#I am so exhausted walking on eggshells | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bby-deerling · 4 months

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Idk if you're taking requests right now, but I saw you wanted to write the sex pollen or one bed trope. I am a SUCKER for both of those!!!!! I would totally be down with either or both of these with Law!

oh anon you know i just had to combine them >:^) !!!!

i went absolutely feral writing this so i hope you enjoy!

spin circles for me (law x reader nsfw)

18+, mdni, nsfw, wc: 3.0k masterlist

cw: afab!fem!reader, slapping, rough sex, sex pollen and all that entails, law is kind of an asshole, law is also a bit feral, choking, biting, semi-public fooling around, creampie, mentions of blood, evil sex, one bed trope

tagging: @bowsa-jr @eelnoise @freelemmingsdownload @kaizokuniichan @wolfegoddess

“And…that’s all folks! Everyone should have their room keys.” Shachi exclaims, hands visibly empty. A pit opens up in your stomach as you feel your heart drop like a roller coaster—everyone had their room assignments for the night, save for you, whose name wasn’t called. Face red as your anxiety brews, you step forward towards your crewmate and tap him on the shoulder.

“Shachi, I didn’t hear my name; who am I rooming with?” you ask, puzzled and hoping you had simply tuned out your name when he called it; Law was taking care of sorting the bill out with the innkeeper, and the last thing you wanted to do was pile more undue stress onto your captain.

Curly chestnut hair hangs in his face as he scans the list he made one more time, mumbling each crew member’s name under his lips as he counts. Eyes widening as he reaches the end of the list without muttering yours, he checks again, face slowly turning white.

“Captain, we’ve got a problem.” Shachi says as he strides towards Law, carrying a slight sense of worry in his voice; realistically it wasn’t the end of the world, but when Law is in a snit, the slightest mistakes can lead to a snarky dressing down in front of the rest of the crew. Tired and exhausted, Law doesn’t answer Shachi verbally, and simply gives him a look that tells him to continue. “I messed up the room arrangements. I forgot to assign her to a room.” he explains, motioning towards you with his thumb.

“Put her with Ikkaku then. Do I really have to hold your hand like this, Shachi?” Law says, rolling his eyes with a huff as he starts to walk away; your crewmate’s hand on his shoulder pulls him back and prevents him from getting too far away.

"That’s the thing Captain, all the rooms have twin beds except for yours…” he says voice laced with trepidation as his words trail off. Chewing the inside of your cheek, you watch Law carefully as he makes eye contact with you for the briefest of moments, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Fine.” he sighs, too exhausted to even bother reaming Shachi out for his mistake. Instead, Law glares at him, causing your crewmate to simply smirk at him before running off towards Penguin.

“Don’t expect me to sleep on the floor. We’re more than capable of being adults.” he warns in a hushed tone that edges on the side of being unnecessarily harsh.

“Of course, Captain.” you reply, stare fixed at the floorboard beneath you as you followed him to your room. His exasperation had seemingly no end, causing you to preemptively walk on eggshells to avoid being the target of his scorn.

A slightly irritated huff escapes your lips as you let your bag hit the floor of the run-down hotel room. An opportunity to spend more time with Law like this would be heaven sent under normal circumstances, but his mood lately was nothing short of foul, and he had been short not only with you, but with everyone around him for the past week or so. Truthfully, being alone with him left you brimming with anxiety; you had been slowly and steadily building a deep bond with him prior to this nasty mood swing, and something intangible swirling in your gut spurred the notion that his mood was somehow your fault.

As you head to the restroom and change into some plainclothes, you run through a list of possible transgressions; perhaps the time you patted his shoulder reassuringly had been crossing the line, or maybe he had noticed the way your eyes soften, gazing at him when you were convinced his eyes were focused elsewhere. Law is rarely one to miss details or subtleties; in retrospect, one would be a fool to think he wouldn’t catch you staring. Whether your behavior was the cause of his irritability or not, one thing was certain—he had been avoiding contact with you as much as possible since this snit started, leaving you lonely. Rituals you had built with him—taking your morning coffee and tea together, sitting next to each other at lunch, and reading together in the evenings—had all come to a crashing halt with no explanation, leaving you with an empty chasm in your chest, left to wonder what you did to spur this sudden abandonment; however, even if it were possible to track down Law to for a private conversation, you were too nonconfrontational to inquire what your grave misstep had been.

“Need a walk to clear my head. Coming with?” he asks gruffly, momentarily removing his bucket hat to comb his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. His words break you from your daze, and you nod affirmatively and give him a vocal mhm, lacing up your worn-out sneakers in the process. Though he was touchy at the moment, there was no resisting his bid for attention, especially when a hint of softness in his tone makes his words feel like a request for your presence. Law was complicated, and at times unbearable, but as far as you were concerned, he was beyond reproach, for the simple fact that you cared far too much for him.

The rocky atmosphere softens as you walk towards the nearby trail together, afternoon breeze filling your lungs with tranquility and turning the tension between you into a comfortable silence. The two of you venture roughly a mile into the woods before being met with a roadblock—a wall of flowering vines preventing further progression down the trail. Slightly annoyed, Law unsheathes his sword, hacking at the plants, only to be met with a haze of dust and pollen in the air; instinctively, you pull your shirt over your nose to prevent inhaling it, but your captain is not so lucky, and ends up breathing in a fair amount before sneezing.

Frustrated at the endlessly dense cluster of vines and flowers still remaining in front of you, your captain makes the executive decision to turn back, and you follow accordingly, sighing softly in frustration that your walk together was cut shorter than planned—that is, until Law starts acting weird.

It started with the staring.

The penetrating gaze fixed on your form only feeds into your paranoia, assuring you that there was something wrong between the two of you that had been leading him to behave strangely as of late. Then his right arm begins to swing more freely, almost aimlessly; the contrast of the motion compared to Law’s normally composed nature made the way his hand carelessly swung seem downright silly—and then it starts to brush against you. He’s simply tired, you tell yourself. A simple mistake.

And then blood pools in your cheeks as he pokes your side, almost playfully, emulating the cocky, laidback Law you've come to know and adore. It’s intentional, and impossible to ignore; you return the favor in kind and flash him a grin. You expect a similar expression to be mirrored on his face—a smirk with a glint of mischief in his eyes—but are frozen in place when the look he gives you is downright predatory, lust pooling in his eyes.

Suddenly aware of your surroundings, you find your back flush against a tree, and far closer to Law than you remember being before; completely absorbed in the delight of his subtle flirting, you had lost track of where you were, and subsequently had fallen into his grasp like a fly in a spider’s web.

“Tell me now if you don’t want this.” he whispers in your ear, leaning in close and ghosting his lips along the shell of your ear. The trance he put you in was nearly dreamlike, all of his transgressions nearly forgotten as he feeds you the tantalizing promise of exchanging them for the touches you have been yearning for.

“Keep going.” you murmur, letting out a sharp gasp as his mouth immediately connects with your neck. His teeth graze the column of your throat, eliciting sinful mewls from your pretty mouth; the song of lewd sounds echoes into the humid, sticky air, encouraging him to slip his hand underneath your shirt.

“I thought it wasn’t like that, hm?” he murmurs, voice husky as his hands roam your body, making you whimper as his thumb rolls across your nipple. “Thought you didn’t like your Captain like that?” he taunts, making your cheeks flush with both arousal and embarrassment as pieces click into place in your mind—a little more than a week ago, Shachi and Penguin had confronted you about your little crush during a game of cards; unwilling to give in to pressure from them to spill your guts out, you had denied it with a pink blush covering your face. A dreadful liar through and through, your crewmates refused to buy your fib for a second; however, judging by the way Law had echoed your own words back to you as his hands claim your body, he had taken your words at face value. It was borderline hypocritical—he was a man who constantly veiled his true emotions, yet he was somehow unable to see through the wide cracks of a similar mask.

Fever broken, a storm of anger brews in your chest, and you want to smack him, to gain some type of retribution for the needless cold shoulder he had given you; however, the way his mouth heatedly slots against yours leaves you too dizzy to fully realize your intentions. Instead, you end up lightly swatting his cheek, sighing against his lips. In return, your eyes are blown wide in shock as his inked hand smacks you back, not terribly hard, but enough to make your heart nearly jump out of your chest as you gasp.

“Don’t act like you don’t want it now.” he growls, soothing the dull sting with the pad of his thumb as he harshly grips your face, squishing your cheeks together. There’s something feral and desperate in his eyes as he scans every bit of your face for a sign of genuine resistance; even in his growing haze of delirium, he’s surprised to find a mixture of emotions on your face. Pupils blown out in lust, you want him, but you’re frustrated, jaw clenched as you let out a deep exhale.

“You were being so mean to me, Law. And for no reason—” you say, voice wavering as you become overwhelmed and desperately try to keep your head above water. The flood of emotions from latent, seemingly unrequited feelings being returned was intense enough; the addition of a slew of heated and fevered sensations as the two of you get so physical so fast scrambles your brain and leaves you feeling bare and vulnerable.

Deep down, Law wants to explain himself, but as he succumbs more and more to his altered state of mind, he can only pull back and offer you a bargain. “Let me make it up to you.” he pleas, making the remaining sane portions of his mind cringe at the way his voice drips with want. It’s a pitiful replacement for a litany of apologies that he is too ill-equipped to deliver—doubly so when under the influence. Nevertheless, he waits for your move, nearly drawing blood as he digs his nails into his palm, hand clenched into a fist as he fights the urges coursing through his veins.

When you move to kiss him, knocking his hat onto the ground and tangling your fingers into his hair, you mean to take a gamble and tease him with a sly, snarky remark, but he’s uncharacteristically needy and captures your mouth with his at the slightest hint of permission to continue. He’s sloppy, desperate, and messier than you ever could have envisioned in your darkest, murkiest fantasies. Back hitting rough bark, you feel swallowed whole as he presses his body flush against you, knee prodding between your thighs. Law is impatient, more so than you have ever seen him as he plays with the waistband of your sweatpants before dipping his hand beneath your panties.

“This wet for me…God, you want it just as bad as I do, don’t you?” he murmurs against your lips as he slides two fingers past your folds. Dragging his fingers along your spongy spot, he coaxes the only reply he cares about from you—sweet, strangled moans as he tries to make you understand, tries to make you feel a fraction of the desperate yearning and arousal he has for you, latent emotions only amplified by his current state.

As the sky darkens, losing the afterglow of a sunset neither of you caught, you became acutely aware that the two of you weren’t even that far from the inn, and most assuredly visible to any prying eyes gazing out their windows; however, Law’s focus is honed on your chest, leaving deep purple bites all over your sensitive skin.

“Law, people can see us.” you mumble, noticing the yellow haze from the windows casting over your bare chest. Intoxicating as it was to be pressed against a tree, feeling the tips of his fingers tease your sweet spot as his tongue circles your nipple, you yank on his hair in a silent plea for him to move to your bedroom; the last thing you wanted your crewmates to see was your captain turning you into an incoherent mess.

As his fingers pull out of you, the light dances across his digits, illuminating the slick coating them with a tantalizing glint. Grumbling something intelligible under his breath, he shoves his inked fingers past your lips, letting out a sigh as you obediently suck them, tongue dancing along his digits. As your eyes flutter shut, pleased by tasting the gentle tang of your nectar, he teleports you into the bedroom; the privacy shields you from the curious eyes of others, but strips you bare for Law, leaving you subject to the dark whims brewing behind his intense stare.

He wastes no time making short work of your sweatpants, yanking them down before plunging his tattooed fingers back inside you, a deep sense of need imbedded in each motion of his hands. Following his lead, you fling your shirt over your head, swallowing hard at the cool breeze from the cracked window grazing over your nipples, still wet from Law’s tongue running across them. He gives you a feral grin as he stares down at you, satisfied at the sight and grasping one of your breasts with his free hand and pushes your back onto the bed—your shared bed.

“Such a good girl for me… such a good little slut for your captain.” he mumbles under his breath as he hovers over you, inked hand moving upward to grip your throat before his lips descend onto yours. He’s needy, for both sensation and control as he frees his cock from his jeans and lines himself up with your soaking entrance; sinking his teeth into your lower lip as he sucks on the soft, plump, rosy skin, he finally indulges in the sweet bliss he’s been craving for ages.

It’s a consummation of an attachment too fragile to be subjected to the gridlock of matrimony, or anything remotely similar. As he pushes into you, the ragged breaths against desperate lips are the only vows spoken, the only promise is for more. Thrusting into you harder, he becomes too clouded by his high and too drunk on the ecstasy of having you underneath him that he loses himself completely.

Law means to take you whole.

Soft whines are all you can let out against his mouth as he bites and sucks hard on your lip, nearly drawing blood as he fucks you into the mattress relentlessly. The way he takes you is rough, full of passion and choked back moans; as you grow slicker, arousal coating both of your thighs, he pushes into you deeper, making you see stars with each thrust of his cock.

Death. Five of his fingers dig into your hip, while the other five wrap tightly around your throat. Death. You feel somewhere between the earth and the sky as he drowns you in his essence, and bleeds you of your life force. Death. He reaches his little death with a shudder of his hips, cold beads of sweat rolling from his forehead and dripping onto yours as he paints your walls white.

Rolling back into bed after cleaning yourself, uncertainty hangs in the air; swirling in trepidation, you feel like death.

“What does this mean, Law.” you whisper hesitantly, voice nearly fading away into the chorus of crickets chirping outside the slightly ajar window.

Still as a board and gaze fixed to the ceiling, he doesn’t tell you that the plant had influenced his behavior—besides, something in the distant tone of your voice told him that you were clever enough to have come to that conclusion on your own. He doesn’t give you an apology for his recent rough and uncaring behavior; it was irrelevant to the question at hand—your real inquiry pertained to how he felt about you, while sober and lucid after working out a burst of frenzied passion.

“It means I want you to come closer.” he says, voice raspy as he sprawls his arm out, an invitation for you to settle into his side. The way you sigh as you nuzzle into his chest expresses a littering of sentiments that you were too exhausted to express; starved for affection, you drape your arm across his inked chest and give him a light squeeze, and you hum in delight when he tightens his grasp on your shoulder in return.

“Thank you for having me.” you mumble—forgiving, bright, and as fragile and damaged inside as he is, you’re far too good for him, and Law wonders if you’re even slightly aware of it.

Oh, what he wouldn’t give to be able to find the words to tell you what you’re truly worth; selfishly, he doesn’t even try to cobble them together.

He can’t take the chance of losing you now, after all—not when he finally has you.

#one piece x reader #law x reader #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar law smut #trafalgar law x you #law x you #trafalgar law x y/n #law x y/n #trafalgar law #one piece smut #x reader #one piece fanfiction #one piece scenario #a fever consumed me when writing this.........

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cameronspecial · 4 months

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I Will Slap You, Rafe

Pairing: Frat!Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Mean Y/N, Mentions of Sex and Birth

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.9K

Summary: Pregnancy doesn't look so great on Y/N and Rafe, but good thing it's almost over.

Masterlist

Rafe isn’t going to lie. Pregnant Y/N is a scary Y/N. She’s a lot more moody and demanding than his usual angel is. Any little thing can make her snap and he has been walking on eggshells for almost nine months. His family would say that Rafe is just as unbearable. If they thought he was doting on Y/N before, then her being pregnant showed an even more overbearing side. Rafe helps rearrange the pillows on the couch and places about ten blankets over top of Y/N, who is getting ready for a nap. “Are you warm enough? Are there enough pillows?” he frets over her, rearranging one of the blankets that is slipping off. Sarah chuckles, “I think she has enough, Rafe. She could survive in the North Pole with how many blankets you have her buried under.” “I would never let her be in that situation,” he barks. How could Sarah think that he would let anything happen to Y/N? “Would you two shut up? Cranky woman trying to nap here,” Y/N complains, turning on her side to sleep. At least she doesn’t blame her pregnancy for her mood. Rafe rushes to her side, “I’m so sorry, Angel. Sarah and I will go in the kitchen.” Rafe kisses his wife’s head and forces his sister into the other room.

The siblings talk in whispered voices after being scolded again by the pregnant woman. It’s been about an hour and Rafe has started to get his angel’s snack ready. A piercing yell causes both Camerons to dash to the living room. “Angel, are you alright? What’s happening? Do you need a massage?” he cries out, rushing to her side. Sarah follows in worry for her sister-in-law. They find Y/N hunched over with her hand on her stomach. She glares at them, “No, you dingus. I’m going into labour.”

Rafe’s face flushes and he turns to his sister. “Get the go bag, please. It’s in the nursery. I’ll get her in the car.” Sarah nods and runs off to do as asked, while Rafe picks Y/N up bridal style and brings her to his truck. Every bounce of Rafe’s rushed manner intensifies the pain shooting through her body. “Slow down. You aren’t trying to win a race. We also have to time the contractions, dumbass,” she critiques between her screams. Rafe starts an internal timer in his mind at her scream, “Right, thank you for reminding me. You are so smart, Angel.” He places her in the car and she glowers at him with another yell. “I don’t care how smart you think I am. Get me to the damn hospital before I do it myself,” she growls. Rafe is quick to get to the driver’s side, texting Sarah to meet him at the hospital.

———

Y/N and Rafe got to the hospital a little earlier than medically required and the staff were almost not going to let them into a room, but Y/N’s angry demeanour and Rafe’s money-slipping hands caused the staff to change their mind. It’s been about sixteen hours and the couple is absolutely exhausted. Finally, it’s time for Y/N to push. She had insisted on giving birth in Goddess pose and Rafe isn’t one to argue about it. “You are doing so great, Angel. I am so proud of you,” Rafe praises, smoothing her sweaty hair down. Y/N has had enough of his pampering. She’s been here for so long and that’s all she’s been listening to. “I will slap you, Rafe. Stop talking or I will have them throw you out. You don’t know how much this hurts, so I only want to hear my own voice from now on,” she snarls at him. Rafe immediately stops, instead resolving to silently encourage her.

Rafe’s focus is between her legs, waiting for the moment his child enters the world when he feels her hand cross his face. One hand rubs his cheek, “What was that for?” “For getting me pregnant and not being the one to give birth,” she explains, squeezing his hand harder. He pouts at her words, “I am so sorry that I can’t be the one going through this, Angel. It kills me to know you are hurting and I can’t do anything about it.”

“I am never having sex with you again. I never want to go through this again.”

“And I fully support that, Angel. We can always adopt or foster if we want to have more kids.”

———

An hour later, Asher Wesley Cameron rests on his mother’s chest, sleeping in her warmth. “He’s perfect,” Y/N whispers and kisses his head. Rafe admires the new mother, “Because he is a mixture of both of us.” He takes a second before asking his next question. “Did you really mean what you said about having sex?” Y/N giggles at the worry in his voice, “Only a little bit. We definitely won’t be having sex until the doctor gives the go-ahead but after that… How else are we supposed to make this little guy a sibling?” “I thought you said you didn’t want to give birth to another baby,” his eyes twinkle as he looks at her. She shrugs, “It hurt like hell, but it was worth it. I would do it one more time even if they are only half as perfect as Asher. I do want to foster though. There are so many children that need a safe home.” Rafe’s lips find her forehead. “Whatever you want. I will follow your lead, Angel.”

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @queen-shadow22 @nonbullshit-toleratingkindagirl

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torukmaktoskxawng · 7 months

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'anla - part seven

Series Masterlist Summary: The next generation is getting ready to complete their Iknimaya. Ao'nung and Y/n aren't exactly hiding, but people are finally noticing. Pairing: Ao'nung/Fem!Na'vi!Sully Reader Warnings: Mature language, overprotective parent, heated arguments, heated gazes (in a sexy way), fluff, coming of age, mentions of mating, mentions of drowning and death, etc posted on ao3 Word Count: 8k+ Tag: #'anla ao'nung fic Na'vi Words: Marui - house/pod, ilu - plesiosaur like animal, tulkun - whale like animal, skxawng - moron, akula - shark like animal, olo'eyktan - clan leader, ma'yawntu - my love, paskalin - honey, syulang - flower, tìyawn - love, tsahik - spiritual leader, tswin/kuru - queue braid, tsakarem - tsahik in training, tsurak - skimwing, ikran - mountain banshee, tsaheylu - the bond, swoa - intoxicating beverage, oel ngati kameie - I See you, ma'yawntutsyìp - my darling, nantang - viperwolf, ma'ite - my daughter, taronyu - hunter Taglist (bold indicates "could not tag"): @bangtanxberm @aonungmyaddiction @lv9su @aisselasstuff @yourusername1 @amortencjja @king-julian6201 @gg-trini @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @mikeyswifie @heart-an0n @iloveavatar @urdads-gf @kentfisherswifee6 @sakurayuki8655-blog @ken-zah @nilrilie @g-l-1-t-c-h-3-r @iovemoonyy @sopluto @frvv A/N: Two chapters in just two days??? Anyway, like I said the last chapter, I had to split my writing into two parts since it was getting to be over 10,000 words, so here is the next part!

The trip back to the village was a quiet one, Y/n's mind still reeling about her conversation with Neteyam. Jake thankfully didn't ask and acted as a pillar of strength when they returned home. He made one look at Neytiri and she opted out of saying anything, gladly letting her husband and her daughter return to the marui but not before she held them both in her arms out of relief that things would be alright between them. Y/n went to bed early, exhausted from all of the events of the day that resulted in the grief come bouncing back. If she woke up in the middle of the night to find herself in a cuddle pile of both Na'vi and human siblings, she didn't mention it, and none of the Sullys made any comments the following morning. Everyone was just happy that bonds were mending and hearts were healing. They were one step closer to feeling like a family again.

Lo'ak was visibly more comfortable walking beside Y/n that morning, knowing that she and their father had talked, and was happy to no longer walk on eggshells around either of them. Y/n appeared more relaxed as well, despite receiving some odd-looking glares from nearby Metkayina girls. To ignore the stares and lighten the mood a little more, Y/n shoved her little brother into the water before he could even blink. The resulting splash sent Y/n laughing and Lo'ak sputtering when his resurfaced, vowing revenge. It was then that Ao'nung and Rotxo showed up, grinning down at Lo'ak's predicament while standing beside Y/n.

"Quit messing around, Lo'ak," Ao'nung teased good-naturedly, "We got work to do today."

Lo'ak frowned, slightly embarrassed but summoned an ilu for himself. The other teens do the same and they head out to work, all the while Rotxo explains today's task to the Sully children, "When training to be a warrior among the Metkayina, you have to ride an ilu to chase away predators that threaten the young."

"Bro, we used ilu to rescue a tulkun and fought against Sky People," Lo'ak retorts, "I think that should count."

"He's got a point," Y/n added, "I think we rescued plenty of our young doing that."

Lo'ak squints his eyes in his sister's direction, "I couldn't tell if that was sarcastic or not."

"Figure it out, skxawng."

"It is all about tradition," Ao'nung explained, "I am sure the Elders would appreciate us keeping up with old traditions despite we have done enough to become warriors ten times over already despite our young age."

"So we're only doing this to impress a bunch of old people?" Lo'ak questioned with an added groan, getting splashed by Y/n in the process.

"Lo, for someone who just tries to fit in--"

"I know, I know," he waved her off half-heartedly.

"I'd like to see you talk that way to Grandmother."

A bit of color drains from Lo'ak's face, but otherwise he says nothing. Ao'nung laughed as they leisurely swayed in the water, leaning over in Lo'ak's direction, "They say that the Elders see and hear all. I would watch my back if I were you, Lo'ak te Suli. Maybe make a necklace for them as an apology."

Y/n laughs while Rotxo's smile slowly turns up into a mischievous grin, eyeing Ao'nung while opening his mouth, his eyes all-knowing, "Speaking of necklaces, that is a very nice arrowhead, Y/n. Akula?"

Ao'nung spun to glare at Rotxo in warning while Y/n briefly pressed a finger to the arrowhead she had yet to take off. She quickly retracts her touch and pointedly doesn't look at Rotxo, "Yes, thank you."

By now, Lo'ak is also staring at the necklace, eyes widening each time his brain puts another piece of the puzzle together, head tilting to Ao'nung, then Y/n, then back again. Rotxo could see Lo'ak's realization slowly dawning on his face and decided not to let up for the sake of teasing his friend, "Did you make it? Or was it given to you?"

"The necklace is mine... the tooth was a gift."

"Oh? From who?" Rotxo's big eyes practically sparkle with mirth, staring directly at Lo'ak as he adds, "You know, speaking of tradition, usually when a Na'vi gifts another something as special as that, it means they are courting--"

"I think we should split up on our patrol," Lo'ak abruptly states, briefly glaring daggers at Ao'nung while urging his ilu forward to swim beside Rotxo, "As I am about ready to strangle both of you, I will be going with Rotxo."

"Sure," Ao'nung shrugged, "Meet back here around midday?"

"Alright. See ya then."

Ao'nung and Y/n watch Lo'ak and Rotxo speed their ilu up and swim away, jumping in and out of the water before disappearing on the horizon. The pair waits until they are completely alone before Y/n flashes a side-eye glance in Ao'nung's direction, "You told Rotxo?"

"I didn't tell him anything," he defends, "But practically everyone has been asking. They all probably know."

"Yeah... 'Teyam used to tease me about it." She smiled sadly at the memory.

"Did he? I was so sure he would have killed me."

"No, he was the brother you didn't have to worry about," she huffed a small laugh, "Lo'ak and Spider on the other hand... well, you've been punched by the one before, and Spider might be more level-headed but you have never seen him truly angry."

A small glimmer flashed in Ao'nung's eyes, a wave of respect for the human boy washing over him, "That's intriguing."

She snorts quietly, her eyes returning to the spot where the other pair of teenagers disappeared, "I'm pretty sure Lo'ak has known about us for a while, maybe before I even knew there was an 'us.' So I wouldn't worry about him. He's just acting like a child."

She raises an eyebrow when Ao'nung emits a small growl, "Maybe your brother should worry about me if what I heard about him and Tsireya is true."

"Oh, please. They have been fond of each other since the day they met, don't act like you didn't notice." Y/n rolled her eyes.

"I am going to kill him."

"You will do no such thing if you know what's good for you," she glared dangerously back, though Ao'nung noted that it was not as heated or as threatening as her usual glares, "You cannot hate him for seeing your sister and then turn around to see his. Besides, I think your mother doesn't mind it after she and I talked that one time we were foraging. She heard my side of things and I think she actually approves of Lo'ak and Tsireya now."

Ao'nung goes back to that day when he found Y/n and his mother walking out of the forest together, his ears sheepishly pinning back against his skull when he remembered what had happened after Y/n had left, "My mother asked about you."

Y/n's eyes widened, "She did?"

"And she tells my father everything, so..."

"Same here. I think our sisters know, but they are not saying anything. They would take it to their grave if we asked them." Y/n smiles to herself.

"It wouldn't matter. This whole village is full of spinsters," Ao'nung snidely comments, "Everyone's business is everyone's business."

He watched as the gears openly turned in Y/n's head, her eyes looking to the sky while she asked, "... Is that why there were girls staring at me down by the docks this morning?"

"I do not know," initially, he shrugs, but she watches as Ao'nung's eyes slowly start to sparkle as his teasing grin reemerges, "Maybe they are jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Of course," he flaunts dramatically, "Jealous that a forest girl from a faraway place managed to steal the future olo'eyktan out from under their noses."

Her scowl immediately pitches into a laugh when he reaches over and briefly grabs her tail. Y/n pulled away from him before he could do it again, still laughing while trying to evade his hand.

They urge their ilu to swim a bit more after that, chasing one another playfully until they get to their next spot for patrol. By the time they got there, Ao'nung noticed that Y/n was staring off into space and looking a little unsure of herself, "What is it?"

Her eyes and ears lower, gaze pointedly staring down at her hands, "We mentioned honoring tradition earlier, then just now you reminded me of your stature. Maybe the Elders wouldn't appreciate the chief's son choosing a forest girl over one of their own."

Ao'nung scoffed, "The Elders don't care about that sort of thing. You are Na'vi. That's all that matters to them."

"But even you didn't think we were true Na'vi," her eyes flick up to his and his blood turned cold under her stare, "Not when we first arrived."

He slouched, ears drooping while his eyes softened into regret, fingers twitching with the need to reach out to her, but remained in his lap, "I was wrong."

"Maybe. But there are others who still think the same way you did. They still look at me, Lo'ak, and Kiri and think we are freaks. I am pretty sure even Tuk has more friends than us because she at least looks Na'vi."

"That is not why she has more friends," Ao'nung tries to smile, "Tuk is Tuk."

Y/n hums to herself, feeling one corner of her mouth twitch at the fond thought of her baby sister, "That's true."

"You..." Her eyes flick back up to Ao'nung when his voice didn't sound very confident. He wouldn't look her in the eyes, clearly feeling out of his comfort zone. She patiently waited for him to speak, occupying herself by watching drips of water fall off his brow or glisten in his hair, the sun reflecting off his wet braids like diamonds. Y/n's chest squeezed, but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. It was warm and it was spreading over her like a comforting blanket that her mother would leave beside the fire. Her thoughts are disrupted when Ao'nung finally finds the courage to look up, "You have never once doubted yourself like that. Lo'ak and Kiri sometimes still look at themselves and hate what they see, but not you. You've never doubted yourself, Y/n, so why start now?"

"It doesn't matter whether or not I despise how I look," she carefully answers, feeling small and scrutinized under his disbelieving gaze, "It matters what everyone else would think if they knew you were courting a deformed freak."

"You are not deformed."

"No?" She bitterly questioned, frowning as she lifted up her hand to him, purposely wiggling her pinky finger, "This doesn't freak you out? It is alien."

"So what?" He reached out for her hand, "An extra finger just means there is more of you to hold."

The response stuns her to the point she didn't react when Ao'nung slipped his hand into hers. Looking down, she stared at their joined hands, fingers wrapped around one another in an ornament of two different colors. Looking back, their skin tones complimented each other beautifully together, and the contrast just made sense. Y/n was still amazed about how big Ao'nung's hand was compared to hers, despite being the same age. Once those thoughts vanish, all that's left are Ao'nung's smooth words and the color slowly rising in her ears.

Y/n scoffs, trying to play it off, "Do you think yourself charming?"

Ao'nung grinned, "Only for you, ma'yawntu."

The term of endearment surprises her out of a laugh, playfully horrified, "Eywa, no."

"Paskalin?"

"Stop."

"Syulang?"

"Please, you are embarrassing."

"I got all day, tìyawn." Ao'nung laughed, "What would you like me to call you?"

"How about my name?" She asked sarcastically.

His smile was wide, bright, and downright beautiful. It took all of Y/n's willpower not to melt right then and there, "Of course, Forest Girl. It's what I prefer anyway."

"I'm sure it is, Seaweed Brain."

~~~~~~~~~

Ronal's baby was born in the traditional way, in a water birth ceremony called the First Breath, where the whole clan gathers around in shallow water to celebrate. Now, normally the tsahik would help the mother guide her newborn to the surface to take its first breath, but seeing as Ronal was the one expecting, one village healer and Tsireya were chosen to help her. This was a new kind of ceremony for the Sullys so they hadn't fully participated until after the baby was born, then they proceeded to celebrate with the rest of the Metkayina.

Kailani was a beautiful baby girl and everyone adored her. Nearly everyone wanted to see her and hold her. As the newest baby in the village, she had earned herself a lot of attention and was loved by all, especially her older brother and sister. Ao'nung was little enough that he couldn't remember when Tsireya was born, and Tsireya had always been the youngest, so this was the first time either of the chief's children experienced what it was like to have a new baby in the family... and it showed.

This became obvious a month into Kailani's life when Tuk came out of nowhere and started to drag Y/n and Kiri by their hands toward Ronal and Tonowari's marui, "Come on, come on! I wanna see the baby!"

The teen girls reluctantly follow their little sister, smiling fondly at Tuk's excitement. It was adorable to see that Tuk didn't have much experience with babies either. Approaching the pod, it was obvious neither tsahik nor olo'eyktan was home, and yet there were soft cries coming out of the marui. Tuk drops her sisters' hands and runs in while Y/n and Kiri dutifully follow. Walking inside, they find Tsireya and Ao'nung sitting close together, appearing a little worried and exhausted while looking down at the small baby lying in her big brother's arms. Both of the reef teenagers looked up when they heard someone enter, and Tsireya waved them over, "Have either of you seen our mother?"

Kiri and Y/n exchange a look before the former responds, "She's in the healer's hut. A warrior came in all scraped up from getting thrown against the coral reef."

"What is wrong?" Y/n asked.

"She won't stop crying," Tsireya admits shamefully, looking a little distraught, "We do not know why. We fed and changed her, but--"

"Have my sisters help," Tuk confidently offers without missing a beat, proud at her idea, "They know about babies. They helped Mama take care of me when I was little."

Tsireya and Ao'nung pointedly look up at the older Sully sisters, their eyes desperately pleading. Kiri was initially going to scoff at Tuk for her idea before Y/n wordlessly stepped forward and knelt down in front of Ao'nung. One look and she could tell why Kailani was so upset. Her tiny body wasn't exactly held close to Ao'nung's body but was instead held in his arms and in his lap. It didn't look comfortable and Y/n pitied the child.

"Here," Y/n offered, leaning over and helping Ao'nung adjust his hold on his baby sister, having him lift Kailani up from his lap and making sure he kept supporting her neck, "Babies need a lot of skin-to-skin contact at the beginning of their lives. It helps them bond with their mothers and other members of their family."

Y/n helps Ao'nung lift Kai until she's nestled snugly against his chest, her face protected in the crook of his neck. Almost immediately, the baby calms down, trying to bury her cold little nose into her brother's warm skin. Ao'nung is unable to speak or look away from Y/n, his ears only perking up as a sign he is listening when she keeps on explaining, "Try not to pinch her tswin. Without any hair to protect it yet, the tswin can be extra sensitive."

Kiri smiled softly to herself as Y/n continued to list several things Tsireya and Ao'nung could do, both of them listening with intense determination, all the while Kiri could only think about her older sister. It really was a shame that Y/n didn't want to take on the role of tsakarem, instead passing it along to Kiri when her adopted sister had shown an interest. Y/n still remembered a thing or two about healing from when Mo'at had begun to teach her, but from what Kiri understood, Y/n would get easily distracted and would beg their grandmother to dismiss her so she could go find Neteyam and train alongside him to become a warrior. Mo'at eventually gave in, fondly stating how Y/n was just like her mother, then proceeded to name Kiri her successor.

While Y/n may not like the method of healing and preferred hunting, she was still pretty knowledgeable when it was needed, and as Tuk said, she and Kiri remembered what it was like having a new baby in the family. Tsireya and Ao'nung appeared incredibly grateful for Y/n... but Kiri couldn't help but grin under her hand while looking at the way Ao'nung was staring at her older sister. The way his mouth formed such a secretive smile without the intention of showing it, his eyes subtly falling from Y/n's eyes to watch her lips as she spoke before flicking back up to her eyes before anyone would notice. But Kiri noticed, and she eventually had to look away because she felt as though she was intruding on something so intimate.

Rotxo had told Kiri and Spider about the mysterious arrowhead-shaped tooth that suddenly appeared around Y/n's neck one day, but the adopted Sullys didn't want to believe it. Lo'ak had scoffed, rolling his eyes and refusing to talk about it, but Neytiri had overheard and had this all-knowing smile on her face as she cooked over the hearth when her children walked back into the marui after bidding Rotxo goodnight. Jake and Tuk were none the wiser but Kiri had a feeling that her father was like Lo'ak, trying to ignore that something was clearly going on between Ao'nung and Y/n. Now, it was more obvious than ever.

~~~~~~~~~

While Y/n had not been able to complete all of her rites of passage alongside Rotxo and Ao'nung, she and the other Sully children still cheered them on and celebrated alongside them, especially after watching in amazement to see how a young Metkayina must finish certain challenges alongside their bonded tulkun brother or sister. After finishing those trials, along with taming their own skimwings, Ao'nung and Rotxo were gifted a special article of clothing, their first tattoo as warriors of the clan, and three beads for their songcords. Everyone was proud of the reef boys, now celebrated as young men among their People.

Next was going to be Y/n. She was determined to follow suit, as were Lo'ak and Kiri. They went out to practice for their trials every day, playfully competing with one another. Whilst Kiri was planning on becoming a healer in the tribe, she still wanted to tame a tsurak as her rite of passage and receive a Metkayina tattoo meant to signify healing. Jake and Neytiri were not sure how to feel about three of their children rushing toward adulthood, but they were supportive either way. The older Sully children tried very hard not to exclude Spider in the many training exercises, but he goodnaturedly shooed them away and told them to have fun and train hard. He may not be able to follow them, but he will still cheer them on from the sidelines, being there in spirit.

Lo'ak passed his trial with Payakan with flying colors, and now he and his sisters would move on to taming their own tsurak. Kiri did so with ease, her attachment to Eywa helping her befriend the mighty skimwing instead of mastering it. All of her siblings cheered for her from the docks, watching her disappear to wander with her new friend beyond the sea wall. Lo'ak was determined to go next, and while it looked a little rocky at times, he too, mastered his own warrior's mount, and Jake yelped and whooped proudly for his son. Lo'ak also left the safety of the lagoon to explore with his new friend and likely introduce him to Payakan.

When it was Y/n's turn to go tame a skimwing, Ao'nung approached her and spoke quietly under his breath, "Remember. The tsurak are temperamental creatures. Much like an ikran, you have to work hard to form a strong and loyal bond with them."

"Got it," Y/n nodded in acknowledgment, wrapping leather around her knuckles per her father's advice. Speaking of whom, Jake was approaching his daughter so Ao'nung simply nodded his head toward Toruk Makto and walked away to stand beside his own father.

Jake narrowed his eyes as he watched Ao'nung leave before softening his gaze and speaking down to his firstborn, "You're your mother's daughter. That makes you the best flyer and hunter on an ikran, so this will be a cakewalk for you. Tonowari told me that the ikran and the tsurak share a distant ancestor, so it's easy to see where they get their stubbornness from. You know how to tame stubbornness. You'll be a pro at this."

Y/n tried her very best not to visibly shrink up under her father's advice and praise. She wants to stand tall and proud under his words of affirmation now that they're starting to see eye-to-eye, but it is still a work in progress. She's not used to her father being so encouraging as of late, due to him stressing out over the war, moving away, and losing a son, so it was still a big step that needed adjusting. So, Y/n instead smiled widely up at her father and whispered a small thank you before rushing over to get the tsahik and olo'eyktan's blessing.

Ronal and Tonowari bid Y/n good luck with their own hidden smiles while Tsireya shared her confidence for her friend and lifted Kailani's arm up to wave at the Sully girl for encouragement. Ao'nung flashed his forest girl his own secret smile and a small nod, barely noticeable to the naked eye. Y/n practically beamed and with a new wave of confidence, turned and ran down the long dock to the very end, diving gracefully into the water.

All forms of sealife greet her underwater, her breath held as she forced herself not to get distracted. Since that fateful day against the Sky People, Y/n had been training herself to hold her breath longer, hoping to never have to worry anyone over her drowning ever again, not wanting to be a burden. Without wasting any time, she called out for a skimwing to approach her.

She had managed to find a school of fish Ao'nung told her was the tsurak's favorite snack, so she swam close to the fish and continued to call out, her heart singing when her strategy worked and a familiar beast gradually glided toward her, its powerful, scaled body creating a disturbance in the water. Looking like a Terran gharial, the tsurak approached with purpose and demanded to be respected, other small fish species quickly scattering to avoid it. With its long, sword-like snout, it gave itself personal space, and with its beady, soulless eyes, it analyzed Y/n. For an animal that was nearly domesticated with the Metkayina, Y/n wasn't worried about whether or not the creature deemed her as a threat, but then again, she looked different compared to all the other Na'vi the tsurak likely grew up with, and it was possible the skimwing could smell the part of her that descends from demons.

Y/n didn't take the kind and befriending approach as Kiri did. That form of taming only works for someone as Eywa-blessed at Y/n's adopted sister. Instead, she kept herself between the beast and its likely prey, the schoolfish behind her. The threat was clear. If it wanted to eat, the tsurak would have to go through her first.

The reptilian-looking fish didn't appear insulted by the threat and leisurely swayed side to side, jaw gradually opening and closing to breathe while stuck in place, showing off its small rows of razor-sharp teeth while staring Y/n down and waiting for the right opening to strike. Y/n slowly and carefully pulled her kuru braid over her shoulder all the while keeping her eyes locked on the tsurak. As they continued with this ocean version of a standoff, Y/n gradually began to inch forward, only moving in small, very slow strokes of water.

When she got too close, the tsurak opened its jaws and snapped down, quick as lightning, but Y/n was prepared for it. Much like taming an ikran, she quickly moved out of the way before the creature could bite her head off and, using her knuckles and palms now wrapped in leather, clamped down on the jaws of the creature, keeping it shut with as much muscle she could muster while using her newly found momentum to quickly swim onto the skimwing's back, never letting go. Knowing she would only have a second before the creature was no longer stunned, Y/n let go of the jaw with one hand and quickly grabbed her braid, immediately forming the tsaheylu.

The beast wiggled and then paused, swaying calmly back and forth as the connection was made. With her lungs slightly beginning to burn, Y/n didn't panic but also didn't hesitate to give the creature the order to resurface, now letting her other hand let go of the tsurak's snout in good faith. She promises to let the tsurak eat, later, if he swam up for air.

As quick as a bullet, the tsurak follows its new rider's order, shooting up through the water at great speed. Y/n nearly forgot to hang on tight, clamping her thighs down on the creature's back as tight as she could, her ears beginning to pop at the very sudden water pressure as they rose higher toward the surface. Sunlight was coming in fast and, before she knew it, Y/n was out of the water, leaping through the air, and plunging back into the ocean, all while still holding on tightly to the back of her very own tsurak. The beast resurfaces more gently this time and stays leisurely swimming above the water, giving Y/n much-needed time to breathe. She smiles when she can hear scattered cheering from the beach and docks but keeps on task, trying to stay focused. She has yet to fly with her new ride.

Adjusting her grip on the creature, she gives her new order, clenching her thighs again while preparing for the powerful beast's ascent. The tsurak begins to speed up, faster and faster until it's zipping through the water like a ship. Eventually, it gains enough momentum and the creature lets out its wings, extending them until they begin to catch air, and then the body rises out of the water. Y/n hangs on tight, stamping down the anxiety in her gut, sharing her determination and willpower through her new bond so the skimwing knows she means business. There is no room for failure.

The tsurak doesn't stumble, doesn't break, and doesn't lose focus. As they sail, the pair sails gracefully without a single wiggle or wobble. Y/n can faintly hear cheering in the distance but doesn't let it phase her. One more test. She gives the order and holds her breath, immediately bending down and pressing her body tightly against the creature's back.

The tsurak retracts its wings and points its snout down, briefly falling through the air before diving straight into the water below. The impact and mighty force of it all was much more powerful than riding an ilu, and Y/n had to hold on for dear life. Water rushed through her ears and she squinted her eyes in order to see better, but she held on and she held firmly. She would rather get her arm pulled off than let go, so she held on tighter, her leather wraps doing the trick to give her a better grip. One last order and Y/n feels the pair of them shooting back up through the water and into the air again, and this time, Y/n hoots triumphantly at the top of her lungs, hanging on tightly with one hand but throwing her other fist in the air, her trial complete.

Several people are cheering with her on the beach and in the water. Spider, Tuk, and Jake are whooping and hollering like party animals, ecstatic for their daughter and sister. Ao'nung and Rotxo are cheering alongside them, along with several other Metkayina watching the event. Y/n beams proudly at all of them from a distance, then proceeds to follow Kiri and Lo'ak's lead and head for open waters.

Ao'nung is smiling just as proudly from the beach, and once Y/n takes off, so does he. The chief's son immediately breaks into a sprint down the side of the beach, diving into the water before another word can be said. Once below the surface, he calls for his own skimwing and takes off after the Sully girl.

The only one who appeared to notice Ao'nung slip away was Neytiri, but she appeared to be smiling as she watched the reef boy chase after her daughter. A brief wave of déjà vu washed over her as she watched until she couldn't see either tsurak anymore. She smiled fondly, proud and filled with unimaginable joy as she had witnessed history repeat itself, much like it had with her when she first chased after Jake on their ikran.

The new warriors do not stay out for long. When eclipse comes, Y/n, Ao'nung, Lo'ak, and Kiri return for the Sully children's ceremony. The sunlight disappears and it's replaced with a bioluminescent glow everywhere, as far as the eyes could see. Lo'ak, Y/n, and Kiri stand before Ronal and Tonowari as they are presented with their rewards, their article of clothing, and the beads for their songcords to signify this triumphant milestone of adulthood. The Na'vi believe that every person is born twice and the second time is when a Na'vi finds his or her place among the People forever.

Once Ronal and Tonowari bestow the three Sullys their first tattoos, they were officially one with the Metkayina, marked with warrior and healer ink. Everyone gathered around the new young adults and congratulated them, making room for the parents to squeeze their way through the crowd and finally gather their children up. Neytiri held her children against her, joyous tears in her eyes even as her heart broke, mourning their childhoods but celebrating their futures. Jake held his children just as tightly but didn't make a sound, afraid of what would come out if he tried to talk.

The ceremony gave way to celebration, large bonfires lining up and down the beach, the flames rising high into the night sky, embers blinking down on Eywa's children along with the stars above. The Metkayina dance together in wide circles around the fires, conjoined in several different rings, moving in opposite directions as they sang, talked, laughed, ate, and drank to their hearts' content.

Y/n found herself dancing around a fire that was shared by most of the newest warriors of the tribe, people around her own age, and her brother and Kiri. There were so many fires along the beach, however, so it would be nearly impossible to find out which ones her other family members were socializing at, hidden among the chaotic crowds of flailing limbs and boisterous songs. She allowed herself to let loose and cared little about what others thought of her, letting the swoa warm her stomach and the fire her skin. She stuck close to Kiri and Tsireya for a short while before the chief's daughter ran off to find Lo'ak. Y/n and Kiri playfully rolled their eyes before the latter decided to turn in for the night-- which is just code for she was going to keep Spider company so their adopted brother didn't feel left out. Y/n let her sister go without complaint, giving her a brief hug and voicing how proud she was of her. Kiri smiled brightly under the praise and took off, leaving Y/n's heart feeling warm as well. Getting roped back into dancing, Y/n danced without a care in the world, not bothered by whether or not she looked bad, and sang with the others until she was breathless. The celebration was getting to be too disorderly with everyone having so much fun that faces had begun to blur and sometimes when people danced, they were spinning too fast to figure out their bearings.

But Y/n let her feet carry her to her intended destination, and that was right into Ao'nung's arms. With her family elsewhere and other Metkayina having too much fun to otherwise gape at the sight, Y/n danced with the chief's son for practically the whole night, tired and out of breath, but never wanting to stop. She couldn't help it. With the fire lighting one side of his face and the bioluminescent ocean lighting the other, Ao'nung looked ethereal, and Y/n couldn't stop her rapidly beating heart even if she wanted to.

Ao'nung only looked at her, never caring about who saw them, his smile gentle and eyes proud, not helping the flips Y/n's stomach was taking. Her body felt like it was on fire in the best way possible under his gaze, and maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was the liquid courage, or maybe it was the way he was looking at her, but her mind was open and her voice was knocked loose from her throat as she pulled her reef boy close to her and whispered so only he could hear the words that she knew, deep down, were only meant for him, "Ao'nung. Oel ngati kameie."

Ao'nung's eyes briefly widened, mouth falling open in shock, yet he couldn't take a breath in. The fire didn't help the blooming fire in the forest girl's yellow eyes, piercing up at his and leaving him breathless, unable to come up for air. She didn't look afraid or even bothered by his reaction, instead, she smiled, a little cheekily, as if she could see just how much she affected him. Slowly, he comes back to his senses, a smile slowly creeping up his lips once more. His hands gently cup both sides of her face, marveling at how her entire head fit perfectly in his palms, while her reasonably smaller hands move to hold his sides, keeping his body close to hers. Ao'nung leans in, taking a small breath in through his nose, memorizing her scent before he gently fits his lips against hers, to which she responds in kind. The kiss tasted like sea salt and swoa, but neither complained, closing their eyes and reveling in their closeness.

Despite her lessons, Y/n regrettably needed to pull away for air, and when the kiss broke, her soft pants ghosted across Ao'nung's skin, hot and prickly, and when her eyes opened, she stared up at him through her eyelashes, cheeks slightly flushed. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to relax his body, his heart racing to the tempo of drums playing somewhere in the crowd. Eventually, his mind clears and he manages to find words again, leaning his forehead into his forest girl's.

"Ma'yawntutsyìp Y/n. Oel ngati kameie."

~~~~~~~~~

Neytiri sees everything when it comes to her children, especially her firstborn daughter. That girl is a spitting image of the mother who birthed her, except for the little human features she inherited from her father, so Neytiri often knew what was going on in Y/n's head because she had been in her daughter's footsteps. Neytiri was young once. She knew what it was like to be in love.

Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite had seen the lingering glances, the stares when the other wasn't looking, and the smiles that were only shared between each other. Furthermore, Neytiri had noticed the arrowhead on Y/n's necklace the second she came home that day, and then the mother noticed Ao'nung anxiously waiting to get out there and chase her daughter into the sea astride their tsurak. And of course, even in the vast crowds lining the beach the night of Y/n's ceremony, Neytiri could see the young pair kissing, unbothered by the amount of people around them. It felt as though no one had seen them but her.

And yet, she had not said a word. Much like Y/n and Ao'nung's sisters, Neytiri intended to take their secret to the grave if it meant seeing her eldest daughter smile again. Sure, Neytiri was fiercely protective of her children, but she would never refuse her child when it came to whatever made them happy... especially after she had lost Neteyam.

So Neytiri kept quiet and just watched from a distance. Now that three of her children were seen as adults among the Metkayina, their tattoos a physical sign as such, she wasn't gonna go around telling them what to do anymore and just enjoyed their company while it lasted. After all, soon they will choose men or women to be with... and not long after that, Neytiri will find her marui emptier than the day before.

One fateful day, Neytiri found herself alone with Y/n in their family pod, cooking some fish over the fire to prepare meals for the rest of the Sullys to take with them throughout the day. It was a quiet and comfortable morning until Ao'nung showed up, respectfully greeting Neytiri before asking Y/n if she would like to join the other warriors on a hunt that afternoon.

Y/n perked up at the offer, her smile brightening under Ao'nung's gaze. Wordlessly, she nudges Neytiri's shoulder with her forehead, and her mother leans into the touch before the daughter draws away and stands up. Y/n briefly grabs Ao'nung's arm before diving into the water with the intention of having him follow her. Ao'nung stayed a second longer, lingering in the doorway of Neytiri's home when he noticed the woman staring at him. Despite wanting her daughter's happiness, Neytiri also wants her daughter to be safe, so she briefly glares at the chief's son before simply looking back down at her task, "If she gets hurt, I pluck your eyes out."

For some reason, he knew she wasn't talking about the hunting party.

That same night, during communal dinner, Neytiri could see just how obvious Ao'nung and Y/n looked. Instead of sitting with her family, Y/n sat with his, conversing between him and Tsireya without a care in the world. Occasionally, the chief's son would try to sneak a kiss on the forest girl's cheek, hiding it by pretending to whisper in her ear. Y/n would smile shyly, her pinky finger subtly reaching out for his hand whilst she talked to his sister.

This time, Neytiri wasn't the only one who noticed, and she cursed herself for not trying to distract her husband sooner instead of openly gawking at the young pair with him. The moment Ao'nung reached for Y/n's pinky finger, Neytiri could feel her husband tense up beside her. Immediately, she knew what was about her happen once her mate quickly stood up and she was helpless to stop it.

"Jake--" She had gotten up as well but it was too late. Her mate had already stormed off in the direction of their daughter. Several eyes throughout the communal meal turned in their direction and Neytiri could feel their stares prickling along her back, her other children now aware of something wrong when she stood.

"Mama?" Tuk asked.

The older Sully children immediately clock the situation once they follow their mother's gaze, seeing their father clearly out for blood as he beelines for the chief's family. Spider immediately scrambles to his feet, "Shit--"

Neytiri didn't know whether to hiss at or agree with Spider's observation, her feet taking her to where Jake was going, the rest of her children now standing up to follow her as well, abandoning their meals. Neytiri would not make it in time, but even from where she was, she could hear the commotion already starting when Jake reached down and grabbed Y/n's arm, pulling her to her feet and away from Ao'nung, "Alright, young lady. Time to talk."

"Dad, what--"

Ao'nung immediately rose to his feet without thinking. Neytiri almost pitied him, "Sir--"

Jake's glare fell on Ao'nung, his voice dropping low to a tone only the military side of him could produce, "And you, boy. Did you mate with my daughter?"

"Dad!"

Y/n's exclamation further drew the attention of the tsahik and olo'eyktan, along with even more Metkayina sitting around the growing commotion. Neytiri could see Ronal and Tonowari stand up as well, their eyes only on Jake and their son, dread forming in her gut at the idea of what might happen next. Ronal handed Kailani over to Tsireya and marched with her mate over to the confrontation as Jake continued to talk down to her son.

"And whatever you say better be the answer I'm hoping for, young man. So choose your words wisely."

Neytiri finally reached her husband and grabbed his arm, opening her mouth to try and get him to calm down while the rest of their children stood around them and simply observed with worried glances. Ao'nung glared only at Jake, his shoulders squared back, and stepped up no doubt to defiantly say something stupid before Y/n stopped him from where she stood behind her father.

"Ao'nung," she warned loudly, to which his eyes flicked to hers at the sound of her voice.

Time stilled as everyone turned to Y/n, waiting to hear what she had to say, even her father. She didn't look at anyone else other than her lover. All Y/n had to do was flatten her ears and just ever so slightly tilt her head, eyes locked on his the whole time for Ao'nung to get the message, loud and clear. His shoulders lower and visibly calms himself under her stare, and in response, Ao'nung merely nods. The young Metkayina backed down, stepping away from Toruk Makto and glancing off to the side, eyes and ears lowered like an injured nantang pup. Jake's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, glancing between Ao'nung and his daughter, trying to figure out what had just happened.

From beside Lo'ak, Kiri silently gasps behind her hand as she whispers to the younger brother, "Oh, my Eywa. He's so whipped for her."

"Bro-- shut up," Lo'ak hissed back, glaring at his sister's tiny amused smile while Spider laughed under his breath.

Jake didn't have time to berate his other children as he shook off his confusion and his wife's arm, letting go of Y/n's bicep but keeping her frozen to the spot under his cold, scrutinizing glare, "Look at me, young lady," she refused at first, eyes flicking elsewhere in shame and fear, "Look at me."

Her frown twitches just as the fear dissipates, her usual distaste for authority returning. Her eyes harden as she purposely and slowly glares up at her father through her eyebrows, her entire posture now defiant and standing strong against him.

Either Jake didn't notice this subtle change in body language or he didn't care, glaring right back at her, "Tell me the truth. It's a simple yes or no. Did you mate with him?"

She flashed her fangs, grinding out her response between her teeth, "No, sir."

"Do you plan on it?"

"I do not see how that is any of your business anymore."

"Y/n, where I'm from, you're still too young to have a family," he points back to Ao'nung without ever taking his eyes off his daughter, "And he is the chief's son--"

"You can't tell me who I can or cannot be with when Mom went against everyone and everything she believed in to be with you," her tone was strong and accusatory, throwing Jake into a state of shock as he nearly stumbles back. Y/n stood strong against her father, her words bold and as destructive as a tsunami wave, "I would not exist if you hadn't gone off and mated with the chief's daughter so don't you dare try to sound as if you are above such scandal."

"Oh, snap," Spider muttered, earning an elbow to his chest from Lo'ak.

The entire commotion had been driven to silence, everyone waiting with bated breath as to what would happen next. Neytiri felt both fear and pride for her daughter, again, feeling history repeat itself through the eyes of her child. Tonowari finally broke the silence and the stand-off by stepping between Jake and Y/n and placing a comforting hand on Toruk Makto's shoulder, all the while pointedly staring at each and every Na'vi who was openly watching the family feud, "I think it is time for everyone to return to their meals."

Ronal backs up her mate's demand by glaring at all the bystanders, "Go on."

The Metkayina scatter, either to return to their seats or avert their eyes back to their food, the silence now filled with casual mumbling among the People. Jake's ears droop when he realizes the size of the audience he attracted by his outburst and he has the decency to look ashamed. He peers back to his family and mutters, "Lo'ak. Spider. Take the girls home."

"I can walk myself home, thank you very much," Y/n snarled dangerously, stepping around Tonowari and her father and stomping through the parting sea of Na'vi who dared to get in her way.

Tuk pouted and stomped her foot defiantly, "So can I!"

Kiri sighs in mental exhaustion toward her baby sister, "Tuk..."

Once the other Sully kids gathered and vanished from the meal, Tonowari glanced between Ao'nung and Jake, "Let us return to my home to further discuss this."

Ronal gestured Neytiri over to her before looking over her shoulder to address Tsireya, "Stay here, ma'ite."

Tsireya nodded appropriately, keeping Kailani close to her chest as she flashed a small look of encouragement to Ao'nung. She watched her parents and brother walk out of the community marui, the Sullys following suit. Neytiri walks out into the night with her husband's hand in hers, squeezing his fingers in encouragement.

Once the group was safe inside Ronal and Tonowari's home, Jake immediately apologized, "Brother, forgive me for my actions against your family. I was out of line and your son did not deserve my behavior toward him."

Tonowari raised his hand to gently silence him, "I will not fault a father for just trying to protect his child. There is nothing to forgive. Ao'nung is still young and has much to learn. Before he began to court your daughter, he should have gone to you for your blessing immediately."

Ao'nung, clearly embarrassed, kept his head down while he quietly whined, "Father, please--"

"You are the one who wishes to court Toruk Makto's daughter, boy," Tonowari directed his gaze to his son, eyes darkening but not as a threat, but in disappointment, "As the future of our clan, you should have done what tradition demands."

Jake took pity on Ao'nung, watching the way a father looked down on his son, immediately thrown back to the past when he, too, looked down on Neteyam and Lo'ak, and instantly knew he had to speak up this time, "No. I don't blame your son for not coming to me. I don't deserve that sort of respect. Y/n is strong-willed and she knows I don't deserve the respect of being her father or any traditions that require me to be so. If anything, she would much rather have Ao'nung ask for my sons' blessings over my own because her brothers respect her as an individual who can make her own decisions... unlike me."

Tonowari nods, looking back to meet eyes with his mate. Ronal shares a silent conversation with him before the chief turns back to the Sullys, "If it is any consultation, Jakesully, Ronal and I have approved of this match a long time ago."

Ao'nung's head perks up with interest, "You did?"

Jake's question echoed Ao'nung's, equally shocked, "You did?"

The chief explains with a distant look in his eyes, "I was much like my son at that age. Arrogant, crude, and desperate to please the other reef boys around me. All it took was to find Ma Ronal to get my head back on straight. From that day on, I only ever ran after her."

Ronal pointedly looks at Neytiri, her chin held high, "Even though he is destined to be olo'eyktan one day, my son has never shown interest in a mate. Never. Not once. That is... until he met your daughter."

Neytiri took Ronal's stare as an opening for her to add to the discussion, raising her hand to gently take her husband's arm to grab his attention, "Jake. I already knew."

Jake turned back to her, still shocked and sounding like a broken record, "You did?"

"Everyone did," she nodded, smiling slightly, "Apart from you. Why do you think none of us have said anything before now? It is because we have accepted it and even approved of the match. We all would have said something sooner if we were against it. Y/n is taronyu now and she does not need our permission to live her life anymore. She never had."

Jake takes a moment to collect his thoughts, breathing deeply in and out slowly through his nose. He stared off into space, conflicted with a war going on in his head before Neytiri simply squeezed his arm and he returned to the present. Jake looked back at his wife before raising his white flag, turning his gaze onto Ao'nung with an expression of guilt.

"I am sorry, Ao'nung. I shouldn't have accused you of anything. I know Y/n is capable of taking care of herself and I know she wouldn't have given you the time of day if she didn't think you were a good man," Ao'nung stands up straighter, appearing grateful and nodding to Jake before the former marine turned to Tonowari, "We'll take our leave now. I apologize for interrupting your supper."

Jake takes Neytiri's hand again and they walk home, speaking as they walk so their conversation is kept private before they would have to face their children, "Does he have to court her now? They're too young."

Neytiri hums in agreement, "Courting sometimes takes years, Ma Jake."

"It wasn't with us."

She hums again, only it was full of fond amusement, "If I recall, you never courted me."

A small grin played on his lips, a little drained from tonight's events, but it was genuine all the same as he playfully spoke, "No, but if I recall, you knew exactly what you were doing taking me out there to the Tree of Voices, alone, wearing your hair like that and wearing that lovely top--"

"Ma Jake!" Neytiri gasped in astonishment, gently slapping his chest and laughing as they finally made it home.

The parents quiet their amusement before they walk into the marui, instantly met with five pairs of eyes, four yellow and one brown. While the rest of their children stared expectedly at them, Y/n immediately looked away, ears pulled back in embarrassment and tucking her knees up to her chest.

Jake immediately beelines for Y/n, slowly sitting down beside her as he wraps an arm around her shoulders, "I'm sorry."

Conflict flashes over her face. It felt as though she and her father were back at square one, fighting as though they hadn't already sorted out their issues. Then again, this wasn't Neteyam, or the war, or Y/n's depression. Jake was just trying to be the classic overprotective parent he was always meant to be. He wasn't acting as a soldier. He was acting as a father, and that's all Y/n had ever wanted from him. Slowly, she melts into her father's embrace and sighs, "I know. You were just being my father. That is not something I'll ever blame you for. Just... don't be so embarrassing next time."

Jake and the rest of the children laugh while he just holds Y/n close. Neytiri smiles at the scene, trying to memorize it as best as she can so she can share it with Neteyam the next time she visits her son. After all, Y/n was one step closer to moving out of their family marui and wouldn't be able to hug her father like this as often as they used to. As sad as that made Neytiri feel, she was comforted by the fact that Ao'nung was kind and good to her daughter, and she would never be alone again.

A/N: The next part will be the final! Basically, I wrote everything that I wanted for this story, and the rest of it can be told in just one more chapter, so I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have!

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wave2tyun · 2 months

Text

policy of truth and lies | ☆

pairing: huening kai x reader

genre: highschool!au (kinda), band!txt, brother's best friend!kai, fluff, a bit suggestive

summary: a little white lie never hurts sometimes. to what lengths are you willing to go to protect it?

warnings: mentions of throwing up

word count: 3.3k

a/n: this all started just from my silly little desire to write a fic with the brother's best friend trope absdjhabj but honestly, this is one of the fics that i am most proud of, it has a special place in my heart :(<3 shout out to all my dear ningdungies!!!!😼😼💞 i love you all a lot!!!!<33 (and i hope you manage to survive this!!!)

☆ = repost from my old blog!!

“carefully planned-out coincidences” - that’s what your encounters with kai were; something that would appear unsuspicious to the naked eye, yet so obvious to a love connoisseur.

a fixed set of rules had been established in order for such meetings to be successfully completed, and continued.

1. no texting each other when you’re next to others. people love to snoop and steal a glance at your phone screen, getting you easily busted.

2. no form of physical touch is allowed on school grounds, unless you’re well-hidden. you never know what pair of eyes could be lurking around.

and, the most important one of them all: 3. do not, under no circumstances, get caught by soobin.

your brother tended to be more of a quieter person with an almost inhumane kind of calmness in him. that, however, did not apply when it came to unveiling lies. had he found out you had been kissing his best friend behind his back, it would have certainly not turned pretty. you knew that the longer you kept it away from him, the harder it would be to reveal the truth. even so, you kept postponing it, as you couldn’t figure out the right way to do it. you couldn’t just randomly go up to him and say: “remember that halloween party we held last year? yeah, me and kai kissed while you were in pain, next to the toilet bowl, releasing the obscene amount of sweets you had eaten that night”.

it was not the most romantic scenario, obviously, but it was one of the very few moments when soobin and kai weren’t glued at the hip, and neither of you could take the tension anymore. taking your brother’s pitiful cries out of the image, the kiss was actually quite sweet. and no, it wasn’t because of the jelly beans kai had eaten prior to that- maybe only party. the actual reason was kai’s hand on your waist, accompanied by the breathy “can i…?” that he whispered against your cheek.

as cheesy as it may sound, it’s a night that you will never forget.

-for various reasons.

one of them being the fact that it was pretty much the the starting point of a certain “shift” in your relationship with kai. from that day onward, it seemed like both of you tried to find as many opportunities as possible to be in each other’s presence. oh- kai came over and wanted a glass of water from downstairs? whew- well, you were thirsty too, looks like you had to go to the kitchen with him. kai was left on dish-washing duty after parties? you could spare a few minutes to help him out. movie night with the boys? the only free spot was so conveniently the one next to kai.

it was thrilling, adrenaline-inducing. you could never be too sure whether you were subtle enough, or completely alone, so you had to walk on eggshells every single time, no matter what. it got exhausting though, and you wished that, at least for once, kai could come over to your house to see you, not soobin.

kai, on the other hand, was definitely more of a risk taker than you, one that saw no harm in breaking some of the rules every once in a while.

and there are no risks, without possible consequences.

it was something that kai had learned…the hard way…on the lovely day of february 14th.

soobin had invited kai to spend the day together, playing games and trying out all the mystery flavors of a heart-shaped chocolate box. initially, they weren’t supposed to be the ones indulging in the sweet treat, but soobin had chickened out before giving it to his crush at school that day. sulking uncontrollably, he called his best friend so that they could console themselves from the soul-crushing fact that they were both (to soobin’s knowledge) “single”.

while he felt bad for his downcast pal, kai also couldn’t take his mind off you. love was in the air, after all: the rom-com that played on his tv as he was getting ready to come to your house, the lovey-dovey songs playing on the radio, the couples getting affectionate on the streets- they only added further to the burning desire that he felt today, more than ever, to see you. and perhaps…not only see you.

depending on the situation, those coincidences would often consist of: hand-holding underneath blankets or tables, winks sent to redden the other one’s cheeks and, if you were lucky, an exchange of swift, tiny pecks.

none of the outcomes above satisfied him though. the more he thought about crossing paths with you, the more he wished to caress your face, to hold you in his arms- to have an intimate moment with you that involved something more than a “kiss and run” type of situation.

“hey- the race started, why are you not moving?” soobin exclaimed, his mario kart character moving way farther than kai’s across the screen.

snapping out of it, kai shook his head, placing the controller down onto the coffee table before excusing himself “i have to go to the bathroom-” he said as he placed one hand on his stomach, mustering up all his theatre acting skills to put on a pained expression on his face “i think those sweets aren’t sitting right with me”

as soon as he finished that statement, kai basically flew up the stairs, skipping 2-3 steps at once. he made sure to flip the light switch to the bathroom before striding towards your room, to make it seem like he was there.

kai made his entrance with a finger over his lips and a catlike smile.

“what are you doing? you can’t be in here-” you whisper-shouted. kai had never- ever been in your room up until that point. it was too dangerous.

however, you still gave in, not pushing him back through the door he came in from.

he walked closer, coming to cup your face in his hands “i wanted to see you”

“is that so?” you asked coyly.

kai smiled more, sensing the bit of happiness sneaking into your voice beside your attempts to appear mad at him.

“it is so” he answered, waver in his voice from excitement.

“if you don’t believe me, then i guess i could go back to soob-”

“no-” you tugged kai’s arm, laughing “stay, i was kidding”

kai turned on his heel, lips falling into place perfectly on top of yours, transferring his smile to you in an instant “you know i didn’t intend on actually doing it” he whispered, caressing your cheek.

“i know” you chuckled “but you have to make it up to me for the teasing”

you pulled at the collar of kai’s shirt, waiting for him with closed eyes to initiate another kiss. kai chuckled before connecting your lips back together, starting off with agonizingly quick pecks, then attempting to initiate something more through longer, fervent kisses that trailed down to your neck, all while he slowly made you walk backwards to your bed. it wasn’t long before you hit the mattress and the two of you ended up tangled in your sheets, with one hand tugging at kai’s hair and the other one at his shirt as he hovered over you. soft gasps escaped through your mouth- the only acceptable way to lightly catch your breath, as it didn’t involve letting go of each other.

a knock on the door, however, sent kai flying through the air.

“y/n? can i come in?” soobin asked, completely oblivious to the events happening on the other side of the piece of wood that his knuckles had grazed a second ago.

the strong fear that he’d come barging in before you answered, turned you to push the poor lover boy away earlier, catapulting him onto the floor, the fluffy rug hardly alleviating his pain.

“what was that sound- are you hurt?” you heard a worried shout. it was a clear sign that you had no more than five seconds to prepare for disaster.

“i’m coming in, okay?”

seeing the doorknob twist, kai had no time to process his anguish. he wriggled his way underneath your bed, pulling down the blanket to hide his body.

“everything alright…?” soobin took two steps into your room then froze. the sight of your disheveled bed as well as your poor, motionless figure, scrambled up his feelings of concern with confusion.

“yeah- never been better” you replied, brushing out any folds on your clothes with your hand.

soobin’s eyebrow raised in suspicion; it was hard to make your breathing seem normal when your lungs burned like an athlete who had ran a marathon.

“i swear i heard a loud noise coming from your room-”

“nope, uh- nothing here. i was sleeping before you came in” you yawned, stretching your arms up in the air to reinforce your previous statement.

kai placed a hand over his mouth, careful so as not to move the blanket or make any sounds- why did you have to say something that would direct soobin’s attention right in his direction? your brother sneaked another glance at your bed, judging its unusually messy state.

“are you building a bird nest or something?” he huffed, placing his hand on the doorknob, about to leave “don’t answer that actually- i don’t want to know. i just wanted to tell you that the pizza is gonna arrive in about thirty minutes. if you don’t come down on time, i can’t promise that there’ll be any left for you”

with that, the door was shut, allowing your body to slide down to the floor in relief- and the breath trapped in kai’s lungs to be released.

it was only after this incident that kai’s venturesome nature seemed to be slightly tamed. not once did he try to sneak into your room again, nor did he dare to bring up the matter. the one and only thing that he could do, was to look up at you with troubled, wary eyes as he pecked your lips, knowing that it didn’t stand in his power to do more.

nevertheless, it wasn’t long before he proceeded to go back to his usual antics, the feeling inside his heart all too unbearable.

after all, not everyone can resist temptation, can they?

people knew that it wasn’t an unusual occurrence for you to be spotted in and outside the school with the most in demand band of the city, txt- your school’s pride and joy, which both your brother and his best friend were part of. so, whenever you tagged along with them, say it were to a local show, backstage, or during rehearsals, no one questioned a thing.

what was uncommon though, was you receiving private messages from the band’s notably fine pianist, kai, and giggling while responding to him, on top of it all.

this scene was witnessed by a certain someone who you thought had fallen fast asleep in the middle of class. little did you know how effective the bell ringing was to wake him up and how he had the most perfect view to the conversation taking place on your phone screen.

kai

[9:17 am] can you stay after the rehearsal today?^3^

[9:18 am] i miss you…

the witness slowly placed their head back on their desk, choosing to stay silent. this kind of matter required evidence, direct confirmation, and therefore they chose to follow you around for the rest of the day, like a shadow, thoroughly analyzing your words and actions; the texts were your first strike of the day, could there have been anything else you were keeping in the dark? the answer is yes, and you can take that literally- it turns out that the lonely, far corner of the school library makes a good spot for “discreet” pda.

you and kai were tucked away in that poorly lit spot, hugging, laughing- blissfully unaware of the third pair of eyes there with you, glossed with anger and action-driven by betrayal.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

“and that’s a wrap- good job guys” yeonjun clapped his hands, turning from the microphone stand to face the group with a smile.

“kai, cleaning duty is on you today. make sure you don’t forget to lock up the doors before you leave” yeonjun threw the keys in kai’s direction, which he caught effortlessly.

“what? you always ditch on me when we get paired up together- what could have possibly gotten in the way this time?” kai’s brows furrowed in annoyance. he wasn’t one to enjoy picking a fight, but yeonjun was taking too much advantage of his compassionate nature. he had enough of all the chores landing on him every week, without fail.

“scored a date with that girl from the mall” yeonjun winked “which, by the way- starts in less than half an hour. so, i gotta go, sorry buddy. maybe you can get somebody else to help you”

everybody else’s eyes turned to the floor after yeonjun parted ways with them, blurting out random reasons to be excused: “i have a project to finish” “i did it last time” “i just don’t want to do it” ; nobody was enthusiastic about staying at school overtime.

nobody, except for you. you were about to say an excuse of your own when the realisation hit you: you and kai? alone? with none of the boys around? it was a rare occurrence, one even rarer than the blue moon. you couldn’t simply pass by it.

“i can help you”

soobin watched you from the corner of his eye, biting his tongue to prevent any words from slipping out. you had stayed behind to help the members out before, it would be weird if he only started commenting on the matter when it was kai you were going to stay with.

“we’ll leave you to it then” beomgyu swung his arms around soobin’s and taehyun’s shoulders, leading them towards the door before you could change your mind.

“yeonjun always does this” kai huffed, picking up the acoustic guitar from the floor “i love him but- for once, i wish he’d keep his word- or at least not cancel on me last minute” the more his spoke, the more reckless his movements became.

“careful with that- no matter how cheerful beomgyu might be most of the time, i don’t think he’d be too happy to see his guitar destroyed by you”

“sorry” he said bashfully, resting his body against the wall with a sigh “i guess i’m just fed up with everything”

as you placed a hand over kai’s cheek, his eyelids fluttered shut, comfort already washing over him.

“would a kiss make you feel better…?”

kai nodded eagerly “i might need more than just one kiss though” he whispered, bringing his hand to the back of your neck to pull you back closer.

his kisses were playful at first, with smiles and chuckles interrupting every once in a while. then, when he switched positions, bringing you to be the one trapped against the wall, he began alternating between pecking your lips and lightly biting them, chaste touches soon turning into something more…heated. hands brushing over each other’s bodies in a frenzy, swollen red lips caught in an endless, desperate chase, like you had never had a taste of something sweeter.

what had gotten into you both? doing something this risky in such an “honourable” place. it was the lousy heap of all your lies and yet the most enthralling point of them all.

too bad that adrenaline rushes don’t last forever though.

you felt kai’s heart thump against your chest as you cupped his jawline to bring him back for more, but your next kiss never came to fruition.

“am i interrupting something?” the person standing at the door’s threshold cleared their throat to grab your attention.

you felt your blood turn cold upon hearing the sound. having a hunch about the sight ready to greet you, you turned your head at an awfully slow pace.

“care to give me an explanation?” soobin stood with his arms crossed, the expression on his face indecipherable.

in a single day, all of the rules you swore you’d follow like a saint, for the sake of your relationship, had been broken.

kai was dismissed from the room by soobin without being given a chance to speak. it was your words he wanted to hear first and foremost, it was you who left him the most perplexed ever since he took a furtive look at your phone screen this morning, or since he saw what you were up to in the library.

you were silent, rubbing your hands with your head hanging low. lies can’t last forever, you knew that, but you wished the right to make that dreadful reveal was in your hands to hold.

your brother cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting his position in the plastic chair he sat down on. when he abandoned the boys earlier because he “forgot something” in the practice room, he didn’t have a concrete plan in mind.

“how long?”

“what?” you murmured.

soobin repeated himself “for how long has this been going on? this…thing between you and kai?”

your throat went dry- your first instinct was to spit out another lie. upon better thought though, you realised it was have been ridiculous to even try and deny anything, given the fact that you were caught mid-act. the only actual option left for you was the raw, honest truth:

“…a year” you said reluctantly. soobin only nodded his head.

the silence soon felt direful, and neither of you could tolerate it. soobin turned his head up to look into your eyes, he got the answers he was looking for, now it was his turn to be sincere with you.

“y/n, i’m not the one who chooses who you’re gonna love- and as much as it bothers me that, out of all the people, it’s my best friend who you fell for- i can’t tell you to stop seeing kai”

his words turned your mind in even more of jumble than before. that was it? no screaming? no need to pull out the classic “but i love him“? it was a rare occurrence for the two of you to settle things so easily, it felt like you were suddenly picked up and placed in an alternate universe.

“so, what i’m getting is…you’re approving of our relationship?” you asked, feeling the need to have a definite confirmation of his feelings; none of the scenarios you had imagined before where you revealed your relationship matched the result of this one.

soobin hummed “as long as you don’t hoard him on the weekends- he might be your boyfriend now, but he was my friend first. i’ll have him on saturdays and you can have him on sundays, deal?”

you smiled, shaking his stretched out hand “deal”

“shouldn’t kai have a say in this too though?”

“something tells me he’s already agreed to it” soobin laughed, pointing at a “totally-not-eavesdropping-kai”, the half-open door revealing his pink cheeks along with both of his thumbs up.

taglist: @huekalover3000

#wave2tyun #txt #txt fluff #txt x reader #txt fic #txt imagines #txt scenarios #txt smau #txt headcanons #txt huening kai #huening kai fluff #huening kai scenarios #huening kai fic #huening kai x reader #huening kai imagines #huening kai headcanons #txt kai #kai fluff

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chaoticunicornsworld · 7 months

Text

Protection from good and evil

It's just a little something how i imagine Tav falling in love with this two entirely different person Astarion and Halsin. Enjoy

When Astarion disappeared in the woods, you remained with Halsin next by the campfire. Your eyes followed Astarion until you lost track of his figure. You and Halsin sat by the fire alone and you looked into the flames tiredly. You felt Halsin’s calming presence and you craved this calmness. Even if you loved Astarion more than everything, the safe aura that surrounded Halsin, his steadiness was always tempting to you. When you first met with the big bulky elven druid, you weren't interested in him. His look was harsh as a half orc’s, his face plowed deep ditches. And he always talked about his responsibilities, and it bored you. But when you looked into his warm amber eyes, and heard his soothing voice, you wished to be near to him. Slowly you noticed the dreamy looks he gave to you, and you started to enjoy the evenings when you two sat by the fire silently.

But today you were exhausted. Not just this specific day worn you out, but trying to keep Astarion healthy and happy all the time drained you. Usually you didn’t mind that, drained body and soul, but today you reached your limits. You let out a long sight toward the flames. ”What is bothering you my friend?” Asked Halsin in his warm, tender voice. You stayed silent for a long time, but he didn’t hasten you, just waited silently scanning your face. “It’s just..” You stopped. You weren't sure you have the right complaining about the situation, you willingly chose. “It’s just him.” You beconed with your head toward the forest, where Astarion disappeared. “I love him, you know, more than anything. I adore him, I would do everything for him, but..” The corner of your lips bended down. “It’s so difficult” Your voice broke, and tears started to rally in your eyes. “I’m trying my best to heal his trauma, I always walk on eggshells with him, and I'm trying to give him everything he needs and not what he wants. But the last few days were so hard for me as well. I have my problems too, but I don't want to burden him” You started to sob when you said that.”He is so fragile, even if i do everything to keep him emotionally safe he keeps trying to manipulate me, no matter how many times i told him, he don’t have to do this. He has me all the way, but he doesn't trust me. I’m so tired Halsin” Your tears flowed down on your cheeks and shined on your chin in the light of the fire before they falled on the dust. ”I don’t know what to do, I don’t want to lose him, but i can’t lose anything that never was mine” Your voice choked in bitterness. “Astarion still feels himself Cazador’s puppet, no matter what he says, and i feel powerless against his force. I don’t have help, I have to keep this branch together and alive. I have to heal him, but I'm so exhausted.” You silenced, and wiped down your tears with the palm of your hand. ”There, there” Halsin sat across by your side and embraced your tiny fragile body in a big warm hug. You hid your face in his chest and suddenly you heard his slow strong heartbeat. Like a lightning strike slit in your heart, how much you missed this voice with Astarion. You sobbed heavily and Halsin raised his palm, and rested on your head. His fingers slowly calmingly played with your hair. “I love him, I love him more than my life” You cried proven. “I’m just so tired!” Halsin lifted your face and slowly caringly started to wipe down your tears. But your tears were inexhaustible. You looked into his eyes through your tears and saw the safe unconditional love that you needed the most at the moment. Your hands reached his face and you started to explore his face with your fingertips like you were blind. This motion encouraged him, and he gently started to kiss your tears down from your cheeks. You freezed in a moment, and he stopped. ”I am sorry if i misunderstood you” He told you and you felt this conversation so easy against the conversations you two had with Astarion. You knew you don’t have to search for the second meaning of his words. “No, you didn’t, it’s just… I mean, this is good, but i don't want to hurt Astarion” He took back his hands from your face, but he kept hugging you with a brotherly hug. You just stayed like that in silence for a long time. “No need to rush anything my heart” He said with a most warm tone in his voice and your heart filled with bitterness. Despite you rejected him, You utterly needed his soothing presence. “Nature has its own ways and your healing effort will not pass without a trace. Give him time. Give time to yourself. And please take care of yourself. You only can be a healer, if you are healed.” You stayed silent for a while, then you timidly asked him “Can we stay like this for a little longer? ” He tightened his embrace and he dug his face into your hair and murmured. “Yes my heart, we can stay here as long as you need.”

Eventually you went to your tent. You waited for Astarion, but he didn't show up, and you were so tired, that your eyes closed, and you fell asleep. You awakened in the middle of the night and saw Astarion sitting beside you and resting his chin on his knees. Suddenly you felt overwhelming guilt about the evening. “So, you and Halsin spent some quality time together?” He asked, and his voice sounded false as he tried to sound careless. “Oh no, Moonshine” He loved when you called him like this, your moonshine, as he loved to call you his sunshine. “Nothing happened, i just needed a little pep talk” “I know” He said, and you knew he heard everything. “I’m sorry” You bowed your head. “I didn’t want to burden you.” “You want to teach me that it's ok to rely on someone, like this? You told me that reciprocity is the key to a healthy relationship, and you hide your exhaustion from me? Foolish little pup, you are” Said he with forgiveness in his voice. “Come on darling!” He stretched his arm toward you and pulled you in a hug. You took a deep breath admiring his scent, and wrapped your arm around him tightly. “Please hold on Sunshine, don't let me fall again. I’m trying, you know, to be better.” He Murmured into your ear with deep sadness. “I know Moonshine and I will stand beside you till the end of everything, and more.” “Now, that’s what i wanted to hear” He smiled and slowly softly started to kiss your face.

#astarion #astarion ancunin #astarion romance #love #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #astarion bg3 #halsin #halsin bg3 #halsin romance #halsin x reader #halsin x tav

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avocado-writing · 2 years

Note

I feel like Tangerine is awful at cooking. Like really really bad. He and reader are trying to cook dinner together, and reader has to basically be the one thing between Tangerine and setting the house on fire. He asks if they're laughing and him and reader's like "whattttttt of course not" but their face is twisted so hard from trying not to laugh that they look weird

you're either on the 'tangerine is an amazing cook' side or the 'tangerine has never set foot in a kitchen in his life' side. i am the former, but you're so valid. also went a bit off prompt with this sorryyyy

GN!Reader x Tangerine (rated M bc somehow I still managed to mention sex lmfao)

also Tangerine is English so he canonically eats at Spoons xoxo

@honestlywtfisgoingon @white-wolf-buckaroo @felhomaly @sinfulrefugy @venusthepirate @lunarpansexual @wanderedaway @georgiee-riviere @mushywutty @piechans @apieceoffabulousshit @4ng3l-0n-34rth @minjaz @starl1g4t @earth-elemental18 @luhvbot @underratedboogeyman @july-is-summer@vocalvixen20cp @northerngalxy @tangerinesgf (thanku ninasrandomblog for the gif!)

It’s a lazy Sunday. You’re having a lie-in, exhausted from celebrating your husband’s return last night. It’s always nice when Tangerine gets home a day early. A little surprise that keeps you thrilled.

He’d practically thrown open the door, striding through the house and pinning you up against the wall. His mouth was hot and rough on yours, expressing just how much he hated being away from you.

“Tan!” you’d gasped against his lips, finally freeing yourself for air. He didn’t let himself break contact with you. Instead he started kissing down your neck, to your collarbone.

“Missed you,” he’d growled into your skin, “fuck, I haven’t had you in so long. I need you.”

Well, it had been two weeks. But even two weeks felt like a lifetime when they were away from him. And your own hand during that time was no match for the feeling of his.

So, you’d spend the rest of the day in bed.

And then on the sofa.

And once bent over the dining table, actually.

And now you’re content in the knowledge that he’s home and safe, and there’s nothing to worry about for a little while, and–

Oh, fuck. You can smell smoke.

The downstairs alarm starts going off a couple of seconds after you register it yourself. In a storm of blankets and pillows you throw yourself out of bed and hurry down the stairs, taking them two at a time.

“Tan! There’s a fire! There’s a fucking fi–”

There is not, in fact, a fire.

What is there? Your husband, at the stove top, swearing colourfully at some burnt remains in the frying pan he’s brandishing.

Ahh.

“Fucking eggs!” he shouts, slamming his hand down on the kitchen counter. You roll your eyes behind his back, then take over.

“Omelette?” you ask, surveying the scene. It’s a warzone in here. You’re not sure how he’s used five bowls and seven forks in his culinary exploits, but he’s managed it. Eggshells are strewn about the place too. One’s broken on the floor.

“French toast,” he sniffs, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. You glance at the blackened mess in the pan and wonder just how he fucked this up so badly.

Ah, bless him. It’s not his fault. He confided in you, once, that when he was a child he never really ate much that didn’t come out of the freezer and go in the oven for twenty minutes. When you first started going out you’d found that he sustained himself almost entirely on a diet of Pot Noodles and microwaveable pastas. You had to change that, of course. And it was never a chore to you to cook for someone that you loved. So you’d divided yourself into that domestic bliss that many couples found: you cooked, he did the washing up.

“You could have asked me, you know. I’d have done it,” you say, dumping the pan into a freshly-run bowl of washing up water. Tangerine won’t look you in the eye.

“I wanted to make you breakfast.”

Oh. Oh.

You walk over to him, wrap your arms around his neck, and pull him in for a kiss. They always work to leech the anger out of him. Soon you feel his body release its tension, and he rests his hands on your waist.

“Shall we just go to Spoons?” you ask, gently. He sighs.

“Yeah.”

A pause.

“You’re gonna make me clean this up, aren’t you?”

“Oh, probably.”

“Fuck.”

#tangerine x reader #tangerine x you #tangerine x y/n #tangerine bullet train #answered #request

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ohtobeleah · 2 years

Text

Disposable Heroes // Steve Harrington

Summary: After too many close calls with an untimely death, Steve begs you to stay out of the plan to save Hawkins. With too many lives on the line, it’s not a hard decision to make when weighing up the value of your own life in favour of hundreds if not thousands of others. One being Eddie Munsons.

Word Count: 6.8k

Warnings: Mild cannon level violence. Angst. Mentions of death.

Author Note: Unambiguous Love Masterlist is linked here. Thank you for all the unconditional love and support for this series. It has blown me away and I’m truly grateful my comeback series has done phenomenally well. My eyes hurt from writing this all day. So please, enjoy the alternative ending to Stranger Things.

“Do you think it’s better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all?” Robin whispered as Nancy watched your chest rise and fall. Steve a mess beside you, finally giving into exhaustion beside you. Draped over your blanket covered legs, drooling.

“He hasn’t lost, she’s still here—“ Nancy replied with a soft smile, still having hope in her heart for her former love, praying for a miracle that he’d have a happy ending in all of this. Taking a few gentle strides over to where a bag of fresh clothes sat on top of a forgotten chair, placing a note between a pair of jeans and a baggy top of Steve’s. “Y/n’s strong, the best of all of us, I don’t think she’d leave Steve here in a world without her—not when she’s fought so hard for this long.”

“Steve—!” Nancy shouted, pulling Steve back by his shoulder. The rage in his eyes as he turned to face her told her she’d crossed a line. “Let the medic’s do their job to give Y/n the best chance she has at beating this!” It made sense to Nancy, but to Steve. Letting go of your hand meant letting go of you—he couldn’t bring himself to let you go, not now, not ever. “She needs them more then she needs you right now okay, let them work.”

“I can’t let her go—“ the tears that ran down Steve’s face stung like acid. “Nance—“

“Tell me about her?” Nancy smiled softly, coaxing Steve away from the men in uniform that needed space to work, to save you. Looking back over his shoulder Steve sobbed, his bottom lip quivering as he sighed. Slowly but surely walking closer to where Nancy stood, both sinking down the wall watching you fade. “She’s really pretty you know.” Nancy spoke softly, like she was walking on eggshells, afraid to say something that would set Steve off. “I’ve never really had a conversation long enough with her to get to know her.” It was the excuse Steve needed to just gush about you, to anyone who would listen as he watched you dying. Your blood on his hands. “She’s braver than most of us combined, remember when she stood between Billy and his car?” Nancy always remembered that, how easily you put your life on the line for those kids, for her, for Jonathan.

“Y/n—Nance she’s—“ Steve sighed. “Y/n’s warm, and she’s kind and she’s caring and she’s selfless.” Steve couldn’t get the sight of you being torn apart by those bats out of his head. “And it’s real.” Steve let his tears fall freely as his eyes never left you. Speaking his feeling into the world in hopes that somehow it would make it a little harder for whatever was trying to pull you away from this world to take you. “And honestly, when I’m around her—“ Steve paused.

“Go on—“ Nancy tried to coax Steve to keep talking.

“When I’m around her, I—I completely forget who I am and the worst part about all of this is realising that everything you believe in is complete and utter bullshit—“

“What do you mean?” Nancy asked softly, watching you be carried away on a stretching fighting for your life.

“Uh, you know, destiny and soulmates, true love and all that—childhood fairy tail nonsense because if it were real? I wouldn’t be sitting here watching Y/n die an unimaginable death because she was stupid enough to follow me down into water gate and I was stupid enough to get her involved in any of this crap in the first place and I—“

“Oh my god.” Nancy cooed, interrupting Steve’s monologue, bumping into Steve’s side playfully. “You’re in love with her? Aren’t you? You’re in love with her Steve, you don’t just like Y/n or love her? No—this is way more than just puppy love.”

“Yeah, I am—“ Steve admitted softly. “And trust me, this is in no way disrespectful to you Nance but—“ Steve swallowed a lump in his throat. “I have never known anyone, who actually believed that I was enough, until I met her.” Steve sobbed a little louder, a rolodex of memories of your laugh and your smile and your unambiguous love for him played like an old film behind his eyes. Right from his soul. “And not only does she believe I’m enough, but she made me believe I’m enough, so uh—unfortunately, I need her and that means I can’t let her go, so if you’ll excuse me.” Steve stood with a groan and a loud sniffle. “I’m gonna catch a ride and make sure that when she wakes up and this is all over that she knows that I need her and that not only do I love her but that I’m in love with her.”

The gentle hum of bulky hospital machines working overtime to help keep you comfortable filled the deadly silent hospital room, Steve’s snores mixing harmoniously with the rhythm of the monitor that showed your steady heartbeat. Music to his ears, the rhythmic lub dub. You were alive, you are safe, you are here. Four unimaginable days of torture—but by your side Steve stayed. His fingers intertwined with yours like one of those baskets his mum used to make him pack for family picnics. What are they called again? Oh yeah, like woven cane. Your eyelids flickering like wild as your subconscious drew you into another memory, another dreamscape more perfect then the last. Gentle reminders that you, you were loved.

“Dead roses?” You smirked, gently reaching out to the droopy bouquet of flowers that had well and truly seen better days. No longer the freshest, most vibrant bunch in the store. They must have been discounted, on their last breath. Desperate to survive in a world they were grown in to die. “You are always so full of surprises Harrington—“ you chuckled softly as you looked up at Steve, his eye still swollen, lip still slightly split. It had been a few days since the Star Court mall incident and everyone was still trying to process what had happened, including you and Steve. Trying to navigate a world of unprecedented circumstances beyond your control.

“Consider them an apology for my behaviour lately—“ Steve cooed. “You don’t deserve that.” Steve tried to simplify it, the borderline post-traumatic stress disorder that everyone had been portraying since Star Court was making everyone feel irritated and that didn’t exclude you and Steve. Snapping at each other over the smallest of things.

“None of us deserve any of this.” You corrected Steve as you accepted the dying bunch of flowers, chuckling softly as you did because only Steve would see these as beautiful. Perhaps seeing the beauty in the things overlooked was a good thing. “But apology accepted.” Steve didn’t stop you as you leaned into him slowly, connecting your lips softly to his to share a moment you’d both been craving. The touch of one another. “I missed you Harrington.”

“I missed you more.” Steve mumbled into your mouth as he walked you backwards towards your bed. His hands trailing up your arms, leaving goosebumps where his fingertips danced. “Just wanna be with you.” Steve kissed you harder, with more lust than ever before. “Always.” Slightly tipping you back as you tossed the flowers to the wayside—your back colliding with your mattress as Steve followed you down, hovering above you as he worked to litter your neck with deep purple marks. “God, you do things to me—“

“Steve—“ you moaned, the pressure building between your thighs almost too much to bear. “Steve, please.” Steve didn’t have to ask, he already knew. But as he came back up to meet your gaze he just had to; he couldn’t bring himself to go further without having told you.

“I’m not here to get another notch in my belt.” It was the sincerity that oozed from Steve’s mouth that had your heart skipping a beat. “You mean the whole world to me, I don’t wanna ruin this by rushing this—tell me to stop and I will.” Steve slowly but surely started to trail his hand down your side, fingertips pushing past the fabric of your skirt before finding the softness of your thigh. “Y/n—“ Steve’s fingers danced at the edge of the elastic that was your underwear. “Say it or I swear I won’t be able to stop myself if—“ you cut Steve off with a kiss so powerful it had him seeing stars, had him seeing into his future. Six kids and a gorgeous wife, you to be point blank. His hand twisted with the fabric until he was in heaven—his fingers slowly working their way around you, one slipping in with ease as your slick folds worked to guide him towards Nirvana.

“Fuck—“ you moaned, arching your back as Steve coaxed you, his fingers curling up against your velvet walls, anything, Steve swore in that moment he’d do anything to have you sound like that just for time. A symphony all for him. “Steve don’t stop.” you begged, pulling him down closer to you with one arm wrapped around his shoulders, the other working to slip his belt off. Working fast to find your way past Steve’s fly to his briefs.

“Don’t you dare—“ Steve hissed as your hand slipped past the thin layer of fabric that clothed his cock. “Fuck—“ your hand working to pump his shaft that felt so thick and obnoxiously hard in your hand. Throbbing for you. “Fuck, Y/n I can’t—“ Steve’s voice hitched in his throat. His eyes rolling into the back of his head at the feeling of your touch. “Don’t have any—“

“I do—“ you whispered, “I do—“ you repeated desperately, absolutely no secret about how much you desired Steve Harrington. “Top draw, over near the cupboard.” Steve had never moved so fast in his life. Pulling his jeans down his legs as he made his way across your room. A gentle beeping noise growing louder and louder inside your head. “Do you hear that?” You questioned as Steve made his way back to you with the protection you needed. “That beeping?”

“What beeping?” Steve asked softly as he pushed you down on your back, hovering over you between your legs. “You, okay?” You hesitated for a second, trying not to focus on the beeping—what was that? Where was it coming from? Turning to look out your window to see if you would see anything before you nodded in response to Steve, biting your biting lip as you turned back to him, only to see his mouth bleeding and his now shirtless torso bitten and torn apart. Screaming as you jumped underneath him. Pushing Steve away. “What happened to you!?” You panicked, taking in the sight of a broken and beaten Steve.

“Don’t you remember?” Steve’s asked as he fell to the ground on his knees, blood gushing from his torso, his mouth. “You couldn’t save me.” Falling flat on his stomach at your feet before you gasped awake, lying in a hospital bed. Panic having set your monitor off to a new level. Fast unsteady beeping altered a sleeping Steve to your consciousness.

“Y/n? Hey, it’s alright, I’m here, you’re safe.” Steve cooed, cupping your cheeks to help you calm down. “You’re okay, you’re okay—“

“I was just— but we—“ you tried to explain it, but you soon realised you had been dreaming. “You’re, okay?” You sighed a heavy breath as you settled back into your pillow. “Steve—“

“Am I okay? What do you mean am I okay you saved my life Y/n, it’s us that should be asking you if you’re okay?” At the mention of ‘us’ you turned to see Robin and Nancy over near the door. Both smiling and waving at you, happy to see you awake. “I thought I’d lost you for a while there.”

“I don’t remember anything—“ you explained. “Well, I’m sure I will, but at the moment I’ve got nothing.” Steve took a deep inhale in as he moved his chair as close to your bed side as he possibly could. Holding your hand in between his. He looked so tired, so helpless.

“I wish I could be mad at you for following me inside water gate, but I know I would have done the exact same for you—“ Steve began to explain. “But I’m not, I almost lost you and I can’t escape that feeling.” Steve’s head slumped against your thigh, trying to hide his tears.

“I’m here—“ you cooed. “Steve?” You tried to get his attention. “I’m okay, you—“

“Y/n, I’m in love with you.” Steve sat up, his shoulders slouched in defeat because almost loosing you was not the way he wanted to tell you, even if he already knew you knew. “And for the record, I didn’t fall in love with you because I was lost or lonely like you thought I was.” Steve explained. “I wasn’t broken or needed to be fixed.” Steve remembered all the nights you’d spent together, all the laughter, all the times you’d looked at him like he hung every last star in the sky just for you when you thought he wasn’t looking. Steve remembered all the times you’d come to see him at work, how you’d linger and make any excuse under the sun to stay.

As Steve looked at you, battered and broken and bruised, he saw his future, the only woman he could see himself spending the rest of his life with. This wasn’t puppy love; he was head over heels in love with you. A powerful, independent, loyal, loving women who deserved to know how much she was loved and would be loved for the rest of her life.

“I fell in love with you because, after getting to know you, and who you are—I wanted to make you a permanent part of my world.” Steve admitted. He looked so sad trying to hold himself together. His hands shaking as he clung to you for what felt like dear life. “The places, the scenery they’re all gonna change but I thought that whether it was five minutes or fifty years, I would have just been happy to have you in it—“

“God Steve I—“ you held back your own tears, never having felt so overwhelmed by love. “I love—“

“But then I really did almost lose you and I felt like every time you died in the ambulance or when that piece of shit nightmare on Elm Street, upside down monster tried to take you away from me that I couldn’t live without you and I died too.” Steve sobbed, his lips coming to kiss your hand. “A piece of me died every-time you did and fuck I can’t do that again.” You couldn’t help but smile, trying your best to sit up a little more.

“Steve?” You beamed; his eyes trained on you. So tired and drained. “When we first met, I had no idea you’d become this important to me, and now?” You chuckled softly. “I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would be like without you, because you mean that much to me.” You held your hand out to touch the stubble that had grown on Steve’s cheek. “And I think I have a better word to use then I love you—“ you cooed. Steve’s eyes swirling with curiosity as he leaned into your touch, just happy you were here with him, alive, breathing.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Steve smirked. He hadn’t felt this alive in days, suddenly having an overwhelming stomach-ache as he couldn’t really remember the last time he ate. A half-eaten hospital hello cup sitting forgotten on your bedside table where a small bunch of decaying roses sat in a vase of water.

“I need you.” You whispered; a lump caught in your throat as you tested up. “I never thought I’d fall for someone as great as you Harrington— neither did I think you would make me a better person for loving you too.” Steve almost jumped into the bed with you, trying to get as close to you as he possibly could as he leaned in a little more. “Every damn day with you is a new adventure, every night just makes me miss seeing you that day, but during everything we’ve been through, we’ve pushed through, and we’ve grown stronger together because of it, you, Steve Harrington, complete me—and I would happily live fifty years by your side.”

“Hey so this is really great and all and I’m so unbelievably happy for the two of you—“ Robin quietly stepped forward as she spoke. “But uh—Steve, if you’re coming, we need to go and we need to go now before it’s too late.” Nancy nodded as if to back Robin up. “Venca’s coming and we don’t have much time—“

“What’s going on?” You questioned as Steve stood over you, pressing his lips to your forehead then to your lips. Your heart began to race just a little faster, your head swirling with too many emotions. “Steve—?”

“Max has a plan to draw Vecna out so we can light him up, I need you to stay here though so I know you’re safe—“

“What about you? What if you don’t make it back? Then what?” Steve could see the tears threatening to spill. “Don’t go, you’ve already done so much.”

“I gotta keep these kids safe Y/n—“ Steve explained, always the babysitter.

“But who will keep you safe?” You questioned. “This isn’t some game you—“

“We’ll all keep each other safe, Y/n, I promise—we won’t let anything happen because this plan is 100% fail proof. Nothing could go wrong even if we wanted it to.” Robin chimed in.

“You’re just saying that because you know I’m either going to try and stop you or I’m coming with—“

“Oh, there no way in hell you are going anywhere, from the bottom of my heart Y/n so help me god if you love an inch from this bed, I’ll—“

“You’ll do what Harrington?” You hissed. “What will you do—“

“I’ll lose my god damn mind.” Steve admitted. “I’ve already almost lost you too many times already and I can’t risk losing you again, please for the love of God just stay here where it’s safe so when I come back—I can’t be with you, because you know what? I think I deserve some fucking happiness in this fucked up shit show of a world.” Steve was angry, but not at you for wanting to go too, at the world, for baiting him into thinking he’d get a happy ending without consequence—without having to work tirelessly for it. This was his last effort to have it. “Please, Y/n—I love you, and I need you to stay here so I can ask you to be mine when I get back.”

“Why not ask me before you go?” You whispered through tears, your bottom lip quivering.

“Leaves something to be desired, doesn’t it?” Steve tilted your chin up towards him as he kissed you deep. The taste of your tears on his tongue. “I love you—“ like a drug Steve because hooked on saying I love you and you became instantly as addicted to hearing him say it.

“You’ll need to sedate me Harrington before you walk out of this door, because I’m gonna try follow you and that’s not good for either of us.” You explained. “Call the damn nurse.”

“Should we leave a Radio here?” Nancy gestured to the radio sitting on the pile of stuff Steve had accumulated over the last few days. Nodding softly, Steve passed it to you.

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.“ Steve cooed, smirking softly as he watched you place the radio on your bed side table. Twisting with a slight groan, his heart sinking into his stomach. “also, here you need to put these on, absolutely no questions asked, absolutely no arguing.” Steve sassed, handing you a pair of headphones with a walkman, the same as Max had had. “just play the damn song.”

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” You replied, taking the walkman as you settled back into your bed. “See you soon Harrington—“ you held back tears; the idea Steve might not make it back at the forefront of your kind—but you had hope. So much hope.

***~***~***~***~***~***~

The sound of Open your Heart by Kate Bush played softly in your ears as your slept soundly. Head heavy against the hospital provided pillow. Fresh bandages had only just an hour ago been applied after having your wounds cleaned, stiches checked, and antibiotics given. You felt like it was unnecessary to have the protection of music, however, everyone else agreed it was a necessary precaution that needed to be taken in order to keep you safe. You’d been compromised, your mind intruded, your body beaten and bruised. If there was anyone Vecna would see as an easy target, it was going to be you. Max, although younger—was stronger, mentally, physically. She just had a slight upper hand. You did what everyone wanted you to do, listened on repeat into all hours of the night. The same lyrics, the same person, the same tune and chorus. The same everything—it wasn’t going to take long for you to get sick of this damn song.

“You know it’s silly but I’ve actually, well I’ve always had this dream that id have this really, really big family.” It was Steve’s gentle husky voice coming through the radio that had you waking, he pushed through the noise of Kate Bush, cutting through the chorus like a hot knife to butter. Easily mantling your heart. pulling the headphones down around your neck as you could listen in. Dustin had turned his radio on ass Steve spoke. Knowing you’d hear, wanting you to hear. “I’m talking like uh, a full brood of Harringtons. Like five, six kids.” You couldn’t help but to huckle. Five or six kids huh? Interesting.

“Six?” you heard Nancy squeal and Steve explain.

“Yeah, six little nuggets, three girls, three boys. And then every summer I figured all us Harringtons, we would pack into something like this and just see the country, you know the Rockies, the Grand Canyon, maybe even Yellowstone—end up in some beachside town in California.” You caught yourself imagining a life with Steve and his brood, three boys and three girls, a mix or you and him, smiling to yourself in your empty hospital room. “Spend a week parked in the sand, learn how to surf or something.”

“That sounds nice—” Nancy replied softly. “Expect for the six-kid part, man I feel sorry for whoever ends up marrying you Harrington.” She chuckled. “But I have a feeling I know the only person who’d want to have six of your spawn.” Nancy teased. “That sounds like a total nightmare, but Y/n she’d bring the calmness that entire situation would need.”

“If only I had some practice.” Steve gestured to the motorhome full of kids as you chuckled to yourself, listening through the radio Dustin was holding near Steve. “You know I’ve thought about it, just skipping the whole uh, girlfriend part and jumping straight for the shiny ring and big romantic gesture—ask her to marry me.” Dustin froze, not sure if he should have kept his radio on any longer. Your heart skipped what felt like six beats in your chest as your entire body felt like it had been lit on fire. “I just, can’t live without her you know—”

“I think we’ve all seen that you can’t over the past few weeks.” Nancy agreed. “But don’t rush things, she’s a gem Steve, don’t waste a single moment, but smell the roses along the way.”

The radio cut off a second after Nancy had finished speaking, silence filling your room, the monition beeping of your heart rate monitor the only thing cutting through the immense silence.

“I have to get outta here.” You groaned to yourself, Sitting up with a gasp. “Dammit.” You groaned as you stood slowly. Holding your stomach as you ripped the wires from your arm. Waddling over to the pile of clothes that had been forgotten on a chair in the corner of the room, a note falling to the ground as you picked the pile up. Curiosity getting the better of you as you bent down to read it. It was Nancy’s handwriting. A simple note that made you smile. Gave you strength.

For when you wanna kick some more arse. -- Nancy xx

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Eddie’s trailer was further away then you initially thought. However, with the help of an older gentleman who had been parking his car in the underground carpark at the hospital– it didn't end up being as far of a walk as you had anticipated it to be. you were thankful for that, because the drop from our second story window from your hospital room off the makeshift ladder you had made with the sheets from your bed wasn't as kind.

Gravel flung up against the car doors as you came to a screeching halt just outside Eddie’s trailer, hobblingly as you tried to race up the three stairs that led you to the front door. You could hear Dustin screaming from the inside, barging through the door in a panic.

“What's wrong! Dustin, what’s wrong!” you asked, panic lacing your voice as you hobbled towards him. Shock and utter confusion plaguing his face as he turned to see you, tears in his eyes as snot began to run from his nose. Collecting himself momentarily, Dustin explained.

“Eddie pulled the rope down! I can't get back, he’s gonna get hurt Y/n please you have to help me!” kneeling in front of Dustin to match his height, a gentle hand rubbing his forearm to try to calm him just the slightest bit.

“What were you doing!” you cooed, looking around Eddie’s trailer for anything that could help.

“We were the distraction, he was playing his guitar to distract the Demobats, but we got caught and he left me up here before he turned around!”

“Okay, okay, Does Eddie have another guitar?” you asked, concocting a plan quickly in your head.

“Yeah, he should, in his room? Why?” you did your best to stand without a groan, not wanting to lead Dustin onto the fact you were in agony. Your entropy body throbbed, making it hard to rush down the hall to where you thought Eddie’s room might be. “What are you doing!” Dustin shouted from behind you, watching as you grabbed one of Eddies’ older less looked after electric guitars. Turning back to Dustin with a smirk.

“We’re gonna go get Eddie.”

“Steve is gonna kill me–” Dustin mumbled as you raced past him, blood starting to drip through your shirt. “And you’re bleeding, great!” Dustin sighed as he followed you up onto a chair you had dragged under the gate that was open on Eddie’s roof. Helping to hoist him up with a groan of agony.

“Yeah well, you win some you lose some Henderson.” shoving him up into the upside down. “And I might just lose this one.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Eddie Munson was ready to accept his fate. Perhaps this was his destiny? His moment to shine and his moment to repent for all the things he’d done in his life they maybe weren't so great. A giant swarm of demobats came right for him, coming face to face with death as he held his bat high and a bin lid shield for protection. His uncle wouldn't believe his death, Dustin would find a way to forgive him.

“AHHHHHH—” Eddie bellowed as the bats raced towards him, smacking against his bin lid shield like he wasn't standing there at all. A guitar ref blasting from the speakers atop his upside-down trailer that he recognised with only a few chords. “What the hell?” he panted, turning over his shoulder to see where the bats were heading, who they were heading for. “Oh, there's no way.” Eddie laughed. Cheering as you stood tall atop his trailer, blasting what Eddie could only describe as the best choice of comeback songs to play after being within an inch of your life previously. “Kick ass Y/L/N! Kick ass!” Eddie bellowed as he ran towards his trailer. The bats ahead of him by what felt like miles.

Disposable Heroes by Metallica. Why hadn't Eddie thought of that himself, he felt one, a disposable hero. The way you played the guitar riff was utterly perfect, distracting the bats enough so that Eddie could once again make it to safety. Meeting Dustin at the front of his trailer as bats loomed close, circling above you as you played.

“What is she doing here! Harringtons gonna blow a head gasket if we don’t get her back to Hawkins!” Eddie shouted over the music at Dustin.

“I'm not gonna be the one to tell him!” Dustin shouted back at Eddie as you jumped down from the roof, scaring them both half to death.

“JESUS H CHRIST!” Eddie hissed as you pulled them both inside. “You are seriously one crazy chick Y/L/N, and I thought Wheeler and her collection of guns were bad but this, this is the cherry on top of a very crazy cake.” Eddie shouted from behind you as you helped Dustin up into the gate, using the sheet tied rope Eddie had pulled down previously to do so. Eddie didn't take long to take over as he saw your strength fading, shoving the youngster up into Hawkins. “I don’t like the idea of Harrington coming after me because his crazy girlfriend decided her life was less valuable than mine so could you hurry it up Henderson? These bats are gonna chew through the walls any second now!” Eddie hissed. Turning to you as if to say your next.

“Uh, uh—first of all, not Steve’s girlfriend.” Yet you thought. Steve hadn’t asked you yet. “Second of all, you first Munson, I didn’t climb out of a hospital window, steal a car from and old man, and sacrifice my life once again just for you to say you first!” you rambled as you held your ground, Eddie just stood staring at you with wide eyes. His hair a mess as he tried to take in what you were saying. “Get. Up. The. Rope!” You hissed through gritted teeth, fed up and exhausted. Stepping closer to Eddie as you looked up at Dustin, still teary eyed. “See that kid Munson? He mourned you, he thought you were dead when I got here, so get up that god damn rope before I decide that you maybe weren’t worth saving after all.” It hurt to hear, but Eddie needed the push, the tough love from someone he knew didn’t judge him or hate him. You were in his mind, a genuinely nice person with a good heart full of kindness and your ability to cut through all the bullshit had him climbing that rope faster than you could say hurry. You had always been a kind soul.

“She’s a hard task master Henderson why did we invite her?” Eddie puffed as he climbed back into Hawkins, falling onto his back onto the mattress with a thud. Looking up at you inside the upside down.

“Y/n saved you, she could have died saving you, she saved Steve and you watched her almost die then too.” Dustin explained in your defence. “You left me Eddie, that was selfish and Y/n? she came back she—” a thud interrupted Dustin’s monologue both Eddie and Dustin look up to see you collapsed in a heap at the base of the rope, a soft moan escaping your lips as you held your stomach, your knees to your chest.

“Y/n!” they both screamed, Eddie jumping to his feet as Dustin grabbed his radio.

“Steve, Steve do you copy! Its Dustin, over!” Dustin shouted through his radio. “Answer me god dammit—” he sighed to himself, watching Eddie climb back up into the upside down to rescue you. A selfless act, not a thought other then he’d rather die by demobats trying to save you then by the hands of Steve Harrington for not trying hard enough.

“Now isn’t the time Henderson!” Steve hissed through his radio quietly. Stepping over moving vines. Tip toeing through the Creel house.

“It’s Y/n! she’s here and she just saved Eddie, it was really cool by the way—” Dustin trailed off for a moment. “But she’s here and she’s hurt, and I don’t know what happened, but she’s collapsed near Eddies trailer gate!” Dustin rambled. Steve didn’t think as he dropped the radio, turning to Nancy and Robin.

“I have to go—” racing around vines as Steve ran, ran so fast his heart hurt, so fast he could hear his heart beating in his head.

“Steve—” Dustin shouted through the radio.

“He’s on his way!” Robin replied, turning off the radio as they continued their journey into the creel house, sticking to the plan. Nancy could only smirk to herself, knowing you were too crazy to stay away from a good fight. Her admiration for you growing tenfold.

“Okay, Okay! Eddie’s Steve’s coming, let’s get her outta there alright!” Dustin shouted up into the upside down.

“Yeah, easy for you to say kid!” Eddie shouted back up. “Hey Y/n, c’mon man don’t do this to me—”

“Can you tell Steve I’m sorry, for everything?” you mumbled, looking at Eddie with gazed eyes. “He told me to stay—”

“You can tell him yourself Y/L/N, Eddie replied, panic creeping up on him as he stated to think you might not make it out of this one. “You hear me? You can tell him your—” Eddie couldn’t believe his eyes as he removed his hand from your stomach, covered in blood. Pushing your shirt up to reveal soaked bandages, bloodied to the point of no return. “Oh fuck—”

“Eddie!!!” Steve shouted from the roof, climbing down as he fought of bat after bat! “It’s me!”

“Down here!” hurry man she’s not doing too good!” Eddie shouted as Steve dropped into the trailer, racing to your side as he dropped to his knees. Pushing your hair from your face as he led you in his lap. All Eddie could do was watch on, his own heart breaking, you had saved his life selflessly, paying the price with your own in return. A disposable hero.

“What are you doing to me Y/n?” Steve cooed. “Hey? What are you doing here?”

“You said—” you coughed up blood as you tried to explain, it was so hard to breath. “You said you wanted too—“ you were trying to say you’d heard Steve in the motor home, you wanted to help but got distracted when. “Dustin, needed help.” Shaking his head, Steve held you tight. “Eddie—he’s okay, he’s safe now.”

“I cannot do this, I won’t do this, I’m—”

“I love you, so much, Steve—” you smiled softly, your eyes heavy as your head became limp in his arms. Your vision tunnelling. “It looks like we’ll have to settle for five minutes.” You felt Steve’s tears hitting your face as you forgot how to breathe. “Keep your heart open.”

“No! No Y/n no! you stay with me! You fucking stay with me!! Y/n!” Eddie could speak, all he could do was watch, feeling your blood on his hands. “Baby please stays!” Steve shouted in utter heart ache. “Please—”

“Steve look at me.” Eddie chocked out, his hands coming to Steve’s shoulders even though Steve never took his eyes off you. “When you come out of this storm man, you won’t be that same person that went into it. That’s what the storm in all about, when—when you can’t control what’s happening to you, you control how you respond to it.” Eddie smirked. “That’s where your power is man, so let’s just get her outta here man, we gotta work fast—” Eddie tried to speak sense into the situations. “let’s get her outta here and to the hospital. But we have to do it now and do it fast, the longer we stay here doing nothing the less chance she has, don’t give up on her.” Steve nodded in response as Eddie helped him lift you.

“You aren’t taking her you hear me” Steve mumbled to whatever god would hear him. “You aren’t taking her from me.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Neon lights drew you into a new reality. The second lever of the star court mall. Looking down into the hand, a bunch of wilted roses, slowly dying the longer you held them. An elegant wedding dress dawned your body, confusions plastered across your face. Why where you here?

“So—” a familiar voice spoke softly, coaxing your attention his way as he leaned over the railing, looking down at the bottom level. “It seems as though whenever I appear as Steve Harrington, you never want to say, so I thought I’d give another skin ago.”

“Billy?” you questioned. You had never really had a good friendship with Billy Hargrove, more acquaintances as best. “What are you doing here I—” knowing Billy was dead after an untimely demise you stopped yourself. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

“No, well—not yet anyway.” Billy replied as you walked closer to where he stood, still looking over the railing. “But I came for you, twice already, and both times you chose to stay, so perhaps a third might be the one where you decide to come with me.”

“Why would I go with you? What the hell is going on?” you hissed, starting to panic before who you thought was Billy morphed before your eyes into Steve. Beautiful, loving Steve.

“You’re too afraid to leave me behind, so you keep fighting to stay, for me.” Stepping closer to you as you stepped back, watching as Steve morphed into Nancy. “Here” Nancy looked around, gesturing to the mall you were in. “this is your own personal heaven, your most cherished memories live here. Why wouldn’t you want to spend the rest of your days, an eternal life after death, here, with them.” Nancy morphed back into Billy; it was truly the most terrifying thing you had ever seen. He reached for your wrist, slicing it with something sharp you didn’t quite see, blood dripping from your wrist before it mended within seconds. “Here you can’t feel pain, here you can’t be hurt.”

“But I’m not ready to die, I’m—”

“You have a choice Y/n, and I’m only here to guide you with whatever you decide. This is your cross-roads.” Billy explained. “If you stay here, whatever you desire, whatever your wildest dreams are, whatever your greatest wishes are, you can have them.” You thought for a second that maybe that didn’t seem so bad. “But if you go, your vessel is broken, its bruised and you will live in pain for what I can only imagine will be months. Agony, from choices you made.”

“But Steve—” you sighed, the ground lever of the Star Court mall now your hospital room. You could see yourself lying with tubes down your throat surrendered by monitors and machines. That familiar beeping, and Steve, sleeping right beside you, his hand in yours. “I just wanna be with Steve—” as you looked down at yourself, whatever was projecting itself as Billy morphed into Steve once again.

“You can have me, I’m right here.” Steve cooed, stepping closer to where you stood. “I came to you in your Waldenbooks dream, and in your bedroom, both times you pushed me away out of fear, panic. But this time? You can stay and we can be together, forever.” It seemed too good to be true. Contemplating the feeling of a forever internal love. You signed.

“But you aren’t Steve, I want the Steve beside my bed, because that’s the Steve who loves me the most, not an angelic version, I just want the human, imperfect Steve.”

“I can be whatever version of Steve you need me to be if you decide to stay.” The angel spoke as he watched you watching yourself down below. The way Steve slept next to you broke your heart.

“Please take me back—” you whispered softly. “I need to go back.” You sobbed. It was only with a gentle push against your forehead did your eyes widen, taking in the florescent lighting of your hospital room. Gagging on tubes shoved into your throat before you calmed down. Coughing as the nurses worked to gently remove them. Watching as you calmed down. Turning to Steve as he looked at your stunned, with so much love in your heart that it hurt.

“Am I still dreaming or is that you Harrington?” you cooed, reaching out for Steve as he came closer, your fingertips tracing his stubble. Steve held back tears as he gently chuckled, of cause that would be the first thing you’d say after four days. Just thankful to have you back.

“Yeah, it’s me Y/n, don’t cream your pants.”

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