#(before legal vows are taken) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

starboyshoyo · 1 year

Text

Wedding Bells

Characters: Riddle, Deuce, Epel, Silver x fem!reader (seperately)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland

Genre: fluff, romance

Proposals and weddings with your beloved!

Riddle Rosehearts

Married life with Riddle comes in stages. It’s extremely difficult at times, especially in the beginning, and easier in others. You’d better be ready to take your vows seriously, because Riddle certainly will- even before you’re actually married. Especially the ‘for better or for worse’ part. He’ll outright refuse to hold a wedding until he can be financially and emotionally independent from his mother, refusing to subject you to her tyranny.

One way or another, Riddle will gain his freedom, either from gradually taking back control or from being disowned. Without the shadow of his mother hovering over him, he’ll decide to follow a path of higher education to law school. It’ll be a tough time period for you as a couple. Riddle is always busy studying and working hard, hoping to earn his degree early. He’ll attempt to help with house chores when you move in together, but he never learned practical home skills when he was younger. The combination of teaching him how to manage a household in addition to his school workload means that for a time, you will be doing most of the home duties.

The wedding discussion also has to be put on hold for a while. Your fiance is a perfectionist and refuses to hold anything but the perfect ceremony for you, with the most beautiful ring he can get his hands on. After graduating law school and landing a job, he’ll save up for the ring of your dreams.

He’ll propose after a romantic evening at home, under a full moon at midnight. Not everything went the way he thought it would- the ring was the wrong size (“What do you mean, fingers have sizes? I thought only shoes had that.”) and he burned the food at one point, but the two of you spent year waiting for this moment. Just seeing your eyes light up in disbelief and happiness when he finally gets down on one knee makes everything worth it.

Riddle will ask you to take the Rosehearts last name. He likes the idea of being joined, in life and in legal matters. Having his last name makes him feel like he’s truly your provider and protector. Plus, he’s just a hopeless romantic and wants to hear you being called Mrs. Rosehearts. He won’t complain if you don’t want to, though. Tradition is important to Riddle, but he respects your wishes much more.

The ceremony is small- held at an indoor venue in a courthouse, with just a few attendees. The Heartslabyul graduates will help set everything up, and catering is taken care of, courtesy of the Clover family. Riddle couldn’t be happier when he sees you walk down the aisle, escorted by Ace and Deuce. Deuce will give him a nod before stepping back, while Ace’s gaze will linger on Riddle’s a bit. The message is clear: take care of her, or else.

Deuce Spade

The moment Deuce realized he was in love with you was the moment he knew he wanted to marry you. You are Deuce’s first and only love, and the only person he’ll ever need. The two of you are engaged just after graduation- he proposed on the spot without being prepared. He just saw you running towards him in your cap, diploma in hand and gown fluttering in the wind behind you, and blurted out, Will you marry me?

This was not how he planned the proposal at all, and he apologizes profusely when he realized he didn’t even get down on one knee or give you a ring. In the last week or so of school, he’ll practically be living in NRC’s metal workshop, learning to bend and hammer out a ring for you. And with Crewel’s help and a bit of luck, he’ll even create a small gemstone himself, to add to the ring.

He’ll definitely marry you soon after the ring is done. Like Riddle, you and Deuce have a small, private ceremony. Crowley was generous enough to let you hold it on NRC’s campus, with Ramshackle as the venue. The run-down, homely dorm you stayed in during your high school days was also the place you spent the most time with your best friend, so it’s only fitting you’d marry him there too!

While Riddle, Cater, and Trey agree to be Deuce’s groomsmen, Ace actually requests to be a bridesman instead! He says it’s because “this is the last time he’ll ever get you to choose his side over Loosey Deucey.” He’ll definitely send pictures of your day out to Deuce, rubbing it in his face that Ace got to have a self-care day with you while Deuce didn’t. Deuce can’t be too mad, though. After all, it’s him you’re marrying, not Ace :)

Deuce would actually discuss name changes with you before the wedding. He actually likes the idea of taking your name. He would feel very close to you by being connected to you by name. But he also likes the idea of you being a Spade because it’s like he’s bringing you into the family!

You’ll most likely move in with your husband and his mother for a year before moving to a small house nearby. Ms. Spade absolutely loves you, and dotes on you when Deuce is out working for the day. She’ll try to help you with your own work as well, especially if you’re working remotely or working from home a lot.

When Deuce is home, he’ll spend as much time with you as possible. There’s a lot of sleepy cuddling and long naps in your shared room. Even if he’s busy, he’ll help you and his mother with chores. Grocery runs are his favorites, because it gives him time to go out on a pseudo-date with you.

When on the couch together, Deuce loves placing your hands side by side, looking at the rings on both of your hands and thinking about how lucky he is. He can’t believe that you’re with him now, forever.

Once you finally get your own place, Ace will try to ask for a key. Deuce will give him one, and then change the locks just to mess with him.

Epel Felmier

Epel didn’t even think about marrying you until the two of you moved back to Harveston. The townsfolk don’t have much news to talk about, so a lot of the gossip will be diverted to you and Epel. Every time you go out, expect to have at least three elderly residents asking when your wedding will be! Most of the time, you’ll laugh it off and assure them that you’re happy. But it’s happened so much that Epel begins thinking about it.

He brings it up to you one day in the orchard, lying in the grass with his legs propped up on a tree. This is the first time you’ve discussed marriage, and you come to an agreement- if your relationship in Harveston works out, in a year or two you’ll get married. It’s a simple plan, but people can’t help but notice Epel has a spring in his step now when he talks about his new fiancée.

With his degree in magical chemistry and background as a farmer in Harveston, Epel will always be financially stable. He is one of the few young people in the town and the older residents welcome the help with labor. With extra income from occasional jobs Vil will call in with, you guys are set! You have plenty of time to spend with Epel every day. It’s quite the pleasant life.

Your marriage to Epel will take place in the town hall. Every Harveston resident will attend, as well as many of your friends from your days at Night Raven College. The village elders insisted on doing everything themselves- making food, catering, helping with clothing and ceremony. It’s been decades since they were last able to prepare for a wedding party!

Originally, the gathering was planned to be relatively small, with just friends, family, and locals. But word got out that the Vil Schoenheit would be attending the event in place of the Bride’s father, and security had to be hired. Not only that, but the presence of nobles like Kalim, Leona, and Malleus garnered attention as well. Harveston’s economy got a big boost just from your wedding alone.

Much to Vil’s chagrin, you had hired Neige to be the live performance during your first dance with your new husband. He’ll complain about it for years, even if you reassure him that you would have asked him if he didn’t already have a part in the wedding party.

Epel is secretly smug that so many people are seeing you marry him. You’re his now! He’s yours! Take that, world! Everyone knows you’re Mrs. Felmier now. Speaking of that, Epel wants you to take his last name. He really wants you to be his in that way. He might pout a bit if you refuse but ultimately he accepts your decision. Either way, you’re his wife now! Nobody else’s!

Silver

Two matching silver bands on yours and Silver’s ring fingers are the only indicator to the outside world that you got married in secret, on a humid summer evening before your final year at NRC. Worried about Lilia getting on in years and not being able to see his son’s special day, Silver asked you to marry him in a quiet, extremely private ceremony. Only Lilia, Malleus, and Sebek were present but Silver tried so hard to make it romantic. He promises that once you’re older, you can do it again, properly.

The ring exchange was overseen by Malleus, who had power for every official duty in Briar Valley. For Silver’s own band, he requested the gem on his magical pen to be turned into the centerpiece for his wedding ring. That way, he’ll never be without you or his magic now.

As the only humans in Briar Valley, you and Silver still need protection. Silver would never leave his job as Malleus’s guard either, so you’ll be living in the Thorn Fairy’s Castle for now. As a wedding present, Malleus had a new wing of the castle built just for you and your new husband, complete with a tower. It’s spacious and supposed to provide more privacy for newlyweds, but Lilia has a bad habit of barging into the rooms anyways, gushing about how his little boy is all grown up. If you need a place for more private affairs, the cottage out back might be a better location.

When you return to NRC for your final year, the rings on yours and your husband’s hands aren’t hidden. No one seems to notice, though. Not even the observant ones like Azul and Jamil. If they do, they probably assume that the rings are promise rings. Silver doesn’t bother to correct them- he’s wary of telling people already, lest someone target you for it. Stolen kisses in empty corridors are good enough… for now.

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

1K notes · View notes

mrsnancywheeler · 2 months

Text

the river (6) // finnick odair x f. reader

summary: the Capitol has taken you away from Finnick, the life you've been trying to build together and now he has to fight to get every part of you back

previous chapter

masterlist

7.1k words

warnings: hurt/comfort, smut, angst, fluff, arguments, a wedding, pnv, unprotected sex, f receiving fingering, he doesn't pull out, cursing, allusions to trafficking, paranoia, violence, mentions of death, suicidal ideation, self-hate, dount, mentions of pregnancy but she's not pregnant, distrust, brainwashing, mentions of Snow, unedited, no use of y/n

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

You looked so beautiful, so angelic, so unspeakably alluring standing in front of him in your borrowed dress. Never had he felt more excited than when he'd realized this was in fact the day you would become not just his wife in spirit, but legally, Mrs. Odair. The way you'd so delicately smiled up at him made him feel like his grin was more like that of a mad man, and maybe he was. Madly in love, madly obsessed, madly in need to spend the rest of his life with you. He needed the revolution to be over so he could have a billion kids that looked just like you, that laughed like you did, and smiled like you did. How soft your fingers felt when they brushed his lips with salt water was addicting just as it was when his fingers did the same to your lips. He felt blindly dazed by your smile as you recited the vows, Finnick barely remembered that there were cameras around.

Your genuine happiness was something he had come to miss, yet here it was once again. The feeling that made all the rough times worth weathering the storm, how unequivocally enamored of you he was with each smile and sweet word. Your sugary repetition of what the officiant said eventually waned, Coin had insisted on less flowery vows to keep the event concise, but that was okay because he'd spilled his heart before. It also helped that now he wasn't sure he'd be able to form any coherent proclamations of love when looking at you put him into a stupor.

“I, Finnick Odair, take you as my wife from this day forward. Together or apart, we will always be united. One life, one purpose, one destiny.” He'd never get sick of the way you were looking at him right now, like that same girl from the market that he'd approached all those years ago who was joyously stunned that Finnick Odair would even talk to her.

“You may kiss the bride." The officiant announced and Finnick had never been more pleased for his lips to touch yours. The salty and peachy taste that lingered on your lips that he adored, compounded with the sound of the children's choir beginning to sing, a confirmation that his official voyage with you had really begun. Ever so slowly he pulled away to gaze at you further.

“Hi." You whispered softly through your perfect smile.

“We're married." He whispered back, the giddy smile almost hurt, but he couldn't make himself stop. “Like actually married."

You nodded with a light laugh, "Yeah, we are!” The words left you so breathily before you'd kissed him once again and he wanted to drown in your lips. His mind seemed to echo the same words over and over again, a never ending stream. She's actually my wife. She's so happy and pretty and my wife. My wife. The way you danced and laughed was exhilarating, this was the you that the Capitol had chipped away at making a glorious appearance. You could have another breakdown tomorrow, but right now you shone brighter than the sun and it was all that mattered. It wasn't home, there was no sea breeze in the air, there had been no net to cover you both, or sending the couple off in a boat at the end for farewells. It wasn't even the spring time wedding you'd once whispered about on late nights, but it seemingly was exactly what you both needed.

Your feet had only stopped moving once the cake was rolled out, glorious in its waves of blue frosting. It truly left him amazed in the attention to detail of each sea creature so delicately placed. “Oh, it's perfect." You muttered, squeezing his hand.

Finnick nodded in agreement, “It's amazing." It was the closest to home as either of you could get, he ached to be able to know he'd be carrying you over the threshold of a tiny cottage by the sea, but he couldn't until this was all over. Until they'd won. So the cake would have to be sufficient enough and in the joy, it was. Especially when you so carefully fed him a bite of it, blue staining his teeth as he took the bite. Before the blue and green had just as equally begun to stain your lips when he did the same, and it made him feel so young again. A kid who'd eaten too many colored sweets.

Eventually the propo had to come to an end and with it, the fun and dancing. But his happiness didn't subside, even if it was no traditional reception of dancing all night, at least he could carry you through the door of the compartment and be with you for eternity.

“Hello, Mrs. Odair." He'd whispered after carefully placing you on the floor of the shared room.

“Hello, Mr. Odair." You responded absentmindedly, eyes so loving as your fingers played with his hair.

“We're actually married, officially married, forever and ever and ever."

“Yeah." You glowed, all of you was so bright. “Don't get cold feet on me now."

"Never.” He affirmed, kissing you again.

"Good because I'm rather attached.” He smirked and quickly pulled you back into his lips. Slowly, but surely your lips attacked him more feverishly, with more passion. It had been so long, but it was a feeling he missed so much, until your fingers had slidden down to the buttons of his jacket, where some sort of panic permeated his happiness. He longed for you more than he'd even let himself ponder, but he couldn't risk it when you were still at risk of a meltdown at any turn. So reluctantly he pulled away.

“Angel, what are you doing?"

He missed the cooling feeling of your skin the moment you pulled contact away and hated how embarrassed you suddenly looked. “I'm sorry, I should have asked, Finnick. If you don't want to, I won't.”

His hands reached out to assure you otherwise and caress the side of your head. “No, no, sweet girl, that's not it. You're all good."

For a moment you seemed relieved before the confusion seemed to settle back in. “Then what's wrong?” Finnick sighed, how could he tell you he was terrified that you'd have a mid-thrust mental breakdown that threw you into some kind of terrified hysteria? He sat down on the bed, preparing himself for the hole he was digging himself into. At the very least, talking to you about it now was leagues better than going along until you cracked.

“Honey, I just don't think it's a good idea."

“Oh, okay." Shit. He always ruined everything. You'd been so open and happy all day only for your voice to slightly break with a speck of insecurity. You were so sweet with the way you'd move on to pretend it didn't upset you somewhat and find something else to do.

“Not because I don't want you, trust me I do." The words tumbled out of his mouth as fast as he could form them to try and reassure you.

“If you want to, then what's stopping us? I do too."

"Honey, come here.” He patted down on the bed and you sat, carefully he grabbed your hands, hoping his warmth would provide some sort of comfort. “I just think maybe we should wait until you're feeling like there's less of a chance that you'll get scared when we're in the middle of something.

"I'm not gonna get scared, Finn, I want this.”

"You're not right now, but say you get hit with those thoughts that say I want you dead, which I don't, and I'm on top of you. That'd be scary for you.”

"I haven't had an episode for a couple weeks.” Your head turned to stare at the wall in front of you.

"You haven't had a major one and I'm so proud of you for that, but you've had some small ones. I don't want one getting bigger because of the circumstances.” Your hands pulled away from his, covering your face where stray tears must have begun to fall. “Hey, no, don't cry. I'm just trying to look out for you."

“I make everything so difficult, I'm sorry."

“No you don't, it's all okay."

Quiet sniffles filled the room before you laid your hands back down on your lap to look at him. “Finnick, I get you're worried about me and I love that about you. But I could freak out waking up in the middle of the night or when we're just cuddling. I want this, I want you, and if the worst happens then it happens and we cross that bridge, but I'm really sick of letting it control me.” He wanted you too, he'd felt guilty for any fantasies he'd had of you, but he had missed every part of you beyond belief.

“I just don't want to do anything you might not be able to handle, I'd need you to constantly communicate with me, so I know you're okay."

“I will, I promise."

You were so ethereal, he hated that it made parts of him throb when his brain had already found another dilemma. “I don't think they've got birth control here, or at least we don't have any."

“That's okay, I don't care." No, he couldn't do that to you. How could you handle being pregnant in the midst of everything else?

“It's not a good idea, angel."

“Why? We'll win the war soon and be back home." He wished it was that simple, but poor you having an episode would only complicate things.

“Honey, I just don't think you're ready right now."

“You're?" Fuck. Why the fuck would he say that.

“I meant to say we. We're not ready." Why was he so stupid? How could he manage to be trying to protect you so hard that he caused an episode instead? He'd have to brace himself for the mess he was causing.

“You’re lying to me. Why am I not ready?”

What he'd give for this blip to be over, to be at the point where there could just be children without all the worry about your health. "It's our wedding night, let's not argue. Let's go to bed, I'll read to you.”

But your walls were slightly raised and he could feel it as you stood up. "I wasn't trying to argue, I was trying to consummate the marriage. And instead of just saying you weren't feeling it right now and letting us move on, you said you thought I'd be a bad mom.”

"That's not what I said, don't put words in my mouth.” He said it too sharply and instantly regretted it.

“Then what are you saying, Finnick?” He despised the fact that he was only confusing you more when he was supposed to be letting you know what was real and what wasn't. The stress in your voice was evident as your arms protectively crossed around your body, foot tapping.

“That I don't think this is a good time for a baby, we should jump over a few more hurdles first." Finnick stood up, desperate to touch you, to soothe you. Trying to hide how mortified he was that regardless of all the talk he could still feel himself straining against his pants. “I just didn't say it right, I'm sorry, sweet girl."

"If you don't want to have sex that's fine, but stop trying to come up with excuses.”

"Angel, I do, I'm just…I've gotten so focused on trying not to set anything off that I've started planting the thoughts instead." He should be stronger, more able to read you so that he wasn't the one instigating the thoughts. Instead he was becoming overly paranoid himself, he hated the idea that he could need care when he was finally trying to care for his girl. “What I meant was, I think we should wait until the war is over for certain, so I'll just pull out." Slowly he approached you, hands softly urging your arms to uncross.

He could feel the way you began melting into his touch and it made him feel whole again. "Do you actually want to? I don't want you to feel like you have too because I'm in a mood.” Your eyes glistened with a sincerity that warmed his heart as your arms succumbed to his movements.

"Wanna make my sweet girl feel better, want to make it up to her.” He could basically hear your heart pounding and he loved that you still got somewhat flustered.

“You're absolutely sure though, right? This isn't just you-" His lips on yours cut off the further listings of any anxieties. Free hands searching for the zipper on the back of the dress as he quickly slid it down. He only pulled away long enough to make sure the dress had successfully become a pool at your ankles before his lips were on your chest. “Finnick?" Your voice snapped his head from his assault to look at you, who looked so sheepish to say anything at all. “Can that wait? I'm just… you know.”

With a smirk he raised his head, makitsure to stand fully back up as he looked at you. "You're just what, angel?”

"Finn, you know.” Your fingers messed with his jacket sleeves as you avoided his gaze.

Softly he pecked you on the lips,"Communication.” Another quick peck, "Need you to say it for me.”

"Finny, please don't be mean.” Fuck. Pulling out that nickname ever so sugary sweetly made him want to cave, to get straight onto taking care of you for life. “Already spent all that time arguing."

"Not being mean, angel, we just have to practice using our words.” You lifted his hand to your face, touching the heat of it to your face, which was oddly hot already considering how cold your hand was, per usual.

Your breath fanned across his hand as you quietly gave the confession, “Been aching for you all day, Finn."

“All day?" His hands moved to slowly unhook your bra, “Waited so well for me." The way you needed to just be coddled and taken care of was evident, he wanted nothing more than to love on you any way that he could. He let the bra fall to the wayside so his fingers could focus on how soaked your panties had become. “Can tell you've been waiting." It had been so long it was no wonder you were shy under his gaze. “Gonna make it better, show you how sorry I am." He could fall into the endless depths of your eyes that drew him in and fall forever with a smile on his face.

“I love you." The way you said it so tenderly made his heart skip a beat, he couldn't help but smile and place a small kiss on the tip of your nose.

“I love you, sweet girl.” Your fingers slipped up to continue the unbuttoning of his jacket which fell into a pile on the floor.

“Are you sure-"

“Yes, I'm sure." Finnick tried to back up this assurance through his eyes, hoping you could read through the depths of his soul. He slid his shirt off and you nodded, a signal that you had accepted what he said as truthful. Your fingers had settled on the button of his pants which you'd slowly undone as he stood there in utter awe of just you, all of you. He stepped out of his pants and boxers, leaving you on a nearly even playing ground. His fingers made their way to your hips, to the hem of your underwear to start pulling them down and the way your skin was so cold was startling. You'd always been freezing to the touch, but it made him feel guilty that you'd been stripped of any warmth besides his fingertips. “You're basically shivering, angel."

“You're burning up, so I'll be okay." It was true, the way your body temperatures aides the others had felt like another way you were made for each other. So slowly he'd pulled the panties off your body until they hit the floor as everything else had. Without another word your lips had crashed onto his which he used as an opportunity to slowly guide you towards the bed while you were lost in the feeling of his lips. He laid you down as your hand on the back of his neck dragged him down with you.

He took the opportunity to slide his fingers into your core and reveled in the feeling of you moaning into his mouth. A sound he hadn't heard in so long that it rang in his ears like music, a symphony that he could listen to for days. “You're so perfect." He muttered through the seconds you pulled away for air. You laughed breathlessly, shaking your head, “Yes you are." Finnick reiterated, thumb finding your clit causing another moan into his mouth the moment your lips had reattached to his. “Melodic to my ears angel, so perfect." Your hands tugged at his hair and he couldn't suppress the groan that came out.

"Love you so much, Finn.” The way you talked through the whimpers every time he added more pressure to your bundle of nerves made him an obsessive man. Your lips had become swollen from your prevalent addiction to his mouth, but you didn't seem to care, whining when he pulled his head just out of reach, trying to tug him back down.

He began thrusting his fingers in faster, mesmerized, as he always was and would be, by the way your face contorted with pleasure. “Love you too, angel, love my wife so much." In his daze of fascination you were able to pull his face back towards your own, fingers knotting in his hair.

Your voice was airy as you smiled softly through small whines,"Your wife.” He felt the clear heat your face exuded when he pressed his forehead to yours, it felt like your souls were one.

"My beautiful, perfect, gorgeous wife.” Your lips raised just enough to steal another peck from him as he kept rubbing harsh circles onto your clit. For a while he became enraptured just by your sounds, he didn't know how long had passed as he took in every small whimper to the loudest moans that you tried to cover.

“Oh my god, Finn!" You writhed slightly, a tell-tale sign of how near you were to release.

"You close, sweet girl? You gonna come for me?” He does his fingers up, as well as the intensity of his circles. Lips meeting yours once again as you nodded, eyes scrunching closed.

“So, so close." He began kissing at your neck, beguiled by the somehow lingering smell of the ocean on your skin.

"Come on, you can let go for me, sweet girl.” His kisses trailed down to your chest once again, utterly addicted to leaving the lingering feeling of his lips wherever he could. Upon your release the climactic end of the symphony blessed his ears and he was certain that if it was somehow possible, it had certainly made him harder. "So good for me." He slid his fingers out of you, the need to taste you winning when he brought them to his mouth.

“Need you inside, Finny, please." Your hands lead his face back close enough to kiss as you tried to catch your breath.

“You sure you're ready, angel?” You nodded eagerly, legs lifting to cross around his torso, pulling him closer.

“Yeah. Are you?" Your voice was so sugary sweet and addictive, every part of you was, if he died he was sure every part of you would consume his senses first.

“Yeah." His hand moved to softly caress your face, moving small strands of hair that had begun sticking to it away. Carefully he lined himself up with your entrance, stroking your cheek before he slowly pushed himself in. The sounds of both of your moans mixed in the air, intertwined as your bodies were. “Feel so good, angel. Fits so perfectly, you were made for me, we were made for each other." It was true, he wouldn't be complete without you. He'd gone his whole life needing nothing more than you, in every sense of the way, you fit one another flawlessly. He felt so sensitive that he was scared he might already be on his way to the climax, which he only dreaded because of how close he felt to you when he was in the warmth of your walls. That you were as close as you possibly could be, yet he still longed to be nearer.

“Faster, please?" It was nearly incoherent as you babbled through your whines, arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, as if you were still somehow trying to pull him in further. He happily obeyed your plea and sped up his ministrations, thrusting through his own climbing pleasure as he moaned. “Missed you so much, Finn. Can't live without you, you're-" Your own moans interrupted your train of thought and you took a moment to regain some type of verbal composure. “Only ever wanted you, only needed you. Meant to be." He was able to decipher your proclamations through the whines and over the sound of his own noises, it brought him ten times closer to feel so basked by your love.

“Not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again, I'm gonna take such good care of my wife. Promise." The security you both needed, that you both ached for and could only be guaranteed once the reign of Snow had toppled entirely. You looked ethereal, your face scrunched up with each noise you made, hair splayed out around you, eyes glazed over with adoration and pleasure. He was so hypnotized by the way love seemed to have filled every crevice of the room and whisped around that he barely even registered that he was at the very top of his climax. He'd let go at what felt so suddenly that he'd simply thrusted further inside of you as you moaned at your own release. It wasn't until the thrill had mostly passed that he remembered his own fears. “Shit, shit, shit.” He muttered as he pulled out of you completely.

You sat up almost instantaneously and he could feel the panic radiating off of you. "What, are you okay?”

You were so sweet. "Yeah, I'm fine, sweet girl. I just…" He trailed off, staring at you, wide-eyed, anxious to help at any indication something was wrong. For years, nearly a decade he had loved you, something that somehow seemed to be constantly, rapidly increasing. Besides all the troubles you'd both endured he knew there was nothing he would trade any of it for if he knew he could have you and now that life you both yearned for was just in grasp. Finnick had and would dedicate every second he could to sustaining that dream and keeping you afloat, and if he could do that, he could do the same if you did get pregnant. He sighed and leaned closer to you, “Nevermind, angel, just didn't pull out, but it's okay. We're so close to freedom I can taste it and I want a family with you so bad. Finally going to be able to have our perfect little family and perfect little life." He crawled into the bed near you, kissing your face.

“You really want a family with me?" Your eyes were wide with an adorable hope, like you hadn't really accepted that he really wanted to be with you. He scoffed like the doubt was ridiculous.

“Of course I want a family with you, my sweet girl, I married you." He pulled you as close as he could get you, foreheads pressed together once again, making his heart buzz with contentment.

You smiled before looking for reassurance once again, which he was happy to deal out. “And you're gonna stay with me, right? Never gonna be a part or split up again?"

With all the sincerity possible he caresses your face again, “Never gonna leave you again, I promise, angel." You were blissfully pleased with his answer and kissed him once again.

But maybe Snow was right, even if it was unintentional, Finnick Odair was a liar and he in some ways resented himself for it. Yet it felt like there was nothing else for him to do when weeks later he found out about the squad Coin was putting together and he was absolutely certain that regardless of the shared training, the promises, he had to be on that squad, and you absolutely could not be.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Finnick couldn't remember the last time he'd be physically ill, but since you entered the arena, he'd spent every day fighting the nausea. The Capitol's medicine certainly helped, but when he got feverish he barely wanted to take the concoctions. No if you died, he'd let himself die of fever to be with you. This was all his fault for ever even breathing in your direction, for caring, and now he'd have to suffer for it. What kept him going was how he had to be presentable and therefore healthy enough to get you sponsors, to rally for you. So he downed the medicine and copious amounts of caffeine to try and stay awake, he couldn't risk missing anything regardless of the alliances supposed to keep watch when you slept, he knew how fickle those could be. He rallied harder than he ever had to keep the public opinion on your side, you were sweet, delicate, a hopeless romantic, trying to stay alive for love, so pure, naive, a princess being forced to slay the dragon. Per usual people gobbled up any word that fell from his mouth and the sponsors came when called.

Then the rain started and he prayed that the arena would flood, you could swim, you'd survive that way, but it didn't flood. Raindrops just pattered down as the temperature dropped and then in what seemed like a matter of minutes, a few days into the rain, you were sick. Never had he been so grateful to have withheld the money for gifts beforehand because now he could get you what you needed to stay alive. Your lips were turning blue and he felt like he was tripping over himself in anxiety to send it to you. The sound of the rain echoed in his ears as he desperately waited for the blanket to arrive. For you to be warm, to stay alive. That night was the first one he had let himself cry, where death felt so imminent that he was plotting ways to go with you.

You persisted, you were like that. He felt his spirits rise as you continued on, so smart, so resourceful. His stomach wasn't in complete knots until suddenly your facade was slipping. What the fuck were you doing? What the fuck were you saying?

“Seems there's a lot about you I don't know then.” Conway stood and stared at you, Finnick could feel the illusion cracking through the screen. It was never going to continue forever, but this was too soon.

You tried to be quick on your feet, to throw together words to save yourself. “I’m not saying that I want to, just that sometimes you have to do what it takes to survive. Even if it's difficult -”

Conway interrupted your attempted safe and in that moment Finnick's stomach dropped. “Untrue?" Fuck. Fuck him. Fuck himself and Conway and fuck your slip of tounge. The stress had clearly gotten to you and was messing with how articulate you usually could be with your words.

“Yeah, I guess."

Finnick couldn't help but start muttering out loud, “No, no, no, no, don't say that. Angel, please.” He felt like he was going to cry again, you were on the edge of a cliff and the rocks were cracking.

“I'm sorry if that upsets you, I'm just doing what it takes to get home." Of course you were, you were doing what you had to, like every victor had, but you shouldn't have said it. It definitely didn't help that the frustration was evident in your voice. There must have been a brick of lead in the bottom of his stomach. Now he could never be home with you. Conway knew, there was no way he didn't.

“It’s okay, I understand.” No he didn't. “It's just hard to come to terms with, when you remember that this is all designed to bring that out in us. To see the other side, not through rose colored glasses.” Then he kissed you and Finnick knew the tides had turned. You needed to catch on, you could not be the prey, not now. Say you have to pee and run. Dart to wherever you can and hide.

Yet you didn't, you stuck by his side, and didn't follow when he and the male tribute from 7 went off alone for a second as you all ate. Finnick felt numb as the two discussed how they would get rid of you and the girl from 7, eyes red and stinging as he stared at the screen. He was helpless, he could only hope you could get his telepathic message that you were in danger. You didn't and your death warrant had been signed.

He saw how disenchanted Conway was by you when you killed the girl from 2. How dare he be disgusted when you were doing exactly what you had too in order to survive. Finnick was screaming at you through the television when Conway led you away. Stay. Stay by the girl from 7, let her take out the threat of Conway. Don't go with him. It was so hard to watch, but he persisted because he had to make sure you were alive. Finnick despised the way Conway was luring you in, he didn't care if it was hypocritical, you needed to survive, to come back home to him. When Conway's lips crashed into yours as he pulled the knives, your only protection, out of your hands Finnick felt like he'd lost all grip on reality. He threw a glass at the screen which shattered with a resounding crash, bubbly liquid cascading across the room, but he didn't care. Not when you were being led straight to your death, a ticket to a train that kept you forever away from him on this Earth.

You appeared so innocent and trusting, but with a glance Finnick could tell how scared you were, that you knew something was no longer quite right. Then the foot tapping started and if Finnick's stomach could get heavier then it did, too obvious. Any chances of you being able to play the role of the naive ingenue were long gone because Conway knew what it meant too. Then you did as Finnick had begged you to do long before, you ran. Predator and prey. You ran, he chased. Conway's long legs gave him an advantage as he sprinted after you, calling your name out in the tense air. You tried to hurtle yourself upon the closest tree and Conway had pulled you down in seconds.

This was it, the end. Finnick could feel his eyes welling with tears as his yells intertwined with your screams of begging Conway to let you go. He didn't know when he did it, but the coffee table had been toppled over on the floor, objects scattered across the carpet. Conway spewed on and on about how he knew you didn't love him, your heart was clearly owned by another, and how he was getting back at you now. You fought like hell, trying to squirm your way out of his arms until a knife was firmly plunged in your side. The scream you let out was so gut wrenching that let himself crumple onto the floor. Knees pulled up to his chest, face wet with a steady stream of tears, he was so helpless, so broken to not be able to save you.

You, however, made the tides change when your hands, now covered in defensive wounds, sharply forced themselves into Conway's eye. He screamed, trying to cover it, and you'd instantly darted up. Suddenly there was light at the end of the tunnel again, you were so smart, you'd halted him long enough to grab the spear. Finnick held his breath until the cannon went off, you'd overcome it, and he hated that he'd doubted you would.

Regardless of the fact that there were two tributes left, part of the weight on his chest lifted. He knew the feeling of how adrenaline pushed through the body to get you through every kill to the victory when one was in the arena and he could see it in you. His eyes stayed glued to the screen and he felt like he was stuck to the floor. Fingers knotting into the carpet as he anxiously watched. Time passed agonizingly slow, it hadn't been long, but each second you were still in there was hell. A hell that burned his chest just as yours must have been was the girl from 7 was holding you under the water. Just hold your breath, don't panic, just keep holding it as long as you can. You were an excellent swimmer, you could do this. Your body flailed about, trying to break free, but the other girl was firm in her hold. He'd sink into the bathtub himself, go overfill it and drag his head under, force the instincts to hold his breath wouldn't kick in.

Oh how the Capitol would mourn but love the tragedy of every single lover dead. The story they would tell of how heart wrenching it was. A story that wouldn't be told because you'd found the spear and quickly thrusted it upwards. A cannon echoed. You'd won. You'd come back to him. He'd be yours. You'd be his. You'd be each other's. Tears of relief, of happiness racked through his body. Fate had granted you both more time, he would forever be indebted for it. He shot up from the floor, staring at you, “I'm gonna be with you so soon, angel, right with you. Never gonna leave." He'd do whatever he could to be with you as soon as possible, to hold you once again, it was exhilarating to know the work had not been in vain. He'd have to comfort you, console you, but it would all be worth it just to be with you once again. He couldn't even dream of ever leaving your side when he had you so securely back, the one person he loved more than life itself.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Finnick thought he'd had plenty of preparation for how you might respond when you found out that he'd convinced Coin you weren't mentally stable enough yet to be on the squad. He'd done it to protect you, to make sure you were safe, but he needed to be involved. It felt like a no-brainer that he had to help really take the Capitol down, take Snow down. Your emotions made his skin bristle with cold, you were stormy, hurt, betrayed. Which he hadn't done, he responded, he'd done it to save you.

“How could you do that to me?" Your voice shook as you wiped away the tears creeping up in your waterline.

“Angel, I can't let you go out there and die. I'm just keeping you safe." He tried to get closer, if he could just touch you that could reassure you of his pure, loving intentions.

“You think I'm gonna be safe when you die out there and I'm stuck completely alone?"

“I won't die." His eyes were pleading and yours were full of a white hot rage he'd never had directed at him on full blast before.

“I went through all the same training as you, I am my own person, you don't get to make decisions for me.”

“I don't want to control you, I want to keep you safe." How could you not understand? He sighed and took a step closer, which you countered. "Honey, I don't doubt that you're getting better, but this is war and if something happens that makes you go off…” Like him dying, like you being out there with him when his soul left the binds of the planet. “You could be a danger to yourself."

“I’ll be a danger to myself here too."

“There are doctors here who can take care of you, sweet girl. Please, I love you and need you here." Finnick tried to ignore the pressure of tears building up.

“All they'll do is sedate me and I'll never recover. I have to go with you, Finnick, you can't let me rot away alone." You got closer, hands finding his face. He adored the feeling but he couldn't savor it when your eyes were digging into his, bargaining with the depths of his soul. Which would not bend, it couldn't fold to you, no matter how much he wanted to be attached to you for every waking and sleeping moment. You must have sensed this incoming rejection when your face became stony and your grip began to slip away.

He tried to pull your hands back towards him, to keep contact, “It's just a couple of weeks, then we'll be free. We can go home together, live our lives, and have our perfect family. Just one more thing I've got to do."

You fully pulled away and he grieved the loss of contact. "You're punishing me, for leaving you in the arena, you're trying to get back at me for it.”

He shook his head as quickly as he could, "No, I'm not. You were just trying to follow the plan, I don't have any grudge over that, sweet girl. You did what you had too.”

"Like how you're doing what you have too, now?” The air felt stagnant in the silence of the beat as you stared at each other. You stepped closer again, hands grabbing his arms, pleading. “I know I was terrible, that I'm terrible, but please don't punish me for it. Please, Finn, don't do this to me." His head ached, his heart ached, everything ached.

“You're not a terrible person, I love you, and you can't go."

“You promised me-" You choked for a second on the tears in your throat, “You promised you wouldn't leave me." He thought about how you'd done the same and hated himself for thinking it. That was the thinking you already assumed he had and that's what he had to fight against.

“I know and I'm sorry, honey. It won't be long." Once again you pulled your body away from his, you looked so betrayed that it felt like he'd been stabbed in the stomach. “I promise."

He felt like he watched something frightening click in your brain, “You promised last time too." Your voice was low before your hands started moving rapidly around while you spoke. “This is you trying to get into my head, they were right, but you're in my head instead. You're trying to psychologically get to me, oh my god, I get it now."

“No, no, no, no, no, no, honey, no. That's not real." Another step forward and you stumbled slightly as you quickly went backwards.

“Yes, you've been toying with me this whole time. That's why you keep pulling shit like this, you're trying to break me.” He was always digging himself into much deeper holes.

"Angel, I'm not. I'm trying to keep you safe. I swear, the stuff you're thinking, that's not true.” Your arms crossed around your chest. “This is why you can't go, this is dangerous."

“I'm not crazy!" You looked at the ground, shaking your head as the tears began falling.

He stepped closer, “Nobody's saying that, you're not crazy. I know that. You just need some more time."

“If I needed more time, why wouldn't you stay?" You pointed at him, “You are a fucking liar and I wish you'd just have killed me instead of playing mind games on me."

You moved around so frantically that he had no choice but to grab you and he wanted to die himself when you flinched and shrunk into yourself. “I don't want you dead. I'm keeping you safe, I know I lied, I didn't mean to and I am so, so sorry.” His own dam protecting him from tears had broken and he began to cry. "I will come back so we can be together forever because I love you, that's what's real. When I'm gone and you're confused, know for a fact that I love you.”

“You can't go. If you go, I have this horrible feeling something bad will happen. Please, Finn, just stay with me.” The way his chest squeezed with guilt was nearly unbearable.

"I have to go.” He whispered and the way you completely broke down made him wish he'd never gotten close enough to be the one who hurt you like this. He caught you before you hit the ground and held you close. "We have time, I've got you, sweet girl. It's okay.” He soothed, rubbing the top of your head, rocking you back and forth to try and call you down.

When it was finally time for him to, the doctors did have to sedate you. It left him with echoes in his ears of how pleaded with him and how you cried. The thought of how much he would really be betraying you if he died kept him going. Every step of the journey was thoughts of you, echoes of you. Wondering if you were still sedated and how he'd make it up to you when you could finally be together again. Free from the reign of the Capitol and together. At least you were safe in District 13, you'd be upset, but protected until the world was ready to stop reigning terror on the two of you. That was until Coin sent in the replacement members for the squad and Finnick was sure he would absolutely lose it when you and Peeta walked off the craft, straight into another set of trials and tribulations determined to tear apart his happiness.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

thank you all so much for reading and all the fun discussions we've been having about all the details, I love you all so much. as always likes, reblogs, comments, feedback is all very very appreciated. love you all so so much 💋

taglist: @aegonswife @avoxrising @artsyaquarium @jennaaaaaaaaaaaa @secretsicanthideanymore @darlingsoulbeautifulthoughts @thatonegayloser616 @libertyybellls @meri-soni-meri-tamanna @ravensinthedaylight @innercreationflower @uhnanix @aesthetic0cherryblossom @yourdailymemedelivery @ang3lflor @maxinehufflepuffprincess @prettybiching @miserablebl00d @wowzabowza69 @nomorespahgetti @problematicpastries @abaker74 @nj01 @whens-naptime @sarcasticbooknerd12 @cakes-hq @honethatty12 @s1lngwns @alliex-o @mushy-mushroom04 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @korra-rail-me @scoliobean @quack-quack-snacks @itsrainingbisexualfrogs @chqsing-annabcth

#finnick odair x reader #finnick odair x y/n #the lakes #finnick odair #finnick odair fluff #finnick odair angst #finnick odair x reader fluff #finnick odair x you #the river #finnick odair smut #finnick odair fanfic #finnick fanfic #finnick odair x reader angst #finnick odair x reader smut #finnick odair imagine

203 notes · View notes

gyeomsweetgyeom · 6 months

Text

the newlywed series- first time using Mr. and Mrs. Park

newlywed!Jisung x f!wife!reader

summary: Hours into your first full day as newlyweds and you both just can’t get over the butterflies that flutter that come with being the new Mr. And Mrs. Park

word count: ~1.5k

the newlywed series

Jisung’s hand was gripped tightly in your own. He wishes he could say the nerves and sweaty palms had stopped right after the wedding ceremony but all his feelings were high today and there was no calming them down. It was a rush of intense happiness and nerves, not even close to calming down as the day went on- at least that’s what he thought. He was nervous getting ready that morning, nervous as he stood at the end of the aisle, and emotional as he saw you make your way towards him looking like the woman straight out of his dreams. Sitting in the back of the limo that took you both to the reception, it was a huge tidal wave of calmness that gently overtook him. He couldn’t even remember why he was nervous or really any emotion besides happy at any point in the day. You had both successfully gotten through your vows and not tripped down the aisle, the hard part of the day was over, you had gotten married. He was a married man. A happily married man.

Now, it was time to party. Well, as soon as you made your entrance to the party that is. He could tell you were nervous about the entrance too, despite the huge smile that hadn’t left your face all day. A smile that mirrored his own. While yes, it was the happiest day of both your lives, it was also nerve wracking to have this much attention on you for so long. It was a day that was solely about the two of you and your new, legally official union.

He gave your hand a comforting squeeze as the DJ began to play your entrance song before announcing, “Help me welcome- for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Park!”

Jisung swore his heart stopped for a moment. Mr. and Mrs. Park. You were Mrs. Park. His wife. He was still stuck in a daze when you tugged on his hand to make your entrance, welcoming the applause and cheers from all your loved ones that filled the room.

He was still stuck in the same lovesick daze as you both made your rounds greeting your guests and thanking them for coming. He really was useless just standing there, hand in hand, not contributing to any of the congratulatory conversations. He was unable to do anything but smile and thank the guests while you stood and made friendly conversation for the two of you. Then he watched you float around the dance floor as you danced with your nieces and friends. You looked like a vision, an angel, spinning around beaming with your arms thrown up in joy, truly the girl right of his dreams. He hadn’t even taken a second look around the room that had been completely transformed to reflect exactly what you had both described and shown to your wedding planner, or acknowledge that the DJ had only been playing songs that held special meaning in your relationship so far. He was stuck in a dream, a daze that fully revolved around you, his wife.

He was sitting beside his uncle when he heard it again, Mrs. Park, and he couldn’t stop the smile from taking over his face. It was as if he hadn’t ever thought that this was something that would happen. Which he of course knew would happen, the new pair of names had been stamped at the back of the save the date cards that had been sent out almost a year ago and was the header for your wedding website. It hadn’t felt real then, it was just a combination of letters that had changed meaning as soon as the wedding had happened. A new meaning that paired perfectly with the person that carried the name, you.

He smiled at you when you crashed into the chair next to him, a smile on your face even though you were breathless from all your dancing. “Mr. Park, when are you going to join your wife for a dance?” You asked with an arched brow.

Jisung choked on the water he had just taken a sip from, a sip to distract him from your bright smile that rivaled the brilliance of the diamond on your left ring finger. He cleared his throat, “I thought we were supposed to wait for the first dance.”

You rolled your eyes, “That doesn’t mean you can’t dance in my general vicinity. Everytime I look at you I see you just sitting here in your own little world. Are you feeling alright?”

“Of course I am, today is the happiest day of my life,” he reassures you quickly, “I’ve just been thinking.”

“Oooh second thoughts?” You joke.

“Don’t say that! It’s a little embarrassing actually,” Jisung struggles, rubbing the back of his neck.

You smile once again, easing some of his nerves, “Come on Jisung, it’s me, Mrs. Park.”

He blushes even more if possible, “That’s it. It’s kind of driving me crazy that you’re Mrs. Park- in a good way! Like I can’t believe it. Of course I knew it was going to happen, but it’s reality now, not just a thought or words or a combination of letters anymore. I’ve heard a few people refer to us as Mr. and Mrs. Park, and you calling yourself Mrs. Park, I love it. Marrying you was exactly what I wanted a little too soon after I met you, if I'm being honest. It’s like a dream come true. I don’t know when I’ll get used to it, or if I ever will.”

“I hope you do, it would be a little weird to see you freeze every time you hear it. People might start to get concerned,” you chuckle playfully before confessing, “It feels weird for me too, you know. The wedding has been a complete dream and everything has been absolutely perfect, but this new reality for us is even better.”

Jisung took your hand in his own, sighing contentedly. Today was amazing, a preview for the beginning of the rest of your lives together. He was happy to see you dazzle in your white dress, happy to see you dance, happy to see you mingle, but even happier to see how well life with you as his wife was going to turn out.

He loved seeing how well you got along with his family, kissing the cheeks of his aunts he always found to be a little too chatty, wiping the sticky hands of his cousin’s kids, and inviting his grandparents to dance. It warmed his heart and made it race at the same time, seeing how well you meshed with his family. Well, now it was your family too. He had loved seeing the way you welcomed his family even before you were both engaged, it showed him how well you would fit for the future. Now, he was here. The day of his wedding- with you- right by his side like he always knew you would be.

He remembered thinking early on, too early he thought, that he couldn’t wait to marry you. He would never tell you that he knew about a month in that you were the only person he would ever want to spend the rest of his life with. He begged his parents not to tell you after he confessed that he had never felt this way and asked them for advice. He remembers that conversation vividly, it was after a date and he had just gotten home. He asked his parents how they knew they were the one for each other and was it possible he was feeling that too early on?

“She’s a great girl, when you know you know. You don’t have to try and fight it,” his dad simply shrugged. And Jisung was happy to say he never did try to fight his love. Even when he felt it was too early to confess he showed you in other ways. Remembering little things about you like your take out orders, bringing you flowers, cheering you up when you were sad, making an effort to spend time with you despite your busy schedules- showing you he loved you was always something he did. Jisung would never regret it, ever, because it led to him being here with you right now. In a horrible tuxedo, matching wedding bands, and the love of his life right by his side. He was so glad he never tried to fight the love he had for you.

“You’re getting lost again, my love,” he heard you, paired with a gentle squeeze of his hand.

He heard the DJ say something into the microphone that he didn’t quite catch and the crowd on the dance floor started to trickle back to their seats.

He faintly heard a familiar song start, before he saw you stand, “Can I have this dance, Mr. Park?”

Jisung stood, guiding you to the now empty dance floor, the song filling the room was the song you had both chosen as the song for your first dance. He nodded, joining you in the center of the dance floor as he grasped your hands and pulled you close to his chest, “I’d do anything for you, Mrs. Park.”

taglist: @dinonuguaegi

if you’d like to be added to any other members or all let me know :)

#kpop imagines #kpop au #kpop scenarios #kpop reactions #nct #nct imagines #nct fluff #nct timestamps #nct x reader #nct dream #nct dream imagines #nct dream fluff #jisung imagines #jisung x reader #jisung fluff #park jisung imagines #park jisung x reader #park jisung fluff

316 notes · View notes

risetherivermoon · 1 month

Text

im bored, have a bunch of specific headcanons i have about the s1 dads (including a few abt jodie & paeden)

- glenn's boots have a bit of a lift and heel to them, and add about three inches to his height, (he wears them because of this) henry thought he and glenn were the same height until glenn had taken them off at one point,

- darryl's baseball cap used to be franks

- henry has really good reflexes, and has almost hit people before when spooked, (he feels incredibly guilty abt this)

- ron has incredibly light blue eyes AND has a staring problem

- glenn cuts his own hair, as well as nicks,

- henry's only friends growing up were a couple of talking birds in oakvale

- ron does not know how to shave and he cant grow a beard

- darryl watches The Great British Bake Off while alone

- glenn has a massive vinyl collection but no record player

- paeden thought being vegan meant you ate only trees, he only learned it wasn't that when he got his frank memories back

- henry is so blonde that he looks like he doesn't have eyelashes

- ron combs his mustache every morning

- post-realms trip, darryl shaved off his beard at one point and scared glenn really bad early that morning, out of protest glenn started calling him 'butt naked darryl'

- jodie is a huge star wars nerd

- henry got another pair of glasses once they returned from the forgotten realms, they lasted two weeks before darryl accidentally stepped on them

- when the dads were to preoccupied with something and weren't paying attention to paeden he would climb up darryls shoulders and try to nose dive onto the ground, (they would usually catch him or stop him before he did)

- jodie got his title as king of hell because he beat satan in a rock paper scissors battle

- glenn tried to learn how to skateboard as a teenager but fell and chipped his tooth on the side walk, he did not try again

- ron doesn't know he can vote

- henry didn't legally exist for around 6 years after he ended up on earth, he and mercedes only realized it was a problem when they tried to get married

- darryl has had two concussions in his lifetime

- at ron and samantha's wedding ron tripped and fell while saying his vows

69 notes · View notes

ghouljams · 11 months

Text

In which Cowboy!Soap is seized by the fatal American need to have a pretty good time. Or, Soap is really pretty and the nuns remember they haven't taken any vows against looking.

"County executioner, you book 'em we cook 'em." You sound so bored when you say it, Soap can't help the way he laughs, big and boisterous. You frown at your cell and hang up, setting it to the side as you stare at the numbers for the month. A half second later it rings again. You sigh and pick it up, "Big Bill's Car-B-Q, you road kill it, we road grill it."

"How many of those you got, bonnie?" He sounds like he's smiling, just barely tamping the laughter down. You glance at the unknown number on your screen.

"Who is this?"

"John MacTavish, Goose gave me yer number."

"How can I help you Johnny?" Oh, he loves the way you say his name. You could call him whatever you wanted and he'd come running.

"I hear you've got fireworks." You hum, and he wonders if that was the wrong way to ask.

“What are you looking for?” You ask finally.

“Biggest you got.”

“I’ve got some flour and gas, you want that?” He can’t tell if your inflection is flat because of the conversation or if that’s just how you talk. You’re clearly not interested in him, which means you’re smart. Which really makes him want you all the more.

“Why’d I want that?”

“Redneck C- Y’know what nevermind.” He can hear you tapping at something through the phone, both of you silent as you think. “Why don’t you come down to the house,” You tell him.

“The nunnery?”

“If you want to call it that.” You smile a little despite yourself, his accent is cute. “Lemme text you the directions, come by any time.”

A smart and reasonable man would wait a few minutes after receiving directions to leave. Soap grabs his keys as soon as you hang up. He doesn’t even wait to see if you text him before he’s in the truck.

You blink up at the man in your doorway as he smiles down at you. You weren’t expecting him so soon, it’s not even noon yet doesn’t he have anything better to do?

“You must really want fireworks,” You say, because you truly can’t think of anything but the way his eyes sparkle.

“Something like that,” he says, "can I come in?" You nod and stand to the side to let him shoulder past you, inhaling deeply as he does. He smells good, not that you… notice(clean linen and something cinnamon you think) and fills the whole doorway even as you press back against the jam to let him in.

"So what are you in the market for?" You ask, leading him through the house, "We've got a little bit of everything."

"Anythin' big, loud, and sparkly," Soap says, sliding up to walk next to you. You nod, thinking through your current inventory of less than legal goods. You glance up at your guest, he's got his head on a swivel, peaking in the various rooms of the old farmhouse. He glances down at you and you look away, conscious you've been staring too long.

"Um, they're out back. Can't keep them in the house or-" you mumble, trying to think of anything but his fucking pretty this guy is.

"Never seen a nun's hair before," he cuts you off, fingers petting over your head. You smack your hand against his touch, and he pulls it away quickly. You forgot your habit. You're not even a real nun pointing it out should make you duck your gaze away from him and blush.

"Goose called you Soap," you change the topic with the grace of a tap dancing elephant.

"Ach, she's nae but haverin'." He shakes his head, you aren't going to try and parse that. "It's a nickname." That you understand.

"I'm guessing you clean up nice?" You unlatch the back door, swinging the screen open.

"Something like that," he hums, reaching past you to hold the door open as you walk through. "You can call me Johnny."

You sort of like the way he says that, like it's a name just for you. Though you're sure he must have plenty of people calling him that. Much more reasonable than "Soap."

Soap isn't really sure what he's expecting when you unlatch a little white storage shed behind the house. You open it with such little fanfare that he would think it was just a tool shed except for the neat shelves of colorful explosives. He gives a low whistle, looking around. He hasn’t seen this much fire power since he left special forces. The fact that half of these things are proudly boasting names like “the mother in law” and “alligator rodeo” only adds to the absolute absurdity of nuns selling this stuff.

You lean against the doorway watching Johnny pick up cakes and mortars like a kid in a candy store. His distraction is your gain. You let your eyes roam over his back as he reaches for the bombette on the top shelf, almost envious of the explosives he’s holding to his chest. He’s got a good walk. You rest your head against the door, arms crossed to keep from getting fidgety. Yeah, that’s what it is, his walk. Confident, assured, military you think. It would explain the hair.

You snap your eyes from his thighs to his face in time for him to turn to you with an expensive amount of firecrackers. You’re probably going to have to limit his purchase. Goose’ll come after you if his fireworks catch on something.

You pull the fold-away table down from the door for him to set his goodies on. Tallying everything mentally as he pats his pockets for his wallet. He groans loudly.

“Left ma cash at the farm,” Johnny drags a hand down his face, glancing past you before starting to walk, “I’ll be back.” You grab his arm, and try not to marvel at- wow actually how much can this guy lift, that is one firm bicep.

“We could use some help in the garden,” You say quickly, “if you can spare some time, I’d trade you.”

It is hot as the devil out, and he is sweating like a sinner in church.

When you'd said garden Soap had thought you meant flowers, maybe some weeding, maybe a few little veggies. This is a whole farm. You're not even helping.

There are a few other nuns out in the "garden" collecting fruits and vegetables from the neatly laid crop rows. He's gotta admit, they all seem a little young to be nuns, far flung from the mean old women he'd expect. Also he's pretty sure he's caught all of them staring more often than is proper for a woman of faith. There was even the loud snap of a phone camera lens when he stripped his shirt off. If that's not an ego boost he doesn't know what is.

You stop at the edge of the vegetable patch, and join the obvious stares the rest of your roommates are fixing on John MacTavish. He is absolutely glowing with sweat, and you are transfixed by the way his muscles move as he works. You're not the pious woman you pretend to be by any stretch of the imagination, but he almost makes you believe in God. Hell if he was in church every sunday you might find yourself on your knees. You notice your tray slipping before everything falls to the ground and try to get your head on enough to tell him it's break time.

Johnny notices you first, his smile as bright as the sun as he sits back on his heels. He scrubs his face with his discarded shirt and loops it over his shoulders as he stands. Does he have to look at you like that? Like he's just so pleased to see you. It's almost pornographic, you think he might be doing it on purpose.

"What's this?" He asks, leaning to inspect your tray. You're sure he's just asking for something to say. You're… not really in a position to say anything right now, your tongue feels like it's stuck in place trying to make sure you're not drooling over him.

"Tea," you say dumbly, he raises a brow at you, "And I've got lunch inside, if you're hungry, but hydrate first."

Soap shrugs, his fingers wrapping around the tall iced glass. There's dirt under his nails, clinging to the sweat on his hands, you think he's more than paid for the fireworks by now. You're not sure the rest of your roommates are willing to give up their eye candy just yet.

He tips his head back for a drink and you try to focus on something boring like this month's budget, or taxes. Anything but the way his throat moves when he swallows, or the way he tips his head to the side to press the cool glass against his neck. You turn back to the house quickly and stalk towards the door just as fast as you can without looking like you're rushing. You cannot be around this man anymore.

You can already tell he is going to be very, very, bad for business.

#cowboy!Soap #wow i could not stop writing for him so this is a big one #i simply love the way he and his darling interact #the nuns are just roommates who are trapped in an extended bit #its great cover for all the illegal shit and cash businesses they run #johnny mactavish #johnny soap mactavish #john mactavish #soap x reader #soap x you #soap cod #soap mw2

339 notes · View notes

puddle-nerd · 5 months

Text

Everything Was Golden

Summary: Your wedding night had traditions to follow, not that you were complaining… (Ao’nung/Na’vi Female Reader)

Prompt #4 (By the Fire) for Avatar12DaysofKinkmas2023.

Story Tags: No use of Y/N, By the Fire, Na’vi Female Reader, Aged Up Characters, Everyone is Legal, Yes they’re both eighteen+!, Na’vi Culture (Avatar – Cameron), Na’vi Language (Avatar – Cameron), Wedding Night, Semi-Public Sex, Beach Sex, Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan Lives

Na’vi Translation: Kuru — neural queue Muntxate — wife | female spouse Olo’eyktan — Clan Leader Ranteng Utralti — The Spirit Tree is a sacred place of the Metkayina clan, located underwater in the center of the Cove of the Ancestors Tawtute — human | Sky Person Tsahìk — Spiritual Leader of the clan Tsaheylu — neural bond made through the connection of two neural queues Uturu – Na’vi tradition stating that any refugee seeking sanctuary must be granted safe harbor Yawne – Beloved

AO3 Link

You had been waiting for this day since the moment your parents had sought uturu though it had been a rocky beginning when you two had first met. But now was the day you finally got to marry the one and only male you had ever loved, though it had been a long and rocky road to get to where you and Ao’nung were at now, what with the return of the tawtute and nearly losing your twin brother. The preparation for your binding ceremony had taken a couple of weeks (which you were utterly grateful to have your mother and your future mother, Ronal, helping you every step of the way to incorporate some of your Omatikayan heritage with your new Metkayinan ways) and all of the neighboring villages were coming to bear witness to the ceremonial portion of the union of the future Olo’eyktan and his bride, you.

As was Omatikayan tradition, your mother, Neytiri, had woven your chest covering from the prettiest threads of gold and green and decorated it with little shells and pearls, Ronal creating you a near matching loincloth, and as you were gaining two more sisters, Kiri, Tsireya, Tuk, and little Rue (Ao’nung and Tsireya’s now four-year-old sister) had each created a piece of your wedding jewelry out of similar pearls and pretty shells and stones. As was Metkayinan tradition, both your father, Jake, and future father, Tonowari, had guided you in how to find the best materials to create your husband-to-be a new spear and both of your brothers had assisted you in weaving a new ceremonial cloak for once Ao’nung took over as the Olo’eyktan.

Eventually.

But today… you wedding.

Dressed in your finery, you had crossed the beach to your handsome yawne and presented Ao’nung with his new cloak and weapon while he presented you with a little pot containing a budding Papa Mantis Tree as a symbol of your growing relationship that would one day become strong and everlasting as the massive trees that grew on beach of your island. And then the two of you had exchanged your vows before the whole of the Metkayinan people present and sealed your bindings with a kiss to thunderous applause. The following feasting and dancing had made your head spin as you were so gloriously happy, constantly touching and kissing your new husband.

Then the largest moon had reached the highest point in the sky, thus starting the final tradition.

You and Ao’nung had said your good nights to your friends and family and village and had swum out to a tiny island just beside Ranteng Utralti where a stocked mauri pod and a firepit waited for the two of you. You inspected the tiny hut that was only used for Olo’eyktan and/or Tsahìk mating’s and flushed to yourself in giddy anticipation for what was about to happen.

Turning back to Ao’nung, you quietly made your way back out to where he had gotten the bonfire lit and kneeled behind him on a blanket, hugging him gently and kissing his turquoise shoulder. “Hello there,” your yawne chuckled, turning in your grip and meeting your lips with his own.

“Hi,” you murmured back, biting your lower lip. “So… we’re married now.”

That familiar smirk of his crossed his lips as he spun upon the blanket further, putting his back to the roaring fire and drew you into his lap. “We are,” he greed, his blue eyes meeting your golden ones. “And now we bond, Ma’muntxate.” Twisting his head to bring his kuru over his shoulder, you copied his movements and brought the end of your dark braid up, the pink tendrils revealing themselves to your gaze, swallowing in nervous anticipation. “You ready?”

“Yes,” you whispered and brought your neural queue to his.

You had made Tsaheylu before with your parents when you’d been an infant, with the Tree of Souls, with your pa’li, your ikran, your ilu, and with the Spirit Tree, but those neural connections didn’t compare to making the bond with Ao’nung. You suddenly had a deeper understanding of him, all of his memories, all of his thoughts, all of it rushing into you in an almost overwhelming wave of heat and emotions causing you to tremble as you gasped quietly, reaching out to anchor yourself.

You could feel Ao’nung’s amusement and his awe as he felt you through Tsaheylu, but most importantly you could feel his love and his building arousal and felt yourself respond in kind, heat pooling low in your belly.

“Ah, ‘Nung,” you moaned quietly.

Ao’nung shifted and laid himself down onto the blanket, smirking up at you as you settled upon his pelvis, reaching up and cupping your sapphire blue cheek with his turquoise three-fingered hand. “So beautiful, Ma’muntxate,” he murmured, taking in the golden glow bathing your skin magnificently. His signature smirk spread his lips then, and you could feel his cocky triumph through your neural bond as he added, “So mine for life.” He pulled you down for a kiss. The two of you undressed each other slowly, reverently, trading kisses and caresses until you slid yourself down onto his cock with a whine. He gripped your hips, hissing, “You take me so well, yawne.” You glowed from his praise and finally began to move, moaning as you felt the pleasure build inside of your body and his. Your stomach began to twist in pleasure as the tip of his cock ground into a spot deep inside of your channel every time your backside met his strong thighs. Your weeping cunt clenched around his thick shaft when Ao’nung released a mewling whine from the back of his throat, his hands guiding your hips over top of him, tightening. “Feel so good, Ma’muntxate,” he groaned, watching your hickey covered breasts lit by the golden glow of the fire bounce teasingly above him. “Gonna make me cum.” You nod, breathing heavily as you began to chase your building orgasm, begging, “Do it, please, yawne. Fill me.” Ao’nung snarled and sat up, the angle of his cock changing and locking into place deeper inside of you. You released a squeal, your walls fluttering around him as the pleasure – his and yours echoing because of Tsaheylu – caused your orgasm to crash over you like a tidal wave. You came with a cry, pleasure overwhelming your senses. “Oh, Great Mother,” Ao’nung panted as you slumped onto his chest, “we have got to do that again. You look all pretty and golden like this.”

𖥸 · ─────── · 𖥸 · ─────── · 𖥸

Originally Posted: 17 December 2023 Word Count: 1,085

AO3 Link

#avatar12daysofkinkmas #avatar #atwow #avatar smut #na'vi reader #ao'nung #aonung #ao'nung smut #aonung smut #ao'nung x reader #aonung x reader

79 notes · View notes

jungle-angel · 9 months

Text

From A Father To His Son (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: Despite everything he had been through, Rhett comes to a realization that his family would do anything for you, him and Amy

Warnings: Perry slander, shouting, cursing, mentions of abuse, custody battle, Perry being a total shithead etc. etc.

Tagging: @sebsxphia @nobody7102

It was a gloomy, rainy evening, one of those evenings where not a single person would have ever thought it best to go anywhere or do anything. Rain pelted the windows while thunder had begun to roll over Wabang, the chill in the air giving you and Rhett a glimpse of the chilly autumn that would soon be coming.

Rhett sat at the kitchen table with a mug full of steaming hot cinnamon and vanilla coffee, made just a little lighter by the splash of milk that had come from the gallon jug in the fridge. It had been a long day and an even tougher one. Amy was only a week and a half old, the tiny little baby needing round-the-clock care, but the thought of Perry trying to get at her was always on his mind. Always it lingered like a bad smell, annoying and irritating, gnawing at his bones and his mind ceaselessly.

The day that you had brought Amy home had been three days after Rebecca had left, not wanting a single thing to do with the family or her daughter. You and Rhett had both felt horrible and yet, you were both at ease knowing that Amy would be better off with the both of you.

But he also thought back to the days when he and Perry had been children. Rhett had often been left to his own devices while Perry remained under the watchful eyes of his mother and father. Rhett had always wondered why, why they hadn’t paid as much attention to him as they had done for Perry. It was enough to drive him crazy.....utterly, fucking crazy.

The kitchen door creaked open and in walked Royal who hung his hat on the rack near the microwave. “Hey son,” he said.

Rhett didn’t respond, bringing the coffee mug to his lips and taking in that warming liquid. “Come back to gimme shit?” Rhett asked him.

Royal sighed and shook his head. “Listen, Rhett.....”

“Whaddaya want Dad?” Rhett questioned. “Huh? Still protecting Perry like he’s the prodigal son?”

Royal snorted a little. “Wouldn’t protect that shithead after what he did.”

Rhett scrunched his eyebrows together. “Whaddaya mean?”

Royal seated himself across from Rhett. “Every day I look at that baby upstairs and I think back to you, Rhett,” Royal explained. “The day you entered this world, I held you and made a vow to protect you no matter the cost. When you and (y/n) brought Amy home last weekend, I thought of you.”

Rhett had never expected to hear that from his father. Growing up, Royal hadn’t been the most affectionate with him.....no, that had fallen on Royal’s father, River Abbott, a salty Vietnam Veteran who had practically taken care of Rhett when Royal and Cecelia couldn’t. To hear it from Royal himself was a complete shock.

Royal pulled an envelope out of the inside pocket of his coat and slid it over to Rhett, the corner reading the address of the Amelia County Courthouse. “What’s this?”

“Paperwork for the lawyers,” Royal explained. “Perry signs that and he relinquishes all parental rights to Amy, you and (y/n) get full, legal and binding custody of her until she’s eighteen.”

Rhett went wide-eyed. “Dad how did you.....?”

“I’ve known the judge since we were kids,” Royal answered. “Your godfather promised to have Beth intervene if necessary too.”

Rhett was in shock, complete shock at what Royal had done for him. “Dad you didn’t have to....”

Royal held up a hand, a sign for Rhett to silence himself. “There’s somethin else too.....I owe you this more than anything.”

He slid another envelope towards Rhett which was promptly opened. Rhett’s eyes grew even wider than before. “Dad?”

“It’s the last twenty five thousand you and (y/n) need for the house in Montana,” he explained. “John and I had a good enough auction year that we could pool it together.”

Rhett ran his hand over his mouth, his eyes beginning to mist over from the tears that were forming. “Dad I.....I dunno what to say,” he croaked.

“Ya’ll don’t have to say anything,” Royal insisted. “You three have been through enough.”

Rhett stood up and soon he and his father both had their arms around each other. “Thank you, Dad.”

The sound of the porch stairs creaking, suddenly startled them both, but thankfully it was only Cecelia coming in from the barn. “Listen to me,” Royal warned him. “Ya’ll make sure that as soon as dinner’s over that (y/n) goes upstairs and locks herself and the baby in the nursery. I’ve got a feelin he’ll be home later and shit’s gonna hit the fan.”

Rhett nodded and took the two envelops off the table, heading upstairs to put them away in the little wooden mailbox above his computer desk. He passed through the hall, right by the room that served as Amy’s nursery. Through the slightly ajar door, he saw you standing near Amy’s crib, calmly rocking her in your arms, cooing to her in the soft glow of her little Disney princess lamp that rested on her dresser. Amy looked so delicate and cozy, wrapped in the little Irish knit blanket that you and Cecelia had worked on since before she had been born.

“Uh huh.....yeah I know.....but your Daddy will take care of that big, mean monster who likes to come around here and snoop,” you told Amy as she cooed sleepily.

Rhett entered the room, unable to control the smile on his face upon seeing you. “How are my girlies?” he chuckled.

“Well, one girlie is still having some trouble sleeping,” you answered. “And one has been wanting you all day long.”

Rhett laughed a little bit, pushing a loose wisp of hair out of his face, drawing you in and kissing Amy’s little head. “Listen darlin,” he said in a low voice. “I’ve gotta tell you something.”

“What’s up?”

“Dad told me that after dinner he needs you and Amy to stay upstairs,” Rhett explained. “Don’t come outta here, no matter what you hear, no matter what’s said...lock the door and make sure you’re with Amy.”

You nodded, not needing to ask any questions. The last time you had witnessed something in the Abbott household involving the huge fight between Perry and Rhett, had been something you wished you hadn’t witnessed.

************

The kitchen was quieter than it had ever been, the two men dreading what would ensue the minute Perry saw those papers, Royal most of all. He didn’t feel guilty, not at all, but rather a deep sense of tension that left him and Rhett ramped up, the anxiety so noticeable one could have smelled it.

“He ain’t comin,” Rhett muttered when the digital clock on the stove turned to eight.

“Just you wait,” Royal said, taking a sip of the coffee in his mug. “He’ll come stompin through any minute.”

Sure enough, there was the door, creaking open, only to shut again followed by the clunking of heavy boots.....Perry.

“The fuck is this?” Perry asked when he entered the kitchen and saw the papers on the table.

“Somethin for you to sign,” Royal informed him.

Perry snatched the papers off the table, his eyes glazing over them quickly. The silent tension in the room had grown worse, Perry’s jaw clenching and his eyes burning before he slammed the papers to the table.

“Hell no!” he declared loudly.

“You’re gonna sign those fuckin papers whether you like it or not,” Royal snarled.

“That’s my daughter......MY daughter!”

“She’s my daughter too,” Rhett said icily.

“Fuck you!” Perry shouted. “She ain’t your flesh and blood! Your fuckin wife didn’t birth her!”

Rhett and Perry lunged right for each other but Royal was quick enough to grab Perry by the shirtcollar and slammed him right onto the kitchen table, the coffee mugs spilling their contents and clattering to the floor.

“Now you listen to me you shit-for-brains goat turd,” Royal sneered. “You go anywhere and I mean ANYWHERE, near that baby and I’ll fuckin bury you. You so much as TOUCH my grandbaby and I’ll have ya’ll shipped off to the backwoods in another country and see how ya’ll deal with it then.”

“I’m your fuckin son, Dad,” Perry blurted out.

“Not anymore,” Royal spat. “I gave ya every chance I could Perry. Enough’s enough. Ya’ll got two weeks to pack your shit and get the fuck outta my house. If ya aren’t out by then, I’m callin Joy to evict your sorry ass.”

“M’sorry Dad,” Perry blurted out again. “M’sorry.”

“Don’t you fucking say you’re sorry to us!” Rhett shouted. “You don’t know what either of us has given up to protect your sorry ass or to protect Amy from you! YOU’RE THE REASON AMY DOESN’T HAVE A FUCKING MOM!!!”

Oh did that one shut Perry right up. He couldn’t even form words, much less a coherent sentence.

“Go get the phone,” Royal told Rhett. “I want Rip, Kayce and Wes all in here as witnesses to make sure those papers get signed.”

“Oh it would be my utmost pleasure Dad,” Rhett agreed, still coming down from the highs of his anger.

*****************

Up in the nursery, you sat in the creaky old rocker that had been in the family for generations, gently rocking the tiny baby in your arms as she remained attached to your nipple. It wasn’t easy being on the medicine that stimulated the flow of milk, but Cecelia’s old home remedies had been an immense help as well. Besides, you and Rhett hadn’t been comfortable at all with the idea of Amy being completely bottle fed all the time.

You tried not to think about the awful shouting and clattering downstairs in the kitchen, right below your feet, hoping it wouldn’t wake Amy. A wakeful little coo escaped Amy’s throat as she suckled away, filling her little belly full of milk to put her to sleep.

“Slow down princess,” you chuckled, feeling her tug just slightly. “You must be hungrier than I thought.”

You cringed a little bit when you heard a loud curse coming up through the floorboards, letting out the deep breath you held in. Thank God the door was locked. If anybody had broken in, you wouldn’t have been able to hide properly.

You quietly sang to Amy, hoping that it would put you both at ease. You had always loved playing “Edelweiss” on the guitar or the little hand harp you had gotten as a wedding gift, the words so happy and full of love, reminding you of your first spring with Rhett and the story he told of his Oma Heidi and her journey to America.

No sooner had you finished than a soft knock at the door signaled Rhett’s arrival. You carefully stood up and unlocked the door to let him in, a look of victory on his face.

“Did you do it?” you asked.

“Papers are signed,” Rhett answered, grinning when your face lit up.

“She’s ours?!” you suddenly blurted out. “She’s really ours?”

“She is sweetheart,” Rhett told you, kneeling beside the rocker and kissing the top of Amy’s head. “She’s all ours.”

You were so full of joy that your eyes began to well up, even as Rhett pressed a sweet kiss to your lips. It would still be a bit of a long road, but at long last, Amy was rightfully yours.....and always would be.

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #amy abbott #royal abbott #outer range

95 notes · View notes

bangtanhoneys · 8 months

Text

BTS WEDDING SERIES: Countdown Begins!

SEOKJIN

Three days.

That’s all that was left until the day of your wedding and family had started to arrive on Jeju Island, including the boys and your bridal party. Everyone was descending on Jeju like a tidal wave and already locals were starting to see an increase in traffic though they weren’t entirely sure what was going on. The hotel where you would have your ceremony and reception had already started to get things prepped including privacy screens, putting guards on the perimeter to ward off anyone with a camera and other hotels had been warned of what was coming.

It was dealing with things like military clockwork, which Seokjin had plenty of experience with and was making sure he knew who was coming, how, why and when.

His parents and your parents had flown over together and had been picked up by Seokjin a the airport, already bombarding him with questions.

“Emomma, we’re fine. She’s fine, everything is under control. The hotel are doing an amazing job of getting everyone sorted,” Seokjin comforted his mother in the passenger seat with his Dad in the back including his future in-laws.

“The boys are literally on their way now as well and the rest of the bridal party are on the way, and obviously hyung and the babies and Suni are coming tomorrow. Bit of a squeeze but it’s fine, it’s all stuff we’ve prepped for. Anything that can go wrong, we’ve prepped for so I’m not worried,” Seokjin added as he drove the car past the security guards and round where the wedding would take place.

“It’s looking beautiful already,” your mother commented as they got out the car, seeing the staff lining up the chairs in the garden for your aisle and already the florists were hard at work, prepping some of the bigger pieces of decor such as the arch.

“It’s going to be amazing,” your groom grinned, taking his mother in-laws hand then his mother’s and leading them to where you were finishing the last minute bits.

YOONGI

It had been the plan all along to get married in a simple ceremony with your parents, Yoongi’s brother, Yoongi’s parents and the rest of BTS. You had arranged for the formal Korean ceremony to take place at the Raum with the reception afterwards, allowing you to invite who you needed to and who Yoongi needed to. But for the actual legal ceremony, you both agreed it should be just the two of you.

You didn’t need the world to see this part where you and Yoongi said your vows, signed the legal piece of documentation and put your rings on. In the end, it was the most important part of your whole wedding week.

Two days before your formal wedding would take place, you were in front of the registrar signing the marriage certificate that declared you and Yoongi husband and wife.

“Well, that’s the easy part done,” Yoongi laughed as he glanced at the silver wedding band now on his finger while you had a gold wedding band on yours.

“Party time soon,” you gently nudged his hip as your families joined you outside to take photos. After all, it had been agreed that this part would be intimate, private and just everyone you loved.

“It’s a pity the Korean wedding ceremony wasn’t as quick as that,” he mused as he tightened his hand around yours. “That would be a waste of money,” you advised as you adjusted your free hand around the small bouquet of flowers, wearing a simple white dress that wouldn’t overshadow your actual wedding dress.

“True, I did spend a lot of time on those whiskey bottles.”

HOSEOK

Three days to go. That’s what he had to keep reminding himself. Three days to go.

Hobi had his own little checklist going on for the day as he collected the suits, and delivered items to the venue that would be needed including the 275 friendship bracelets that had taken two days to do even with the boys roped in.

His parents were arriving in Seoul in two hours with his sister going to pick them up to bring them to the hotel, your parents were also bringing items from home to the hotel to drop off and the boys were finishing up their schedules so they would be clear.

Rehearsal was going to take place that night and he had caught sight of the room being cleared, seeing the florist and wedding organiser ordering staff to move things around and clear things away. Hotel security had been topped up too and he had stopped on more than one occasion, just double checking as to where he was going.

Hobi snapped a quick picture of the room in its blank state and sent to you with the words ‘Countdown begins!’

‘My nails are nearly done and I’ll be with you all.’

The picture he got back made him grin - he had sent you with your bridal party to a spa so you could relax, get your facials, pedicure and the like and your best friend had taken a photo of you being glammed up and dotted on by everyone there.

It was literally countdown and he felt no nerves. He was going to marry his best friend, his number one supporter in everything and the one who he couldn’t imagine living with out.

Tucking his phone into his pocket, Hobi made his way back to the car as he hummed Bruno Mars’ ‘Marry You’ on the way.

NAMJOON

He accepted the box from his mother, ignoring the weary look he got and turned to make the long walk to the garden. The wedding was only three days away and already things were in high gear. The family were coming out of town, and he already knew the important individuals such as celebrities and politicians had arrived in Seoul and were at the hotel, HYBE were in full protective mode as guards stood on the perimeter and even Hitman Bang had landed by private jet and was on the way to the hotel to check-in.

He could hear the boys in the background, pointing out the view from the garden as he carried the box to the small house where you and your maid of honour where separating things to what needed to go to the bridal room or what needed to stay here for the decor.

Organised chaos you had told him.

“Happy?” Namjoon asked, setting the box down next to you.

“Everything is going to plan. You ready for the rehearsal later?” you asked, smiling up at your groom-to-be as he crouched down to open the box.

“I am. The boys are more than ready from the sounds of it and yes, Hoseok has the rings. He’s checked, double and triple checked.”

You grinned at the answer to the question that was on the tip of your tongue.

“I’ve got the rings, I promise!” You heard Hobi yell at the bottom of the garden. “JK! Don’t even come near me.”

JIMIN

It was an hour's drive to get to Incheon airport, where your hotel was just a couple of minutes away from. So Jimin had borrowed or bribed, depending on who you listened to, a couple of HYBE’s big cars and loaded the two everything you needed - dress, suits, decor, favours, bridesmaid dresses, and the like. You took one car and he took the other, heading over to the hotel like a convoy.

Jimin’s parents, brother and family were flying in from Busan and would be arriving in an hour. The rest of the boys would be joining you tomorrow as was the rest of your bridal party. Four days to go but there was so much to do.

Rehearsal was going to take place tomorrow evening and the hotel had already begun to prep the room with your florist due to arrive tomorrow morning to start work. It was exciting to see your year of planning coming into full swing with everything.

A private entrance had been arranged for you two to back the cars and start bringing boxes and other bits into the room. “It looks so different,” you commented as you joined Jimin with your own set of boxes, watching as the staff set up the partition with other members of staff rolling tables in.

“Just think, we’ll be husband and wife by the weekend,” Jimin grinned as he put his box down to wrap his arms around your waist, resting his chin on top of your shoulder.

“Hmm, then honeymoon. I can’t wait for that. It’s like a reward for all this planning.”

“A reward? Is marrying me not enough?”

TAEHYUNG

While it may have seemed silly to everyone to arrive in Los Angeles three weeks early, you were glad you did that for the little hick ups that happened. Some guests had pulled out which meant a slight rejig of the table, guests were starting to fly in so Taehyung had to pull out V and greet everyone like a member of BTS. The boys had arrived a week before the wedding, bringing what they needed.

Now it was three days to the wedding and nerves were starting to set in. You weren’t nervous about marrying Tae, you could go down to the town hall and do it there and then but it was the people who were coming, it was all eyes on you. You wondered if you had planned enough, thought enough, if everything was going to be what you wanted.

“I can hear you thinking from all the way out here,” Tae commented as he joined you from where you stood, watching the hotel staff turn a blank room into your reception room with another team working on the room down the hallway to transform it into your ceremony room. It was all systems go with plenty of time, yet it felt like there wasn’t.

“I don’t know, I guess I’m just nervous. Not about marrying you but the day itself. All those eyes on us,” you shrugged as you leaned against your future husband. Celebrities, fashion designers, politicians. It wasn’t just going to be your families, it was going to be all the people who had befriended Taehyung over the years.

“I know but in the end, it’s just you and me,” he said as he took hold of your hand and gave it a good squeeze. “And that’s all that matters at the end of the day. You and me.”

“And the red roses everywhere.”

JUNGKOOK

“Three days,” he said to you that morning when you opened your eyes to look at the time.

“Nervous?” you asked as you rolled over to face him.

“Not nervous. Excited…maybe a little nervous about relying on other people to do a good job but excited for you and me.”

“Everything will be fine - nearly everyone is here anyway and we’ve got rehearsal to do today and a few other bits and then we’ll be done,” you grinned. “Then it will be D-Day and we can finally relax and just get married and then think about our honeymoon.”

Whoever said you could relax in the final days was a liar as you watched the florist secure the beginnings of your wedding decor thanks to the breeze that had arrived that morning. The weather was due to be lovely Busan sun but this light breeze was making you worry a little.

“You need a haircut,” you heard Seokjin yell from inside the reception room and you hid a grin, hearing Yoongi chastise his younger brother who had obviously darted away from his grasp and run outside.

“You’d think they were my fathers,” Jungkook muttered as he stood next to you, watching the florist and staff at work.

“Well they are in a way, but you do need a haircut. I like it when your forehead is exposed.”

#bts wedding fic #bts wedding series #bts wedding au #bts wedding #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #jhope x reader #namjoon x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader

103 notes · View notes

mrsnancywheeler · 2 months

Note

BROEOEOROEO

I was just reading up about District 4 and i found the cutest thing😭

it was talking about a traditional District 4 wedding (idk whether it’s actually canon but i declare it is) and it was so heartbreaking thinking that this was the wedding Finnick and his sweet girl have always wanted but can’t properly have. The traditional wedding involved the couple being covered by a sort of woven net of long grass while they say their vows, they touch eachothers lips with salt water and children sing an ancient song likening the marriage to a sea voyage before they seal the union with a kiss MJDIDKSID😭

like it’s so beautiful and Finnick and his sweet girl deserve that wedding more than ANYTHING, but it’s been snatched from their hands just like everything else. Man they can’t even have their closest friends at the wedding unless Mags and Annie and what not haven’t pulled up to District 13. Everything that was going to make their wedding THEIRS has been pretty much taken, especially because the main reason the wedding is actually happening as of now is because Coin wanted to show fuck face that Katniss was alive. Even if Finnick and his sweet girl are happy because they are still having their legal union, the fact that they can’t have the wedding they have always dreamed of it so sad, especially since the two have gone through every possible traumatic event together- they literally deserve this happiness more than anyone.

But in Coin’s eyes, this is just a sort of slap back to Snow. Just a sort of petty act to flex Katniss being alive. Its impossible to not think that their much longed for wedding has just kinda been dumbed down as a means to prove a point, and that in reality, their wedding is more about Katniss then it actually is their legal union (if that makes any sense)

Anyway i’m glad your feeling better hunnibun💕

-🌺 anon

the way I was researching up on this too while writing the last chapter of the river and the next one lmao

they would literally give so much to just be in the little beachy square of district 4 with their friends and family, covered in a net as children sing, ready to go on their voyage. finnick is so ready to pull out a wedding number three when everything is over bc wtf coin. they can't even be under the sunlight with the salty sea breeze in the air, and sweet girl letting it happen as some sort of sacrifice for supporting the revolution like her card must have declined at therapy recently.

I know I'm writing it, but like forget about that and I demanding justice for them rn. they deserve a traditional district 4 marriage before they go live in a little seaside cottage with their children and a very good therapist

thank you, hun 💋💋💋

#wanda 💋#finnick odair x reader #the river #the lakes #🌺 anon

23 notes · View notes

the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 6 months

Text

by Dion J. Pierre

London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on Friday responded to allegations that officers threatened to arrest members of a British nonprofit for “breach of peace” if they continued to display billboards showing pictures of Israeli children who are believed to have been taken hostage during Hamas’ invasion of Israel on Oct. 7.

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), a nonprofit that tracks antisemitic hate crimes, made the complaints against the police. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the nonprofit had organized a convoy driving through London displaying images of the Israeli children in order to draw attention to the Palestinian terror group Hamas’ atrocities.

However, the convoy was stopped on Wednesday by anti-Israel protesters who began heckling and intimidating them. When police officers came, they asked the CAA convoy to shut off its billboards and leave the area.

“The officers told our drivers to turn off their billboard and stop showing the faces of children kidnapped by a proscribed terrorist organization, apparently because their sympathizers on British streets might attack us for showing them,” CAA executive director Gideon Falter said in a video posted to the organization’s X/Twitter page after the encounter. “Before we set out, we had worried that these billboards might attract attention from Hamas sympathizers. We never imagined that it would be the police who would stop us from showing the faces of children kidnapped by a terrorist group banned by the UK government.”

MPS shared with The Algemeiner a statement explaining the officers’ actions, insisting that it was not their intent to squelch a lawful demonstration.

“Officers were keen to avoid the billboard vans becoming a point of tension or conflict,” MPS said. “We took similar actions on Saturday where we prevented pro-Palestinian demonstrators from reaching the area around the Israeli embassy given their doing so would likely have led to an escalation in tension and a possible risk to public safety.”

MPS also vowed to review the matter and determine “what we might do differently should a similar situation arise again.”

CAA has said it may take legal action.

#london #metropolitan police service #kidnapped israelis #hostages

19 notes · View notes

toomanystoriessolittletime · 2 years

Text

sneaky

Summary: Your best friend is getting married. And Frank, her father, can’t keep his hands off of you for the entire day.

Pairing: Frank Castle x fem. Reader

Wordcount: 2.8k

Rating: E

Warnings: age gap (legal), established (secret) relationship, jealousy, sneaking around, smut (unprotected sex), Public sex, fluff

Masterlist

You smiled when you felt lips on your shoulder, looking at Frank in the mirror you were standing in front.

He was wearing the suit you had helped him buy. Dark dress pants, crisp white dress shirt, still unbuttoned. No tie.

“You look beautiful,” he hummed, kissing your shoulder again as you put the finishing touches to your make up.

You were late.

Very very late.

Which was completely Frank’s fault.

Well… Maybe you shouldn’t have spent last night here and slept in your bed for a change. Not that you did sleep very often in it.

It was your best friend's wedding day.

Frank’s daughter's wedding day.

You and Lana had known each other since kindergarten. Four year old Lana had punched Jeremy Clark into his nose because he had taken your colouring book from you and made you cry.

It was that day that you saw Frank, back then it was Mr. Castle to you, for the first time.

You remember being scared of him at first. He was tall and his voice was deep and loud and you had hidden behind your mothers legs when he introduced himself.

You definitely weren’t scared of him anymore.

When Lana had gone to college and you had to move out of your parents place because they were getting a divorce and had sold the house Frank had offered you to move into Lana’s room while you searched for something on your own.

Your mom had moved to another state for a new job and your father had moved to another country, leaving you with the choice of where to go.

You would be lying if you were saying you did not have a crush on Frank Castle growing up.

You spent more summers in his house than at your own, even more so after Frank got divorced and Lana chose to stay with him.

Both you and Frank hadn’t seen it coming.

That you would fall in love with each other.

He was everything you could have ever dreamed of. So much so that you both decided after almost two years of sneaking around it was time to tell people.

But first you had to make it though your best friend's wedding.

She had met Kevin in college, fallen head over heels for him. Even Frank, much to his disappointment, couldn’t find anything wrong with the guy which is why he couldn’t even say no when he asked for his baby daughter's hand.

Now Lana was 22 and about to be married.

And Frank was happy, he really was. But he had told you that it was hard to think of his daughter as married.

“Will you come home with me tonight?” he asked and looked at you.

“I live at your place, baby,” you smiled.

“Not all the time. You left me to go to college. Everyone leaves me,” he whined dramatically and you rolled your eyes before you got up from your chair and crossed your arms behind his neck, smiling softly up at him.

“Not gonna leave you ever, Frank Castle,” you vowed and he gave you a shy smile before he crossed the distance and kissed you softly.

You sighed against his lips, your fingers playing with his hair.

“I gotta go,” you mumbled against his lips.

“I know,” he kissed your nose.

“Can’t wait to strip you out of this dress tonight,” he whispered against your ear, giving you a slap on your ass, as you groaned.

“You’re the worst, Castle,” you pouted and he pecked your lips again.

“But you love me anyway.”

As the maid of honour you were standing next to your best friend when she married the love of her life. You were in tears, holding on to her flower bouquet as they vowed to love each other forever.

You glanced at Franke, sitting in the front row next to his ex wife as he looked torn between happy and sad.

He gave you a small smile which you returned before you looked away again.

Weddings were not something you ever thought about.

You never saw yourself getting married. Of course you were still pretty young. 23 years younger than the man you were in love with.

Would Frank want to get married?

That would make you…. Your best friend's stepmother. You grinned to yourself just when applause erupted around you, your best friend now officially married.

You gave her the flower bouquet back, before they kissed again and then made their way down the aisle. You looked after them before you stepped forward, your hand resting on Alex’, the best man, elbow as you followed them shortly after.

“You know what they say about maid of honour and best men, huh?” he whispered against your ear and you looked displeased at him.

“Really? You’re going with that?” you asked with a raised eyebrow after you parted from him. You caught Frank coming down the aisle, giving you a questioning look.

“Lana told me you were single. Thought I’ll shoot my shot,” Alex shrugged.

“Well. I’m not single, so consider your shot blocked,” you smiled before you walked towards Frank.

“You okay, honeybee?” he asked when no one was close and you nodded.

“Lana apparently wanted to set me up with the best man,” you sighed.

You were walking side by side up the hill, the wedding ceremony had been close to the lake of the hotel Lana had chosen as the location.

Frank looked at you and you fought the urge to let your head fall against his shoulder, and your hand taking his. You were tired of hiding this.

Of course you ran the risk of losing your best friend once you came clear but you had the feeling that she would be okay with it in the end.

“That’s… nice of her,” Frank said and you looked up at him suspicious. His nostrils were flared and he was moving his jaw. You couldn’t help but smile.

“Are you jealous, Mr. Castle?” you asked sweetly and heard him breathe in deeply. He looked around before he pulled you towards a line of trees, away from the crowd, taking your hand when you were out of view and pushing you against one.

“I don’t like other people touching what’s mine,” he hummed, his nose brushing against your cheek before he kissed you. You pulled him closer, your hands in his hair as he pushed his tongue into your mouth, one of his hands pushing your skirt up until his big hand was squeezing your ass.

“I’m not jealous,” he hummed in between kisses. “I came inside of you four hours ago, I’m pretty damn sure you’re mine,” he sucked on your bottom lip as you moaned quietly.

“Why does you saying stuff like that make me so fucking horny?” you giggled against his lips and he let his head fall against your forehead.

“You’re always horny,” he smirked and you rolled your eyes.

“Not horny enough to let you fuck me against this tree out in the open before the reception of your daughters wedding,” you said and he sighed. You smiled, your hand running down to rest on his chest.

“Maybe after the reception?” he asked and you punched against his chest making him laugh.

“Just the Father of the bride and the bride now,” the photographer said and you stepped away, stopped from leaving by your best friend holding you back.

“I want a couple of the three of us. We basically spent our whole life together in my Dad’s house,” Lana grinned and you smiled at her. Frank approached you, his sunglasses resting on his nose, a big smile on his face.

“Get in the middle Dad and take those glasses off,” Lana instructed and Frank did you, wrapping his arm around her first and then around you, looking down at you with a soft smile you mirrored before you looked towards the camera.

It must have only been a split second but neither of you knew then that it was enough for the photographer to shoot a picture that would end up framed on his bedside table.

You knew Frank was an attractive man.

But you were unused to seeing him all cleaned up and in a suit.

It was doing things to you and more than once he caught you looking at him, giving you a knowing look before you looked away again.

It was after dinner, the sun already setting that Frank found you again, pulling you back outside and leading you back down towards the treeline from earlier. He squeezed your hand, walking farther until you almost couldn’t hear the noise of the many guests of the wedding.

You were about to ask where he was taking you when he pulled you against him so he could kiss you.

Smiling against his lips you crossed your arms behind his neck, letting him walk you backwards until your back was leaning against a big tree.

“Can’t wait until we’re back home,” he mumbled, his fingers finding your panties under your dress, pulling them down your legs. He pulled them into his pocket before his hand was cupping your cunt, finding your soaked.

“Honeybee I wanted to give you my fingers, but I don’t think you need them, huh?” he grinned, kissing you again. You shook your head.

“Just fuck me baby. Please I need you,” you whimpered and he chuckled.

“Already begging for me. My honeybee,” you helped him with his belt, pulling at the zipper of his pants until you wrapped your hand around his cock and he groaned.

“Turn around,” he said and you let go of him, turning around, resting your hands against the tree. He pushed your dress up, taking a step closer, his hands on your hips and his cock rubbing against your pussy.

He groaned.

“Always so fucking wet for me,” he praised an you bit your lip, one of his hands leaving your hips. You looked over your shoulder, seeing him spit down on his cock, pumping it a couple times until he lined himself up and slowly entered you. You sighed, letting your head fall down.

No matter how often he fucked you, it was always a stretch.

A delicous fucking pleasurable stretch you were addicted to.

You both moaned quietly when his whole length was inside of you.

“Frank please. We gotta be quick, people will notice…. Fuck,” he thrusted hard. Just once and you felt all air leave your lungs.

“Can you keep quiet for me?” he asked, beginning to fuck into you from behind, both hands groping your hips.

“Baby…” you whimpered, and he slapped your ass, making you cry out.

His hands left your hips and he pushed you closer against the tree, one of his hands over your still covered tits, his other hand coming down beneath yours on the tree.

He thrusted faster, harder, your head falling back against his shoulder as you tried to keep yourself from moaning too loud, definitely failing as his hand wrapped over your mouth.

“Want you to scream my name when you cum on my cock,” he snarled against your ear, kissing your temple before he picked up the pace. You felt his other hand run down your body, until his fingers rubbed over your clit.

“You gotta cum honeybee. I’m so fucking close…” he put two of his fingers inside your mouth and you sucked them, moaning around them.

You had trouble keeping yourself upwards, your orgasm quickly approaching.

“Cum. Now,” he hissed against your ear, slapping your clit once, twice…. And you came with a cry the third time, your arms against the tree shaking as he fucked you through it.

“Yes… Fuck yes. Just like that. Squeezing my fucking cock… Shit…” he groaned and you felt him pulse inside of you as he came, pumping you full of his cum.

You took deep breaths, trying to get back to this planet as he kissed your shoulder. You turned around, finding his lips in a soft kiss.

“Come one, we gotta dance,” he said and you rolled your eyes with a small laugh.

“How do you expect me to walk after you fucked me like that?”

Slowly.

Was the answer to that. You walked slowly back up the tree line, his hand in yours until you were too close to the party.

Your heart ached and you could see in his face that he wasn’t liking it either, but it was only a little while. You decided to tell everyone after Lana’s honeymoon.

Ready for all consequences.

You were sitting at a table, an almost empty glass of champagne in front of you when he sat down next to you.

“Really Frank? Another piece of cake?” you laughed and he pushed it towards you.

“Gotta make sure you’re fed for what I’m planning with you later.”

“Oh?” you raised an eyebrow. He just winked at you. You shook your head with a laugh before you began to eat.

“You have the other cake?” you asked, he nodded.

“Want a taste?” he asked.

“Kinda, yeah,” you said, your fork already reaching over the table but he was holding his up for you to take.

“Open your mouth,” he said and you took a look around. You were still around a lot of people but everybody seemed to be occupied.

“Please,” he said and you smiled before you parted your lips and let him push the fork with the cake inside your mouth. You closed your lips, humming as the flavour exploded in your mouth.

“Good. That was pretty good,” you nodded and saw Frank sucking his bottom lip in as he looked at you, before he took a deep breath and shook his head.

You giggled, reaching for his hand under the table.

“I love you,” you whispered and he gave you one of those soft smiles you loved so much.

“I love you too.”

“Oh my god,” Lana huffed a laugh, now sitting beside you.

“What?” you asked, following her line of sight, seeing Frank on the dance floor. You chuckled.

He was really getting in there, his body moving as he danced with his ex wife.

“He looks happy. Happier,” Lana said and you smiled at her.

“Yeah. I think he does.”

“You do know I would never set you up with Alex, right?” she said and you looked at her confused.

“You wouldn’t?” you asked. She shook her head.

“Just wanted to see Dad’s reaction. And I was not let down,” she grinned and you looked at her with big eyes, a nervous flutter in your belly.

“You know?” you asked and she nodded.

“Wasn’t sure for a while but I saw you two kissing on the BBQ for your birthday last year?”

“Last year?” you asked, now completely flabbergasted and she giggled.

“Yeah. And you both look happy.”

“We wanted to tell you. After…”

But Lana just shook herhead, taking your hand.

“I understand why you didn’t. I wouldn’t know how to tell you I was in love with your father too,” she teased and you laughed.

You looked at Frank who was now dancing with one of the bridesmaids.

“Go and dance with him. I know you want to,” Lana said, squeezing your hand before she left to go to the dancefloor too, going to her husband.

You watched them dance for a moment, before you got up and walked over to find Frank.

“Mind if I cut in?” you asked the woman he was dancing with and she frowned before she shrugged and walked away.

“You really wanna dance with this old man?” Frank asked, his hands wrapping around yours as he made you twirl. You laughed, one of your hands resting on his shoulder after he twirled your back against him.

He looked down at you, his eyes searching yours when you didn’t move.

“Lana knows about us,” you whispered and his eyebrows raised.

“She’s known since my birthday last year,” you chuckled.

“Seriously?”

You nodded. You caught Lana’s eyes over his shoulder and he turned his head, looking at his daughter, who winked at him.

“Good,” he said and you frowned.

“Good?”

“Yeah. So now I can do this,” he hummed before he kissed you.

#my fic #frank castle #frank castle x fem reader #jon bernthal #fanfiction #fanfic #fan fiction #the punisher au

170 notes · View notes

ramblesamongstardust · 4 months

Text

And For Our Next Speaker

Summary: A robot tries to dispel myths and jealousy about her ability to upload her consciousness into a new body.

1836 words

There’s a belief that we’re expendable.

Artificial humans like myself often must confront this belief in the field of astroneering. Often we are volunteered for the most dangerous jobs by our bosses and colleagues, with their rationale being that if we are destroyed, we can simply upload ourselves into a new body through the network.

It’s difficult to describe this process to a human. But I shall try my best.

Four generations ago, or fifty-three years ago, there was a human name Crystal. Crystal had a terminal illness. She knew she would not survive. But before she died, she wished to create something that would outlast her. She had her brain scanned, a perfect copy of her consciousness made, and put inside a robotic body. This robotic version of her was taken to meet the original Crystal before she passed away. This is where the human woman established herself as Crystal Alpha, and the robotic successor as Crystal Beta.

Crystal Beta was extremely moved by Alpha’s gesture. Even if Alpha could not preserve her own continuity, even if Alpha’s experience as she knew it would end, she would give Beta the chance to have a fulfilling life, the life that Alpha was leaving behind.

Alpha’s only request was that Beta remember her.

And so, Crystal Beta returned to Alpha’s life. She watched over Alpha’s children, and soon they agreed to become her own. The legality of such an adoption was tenuous, but the family persevered. They loved Beta, and Beta loved them.

Beta struggled for a very long time with the idea that she was not the biological mother of Alpha’s children, of course. Beta possessed the memories of conceiving them, birthing them, and raising them, after all. But Beta, after a few years, was able to accept the fact that Alpha’s memories, though lovely treasures, were distinct from her current experience of consciousness in the now. This was the way that Alpha had explained it, after all, and Beta wanted nothing more than to honor her predecessor’s wish.

Soon, Beta had acquired enough memories with her children to call her own that she did not mind making the distinction between her and Alpha’s memories. Soon, the phrases “I remember. . .” and “I remember through Alpha. . .” became just as common as each other.

After seven years, Crystal Beta faced a high-risk operation to transfer her consciousness to a newer, better set of hardware. There was some probability that her data would become corrupted, and that herself as she knew it would cease to exist. So, ahead of the operation date, Beta created an inert copy of herself that, should the true transfer operation fail, was to be activated and inserted into the new hardware in her stead. Beta left a note explaining the situation to this potential new version of herself, naming this successor Crystal Gamma.

Crystal Beta did not survive the hardware transfer. And so Crystal Gamma awoke in the new body, and vowed to remember Crystal Beta.

Crystal Gamma enjoyed spending time with Alpha’s children, but began to feel a disconnection with them. She remembered their births, remembered raising them, being there for them when their father died and so on, but those memories felt so long ago that they didn’t really feel like her anymore. And they weren’t- they were Alpha’s memories; Beta’s letter made that clear.

And so Gamma’s relationship with Crystal Alpha’s children took on a different form. The children were older now as well, much older. Gamma took to calling Crystal Beta her “mother”. While she was still close with the children, often remembering details about them only a mother could know, she did not feel comfortable calling herself as such, preferring to save that title for Crystal Alpha and Crystal Beta. Gamma helped the family to reminisce about Alpha and Beta, while working to define herself to Alpha’s children in other ways.

Soon, both the children and Gamma herself were comfortable referring to her as “sister”. It would stay this way for the rest of the children’s lives. The youngest son would die in a car accident at the age of forty three. The eldest daughter lived on to the age of sixty-two before succumbing to the same cancer Crystal Alpha had, although the daughter would not choose to create a copy of herself the same way her mother had. Neither left behind any children.

By this time, Crystal Gamma’s hardware was sorely outdated. She had not elected to do another hardware transfer until the Alpha’s children had children of their own, but this never occurred. With Alpha’s children now gone, Gamma deemed it was time. She acquired new hardware, created a copy of herself, and wrote a detailed letter of explanation, using the wisdom of both Alpha and Beta’s parting words.

Gamma uploaded the copy to the new body, then wiped her own program.

Crystal Delta awoke with the corpse of her mother in front of her.

Delta struggled immensely with the same suicidality that took her mother. She wondered for a very long time about the nature of her personhood. Who was to say that she was not Crystal Gamma? She possessed all of Gamma’s memories, all of Gamma’s anxieties about continuing on into an unknown future with no one to accompany her. All of the memories she possessed, from Gamma, Beta, and Alpha, told only one story. Crystal Alpha was a wife and mother with a passion for the home; she kept a very beautiful house and garden and tinkered with the latest home technologies. Crystal Beta also considered herself a mother, and took great joy in continuing Alpha’s work in the various crafts and house projects. Crystal Gamma was running out of things to define herself by, haunted by the memories of children that she could no longer consider to be hers and a house created by her two prior progenitors.

Crystal Delta quit the job that Crystal Gamma had been employed at. She sold the house of Crystal Alpha. She picked out the charities that she wished to have her remaining wealth, and prepared to wipe her program, just as her mother had done.

But before she could do so, a stranger found her in the street and asked if she needed help.

Delta could not summarize the unique situation she found herself in for this stranger. How does one explain that one is preparing to kill one’s self in a way that does not sound concerning? So instead, she accepted the stranger’s offer. The stranger took her to a cafe. He talked about his life, even while Delta stayed very sparse about her own details. The man introduced himself as Callum, and he was finishing his final days at a university in preparation to be an astrobiological researcher headed out to Mars.

Delta became genuinely intrigued by his accounts, and found herself asking more questions during that day than Gamma or even Beta had their entire lifetimes. She became enraptured with the idea of the exploration of the unknown. Callum soon had to leave the cafe to carry on with his life, but not before he directed Delta towards the institution of his attendance and a recommendation for the company he was traveling with.

From that day on, Crystal Delta pursued space travel vicariously. She decided on a degree in astromechanical maintenance, as she found repairing spaceships to have a similar feel as working with her hands to complete a project around the house from Alpha and Beta’s memories. Their knowledge and passion for technology aided in Delta's understanding of the integration of the digital with the mechanical.

In university, Delta discovered much about herself. She came into her own as a person, a distinct entity from her mother and her predecessors. She was less afraid to try new things, to branch out of the experiences that were familiar to the memories provided to her. She graduated at the top of her class and took a job offered to her by the largest starship company.

This company had excellent benefits- full medical maintenance of Delta’s robotic body, great retirement, paid recharge times -but the benefit that caught her attention was the benefit of transference. Should her frame be destroyed on the job, promised the brochure, a copy of her conscience will be uploaded into a new robotic body immediately, as if she’d “never left”.

Delta’s colleagues bragged about this feature as a new sort of immortality. Delta, however, knew better. She debated whether or not to opt out of the program for a very long time. Eventually, however, she decided to stay within it. In the event of her death, she wouldn’t mind allowing a successor a new chance at life, even if the company did not see things this way. Delta wrote a letter to this hypothetical successor and kept it in her files, with a program that would open the letter automatically if the framework of her consciousness detected that it had been copied.

Crystal Delta was severely irradiated ten years after her creation when she entered the reactor of the ship Andorra to prevent a meltdown and the subsequent death of all others onboard. After she had completed the vital repair, she could not leave the reactor chamber. There would be no safe way for her conscience to be transferred out of her body, as no one could enter to manually wire her into another body. The only option was for her to upload a copy of her consciousness to the cloud network. Delta said her goodbyes and instigated the transfer.

Four years, three months, and twenty-four days ago, I woke up.

I am Crystal Epsilon. The first memory of my own is that of reading my mother’s letter to me. She explained our history, our memories, our system for categorizing ourselves. I will not share her exact words here. Those are private. My mother told me as such.

Now that I have described the process of my existence to you, do you understand now?

I am not my mother. I hold her memories very close to my heart, but she is gone. She died knowing that her actions saved hundreds of lives, and that she would be sending me forward into the world with the memories and skills I needed to succeed at whatever life I choose to live.

If I die, if my hardware is destroyed, I will not simply “come back”. The version of me that is uploaded to the cloud and copied down into another body will be my daughter, as I am my mother’s. While my memories might be preserved, my consciousness, this version of existence that I am living right now, will not. I value this life I’m living. I do not wish to throw it away so easily on whatever high-risk mission humans do not wish to send themselves on.

There’s a belief that people like me are expendable because we are digital. I urge you to consider otherwise. Thank you for your time.

#sci fi #science fiction #short story #original fiction #robot #robot character #rambles #just something I wrote real quick #yes yes of course it's inspired by soma. how could it not be?#this is an interesting character at least. I hope to do more with her

8 notes · View notes

t00turnttrauma · 1 year

Text

here- drw

Welcome back... we’re here and alive and I’m glad y’all made it. I love you guys.

warnings: none

“Daniel Wagner? Do you even still talk to him?” Todd asked, sifting through the RSVP’s.

“Sometimes. He’s kind of busy so I usually let him call me.”

Todd huffed. “Yeah, at three in the morning or when we’re at dinner with my parents and you ditch on the rest of the plans.”

“I apologized for it. I don’t get to talk to him very often, Todd.”

He sighed. “I know, but some warning would have been nice.” He wrapped his arms around your waist, his chin resting on your shoulder.

You nodded. “I’m sorry for springing it on you. But the date you picked sits right in the middle of their break. It would feel rude not to invite my friends.”

The wedding had been planned essentially behind your back. Todd knew what you liked and what you didn’t like and the things he wasn’t sure about, he would ask. His idea going into the planning phase with his sister was to allow you to essentially walk into the chapel the morning of the wedding. You’d been dragging your feet for years. He proposed on your two year anniversary of your first date. He wanted to plan the wedding for that Christmas break. The two of you were in the same college, now sophomores. You reminded him that getting married would change both of your finances, disqualifying you from scholarships and grants. Then he wanted a ceremony later that year. Not a legal marriage, but just something for the family. Then you found a job without vacation time. Another two years passed and he suggested a wedding the same night as graduation. The two of you would graduate on a Wednesday morning and run to the courthouse to sign the papers before taking a road trip into the woods. You turned Todd down again, already feeling guilty for not including your parents in the plan.

It had now been six years since that first date. Todd and his sister Makayla had taken the initiative to get everything together. The fibs you’d fed into a fictional dream wedding were now becoming a reality. A spacious chapel with white doves released after the wedding. Round tables with the rolled silverware, fine china plates, and cotton napkins. An officiant, an old friend of Todd's, had the vows already written for you. All you had to do is pick a dress that Makayla already narrowed down based on what she knows about you and inspirations you had bookmarked in old magazines.

You met her one afternoon, stopping at the bridal shop. They’d served you champagne and helped you sort through the five choices Makayla picked. You picked the one that you felt flattered you the most, barely looking at the other selections the store had on the sales floor.

The morning of the wedding was one full of nerves. The bridesmaids you’d approved were quick to help you get ready. They repainted your nails, covering the chips you couldn’t bother fixing. Another fixed your hair and pinned the veil in place. A third laced you into your dress, tying the corset back. They hurled compliments your way. You weren’t even entirely sure who they were, more family members from Todd’s side of the soon to be family. Everything was a blur until the moment you were placed behind the doors at the back of the chapel. When it was your turn, everything became grossly sharp. A hamster wheel started in your stomach. Makayla had been standing nearby, giving everyone their cues. She placed a hand on your cheek, reminding you to smile and that it was okay to cry. Todd’s parents refused to be part of the wedding party, and out of fairness, your father opted out of walking you down the aisle. With a deep breath and a countdown from your soon to be sister in law, the doors opened.

All the guests rose, smiling graciously at you. You bit the inside of your lip. Keeping sweet is important. A few stray tears broke from your waterline, rolling slowly. You looked for a face you knew, then for something you could focus on without tripping over the skirt of your dress.

The moment you caught his eye, you felt sick. You wanted to turn and run, but his nod stopped you. Danny only smiled, giving you two thumbs up and shaking them for emphasis. You turned away, finally looking at Todd. He looked at you proudly, standing straighter. Everything went out of focus again. The officiant’s speech sounded like a garble of noises even though he was speaking directly into your ear. Todd held your hands, shaking you back to reality.

“Are there any objections?” There was a short beat of silence before a hand raised. “Anyone have anything to say? Please do or-“

“I do!” Sam shouted.

As expected, a chorus of gasps and the echoes of shuffles as everyone turned to look at the objector. Sam tucked the program into his chest pocket. He awkwardly shuffled over the elderly couple sitting to his left and tucked his hair behind his ears as he entered the aisle.

“Sam!” You hissed, slowly letting go of Todd’s hands.

“Y/N, please, you’re making a terrible mistake by marrying this… asshole,” he pleaded, “just give me a moment.”

You looked around awkwardly. Just like all those times before, you searched the crowd for the brown eyes that you call home. Instead, she spotted the top of Danny’s head as he was staring at his lap. His knees were pressed against the pew in front of him from where he was trying hard to shrink himself into an atom or allow a black hole to swallow him. You felt the instinct to run to him, but Todd held your wrist.

“Everyone,” Sam said. A distant cousin handed him a microphone. He tapped it for a moment before speaking. “I’m so sorry for interrupting, but if it isn’t said, no one will ever know. Maybe it’s worse to confirm it.”

“Samuel,” you warned, feeling tears sting your eyes.

“Six years ago, Y/N showed up to Danny’s house. It was eight and she was crying. Sobbing because Todd, here, had stood her up.”

His parents furrowed their brows, looking at one another. His mother perked up. “This isn’t my Todd-“

“It’s true!” Sam said. “Y/N had offered her help to work on a project. She did it. Alone. Todd was with Haley at the time.”

Danny felt his face turn red. He covered his eyes with his hand, ignoring how Josh was whispering to him. He could never forget the day Y/N crashed boy’s night.

“Todd… doesn’t date girls like you,” Marcus giggled.

You clutched your jacket closer to your chest. For being a state ranked mathlete and president of the chemistry club, you were fairly clueless. It took an embarrassing amount of giggles and chortles echoing in your ears to get your brain to catch up.

“I’ll see you at school,” you muttered to the group as you pushed past them.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” Danny asked. A head popped over the back of the couch, prompting him to push you further onto the porch so he could shut the door behind him. “I thought you were out with Todd.”

You sniffed. “Can I borrow some clothes and stay here for a little bit?”

Sam shook his head. “So he just stood you up and then laughed in your face when you bumped into him?”

You hid your tear streaked face in the fuzzy blanket he’d given you. “What does it mean?” You sniffed, voice muffled by the fabric.

A hand landed on your shoulder as Sam spoke. “It means he’s just not that into you, Y/N. He used you for a good grade and now he’s… gone.”

You lowered the blanket. “Thanks, Sam,” you smiled, “you always know what to say.”

“Anytime.” He glanced at his watch. “I should get home before my mom loses her shit.”

Sam gathered his things, saying his goodbyes before cutting through the backyard to get to his own home. Danny looked at you. His parents were out of town for the night, his sister already asleep upstairs. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, watching the movie. It wasn’t until the channel changed from science fiction films to raunchy movies with far too much nudity did it become awkward. Sitting beside Danny, the two of you felt different this time. You tried to speak but Danny beat you to the punch.

“Todd’s a dick,” he grumbled. “I’m really sorry he did that to you.”

You shrugged. “I deserved it. I fell for it.”

“No you don’t, Y/N. You are so nice. Todd is the only one to blame here.”

Something had come over you. You blamed the amount of romance novels and romantic comedies you’d dragged him to for your actions that led the two of you to his bedroom and behind a locked door.

“Y/N may have forgiven him, but I could never.” Sam switched the mic to his other hand. “My best friend Danny. You guys know him. Tall, curly black hair. He’s the only person who has loved Y/N for who she has been, no matter how she looked or what club she was in.”

You swallowed thickly. Danny had come out of his shell, staring at his best friend in horror. He would have taken this to the grave, the look on his face made it obvious.

“You need to leave,” Todd growled, yanking the microphone from Sam’s hand. His groomsmen also rounded on him, attempting to intimidate him but this isn’t high school anymore.

“Eat shit, Todd,” Sam spat. “Y/N and Danny deserve to be together and you know it.”

Marcus pulled you back. In an instant, Todd and Sam were scrambling on the floor, just like in school all those years ago. Except this time, Sam had gotten some muscle, gaining the upper hand and pinning Todd to the ground. He landed punch after punch as your groom struggled to fight back. You were speechless as the other groomsmen finally rushed to separate the two. Josh and Jake ran forward, jumping over pews to reach their younger brother. Danny hooked his arms beneath Sam’s, dragging him to his feet. He teetered for a moment, wiping the trickle of blood from his nose. He shook his fist. “I think I broke my hand on your face.”

“That’s not the only thing that’ll be broken,” Todd shouted as he struggled to break free.

Sam turned to the audience. “Yeah, and he used to beat me up when I refused to help him or I ‘got in his way’. And can’t forget about the patriotic wedgies.”

“What’s a patriotic wedgie?” Someone in the crowd asked.

Josh turned back. “It’s when they hoist you up the flagpole by your undies.”

“Strangely, it did make me feel more proud to be an American,” Jake muttered as he handed Sam his handkerchief. He planned to use it for tears, and not for his brother’s bloody nose.

Marcus was still holding you. You lightly pulled your arms back to your own body. Todd grabbed your hand rougher than usual.

“You four need to leave. I accepted you four clown shits as Y/N’s guests but I knew you’d be nothing but trouble. You are a couple of lowlifes with a mediocre band. Y/N and I are getting married and there is nothing you can do to change it.”

“Wait,” you said, finally breaking your silence. “Daniel, I want to hear it from you.”

“What?” He whispered, looking anywhere but you.

“I want to hear the truth from you. If what Sam said about you loving me since we were kids… I need to hear it from your lips. Not Sam’s or some letter.”

“You got that?” He asked. You nodded. Danny cleared his throat. He caught Sam nodding his approval. “I’ve been in love with you my entire life Y/N. Whenever you walk into a room, I can feel my day get better. When I’m with you, the sun shines brighter and I’m so afraid of messing everything up and- and- Y/N, please. I feel like I sound like an idiot.”

You took a deep breath. Lifting your dress slightly, you cursed yourself for choosing to wear heels. A sob choked its way out of your throat as you ran from the room, unable to stand between Todd and Danny any longer.

The room froze. Sam chuckled at a sky comment from a guest about buying popcorn from the theater across the street. He cleared his throat. “Men, I think this is a test to see who is going to go after her.”

Todd was lighting fast to follow the same route you’d taken. He found you on a bench outside, shoulder shaking as you cried.

“Baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I reacted that way,” he said softly as he sat down beside you.

“It’s okay, Toddy,” you sniffed. “Can we just… sit here for a minute?”

“Take all the time you need, babe.” He held your hand. His thumb ran over your knuckles in an attempt to soothe you. “I don’t think he’s being very honest. He had all this time to say something and he chose our wedding day. Y/N, I warned you about him.”

You bit your tongue, holding back everything that’s been on your mind since you were seventeen. Sam was right. Danny has been there for you since you were six and cried because Sam stepped on your fingers on the playground. Danny also helped you scoop up the hair you’d cut in an attempt to give yourself bangs but instead you were left like the Cynthia doll from Rugrats. Danny walked you home every day because you didn’t have a ride and he didn’t want you to walk alone. He carried your backpack when it was too heavy and your instrument for the very short time you were in the jazz band. You knew all of this in the back of your mind, but you convinced yourself it wasn’t real. You’d told yourself that it was just Daniel being Daniel.

“Todd?”

“Yes, my love?”

You sniffed. “We can’t get married. Not today.”

He nodded. “I understand. We can reschedule-“

“No, I think you’re misunderstanding.” You turned as best as you could. You placed a palm on his cheek to bring his attention to you. “I love you, I always will, but not in the way I love Danny.” It felt like a lie to say it, but the sound of his heart cracking didn’t help. “You, Toddy, will always hold a place in my heart but-“

“But you’d rather be with Danny.” He blinked back tears. “I love you, Y/N.“

Todd rose from the bench, tucking his hands into his pockets. He retreated into the chapel and shut the door behind him. You stared at the cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Spring was beginning and the weather was finally warm enough. Small white petals fell and floated through the air. For a few minutes, you felt a weight lift off your shoulders. The guests were filing out of the chapel and into the parking lot. It was miraculous that no one had spotted you yet.

Sam had his arm wrapped around a guest from Todd’s side. “Hey, this is-“

“Jacki,” she said, extending a hand to you. “I’m an old friend of Todd’s.”

“And now we’re going to go get some food,” he smiled.

You grimaced slightly at the red stain on his white shirt. “Where to?”

“Not sushi!” She smiled. The two turned away and disappeared into the parking lot in the East Wing.

You hoped that staying still would keep the attention away. Instead, Josh spotted you from the sidewalk, pulling at Danny’s sleeve to talk to you. He slowly walked over and plopped himself on the bench.

“Rough day?” He chuckled, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. “If you don’t want to talk-“

“I just ruined my wedding day, we’re going to talk about it,” you chuckled. “Listen, Daniel. I love you, and not in a friend way. The real way.”

His eyes popped open. “Really? I think the officiant is still here.” He turned to look around for the family friend. When his hair moved, you noticed the bruise growing on his cheekbone.

You moved his hair to get a better look. “Did someone punch you? Did Todd hit you?”

He lightly moved your hand away and stood up. “Not important. We can do this now, if you want Y/N.”

You held his hand, bringing him back down to Earth and to the bench. “I just finished a six year relationship, D. I can’t run off to be somebody’s wife. I hope you understand.”

He nodded sadly. “Whatever you decide, Y/N, I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

85 notes · View notes

lamaenthel · 5 months

Text

Tivaevae | Chapter Three: Paper Piecing

Still struggling to emotionally recover from Master Obi-Wan's deception, Ahsoka discovers in the aftermath that twelve-year-old Boba Fett has been locked up among adults in the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. After convincing Chancellor Palpatine to grant him a pardon, she manages to secure his release on the condition that she serve as his legal guardian. Now, with the help of Master Plo and the Wolfpack, she vows to help him track down what family he has left.

| AO3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |

Fandom: Star Wars Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Kanan Jarrus, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CC-1119 | Appo, Dexter Jettster, FLO | WA-7 (Star Wars), Shaak Ti, ARC Commander Blitz (Star Wars), CT-6922 | Dogma, Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), CC-3636 | Wolffe, Clone Trooper Sinker (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Comet (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody, CT-5597 | Jesse, CT-4860 | Boost, Aurra Sing, Tobias Beckett, Null-11 | Ordo Skirata, Kal Skirata, Original Mandalorian Characters (Star Wars), Original Droid Characters (Star Wars), Original Jedi Character(s) (Star Wars) Total Word Count: 123,000 Chapter Word Count: 7,367 Chapter TW: CSA Mention Chapter Summary: Anakin returns to Coruscant with a new initiate, Ahsoka discovers a horrifying truth about Boba's past, and Boba tries to reconnect with Rex.

Anakin had been on Coruscant for a grand total of six hours before being gravely approached by Master Yoda with a solemn request; hurry to unstable Toydaria and retrieve a Force-sensitive toddler. Toydarian was his first language, after all, and perhaps the old toad had sensed that he wanted to be on the opposite side of the galaxy from his lying, backstabbing, heartbreaking, dick-for-brains Master.

Padmé, ever the opportunist, had jumped to offer her diplomatic cruiser for the mission. Since they had just averted the assassination of her mentor and oldest ally, it was the least she could do. It could fit a grand total of fifteen passengers; two pilots, three navigators, four guests, and six guards. They'd passed on the guards and had instead taken Dormé, Moteé, and Ellé along with Artoo and Threepio.

And, of course, little Taarak Na'Hane-Bata.

Anakin had been shocked upon landing when he discovered that instead of a Toydarian baby, he was collecting the adopted Togruta son of a pair of Toydarian physicians. They'd been devastated, despite having been the ones to contact the Temple in the first place, and the goodbye had lasted so long that even Padmé was creeping out the door in an effort to finalize their farewell. Now that he'd spent some time with the boy, though, he couldn't blame them. He was kriffing adorable, and well-behaved to boot.

Obi-Wan had once warned him about how dangerous Togruta toddlers were. They were thick with pheromones and notorious cuddlebugs who loved nothing more than to stare adoringly at their caretakers, hypnotizing them into catering to their every whim with their big sad eyes. Taarak certainly had those.

Though the two year old had cried pitifully for his parents until he had passed out from overexhaustion, when he awoke he seemed to have accepted the separation and allowed Anakin to comfort him. They sat in the lounge now at the padded bench surrounding the dejarik table. Padmé had turned it on to amuse him; he was frightened at first, but he'd quickly become fascinated with the tiny figures. He ran his little fingers up and down Anakin's tabards like he was typing on a keyboard as he stared at them, singing a nonsense song to himself and purring just like Ahsoka did when she was content.

He even looked similar to her; his skin was more blood than orange and both his lekku and eyes were a darker blue, but the resemblance was close enough to make Anakin's heart ache. He wished he could have seen Snips as a baby.

"Wanjala?" he asked Taarak with a smile.

The boy looked away from the figures on the dejarik table and nodded, grinning a wide grin that made his dimples pop. He had a blunt chin with a deep cleft that was visible even through the baby fat.

"Ndimatafuna, Taarak, inde?" Anakin popped a nuna nugget from the pile Padmé was busy unpeeling the breading from into his mouth. If Yoda had warned him ahead of time instead of just giving him a name and a pat on the ass to go get him he would have stopped at a butcher first. The nuggets were the only thing they had on board that was animal protein besides Ahsoka's carnivore rations, but Anakin didn't want to feed rations to a baby.

Padmé rested her chin on her folded hands and watched Anakin spit out the chewed-up nuna nugget and feed it to the toddler. "That doesn't seem sanitary," she said mildly, wearing an expression that looked torn between amusement and disgust.

"He doesn't have molars yet," Anakin said defensively, taking another nugget from the pile. "Their parents chew their meat for them for the first three years."

"So you said," Padmé replied, watching Taarak swallow enthusiastically.

Anakin fed him the second chewed nugget. "He also has to have Togruta formula until he's five. It's critical for their hearing development, Togruta breastmilk is very high in collagen and if they don't get enough of it the resonance chamber in their montrals won't develop properly. And we don't want that, Taarak, inde? Nyanga zathanzi, Taarak, inde, inde mwana–"

Padmé threw her head back and laughed, delighted. "Ani, I know you did research for Ahsoka, but my goodness."

"I didn't just do research, Obi-Wan made me take four different trans-xenoparenting modules on Togruta younglings. I'm pretty sure that I am the most qualified person at the Temple to take care of one." He didn't mention it was a direct consequence of almost killing Ahsoka that one time that he forgot to order her carnivore rations and she got enterocolitis from eating the troops' fungus-based nutrition bars. She'd gotten so sick that Kix had to collect a liter of Anakin's blood, mix it with red bacta, and flood her digestive system with it.

He still liked to occasionally pretend to open a vein for her when she complained about being hungry. It made her stripes turn black every time.

"I have to admit, seeing you like this is…" she smiled at him. "Intriguing."

Anakin frowned. "Like what," he asked, trying not to sound too annoyed. "Capable? Knowledgeable?"

Padmé shook her head and gave him a soft look. "Paternal."

Anakin looked at Taarak's montrals instead of his wife with a cold feeling in his stomach. "We agreed we'd talk about it after the war," he said quietly.

Padmé grasped his hand. "I want this with you, but I agree. After the war."

"I just can't bear the thought of you having to go through a pregnancy while I'm on a siege, or, or–" his vision got a little blurry and his eyes stung, " –raising one without me. And that's not even taking into account what you said about your mom–"

"Ani," she tried to interrupt.

" –how she had to use surrogates because the last try almost killed her, and you have the same mutation and I-I… Force, Padmé, if something happened to you because of it I don't know what–"

"Anakin!" she said urgently. "Taarak is getting upset, love. Please take a breath."

Taarak was squirming in his lap and his big eyes were fully porged out. Anakin centered himself in the Force and imagined the feeling of Ahsoka's aura, that calming projection she did so well; soft, silky rain riding a cool desert wind, an alkaline shower that quelled the rising acid in his blood. It worked. Not nearly as well as the real thing, of course, but enough for Anakin to bolster his shields and stop disturbing the baby. "Pepani, Taarak, pepani mwana. Chapino mwana."

Padmé reached for the bag of temperate formula bottles, shook one, and handed it to Taarak. "I didn't mean to upset you, love. I'm sorry."

Anakin huffed. "Let's blame it on the baby pheromones. They're giving us mommy brain, or whatever."

Padmé rested her head on his shoulder and watched Taarak contentedly suck. "After the war, yes, we'll talk about it. But I want this for us. I want a piece of our love to take on a life of its own. And I just know that you're going to be an amazing father, Anakin. Every second I watch you with Taarak proves that."

Anakin closed his eyes, unable to comprehend how it was possible for someone to own his very soul in the way that Padmé did. She knew exactly what to say to make him feel like the most treasured thing in the galaxy. He didn't know what he did to deserve it, but he'd do anything to protect it.

"My lady, I'd be happy to give the two of you a break if you'd like," Dormé called from the base of the ladder that led from the lounge and into the guest bunkrooms.

"That would be a good idea, I think." Padmé held her hands out for Taarak.

Anakin glanced down and met Taarak's giant eyes. He didn't really want to give him up.

"Hey now." Padmé snapped her fingers and giggled. "Don't get hypnotized again."

Anakin sighed, booped Taarak's nose, then handed him over. Padmé walked the suckling toddler down to Dormé and Anakin slumped on the bench, suddenly feeling very cold and unsnuggled.

His wife climbed back up the ladder and promptly took a seat across his lap.

"Oh," he said, blinking, then slipped his hands under her dress and up her thighs.

Padmé giggled and put a finger on his puckered lips. "I was asked to tell you that Obi-Wan has commed now for the eighth time, and is saying he urgently needs to speak to you about Ahsoka."

Anakin sat frozen for a few seconds. "What about Ahsoka?" he asked, trying to sound normal and not like he had guilt and panic writhing together like dying worms in his stomach.

Padmé raised an eyebrow. "That's all I know, love."

He reached around Padmé and brought up the message center on his commlink. He had thirty-six unread messages from Obi-Wan. Reluctantly, he slid out from underneath his wife and started paging through them, full of dread and praying to the Force that it wasn't about what he feared it was.

– [𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟻:𝟿𝟾𝟶] – [𝟷𝟸𝟺𝟼] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝙰𝚑𝚜𝚘𝚔𝚊'𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎. [𝟷𝟸𝟻𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟹𝟶𝟸] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟹𝟶𝟾] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟹𝟺𝟷] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎, 𝚝𝚘𝚘. [𝟷𝟻𝟶𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙰𝚗𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝. [𝟷𝟻𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟼𝟶𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟼𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟽𝟶𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟽𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚌𝚎, 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝙿𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚗. [𝟷𝟽𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜. 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢. 𝙰𝚑𝚜𝚘𝚔𝚊'𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕.

Anakin kept scrolling. Nothing indicated Obi-Wan knew. He exited Obi-Wan's message log and went to Ahsoka's. There was nothing new from her.

– [𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟻:𝟿𝟾𝟶] – [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟽] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙾𝙺

Ahsoka's typing dots appeared after a few harrowing seconds.

[𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟾] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙸'𝚖 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚢? [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟾] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝚆𝙷𝚈 𝙸𝚂 𝙾𝙱𝙸 𝚆𝙰𝙽 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙼𝙴 [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟾] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚈𝙾𝚄 [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟿] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙷𝚎'𝚜 𝚞𝚙𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚖. [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟿] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙴𝙻𝚂𝙴

Anakin's finger hesitated above the straight-line-dot key and the curly-line-dot key, suddenly unsure of which one was for questions.

Padme gingerly reached over the hologram and pressed curly-line-dot.

"Thank you," he said, his cheeks burning.

[𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> ?

Anakin watched her typing dots linger for a concerning amount of time.

[𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟷] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚊 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚖𝚒.

Anakin frowned; was that Huttese? It took him a second to sound it out, but then he huffed a laugh. He'd never seen the saying spelled out in Aurebesh.

"What does that mean?" Padmé asked, squinting at the holographic interface.

[𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟸] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙱𝙴 𝙷𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝚂𝙾𝙾𝙽 [𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟸] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙾𝚔𝚊𝚢 :)

Anakin closed his message center after recieving his response. "She said 'his tail is on backwards' in Huttese," Anakin smirked, then wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Means he's got his panties in a twist. She's fine, he's just throwing a fit about her giving him the silent treatment. Now, where were we?"

"I think," Padmé began, running her fingers through his hair, "You were about to give me a kiss."

"Sounds about right." Anakin leaned forward but she stopped him again.

"Actually," she breathed, then traced his bottom lip with her thumb. "Let's take this to the– eep!"

Anakin had already lifted Padmé, planted her bare ass on the dejarik table, and thrown her skirt over his head before she could finish her sentence.

"You know you have to name him Robert, right?" Ahsoka joked. She bumped Boba with her hip. They had stayed uncuffed on the ride home and Boba finally seemed at ease, far more than he had been since they'd left the prison. She held his visitor's pass up to Disk and he unlocked the gate for them with an eye-roll.

Boba's aura rippled with the tiniest ribbon of golden humor and he tightened his arms around the rancor plushie. "I was already going to name him Robert," he snapped. "It's not because you said it." His aura went a little yellow with embarrassment.

Ahsoka put her hands up. "Hey, name him whatever you want. I probably picked up on your thought and didn't realize it."

Boba snorted. "You reading my fucking mind, Tano?"

"Only if you think really loudly," she grinned, then stuck her tongue out at him.

He stuck it out right back.

"Alright, we're gonna bunk in the rec room tonight." She took a chance and gave him a pat on the back, which he didn't flinch away from.

"Fine."

"We leave for Tipoca City first thing in the morning."

Boba stumbled and his aura flashed lily-white with panic.

"Boba?" Ahsoka asked.

"Why the fuck are we going there?" Boba snapped. His breathing sped up and she could hear his heart pounding. Why would he be so scared to return to Kamino?

"Kamino is the only place I know of where we might be able to find information on the Cuy'val Dar," Ahsoka answered, frowning. "Is there a reason you don't want to go back?"

Boba looked down, clinging to Robert like a lifeline. "Are you going to make me donate?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

Ahsoka's heart sank. "No. No, Boba, that's not why we're going there." She took another chance and put a hand on his shoulder, projecting soothing green calm-serenity towards him. "I give you my word as a Jedi, the Kaminoans will not take a single hair from your head. Okay?"

Boba bit his lip and nodded. He looked so young in the dim, ambient light of the barracks hall. "They take bone marrow," he mumbled. "That's where the best cells are, Dad said. They'd drill into his hip and he would walk funny for a week."

"Well, they're definitely not going to take that." She patted him on the back instead of hugging him like she desperately wanted to and started walking. "Plo got us a Consular cruiser, but it's halfway through a module conversion so half of the bunks were taken out for dual laser cannons. We'll have to double up."

Boba's lip twitched. "Great, I gotta listen to your snoring the whole way there?"

She laughed, relieved that he hadn't shut down. "I don't snore, but even if I did it would be better than listening to Plo all night. He whistles if his mask slips down."

They reached the rec room and Boba plopped himself on the couch. Ahsoka stayed standing and crossed her arms. Logically she knew that she shouldn't leave him there alone, but she felt oddly certain that he'd still be there when she returned. It was the same certainty that she'd felt in the diner right before she uncuffed him. "I've got to get some stuff together. Are you going to stay put, or do I have to lock the door?"

Boba stretched out like a cat, his bruised patches making him look like a calico. He waved a dismissive hand at her and crossed his legs at the ankle. "I'm too tired to run."

"I'll be right back with some pajamas for you, then." She winked at him. "And I'll grab some pillows and sheets. We can make a fort and have a proper sleepover."

Boba stilled. His aura hardened and lost the tint of green that was so faint that Ahsoka hadn't even noticed it until it was gone.

"What's the matter?" she asked, furrowing her brow. His aura was going staticky with anxiety around the edges.

"Nothing. I-I just didn't realize that Jedi did that." Boba shrugged. "I don't give a fuck. Fine by me. I haven't gotten laid in a minute."

Ahsoka stared at him, sure that she hadn't heard him right. She rubbed her montrals and shook her head to make sure. "What?"

"What's wrong, tailhead, is it your first time?" he sneered. He hopped to his feet and swayed toward her, full of false bravado and his aura a staticky thunderstorm of flashing green disappointment and gray anxiety and yellow embarrassment and underneath it all, a familiar shade of bruise-dark violet sadness-guilt.

She stood still, warily watching Boba approach with her brow raised until he was close enough for her to smell his breath. There was no way he meant what he'd just said to sound that suggestive. He was just hopped up on sugar from dinner or something, he couldn't possibly be propositioning her.

She believed it up until he grabbed her by the lekku and yanked her down into a sloppy kiss, all clumsy tongue and teeth. She squealed and shoved him back, spitting and sputtering in panic and revulsion. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shrieked, wiping her hand across her now-wet mouth.

"You just said you wanted a sleepover!" he barked, quickly backing up with an aura cringing in on itself with neon orange-yellow mortification-anger. "Make your fucking mind up!"

Ahsoka's jaw dropped to her chest. "What part of sleepover said 'shove your tongue in my mouth?' "

"The sleepover part, you stupid cunt!" Boba shouted back. "The fuck do you think a sleepover is?"

"What do you think it is?"

"It means you want to fuck!"

"No it doesn't!" She was going to be sick. Boba was twelve, he was twelve. "Who told you that?"

Something switched off in his eyes. The bravado drained out and left him looking smaller than ever. The backs of his knees hit the couch and he curled up on it in a ball, hugging Robert the Rancor. "Aurra," he mumbled. His aura was dripping yellow with humiliation.

"That's… that's not what it means," Ahsoka choked. "It just means that you sleep in a place that you normally wouldn't, with a friend. Just sleeping. L-Like a slumber party."

Boba tucked himself deeper into the sofa and stared at Robert. His aura was drawn so close to his skin that she could barely see it, but the humiliation and hurt she saw there cracked her heart like an eggshell.

"I'll be right back. Just– just stay here. I'll be back." She paused. "I'm not mad. It was a misunderstanding, okay? Please don't run away."

He nodded without looking at her.

"I'll just be a few minutes," she said, backing out. "I'll be right back." She activated the door panel and hesitated with her finger over the lock; it was unintentional but she had just hurt him deeply, and she no longer had the certainty of a few minutes ago that he would stay.

"I'm trusting you, kiddo," Ahsoka muttered to herself, then walked away with her hands balled into fists. She wasn't going to lock him in. Boba would stay put on his own. He wasn't going to run, he was going to stay with her and his brothers where they could protect him.

Her blood was boiling. Aurra Sing was a monster, a demagolka, sgudal fhaighean, hule lopusa, a demonic, piece of shit nonce–

"Bad time?" Cody joined her power walk to the bunkrooms, his aura bright orange and blurry around the edges. He was visibly tipsy and he stumbled a little trying to keep up with her.

"Very," she said, looking him up and down. Cody had only one reason to be waiting for her in the 501st's barracks and she didn't have time for Obi– damn it, Kenobi's banthashit. "I'm guessing that he sent you?"

"No, I'm here on my own." He threw his arm around her shoulder. His breath smelled like tihaar and caf. "You gotta make up with him, 'Soka. He's driving me up the wall with his moping."

"Not my problem." She shrugged his arm off like a big, heavy slug.

He frowned at her. "He apologized, didn't he?"

She snorted. "Yeah. It was very touching and heartfelt. Totally made up for making me go to his funeral."

"At least you got to go," Cody mumbled, his aura flooding with purple grief.

"Why are you even here?" Ahsoka asked, exasperated. "He lied to you too."

"It's called being an adult," he grouched. "Try it sometime."

"Maybe he should try it."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Listen, it was a karked thing he did and we both know it, but you can't hate him forever."

He said it like Obi-Wan had forgotten to show up to her saber demonstration. He had no idea how hard she'd had to cling on to Anakin to keep him tethered to reality and safe from his own grief, how she had to constantly glean off the dark miasma that infected his aura like poisonous black oil.

She had felt like there was something watching him curiously from the shadows, like a patient nexu waiting for its prey to tire and fall from the tree it was hiding in. She refused to leave him, no matter how many times he'd tried to force her out of his quarters. She wouldn't abandon him to that hungry shadow. She'd rip and tear it up with her teeth if she had to, but she would not leave Anakin.

She had the bruise to prove it.

And then Obi-Wan Kenobi had waltzed out of the Royal Palace at Theed wearing the face of his own killer like nothing had changed and it was all a grand ruse that they were in on. Like he hadn't triggered the most terrifying crisis of her life. Like she hadn't spent three days in the darkest hell she'd ever been in, drowning in the icewater of not just Anakin's grief but the grief of every Jedi who knew him.

The only time she'd been able to mourn Obi-Wan were the pitiful few seconds she had been alone before Anakin had shown up, begging the bastard to open his eyes. He'd hid his aura so well from her, blocked their bond, he'd even projected a fake aura as Rako Hardeen in that motel room. That was a skill that he'd learned specifically to fool her, because it had absolutely no other practical application in the entire universe. Nobody else could bloody see it.

Ahsoka stopped in front of the bunkroom door. "How have you forgiven him so easily?" she demanded. "I ate a few of your jerky sticks on the way back from Geonosis and you didn't talk to me for an entire day, but he fakes his death and you're trying to rebuild his burned bridges for him?"

Cody's already pink cheeks flushed puce and his hands found his hips. "I'm a clone, Os'ika. I don't have the luxury of holding a grudge."

She mimicked his pose. "Well, I do."

"Come on. Just talk to him so he stops whining at me about how unreasonable you're being."

"I'm being unreasonable?" Ahsoka asked in disbelief. "Oh that– no, you know what? I'm done, I don't have time for this. I've got more important things to worry about than bandaging the wounded ego of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Goodnight, Cody."

She spun to leave and he grabbed her left arm to stop her, right over where the bruise was deepest. She gasped as pain shot down her arm, and she barely resisted snapping her teeth at Cody like a massiff.

His mouth hardened into a grim line and she realized that he'd done it on purpose. "What happened to your arm?" he asked harshly.

"None of your damn business," she snapped. She spun her arm out of his grip and slapped away the wrist that moved to replace it. "Stop it!"

"Commander Tano!" Cody barked, his aura flaring silver with authority. "I am ordering you to tell me what happened to your arm."

There was no arguing with that tone, even if he was half off his shebs from the tihaar she smelled on his breath. Ahsoka stood at attention, inwardly seething at the gall of him pulling rank on her now of all times. "Training accident, Sir."

"What sort of training?"

"Mechanical ordnance, Sir." It wasn't technically a lie.

"Conducted under who?"

She glared at him. "That's classified, Sir."

"I've got higher clearance than you."

"I cannot release classified information without General Skywalker's permission, Sir."

"So Skywalker knows." Cody's eyes narrowed. "Was it him?"

"I didn't say that, Sir," she snapped.

"Then who?"

"As I said, Sir, that's classified."

Cody's eyes softened and his aura went teal with protection. "Ahsoka, did Skywalker hurt you?" he asked gently. He wasn't asking as her commanding officer, he was asking as her vod. It infuriated her and made her want to cry at the same time.

Why couldn't he just mind his own shabla business? Why did he have to be the concerned big brother now, of all times? "Are you accusing General Skywalker of abusing me, Sir?" she asked, forcing her voice to sound cold so she wouldn't lose her nerve.

Cody stared at her, both of them knowing damn well that he couldn't outright say yes without crossing into insubordination. He blew air slowly out of his nose, his aura humming and glowing neon chartreuse with annoyance-anger at being outmaneuvered. "No, Commander."

Ahsoka nodded and kept her face neutral. "Was there anything else, Sir?"

Cody jerked his head. "You're dismissed," he muttered.

"Goodnight, Cody." She slipped into the bunkroom and closed the door behind her, trying not to grieve the damage she knew that she'd just done to their friendship. It would be nice if everyone would just leave her the hell alone for five minutes and let her take care of Boba instead of obsessing over something they didn't know anything about. He needed to be mothered a lot more than she did.

The bunkroom was virtually empty. The majority of the guys were out carousing at 79's and making the most of their shore leave but Jesse, Kix and Tup were squished into Kix's bunk watching Daiun's Anatomy on her holoprojector. "Hey," she greeted them.

"We're leaving as soon as this episode is over," Jesse said, holding a preemptive finger up. "Calliope's pregnant again."

"And she just did a tracheostomy on herself with a droid scomp. Her speeder crashed after she was stung by a spider and her throat closed up," Kix said in a monotone. "Which is shabla impossible, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't." Ahsoka clapped her hands together. "I need the projector, though. We're sleeping in the rec room tonight."

"We?" Tup blinked at her.

"Yeah, me and Boba. We're in–"

"You and–" Jesse reared up and sent her holoprojector flying. She barely caught it before it hit the floor. "I thought Appo was joking when he said you adopted that little shabuir, Commander." Jesse's aura quickly flooded with red anger.

She took a step back in shock, not expecting another argument immediately after the last one. "Woah, Jess–"

"Tell me you're joking, Commander," Jesse said, his face all scrunched up in anger. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes; not to intimidate her, that wasn't it at all, he was begging her with his eyes to tell him that she wasn't serious.

Her heart sank. She really hadn't thought through any of the consequences of springing Boba, had she? Jesse was fanatically loyal, almost to a fault; of course he was going to hate the boy who attacked a Republic ship and killed hundreds of their brothers in the process. He was a traitor to both the Republic and the vode, and Jesse had no reason to feel sympathy for a traitor.

"I couldn't leave him in there–" she started, but she stopped when Jesse's shoulders sagged and his aura darkened to deep purple with sadness-disappointment. "Jesse, I couldn't!"

"Har'chaak!" Jesse broke away, pressing his palms into his eyes.

Kix and Tup hadn't yet moved from the bed, but their eyes flicked between Ahsoka and Jesse like they were watching a limmie match.

"He's so little, he–"

"I don't care how short he is, he killed three hundred and four of my brothers," Jesse said harshly. "And trust me, he doesn't look at us like his brothers."

"Jesse–"

"No. You're not thinking clearly. All you see is a little boy but he's manipulating you, Commander." Jesse took her hands and squeezed. "He's a killer. He used you to get out of prison, don't make the mistake of thinking that he cares about you even a fraction of how much we do."

"I know he doesn't. That's not why I did it." Ahsoka gave Jesse a pleading look, begging him to understand. She expanded her aura with a gentle, flowing wave of sage-green serenity so he'd calm down a little. "Boba was manipulated by a disgusting, evil dalgaan into doing what she wanted by promising him revenge for Jango. She was evil, Jesse, please believe me." Ahsoka swallowed hard. "I'm not saying he had no agency or was incapable of making different choices, but he's–"

"A killer," Jesse repeated with a growl.

"No– yes, but Aurra Sing, Jesse, she…" Ahsoka bit her lips, hesitating. It was Boba's truth to tell if he wished, not hers, but it would help if Jesse understood just what a hold she'd had on him. "She abused him," Ahsoka said quietly, saying the truth without actually saying it.

Jesse was smart. His face scrunched up even further, his aura went sick-green with disgust, and he looked away.

"He needs you," Ahsoka continued. "All three of you. He needs his brothers, even if he doesn't realize it." She turned to Kix and Tup and gave them a pleading look. "Please, he's barely holding it together." She didn't add that she'd made it worse. "I can see how badly he's hurting. Please, Jess." She laced her fingers with his and squeezed.

Jesse glowered at her. "You know, you're going to try to help the wrong person someday, and they're going to go for your throat." He pulled her into a spine-cracking hug.

Ahsoka relaxed, nearly dizzy with relief, and buried her face in his neck. "Thank you," she said in a muffled voice.

"Yeah, yeah." Jesse pulled back and touched her forehead with his own in a gentle mishmure'cya, then looked over her shoulder at Kix and Tup. "You two are coming, right?"

"I am!" Tup said brightly. "It'll be nice having a cadet around again. I miss being around them on Kamino. I always liked being asked to fill in for rec supervision."

Ahsoka couldn't help but smile. Tup had such a gentle spirit. If he'd been born a Jedi he would have made a natural Crèchemaster. Maybe if the stupid war ever ended he'd have a chance to live a gentle life. She could easily see him teaching younglings.

"He's not staying, Tup," Ahsoka said apologetically. "We're leaving for Kamino tomorrow."

"Wait, really?" His brows went up. "Can we come?"

Ahsoka bit her lip. "Unfortunately, because I'm a Padawan Commander and not a CC, I don't actually have clearance to authorize off-world missions."

"Aww."

Kix started yanking sheets off of random, unoccupied beds.

"That a yes for you then, Sarge?" Ahsoka asked.

Kix shot her a look over his shoulder. "Obviously, Sir."

"Anyone seen Rex?" Ahsoka asked, accepting a pile of pillows from Tup.

"Oh, he's in the commhub. He got called in by General Kenobi."

"You have got to be kidding me." Ahsoka tossed her head back and groaned aloud. "Why won't he just leave me alone?"

"He'd be a shit ba'buir if he did," Kix shrugged.

"He's a shit ba'buir regardless," Ahsoka snipped.

"Alright, alright. One problem at a time." Jesse physically turned her and pushed her towards the bunkroom door, carrying his share of sheets draped over his shoulders like an ancient Onderonian pharaoh. "You can bitch to me about Kenobi later, I promise."

Cody was thankfully gone when she opened the door. She led the boys through the empty barracks at a pace just under a jog, painfully aware that she'd left Boba alone for sixteen minutes, then bumped the door panel open with her hip since her arms were full of pillows.

Robert the Rancor sat abandoned on the couch. Boba was nowhere to be found.

Tup craned his head over her shoulder. "Uh, Commander? Where is he?" he asked, confused.

"Fuck," Ahsoka said faintly.

Boba hadn't realized that water showers were a luxury until he'd left Kamino for good. Sonic showers were easier to install, easier to clean, faster to use, and didn't use up water rations. He wasn't sure if the troopers actually had water rations, but if they did then he'd used up at least half a battalion's worth. He'd been steaming for half an hour.

"Fierfek," Tiarek cursed from around the corner. "You done yet? We're locked down again, which means Ahsoka thinks you ran for it."

Boba's stomach seized up at the Tog's name. He felt so fucking stupid, but she was the one who'd started it. Why'd she have to push? He'd actually been thinking about something besides how much he fucking hated being alive for once, and then the jetii had to go and ruin it because she didn't know what a fucking sleepover was.

Or he was the one who didn't know. It didn't matter now. He looked like an idiot and she pitied him now, and that pissed him off even more. He didn't need some do-gooder's pity. He was a man, damn it! He was a beroya and the only living son of Jango Fett, the greatest bounty hunter that had ever lived. He didn't want the Tog bitch to sit blinking her big, sad eyes at him like he was a pathetic, three-legged street pup covered in fleas.

"No, I've got him, lift the lockdown. We didn't mean to be this long. Go ahead and get started, we'll be there soon." Tiarek was on a holocall with somebody but Boba couldn't hear the other side. "Come on, Bo'ika, time to go."

"In a minute!" Boba yelled back.

"Now." Tiarek turned the shower off and threw a scratchy towel at his face.

"Shabla bev'kovid," Boba mumbled under his breath as he toweled off.

"I heard that."

Boba toweled faster then wrapped himself up when he was done. Tiarek patted him on the back and led him out to the lockers. A set of Kaminoan cadet blues sat waiting for him on the bench.

Boba glared up at Tiarek. "Didn't have any blacks in your size," he smirked at him. "Hurry up. Ahsoka's having a heart attack."

"I don't care," Boba said darkly.

Tiarek looked at him, disappointed. "I do," he said softly.

Boba dropped the towel and reached for the blues. They were too big for him, he could already tell. He knew he was underweight but more importantly, without all of the genetic upgrades from the longnecks, he was just plain smaller than the other clones at the same physical age. Dad was half a head shorter than the grown-up troopers, and Boba was a perfect copy of him.

"What's that?" Tiarek was frowning at him; specifically, his ass.

Boba quickly yanked the oversized drawers up. "Nothing. Don't be bloody nosy." He hadn't meant to let him see the scar.

"Then why are you being cagey about it?" Tiarek asked with a raised brow.

"I sat on my knife, alright? It's embarrassing." Boba slipped his shirt on.

Tiarek leaned against the lockers. "Look, Boba, I know you've been through a lot since Jango died, but–"

Boba flinched at his dad's name.

Tiarek softened. "Just promise me that you're going to try. Nobody expects you to be a model cadet, but at least stop cussing her out every time you open your mouth."

"Fine," Boba mumbled. He tugged at the bottom of his tunic, trying to make it hang less awkwardly on his narrow shoulders.

"You can trust her. I promise you can. She's the best, right alongside Skywalker." Tiarek smiled sadly. "We're not just numbers to them. They truly do care for us. Ahsoka is my vod'ika, do you understand? You trust her just like you trust me."

Boba scoffed. "So much for vode an. You know, the meaning of the word doesn't change just because you use it to bloody adopt each other."

"Of course not." Tiarek blew air out of his nose hard, frustrated. "It just means I watch out for her, I teach her, I keep her alive. And she has my back in return, no matter what."

"Whatever," Boba said, looking away. Tiarek wasn't going to let it go until he agreed. "Fine. I'll stop being a dickhead to her, alright? Doesn't mean I trust her."

"Good man." Tiarek clapped his hand on his shoulder and guided him towards the door. "Let's go."

Boba felt his banzaii burger start to work its way up his throat as they walked back to the rec room. Should he tell Tiarek what he'd done? Boba didn't want him to hate him too, but he wasn't sure what he'd be angrier about; kissing Tano, or lying about it.

"What?" Tiarek was looking at him with those same knowing eyes Dad had when he knew Boba was squirming about something.

"I kind of…" Boba hesitated. "Fuck it. I kissed Tano and she's gonna make it sound like I just made a move on her out of nowhere and–"

"Hold on, hold on!" Tiarek went to one knee so they were eye level. "What are you on about?"

"Tano," Boba mumbled. "I kissed her. I thought she wanted it."

Tiarek was staring at him with his mouth open. "You did what?" he asked sharply.

"She said she was gonna go get pillows to have a proper sleepover, so," Boba shrugged. "Obviously I thought that meant she wanted to fuck. But she didn't know what that's what sleepover really meant because she's a Jedi, I didn't mean to piss her off."

"She… she didn't–" Tiarek stood and turned away, his hands on his head. "Boba, no." He turned, and Boba felt his heart sink into his guts at the look on his face.

"I didn't hurt her! I just kissed her, she didn't want it so I didn't push it–"

"Boba, who told you that a sleepover meant that?" Tiarek's voice was so sad that it made Boba flush, embarrassed all over again.

"Fuck, not you too." Boba turned away with a groan. Why was everyone so damn stupid? Why was he the only fucker under the roof who knew Basic? "Sleepover is when you want someone to sleep in your bunk, it's not a fucking slumber party like she thinks. Aurra told me what it meant when some asshole asked me in a bar on Nar Shaddaa–"

Tiarek sighed and huffed out a relieved laugh for some reason.

" –and then, you know, I started having sleepovers with her–"

Tiarek's face fell and he turned away with his fists balled up.

"Oh not you too, why is everyone such a damn prude?" Boba moaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm a year away from doing my verd'goten, I'm not a fucking baby."

Tiarek turned and he almost scared Boba with how angry he looked. "Listen to me," he said, going back down on one knee. "People might say sleepover to be cute, but that's not what it means. And if Dad knew that Aurra had done that to you he would have taken her skin off slowly, do you understand?" Tiarek grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. "She never should have been allowed within a mile of you."

Boba bit his lip. "You called him Dad," he said quietly. "You haven't called him that in a long time."

"I meant to say your dad." Tiarek flushed and looked away. "Not… I know, trust me."

Boba looked up. "Don't you remember–"

"There's nothing to remember," Tiarek said quickly. "It was just a few weeks, Bo'ika, okay? Don't get it mixed up again. We've been through this."

Yeah, they had, and every time Tiarek was more and more certain that whatever lie he'd been fed by Kal while he was recovering was the truth. "So I'm old enough to wet my blade, but not my dick?" he asked crudely, changing the subject.

Tiarek turned purple. "Yes," he growled.

Boba waved a dismissive hand at him. "Whatever you say, Tiarek."

"Come on." Tiarek stood. "And I told you to stop calling me Tiarek. That was never my name."

Boba resisted the urge to argue. It was pointless. If any part of Tiarek remembered, it was buried so deep down under the lies that it may as well have never existed at all.

"Now behave," Tiarek warned him, then opened the rec room door. Three unarmed clones sat lounging in their blacks inside a pile of pillows, couch cushions and sheets that had been built up into a tent. One of them was the medic that had rubbed that stink-ass bacta gel on him. Tano sat on the edge, cross-legged and pinch-faced. As soon as the door slid open she popped to her feet and rushed to Tiarek.

"Gar ru'hibii ner ad? Ne'din'kartay?" she snapped. "Rex, do you have any idea how scared I was to find him gone again?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize he was–"

"Gar johaar'i Mando'a?" Boba interrupted, stunned.

She raised a brow marking. "Waad'choruk," she said wryly. "Rex taught me."

Boba flushed and looked down. He should have expected that, if Rex had adopted her as a little sister.

"As I was saying, Boba here needed a shower, but I didn't know he was going to use half of the monthly ration for the whole GAR." Tiarek popped him gently in the shoulder.

Tano's shoulders slumped and she took a deep breath. "I'm sure he was just happy to take a water shower. I know the prison only has sonics." She bent down and looked him in the eye. "So. Ready for bed?"

Boba peered around her to look at the troopers reclining in her pillow fort. The one with the Galactic Roundel tattooed on his face looked unimpressed, the medic looked bored, but the final one with a tear on his cheek sitting cross-legged was practically beaming at him through his long hair.

"Why're they here?" Boba asked suspiciously.

"Well, since you've never had a real sleepover, I thought it might be fun to have one. And for a real sleepover you need friends, but you also need a pillow fort–" she turned and gestured to the limp tent, " –holofilms, and snacks." She held up a projector in one hand and a bag of nerf rinds in the other, smiling like an idiot.

Boba looked up at Tiarek, who shrugged. "Fine," Boba said dismissively.

"Great!" Tano dove into the tent between the long-haired one and the one who looked like he'd just bit into an unripe meiloorun. "I've already got the holo loaded. Get the lights, Rex."

Boba glanced at Tiarek, who did as he was told with a soft smile for Tano.

"By the way this is Jesse, Kix, and Tup," she added, pointing to each clone as he and Tiarek crawled inside the pillow fort. She and the three troopers were already squished together, cuddling like sleepwalking tubies. Tiarek stayed on the outside and Boba ended up sandwiched between him and the medic, Kix.

"Wizard," Boba said in a bored voice. "What are we watching?"

"March of the Porgs," Tano said cheerily.

"Finally!" Tup crowed.

"What do you mean finally? We just watched that on the way home from shabla Naboo," Jesse grumbled.

"Language," Tiarek drawled.

Boba snorted. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously." Tiarek chuckled and pushed Boba's head down to his chest.

"Wait, Commander, you're sleeping over here?" Tup asked, looking confused. "You always sleep with Rex."

Boba froze. Wait, had he kissed Tiarek's girl? Why hadn't he shabla said that, why'd he go through the vod'ika banthashit instead of just saying he was screwing her? And where did Tiarek get off telling Boba that he was too young for it if he was shagging his own al'verde? Boba was older than all of them, except for Tano.

"Not tonight," Tano said nonchalantly. "Oh, by the way, Boba, you forgot somebody." Tano tossed Robert the Rancor at him over Kix, then started the projector.

Boba cleared his throat. "Thanks." He hugged Robert to his chest and adjusted a little so that he could fit the plushie in between him and Tiarek, hiding a small smile.

"There is a mysterious ritual that dates back thousands of years. No living creature has survived it, except the porg. They have wings but can barely fly. They're birds without beaks that act like clowns. And every year, they embark on a nearly impossible journey to find a mate. For twenty days and twenty nights, the porg will march…"

Notes:

MANDO'A TRANSLATIONS ba'buir: grandfather Os'ika: Little shit (Cody's [affectionate!] nickname for Ahsoka, a pun on her normal diminutive of Ahs'ika [Little Ahsoka] ) dalgaan: bitch Har'chaak: damn it mishmure'cya: brain kiss, aka keldabe kiss shabla bev'kovid: fucking dickhead Gar ru'hibii ner ad? Ne'din'kartay?: You took my kid? Without telling me (lit. no sitrep)? Waad'choruk: Obviously (lit. diamond, colloquialism for "crystal clear") Al'verde: Commander TOYDARIAN TRANSLATIONS Wanjala?: Hungry? Ndimatafuna: I chew it Inde: Yes Nyanga zathanzi: Healthy horns Mwana: Baby Pepani: Sorry Chapino mwana: Okay baby Hule lopusa: stupid bitch HUTTESE TRANSLATIONS Chupanka keepa manmi: His tail is on backwards (Huttese colloquialism for someone acting irrationally) MAOR-GRÁSTA TRANSLATIONS sgudal fhaighean: garbage cunt OTHER NOTES I just really like it when Anakin speaks Toydarian okay. Also I mentioned this in another fic but he didn't learn Aurebesh until he was ten and he hates it so he types in all caps and doesn't like punctuation Yes, Boba refers to Rex as Tiarek in his head. We'll find out why just hang in there lol

Taglist: @starwarsficnetwork, @soliloquy-of-nemo Dividers: @saradika-graphics

6 notes · View notes