remark, but he knew her body like the back of his hand just as much as he imagined his palm was her on occasion. 

By instinct, she arched her back against him, her head lulling to the side to give him better access to her neck. "I gain enjoyment out of it." She hummed, inviting him further by her body language, pressing her thighs together subtly, feeling an enticing throb from between her legs, imagining how he could bend her over the counter effortlessly. 

"Just like I gain enjoyment out of watching you try to hide your arousal from me, love," He whispered against her neck, using his left arm to reach in front of her to turn off the water flow on the sink before grasping the sink basin where it met the counter, his veins protruding with arousal. 

"Is that right?" She giggled, feeling him hum against her neck before placing another kiss there.

"I can almost hear your heartbeat," He whispered. "Just like your thighs are pressing together." 

She bit her lip as she turned around in his arms, caged between him and the counter as he pressed his lips to her forehead while her arms snaked around his shoulders. "We just have to be careful, babe." 

He nodded, placing another kiss to her forehead before stepping aside to reach to turn off the stove before quickly and tenderly picking her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist, holding her securely against him with one arm while the other grasped the baby monitor to take with him. She giggled as she placed kisses along his jaw and cheek while he closed the bedroom door with his foot. "What're we going to do if Price comes over early?" 

"He'll understand." He grumbled, using his knee to brace himself as he easily lowered her onto their made bed, careful not to lay his entire weight on her to refrain from putting pressure on the healing scar from her C-Section. 

His kisses were gentle and passionate, letting her hands explore his body while his made a trail of their own, one arm propping himself up next to her head while the other trailed down her side and towards the inside of her thighs, cupping her through her underwear, feeling the soaked pad of her underwear. "Fuck, love." He grumbled into her mouth. 

"What is it?" 

"You're so wet, I'm afraid you won't be able to feel me." He rasped, his heartrate increasing at his discovery. 

"Only one way to find out, baby." She panted, her fingers splayed through his hair. His fingers curled around the pad of her underwear, the top of his fingers already soaked before he could even get her underwear off completely. He tossed them to the floor, his lips starting at the inside of her knee, his lips leaving one kiss along their trail until they reached her core, an immensely sweet taste engulfing his tongue, Simon unable to restrain the satisfied groan that left his lips, the vibration around her clit making her gasp in pleasure, her thighs nearly caging his head in place. 

His tongue made slow, sensual strokes between her folds, his free hand coming up to line up the tip of his index finger with her entrance, watching it slowly disappear within her and making his cock twitch almost painfully. He didn't care about his pleasure when it came to their time in the bedroom, his sole purpose but pleasing her before himself. And tonight, it was about her pleasure. 

"Best be quiet, love," He said against her core, a sharp reminder of their reason to be quiet, the vibrations from his mouth causing her to tremble. "Don't want to wake them too early." 

"I'm never quiet when I'm like this," She giggled. "Guess you'll just have to make me." 

He huffed a chuckle against her, pressing a kiss to her inner thigh before standing to his feet to walk around the bed, removing his shirt and tossing it onto the bed, sitting on his knees to look down at her, bringing his shirt into her view, Kiera unintentionally giving him the ultimate siren eyes that drove him wild, begging him. "Open that pretty mouth, love." 

She smirked, doing as she was told, watching him fold one of his sleeves before placing it between her teeth, using the remaining fabric to cover her eyes while he used the other sleeve to wrap around her head and tying it off upon itself. "Good girl," He praised. "If you get uncomfortable, just tap on my arm." 

She nodded, her breathing quickened as she felt his presence move throughout the room, hearing him open up the drawer from her nightstand, knowing that he was getting an ally. Oh, fuck, I have two toys in there! She wondered. Which one is he going to use?!

He chose the butterfly dildo and vibrator, smirking as it nowhere near resembled his size, thinking it was cute how she could still satisfy herself with such a smaller toy. He turned it on, pressing the tip of it to the outside of her hip, tracing it along her bare skin and to the inside of her thighs, feeling her tense of nervousness as she sensed the light turning on, growing immediately insecure that he was seeing her core in direct light again, forcing herself to remember that he never would judge her. She felt him lay between her thighs, putting the vibrator on its lowest setting before testing it against her clit, hearing a muffled gasp leave her lips before he pressed the tip to her entrance, teasingly pushing it in, watching how she contracted her muscles unintentionally as if she were trying to suck it in herself. 

His cock couldn't help but twitch as he thought about how he felt it when he would slide himself inside of her. Fuckin' amazing, he mused. His eyes kept their gaze on her as the tip disappeared within her, feeling slight resistance from how tight she was, leaving a glare on the silicone with every slow thrust, his eyes glancing up at her as she arched her back, muffling another moan once she felt the vibrations against her G-Spot. 

After a few thrusts, he used his thumb to turn on the butterfly of the vibrator, sheathing it fully inside of her before the butterfly could make contact with her clit, hearing a wince and a moan leave her lips as her hands trailed down to find his free hand, letting her dig her nails into the skin between his thumb and index finger. She felt weightless as he continued to use the toy on her, wondering how he knew to use it better than her own when she would use it, but she didn't care as she always knew that he knew exactly what he was doing. 

She heard him groan as well as the sounds the vibrator made once he pulled it out before pushing it back in, unaware that Simon was groaning at the sight of a faint white ring pooling at the base of the vibrator, answering his assumption of how wet she truly was. "Fuuuuckkin' hell, love. Not even a half-hour in and you're already making a mess on this fake knob," He teased, his heart pounding against his chest. "Makes me think you prefer this over mine." 

His head was pressing against her inner thigh, fascinated with how he was able to pleasure her with the toy without the use of his cock, but immensely excited at the sight, knowing that he did even better with his own, only using toys on her to intensify her pleasure, although he could admit that the feeling of a vibrator against his cock as he thrust himself inside of her was equally as pleasurable. He smirked as he watched her shake her head in disagreement with his statement, rewarding her with a kiss to the inside of her thigh as he continued his enjoyment of using the toy on her, knowing that a lot of her pleasure came from clitoral stimulation instead of vaginal, conquering this theory by also grabbing the regular vibrator from the drawer when he retrieved the other toy, knowing he'd be using it on her when he buried himself within her. 

"S-Simon," She panted, using her hand to remove the shirt from her mouth. "Need you inside of me." 

"Is that a command, love?" He replied, a smirk against her thigh. 

"I can make it one." 

"Let's hear it." 

She bit her lip, "Inside of me. Now." 

"I like when you get assertive with me, sweetheart." He replied, pressing a kiss to the inside of her knee before moving to sit on his knees, pleased to see the toy still inside of her without his grasp on it while he slid down his sweatpants, pumping himself once before using his right hand to slowly slide the toy from her, turning it off before setting it aside and using the same hand to turn his dog tags around his neck, the tags resting between his shoulder blades before he lined himself up with her entrance after sliding his length through her folds to lubricate himself, watching himself slide in without having to use his hand, nearly whimpering at the sensation he missed so much. He propped himself on his elbow with his left arm, bringing his right hand up to reveal her eyes, able to see the pleasure he was bringing to her. 

Her legs moved to wrap around his waist, moaning into his mouth as his thrusts were gentle, yet assertive, their tongues dancing with each other as if it were the last time. "Oh, Simon-" She panted, her hands splaying across the built muscle of his back, feeling them tense with every thrust, his entire torso nearly twice the size of hers, fully hiding her beneath him. 

"What is it, love?" He whispered into her jaw. 

"You-You're so...big." 

He chuckled at her remark, unable to resist the seemingly harsh thrust while he rolled his hips, feeling the skin of his hips making contact with hers, an almost-sticky sensation residing in its wake as he withdrew. 

"I like to think I am." 

"You should know." She whimpered, digging her nails into his back, opening her eyes briefly to make contact with his. 

"Better make sure you leave scratches if you're going to dig those pretty fingers in my back." 

She hummed in amusement at his filthy talk, biting her lip as she began to do as she was told, making it a personal mission to leave several scratches along his back from his tailbone all the way up to his shoulders. "Is that why you always insist for me to get my nails done?" 

"I wouldn't say I insist since you like having your nails done, but keep in mind that I always want you to get them done so you can leave scratches on me later." He teased, his right hand leaving her hip to feel for the single vibrator, using his thumb and index finger to grasp it as he turned it on, his mouth filling with her moan once it made contact with her clit, turning it upwards to find the perfect spot that wouldn't overstimulate her too quickly, finding the perfect rhythm to follow with every deep thrust, purposely rolling his hips as he did to hit her G-Spot every time. 

"Just like you're giving me your last name so I can scream your first?" She hummed, legs tightening around his waist. 

"Oh, how I like the sound of that. Fuckin' clever girl." 

They lay in immense passion, Simon whimpering every time he felt the spongy material with the tip of his cock every time it hit her G-Spot, his right hand nearly soaked in her natural stimulation, her nails digging crescents and leaving long welts along the thick muscle of his back, their lips dancing with each other, their teeth nearly making contact with every other deep kiss, a thin sheet of sweat appearing on them as the time went on...

Only to be interrupted by the ringing of Simon's phone from the nightstand, his head shooting up to fix his gaze on the screen, wondering who was calling. He stilled, sighing at the feeling of Kiera tightening around him as he reached for his phone, a mischievous grin appearing on his lips when he recognized it was Price calling him. Seeing that it was five minutes past seven o'clock, he pressed his hips tightly against her, pinning the vibrator between him and her clit, slowly rolling his hips to continue giving her pleasure, "Let's see how quiet you can be, yeah?" He whispered, watching her bite her bottom lip at the challenge ahead, watching him use his thumb to slide across the screen, putting it on speaker before laying it on the bed to resume using his right hand to dive between their hips, placing the vibrator back against her clit as his thrusts resumed to a devilishly and teasingly slow pace. 

"Yeah?" 

"Hey, mate, I wanted to let you know I was here. I didn't want to knock and risk the dog barking and waking up the kids." Price answered. 

He saw that Kiera was about to release another moan, shooting her a playfully threatening glare before she covered her own mouth and turning her head to the side just in case one slipped through her fingers, her other hand digging into his tattooed forearm. 

"Thanks," He answered, no evidence in his tone that he had been interrupted. "I'm coming." 

"Alright, Simon. I'll be right outside." 

"I'll be just a few minutes," He stated, feeling Kiera's thighs starting to tremble, letting him know that her orgasm was on the tide. "Just got out of the shower and need to change." 

"Take your time, mate. Is Kiera home from town?"

Yeah, she's right under me, Simon chuckled to himself. "She is. She's feeding Jacob right now. I'll be there in a minute." 

"Okay." 

He refrained from hanging up first, not wanting to risk Kiera losing sight of her orgasm. Instead, he held his own breath as he waited for Price to hang up first, letting his phone fall asleep before Kiera removed her hand from her mouth. "That was close." She panted. 

"Poor bloke was completely oblivious that I was railing you throughout the entire conversation," He chuckled, "But I know you're close." 

She nodded, moaning into his mouth once his lips returned. "Let it go, love." 

He felt her contract around him, her walls fluttering with the intense stimulation. "There you fuckin' go," He nearly whined, coaxing her through her much-needed orgasm. "Come all over it." 

She sighed, her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head as she chased her high, Simon continuing his pace, nearly losing himself inside of her before he rapidly reminded himself to not release, knowing it would put her at risk. 

He felt how sensitive she was, removing the vibrator from her clit to continue thrusting so that he could withdraw and shower her stomach with his spend. That was, until she intrigued him with a request. "Come in my mouth, Simon." 

"Dessert before dinner, yeah?" He smirked. 

"Always." 

He withdrew, watching her move to where her head dangled over the edge of the bed, willingly opening her mouth and flattening her tongue as her hands clasped around the back of his thighs. She had never done this before, but it aroused him all the same as he imagined viewing the bulge of his cock in her throat. Bloody fuckin' hell.

She took him willingly, managing to twirl her tongue around him as he filled her mouth, Simon feeling her throat constrict as he pressed further with her guiding hands, releasing a slight gag at the semi-burning sensation, but he continued when she pulled him further. His mental image coming true, he saw the bulge of his cock within her throat, making him groan at the sight, watching her breasts recoil under his shirt with every slow thrust until he began to pick up a pace, that familiar flame in his loin growing hotter and hotter, his hands cupping her jaw as he continued to climb the mountain of ecstasy. 

After a few more thrusts, he stilled, filling her throat full of his spend, watching her willingly swallow him down as she sucked on him lightly as he slowly withdrew, a string of saliva connecting them as he began to grow flaccid. She hummed as she watched him enter the bathroom, returning with a damp cloth to rid the sticky sensation from between her thighs before he cleaned himself off, offering his hand to help her to her shaky legs, smirking at how her mascara pooled at the corners of her eyes. "Better go get that door, babe." 

He smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips before readjusting his dog tags around his neck, scanning the floor and the bed for his clothes while Kiera dismissed herself to the bathroom to rid any evidence of sex, taking the two toys he had used on her to clean them and put them away. 

#simon riley #simonriley #simon ghost riley #simonghostriley #ghost simon riley #simon ghost riley x og female #simon ghost riley fanfic #simon ghost riley cod #simon ghost riley fanfiction #simon riley smut #ghost cod mw2 #ghost cod #ghost cod smut #ghost cod fanfic #ghost call of duty #ghost riley #ghost mw2 #simon riley call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty modern warfare 2 #callofduty #call of duty #cod mw2 ghost #cod ghost #cod mw2 oc #cod mwii

[ilostmyshoe666]

I want a fic where Steve’s parents are home (for once) after the upside down and Eddie is alive (bc steddie for life lol). I want Steve to have nightmares and for Eddie to be one of the few ppl (him and robs and maybe Dustin if he’s around but he isn’t so he doesn’t know yet or whatever) and robs and ed take turns sleeping over or just having slumber parties cuz they know they can rely on each other(nance, John, sometimes argyle join in when they start to get bad but they usually do their own slumber parties) and it’s Eddie’s turn to make sure Steve is okay (robin is at family gathering). And I just want the parents to be like, yknow suburban stereotype “why are you here” and shit like that being rude (Steve assured them not to worry and finally convinces them to let Eddie stay as long as he’s in the spare). Night falls and Steve is anxious to sleep alone (robs cuddles the touch starved Steve PLATONICALLY SOULMATES to sleep… it’s also for her comfort whilst Eddie sleeps on the floor right by the bed) but he finally starts to nod off and he’s sleeping, but bc of the anxious lay down and such his nightmare is bad, just like the rest, he wakes up screaming and thrashing through his panic attack after the nightmare, grabs the nail bat that’s hidden by his bed (ed and robs try to have Steve keep it away but it’s one of his comforts that he can’t let go of) and holds it defensively whilst still laying down as his legs are too weak and shaky to stand. His parents rush in his dad pissed of and angry thinking Steve’s just acting like a toddler screaming at him until he walks in and notices Steve with said bat shocked, his mother slightly irritated but worried and even more so when she notices how defensive and desperate Steve looks. Eddie rushes in and Steve’s dad tries to push him out until he hears Steve crying out for Eddie or robin, mumbling about them being dead or smth related to the dream so Eddie finally pushes through(or slips through) and ties his hair up to uncover his face(Steve once thought Eddie was from the upside down one time bc he couldn’t see his face, Eddie suggested just cutting it off but rob and Steve argued and stood their ground about his hair so now he just toes it up) and calms Steve down. His parents are confused and just leave it for when morning comes, but then they realize both Steve and Eddie couldn’t sleep afterward and stayed up the rest of the night. Leading to Steve’s parents wonder what happened while they were never home and throughout the week they realize that ed, robin(it was an overnight family trip, she was back the next day) and Steve need to be near each other, that if they aren’t they jump at any small sound, blinking light, or shadow. Also down the road of the confusing week a bunch of children come by and jokingly all tease Steve by calling him ‘mom’ and they realize Steve does his mothers hand to hip stance. That these people need each other and decide to stay longer to see whats happening. His dad mumbles under his breath about how Steve should be with “his kind” and his mom slaps him upside the head whilst telling him to shut it and look how happy their boy is. It’s not a forced smile, awkward laughs and such. It’s genuine care for everyone when a bunch of random teens and kids come in, HECK! They’re scared for a minute when CHIEF HOPPER knocks on the door thinking their boy is in trouble until they notice he’s not in gear and is holding a hot plate of food as well as Joyce telling him to hurry bc the food is getting cold followed by the Byers kids and some random girl that oddly looks like will but also someone they don’t know (and they know EVERYONE in town)…

Ples? Pretty ples? Not all of it just Steve has nightmare parents try to calm him but ultimately fail and Eddie calms him almost immediately offering to call someone named Robin or smth

#babygirl steve harrington #steve harrington #upside down #stranger things #fic ref #fic ideas #eddie stranger things #eddie munson #robin buckley #Steve has a nightmare #nightmare scenario #stranger things kids #steddie #will byers #eleven byers #joyce byers #jonathan byers #byers family #byers siblings #steddie fic #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fic #robin x nancy #wheeler siblings #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler i know what you are #will byers I know what you are #jane hopper byers #jim hopper #chief hopper

[zellink]

to caress a thunderstorm

a post-botw zelink fic. [ one-shot // 13k words // E-rated for sexual content ]

>> Read on AO3

Summary: Zelda realizes that it doesn’t matter if they’re underneath the roof of the house, at a clothing boutique, in the secluded Sheikah village, or by the bay. It is the air that he carries around him that is warm and electric, emanating from the skin that wraps around his life force, his soul. So long as she stays by his side, it will always be that way. Two weeks before their journey to see the kingdom, a thunderstorm brews in their home.

Notes: I've been working on this for three weeks now and I'm so glad it's finally finished! Special thanks to @aquaticpal for beta'ing and helping me bring this piece to fruition. <3

to caress a thunderstorm

“Could you pass me the shears?”

They are kneeling in the dirt, by the bushes in front of the house that they now try to manicure into a neat hedgerow. Zelda’s hands are dirtied from planting seedlings of hydrangeas earlier, but it’s nothing compared to the soil that covers Link’s fingers, finding its way into the crevices underneath his nails.

She grabs the tool that lies not too far from her, and hands it to him. He grips it by the handles, mutters a thank you, and begins to trim off the leaves at the top.

“I never knew so much goes into shearing the perfect hedge,” Zelda says. She thinks of the hedges that once decorated the sprawling gardens of her now-destroyed castle. There was that one metal bench that she loved so well, cocooned in a hedgerow that formed a square, each shrub shaped like a cone and as tall as herself. She used to read a lot there, usually to avoid the man that she now shares a house with. She really took things for granted, back then. She took him for granted, too.

“Honestly, I didn’t know either. I usually just let them overgrow.” She watches the muscles in his arm flexing, the veins underneath his skin shifting as he cuts and cuts. “But I think it’s pretty straightforward. It’s just tedious.”

“Oh, well.” She purses her lips. “If you like it overgrown then we can leave it be. It’s your house, after all.”

Zelda has said this a few times before. The first one was born of a real worry that she was imposing on him. He was quick to assure her that she was not. The second and third and the next ones—well. They were still coming from a place in her mind that wouldn't stop whispering all sorts of doubt, but she also just wanted to hear him say it again, that’s all.

“It’s your house, too,” Link corrects her. His eyes do not leave the greenery in front of him, but there’s a slight smile on his lips. “And no, I don’t mind. Trimmed or not—either way looks good, I think.”

“Maybe we can let them grow out after this and see if that would look better?” she asks.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

The shears are making their way to the end of the row, now—and she notices his brows furrowing in concentration as he attempts to shear a corner into a more rounded shape.

Three weeks ago, the sky turned crimson red for the last time before it made way for light and endless blue. Three weeks ago, she dropped to her knees, century-old exhaustion finally catching up to her. Three weeks ago, he caught her before she fully fell to the ground and cradled her in his arms—her tears absorbed by his blood-stained tunic.

Three weeks ago, she finally heard his voice after a hundred years of being robbed of hearing it, saying I may not remember enough, but I’m here, Zelda, I’m here.

Today, they are kneeling in the dirt, tending to their garden, the early autumn sun beating down their backs.

The breeze feels cool against her cheeks, where tears start to roll down. ********

In the evening, they cook prime meat roulade with pesto. She has always insisted on learning new recipes, eager to remedy her lack of cooking skills, so Link assigns her the task of crushing Hyrule herbs, chickaloo tree nuts, garlic, and salt in a mortar with a pestle. He prepares the meat with practiced ease—carefully slicing it into a long thin slab with a kitchen knife.

Zelda, meanwhile, is less graceful in the kitchen; she has to lean her entire body weight onto the pestle as she grinds the ingredients into a near-fine paste. It takes a bit of time to do so, and in her periphery she sees him finish slicing the meat, so she picks up the pace and grinds and grinds, feeling the muscles in her arm burn.

Link laughs—a beautiful sound, albeit still a little foreign to her. “Take your time. This meat isn’t going anywhere.”

She'll have to get used to that, Link laughing freely. Just like she'll have to get used to watching the swell and fall of his chest underneath his tunic.

Once she’s done, she slides the mortar to him, and he begins to spread the green paste onto the meat.

It’s strange, she thinks, as she watches him meticulously slather the sauce onto the surface, careful not to miss a spot. Those hands, those fingers. Calloused and crisscrossed with scars. Capable of cooking the best dishes she’s ever tasted. Capable of pulling the holiest sword known to man out of its pedestal.

Capable of divine wrath.

“After you’ve spread the paste evenly, you can start laying down the bacon like so,” he says, taking a strip and laying it down, one by one. Once finished, he takes the bottom corners of the sliced meat and begins rolling. “You want to roll it tightly like you would a carpet.”

“But will it not unfurl when we roast it in the cookpot?” she asks.

“That’s where the string I got from Uma earlier today comes in handy,” he says, eyeing a small spool of cotton string on the other end of the counter. Zelda retrieves it and places it next to the cutting board. “You can cut the string into roughly six-inch bits. Use my hunting knife.” He nods at the leather sheath attached to his belt. She reaches for it, pulls the knife from its holder, and when her fingers barely brush the fabric of his pants, for the thousandth time since she moved into his house, she swears she could feel a jolt of electricity.

Her breath becomes ragged all of a sudden. She ignores it, chalks it off to the humid room.

Once the strings are cut, equal in length, Link begins to tie the string around the roulade, tying the ends off at the top, each tied string about an inch apart, keeping the meat from unfurling. Zelda gazes at his fingers as he knots the last string, lost in the simplicity of his movements, the way the metacarpals shift underneath the scarred skin of his hand. They’re dirty again, she’s noticed—this time with herb paste and grease, and in her mind she sees blood instead. Cupping her cheeks, wiping her tears away. Gentle despite his undeniable strength. Zelda, we have to get moving. Please. Please—

It’s his voice that catapults her back to the present.

“All right. Now it’s time to fry it.”

They bring the cutting board and a pair of tongs outside to the cookpot. Link hands the board to her so he can start the fire. Flint against steel beside dry grass atop a bundle of wood. Then, a spark, caught by tinder, which he blows a lungful at until the little specks of orange grow into flames. Firelight licks his features, his golden hair, turning him into a sculpture akin to those that used to reside in the gallery at the castle. There’s a hint of a satisfied smile on his lips.

It has only been twenty-two days since they reunited, but in moments like this, she couldn’t help but notice the faint contrast between the Link from a hundred years ago and the Link now—in the way he cooks, the way he builds a fire, the way he shears a hedge, the way he talks. Something much, much wilder resides within him, now. Or perhaps, it had always been there, but was tamped down by years of masterful stoicism born out of a need to avoid watchful eyes and whispering mouths. But after his long slumber, it bleeds through the cracks and makes itself known.

He grabs the roulade from the board and lays it gently in the pot, unflinching even as burning flecks of oil start to fly. He presses the roulade down with his bare fingers, getting a good sear across the surface. Any other person would recoil from the heat, afraid of the burn, but Link—

Well, Link is no other person.

Eventually, he retrieves the tongs from her side and tosses the roulade around with them, making sure it cooks through evenly. Once done, they bring the food and cooking tools back inside, and she prepares the dining table while he serves the roulade with mashed potatoes that they made earlier on.

They eat in comfortable silence, and without the sounds of the outdoors to fill her mind, Zelda studies his hands again—a fork in his left, a knife in his right, slicing and slicing and spearing before bringing the piece of food into his mouth.

Two thoughts bloom unbidden in her mind, though she knows they have lurked beneath the surface of her consciousness since long ago—since before she had painfully achieved her godhood, before she had even pulled her head out of the sand and realized just how wrong she was about him.

Two thoughts.

First, everything he does is wildly beautiful.

And second—

Her soul loves his soul. ********

Zelda slips into her only nightgown and crawls underneath the blanket draped on Link’s bed. For the past three weeks, she has lied in it alone while he sleeps on the makeshift pallet downstairs. ’I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor,’ he said, voice soft yet stern, during their first night together in Hateno. She wondered then, and she wonders now, how long he’ll sleep on that pallet before they finally throw caution to the wind.

There was that late night in Kakariko, following the final battle in the fields. Still in her dirty prayer dress after her long and tearful conversation with Impa. Link, patiently waiting for her behind the Chief’s house, by the waterfall. Dread settling in her throat.

They talked and talked. Feeling the mist from the waterfall on her face, her hair. Pondering aloud about the future. Swallowing that dread and trying with all her might to keep her voice steady even as her insides were unraveling.

’Your work is done, Link. I can’t ask you to do more. Nobody can.’ Tears in her eyes. Keeping them at bay. ’So I understand if you would just rather leave and live your life. Goddess knows you have earned it.’

Link shaking his head. ‘But I wish to stay. By your side. If you’ll let me.’

The dam breaking inside her.

’I want that,’ she whispered brokenly into the crook of his shoulder. ’That’s all I’ve ever wanted.’

A kiss on his neck before she pulled away. A thunderclap of a noise, his small gasp. She didn’t mean to do it, but there was a phantom magnet in her lips and underneath his skin. Simply hard to resist.

In return, a kiss on her temple.

“Zelda?”

Link is standing at the foot of the bed, a questioning look in his gaze. She pinches the bridge of her nose, clears the thoughts away.

“Sorry—what did you say?”

“We should go to Ventest tomorrow, get you fitted for some winter clothes.” He says. He’s wearing his sleep clothes, now—shaggy blonde locks all loose on his shoulders. “Rito Village can be unbearably cold even in the autumn.”

Rito Village, Zelda thinks wistfully. So much for stretching out this private bliss. In the end, duty calls her; reminds her of who she truly is.

When they left Kakariko, Impa quickly sent letters to the various chiefs spread throughout the kingdom, officially announcing the long-awaited victory over the Calamity, and the Princess’ wish to meet the people who had helped the Hero throughout his journey. The Rito was the first among the four races to respond; expressing that they would be more than happy to welcome Zelda and Link two weeks after the fall equinox. After that, they must journey to Lanayru to Zora’s Domain, then Goron City, and lastly, Gerudo Town.

“Right.” She frowns a little—the reality of having to leave this sanctuary of a house starting to settle in. “Can’t ever escape the royal in me, huh?”

Link takes a few steps to stand by her bedside.

“You know you can always say no, right?” His eyes are steely, and the earnestness she sees in them sends gooseflesh down her neck. “You’ve earned the right to do whatever you want now.”

“I know. But I want to do this. Visit each of the races. See the kingdom with my own two eyes. I just…” she sighs, shoulders slumping. “I just wish we had more time.”

Link’s voice turns unbearably soft. “More time for what?”

Heat rises in her cheeks. Oh, I don’t know.

Perhaps more time for her to gather her courage—while they tend to their front yard, while they pick berries in the forest behind the house, while she learns more recipes from him. To take those battle-worn hands in hers and pull him into her space, pull him into her. To tell him that terribly simple truth; that she loves him and wants nothing more but to have him completely, selfishly.

Zelda calculates each of these answers in her mind. All of them seem too dangerous to even be pondered upon, let alone uttered aloud to him, so she decides to say none of these. She opts for something safer.

“To do nothing. With you.”

She finally looks up to meet his eyes, and oh she’s stupid for thinking that it’s safer.

Because there it is again—the jolt of electricity, the air turning warm and heavy. It’s not unlike the air that they shared when they first embraced each other behind Impa’s house. Not unlike the spark against her fingertips as she retrieved the knife from his belt. Not unlike the million other times when they touched, whether it be intentionally or by accident, in this new century or the previous one—when the charge of two energies becomes too strong.

She sees it in his eyes, too; a wolf in its perch in the thick snow, staying still as it awaits its prey’s next move.

“Well,” Link starts as she watches his throat bob, “we still have two weeks.” A tongue wets his lower lip. “To do nothing.”

“Two weeks,” she echoes him. The air continues to turn warmer—lightning on its way to form. She tries to mull it over in the span of a millisecond. Release it or let it dissipate? “Though I guess I wouldn’t call our artful hedge maintenance ‘doing nothing’.” She grins.

Let it dissipate, it is.

Link lets out a soft laugh. Dimples on his cheeks—he’s smiling. Zelda hates him for it. Hates those lips, pink like spun sugar—for how they make her heart somersault.

He turns to the nightstand next to the bed and extinguishes the fire in the oil lantern. The loft turns darker, but his eyes stay impossibly blue even without ample lighting.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take the bed?” She asks. Or perhaps join me?

He shakes his head, something fond about his expression.

“Good night, Zelda.”

Beneath a sheet of blanket, her fingers curl and uncurl.

“Good night, Link.”

>> Continue reading on AO3

#i never know how to tag fics but uh I'll try #fanfic #zelink #botw zelink #zelink fic #zelink fanfiction #ao3 #my fic #botw fic