#I hate that they took out the security alarms

[cherienymphe]

His Father's Son

Rafe Cameron x Reader

Summary: After the untimely death of his father, Rafe takes it upon himself to become the man of the house.

warnings: NON-CON, STEPCEST, AGE GAP, mentions of major character death, depression, alcoholism, stepmom!reader, underage drinking, canon ages

➥ banner by @vase-of-lilies | ➥ divider by @firefly-graphics

⭑

The overwhelming feeling of being watched turned out to be true.

You flinched at the sight of the figure standing next to your bed, eerily still and eerily familiar in the darkness. Reason took over, and your heart started to slow just as quickly as it had started to race. You struggled to move, legs twisted within the sheets as you reached over to turn on the lamp. Sleep was still clinging to you, desperate to pull you back in, but you pushed it away with one look at Rafe’s face.

“It’s 8 o’clock,” was all he said in that tone you had never cared for.

Once his words actually registered though, you swallowed down the mild irritation that had threatened to bubble up. You felt your heart drop to your stomach as you blinked, staring at him with parted lips before hurrying to search for your phone. When it bounced out of your unsteady hands and onto the floor, you cursed.

Sliding out of bed, you unfortunately confirmed that it was indeed 8 o’clock.

Now 8:03.

“Shit,” you breathed, pressing your hand to your forehead. “Um…”

You swiped your tongue between your lips, noting how dry they felt.

“Tell Wheezie-.”

“I already took Wheezie to school.”

The teenager’s words surprised you, and your hand fell, staring at him in a mixture of shock and shame. At those words, you finally registered the look on his face, and you found yourself thinking that his tone earlier made a lot more sense. You opened and closed your mouth, fighting to figure out how to respond. Unfortunately, you didn’t come up with anything clever.

“…oh.”

You watched the blond cross his arms over his chest, head tilted with the barest of frowns between his brows.

“I’m sorry,” you finally added, letting out a sigh. “I overslept and my alarm didn’t go off and…”

You found yourself trailing off, hating the sound of your excuses.

You got the feeling that Rafe hated the sound of them too by the even stare he fixed you with. You imagined that he hadn’t planned on dropping Wheezie off to her first day of school this year, and while it was something you both knew he should expect to do sometimes, it was also something he should’ve been asked to do. You couldn’t even remember going to bed the previous night, and you were sure the two bottles of wine you’d consumed had something to do with it.

“Should I anticipate dropping her off tomorrow too?”

There was an edge in his voice that you didn’t like but couldn’t necessarily be angry at.

“No,” you told him, tone sheepish. “I’ll get up on time.”

Rafe didn’t respond, but he also didn’t leave right away. He simply stood there, drinking you in with a frown. There was a look that passed through his eyes that made you think he probably wanted to say something, but if that were true, he swiftly changed his mind. You watched him silently leave, and you resisted the urge to sigh, closing your eyes instead.

When you married Ward Cameron two years ago, it wasn’t for the most honorable of reasons you’d admit. However, the same could also be said for him. After all, what would a forty-year-old man possibly want with a twenty-seven-year-old woman? Probably something equally as superficial as the same reasons a twenty-seven-year-old woman would want to marry a forty-year-old man. With that being said though, you hadn’t actually expected to fall for him. In hindsight, how could you not?

He had never been bad looking, and he was far kinder than you ever expected. Sure, the money and security of a comfortable life were what pulled you in, but after saying yes, you realized that he wasn’t the typical cold and rich husband you expected him to be. Seeing him do his best with his children only made it harder to pretend like it was some loveless marriage of mutual benefit.

You loved him.

…and then he died.

With one boating accident, you were suddenly the single mother of three teenagers. It wasn’t something you were prepared for, and while one was technically an adult, that still left two who weren’t and couldn’t possibly fend for themselves. On top of it all, you still found it hard to get out of bed most days, a problem that wasn’t so bad during the summer.

…but the new term was here, and you couldn’t put your responsibilities off any longer.

Reminding yourself that you’d quite literally drank yourself to sleep the previous night and therefore overslept, you noted that you were off to a bad start. The thought made your eyes burn, the full realization of your new reality hitting you. After Ward died, Rafe was basically the one to take care of everything while you spent most days in bed, but months had passed and summer was over and now your time had come to be a parent.

Resisting the urge to cry, you stumbled to the bathroom, hoping you didn’t look as bad as you felt.

“Did you hear me?”

His voice pulled you out of your own head and you slowly turned to look at him.

“What?”

Rafe stared at you for what felt like a long time, and it was then that you realized he’d probably been speaking to you for some time. You swallowed at the realization, noting that you’d spaced out again, and when Rafe heaved a sigh, you actually felt like the scolded child.

“Sarah’s staying over at a friend’s house tonight,” he told you.

You could feel his gaze on you when you nodded, and deep in the back of your mind you knew that you should’ve asked some follow up questions, but you couldn’t bring yourself to. You’d always trusted Sarah and her judgement—Rafe being the one you and Ward always worried about—and considering the circumstances, you wouldn’t question her on this. In your current state of mind, you were positive she could ask you to smoke a blunt and you’d give her the okay.

You were pulled from your thoughts again by the sound of your name.

You were unsurprised to meet Rafe’s gaze.

You couldn’t place the look on his face, but he seemed like he was deep in thought. Rafe’s behavior and demeanor had taken a 180 after Ward’s death you had to admit. Granted, you supposed that was to be expected, but for some reason it surprised you. Maybe it was because the change was so drastic or maybe because Rafe seemed so set in his ways that it was hard for you to remember that he was only nineteen and still had so much capacity to mature into someone entirely other than what you knew him to be.

Your thoughts on the matter didn’t really matter, you supposed. All that mattered was that he’d stepped up where you’d so clearly dropped the ball, and maybe that was why you found it so hard to snap out of it and be the responsible parent, now. There were days when your grief paralyzed you, and you didn’t feel that nagging obligation to get out of bed because you knew Rafe would handle it.

The blond didn’t say anything, but his thoughts were plain as day as he reached along the counter and slid your drink from in front of you.

“Rafe-.”

“I think you’ve had enough,” was all he drawled, and you found yourself frowning.

“Who’s the parent in this scenario?”

“Apparently me,” he fired back, making your jaw tick. “I’m the one running the business and taking Wheezie to school and making sure there’s actually something to eat in the house.”

You blinked at that, recalling that you couldn’t remember the last time you went grocery shopping. Shame filled you once again, and your gaze lowered, eyes tracing the patterns of the granite. The silence that descended between you was thick, and just when you were about to apologize, Rafe spoke.

“Look, I get that you loved him or whatever, but… So did we…,” your eyes met his at that. “…and Wheezie and Sarah still have to go to school, and I still have to talk to people and deal with contracts and bullshit I didn’t think I would for at least another ten years.”

You realized that Rafe was right, and it made you feel worse because you didn’t think Ward would have married you if he didn’t think you were capable of looking after his children should something happen to him. Yet here you were…letting him down…

Rafe moved from his spot on the other side of the counter, and you only let him when he gently took your arm and forced you to stand. It was a far cry from your dynamic only five months ago. In your defense, you never clicked with Rafe. It wasn’t for lack of trying on your end, but Rafe was so troubled and had so many pent-up emotions and awful drug habits that it only proved to be a breeding ground for disaster.

You could think of too many instances in which you tried to be a parent to him only to be met with the same snarky and cruel demeanor he gave to everyone. He never quite took to you as his new parental figure, and you’d quickly learned that Ward was the only authority he’d respect and listen to. You tended to try and stay out of his way as a result, but Rafe was the one to catch you when you collapsed after getting the news that day.

Overnight, he’d gone from treating you like the ugly stepmother and instead like some injured foal he needed to look out for.

“That’s not healthy,” Mrs. Thornton said to you a few days later.

You watched her set her tea down, lips twisted into disapproval as she marinated on your words.

“You are the parent,” she sternly told you. “It’s your duty to pick up right where Ward left off, and instead you are letting some teenager run things.”

You knew that she was right, but you didn’t exactly relish hearing it.

You had never cared for the older woman, her upbringing influencing the majority of her opinions and stern exterior. However, after the boating accident, you desperately needed another actual adult to talk to. You were out of your element, and everyone knew it, and the first time you sat with her after your husband’s death felt humiliating. Now, however, you practically relied on her to keep your head on straight.

“…but I don’t know how to parent two teenagers all by myself, let alone handle the family business that I was never all that privy to.”

She made a noise at your admission, and it only served to humiliate you further. You had long suspected that she didn’t approve of Ward marrying a significantly younger woman, and by telling her that you weren’t included at all in the important decisions, you only validated her suspicions that you were only ever for show.

You forced yourself to ignore it.

“Their relationship was rocky, yes, but… No one knew Ward like Rafe,” you quietly admitted. “…and Rafe is the only one Ward talked to about all of this. Rafe knows how to make the decisions Ward would want.”

“He’s nineteen,” she scoffed. “Barely older than my own son.”

At your unsure expression, she leaned in closer, brows drawn together and lips pursed.

“You are his parent,” she repeated. “…and the longer you refuse to act like it and let him handle the business and the household and his siblings, he will forget it and start to challenge you in your own home.”

You didn’t have the heart to tell Mrs. Thornton that it didn’t exactly feel like your home anymore. At least not without Ward. While it relieved you that Sarah and Wheezie still treated you as they did before his death, you still couldn’t help but worry that without him around they would soon refuse to take you seriously as a parent. Part of you wouldn’t even blame them.

You’d only been in their life for three years, six months of which you were just their father’s silly twenty something girlfriend. You didn’t need to be a genius to know that they never expected him to actually marry you. Rafe had made that pretty clear when Ward had broken the news with you at his side.

It was a week later when you found yourself knocking on the door of Ward’s study. You supposed that it belonged to Rafe, now, and that correction made your heart clench. Even seeing him in the same spot where Ward often sat made you falter, and it took you a moment to remember why you’d disturbed him. Mrs. Thornton’s words were front and center in your mind.

“We need to have a serious talk about the business.”

At your words, Rafe only tilted his head, and you noted how out of place he looked in Ward’s space. Rafe was so young and everything about him betrayed his mindset and inexperience and impulsive tendencies. He didn’t belong, at all, but who were you to deny him his birthright?

“What about it?” he finally wondered, and you were hyperaware that he was watching your every move as you walked about the room.

“I think that I should be more involved with it,” you told him, continuing at his frown. “Rafe, you’re only nineteen, and like you’d said. You weren’t prepared to be fully involved in this for at least another decade.”

You watched him toss some papers aside at that, and the look he fixed you with made you swallow. It was reminiscent of the Rafe you were used to. You didn’t miss the way he dragged his blue gaze over you, sizing you up, and you definitely didn’t like it.

“You don’t know anything about it.”

The acknowledgement that Ward had never included you in these matters stung, but you only sighed.

“No…but…”

Your words died in the air as Rafe stood, and you had an inkling of what he was going to say by the look on his face.

“Do you even want to be involved in my dad’s business?” he asked you, leaning against the desk with his hands pressed into the wood. “Or are you just listening to Topper’s mom again?”

The blond chuckled at your silence, and it lacked humor.

“My dad left it to me,” he finally said, holding your gaze. “…and I know you think you should be involved because…well…you’re the parent, now…”

You didn’t like the way he rolled his eyes at that, and you blinked when Rafe straightened, nearing you.

“…but you don’t get it.”

Rafe looked between your eyes.

“I disappointed him too much while he was here, and this… This is my chance to make him proud,” he admitted, and your shoulders drooped.

“Rafe…”

“…and not just with his business,” he continued. “He’s gone…so now I have to step up and be the man of the house.”

Despite the fact that you could see where Rafe was coming from, you didn’t necessarily agree. He was too young to be putting so much pressure on himself to follow Ward’s footsteps and make up for his absence. That was your job, and you heaved a sigh, looking down. You’d just started to shake your head when he spoke again.

“Besides…you’re still knocking back…what? Twelve bottles a week?”

You reared back at that, lifting your gaze as he’d already started turning away from you.

“I’m not saying it to be mean,” he assured you, leaning against the desk and intently watching you. “I’m just stating a fact.”

Your throat felt incredibly thick all of a sudden.

“My dad’s death hit you really hard, and I get it. Mrs. Thornton is telling you that you’re the parent—the adult—and so you need to put me in my place and step into your role.”

You looked away, avoiding his eye.

“…but you can barely function most days, and I treated you like shit on more than one occasion, so…” you reluctantly met his gaze again. “It’s only fair that you let me look after you, now.”

You wanted to tell him that that wasn’t his job, and that more importantly, it should be the other way around. However, he was right. In your condition, you’d screw everything up and drive the whole family into debt. It wouldn’t be like this forever, you knew that, and so you reluctantly agreed that you needed time to get yourself together before you fucked it all up.

You woke up in tears, chest tight as you struggled to breathe.

It wasn’t the first time you dreamed about Ward, but instead of a good dream it was only a memory of that day Shoupe had knocked on your door. You’d felt trapped and panicked as you watched on, telling yourself not to answer it. Somehow, if you didn’t answer it then it wouldn’t be true. He wouldn’t be dead but just…still on his boat…enjoying a long vacation.

The events played out just like they did that day. You’d been able to feel the dread deep in your gut at the look on Shoupe’s face, and you kept screaming at yourself to kick him out of your house, that he had nothing good to tell you. You watched the way your face fell and the way your hands shook, and Rafe had only walked into the room for two seconds before hurrying to grab you when your knees buckled. He’d held you, fighting to calm you down as you wailed…

Much like he was doing now.

“Hey, hey,” you heard him harshly whisper, arms tight around you as he kept you from bucking around on the bed. “Y/N…”

Your nails dug into his arm as you tried to catch your breath, but your choked sobs were coming out too fast to give you any kind of reprieve. You could feel Rafe’s chest at your back as he moved closer, and one of his arms snaked around your neck as he held you in place.

“Is she okay?”

It was only then that you realized the hallway light was on and bleeding into the otherwise dark room. Wheezie sounded worried—scared—and you cursed yourself for doing that to her. You were supposed to be their support, comforting them and providing a safe space during this awful time in their lives, and instead it was the other way around.

You both heard and felt Rafe sigh.

“Yeah, she’ll…she’ll be fine. Wheezie, you should go back to bed,” he told her. “Now.”

You could only assume she listened to him, and Rafe only let you go when your breathing started to slow. You weren’t crying as hard when he laid you back down, and his absence was only felt for a few minutes before the bed dipped again. You felt him put a pill in your hand, and you frowned at it as he pulled you into a sitting position.

“Take this,” he told you, pushing your hand towards your mouth.

“What…?”

“It’ll help you sleep,” was all he said, forcing you to pop it into your mouth, a glass of water being pressed to your lips almost immediately.

In your distress, some slipped past your lips, and Rafe beat you to it in brushing his thumb across your chin. Slowly blinking, you laid back down, and you heard Rafe set the glass of water aside. You naturally thought that he’d leave, but you were surprised to feel his hand on the side of your face, smoothing it over your face and hair.

You really didn’t like that he was taking on a role that should’ve been yours, and after some time, you quietly mumbled an apology.

“I loved him,” you whispered in the darkness, and you felt Rafe freeze. “I know you guys think that I didn’t. I know what you and your friends have probably said about me behind my back.”

You tiredly scoffed, more tears escaping as you squeezed your eyes shut.

“…but I loved your father very much, and I wasn’t prepared to do this alone.”

Rafe didn’t say anything, but he didn’t move either, and you pressed your hand to your face, feeling the pill taking effect.

“I don’t know what to do,” you choked out. “He was supposed to be here, Rafe, I’m not supposed to do this alone.”

You could feel your chest tightening again, and Rafe shushed you. You could feel your body becoming lighter, and you welcomed it, face relaxing and breathing slowing. Rafe was still next to you, his body so close to yours that you could feel the heat coming off of it. You didn’t have the strength to push his hand away as his fingers grazed your cheek, and after some time you felt him pull the cover over you.

You didn’t feel him move or leave, but you became less concerned about that the more your fatigue grew.

You stared at Wheezie’s hopeful face, chewing on your lip as you contemplated her request.

“Have I met Natalie’s parents before?” you wondered, and you realized your mistake in asking that when her face dimmed.

“I don’t think so, but…dad did.”

You slowly nodded at that, whispering a small ‘right’ before looking away. It was a Friday evening, and in order to make up for your less than stellar behavior, you’d planned to cook and have dinner as a family—something that hadn’t been done in months. However, Sarah’s plans with her boyfriend put a damper on that, and now Wheezie was asking to stay over at a friend’s.

It didn’t seem fair to make Wheezie stay while Sarah didn’t. Granted, Sarah hadn’t exactly asked you, but still. The plan was to have dinner as a family anyway, and without Sarah, that wish was already ruined. The way you saw it, you might as well let Wheezie go, but you didn’t know Natalie’s parents, and so you felt unsure.

Rafe came into the kitchen then, and with one look between you, he deduced that a serious discussion was being had.

“What’s wrong?” he asked no one in particular.

“I’m asking mom if I can sleep over at Natalie’s tonight.”

“…and I’ve never met Natalie’s parents so…”

You watched Rafe chuckle at that, lips curving into a smirk as he moved to taste the vodka sauce on the stove.

“They’re almost as uptight as Topper’s mom, so Wheezie will be in good hands if that’s what you’re worried about,” he told you, tone light.

While that reassured you, you still felt a little down about your plans for the evening being ruined. You got the feeling that it was noticeable, and you flinched a bit when you felt Rafe’s hands briefly come down on your shoulders before brushing past you.

“You can do your family dinner thing another night,” he suggested, shrugging at you. “Sarah won’t be here anyway.”

Wheezie gave you a pouty lip, and you thought it over. If she said that Ward had met them before, and Rafe confirmed that they were indeed trustworthy, then you didn’t see why not. Even still, you unintentionally found yourself looking to Rafe, and when he gave you the barest of nods, you smiled at the thirteen-year-old.

“Okay,” you breathed, and she jumped up with her phone in hand.

“Natalie’s mom is picking me up,” she threw over her shoulder, hurriedly heading for the stairs.

You were happy to see her coping better with things, so you tried to focus on that instead of the fact that you’d be eating alone. Turning back to the stove, you turned the dial down to a simmer, half expecting Rafe to be gone when you turned around. He wasn’t, and you didn’t miss the way he eyed you as he leaned his arms on the counter.

“Let me guess, you have plans too? It’s Friday, and that usually means you’ll be out somewhere with Topper and Kelce.”

The crooked smile on his face was mocking as he peered up at you from beneath his lashes.

“It’s family dinner night.”

You only rolled your eyes at that, turning away from him.

“You’re nineteen, Rafe. I don’t expect you to turn down plans with your friends just to stay home and sit across from your stepmom,” you sighed. “You can go, it’s fine.”

“You and I both know I don’t do anything I don’t want to do,” he said, something you silently agreed on. “I want to stay.”

When you looked at him again, you were surprised to find him standing much closer, now. You hadn’t even heard him move nor realize just how close his voice was. You couldn’t place the look on the blonde’s face as he stared at you, and you watched him reach up to grab a plate.

“Why?” you chuckled.

Despite how nice he was being now, you both knew that it was only the case because of Ward’s death. Rafe had never cared for you, and if the circumstances were different, he wouldn’t hesitate to get as far away from this house as possible. You felt like Rafe’s thoughts were probably mirroring your own, something passing through his gaze that looked a lot like confusion.

“…because you loved him. Probably more than me,” he shrugged.

You frowned because you didn’t agree with that, at all, and you told him so.

“I think there are very few people who can love someone as much as a son loves his father.”

You threw Rafe a small smile, reaching out to rest your hand on his arm.

“…and you did love him, Rafe. Sure, you guys fought worse than teenage sisters at times,” you breathed, frantically blinking at the memories. “…but that’s just because he wanted the best for you, and you had your own problems that didn’t stop you from disappointing him.”

You tilted your head at him when he looked away.

“You idolized him, and all you wanted was to make him proud. It made things very complicated, but please don’t ever say I loved him more than you did.”

When Rafe looked at you again, there was a deep frown on his face, and for some reason, you felt very small beneath his stare.

“…but you did,” he said with a small shrug, gesturing around. “I mean, look at you.”

You blinked.

“You have to be medicated just to get some sleep, and you still don’t remember staring at the wall for days after he died.”

You felt a chill pass through you at his words, hating how much you’d let them down, but also because there was something about the way Rafe stepped towards you and held your gaze that you didn’t think you liked. It made an unsure feeling twist deep in your gut for some reason.

“So, no. I don’t want to go anywhere with Kelce and Top, not when my dad’s wife is one bad day away from a psychotic break,” he whispered. “He would want me to take care of you.”

His words were reminiscent of the same ones he’d spoken to you in Ward’s study that day, but unlike that day, today they made you feel uneasy, and you didn’t know why. You dropped your hand, taking a step back from him just as Wheezie’s voice reached your ears.

“Natalie’s mom is outside, I’ll text you when I get there,” she called as she ran through the house.

Your voice cracked when you told her to have fun, but you didn’t think she heard, the door slamming shut mid-sentence. Forcing yourself to turn away from Rafe, you grabbed a plate with shaky hands, Mrs. Thornton’s words echoing in your mind that Rafe’s new role in the household wasn’t healthy.

“I swear I’m not doing it to be a bitch, okay?” Sarah’s voice reached your ears. “It’s just really hard to be around her without thinking about dad.”

You swallowed at her words, taking a step back on the stairs,

“Especially when it’s obvious just how hard she’s taking it,” she said. “I mean, she’s a little better, sure, but those sleeping pills you give her aren’t doing a thing. She’s not tired, Rafe, she’s depressed.”

“Well, you’re making her feel like shit,” you heard him reply, a tone in his voice that you hadn’t heard in quite some time. “This is the fourth dinner you skipped out on for your Pogue boyfriend.”

The younger girl didn’t respond right away.

“I’m sorry,” you heard her eventually say. “When did you start caring about her anyway? Weren’t you the one who called her some gold-digger, saying she was coming for your spot in the will?”

That didn’t shock you nor hurt you, long imagining that Rafe had said far worse. You heard him heave a sigh, and it sounded angry.

“Dad’s gone, Sarah, and that means we should stay together as a family,” he sneered. “…and I’m doing what I can to make that happen.”

You heard a slight scuffle, and you hurriedly made your way down the stairs and towards the kitchen. It had been some time since you heard Rafe and Sarah fight, something you definitely didn’t miss, but considering the topic of this discussion, it didn’t surprise you that it was a little more emotionally charged than normal.

When you rounded the corner, Rafe had a tight grip on Sarah’s arm, the younger girl trying to leave with her purse in hand. The expression on his face was unnerving, a deep frown between his brows with his lip curled over his teeth a she got in her face.

“Things are going to be different, now.”

“Rafe.”

Sarah’s eyes were wide and terrified when she looked at you, relaxing a bit at your presence, and you were relieved when Rafe let her go. Sarah only briefly acknowledged you on her way out, desperate to get away from Rafe, and you watched the way he glared after her.

“Rafe, it’s fine,” you told him. “She’s allowed to hang out with her friends for whatever reasons she wants, especially now.”

“Are you going to use that excuse forever? Just because dad died it doesn’t mean that she can do whatever she wants,” he snapped, gesturing towards the door.

“She’s grieving!”

“She’s using it as an excuse to be a shitty daughter, and you’re just letting her.”

You reared back at both his words and his tone, and for the first time in months, you felt something like anger bubble up in your chest.

“It’s not your place to tell me how to raise her. She’s not your daughter,” you spat.

The small laugh that he let out lacked humor, and by the look on his face, you knew that there was something on the tip of his tongue that you would hate.

“Yeah, well, she’s barely yours.”

You could tell that he wanted to take it back almost as soon as he said it, and you pressed your lips together just as he touched his forehead.

“Fuck, that’s not…”

His words trailed off, and you crossed your arms over your chest. You were only thirteen years older than Sarah and knew her for all of three years, so it wasn’t like you didn’t feel the same at times, but it still hurt to hear. It’s like Rafe was voicing your worst fears that she would come to lack respect for you and your presence in her life as a mom.

You didn’t know how to do this…and everyone knew it.

“I just feel like…you’re treating her like dad did, letting her get away with everything, and I hate it,” he slowly said.

Rafe’s feelings about Sarah had never been a secret, and neither had Ward’s. You wouldn’t ever deny the fact that Ward favored her, and it was unfortunately noticeable, something that was always visibly distressing for Rafe. With Ward gone—and with Rafe feeling like he now needed to be the man of the house—this made for a very complex situation.

You couldn’t tell what was rightful concern and what was just Rafe wanting to put Sarah in her place, something he’d never been subtle about.

“I wasn’t expecting to be left raising teenagers by myself before I was even thirty, Rafe,” you finally replied. “I’m trying…”

“I know you are,” he hurried to say, quickly approaching you and reaching for you. “That’s why I’m trying to help.”

You backed away from him before he could touch you, and you didn’t miss the way his expression clouded over at that. Looking away, you swiped your tongue between your lips, choosing your next words carefully. You could feel his heated gaze burning a hole into your face.

“I get that you’re trying to help, and believe me when I say I’m so appreciative of it, Rafe, but… It is not your place,” you carefully said, looking at him again.

You watched him roll his eyes towards the ceiling, nodding to himself. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and when his gaze fell back to you, you immediately knew that you didn’t like it. Rafe’s nostrils flared, and you didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that your words had bothered him, no matter how carefully you chose them.

“What you mean is you’re the parent, I’m not, and I need to stay in a child’s place.”

You sighed at that.

“Not necessarily, I just-.”

“…because if that were true, who would’ve driven Wheezie to school on the mornings when you couldn’t even get out of bed?”

You didn’t appreciate him throwing that in your face, and by the look in his eyes, you could tell he wasn’t done.

“You want me to stay in my place, but I’m the one who made the funeral arrangements and answered the important questions and kept this house together when the woman our dad married was too grief stricken to even stand on her own two feet.”

You bit your tongue, warily eyeing him as he moved to stand directly before you.

“Dad died, and I stepped up. Not you…me,” he firmly told you. “…and now that you’re sort of kind of getting your shit together, you just want to pretend like I should have no say in any of this.”

You didn’t like how close Rafe was, but when you went to take a step back, his hand shot out to dig into your arm, preventing you from doing so. You winced at the tight grip, and you swore you saw his face soften some at the sight. His grip certainly did, and you almost wished that it didn’t because the gentle way he held your arm and the gentle way he looked between your eyes made you deeply uncomfortable.

“Someone has to be the man of the house, now…and it falls to me,” he whispered.

You didn’t even have a proper response for that, feeling wholly unnerved as you stared at one another, and you took a deep breath.

“Let go of me, Rafe,” you quietly said.

You were relieved when he listened, almost convinced that he wouldn’t, and you touched your arm with a step back. You studied his face, searching for what? You didn’t know, but again…Mrs. Thornton’s words would not leave your mind, and you hated the way your lips trembled.

“Do not touch me like that again.”

Your tone was even, but you were sure your eyes betrayed you because Rafe merely raised an eyebrow at you.

“Or what? You’ll send me to my room?”

Your heart sank at his mocking words and the subtle challenge in them, and despite how much nicer Rafe’s next words were, they didn’t make you any less uneasy.

“I’m just trying to do right by my dad and look after everything he left behind.”

His words seemed innocent enough, but for the first time, you allowed yourself to wonder just what that entailed exactly and what role he expected to play in this family. You didn’t want your mind to linger on something that couldn’t be true, and so you left him without another word.

The feel of a hand shaking your shoulder is what pulled you from sleep, and it took you a long time to peel your eyes open. Doing so felt difficult for some reason, and when you exhaled—smelling the wine on your breath—you realized why. Rafe’s face was the one that met you, and you immediately squeezed your eyes shut.

“Y/N,” he gently said. “It’s late.”

As he said this, you realized that you were on the couch, and it didn’t take you long to surmise that you’d fallen asleep there. You didn’t want to move, but you also didn’t want to spend the rest of the night on the couch, knowing you’d regret it the moment you stood up in the morning. Just when you were about to mumble to Rafe to leave you be, you heard him sigh before feeling his arms slide underneath you.

In an effort to keep from falling, you quickly held onto him.

“Rafe,” you mumbled, disapproving.

“Wheezie has friends coming over in the morning,” you were barely able to make out. “I don’t think their moms would appreciate stumbling upon you asleep and hungover on the couch.”

He chuckled to himself as he climbed the stairs.

“They already don’t like you…”

You merely hummed at that, and you were relieved when you felt yourself being deposited onto the bed. Rafe was saying something else to you, but none of it registered as you sought out sleep once again. Your intentions were interrupted though when you felt a hand on your face, and even in your inebriated state, you knew it didn’t feel right. Forcing your eyes open, you struggled to push Rafe’s hand away.

“I just want to make sure you don’t throw up in your sleep,” he mumbled when your eyes blearily met his. “Is that okay?”

You drunkenly blinked at him, lips trembling.

“Why don’t you call me ‘mom’?”

Your question was whispered, voice shaky, and as much as you wanted him out of your bedroom, you also wanted him to answer the question. The house was quiet, both Wheezie and Sarah asleep, and the only light was that of the light in the hall. You didn’t take your eyes off of Rafe as you waited for him to answer no matter how much you wanted to.

In the low lighting, you could see the way his dirty blond hair hung onto his forehead, the light glinting off of his blue eyes.

“I never have,” was his response.

“Well, maybe you should,” you forced out. “I don’t want you saying my name anymore.”

You didn’t miss the way his nostrils flared at that.

“Why not?”

“…because I don’t like it,” you confessed, tears kissing your eyes. “Not anymore.”

His face fell a bit at the way your voice cracked, and when he reached for you again, you hurriedly sat up.

The silence was loud as you just stared at each other, something unspoken passing between you. You felt like you wanted to crawl out of your own skin whenever he so much as looked at you, now, thoughts running wild with what you prayed to be untrue. His stony expression told you that they weren’t, that he’d been found out, and in your drunken state, you couldn’t stop your tears from spilling over.

When he reached for you again, it startled you right off of the bed.

The night stand shook as you fell against it, and you cried out in pain just as Rafe cursed. You didn’t want his help, but that didn’t mean that you didn’t need it as he hurried to reach you. The feel of his hands on you burned and not in a good way, causing you to flinch away from his touch. That didn’t deter him though, and his grip was tight as he kept you in place, his other hand reaching for your head.

“Did you hit your head? Are you-?”

“Don’t touch me,” you hissed, shoving at his chest, and Rafe grew quiet.

The only sound for a while was your soft sobs, and Rafe’s refusal to leave you alone kept him kneeling before you. When you tried to stand up, he ignored your protests, reaching out and helping you. You swayed, and Rafe kept you close much to your chagrin. You wanted him gone as soon as possible, so you were quick to sit back down, but Rafe didn’t let your waist or your hand go.

Swooping down, he captured your lips in a kiss.

You wanted to gag.

His hand was almost painfully twisted around yours, making you wince, and every attempt to scoot back was only met with the resistance of his hand on your waist. Your stomach churned as he moved his mouth against yours, wanting to be sick at the feel of him kissing you on the same bed where Ward used to sleep. When his fingers dipped beneath your shirt, you bit him.

Hard.

You took the moment to remove yourself as he cried out, hurrying towards the bathroom and locking yourself inside. That awful sick feeling wasn’t as hollow as you thought, your knees hitting the floor almost as soon as you made it inside, head bent in the toilet. You couldn’t stop crying as you emptied your stomach, throat scratchy from the alcohol that was coming back up.

When you were able to catch your breath, you were shaking. You could still feel Rafe’s lips on yours, and on top of everything else you were forced to deal with in the months following your husband’s death, this was the last thing you’d ever anticipated.

You’d slept on the bathroom floor that night, refusing to leave and face Rafe. If Sarah and Wheezie noticed the tension between the two of you, they didn’t comment on it or at the very least, not to you. The knowledge that Rafe wanted to take Ward’s place in every facet of the household made you sick, and while neither of you mentioned that night, it also felt clear between the two of you that it wouldn’t be ignored forever.

You wanted him out of the house.

…but that wasn’t your place, was it? Rafe had more of a right to all of this way more than you did, and you couldn’t be the one to leave. Rafe may have been nineteen and an adult in the eyes of the law, but no matter how much of a 180 he’d done, you couldn’t trust him to properly raise Wheezie and Sarah. Especially now that you knew his 180 had less to do with just wanting to be a better person or more about taking on the role Ward had played in every way.

You shuddered at the thought, and oddly enough, this tempted you to drink yourself into a stupor more than Ward’s death ever did.

You and Rafe were ten years apart, so seeing him like a son had always been hard at times, but it didn’t stop you from treating him like one in the years that you’d been with his father. You’d liked to think that the sentiment was returned, and maybe at one time it had been, and maybe after Ward’s death things just…changed.

Was this your fault?

Had you dropped the ball so hard that he couldn’t even bring himself to see you as a parental figure anymore? Did he stop trying to respect you as one or…? Or did it have to do with how much he’d had to take care of you? You didn’t treat him any different, talk to him any different, so maybe you hadn’t done anything to change his perception of you.

Even if you had…what could you possibly have done to make him see you as a potential partner?

As if your nights weren’t bad enough—haunted by memories of Ward and that day you’d been told he was dead—you were now also kept awake by the knowledge that your stepson very much wanted to fill the void left by his father. And maybe if Rafe were anyone else, you could’ve talked about this, tried to sort through this, but Rafe was Rafe, and you reminded yourself that the Rafe you were accustomed to had only disappeared less than six months ago.

…and you’d seen hints of him just peeking from below the surface.

You resisted the urge to drink these days, positive that one sip would have you spiraling. You didn’t know how to cope with this new development, but you knew it couldn’t be that way. It didn’t go unnoticed that the night Rafe kissed you, you’d been drunk out of your mind, completely vulnerable to him. You also couldn’t bring yourself to take anymore sleeping pills, recalling Sarah’s words that day as she’d told Rafe that you were depressed…not tired.

She was right.

…and so despite the difficulty, you forced yourself to try and sleep without medication night after night. It was hard for several reasons, the most pressing of which being the unnerving presence of the nineteen-year-old just down the hall. It made it hard to find sleep most nights, and on the nights in which you did, you still do so with only maybe four hours to your name.

It was noticeable.

“I can stay and help, you know. It’s just John B., and he’ll understand why I’m late,” Sarah offered.

You could see by the look on her face that she was worried about you, and despite your attempt, you knew that your reassuring smile didn’t convince her.

“Sarah, it’s a Saturday night,” you told her. “I’m not going to make you stay and help me clean the kitchen, especially when you helped me cook and stayed for dinner.”

She looked like she wanted to argue but decided against it.

“Yeah, I’m glad I did.”

Her tone told you that she was feeling bad about the other dinners she’d skipped out on, and you were proven right.

“I’m sorry about not staying for all the others and…basically avoiding you,” she quietly apologized. “It’s just that Ward cared about you a lot, and when I’m around you, it’s easy to see why…and it just makes me think about him.”

You only exhaled at that, letting out a small chuckle as you washed the dishes.

“You don’t have to apologize, Sarah. I get it,” you whispered, pausing. “I miss him too.”

“Yeah, well, he’s an asshole, but Rafe was kind of right in confronting me over my behavior.”

The mention of Rafe had your hairs standing on end, and you swallowed down a sigh, still unsure what you were going to do about the blond.

“There were better ways for him to get his point across…”

Sarah only found that funny, softly laughing to herself.

“Yeah, but he wouldn’t be Rafe if he didn’t be rude about it, so,” she trailed off, pushing away from the counter. “I’ll be back before 1.”

You hummed at that, letting her know that was okay, and it was only ten minutes later that you were alone. Wheezie went to a sleepover just after dinner, and Rafe hadn’t been home all day. Before where that would have concerned you, now you could only be relieved to get some reprieve from the oldest Cameron. God knows that you needed the space to think.

Going over every scenario in your mind, the best one seemed to be to hope that it would just go away. You didn’t want to find yourself in some sort of legal battle if you even attempted to kick Rafe out and basically bar him from his own home. Legality of it all aside, it just wasn’t morally right. This was where he grew up, his safe space, and you couldn’t even pretend to feel comfortable at the thought.

The other option just wasn’t even an option. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t just pack up and abandon Wheezie and Sarah. Never mind the fact that you’d been in their lives for three years now, but now more than ever they needed stability. Their father only just died, and what kind of person would you be if you decided you just didn’t want to be responsible for them anymore? Allowing Rafe to run you off wasn’t an option.

Besides, there was a tiny and terrifying voice in the back of your head anyway that said he wouldn’t even let you.

It was an hour later that you found yourself in bed after cleaning the kitchen and taking a bath. You needed the soak, needed to do whatever you could to relax you. It wasn’t even ten o’clock, but considering how hard sleep was for you to find lately, you figured there was no harm in letting your head hit the pillow early.

Maybe you could trick your body into going to sleep at a decent time.

The minutes dragged on and were made to feel like hours, but the silence of the house and the fact that you were alone did more wonders than you thought. You could feel your eyelids becoming heavy, and what little sounds you could make out from outside slowly started to fade. The last thing you recalled was your body feeling heavier…

…and then you were standing in front of Shoupe, and he was telling you that Ward was dead, and you couldn’t even stand on your feet anymore.

You sat up with a gasp, struggling to breathe, and by the way your vision blurred, you knew that you’d been crying in your sleep. There was a voice in your ear shushing you, and despite the fact that you knew who the hands on your arms belonged to, your mind was too preoccupied with painful memories to fully register it.

Rafe pulled you against him, holding you to him as you sobbed, thinking to yourself that it had been a few weeks since you’d had a really bad reaction. You shook in his hold, head bowed as you wailed, and you were momentarily grateful that the house was empty. The blond rocked you, forcing you to press your face into the crook of his neck, and it was only then that you registered the smell of alcohol.

Before you could gather yourself to ask Rafe where he’d been, his hands were clumsily grasping at your face.

You sharply inhaled when he kissed you…again. You could taste the alcohol on his tongue, and you were so distraught that it took you too long to realize what was happening. The kiss was hungry, Rafe tasting the inside of your mouth and kissing you in a way that might’ve taken your breath away under different circumstances.

As it were, you could only register that you were being kissed by your deceased husband’s son again. It made your stomach twist uncomfortably, and your efforts to reach up and pull his hands away from your face were futile. You made a noise of protest, attempting to lean away, but he ignored it. Even when you bit at him like before, he ignored it.

With horror, you realized that Rafe wasn’t stopping it.

Panic began to set in, and when you shoved at his chest, he quickly reached to close his hand around your wrist. At the same time, he leaned into you more, forcing you back, and you didn’t put your hand down in time to prevent that. With him now on top of you, your heart was threatening to leap from your chest.

“Rafe,” you gasped when he pulled away. “Rafe, stop!”

Your voice came out panicked and shrill, but instead of listening to you, the sounds were only joined by that of your shorts ripping.

“He would want me to look after you,” he drunkenly murmured, making your stomach drop.

You both fought for the right to your shirt, you trying to keep it on and Rafe trying to take it off. You felt like you were on the verge of a panic attack, telling yourself that this wasn’t happening. In the worst way possible, you discovered that Rafe was much stronger than he looked, feeling like you got the wind knocked out of you when he roughly shoved you down after your attempt to sit up.

You could hear yourself crying, and you knew that Rafe could too.

With a hand tightly snaking around your throat, his other fumbled to get his own pants off. Focused on trying to breathe, you reached up to pull at his hand. You could hear a ringing in your ears, and your chest felt tighter than it did when you first woke up from your nightmare. His lower half was pinning you down, and the blood you could feel yourself drawing on his hand and arm didn’t slow him down.

He was shushing you when you felt his skin against yours, and one of your hands twisted into his shirt as he started to push himself into you. The feel had your feet stretching, and you let out a choked sound despite the pressure on your throat. He was torturously slow in stretching you out around him, and with every further push of his hips, you clawed at his shirt some more.

He only let your neck go when his hips were firmly pressed against yours.

As you coughed and wheezed, he reached behind his head to pull the fabric off, tossing it somewhere without a car. The moment his chest was bare, he reached for you again despite your difficulty to breathe, and his lips covered yours in another kiss. You didn’t even have time to register the kiss because he was thrusting into you with abandon. His hips were wildly snapping against yours, and you gasped into his mouth.

Rafe searched for your hands, threading his fingers through your own and pinning it against the bed next to your head. His other hand was digging into your hips, kipping them in place as he fucked you. You struggled to catch your breath, sharply inhaling and gasping with every thrust. The stretch was unfamiliar, and your mind spun with the fact that you hadn’t experienced this in months and also who it was with.

When Rafe pulled his lips away from yours, you let out a sob, and he gently shushed you, curving his hips into yours.

“Let me take care of you,” he murmured in the darkness. “It’s okay.”

You had so much you wanted to scream and shout at the blond, but you couldn’t even find the words. With every feeling of his cock sliding against your walls, your eyes rolled. His head fell next to yours, his heavy breathing in your ear as he pinned you down with his entire body. You weren’t able to move, only forced to lie beneath him and feel what he was doing to you.

He grunted in your ear with a particularly hard thrust, and you let out a yelp.

Just then, you heard the door open downstairs, and hearing it too, Rafe stopped. He was quick to cover your mouth with a hand, and he was completely still as you heard who you surmised was Sarah coming up the stairs. Your heart was so heavy in your chest, and it was all you could hear in your ears.

When she made it to the hallway, she stopped.

“Y/N, are you asleep?” she called.

At that, Rafe pressed down harder on both your mouth and you, and after a few moments, you heard the younger girl sigh. When the sound of her room door shutting reached your ears, Rafe kept his hand on your mouth, but he felt compelled to keep fucking you.

He was slow in doing so, now, and you squeezed your eyes shut.

He slowly dragged his cock in and out of you, pulling his hips back until just the tip remained—sometimes pulling out completely—before pushing back in and making your chest arch up into his. He quietly told you that it was okay, softly groaning as you unintentionally squeezed him. Rafe’s lips brushed against your neck and jaw, and now that the two of you were no longer alone, the room was deathly quiet.

So quiet that you could hear the sound of his cock plunging into you.

It was a sound that embarrassed you, a sound that made you want to cry. Rafe’s arms trembled as he fought to keep himself from just relaxing on top of you completely, and you didn’t have the heart to tell him that if he uncovered your mouth, you wouldn’t even scream. You would be too ashamed to let anyone know what Rafe Cameron was doing to you.

With his lips at your neck, you could feel them move as he talked.

“My dad’s gone…”

The mention of Ward in this moment made more tears spill over, and when he slowly removed his hand, you let out a shaky breath as you silently cried. Lifting his head, Rafe’s gaze found yours, his hips still slowly pushing against yours.

“…and I know that it’s killing you, but…”

He swallowed, looking between your eyes.

“…but you have me, now,” you let out a soft cry at that. “You do, and I’m…I’m going to take care of you.”

His hand reached up to touch your face, the tips of his fingers grazing your wet cheek. You shook your head, feeling like you were going to be sick, and Rafe only shushed you. His lips followed yours as you attempted to turn your head away, and you could taste your tears in the kiss.

“I’ve got the business…I’ve got the family ring…” his lips moved against yours as he spoke into the kiss. “…and I’ve got you.”

#rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron #dark!rafe cameron #dark!rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron imagine #obx #outer banks #obx fanfiction #obx imagine #outer banks fanfiction #outer banks imagine

[fluentmoviequoter]

The Better, Hidden Half

Requested Here!

Part 2 Here >

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!wife!reader (takes place in The Rookie 1x20-2x1)

Summary: Tim doesn't tell just anyone that he's married. When he's quarantined and his life is threatened by a fatal virus, he asks Lucy to call you, and ends up showing everyone what you mean to him.

Warnings: angst, fluffy comfort at the end, spoilers for episodes 1x20 and 2x1 (this is basically a rewrite, but still includes a brief reference to the suicide line from Tim). reader stress cleans?

A/N: The anxiety/stress cleaning bit is completely self-indulgent; sorry. I tried to manipulate Tim's conversations with Lucy to make them sound more platonic (I don't know if it worked though). I absolutely love this idea and had a ton of fun writing it!🤍

Word Count: 3.9k+ words

Tim Bradford is a man of few words, and he keeps his life separated into two distinct areas: work life and personal life. He tried to bring the two together once, but hated the constant worry that someone from his work life would threaten to hurt people in his personal life or worse, act on their threats. For that reason, for his family’s safety, Tim keeps his life separated, and only a choice few have been chosen to be trusted with a glimpse of both sides of Tim. Angela, Wade, and on occasion, Bishop, see a side of Tim that doesn't exist when he's at work.

✯✯✯✯✯

“How is she?” Angela asks, sitting beside Tim for roll call.

Tim rolls his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “I trained her, I’m sure she did fine. Better than your golden boy boot, anyway.”

Angela smiles and leans in to whisper, “Didn’t mean Chen.” She turns her attention to Jackson, calling, “80 might be the passing grade, boot, but if you don’t get at least a 90, you should turn in your badge on general principle.”

Tim leans forward to add, “Officer Chen, I will take it as a personal insult if you get anything less than a 93.”

“Yes, sir,” Lucy answers. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do with all your new free time? Might I suggest a book club?”

Angela elbows Tim under the table, and he glances at her quickly, giving her a displeased stare which only makes her work harder to hide her smile.

“What are you talking about?” Tim asks.

“You know, after I pass, there won’t be any more daily evaluations to write.”

“Whether I evaluate you daily or weekly, I will continue to judge you every minute. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

As Grey enters, Lucy turns to Nolan, who whispers, “I can’t believe he’s single.”

“Tell me about it,” Lucy replies, rolling her eyes. “Evaluating a wife daily would cut into his ‘man of honor’ time.”

They silence as Wade directs the TOs to only take easy calls while the rookies finish their last shift before their exams. When Tim assures that he follows direct orders, he keeps his eyes straight ahead, knowing that Angela and Bishop are ready to tease him the moment he looks in their direction.

✯✯✯✯✯

7-Adam-19, silent hold-up alarm activated at Madame Megan’s psychic shop. 2417 Vine. Code 3.

Tim and Lucy enter the back room, taking control of the situation quickly, and he dials in once again to being a cop. Not a family man or anything of the sort. Just a police officer.

As Lucy walks out, and the (fake) psychic hits on Tim, he can only think of one thing. Excusing himself from the room, with a lack of grace that is unlike him, Tim lets his mind wander for just a moment. He thinks of a promise he made, a vow he took, and then his focus is back on his new case, a missing person discovered by a phony Hollywood psychic.

✯✯✯✯✯

Miles away, you are trying to focus on work, though you find it much harder than Tim to simply push your family and your personal life from your mind at a moment’s notice. Fiddling with your necklace, you refrain from grabbing your phone, wanting to text the only person on your mind. Oblivious to the dangers Tim is learning about from the CDC and Homeland Security, you sigh and clench your hands into fists before attempting to focus again.

Before you make any progress on starting the project awaiting your attention, your phone rings. Tim’s name appears on your screen, and you rush to answer, dread filling you. He never calls while he’s working, and you immediately expect the worst. Surely if it were something terrible, Angela or Wade would call you. If Tim is calling, that means he is okay, he is alive.

“Hello?” you ask, releasing a sigh when Tim says your name.

“Are you alone?” he adds, his voice strained.

“Yes. What’s going on?”

“I need you to stay where you are or go straight home. There’s a terror cell with a biological weapon; we’re doing everything we can to find them, but I need to know you’re safe.”

“Tim- yeah, of course. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I- I really can’t say anything else. Not about what we’re doing. Call me if you need anything. Anything at all, okay?”

“I will. Be careful, Tim. I love you.”

“I love you.”

Your phone beeps as the call ends, and your hand finds your necklace again, one finger slipping into Tim’s wedding ring. He leaves it with you each morning, taking it back with gentle touches and loving kisses when he returns each night. Today, all you can do is trust that he is good at his job and that he will protect you and the rest of LA, and then come back to you.

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim and Lucy approach one of the possible address in the search for newly discovered members of the terror cell.

“Man. And here I thought that test was gonna be the hardest part of my day,” Lucy muses.

“Best case scenario, it’s tomorrow’s problem,” Tim points out. His thoughts, however, are stuck on you, especially when Lucy asks what the worst case is.

“Took you long enough,” the man, Peter Langston, says as he opens the door. “Bag’s in here.”

“Sir, we’re here about the bus you took from Phoenix,” Tim explains.

“No kidding. I called you about the bag.”

“And what bag is that?”

“I thought it was mine on the bus. I picked it up by accident.” Tim follows Langston into a bedroom as he continues, “Noticed as soon as I got home. Called right away. Still took you guys like six hours to get here.”

“Uh, sir, we’re not here about a bag.”

“So, you don’t have mine? My computer’s in there… I went through this one for an address, and all I found was some weird science equipment.”

Tim glances back at Lucy, who calls for the task force at the mention of ‘weird science equipment.’

“Sir, did you touch anything in there?” Tim asks, pulling gloves on.

“Yeah, I cut my finger going through it looking for an address. Some kind of broken vial.”

Tim’s eyes widen and his breath catches as the man raises his bloodied finger, adding that it hasn’t stopped bleeding since it was cut. Hemorrhaging, Tim knows.

“Everything okay in there?” Lucy calls.

“Yeah. Just stay out there,” Tim demands.

The man coughs, and Tim flinches as blood lands on his neck and up onto his jaw. Looking down at the blood on the man’s shirt, Tim’s mind forgets the divide between work and personal life. He takes the initiative to lock Lucy out, slamming the door on her to keep her safe, but his true concern is you. If something happens to him, who will look out for you? Who will be your shoulder to cry on? In a moment, as the reality of the situation dawns on him, Tim thinks like a husband, and he begins to regret keeping you, his wife, hidden for so long.

“Tim, no!” Lucy yells, but she steps forward too late.

Tim is on the other side of the door, a new division created as others are dissolved.

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim finds baby wipes on a nearby changing table, wiping the blood from his skin as he lies to Langston, telling him it will be okay and distracting him with meaningless treatments to combat the “bad case of the flu the police were warned about this morning at roll call.”

Langston disappears into the bathroom in search of cold medicine, and Tim walks to the door to ask Lucy, “Everything all right out there, Chen?”

“Uh, yeah. The CDC’s on their way,” she responds. “Hey, you need to come out of there.”

“That’s not gonna happen. Got to keep this contained.”

“Tim-“

“It’s gonna be alright, boot.”

Tim knows that Lucy is concerned about him, and he is similarly concerned for her. He feels responsible for her safety as his rookie, but his thoughts toward her are completely and totally different from his fears concerning you, driven by love rather than mutual respect and duty.

“You keep your head in the game, okay?” Tim encourages Lucy. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

As Tim looks at the blood-covered wipe in his hand, he thinks of you, and how you’ll respond to the potential notification that he didn’t make it, taken from you by the very thing he tried to protect you from. He turns his attention back to the sick man feet away from him before his thoughts spiral. Tim needs you, so he needs to focus and survive.

✯✯✯✯✯

While the CDC is arriving at the house and quarantining Tim and the infected man, you are pacing in your shared bedroom. Memories of you and Tim exist in every inch of this house, and every moment that goes by without an update increases your worry. Walking into the closet, you find one of Tim’s recently worn shirts, changing into it before picking up the remote to distract yourself. With Tim’s pillow clutched to your chest, you try to laugh at the ridiculous sitcom on the screen, but it doesn’t work as well as you hoped.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Officer Chen, you want to tell me what happened?” Dr. Morgan asks, dressed in full hazmat gear as she enters.

“Yeah, uh, the bus passenger mistakenly grabbed the wrong bag, and the virus must have been in it because he coughed up blood on Tim,” Lucy explains.

“Did you get any blood on you?”

“Uh, no. I was out here. Tim immediately closed the door.”

“Smart man.”

Tim hears Dr. Morgan’s comment and clenches his jaw, knowing you would disagree entirely. At least in this case.

“Hey, doc,” Tim greets, standing against the door.

“How you doing?” Dr. Morgan inquires.

“Fine. But Mr. Langston’s struggling a little.”

“Can you describe his condition?”

“Yeah. He, uh, started coughing blood about 20 minutes ago. Now he’s got a pretty wicked nosebleed.”

“Why aren’t they coming in? Where’s my ambulance?” Langston asks.

“It’ll be here any minute. Just… stay put. Save your energy.”

Lucy interrupts to ask, “Where’s the vaccine?”

“Still in the air,” Dr. Morgan says. “Should land in the next hour or so.”

Scoffing, Lucy argues, “You can’t make Tim wait in there. He might not be infected.”

“Sorry. Quarantine rules exist for a reason.” Dr. Morgan turns to the door and asks Tim, “Officer Bradford, do you mind if I put you to work while you wait?”

“You want to know what’s in the bag?” Tim knows digging through the contents is dangerous, but waiting without doing anything won’t increase his chances of getting home to you.

“Yes, I do.”

“Copy that. Chen, I’m gonna turn on my body cam. You can monitor it from out there.”

“Okay. Please be careful,” she responds.

Tim hears your voice in his mind, telling him the same thing. He trusts himself to listen to you more than his rookie.

“All right. Here we go,” Tim says, using his baton to open the bag.

“Wait. Wait. What is that bottle?” Dr. Morgan wonders.

“Looks like the delivery device,” Tim guesses, raising it carefully from the bag. “It’s a misting fan.”

Dr. Morgan calls Homeland Security with the new information on how the terrorists are planning to spread the virus. As Tim continues searching the bag, failing to find identification or target information, Lucy sees Langston raising a chair in the mirror and yells for Tim just before he is knocked unconscious.

✯✯✯✯✯

Your house is as clean as it has ever been. Using your nervous energy and anxiety-fueled need to move, you clean each room in an attempt to keep your mind from worrying about Tim. You could call someone and ask for an update, but they probably can’t tell you anything. The only comfort you have is knowing that Angela and Wade would call you if you needed to know something. The silence is deafening, but it’s also a good sign.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Tim? Tim!” Lucy continues, growing concerned at the lack of reply.

Tim opens his eyes, moving backward quickly when he sees a puddle of blood running toward his face. He sees Langston standing across the room, mumbling about needing to get out as he tries to break the window. Tim tases him as he stands, and Lucy’s concerned yells continue. Covering his face with his shirt, Tim handcuffs Langston to the bed, shuffling backward as Lucy demands his answer.

“I’m okay! I’m okay!” he replies, breathing heavily. “Well, that was fun.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Tim chuckles. “Kind of depends on your definition of the word.”

While Lucy tells Dr. Morgan to get the vaccine, and the LAPD sends patrol units out to find the other terrorist, Tim keeps his eyes on Langston, but his mind is on you. He should ask someone to tell you and find a way to let you know what is going on, but part of him knows that you are separate from this for a reason. You’re likely worried enough without knowing that Tim’s chance of being infected rises with each moment.

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim watches Langston die, unable to do anything as he begs for help and convulses. Imagining himself in Langston’s place, Tim decides that he has to do something. He can’t go out like that, he won’t, but more importantly, he can’t leave you wondering. If Tim dies today, he is not dying without talking to you one last time, showing everyone around him that you are the best part of him.

He leans against the door in silence until Lucy says, “Hey, I, uh- I just checked with Dr. Morgan. The vaccine’s minutes away.”

“You know, you’re good at a lot of things – lying isn’t one of them,” Tim replies.

“You think I’m good at things? Can I get that in writing? … How are you doing? Are there any symptoms yet?"

"I’m sweating like a pig. But it’s probably because it’s 100 degrees in this room.”

Tim sighs just before Lucy assures, “It’s gonna be okay. I really believe that.”

“I’m sure you do. But if it isn’t-“

“Don’t think like that. It’s-“

“If it isn’t,” Tim repeats. “I’m not going out the way my man Pete here just did.”

“What are you saying?”

Tim sighs again, realizing what he said. He would never leave you like that; he’s a fighter. “I need you to do something for me, Chen.”

“Anything.”

“My- my wife is probably worrying herself sick right now. If this doesn’t end like you think it will, can you tell her that I fought to get home to her? Just- just keep an eye on her if anything happens. Wade and Angela, too.”

“Wife?” Lucy asks softly.

Tim smiles, glad to talk about something other than himself or the virus released in the room with him.

“Yeah. We eloped a while back; Grey, Lopez, and Bishop were there.”

“You’ve never mentioned her.”

“I keep her separated. She - everything in my personal life – would be at risk if there wasn’t a divide there.”

“I get that. What’s she like?”

Tim says your name, closing his eyes and picturing you as he tells Lucy how beautiful, kind, and loving you are. “She’s my better half. I don’t- can’t imagine not going home to her.”

“I promise, Tim. I’m confident you will go home to her, but… I promise.”

“Thank you,” Tim says quietly.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Please tell me that’s the vaccine,” Lucy says when Dr. Morgan returns.

“It is,” she answers quickly, walking toward the door quarantining Tim. “Stand back, Officer Chen. You’re not wearing protective gear.”

“Yeah.” Lucy steps back, hoping Tim is okay, and that he gets to go home to you.

“Officer Bradford, it’s time to let me in,” Dr. Morgan calls.

Tim opens the door, greeting Dr. Morgan before answering that he’s not feeling too bad. She tells him that she’s going to administer the vaccine. “It’s experimental, right?” Tim asks.

“That’s correct. So, we’re just going to have to wait and see what happens. Maybe nothing. Maybe you grow horns. But for now, I’d say you might’ve dodged a bullet.”

Tim looks at Lucy to ask, “Can you get Lopez? Ask her to call for me?”

Lucy nods, pulling her radio out to contact Angela. She knows that Tim will need you, no matter how the vaccine works… or doesn’t.

“Lopez,” she says, sighing before saying, “Tim wants to know if you can call his wife.”

“Of course,” Angela answers. “She’ll be at his side, even if I have to go get her in the shop.”

Lucy smiles at Tim, and he sighs as Dr. Morgan administers the vaccine. There’s more hope surrounding Tim now, but the fight may not be over yet.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you see Angela’s name on your phone, you consider not answering. Biting your bottom lip to hold your tears in, you answer.

“He’s okay,” Angela begins.

You sigh in relief, a few tears breaking free anyway. “Thank you, Angela.”

“The vaccine is experimental, so they’re taking him to the CDC for observation; you can visit with the proper protective gear. Do you want me to come pick you up?”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“See you in a few. And, just so you know, he didn’t call me.”

“Who did?”

“His rookie.”

Angela reminds you that she’s happy to pick you up if you want before ending the call. Tim mentioned me, you think. Then you wonder whether or not that’s a good thing.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Hey, I heard you guys saved the day,” Lucy says, exiting Langston’s house to meet Nolan, Jackson, Lopez, and Bishop.

“It was a group effort,” Jackson corrects.

“Glad you’re okay,” Nolan expresses.

“Me too,” Lucy sighs. “I- I mean that you’re okay, too.”

“How’s Tim?” Angela asks.

“I think he’s gonna be all right. Now, 24-hour observation at the CDC.”

“I’ll bet my pension he just told doctors Tim Bradford does not ride in a wheelchair,” Angela jokes as Tim walks out.

“Only way I’m leavin’ out of here is on my own two feet,” Bishop imitates.

“Don’t you guys have paperwork to finish?” Tim retorts.

Tim looks at Lucy, nodding his thanks before continuing to walk toward the car waiting to transport him to the CDC. He stops suddenly in the yard, growing dizzy before he falls backward onto the grass.

“Officer Bradford!” Dr. Morgan yells.

Lucy, Angela, Bishop, and Jackson run toward him before the CDC holds them back. Someone calls for an ambulance, and Angela backs away to make a call.

✯✯✯✯✯

“What happened?” you ask, answering Angela’s second call.

“Meet us at Shaw instead of the CDC,” she says.

You can hear yelling in the background, and repeat, “What happened?”

Angela says your name, unyielding as she says, “Shaw. I’ll meet you there.”

You inhale deeply, turning toward Shaw. Knowing that you have no chance of beating an ambulance escorted by police cars, you grip the steering wheel, hoping that Los Angeles traffic has grace on you, and you make it to Tim’s side quickly.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Tim better make it,” Jackson says.

“He will.” Angela knows that he’s a fighter, but she also knows that losing him will destroy you. He has to make it for himself, for the police department, and most importantly, for you.

In the ambulance ahead, Tim goes into anaphylactic shock. Lucy helps the paramedics and glances at Tim’s left hand. The line where his wedding ring sits is barely visible, but she whispers for him to keep his promise, to keep fighting.

Once the ambulance and the police cars enter into the hospital parking lot, Nolan notices a woman with a gun, alerting the officers surrounding the ambulance before the firefight starts.

Lucy covers Tim in the ambulance as the paramedics assist him as well as the injured medics. Nolan shoots the woman in the shoulder, but his gun jams as he moves closer to her.

Tim opens the ambulance door, downing the armed woman on a surge of adrenaline. Stepping onto the ambulance driveway, he asks Nolan if he’s okay.

“I should have reloaded on the move,” Nolan mutters. “You?”

“I should’ve taken yesterday off,” Tim answers.

“Alright, Officer Bradford, let’s go,” a nurse says, pushing a wheelchair to his side.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Angela!” you call, jogging to her side.

“Don’t freak out,” she begins, but your eyes widen when you see the bullet holes covering, well, everything.

“Where is he?”

She nods, leading you around her shop. Tim is standing beside Nolan, arguing with a nurse.

“I can walk. Clearly, I’m fine,” Tim argues.

You don’t think about how many people are watching as you walk to Tim’s side. He turns toward you, his eyes softening when he sees you.

“Get in the wheelchair,” you demand.

Tim sighs but does as you say. Nolan and Jackson look at each other in shock, and Lucy smiles as she says, “His wife.”

✯✯✯✯✯

When you walk into Tim’s hospital room, he looks like he’s been waiting for you.

“I’m sorry,” he begins.

“For what? Not listening to the nurse?”

Tim chuckles as he raises his left hand, pulling you to his side. “No. I’m sorry for not showing you off more, for never telling people about us. I worried you; I know I did, and you don’t deserve any of it.”

You lean forward, running your fingers across Tim’s jawline as you smile. “You don’t have to show me off. I know why you do it, Tim. Being a secret, being separated and safe, I get it. What I don’t like is not knowing if you’re okay.”

“I don’t want the separation anymore. You are my entire life, and- I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I’m not risking this again. The idea of not making it home, leaving you alone, with no one knowing you or how much you mean to me… that was terrible, and I’m sorry.”

Pursing your lips, you lean toward Tim and look into his eyes before scanning your eyes over his face.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Trying to figure out where the Tim I know went.”

Tim smiles, moving over in the bed and tugging you against his side. He taps your necklace before raising your hair away from your neck. You unclasp your necklace, sliding Tim’s wedding ring off the chain. Tim lays his left hand in your lap, and you put his ring on slowly before kissing his hand.

“I love you,” Tim says.

“I love you. And I accept your apology, even though I didn’t need it.”

“Ready to meet the rest of my-“

“Friends?” you fill in, smiling.

“Colleagues,” Tim finishes, shaking his head as his arm tightens around your waist.

“Thank you for making sure Angela called me.”

“How clean is the house?”

You laugh, pressing your face against Tim’s shoulder. He knows you well, and though you didn't know what was truly at stake over the last few hours, you did miss him.

“Hey, Mrs. Bradford,” Wade greets, smiling as he leads a small crowd of officers into the room. “I have some rookies here who don’t believe someone would marry Tim.”

“I changed my mind,” Tim replies. “Get out.”

You elbow him gently, smiling as you stand. “It's much easier when he doesn’t tell people. No association to him.”

Tim laughs behind you, and after shaking hands and introducing yourself, you return to Tim’s side: where nothing can hurt you, everything is safe, and you’re the most important thing in the world.

#tim bradford x reader #tim bradford x you #tim bradford imagine #tim bradford fluff #tim bradford the rookie #tim bradford #the rookie #requests #fem!reader

[songmingisthighs]

Fire of My Passion

group : ateez

pairing : poly dragon!ateez × reader, dragon!seonghwa × reader

genre : angst, fantasy, mature

word count : 13.2k

warning : slight gore (murder, abuse), death threat, murder intent, depiction of attacks and casualties, mentions of people getting hurt, psychological anguish

a/n : this is a fic based on @thelargefrye 's dragon!ateez universe !! honestly i really love the fics, i've been recommending it everywhere. if you haven't checked it, please read them first before you read this >:) you can find the dragon!ateez fics here here (m, mdni) here (m, mdni) AND BY THE WAY SMALLS IF YOU'RE READING THIS, I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SUCH A LONG FUCKING WHILE IDK WHAT I WAS DOING ASOGHOSIGOSIJ I STARTED BULLSHITTING AND I CAN'T STOP

There were things that Seonghwa was used to; calm surroundings, his books in the library, his mates, and his clan. Everything was in order, as it should be since generations before and he loves it. This castle is his home, his sanctuary, where his past happened and where he will establish his future. All were as they are supposed to be.

That was until you came.

"Sunyeol, no!"

Just the sound of your voice was enough to ruin his whole day.

The voices made Seonghwa snap his head to see you running after a hatchling not too far behind him, a little boy named Sunyeol who was holding something in his hand, running past him with glee while you were in tow. Less than three months ago, Seonghwa didn't have to worry about being aware of things around him when he sleeps as the clan was secure in the mountains but now, his mates were sleeping with someone who could potentially kill them without having to lift a finger. How will his ancestors react upon learning that he and his mates, high-ranking members of their clan, were sleeping with the enemy and have mated with the enemy and even brought said enemy to their home, their little safe haven? To be frank, Seonghwa didn't know which part was worse but he resented himself for not preventing you from being admitted into their lives. Because as usual, the witches do whatever they want and everyone was simply supposed to go along with it despite the pain and anguish. So imagine his fury when he saw members of his clan being happy with you. He hated it. He hated YOU so much.

Seonghwa's steps halted when he saw you cornering the boy and alarms started blaring off in his head. The scene was just too reminiscent of the countless murders of both adults and hatchlings in his life. "Alright, Sunyeol, you give me my stone back or else," it was obvious (to you and the hatchling at least) that you were being playful, it was nothing but a ruse to make things fun and the hatchling looked very much happy and engaged, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," each step you took made Seonghwa's heart beat louder in his chest, ringing in his arms like drums, "And we both know we don't want me using the hard way," the smirk on your face was menacing to him, it was a sign of threat. At that point, Seonghwa was no longer even looking at Sunyeol, his eyes transfixed on you, on how you were preying on that little hatchling boy.

In a flash, Seonghwa had you pinned onto the wall, his arm pressing onto your chest suffocatingly in a diagonal angle, using his sleeve to separate you from him because he couldn't imagine the disgust, the utter uncleanness, the absolute filth on your skin latching onto him. "Is that your ploy, witch?" Seonghwa's eyes narrowed as he glared at you with seething hatred, the pure anger that his eyes conveyed was enough to have your stomach sink in fear. "You come here, you pretend to be this nice little witch when the truth is you were just waiting for the opportunity to erase our entire existence, right? And this is how you start? From our precious hatchlings?" smoke started coming out of Seonghwa's mouth and fear struck you deeply. You were confused because you were playing with a hatchling, helping Mingi with his duties one second, and the next thing you know, you were about to die in the hands of a high-ranking dragon for being playful. You tried to claw his arm off of you, desperately trying to get oxygen back into your lungs, but it was apparent from his grip that Seonghwa's aim was to kill as he was seconds away from murdering you.

Had it not been for Sunyeol's cries, asking Seonghwa not to hurt you, you would have surely lost your life that moment. Even when the boy was brazenly tugging on Seonghwa's shirt harshly, screaming at the top of his lungs to let you go as tears streamed down his chubby cheeks, Seonghwa still hesitated to let you go. In his head, he was only thinking of the fact that he might not get a chance like this anymore, to get you in such a vulnerable place that he could just take your life so easily. But the sound of the boy's cries seemed to remind him that he couldn't just make a decision about not only his but his other mates' mate single-handedly. Surely the council will disapprove and his mates (the ones that like you at least no matter the small number), will have his head on a stick.

With resolve wavering (as much as he hated to admit it), Seonghwa let you go, pushing you off to the floor where you croak, struggling to breathe despite being able to feel the oxygen fill your lungs again. With a last glare sent your way, Seonghwa turned on his heels to leave but not before reassuringly patting Sunyeol on his head.

Truly, Seonghwa had no idea as to how and why would his kind be so accepting and understanding of your kind. Since they were merely hatchlings, they were already warned about what witches do, what they were capable of. Cautionary tales of how witches put enchantments on dragon folks lure them to their dwellings and make them turn into their dragon form before killing them. Their scales were sold as armour to dragon hunters, their teeth turned into necklaces that serves as wards with runes on them or ornaments like trophies in their homes, their blood drained to be used as an elixir or potion, and the rest of them were either put on display as a reminder of what they managed to kill, unable to get eternal rest or let just thrown away carelessly as if they were nothing. Those who were killed like that died a gruesome death with the lucky ones got to die in their human form. Seonghwa could never forget the time Hongjoong burned down an entire village filled with dragon hunters when he saw his father's dragon bones propped in the square as if he was nothing more than a statue while his mother and brother were killed in front of it. How he took his family who were already gone, into his strong talons and stayed there as everything burned around him. That day Hongjoong unwillingly became the clan's leader, shouldering the burden and the pain that he was yet to be ready for.

You can ask anyone and they'd say that Park Seonghwa is benevolent, he is kind and understanding, and he is compassionate. But he truly drew the line at you and your kind. He would never forgive you for just entering their lives and messing things up. Things might seem okay and good now, but he knew that the likes of you would only bring pain and misery to their lives, he knew it. It's hard being someone who can see things clearly but not wanting to mess things up as too much was on the line.

For now, all he could do was keep an eye on you and prepare for when he needed to defend himself and his mates, his clan. He'd give his life for them but moreover, he'd take your life to salvage them.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Thankfully for Seonghwa, you spent the next several days cowering in the shadows. He walked around in pride whenever he saw you clutching your chest when you saw him before turning around on your heels and running away. Usually, you'd be walking around with Wooyoung or Yeosang, Mingi would only be around you when you were working with him and he convinced himself that it was simply because he saw you as nothing more than a coworker, nothing romantic. But the three seemed to know nothing which means you hadn't told them that Seonghwa almost killed you. To that, Seonghwa gave you trust points for not being a tattle tale.

It felt refreshing not seeing your face so often as before. One might even able to see the little spring in Seonghwa's steps and the slight smile that was returning after months of not seeing it.

But of course, all good things must come to an end.

One fateful day, after the sun has long set and the halls of the castle was illuminated by candle lights, Seonghwa walked out of the library to be met with the sound of hurried steps.

"Hyung, they came! They fucking came!" San cried out, panting when he reached Seonghwa with Yunho next to him, looking equally distraught. Confused, Seonghwa looked at San and Yunho with clear confusion in his face, "Whoah, whoah, whoah, calm down there," despite his calmer tone, Seonghwa felt uneasy from how his two mates were acting. "Dragon hunters attacked the border residence, we have casualties," the words that left Yunho's mouth froze Seonghwa's body.

He didn't remember what he said, he didn't even remember moving because when he came to, he was at the place where the hunters attacked. A good dozen were being treated for trap wounds, cuts and bruises, and not far from where they were, five bodies covered in white cloth laid still. People were crying over their burnt houses and while there were only two burning houses, it was two to many.

"Where are they?" Seonghwa's voice was eerily calm and stern, an absolute darkness filled his aura and both San and Yunho could feel it. "They ran off to the woods, we have three patrols chasing after them," that was all Seonghwa needed from San for him to transform and chase after the hunters himself. It wasn't hard for him at all as his eyes managed to catch their thermal signature and they were mocking the dragons they killed, obnoxiously yelling how the tip was worth the gold they spent and it just angered Seonghwa even more.

Moments passed like a second and the next thing Seonghwa knew, he reemerged from the forest drenched in the blood of the hunters he just... exterminated. His eyes was golden and face hard, wildness and fury apparent and for a moment he seemed soulless, like a simple sentient being whose job was to kill and had no remorse nor any emotions whatsoever. Not even San nor Yunho dared to got close to him as they didn't know how Seonghwa might react. Heck, they didn't even know what was going on in Seonghwa's mind as he walked past them towards the castle. Neither of them would have guessed nor expected for Seonghwa to immediately target one person in particular.

You.

Dripping blood, he was making a trail everywhere but he didn't care. No, he couldn't care less about the mess he made. He was going to do what he should have done from the beginning. He should have protected his kind, he should have protected his mate, he should have made sure that you had no chance to hurt them even for a bit.

Luckily for him (but unluckily for you), he saw you walking from the path in the garden, seemingly coming out from the forrest it led to. And everything clicked in his head. You were the one who tipped the hunters in the first place. You were the cause of the despair that befell them. You were everything Seonghwa thought you were and more.

Just as you stepped back into the castle, Seonghwa ambushed you, pushing you off of the steps and out onto the grass. The impact didn't wound you but it surely knocked the breath out of your lungs, causing you to choke as you tried to retrieve the oxygen that was oh so harshly forced out of your body. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," Seonghwa's voice was cold as ice, void of any emotion and it frightened you. You began scrambling backwards only for Seonghwa to take steps closer to you and it was only when the moonlight hit him that you realized that he was drenched in blood. "How could you?" He caught up easily and grabbed you by the hair, pulling you up as you hiss in pain, "What could you have possibly benefitted from killing innocent people?" When you were at eye-level with him, you were able to take notice of the tears brimming in his eyes, some had dropped onto his cheek and mixed with the blood before pooling on his sharp chin. "We let you stay with us and this is the thanks we get? You tipping those hunters where we live and letting them attack us? Attack the people who are precious to us? The innocent people whom we swore to protect and you made us break our promise for what? What did they promise you?" At this point, the hand that gripped your hair had moved to the side of your head as his other hand gripped the other side with his thumbs on your cheeks, smearing blood that penetrated your nostril harshly but it wasn't as bad as the pressure Seonghwa was putting on your skull. "S-Seonghwa," you whimpered, your hands gripping his in an attempt to pry him off of you. The tears in your eyes did nothing to stop Seonghwa from trying to crush your skull. He was in anguish, he was mourning, he was betrayed and he didn't even have his trust in you in the first place. So how could he have let this happen?

Your fingers had begun scratching his hand as you cried for him to let you go, begging to not kill you while proclaiming that you did nothing, that you didn't know what he was talking about. But he didn't care, he didn't want to care anymore because he was hurt, he was angry, he wanted to punish you for what you did because how dare you deny the truth when it was so glaring?

"P-please Seonghwa, don't k-kill me," you cried, managing to grab his thumb and still trying your best to remove his grip on you. "I didn't do anything." "I should have killed you the second you stepped into this place, I should have killed you like you deserved after exterminating us like vermin." Emotions were running too wildly in Seonghwa, every emotion that he never realized he had were running through his body like crazy, controlling his mind and action to the point that he didn't even realize that he was crying hard at that point. Though tears blurred his vision, he was still able to see the look of absolute fear on your face.

Your brain was swirling with ideas on how to escape the situation because the last thing you wanted was to die in the hands of your mate's mate. And then you got the idea, you found your escape.

"T-think about Y-yeosang a-and Wooyoung! Think of how much," you momentarily paused to adjust to the feeling of Seonghwa's fingers digging into your skull and you were sure that it was permanently dented. At the mention of his mates, Seonghwa seemed to come to momentarily. The grip loosened slightly but his hands were still caging your head so while it gave you a little bit of hope that you'd be able to keep your life. "Think o-of how much they'll resent you if you were the one to make me disappear," it was apparent that your tactic was working, Seonghwa's sharp nails slowly relaxed from your scalp, allowing you feel the sting from the breeze that brushed through your hair. "Let me make myself disappear, that way they'll hate me and not you and it'll be much easier for them to move on.

Your words struck Seonghwa rather deeply as he considered your words, thinking that you had a point and he'd get an easy out with his mates. As someone who was always level-headed, Seonghwa was rather surprised at himself for being taken over almost completely by his emotions and even more so that he was even considering listening to you. It was truly a cursed day and the quicker you were gone, the quicker he can move on and forget about how shitty it is.

When Seonghwa's hand let your head go, you finally realized how warm his touch was because as soon as he let go of you, the breeze blew rather harshly and goosebumps rose on your skin. Or maybe it was the realization of what just happened, you were going to have to leave your boys without saying goodbye. Technically speaking, it was just Yeosang and Wooyoung and probably Mingi, but you think it was better for your sanity to believe that the only reason Mingi would miss you was that now he didn't have anyone to help him with the hatchlings. And God, leaving the hatchlings that you had grown so close with. Just as a couple of them proclaimed their love for you because they thought you were so cool and kind and loving and they wanted to see more of your grimoire, Weiss. How were you going to move past this life? The life that you never expected but found to love despite the obstacles in every way. How were you going to survive waking up all alone when you've been so accustomed to waking up with Wooyoung and/or Yeosang in bed with you. Their dragon warmth that could not be replicated no matter how much you asked Weiss (because he didn't want you to accidentally burn him) helped you through rainy days and anxiety-filled nights. It was one of your favourite things about them and they'd be more than happy to provide it to you. But over anything else, you can't believe you were leaving them just because your life was on the line.

Just as you were about to say your goodbyes to Seonghwa (not that he was going to care, but it was just polite that way), when he suddenly grabbed you by the neckline of your top, pulling you close to his face so he could speak lowly with his teeth bared and body vibrating. "I'm letting you off for now but make sure I can't find you, you hear me? I'm letting you off because I don't want Yeosang and Wooyoung to hate me for killing you no matter how fun it would be. Because believe me when I say that I have made a list of how to kill you in an excruciatingly painful and slow way that you would actually much rather kill yourself than have me spend my precious time and energy on you," each word was like a stab to your gut but the pain it inflicted was nothing compared to the fact that you actually believed him. Genuinely, you know for sure that he wouldn't hesitate if you gave him the chance.

Seonghwa then pushed you by your chest, not so hard that you fell but just enough to send you reeling slightly, stumbling before running off into the darkness in the woods. The last thing you remembered was Seonghwa's golden eyes turning back to their normal dark brown colour shining in the darkness as he returned to the castle. It was all you could think of as you travelled through the safety of the shadows that the trees cast, thinking that even if Seonghwa were to send his dragon guards at you, you'd still be able to feel the safety of the idea of being hidden so organically.

You must've run beyond your strength because the next thing you know, you stumbled down a hill and you fell rolling down. The impact all over your body seemed to bring your realization back a little because when you finally landed limply on the clearing of the meadow at the bottom of the hill, everything came crashing down to you. How you were so close to losing your life in the hands of your mate's mate, how you were accused of doing something you didn't even understand or know and weren't given a chance to defend yourself or even to provide your point of view, how you selfishly traded your love for your own life like a coward, and how you might not be able to see your mates again anymore. It was only then and there that you cried, your throat turned raw when you screamed out of agony. The pain of falling down and your ankle twisting was nothing compared to the pain of being separated from your mates and you couldn't even imagine what Yeosang and Wooyoung would wake up to, how they would react. For now, you for sure know that they'd have nothing but hatred towards you and you were willing to burden it all if it meant that they would be kept safe. Maybe Seonghwa was right, maybe whatever happened was your fault somehow, maybe you brought them bad luck or maybe there was a reason that you couldn't even think of at that moment. But you stood firm on your resolve that you were doing this for your boys, for them all.

As painful as it was for you, you wiped the tears off your cheeks and stood up straight, letting the pain all over your body drive you by reminding you of what was important. You could still see the castle where you had resided for more or less three months, the towers were slightly covered by trees but you could never mistake it, and you could never forget what it look like. But you couldn't focus on reminiscing now, not when you can't shake Seonghwa's accusation that you were the cause of their despair. So with a shaky breath, you cleared your mind and summoned Weiss who opened itself up for you with no question as your hands raised.

"Let's get to work."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The past three weeks had been hell for everyone in the castle, especially for the residence. It was nothing like Seonghwa expected whatsoever. He had thought that by eliminating you, their lives would be much different and for the best. Never could he have imagined that the situation was much more complicated and dire.

"How is he?" Hongjoong asked, looking tired and stressed.

The head healer sighed and shook her head much to his and Seonghwa's disappointment. "Well, what do you know?" Although Hongjoong tried to sound confident, it was obvious that he was beyond worried, there was a slight quiver that indicated fear and while other people couldn't have noticed it, Seonghwa knew Hongjoong well enough that he was truly fearing for their newest addition. "Well... He's... Mourning, sir, the simplest explanation is that he was separated from his mate for too long that his mental state just... Broke," she explained timidly in a slightly bowed stance as to avoid Hongjoong and Seonghwa's gaze. At the mention of Wooyoung's mate, Seonghwa's body froze slightly, it was as if his body was involuntarily reacting to the trigger word or words in this case, immediately reminded of the scene where he drove you away by threatening to kill you. As far as Seonghwa knows, nobody else knew about that incident, no one knew he had almost destroyed you that night and that he didn't even see where you had gone to. He was just glad that you were gone. This, however, the news that Wooyoung suffered a mental break and Yeosang became so weak that he injured himself in a patrol was something Seonghwa didn't expect. In all honesty, he felt bad, he felt as if he was responsible, but he didn't want to believe that it was his fault so he put those thoughts on the back burner, trying to focus on how to better the situation instead.

The explanation didn't make Hongjoong feel better though as he couldn't really comprehend what is it that made Wooyoung experience such a devastating break. He tried looking at the two assistant healers but they too were avoiding his gaze as best as they could. "That's stupid," Hongjoong groaned in frustration, hands rubbing at his face harshly, "The oracle said he's our mate and if you haven't figured it out yet he's with his mates right now so you must be wrong!" he growled, terrifying the healers but didn't let them respond as he turned and walked away, yelling to them one last time, "You better come up with a better explanation and treatment plan for him!"

With a last glance spared to Wooyoung's bedroom as the healers reentered, letting the sound of Wooyoung moaning and crying in pain escape, Seonghwa followed behind Hongjoong. Maybe it was best for him to tell Hongjoong what he did, what he had done to Wooyoung's... mate. No matter how much they denied that a dragon could mate with a witch, they have to consider that fact now, especially with Yeosang's incessant and teary attempt of convincing them. The mood in the castle had gone down considerably and at a pretty drastic speed. One could argue that it was the stress of handling the dragon hunter issue and rebuilding the ruined houses and also calming the people down, ensuring their safety with double the patrols which obviously took time to assemble and set their working schedule. It was a miracle that all of them were still functional even though barely. Though, Hongjoong's dedication of time and effort to accommodate the situation was proven fruitful as they have yet to see nor sense another attack from dragon hunters. The patrolmen hadn't even sensed witches or their runes or potions around, meaning that it was more likely than not safe for them. Hongjoong and the others took this as a win as one issue is at least resolved. For now.

Other than Wooyoung and Yeosang, Mingi seemed to receive the third biggest hit. It had been a while since Seonghwa saw him practice his sword skills, abusing the life out of the dummy they usually use for practice and even managing to break three with a wooden sword for practice. As a carer of the hatchlings, Mingi was never expected to be the best in fighting as his main priority was protection over the little ones. While basic fighting skills were needed in order to protect the hatchlings if needed, none of them had ever seen Mingi letting out so much frustration and emotion which made him look terrifying. Thankfully, the children would provide him with some comfort, allowing him to still feel some semblance of warmth as he took care of them but once his duty ended, he would... clam up and go back to his sword practice. Yunho, San, and Jongho on the other hand looked detached even during their duties. While their quality of work wasn't affected, their mood does and it made them even more unapproachable, especially with the glare that Jongho and San would give to the other patrolmen. Yunho would more often than not venture off by himself, excusing it as him wanting to check something out by himself before involving the others.

"I went to the Oracle again," Hongjoong sighed as he and Seonghwa reached a secluded part of the castle, "I... Asked them about this whole thing," with his back against the cold stone wall, Hongjoong was able to lean his head back and just closed his eyes. Seonghwa sidled close next to him, his hand circled and rested on Hongjoong's hips to pull him close, the sudden act made Hongjoong open his eyes to look at his mate before accepting and just letting him get as close as he want. "What whole thing?" Seonghwa asked, his thumb began rubbing on Hongjoong's hips gently in an attempt to comfort the man. "Apparently... It was true," Hongjoong's head dropped to rest on Seonghwa's shoulder, feeling the absolute weight of responsibility burdening him so heavily that it was as if he could crumble then and there, "(y/n)... She's our last mate," an incredulous scoff escaped Hongjoong's mouth as if the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. Almost immediately, Seonghwa's body tensed up and froze, not believing his ears. "Yeah, I was surprised too," Hongjoong nuzzled his head deeper into the crook of Seonghwa's neck with his eyes closing once again, "What are we supposed to do? That little witch ran away and now once again we're left with cleaning her mess. How are we supposed to make sure that Yeosang and Wooyoung will be okay? They have truly mated with her so they're suffering greatly," Seonghwa felt Hongjoong lifting his head up slightly and when he looked down, he saw his strong leader's eyes brimming with tears, a rare occurrence that truly broke his heart, "How are we going to help them, Seonghwa? Why can I protect everyone else but them?" Seonghwa was quick to envelop the man in a tight hug despite he himself slowly becoming affected by his mate's words, he knew he had to be strong so Hongjoong could momentarily falter.

"Don't you even worry," Seonghwa said firmly, unknowingly using his own words to convince himself as well, "We're gonna get through this. We're going to be okay."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone else, Yunho had taken it upon himself to venture off again. He had been feeling something... odd in certain areas, as if something was calling for him, wanting to be found and rescued by him.

It was odd.

Every day, Yunho woke up to the feeling of wanting to venture a little bit further out than his usual patrol would take. There was something about the hills that called to him but every single time he got closer, he found himself walking back to the clan. And each time he returned to his people, there was a sense of longing and sorrow. Today, however, he woke up and sense that he felt different than the previous days. He couldn't quite explain it, but he sensed that whoever or whatever it was that was calling him is reachable now. So he rushed to the path that called onto him, fully hoping to see something new, some kind of explanation.

What Yunho didn't expect, however, was the sound of a mountain troll roaring followed by the sound of branches crunching but louder. Immediately, Yunho got into his battle stance, thinking that the troll sensed his presence and wanted him gone from the area. His ear and thermal sensors were able to pick up where the beast was coming from and where it was headed easily. However, what intrigued him was another signature that was much smaller and seemed familiar. It was only when he saw you being thrown to the ground by the mountain troll as if you were nothing but a book.

"Fuck," You groaned, trying to get up and running away but the monster grabbed you by the leg and dragged you closer to it. You were already so weak from trying to run away from the brute, and it was getting so frustrating and hopeless as you were a lot smaller and weaker than the thing. To be frank, you could've taken Weiss out and performed magic to daze the monster so you could make your escape but that would be counterproductive as it would leave a signature and you were trying to not get caught or found by anyone. So equipped with only your with and your desperation to survive, you tried your best to pry the hand of the monster off of you by throwing whatever your hands could grab from the ground at it. But it was no use, it had no effect whatsoever and it even looked unbothered. A loud cry was ripped out of your throat when you felt its claws sink into your skin, to ensure that you wouldn't go anywhere and it was then that you realized that you were facing the last moments of your life without having your task completed.

Thankfully, Yunho stepped in just as the troll was about to drag you by your injured leg to its dwelling, possibly to be torn apart and eaten by its group. With unmatched strength and clean movements, Yunho easily sliced the monster's arm off of you and sent it running to the other side, growling, howling, and injured. Yunho could've run after it to finish the job like how he was trained to do, but he was more worried about you. When he turned his back to offer you some help, you weren't where you initially were and it made Yunho panic slightly as he hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to you. His eyes darted around to see you limping away in the direction from which you were running away from. "Hey!" Yunho called out, jogging to catch up with you easily as you were injured and he was not human.

To be quite honest, Yunho actually felt glad that he saw you again after a long while. There was a sense of relief that came with seeing and confirming that it was indeed you; his chest felt lighter as if a weight has been lifted off and he actually felt... happy. Said happiness was ripped away from him however when he first noticed that you weren't where you were on the ground. "What are you doing?" his hands shot out as you stumbled slightly, situating them near your body so if you were to fall, he could catch you, "We should be getting you back to the castle! You're injured!" he exclaimed, cringing when he saw your bloodied leg that you still forcibly use to stand. It felt odd for him to be so nice to you especially since your nice gestures had been reciprocated with nothing but disdain and rejection from him for months.

Much to his surprise, you barely spared him a glance as you shook your head whilst simultaneously producing Weiss into the open air. Oh, how the tables have turned. "Go away, Yunho, I have important work to do," ouch. "Like hell you do, you need to be taken care of right now," your stubbornness was almost endearing to Yunho at that moment as it reminded him of his mates, specifically Hongjoong. It was no secret that the leader has his priorities set on his pride and his pride only so more often than not, they were forced to use force on their leader to make sure that he gets his rest. So out of instinct, Yunho held your elbows so he could usher you to the castle to get some help and hopefully some answers. But his heart stopped in his chest when he felt you slap his hands away as you turned to look at him. Yunho's eyes widened at the impact, completely stunned and surprised. You were glaring at him but he could see that it wasn't hatred, not from how your bottom lip was trembling and tears were brimming in your eyes. "Don't make this harder than it has to Yunho, go away," you said before turning around and going back to "work" just a little bit further away from Yunho.

Yunho followed suit and he was about to scold you for not wanting his help when he watched what you were doing. Your hands moved in almost a graceful manner, going into your pocket and producing a white powder to spread on the grassy ground as you recite a spell. Slowly, a translucent film-like barrier appeared from the place where the powder was spread and up to the sky. He didn't know how tall it was, but he had a good idea of what it exactly was. "You put up a barrier to keep us inside," Yunho muttered as his eyes slowly trailed from the barrier down to you who had moved further away to continue the process. "Were you trying to imprison us?" the question had no malice in them but the way he immediately thought the worse of you made you flinch slightly, "Of course not, if I wanted to do that, Wooyoung wouldn't have been able to visit my cottage," you sighed before continuing your work. Immediately, Yunho's eyes widened at your revelation, "How did you know that? Have you been spying on us?" again, he didn't mean any harm, it was just that he was in such a state of shock that it caused him to have a poor choice of language. Still, you didn't know that and it still hurt. "No, I was never spying on you all. I was making sure that you all were safe from hunters," you planned on concluding your explanation there, clapping your hands to get the remnants of powder off before limping away.

Of course, your exit was not made easy. Yunho grabbed your arm and turned you to him, this time looking at you with genuine worry in his eyes. "(y/n) please, come back with me to the castle, you need help from the healers!"

You had been hoping for months that one of them other than Wooyoung, Yeosang, and Mingi would reach out to you and asked you to stay just as Yunho was doing. But you couldn't shake off the fear Seonghwa had struck you. You couldn't even go back to living in your cottage as you were afraid that he might find you just to make sure that you were really gone or that Wooyoung or Yeosang might find you and brought you back or even just told him that they saw you back in your cottage. You couldn't risk it and you couldn't risk going to your mother's place as they could sense the dragon off of you and they might enchant you to tell them where they were. So you hid in plain sight, you set up camp in the meadows, right where you fell off after your encounter with Seonghwa and stayed there even after your barrier was set up and it was a good thing that you did because, during the past three weeks, several hunters got close to the area and you had to drive them away with enchantments and monsters ran rampage that almost broke the ward in the barrier. You had pride in your work, everyone inside was not able to look past it and those outside can't peek in except for you. If they even thought of venturing past, the barrier would incept their minds and lead them to go back to the clan instead. Of course, they were able to go out past the barrier, but not from the front entrance that you set which was the area of your camp, they were very much welcome to use the path past the river. You mostly patrol the front entrance and every once in a while, you were able to see some of them with other patrolmen. Mostly Yunho and Jongho, but you remembered seeing Yeosang and how weak he looked just three days after you left. You really wanted to hold him, hug him, tell him that you were sorry for leaving without saying anything but it was for his own good. And then you saw Wooyoung in your cottage. You didn't mean to follow him per se, you were just making sure that in his frantic state, the hunters wouldn't find him or he wouldn't do anything stupid. You even had to enchant him to go back and that was the last time you saw him.

It took everything in you to not give up and tell Yunho everything; what had happened and most importantly, how much you wanted to go back home to them, be with them. But you couldn't. You don't belong there with them.

"I'm sorry Yunho," you whispered. Before he could ask what you meant, you had placed your fingers on his temple, the touch allowed your powers to permeate Yunho's mind and sent him into a frozen state. You could feel his consciousness lowering ever so slightly as you recite the spell that would make him think that this was a dream and send him home. Yunho could feel it, your magic coursing through him and it felt warm, it felt nothing like what his elders told him a witch's magic was like. As you and him connected on that deep of a level, unbeknownst to you, Yunho was able to feel your pain, fear, longing, and love that wasn't just for Wooyoung and Yeosang, but for every single one of them including his clan. It was his first taste of pure and genuine love and devotion and he felt safe in it. Just before Yunho lost consciousness completely, he said something that surprised you as it was the first time someone had managed to peek out from your mind spell. "W-What about Yeosang? What about Wooyoung? They- we, we need you." A soft, sad smile appeared on your face and you shook your head at him, deciding to say something that you had no idea he would take to heart completely.

"He'll be fine. They both will, take care of them for me please."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The guilt was eating Seonghwa inside and out.

It had been a week since Hongjoong's revelation that you were supposedly their mate too and he felt like he was going insane. Days spent putting out one fire after the other with Hongjoong but thankfully it wasn't literal fire like the ones before. The things he had to handle were mostly over his mates being so unfocused they made mistakes in their jobs. San accidentally hurt himself during patrol, gashing his own leg by mistake when he tripped and fell down the stairs so harsh he had to be put to rest for two days. Jongho looked so worn out that he actually broke down crying one night to Seonghwa, saying that he didn't feel quite right and it was exhausting knowing something's wrong but not knowing where to start fixing it. Yeosang and Wooyoung were still in the same state; Yeosang's weak with cheeks hollowed, lifeless as he remained catatonic in his bed while Wooyoung reached a new level of despair; only saying "(y/n) please come back, i need you," as he made numerous attempts to travel out of the castle to find you only to pass out not even three steps from the garden. Frankly the only functional ones were Mingi and Yunho, keeping up with their duties while filling in wherever they were needed. Yunho was especially surprising because he suddenly spend his nights in Wooyoung's room, accompanying and making sure that he was okay before leaving to rest himself.

But everyone had their limits and this was it for Seonghwa.

He couldn't admit this before but he felt that his chest was hollow, his heart beating without his heart being there and his passion diminishing. Even Hongjoong took notice of this when he noticed Seonghwa slowly skipping his meals and remained to himself for the majority of the time, not saying anything when it wasn't truly dire. This, of course, led to fights between the two eldest as Hongjoong was afraid that he would be the last one standing, holding onto every last bit of remaining sanity in the group desperately while his partner was reduced to something similar to Yeosang. Seonghwa kept trying to convince Hongjoong (and himself) by repeating over and over again that he wouldn't, that he had a better grip on his sanity and control over his urges than Yeosang because he had never done the mating ritual with you. But of course, what he neglected to tell Hongjoong was the fact that he was so guilt-ridden that he has been functioning on anxiety for a couple of days and he had been travelling outside for a bit every day in hopes to see you. For the first time ever, Seonghwa was actually disappointed that he didn't see you anywhere near the castle and not even your cottage every time he checked there.

You truly did believe that he would end you and somehow he disliked that. The idea sent a bitter taste to his mouth like poison or rancid meat.

Now, however, he had to put his feelings and stress aside because he had to deal with Wooyoung who had once again left his bedroom without anyone noticing to venture out of the castle in search of you. With frantic steps, Seonghwa looked for Wooyoung, hoping that he'd be in the garden where you and he once spent hours cultivating and replanting herbs to be used or studied, or in the library where you spent the whole night reading dragon folklore to Wooyoung while stroking his hair, or even in the kitchen where you two stole cookies in broad daylight as a challenge to see if either of you were as subtle as you claimed. It surprised Seonghwa how he know so much about your behaviour yet claimed that he had no care for you whatsoever. Maybe he had been too stubborn to admit the fact that despite your identity, the connection was truly there and it was strong. His stubbornness also exists within the actions that he made namely not telling anyone else that Wooyoung had once again made a crazy escape in a very unwell state because he thought that as the oldest and the second in command, the last thing he needed to do was to involve people who were resting and made it seem like he couldn't handle certain issues by himself. God forbid that.

Suddenly Seonghwa remembered where you would sometimes take Wooyoung when you couldn't find the herbs you needed to make your (demonic mind control) potion. "Shit, he better not be there," despite his complaining, Seonghwa transformed as he jumped up to fly to where he thought Wooyoung might be. It was at the bottom of the hill where there were tons of stumps where mushrooms could grow freely and due to the type of wood growing in the area, there was one type of mushroom, a special and rare one, that could either heal someone's ailments and clean the body or kill them when consumed incorrectly. He remembered you talking about that because you had once prepared the drink for Seonghwa after he spent two weeks dealing with an issue with the neighbouring clan and was so close to passing out. Of course, back then he accused you of trying to murder him and slapped the glass off your hands harshly so that there was a large red mark on your skin for the next couple of days. Ironically, when he did pass out, he was brought back to good health by your mushroom incense which made him throw up all the toxins and fatigue that accumulated in his body from his neglecting it so bad which to stay true to his hatred towards you, he claimed that his body was rejecting whatever it was you used to incapacitate him and decided to just be better so he could fight you off.

From the sky, Seonghwa could barely see anything through the thick trees but he tried his best to sense Wooyoung. After all, he was weak and slow, it shouldn't be too hard to locate him. It wasn't until he heard sobs and a voice calling out for your name so brokenheartedly that Seonghwa dove down and transformed as he reached to ground to see Wooyoung lying on the dirty ground limply as his hands tried to pull the grass so he could crawl to his destination. Seeing him like this made Seonghwa's eyes water and his heart clench so painfully harshly that he thought it might stop beating. This was all his doing, it was all his fault for making a single-handed decision out of his sheer stubbornness and trauma, incapable of considering the fact that his mates might have been right about you because he thought he knew best.

"Wooyoung," he called out, wiping the tears that were cascading down his cheeks as he crouched down near the man who looked so broken and lost and abandoned. Wooyoung didn't even acknowledge Seonghwa's presence, he kept trying his best to pull himself forward more but the lack of strength in his body did nothing but gave him frustration. "Wooyoung," Seonghwa tried calling him again, his voice cracking slightly as he grabbed the younger dragon by the shoulders to stop him from moving more and potentially hurting him. The sight of his dirty, tattered shirt was something Seonghwa didn't look forward to finding out. To his surprise, Wooyoung was able to shrug his grasp off of him, making his escape by using whatever was left in him to stand up. "I need to see (y/n)," he croaked, lifeless eyes staring forward at seemingly nothing, "She needs me, she's calling for me," though he said with little to no facial muscle movement, the tears that sprung from his eyes indicated just how desperate he was.

The thought of scooping Wooyoung and simply taking him away flashed in Seonghwa's head. It would be so easy to just grab him and take him away, God knows it would be best for the both of them. But Seonghwa felt in his gut that he wouldn't be able to cope with the knowledge that he has once again done something that was against what his mate wanted. Another thought flashed in Seonghwa's head, was he about to let his mate do something that could potentially end his life? Not on his watch. So how was he going to convince Wooyoung to return home?

Seonghwa's deep thoughts were cut short when he heard rustles coming from the darkness in front of them and soon cloaked figures emerged from the shadows. The second they stepped close enough, Seonghwa could smell the stench on them, the stench of dead dragons. "Dragon hunters," he muttered to himself, highly alert and swiftly pulling Wooyoung back against him. It didn't even matter to him that Wooyoung was thrashing like crazy, sounds and words from Wooyoung's mouth muddled together, making him incoherent. While this just made Seonghwa panic more, as his brain immediately thought of ways how he could get both himself and the inconsolable younger dragon out of there safely, the hunters seemed to find Seonghwa's state of panic highly amusing.

One of the hunters took his hood down to reveal his face which was half hidden by a headpiece made from intricately placed dragon scales with sections that go down his jaw to his chin decorated with dragon teeth. It was highly disrespectful to wear the carcass of such majestic creatures like that but of course, those hunters don't care, the more ridiculous they looked the higher regard they got from their fellow hunters.

"Looks like we have our work half done for us, boys. We can get the crazy one to the Head of the Coven and have her turn him into a puppet for children's show or for the circus," he laughed with boisterous laughter following after him. "The taller one we can use for accessories. Did you see the colour of his scales? We'll make bank with a lot left for ourselves," the hunter's eyes zeroed in on Seonghwa as if Seonghwa was a treasure that he had been looking for.

Horror struck Seonghwa and dread washes over his body at the mention of his dragon form. It was his fault that the hunters found them, he led them here because he couldn't be bothered to take the hard way and be discreet as he looked for Wooyoung. Not to mention his stubbornness and need to prove himself that led to him not alerting the others that Wooyoung was gone and that he needed help was going to be the reason his other mates will blame themselves if anything were to happen to them both.

"Get them, but make sure you don't nick their skins, I want to make sure we can get the best price," the same man said simply, cockily looking down at Seonghwa and Wooyoung as if he was sure that he was going to get the both of them. His confidence effectively struck his companions positively as they soon took menacing steps forward, seemingly to corner Seonghwa. Between making sure he had a secure grip on Wooyoung and trying to find a way to escape, Seonghwa couldn't even estimate the number of hunters around them. Were there more? Are they surrounded? What weapons do they have? Which clan did they come from? What do they want? There were thousands of questions running through Seonghwa's head which didn't help with him concocting a way to escape.

For some reason, Seonghwa was calling to you in his head. It was odd, he didn't know what it was exactly that you could've done and to be quite frank, he had always mocked you for it, calling you useless and unnecessary because he couldn't be bothered to learn about your power. Despite that, he was calling for you in his head because he had a feeling that you would know what to do to deal with the hunters and even how to deal with Wooyoung and perhaps even calm him down a little. The grip Seonghwa had on Wooyoung was trembling slightly, he was slowly consumed with uncertainty and anxiety and he feared that the hunters must have had something on them that made Seonghwa feel like so. According to their words, they must have had witches living among them and they have been helping these hunters capture dragons. He could only assume that those witches are powerful too because Seonghwa felt his legs trembling and his chest tightening, he was slowly being overcome with anxiety and while he was still able to function, Wooyoung was wailing. With each step the hunters took closer to them, the more sure Seonghwa was that it would be the end of him and Wooyoung. His grip slipped ever so slowly but he still tried to hold on to the younger dragon, he wanted to hold on. Because however, the situation will end, he wanted to be selfless and be there for the mate that needed him.

When a sound popped out from the left side of the hunters, Seonghwa was damn near using the last of his sanity to turn into his dragon form and breathed fire at whoever made that sound. But it was a good thing he didn't because he immediately recognized you standing there, looking seemingly harmless but he noticed the determination in your eyes and it was enchanting.

"And what the fuck are you supposed to be?" One of the hunters scoffed at you, thinking that you must be a joke.

With a raised eyebrow, you whipped Weiss out and shoved both hands into your skirt pockets. "The last thing you'll ever see, unfortunately," in a split second, your gaze shifted to Seonghwa and though you spoke in a low, almost whisper-like tone that seemed to sound louder than it actually is and echoed in his ears, "Duck"

As soon as Seonghwa's front side made contact with the ground with Wooyoung in his death grip, he heard something sizzling that was followed by the smell of something burning and men screaming around him. Seonghwa couldn't look around as the sound of men screaming into the night was deafening and it caused his body to freeze in utter shock. The only thing he could see was you standing a little far away from him and Wooyoung, face emotionless with hands covered in a thin layer of white powder and your chest slightly heaving. Seonghwa didn't know what was happening and frankly, he was rather hesitant to find out because whatever it was you did wasn't good.

Your eyes met Seonghwa soon and his stomach dropped, he had never seen you like that before and he suddenly felt the urge to say a lot of things to you. He wasn't sure what those things were, but he knew there was too much to say. He was about to get up and run to you when you lifted a hand to him and shook your head, "Run," you said simply, taking small steps to inconspicuously return to the safety of the shadows. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Seonghwa felt his heart clench when you told him to run, to go AWAY from you instead of TO you. He could only assume that you would be happy that he finally wanted to be close to you but instead you were acting so cold and dismissive towards him. The screams of men in pain snapped Seonghwa back to reality, however, realizing that all of the hunters were in fact distracted enough that they wouldn't even attempt to follow him if he were to safely return home. You had provided him with an escape.

So Seonghwa did what he thought he should do despite the aching feeling of uncertainty about whether or not he or any one of his mates would see you again, he had to prioritize and at that moment, Wooyoung seemed more important than anything else. He grabbed Wooyoung and moved to pull him up despite him wailing for you, calling out your name and trying to claw his way out of Seonghwa's grip. "Wooyoung, snap out of it!" without hesitance, Seonghwa slapped Wooyoung across his face which seemed to stun him enough to focus on Seonghwa, "We need to get out of here! We don't have time to spare or chances left!" Desperation palpable in his voice and the eyes that conveyed a thousand emotions finally penetrated into Wooyoung's mind and for the first time in weeks, he was able to give a sound response. Slowly, Wooyoung nodded and stood up, wincing as he realized just how sore and weak his body was while Seonghwa followed suit. Hastily, Seonghwa pulled Wooyoung further away from the group of wailing men, "You need to turn and fly away home, okay? Call for help, and I'll distract them as best as I could to make sure they don't follow you," Wooyoung opened his mouth to say something but Seonghwa raised his hand to stop him, "You are in no condition to argue with me, just trust me and do as I said."

Of course, even with Seonghwa's order, Wooyoung's heart still yearns for you, he wanted to be with you after being separated for so long. Hoping that he would be able to make eye contact with you, Wooyoung glanced to where you were standing only to be met with the sight of shadows casting through the woods. "Go!" Seonghwa growled, pushing Wooyoung slightly away when he only stood still. Reluctantly, Wooyoung shifted and flew back as quickly as he could to the castle, roaring in the air in hopes that someone from the clan heard him.

Seonghwa was too preoccupied with making sure that Wooyoung was okay that he neglected to see the leader of the hunter group coming at him with an obsidian blade. He only realized what was happening when he caught his shadow moving from the corner of his eyes and even then, Seonghwa knew that it was too late for him, he was going to be stabbed with a poisonous blade and he could potentially die. Things started to move in slow motion and his eyes closed, defeated, as he waited for the pain to strike him whilst he continuously reassured himself that even though he was going to die, he managed to get Wooyoung to safety first.

The sound of the blade taking flesh in between flesh was gut-wrenching to Seonghwa and he could only imagine how the stone would interact with his dragon blood, turning everything toxic and rotting his flesh from the inside out.

He waited and waited, but the pain never came. When his eyes finally opened, he was beyond shocked to see you in front of him, the blade nesting in your right shoulder as you stared up at the hunter dead in the face. There were a lot of things that Seonghwa didn't expect from you and on the very top of that list were you jumping in front of danger for him, putting your life at risk for him. He expected you to do that for the others, even Hongjoong (since he's the clan leader), but not him. Never him.

"Wrong move," you spat and before either he or Seonghwa could react, you pressed your powder-covered hands to his face. Then Seonghwa saw it, he saw the man's face sizzling under your touch in the areas where his dragon scale helmet was and around its area. As if it wasn't enough, you mumbled spells that soon caused blood to leak from the man's eyes, his pupils constricting to the point that they were mere dots as his throat vibrated with the agonizing cry he let out.

Only when the man dropped to the ground at your feet that you let your arms fall to your sides. Slowly, you turned to Seonghwa and Seonghwa could see the more relaxed expression on your face. Then his gaze dropped to your body, specifically to your blood-drenched hands. He didn't know whether it was the hunter's blood or yours, everything was just too messy for him to see clearly and he didn't even know where to start looking. "(y/n)..." he called out reaching out to take your arm in his grip gently but you scurried away abruptly as if you were scared, you would've continued if it wasn't for the tree that you accidentally hit, making you wince from the pain of the blade. "Please don't kill me," you whimpered slightly, inching to the side of the tree in hopes that you could make a quick exit. The words somehow struck Seonghwa deeply, he was well aware that he was the one who threatened to kill you in the first place but he never realized that you would be so affected by it. The fear in your eyes when you looked at Seonghwa without the safety of hunters to excuse your presence somehow bothered him. Just a couple of weeks ago Seonghwa would've taken great pride in instilling such crippling fear into you, but now he just hated how you wanted to get away from them now. From him.

"You're hurt..." Though his voice was wavering slightly, Seonghwa tried his best to keep a strong front, wanting to show that he wasn't letting his emotions get the best of him. And it worked, you only took further steps away from him because you felt that he was being so stoic and perhaps he was giving you a false sense of security just to trap you and kill you. So you quickly shook your head at him, not wanting his words to influence your decision to go back into hiding and plan a better strategy to protect them.

With every faltering step back you took, Senoghwa seemed to want to follow and it scared you. He wasn't taking more steps than you but his strides were longer. Right then and there, you could feel a pull to him, a pull that you've experienced with Wooyoung and again with Yeosang when he finally opened his heart to accept you romantically. The feeling was warm and comforting, reassuring of your safety and life despite the poison that was entering your bloodstream. You had been so focused on Seonghwa that you didn't even notice the little trick the leader hunter pulled to ensure incapacity towards any of his enemies, dragons or not. The poison he used was deadly to dragons, capable of paralyzing them in 30 seconds and completely killing them in 20 minutes. While it wasn't as deadly to humans, you didn't have much time until you grow weak in your tent and die slowly for days whilst locked in your own body, able to feel everything but unable to do anything.

Thinking that the chicken dance you and Seonghwa were doing could last a while, you decided that you should just make your escape so you could treat your wound as soon as possible. With a smile thrown at Seonghwa, your feet took their position to run, "I'm glad you both are safe." Seonghwa's body went into an immediate state of panic as he heard you say that, alarm bells started going off in his brain knowing that that was your way of saying goodbye. He had been so determined to find you and bring you home, how could he just let you go? It wasn't like he was trying to force you to come with him or even kidnap you, but he wanted to bring you back home where you belong. The home that Seonghwa had so selfishly taken away from you and for what, pride? In the name of trauma? Nothing could excuse his behaviour and that was why he wanted to make sure that he could make up for it. And he couldn't do it when the person he wanted to make up to isn't there.

As you turned around to flee, you felt something shoot up your spine and your vision turned black. The pain made you want to scream and you could've sworn you were screaming in pain. But in reality, your face was lax and your body swayed to the side, gravity doing its job pulling you to the ground when all strength left your body. The last thing you hear was the sound of someone calling your name, then a couple more that was followed by flaps of wings and rushed steps. You must've imagined things. Out of all, however, Seonghwa's voice was more prominent and you could've sworn the palm that supported your head as you fell belonged to him. Well, you must've been beyond delusional which means the poison was doing such a marvellous job. This was maybe the sound that was sending you off to the afterlife and to be honest, you could be hearing worse.

Now all you had to do was welcome what comes next.

Whatever it was.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Hyung?"

Seonghwa's head snapped up to the door when he heard someone calling for him. The door to your room was shut with a heavy thud and Mingi came walking in with some things in his hands. "I thought you were told to rest," the younger sighed, displeased that his older mate was disregarding the words of healers who had instructed Seonghwa to take it easy on himself. Seonghwa shook his head as his gaze dropped back to the woman sleeping on the bed, looking like a corpse with how she was unmoving and unresponsive but still alive as indicated by the flush on her cheeks and lips. Since when do Seonghwa think of you like that?

Though Mingi was worried for him, Seonghwa only waved a hand dismissively at him, "No, I... I put her in this situation, I should take care of her."

When Seonghwa brought you back to the castle, not only were his mates up and about due to Wooyoung's warning (and being absolutely surprised that Wooyoung was functioning normally), but they were preparing to save you and Seonghwa. So when they saw Seonghwa in your arms, they thought that you had died. Chaos ensued when Seonghwa reassured everyone that you weren't dead but were definitely dying if you weren't treated immediately. Coming to his senses first, Yunho scooped you from Seonghwa's arms and carried you to the house of the head healer just outside the castle area followed by Yeosang who regained some strength at the mention of you and also Wooyoung. As soon as you were out of sight, Seonghwa dropped to his knees, legs lost all strength as tears poured out of his eyes, coating the skin of his cheeks in a glittery sheen. That was when he grabbed Hongjoong's hands and confessed to what he did, how he threatened to end you because he thought you helped orchestrated an attack. He confessed how he almost did kill you that night, how he single-handedly exiled you because he thought he was doing what was best for everyone. He confessed how it was his fault Yeosang and Wooyoung almost lost their minds and how the others were suffering, not realizing that it was because their mate was told to stay away from them.

That night Seonghwa received nothing but confused, cold glances from his mates even as he was being patched up. It wasn't that they hated him for what he did nor were they mad, it was just the fact that Seonghwa kept such a big secret from them. Moreover, after Wooyoung recounted how you had saved him and Seonghwa from out of nowhere which prompted them to ask Seonghwa how you got stabbed by an obsidian blade. Of course, Seonghwa told them everything, he told them about how you jumped in front of him with no hesitance which saved him completely from danger. Then there was a conversation of dragon's honour, how they should never bite the hand that fed them (literally or not). Mingi was the first to innocently bring up the fact that you had been but nice and generous to Seonghwa but he had only returned your kind gestures in utter disdain. Hongjoong defended Seonghwa by saying that despite his actions, he did not break a dragon's honour as you had never saved his life before. Then surprisingly, Jongho backed Mingi up by saying that the dragon's honour doesn't only apply to live-saving situations, it also applies to general, mundane situations which prompted Hongjoong to snap at the youngest, saying something along the lines of "If I remembered correctly, you wanted to stake and burn her to see if, and I quote, 'she smells like rotting eel like the rest of her coven' when she first came to us" which was not received well by Jongho.

Now, five days later, you were still not up but the tension amongst his mates had died down and things had started to turn for the better. The warriors were less antsy and got even more confident with the additional good news that Yeosang was finally cleared to come back on duty 3 days ago. Wooyoung was once again able to function normally, returning to his studies with the healers whilst sharing the recipes he learnt from you during the time you lived together. Hongjoong was finally able to calm the council and was able to address the questions regarding the citizen's safety with more assurance. Mingi brought the good news that you were back to the hatchlings and they were more than elated, immediately asking Mingi when they could see you again which made him so happy. And Seonghwa felt much more at ease with knowing that you were there with him, knowing that they were once again whole despite your comatose state. One thing for sure though, you were never left alone without anyone's watch. Wooyoung, Yeosang, and Mingi had taken it upon themselves to sleep in your room with you with Mingi dragging a (not so) begrudging Yunho with him. Jongho would only stand guard outside your door in the afternoons when everyone else was too busy with their own duties while San would stand guard inside your room but away from you, both were still feeling awkward because they had been so bad towards you and they didn't feel their fussing over you would be justified. Hongjoong would keep watch from afar and through his staff, asking questions directly to the healers or (not so) casually asking the members on watch about your condition during their supper. Seongwha remained a constant by your side though, adamant about being there when you woke up. He would do his duties from his seat and only leave when absolutely necessary and even then, he would rush and make sure someone was in the room with you.

Whilst keeping watch on you, Seonghwa made the realization that you were the difference that they needed. It could be because of the fact that you were destined to be mated with all eight of them, but it was also possible that it was because you were... you. Never had he experienced such a drastic difference that happened with a person's absence and presence. It was as if you forged their life force, your mere presence elevated their energy in more ways than one. He had been a fool to let his ego cloud his judgement.

Mingi walked towards you with a gentle smile on his face, his hand gently placing a flower crown on top of your head, "Hi there, I... made this when I took the hatchlings outside to learn about nature. They missed you so much," he wanted to say how he missed you too, but the presence of Seonghwa only made him swallow his own words. Mingi then turned to the older male, sighing when he saw his eyes busily darting through scrolls for different businesses that Seonghwa needed to tend. "I'm worried for you, hyung," Mingi confessed, eyebrows scrunched in slight frustration at the older's stubbornness. "I said I'm fine," Seonghwa sighed, putting his scrolls down on the desk next to him to look at Mingi with a small smile, "Don't worry about me, okay? I know my limits and I just want to make sure (y/n) comes out of this okay," he reassured him. It seemed like Mingi wanted to say something, but the stare Seonghwa gave him made him shut his mouth as if telling him it was pointless to argue with him, he wasn't going to budge. So Mingi simply nodded and left the room after giving your hand a gentle squeeze to return to his evening duties.

Once he was back alone with you, Seonghwa thought that it was best for him to focus back on completing his task, he was quite behind already and he didn't like leaving his duties like that. But as he was about to delve back into his scrolls, he couldn't help but look at your sleeping figure and his legs automatically took steps closer to you. Every time he looked at your face, he couldn't help but remember the frightened look on your face the day he almost killed you. While he used to find pride in it, now he couldn't help but be embarrassed of himself, embarrassed of how he threatened someone who bore no arms as it wasn't a noble thing of him to do no matter the person. Above that, he was embarrassed of himself for treating his mates' mate like that. The regret played over and over in his head as if to mock his lack of judgement and he knew he deserved it, he was willing to bear the shame brought by his own stupidity and more if it could bring you back. The healers kept reassuring him that you would be up but they couldn't really know when and that scared him, the uncertainty and vagueness only made him stress more.

With the gentlest of touch, he traced your hand that was resting on your stomach, flipping them over to graze over the burnt skin as he winced, imagining the pain you must've felt. Turns out, when you burnt that hunter's face with the powder you had, the direct contact made your own skin burn and while it will heal, the pain you must've endured was more than you should have felt. "I'm sorry..." tears built in Seonghwa's eyes as his eyebrows furrowed tightly, creating a crease in the space between, "When you get out of this, I'll make sure to pay you back a thousandfold, you hear me?"

The lack of answer made Seonghwa fall to his knees by your bed with your hands still in his grip. His face rested by your hip as he cried hard, body shaking and hands trembling with overwhelming emotions. Seonghwa didn't even know why he was crying, it wasn't like you were dead despite him seeing your unresponsive body. He was glad that you were back with him despite not knowing how you would react when you finally came to and realized that you were back in the dwelling of the person who claimed wanted you dead if you ever showed your face again. But he knew a lot of them wanted you there with them and he knew you knew that fact too whilst also knowing that before this, the majority of them disprove your existence amongst them and had even pulled petty pranks as hiding Weiss in the dungeons for three days which caused you to panic and even stated their disdain towards you and your kind right to your face. So really, what was Seonghwa crying about?

"I'm so sorry," Seonghwa's voice cracked from raw emotion like he never felt before, his cheeks wet with tears that dropped and pooled on your bed. He tried looking up at you again, but he couldn't bear the sight for long before he hunched over with his face on your stomach, crying even harder. His lips kept mumbling apologies like it was a prayer or a mantra, not knowing what else to say to you as he felt his transgressions towards you had really crossed all the lines that exist in the world. But even then, especially then, you showed him nothing but kindness and genuineness. Seonghwa gripped the blanket over your body and the shirt you were wearing tightly in his hands as if to anchor him to reality, whatever it was.

A sudden touch to his head stopped Seonghwa's cries almost immediately because he thought he was imagining things, maybe his mind was starting to play tricks on him. Seonghwa snapped his head to your face only to be greeted with the sight of you smiling gently at him, your eyes lively and smile like a fresh breath of spring that made his chest bloom. Then he felt your fingers carding through his hair slowly and gently as if the action was filled with nothing but affection.

"Purposeless tears can kill your fire, dragon. Why are you wasting them?" though your voice was cracked from the dryness of your throat, it still sounded melodious to Seonghwa.

For the first time ever since you knew all of them, Seonghwa cracked a smile, albeit a teary one. He gently took the hand that was on his head and pressed them to his lips before moving them to his cheek where he kept it to enjoy the warmth of your life with his thumb gently caressing the inside of your palm. The initial fear of you rejecting him died within seconds, now being proven that you only had love and care for him just by how you were gazing at him. Seonghwa didn't even care if it was his imagination or if it was the delusional side of his brain trying to compensate for his guilt because he was seeing actual proof in front of him. Proof that you woke up from him opening his heart to you.

"No one could kill you, my fire, I won't let anything kill you."

And you believed him.

taglist :

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@chloepurpy @cutie-wooyo

#ateez #ateez scenarios #ateez scenario #ateez imagine #ateez imagines #ateez fanfic #ateez fantasy au #ateez au #ateez angst #dragon!ateez #kpop #kpop scenario #kpop scenarios #kpop imagine #kpop imagines #kpop fantasy au #kpop au #kpop fanfic #kpop angst #hongjoong #seonghwa #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho #smt scenarios #smt imagine #smt angst

[sunflower-lilac42]

✧ 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡 || ice bound au ♔

summary: his call leaves her broken and her brothers each have a different way of comforting her

warnings: sad, throwing up, mentions of blood and cuts

notes: i'm in a very angsty mood, while and even after writing this. jack lives on his own because i said so. i had like an hour and a half left on my laptop when i started this (maybe a bit more) so I'm so glad i was able to get this out tonight | add yourself to the taglist ➵ taglist!

published: 02/16/24

au masterlist | nhl masterlist | main masterlist

Her mind was crowded with multiple thoughts, the main one being why he would do this to her, yet the second one was that she needed to get out of this dorm, out of this city, out of this state. She hadn’t slept in over 24 hours. She took her suitcase out from under her bed and started shoving clothes in, it didn’t matter what they were. She knew her socks were red, so she poorly bandaged them and changed socks so she wouldn't be caught by security at the airport.

She didn’t tell anyone, she hadn’t talked to anyone since he called her. It had been almost a day since his call, it was now three in the afternoon the next day. The flight was in an hour and a half, so she drove as fast as possible. She hauled her suitcase into the airport, trying not to draw attention to herself. She went through security smoothly and now all she had to do was wait. Waiting was not a Chloe Hughes thing, it was one of the things she hated the most. 

Luckily, she had no one sitting next to her on the flight. That was the small sliver of good luck she was given today. She put her headphones on, listening to music the whole way there and staring out the window. When she got there, it was midnight and she felt overwhelmed. She hadn’t visited Jack in a while, she had to scroll through her text messages to find his address. Once she found it, she got a cab, telling the driver where to go.

She slowly made her way up the stairs, nerves making her way through her mind. She was hoping that he wouldn’t be mad at her. She knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer. It took a minute because it was almost one in the morning and he was still relatively new to the city. He opened the door, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, and looked at his sister confused, “Chlo?”

She choked on a sob, “I’m so sorry.”

He immediately woke up at the sound of her crying, “Hey hey. It’s okay. C’mere.”

He opened his arms and she all but dove into them. He stumbled a little but caught her nonetheless. He brought her into his apartment, releasing one of his arms to drag her suitcase in and then closing the door with a kick. She could feel his hand running up and down her back and somehow it only made her sobs worse. 

He didn’t say anything, letting her cry it out. It took her a while to calm down, a good half an hour. He was over the top confused but he couldn’t focus on that right now, he could only focus on the fact that his twin sister was crying in his arms. Her breathing grew steady and that was the first time he spoke since she got there, “What’s going on?”

“He hurt me, Jacky.”

His heart broke, he didn’t know who, but he would make it his mission to figure it out, “Who?”

She only shook her head, not wanting to tell him his best friend broke his sister’s heart. He could tell that she didn’t want to talk, that she was tired, “You wanna go lay down?”

She nodded this time, allowing him to take her into his room. He went to leave, telling her he would sleep on the couch but she caught his wrist, begging him to stay. She didn’t want to be alone, her emotions were too much. He obliged, laying down on the opposite side of the bed as her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. She held his hand, the most contact she wanted at the moment, and he squeezed her hand to let her know that he was there.

When Jack woke up the next morning, he was alarmed when she wasn’t lying in the bed, thinking he had just had a strange dream the previous night. But when he heard noises coming from the bathroom, he got up quickly and ran over there, knocking on the door, “Chlo? Are you okay?”

“No.” Her voice was laced with tears, on the edge of breaking once again. 

“Do you mind if I come in?” 

He heard the door unlock and he walked in, seeing her pressed against the wall, her hair a mess even in a low ponytail. It was the first time he had gotten a good look at her since she arrived, her eyes were accompanied by the darkest circles he had ever seen, they were red and bloodshot from the amount of tears she had shed. Her clothes were baggy on her, more than usual. Then he looked down at her feet, slowly recognizing the growing red spot.

His eyes widened, “You’re bleeding!”

She looked down, pulling her feet closer to see for herself, “Oh yeah. Forgot about that.”

“Forgot about it?”

He sat on the ground in front of her, taking her socks off to see what the cause of the bleeding was. There were tiny cuts all along her feet, one big cut on her left one. He stared in horror, not really sure he wanted to know how this happened. He rummaged through his drawers to find his first-aid kit, “What are you doing?

“Cleaning and bandaging your cuts because obviously, you didn’t take more care of yourself.”

She shrugged, staring at the wall in front of her. Jack was worried about her, she hadn’t looked this broken since Hayden, and even now, she looked more if that was possible. He cleaned her cuts, blocking out her slight winces she produced when the cuts stung. When he was done, he wrapped her feet in gauze, creating a protective layer between her feet and the bandages he would be putting on, “You’re lucky you don’t have to go to the hospital, Chloe.”

“Who cares?”

Her voice was monotone, her face was blank, she was off, and he knew that. It was like her and the world around her was turned upside down. He frowned at her words, continuing to work. He didn’t know how his bright and bubbly sister could act this glum, this upset. He was finished in ten minutes and as soon as he was done she threw up, the third time since she woke up. 

“I’m sorry.” She spoke in short sentences, she had only spoken 22 words since she got here. 

“For what?”

“Showing up here.”

“It’s okay, Chloe. I just want to know why.”

She shook her head, she couldn’t tell him. It would make everything worse. He would hate her, hate Trevor, it hurt even just to think about his name. She shouldn’t be ruining their friendship because she couldn’t handle rejection. She kept that part to herself, making up a name for him so they would never find out.

Jack was surprised by the news, but if there was one thing he was good at it was not bringing his emotions into the situation when she was upset, it would make her more upset. He had already been late for the morning skate and he knew that, but she didn’t. Usually, she would be the one to have all of their calendars saved no matter what it was, but with this happening, she couldn’t remember for the life of her. He wasn’t going to tell her, he also wasn’t going to tell her that he should be getting on a plane later in the day.

When she went back to bed, sleeping better than before, Jack let his coach know that he would not be able to make it to the game, for personal reasons. This alarmed his parents, who found out later. He explained the situation to them, both of them knowing they raised good kids at that moment. 

✧༺✎༻∞

After Jack’s season was done, Chloe having gone to each of the games, they flew home. From there, Luke spent every day glued to her side and she wasn’t going to complain. They stayed in her room watching random movies they found, trying to see who could find the worst one. Quinn finished up his season a week later, coming home as soon as he could. He had been filled in on what happened and couldn’t wait any longer to ensure she was okay.

Chloe loved her younger brother and her twin, but the comfort that came from Quinn was unmatched. It wasn’t that Jack and Luke didn’t act like older brothers, because they did, all the time, but Quinn had that energy about him. So when he showed up at the house and went directly to her room, she hugged him instantly. Luke left, knowing that she and Quinn would be in her room for the next couple of hours.

She ranted to him, accidentally letting his name slip, however Quinn wasn’t mad. He wasn’t even surprised. He had every reason to suspect his little sister dating his little brother’s best friend, in his eyes, they were obvious. If anything, he comforted her more once he realized that was indeed who it was, he could see how much she had truly cared for him. Quinn knew how much it hurt, and could only imagine how long it would take for her to start feeling better. But, until then, the three of them would be by her side for all of it.

𝑻𝑨𝑮𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

if your name is crossed out it means i couldn't tag you

@kei943 | @hockeygirl101 | @sleepybesson | @bunting58 | @francesfarhadi | @cixrosie | @lausdigitaldiary | @love-like-whoaah

#sunny lune writes #sunnyluneicebound #trevor x chloe #tz11 #trevor zegras

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Already Gone || MV1 {2}

Pairing: Max Verstappen x spy!fem!reader Summary: All the best laid plans fail when someone beats you at your own game. Warnings: criminal activities, little bit of violence & blood, angst WC: 2.5k

F1 Masterlist || One || Two || Three

One more month. That was the deadline you gave yourself. If you were honest with yourself you would not be so lenient and leave that very second. You had done your job, you had done it a little too well and fallen for your own lies. You had fallen for your target.

The information you had been supplying to his competitor had been used with almost immediate results and Red Bull were no longer dominating the podiums like they had for the last four seasons. Max was also struggling with the changes on the grid, or more precisely he was struggling with his father’s constant berating at his lack of trophies. It was wearing him down and the more races he lost the more you became the crutch he leaned on.

You loved that he trusted you and shared his deepest thoughts with you but you hated it all the same. It would only break his spirit that much more when you left.

Your hackles rose at the threat and you shoved the burner phone back into the hiding space beneath the floorboards of your wardrobe. Max would be here any minute and you still hadn’t finished packing your bag for the trip to Milton Keynes.

A knock on your door sounded and you called out to Max that the door was unlocked as you sat on your suitcase so that you could zip it up. 

“You realise it’s only a week, liefje,” Max laughed as he saw you struggling with the zipper.

He knelt between your legs and shifted your hands aside so he could take over pulling the zip around while you pointed out that in your defence you needed more than a can of Axe body spray and a toothbrush for a trip away. 

“Axe?” he scoffed with mock offence before successfully closing the suitcase and grinning triumphantly. “I’m not that basic.”

“I like that you’re not hung up on money and status,” you said as you hooked your legs around his waist and pulled him closer, not caring that you were certainly crinkling all the clothes you were sitting on in the bag. “Most guys would let that go straight to their heads, but not you.”

“You can thank my father for that,” he said a little bitterly as his hands came to rest on your waist. “He is good at keeping my feet on the ground.”

“More like knocking you down,” you muttered as you pursed your lips before catching the sigh he tried to hide. “Sorry.”

You planned to give him a quick kiss with the apology you didn’t mean but there was no such thing when it came to him. Time seemed to slow whenever his lips danced with yours, his competitive nature coming out as he fought for dominance, his hands climbing your body until he cupped your face and he took control.

“We should go,” he murmured against your lips before untangling your legs from where they had locked around his waist and you pouted at the loss of touch. He smirked as he brushed his thumb over your kiss-swollen lips and shook his head. “Don’t. Brett is waiting outside.”

“Fine,” you sighed and let him pull you to your feet before he grabbed the suitcase for you. You followed him through the living room, grabbing your laptop on the way as you looked around the empty space beside it. “Have you seen my keys?”

“Kitchen,” he nodded to the countertop and you frowned as you wondered how they had got there. “Ready?”

You swiped them up as you passed by, checking the door was locked behind you before setting the security alarms on your phone and giving him a nod. “Ready.”

Brett, Max’s new driver and PA, already had the SUV running when Max opened the back door for you and he took a seat beside you, lacing his fingers with yours. “Good afternoon, Madilyn,” he greeted in the rearview mirror with a tight smile before turning his focus to the road. 

“Brett,” you nodded politely, unable to muster any small talk as you watched him shift nervously on his seat. “Everything alright?”

Max’s head looked up from his phone but when Brett said everything was fine he accepted it and went back to scrolling through the news. 

The flight one Max’s private jet was uneventful and soon you were in another SUV being driven to Red Bull’s headquarters with Brett at the helm. “Madilyn, am I dropping you off at the hotel or will you be joining Max?”

You looked to Max for the answer with a small shrug, “I have work to catch up on but I can do that from anywhere.”

Max nodded and looked to Brett, “She’ll come with me.”

The man didn’t seem too impressed with the idea but he hid it well enough that even you were questioning if you were seeing things, but he nodded and bypassed the small city of Milton Keynes.

It had been a few weeks since your last visit to the headquarters and factory but you knew the layout of it by heart. You had mapped the places of interest and found it easy enough to get Max to give you a tour so you could familiarise yourself with it first hand.

“I’m dying for a coffee,” you said as Max started to head towards Christian’s office. “Do you want one, babe?”

“Brett can get one,” he offered but you shook your head.

“No need to trouble him, I’m sure I can find my way to the staff room.” You tapped your laptop bag hanging over your shoulder and gave him a flirty wink. “I might even be able to get some work done while you’re busy so we can have some free time together tonight.”

He grinned at the idea and turned you around to point at a door to the stairwell, his lips brushing the sensitive skin beneath your ear as he spoke, “Down one level, turn left and the cafeteria is all the way at the end. I’ll come find you when I’m done.” 

“Not if I find you first,” you challenged him and earned a growl as he nipped at your neck.

“Ik hou van jou,” Max reminded you as he heard his name called down the hall and pulled away. 

“I love you too.” It should have been a lie, but it wasn’t.

If anyone asked why you were here you would say you were lost and needed access to the internet. You weren’t that far from the staff room but you were definitely in a room you shouldn’t have been in. It had been pure luck that a technician had been coming out of it as you passed by and the door closed so slowly you had just slipped inside. Once you were in, all you needed was to plug the Ethernet cable into your laptop and you could access most of their network with the strokes of the keys on your keyboard.

It was quick work to find the latest files full of the updates they were making to their race cars and you downloaded them before erasing any traces of you being there at all. You would go through them later and transfer the documents to a thumb drive like you had done too many times already. 

“This is the last time,” you promised yourself as you closed the laptop and grabbed your phone.

“Shit,” you cursed as you ducked out of the room and set a quick pace to get to the cafeteria before Brett arrived but he was already there. “Sorry, had to use the ladies,” you lied smoothly. “Do you know when Max will be joining me?”

“No, but it won’t be for quite some time.”

Alarm bells were ringing in your head at the detached tone and you took a step back. “I’m just going to say goodbye to him real quick, can you order me a double shot espresso to takeaway?”

You left the way you came but instead of climbing the stairs to where Max was meeting with Christian, you raced down to the ground floor and out of the busy factory. It was lucky that some workers on the early shift were finishing and you jogged over to one in the room parking lot.

“Hey, are you heading into the city?” you asked with a warm smile. “My Uber bailed on me and I could really do with a lift.”

The young woman blinked a few times before her eyes widened. “You’re Maddie, Max’s girlfriend, right? Of course, hop in. I’m Jade.”

Your smile faltered as you slipped into the passenger seat and you wondered how much longer that title would hold true. You kept reading and rereading that last text message, waiting as if those two little xx’s would suddenly appear and make everything better. He always ended his messages with the little kisses, always.

“Can you please drop me at the Central Mall?” you asked as she reached the city streets and plans for your escape formed from the maps you had scanned over while she drove. 

You would stop at the mall, get a change of clothes and some cash out, before catching the next train to London. From there you would swing by the apartment you kept in Camden Town where a go bag with a fresh passport and bank cards waited with everything you needed to disappear. 

The thought of ghosting Max made you feel sick. It didn’t matter that you had done it a dozen times before, this time you didn’t want to go and this time the guy didn’t deserve it.

“Are you alright?” Jade asked as she put the car in park outside the mall entrance. “Should I call someone?”

“No, thank you, I’m fine. Thank you for the ride.”

Adrenaline flooded your system as you checked over your shoulder and felt as if you were being watched while you searched for an ATM. Your hands were shaking so much when you fingered the pin onto the pad that you had to take another attempt at getting it right before the maximum withdrawal could be chosen. 

You had never once been caught but you could feel the walls closing in on you as you jogged down the stairs to the underground, the hood of the jumper you had quickly bought pulled down over your head. The train station was busy with commuters and you should have been lost in the crowd but still there was a burning between your shoulder blades, like someone was looking down a scope and found its target.

 Your phone rang in your hand and the lock screen lit up with the picture of you sitting on Max’s lap at the front of his yacht, the sun setting in a fiery red sky behind you. You didn’t have the strength to decline the call and you swiped your thumb over the screen to hear his voice one more time.

“Why?” His accent was thick, it always was when emotion filled it. The silence hung heavy as your train rolled into the station and you knew your time was running out. “Why!”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I thought I could find a way.”

“To do what?”

The doors opened and you slipped inside the carriage with the crowd.

“To fix this.” You ended the call before your voice broke and tossed the phone out of the train before the doors closed shut. There was no doubt now that Red Bull knew what you were and they had the money and connections needed to have your phone tracked so you were cutting yourself off.

Or so you thought.

It was the pair of ice blue eyes that you noticed first when you stepped off the train. It would have been easier to breathe if a noose had tightened around your throat but the cold hatred in his eyes had the same effect. 

You couldn’t run with Max standing there across the station, his arms crossed over his chest, his hands closed into fists. You couldn’t fight back when you were shoved onto the filthy platform and a knee was pressed harshly into your lower back. You couldn’t move as a pair of cold handcuffs were snapped onto your wrist and Max stepped forward before he could stop himself.

It was Christian who approached you instead, stopping to pick up your keys that had fallen to the concrete. He jingled them in front of you and your eyes snapped to the charm to see it had cracked from the fall, something that wouldn’t have happened to the original silver medallion. 

“The Trojan Horse was a nice trick, wasn’t it?” he taunted as he closed his hands around it and stood up, nodding to the men that held you down. “Get her out of here before the tabloids get wind of this.”

The weight was gone a moment before you were pulled back to your feet, your shoulders screaming in protest as they pushed you forward until you passed Max. His eyes bored holes into yours as he turned with you, his fingers twitching as if for a moment he wanted to reach for you. 

“Let’s go,” Christian said as he clasped Max’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze before following you out.

“I don’t suppose I could get your badge numbers?” you asked knowingly as you scanned the crowd for any sign of the actual police. 

“No,” the one on your left replied with a laugh before you reached the street and saw the three black SUV’s lined up on the street.

“Well, that’s a relief,” you muttered before throwing your elbow back up into his face, savouring the sound of his nose crunching under the hit. “Or that would have got me in a lot of trouble.”

“Bitch!” Your head snapped to the side with the harsh backhand he returned and you tasted copper from the split lip that stung worse than the slap to your cheek. 

“Maddie!” Max called as he leapt forward and shoulder barged the man away from you before cupping your face and wincing at the blood that dripped from your lip. 

“Stop calling her that, we’re not even sure it’s her real name,” Christian said as he pulled Max’s hands from you. “She’s a criminal, Max.”

“She’s still my girlfriend,” he sighed, brushing an angry hand through his hair. “Can we just get in the fucking car?”

You were tugged into the backseat of the middle car and Max made to follow before Christian held his hand out to stop him. “You’re not riding with her.”

Max scoffed and shoved his hand aside as he grabbed the door handle. “You’re not my father.”

Click here for part three.

#max verstappen imagine #max verstappen x you #max verstappen x reader #max verstappen fanfic #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #formula 1 fanfic

[hey-kae]

The Story Of A Failed Friendship

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Female Reader

Storyline: The reader’s friendship with Charles becomes more complicated when she flies in to see him race. Basically friends to lover with Charles.

Warnings: Language, sexual jokes and implications, alcohol, jealous Charles, a little bit angsty at some point, french translated to english in italics.

Sidenote: this is kinda long ngl but it felt necessary that there is some sort of build up since it’s friends to lovers. Also, if you speak french and spot mistakes, look the other way cause I haven’t spoken french in two years.

Your first step onto the cement ground as sunset neared, casting a golden shimmer onto the city you were observing just minutes ago from the sky, seemed like the perfect cue your body gave the emergency alarms in your head, urging them to go off as your heartbeat picked up speed and your stomach danced with jittery butterflies.

It was always the same, the overwhelming nerves that overtook you every time your mind processed that you were minutes away from reuniting with Charles. The first time it happened, it left you scared shitless that you would bring awkwardness into the amazing friendship you had quickly developed with the young driver. However, you were relieved to find out that the feeling always disappeared the second your eyes caught a glimpse of him. His effect on you, both mentally and physically, was something you always avoided acknowledging. It was too dangerous, too threatening.

Your friendship with him had developed so smoothly. It felt too precious to risk ruining it with unwanted feelings.

You had met him at a bar in Monaco while you were on vacation there with your friends. He had just signed with Sauber, securing his position as an F1 driver and he was out celebrating with a bunch of people. The loud noises they were causing beside you had caught your attention and you had found yourself smiling as you watched a group of strangers celebrate something. Your friend, a major motorsport junkie, noticed that you were focused elsewhere and followed your gaze to the neighboring table. He immediately recognized Charles, realized what he was celebrating and boldly decided to go up to him and congratulate him, dragging you with him. A little bit of alcohol and time later, the two groups merged into a big one and you found yourself sat next to a beaming Charles, downing one shot after the other with him. The next morning, after you took painkillers to calm your raging hangover down, you checked your phone to see he had followed you on instagram. From then on, it was random meetups in various countries, spontaneous but brief vacations with him and your friends, last minute flights to go see his races and endless amounts of absurdly funny texts that included copious amounts of "friendly" flirting.

Snapping out of the flashbacks, your hand reached into the pocket of your sweatshirt, grabbing your phone and unlocking it as you weaved your way through the busy airport, your suitcase dragging behind you. You quickly searched for Charles’ contact name and dialed him, smiling briefly at his name in your phone: Chuck.

It had started as a joke when you once saw a bunch of his fans calling him Chucky and through the months, the “y” was somehow eliminated.

He hated the nickname, so you named him that on your phone.

"You've landed?" He immediately asked after picking up, ignoring any pleasantries or greetings as was usual for you two. You texted too much, making it seem unnecessary to include greetings when you called each other.

"Yeah, just now. Where are you parked?" He always waited outside when picking you up for a race in order to avoid chaos since people would be aware he was in the city, making it easier for them to notice him quickly.

"Directly facing the second exit." You could hear his smile in his words.

"See you." You said then hung up, rapidly heading out of the airport.

You spotted Charles in a black car instantly. You sighed in attempt of calming yourself down just as the driver's door opened and out he stepped, dressed in a grey sweatshirt and matching sweatpants, smiling widely at you as he gave you a small wave that looked cuter than it had any business being.

You rushed to cross the street, suddenly eager to reach him. As soon as you were close enough, you let go off your suitcase and carry on just as he closed the remaining distance between you two, his arms instantly wrapping around your neck, your own finding their spot around his waist, his comforting scent engulfing you.

"Mon dieu, tu m'as manqué." My god, i've missed you. You heard him whisper but you chose to swiftly ignore the feeling the words ignited in you.

"Tu m'as manqué aussi, idiot." I've missed you too, idiot. You replied as you pulled away from him with a smile, taking a step back to pick up your bags.

Charles was quick to help you load your luggage into the car before you both got in.

As was expected, the nerves had magically disappeared. You were already feeling comfortable in his presence, safe even as you settled into his passenger seat.

"I could literally sleep until the free practice tomorrow." You complained as he turned on the car and headed onto the road.

"I would literally drag you out of bed because we're going out tonight." He smirked, giving you a glance before moving his attention to the side-view mirror as he made a turn.

"I'm locking the door then."

"I have my ways to wake you up, even if your door's locked. Plus, it will definitely work in my advantage that you are staying with me." He teased, eyes never leaving the road ahead.

Your eyebrows raised in surprise as you took in his words. Staying with him? You tried to contain your reaction, not wanting him to notice it. After all, you had stayed with him before. Multiple times, actually.

Last year, for instance, he tricked you into joining him on his summer break vacation for a few days by complaining about how he had just broken up with his then-girlfriend and how he didn't want to feel lonely. You ended up in his room, watching a bad movie while sipping on cocktails after a long day on the beach. You had fallen asleep beside him and woke up the next morning to his arm draped over your waist as he slept. Needless to say, it freaked you out for a decent time after it.

"I'm staying with you?" You worked hard to steady your breath.

"Oui. I reserved a hotel suite with two bedrooms just so i can spend more time with you. Est-ce que ça te va?" Is that okay with you?

You wanted to sigh in relief because this was much better than what you had envisioned.

"Oh yes. That is completely fine. How much do i owe you?"

"Nothing." He smiled. "Ferrari covers our room expenses and technically, you're just staying with me." Charles explained with a shrug.

You rolled your eyes, telling him you'll discuss that later.

"How long is the drive?" You asked a few moments later.

"Well, it's not a short one." He grimaced, "Je crois que tu dois te rendre à l'aise." I think you should get comfortable.

You nodded and a comfortable silence took over, the low hum of the engine and a soft melody on the radio serving as calming background noises.

Barely a few minutes passed before you felt your eyes getting heavy and you fell asleep.

_

“y/n, we're here." You heard someone whisper softly. It seemed like the voice was coming from a distance. Then, the person sighed and you felt a hand push away the hair from your face.

"Charles..." you heard yourself groan. That was what quickly woke you up, the fact that Charles was beside you and that you were saying his name in your sleep.

"Yes, Charles. I'd carry you in but that would have made a scene and," he emphasized, "you would have lectured me for it like you did last time."

You rubbed your eyes to see clearer and pulled your hair into a ponytail as you made sense of Charles' words, then you simply nodded.

"C'mon." He tapped your knee briefly before he opened his door. You followed suit and got out of the car only to find that Charles already had your luggage on him.

"Let me help you."

"Tu semble que tu vas to rendormir en marchant. I'll handle the bags, ne t'inquiète pas." You look like you're going to fall back asleep while walking... don't worry. He reassured and you thanked him as the two of you made your way into the hotel, heading straight for the elevator.

"I knew you are excited to see me but I didn't think you were excited enough to mumble my name in your sleep. Ne te méprends pas, je suis flatté, mais c'était franchement inattendu." Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, but it was honestly unexpected.

You felt your cheeks heat up and your heart skip a beat. You had no valid response to this, because you didn't even know why you had said his name in your sleep. So, you settled for the childish reply,

"Oh, shut up, Chuck."

As if on cue the elevator's door slid open and you rushed out, thanking every higher power there is for the save.

After getting to the suite, Charles pointed you to your room and you dramatically threw yourself onto the bed as he set your things on the chair in the corner. You had expected him to leave the room then, but you felt the mattress dip beside you, signaling that Charles wasn't gonna let you continue your nap. You looked up to find him sitting comfortably at the edge.

"I'm more than flattered that you want to join me on the bed, but i feel like that would be a violation to our friendship." You joked, mainly in attempt to calm your own nerves. However, in a typical Charles manner, the words had no visible effect on him.

"Oh, yeah. That would be so wrong, i agree. But I'm just gonna tell you that in the moment, it would feel so right."

You rolled your eyes as a reply, not because you thought that it was the right thing to do, just because he had left you speechless.

Even though your friendship did include a lot of flirting and sexual implications, both ends always realized that these statements were merely jokes. In the past, these moments left you laughing so hard, now they confuse you and leave you a frustrated mess. How you were able to have these little pick-up lines competitions with him before was beyond you.

You shook the intrusive thoughts away, got back up and started discovering your temporary bedroom.

"So, I'm assuming you have something in mind for tonight. Spill." You asked as you pulled open one drawer after the other.

"There's this restaurant that's like 5 minutes away. We're probably gonna go there with Pierre, Carlos, his girlfriend and a bunch of drivers and team members who might join. I think you wanna start getting ready because it is already nearing eight o'clock." He informed you then got up and left the room.

His attitude had changed, you felt it. You frowned at that but decided not to dwell on it since you were familiar with his unexplained mood swings.

Sighing, you got up and reached for you suitcase, rummaging through it to find a suitable outfit. Given the fact that it seemed like multiple drivers were going, you figured the restaurant would be more on the fancy side, so you grabbed the two dresses you brought with you, one white and the other black, laying them down on the bed and staring at them as you debated your options. You loved the white one. It was rather simple and plain but it accentuated your curves beautifully, but the black one was more on the classy side.

Once you failed to pick an outfit, you decided to apply a little makeup first. But that only took around 15 minutes since you wanted something natural. You even brushed your hair and made sure it looked good in that time.

You gaze drifted back to the bed, the two dresses mocking your inability to pick. So you did the only thing you could think of.

"Charles." You shouted for him and almost immediately, he came in bursting through the door. You were surprised to see that in this short time he had shaved, styled his hair to perfection and gotten dressed in a white button down, gray dress pants and a black belt. He looked good. In fact, he looked too good.

"Oui?"

"Pick a dress." You gestured to the bed.

Charles looked down at his outfit, then faked a frown.

"I think i will stick to my clothes but thanks." He sheepishly smiled, feigning innocence as he attempted a joke.

"Fucking hell, Chuck. You know what i mean." You groaned.

He apparently found that very funny, that is until he noticed how you were glaring at him.

"Oh ok." He turned serious quickly, "The black one is nice, i guess." He replied, coming closer to inspect the item of clothing.

"Alright then. Merci." You smiled, picking up the white dress and heading into the bathroom.

"Hey- i said the black one." He argued as you closed the door.

"I know." You replied, chuckling to yourself.

"Eh bien, je comprends pas pourquoi tu m'as demandé de choisir si tu va porter ce que tu veux en fin." Well, I don't understand why you asked me to choose if you're going to wear what you want at the end. You heard him mumble to himself in confusion, causing you to laugh as you slipped on the dress.

The panic set in less than a minute later when you realized you weren't able to reach the zipper on your back. You were pacing in the small space of the bathroom, trying to figure out any solution other than asking for help, anything but asking Charles to help you. You tried every angle and while some slightly worked, the dress remained only half way zipped.

Meanwhile, Charles who was waiting for you on the bed, started questioning what was taking so long. He didn't think putting on a dress would take more than 5 minutes but even that mark has been crossed. He got up and knocked on the bathroom to check up on you.

"Is everything okay in there?"

"Yeah. Yeah." You frantically replied, his unexpected intervention startling you.

But, who were you kidding? This was pointless. You were helpless alone in the bathroom. You winced as you accepted the fact that you had no other choice than to tell him what was going on then endure the consequences that the situation would cause you.

"Actually," you opened the door and poked out your head, "i might have a small problem." The words were rushed as you fiddled with the door knob.

"Okay... What is it?" The confusion was clear in Charles' question.

You then stepped out of the bathroom, and turned around so your back was facing him.

"Can you zip me up?" Your voice sounded hesitant as you looked over your shoulder to see your best friend's reaction.

Charles' head slightly tilted to the side and he gulped, making your cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"Actually, forget about it. You don't have to do it if it makes you uncomfortable. I'll just wear-" You blurted out and started to walk away towards your suitcase when you were interrupted by Charles' hands on your waist, pulling you back closer to him.

"I didn't say i minded." Was all he said as his fingers grabbed onto the zipper, dragging it up a bit too slowly.

Every last bit of air was knocked out of your body as you felt his breath against the back of your neck and his fingertips lightly brushing against the skin on your back. You were hoping that he didn't notice how still you went or the goosebumps on your skin or the way your heart was hammering in your chest.

You didn't really know what it was about him that made you this nervous. You two had been in situations that were far more awkward and you never felt that way. The amount of times you two had walked in on each other half-naked was absurd, yet here you were almost hyperventilating simply because he was zipping your dress up.

"Uh..." he exhaled, "You're good to go." He spoke in a rushed tone before putting some distance between the two of you.

"I'm ready when you are. I'll be waiting outside."

You didn't dare look until you heard the door close. That's when you started cursing under your breath as you realized how fucked up this was.

You couldn't actually recall when your not-so-friendly feelings for Charles started developing, but this... Fuck, this doubled the intensity of these feelings. You were left there, stood awkwardly in the middle of the neat hotel room, questioning whether it would be so bad if you went up to him and just kissed him. Needless to say, your own thoughts startled you.

"Fuck, i'm screwed." You kept mumbling as you slipped on your shoes, grabbed your phone and followed Charles into the common sitting area of the suite after giving yourself a pep talk in the mirror, promising your reflection not to risk this friendship.

You and Charles rode to the restaurant in a dark blue Ferrari that glistened beautifully under the light of street lamps. It was luxurious enough that sitting in its passenger seat felt like a responsibility.

On your short drive to the restaurant, you engaged in small talk, mainly discussing the car he was loaned. It was as if nothing had happened, so you worked hard to convince your mind that nothing had, because if that's what he thought, it should be what you're thinking as well.

As you had expected, the restaurant was in fact rather fancy. That had become obvious the second you were referred to as "Mademoiselle" and "Monsieur" by a waiter dressed in a suit as he escorted you to your table.

You ended up sitting right beside Charles since he was the only person you actually knew as more than just an acquaintance. As the minutes ticked by, more people joined your table until there was only one seat left, the seat being right beside you.

Your body froze once you saw who occupied that seat.

Pete.

The last time you flew to watch Charles race, you had went on a date with a guy from the McLaren mechanical team. You felt bad admitting it, but the date only happened because you were starting to realize your feelings for your best friend and you were doing everything to keep yourself from admitting that you were starting to fall for him. A second date was never brought up because, much to your embarrassment, you had called him the wrong name when he kissed you once the night ended. Pete had simply smiled in irony to hide his true reaction then he told you he suspected this would happen before he left.

"Y/n, it's been a while." He greeted with a smile.

"Pete, hi! How are you?" You faked the enthusiasm because inside you were dreading this dinner even though you weren't even an hour into it.

Your cheerful voice caught Charles' attention, breaking him away from his conversation with Pierre, only because he knew that tone and he knew you were uncomfortable. He looked over at you then at the guy next to you before locking his eyes with yours, his eyebrows raised in question. You shook your head very slightly in a way only he would notice, letting him know everything was okay before turning back around to face Pete who was quick to engage in small talk.

As the night went by and the pressure of the two guys by your sides intensified, you found yourself downing cup after cup of wine. You knew that by now, your cheeks were most likely red, but for the first time ever, you didn't care. You just couldn't handle this situation while sober, especially when Pete would look at you then at Charles before smirking as if he could feel the tension there. He was probably the only person aware of your true feelings for Charles. That was inevitable since you technically groaned Charles' name into his mouth just a few months ago.

"You two dating yet?" He leaned closer to you, whispering the question into your ear.

Your eyes widened and you stopped drinking your wine mid-sip.

"What is wrong with you?! He's my best friend." You whispered back.

Out if the corner of your eye, you caught Charles slightly glaring at the exchange happening beside him. You ignored that, not wanting to ruin the buzz you were feeling by overthinking your best friend's behavior.

"Fine. Whatever you say, i guess." He replied, grabbing the bottle of alcohol and refilling your cup.

The night continued that way. You ate delicious food, chatted with a bunch of people and drank a lot. Pete was still coming closer than necessary to you every time he wanted to say something and surprisingly you felt yourself getting comfortable with that. Charles on the other hand seemed to have developed a new hobby of glaring at the McLaren mechanic while Pierre was looking at him with a mix of entertainment and concern.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Charles suddenly interrupted your conversation with Pete, almost turning his whole body to face you two.

"We met at the paddock a few months ago." You replied with ease thanks to the wine.

"Oh. Just that? I feel like you're really used to each other." He pointed out, taking a bite of his food into his mouth so his curiosity would look a bit more casual.

"Well, we did go on a date back then. But, that is about it." Pete explained.

Charles' fork froze mid-air.

"And how come i have never heard of that date? I thought we tell each other everything." Charles directed the question at you and you shrugged while Pete smirked because he knew the answer to that.

"It's not like you tell me about everyone you date." You argued, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"Uh, i do tell you about everyone i date." He spoke as if his statement was the truest, most obvious thing in the world.

"You're not fooling me, Chuck. You're telling me you haven't dated anyone in, like what, a year?"

"Yes, i'm telling you that because it is the truth." He looked pissed that you didn't believe him. It surely didn't help that you were staring at him in disbelief.

Luckily, Pierre interfered.

"Don't worry, he's only joking." He clarified.

That, in fact, made more sense. However, Charles' head quickly snapped towards his friend.

"No, i'm not. Tu sais que c'est la verité." You know it's the truth.

"Let it go, Charles." Pierre seemed to warn him and Charles finally gave in.

But, despite everything you could almost see the thoughts spiraling inside his head and you knew this conversation would be brought up later.

Pierre's intervention worked well until it didn't. In other words, it worked until Pete placed his arm around the back of you chair. That earned him quite the look from Charles who then proceeded to down his drink after Pierre nudged him. You didn't know what was up with him, but you intended on figuring it out later.

Meanwhile, your best friend seemed to avoid looking your way. He was literally actively avoiding shifting his gaze to your side and you could tell a few other people had noticed the high tension on your side of your table.

Sighing, you leaned onto Charles' side a little, softly resting your hand on his shoulder, causing him to finally look at you.

"Qu'est-ce qui se passe, Charles?" What's happening, Charles?

He shook his head and sighed before answering you.

"I think I'm gonna leave, i'm not really comfortable here right now, honestly. I'm gonna go get the car. If you want to leave too, follow me. But if you wanna stay, call me later to pick you up. Don't leave with anyone random, please." He pressed a kiss onto your forehead before excusing himself and making his way out of the restaurant.

Pierre looked at you with a curious, questioning frown as he started getting up to follow his friend.

"I've got it," you gestured for him to stay, "I'm leaving with him anyway."

Pierre nodded, so you excused yourself and left.

Once you stepped out, you easily noticed Charles' car and made your way to it, quickly slipping into the vehicle.

Charles drove in silence to the hotel. Once you arrived, he parked the car in an underground parking, turned it off but didn't show any intentions of getting out of it, so you sat there beside him, resisting the urge to ask the question burning in your mind. But you couldn't put it off long enough.

"Charles, is something wrong? I should've told you about Pete, i know... but I honestly didn't think it was that important. You know i tell you everything significant about my life."

"It's not..." he sighed, stopping his sentence and replacing his words with a nod.

He got out of the car and waited for you to join him. Once you were beside him, you two walked side by side into the hotel then into the suite where you went directly into your room to change into something more comfortable.

Once the dress was exchanged for sweatpants and a t-shirt, you made your way back into the kitchen-living room area where you found Charles sat in the dark on the small couch, his button down now only buttoned halfway and his belt sitting on the table as the television illuminated his face softly. You were grabbing a bottle of water from the mini fridge when you noticed a bottle of red wine and a bouquet of roses on the small counter space. You frowned, hesitantly inspecting the small card attached to the bouquet. There wasn't anything on there.

"Charles, what are these?" You asked, voice barely audible.

He looked over to see what you were talking about.

"The hotel probably sent them." He shrugged.

"Oh." Was all you managed to say as you made your way to sit by him, leaving an amount of space that was unusual for the two of you.

"Listen, I don't really know what happened, but I don't like how awkward this has suddenly become. Do you want me to leave you alone?" You finally gave in.

He immediately turned to look at you.

"What? No. Of course not. I'm so happy to have you here. Why would i ask you to leave me alone?" He patted the spot closer to him, "Come here."

You scooted over and he pulled you to him so that your head was resting on his shoulder.

Any other time, your heart would have been beating out of your chest, but the lingering awkwardness prevented that from happening.

"Then why were you angry tonight?"

His head dropped back to rest against the back of the couch and he let out a loud breath.

"You get to pick the answer since one of the options has serious consequences. Do you want me to bullshit a reason, or do you want the truth? No matter what it might change?"

His words caused you to sit back up straighter than ever as nerves froze your body.

"Charles, what?"

"Pick the answer, y/n." You went radio silent, your eyes searching his face for any clue that would tell you what was happening.

"The truth, always." You faked confidence, because in reality your hands were shaking and your mind was racing.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." His eyes locked with yours, freezing you in your spot.

"Spill it, Leclerc."

"Fine, i love you." If his look froze you then this sent you into paralysis.

"I love you and that is why I was upset tonight. I'm just so sick of dropping so many hints just for you to go flirt with yet another asshole. I've known this for so much time and i've planned so many ways to tell you every time i see you, wether on vacations or race weekends or facetime calls even but i was always too afraid to say it. The latest plan was the flowers and the wine, but it seemed unfair to tell you tonight like i had planned because i saw that you were interested in someone. But fuck, I can't keep it to myself anymore because it's tearing at my heart every fucking day we're together and even more when we're apart." He blurted, not bothering to think the words through. His voice sounded fragile as if he was on the verge of crying. It left you speechless, the whole situation, his words, his voice and the look in his eyes.

"Charles..." you started but trailed off, not finding the words to say.

"Listen, i get it. You don't have to love me back, I'm not asking you to, i just needed to get it off my chest.”

"What?" You were in disbelief.

"Yeah, you don't have to love me back." Even in the dim light, you could see the tears glistening in his eyes, "l just need you to take what I'm feeling into consideration for a little while until i can get this under control. Je te promets que je trouverai une solution à ça. Ne t'inquiète pas. I'm not gonna lose you, i need you by my side, even if it's just as a friend." I promise you i'll find a solution to this. Don't worry. He said, his fingers quickly wiping under his eyes.

"Please don't cry, Charles. Je te supplie." I'm begging you. You didn't know what to do. "Look at me." You pulled on his hand, urging him to meet your eyes but when he refused to, you blurted out the first thing that came to your mind.

"The reason I didn't go on a second date with Pete was because i moaned your name when he kissed me after the first one."

That definitely caught his attention. He quickly looked at you with astonishment.

"T’as fais quoi?!" What did you do? He basically squealed, making you smile.

Instead of replying you kissed a tear off his cheek as your hand cupped his face.

"I love you too, Charles." You whispered softly before connecting your lips to his in a brief kiss.

“Finally” your mind was screaming as you tasted his lips against yours. You've imagined doing this countless times over the last few months. You've created scenarios about how it would happen and what it would feel like but nothing did this feeling justice, nothing could have prepared you for the relief that would come from simply kissing him after the long-endured envy to do so. It felt like a grand finale, one with fireworks and choreographies and happy songs. It felt like safety after an eternity spent in danger. It felt like how you imagined heaven would feel like.

"Fuck. Say it again." He asked, desperation lacing his tone.

"I love you. I really do and i'm so sorry that this has hurt you so much for so long. I really am. But-" He shut you up with another kiss, this time pulling you to sit on his lap as he kissed you.

"This might have just become my favorite thing to do." He smiled against your lips, making you chuckle too once he pulled away.

"Just wait until you-" You started but he didn't let you finish the sentence.

"Nope. You don't wanna go there right now." He laughed.

"So what, sexual jokes are okay when we're friends but now they're not?"

"Oh, no. They're definitely okay. In fact, they'll always be our thing. But right now, we should be busy acting them out instead of making them, you know?" He smirked, hands wrapping around you as he unexpectedly picked you up and took you to his bedroom, setting you down on the bed.

His lips connected to yours for mere seconds before he pulled away.

"I'm gonna go grab the wine now because once we're both in this bed, I don't think anyone out of us will be getting out of this room before it's morning." He teased before disappearing out of the door.

_

The next morning, you woke up weirded out by the fact that your skin was touching someone else's and that there was two arms wrapped around you. Then, all the events from last night flooded your mind, the newly-created memories making you smile widely. This time you didn't rush to get out of bed like you did that one vacation, instead you cuddled closer into Charles' chest and watched as he opened one eye to peak at you, a breathtaking smile taking over his face.

"Bonjour, mon amour." Good morning, my love. He greeted, his morning voice unmissable.

"Bonjour, chéri." You replied as you brushed your fingers through his hair.

You could get used to this, you thought. In fact, it was undeniable that you wanted to get used to waking up next to Charles and to him calling you "my love." It was all you've ever wanted, actually.

All you’ve ever wanted was right there in front of you and you couldn’t be more thankful.

#charles leclerc imagines #charles leclerc one shot #charles leclerc oneshots #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x you #f1 x reader #f1 imagines #f1 oneshots #f1 fic #f1 x you

[writeforfandoms]

My Heart is Falling Too

Find my CoD Masterlist

This is my first time writing more than a few hundred words for Simon, so we'll see how this goes!

Do mind the tags. There is literally no plot here. I'm just dropping you straight into an established relationship.

Warnings: plot what plot/porn without plot, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, fingering, teasing, dirty talk, shower sex, swearing.

Word count: 2k

The sound of Simon’s alarm going off roused you from your half-asleep state, and you narrowed your eyes in displeasure. But you sat up to take pain meds, because if you didn’t, he’d give you the Look. The one you hated. 

And even if you hated to admit it, it did help when you took your meds every four hours so the cramps couldn't start. It did not help with the general ickiness, but it did help with the cramps. 

Simon huffed out a soft laugh as he watched you. “Good girl,” he murmured teasingly. 

You flopped back as soon as you were done, adjusting your heat pack. “Oh hush.” You squirmed a little, getting comfortable, before picking up your phone again to go back to reading. This was one of the things you loved about Simon - the two of you could do your own things together. 

One hand briefly touched your forehead, checking your temperature, before patting the top of your head. You scoffed a little but otherwise didn’t react, quickly getting pulled back into your reading. 

Simon shuffled closer to you and pulled you into his side, tucking his head down briefly to press his nose into your hair. You hummed, content, and relaxed against him. 

“Planning to shower tonight?” he asked in a low murmur. 

“Yeah. Why?” 

“Thinkin’ I could help.” His lips twitched in a smirk. 

“You always want to help.” But you smiled, not actually objecting. 

“And?” He drawled the word, making you laugh softly. 

“Just pointing it out.”

“Fair.” His hand rubbed slowly across your shoulders, encouraging you to relax further into the warmth of him. 

You hummed and turned your head, pressing your ear to his chest to listen to the soothing thu-thump of his heart. Dropping your phone to the couch, you turned to nuzzle into him affectionately, one hand curling in his shirt. 

Simon just chuckled, smoothing his hand up and down your back. 

When you felt yourself starting to drift off, you groaned softly and pushed yourself upright. “Gonna start the shower,” you said, flapping a hand at him. “Don’t rush to join me.” 

Simon nodded, though you could feel his gaze on you as you walked back to the bathroom. 

The hot water on your skin made you sigh in relief, easing tension from you that you hadn’t even realized you’d been carrying. Showers always made you feel better, made the ache in your abdomen more bearable, made you feel less gross. 

The shower door opened and you smiled to yourself, grabbing your body wash. Big hands settled on your hips as Simon pressed himself against your back. 

“Need some help?” His thumbs rubbed into your hips. 

“If you’d like.” You tipped your head back and to the side to look up at him. 

He smirked but didn’t take the body wash, instead just smoothing his hands across your skin, massaging your abdomen gently. You hummed and leaned back against him, knowing he’d keep you from falling. 

“How’re you feeling?” He kept his voice quiet, one hand sliding up to push gently just between your breasts. Keeping you securely against him.

“Pretty decent. Better now.” You hummed, lifting one hand to card your fingers through his hair. 

He huffed and turned his head to nip your wrist lightly. “Relax,” he murmured, hand on your abdomen sliding down to the apex of your thighs. “Lemme make you feel better.” 

You shuddered at the feeling of one big finger circling your clit before sliding into you, his groan almost subvocal. He moved slowly at first, letting you relax into him, knowing well how sensitive you sometimes were. 

The second finger had you whimpering, both hands grabbing at him, enjoying the stretch. Finally, he started to move faster, the heel of his hand grinding against your clit as he moved. 

“Simon…” You tried to wiggle against him, trying to tempt him into doing more.

“Nuh uh.” A sharp nip to the soft skin under your ear made you squeak. “First one will be from this.” 

You swallowed, tightening your grip on him. “Sounds like you’ve got plans.”

“Always do.” He huffed out an amused chuckle, kissing the spot he’d just nipped. He curled his fingers in you, seemingly effortlessly finding that perfect spot, leaving you keening. The third finger was a delicious stretch, and you rolled your hips into his hand. “Needy little thing, aren’t you?” 

But he didn’t give you a chance to respond, biting down on your shoulder as he resumed curling his fingers in you, heel of his hand grinding against your clit. He knew exactly where to touch you and how to touch you to make you fall apart, and delighted in doing so. 

“Atta girl,” he murmured against the shell of your ear. “Tell me how it feels.”

“Good, s-so good,” you managed, hips jerking against his hand, caught right between too-much and not-enough, head tipped back. “Fuck, Simon, please!”

“Please what?” The smirk was clear in his voice. 

“I need–” You gasped when he bit down again, undoubtedly leaving another mark on you. 

“Need what, love?” he rasped, voice low and dark and amused. You whined, wordless, and he stopped. His fingers stilled inside you, holding you tight against him. “Tell me.” 

“Simon,” you whined, desperate, digging your nails into his skin.

He huffed. “Words, love.” 

“Need more,” you managed, eyes closed tight against the wash of embarrassment. “Please, Si.” 

“Good girl,” he growled, immediately moving again, teeth scraping over the marks he’d already left on you. His hand on your chest kept you pressed against him, keeping you upright as you trembled. He bit down again and you shouted, clenching tight around his fingers. 

Simon did wait until you were steady on your feet again before sliding his fingers out of you, letting the water rinse off the blood and slick. 

You turned to face him, pulling him down to kiss him, fingers knotting in the hair at the back of his head. He made a rough noise against your lips, pushing you gently back into the wall of the shower, bracketing you in, even as he nipped your lip sharply. 

“Something you still want?” You batted your eyelashes up at Simon, unable to resist teasing him a little. 

He huffed, lips twitching in amusement. “Brat.” But the word was fond, even as his hands slipped down to the backs of your thighs. You only got a moment of warning before he was hauling you up, braced between him and the wall, pulling your legs around his hips. You grabbed his shoulders, huffing at him. 

He kissed you before you could grumble at him, hands holding firm even as his hips rocked into yours, pressing his cock against you. Your lips parted and he took advantage, licking into your mouth with a low groan. 

“Too fuckin’ tempting,” he muttered, barely pulling back enough to speak. “Fuckin’ hell.” 

You swallowed, licking your lips, legs tight around him. He knew you loved being manhandled, but this he didn’t do often. And damn if it didn’t work, want pooling in your belly. “Spoken like someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing,” you shot back, scratching your nails lightly over his shoulders. 

He ground against you again, fingertips digging into your skin in a way that felt like you’d have bruises later. Good. You wanted them. “Ready for me?”

“Yes.” You dug one heel into his ass, prompting him closer, feeling a little wild. 

Simon pulled back just enough to line up properly, and then paused, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Sure you’re ready for me?��

“If you don’t move–” You didn’t have to think of how to finish your threat, because he pushed into you in one long stroke. Your head fell back against the wall, your moan only muffled a little by the water. 

“Tell me.” The demand was accompanied by a nip to your ear. 

“You are evil,” you breathed, pressing your heels into his back. But he stood firm and, unfortunately, still. “Simon.”

He parroted your tone as he said your name, smirk clear. 

"Please?" You batted your eyelashes at him. 

He chuckled, low and rumbling, which made you shiver and clench around him. "Tell me what you want." 

"I want you to fuck me." You tried to hide your face, but Simon didn't let you, moving with you to hold your gaze. 

"No hiding from me, love." He smirked, squeezing the flesh under his fingers. 

But he didn't give you a chance to respond. He shifted his feet, bracing you firmly against the wall before he pulled back slowly and slammed back into you. You gasped and clung tight to him as he fucked into you hard enough to have you seeing stars. 

All you could do was cling to him, knowing he wouldn't let you fall, and make all the noise you wanted. Moans, whimpers, breathy gasps. All of it. 

"Tell me what you need," Simon ground out, watching you closely. 

You shut your eyes and shook your head, because you were terrible at asking for things. Even still. Even with Simon. 

"C'mon, love." A sharp nip to your chin made you gasp, eyes flying open again. "Tell me." 

"Simon!" You tipped your head when his nose nudged your jaw, giving him room to bite. "Please!" 

"Tell me," he groaned against your skin. 

"Mark me, please, leave marks," you finally gave in, tightening around him, pleasure building. You were close, so close, you just needed a little more. 

Simon groaned, deep and rumbling from his chest to yours, but obediently bit down at the junction of your neck and shoulder. The sharp burst of pain-pleasure paired with everything else tipped you over the edge, and your back arched off the wall with the force of your orgasm. 

"Fuck," Simon snarled, moving faster now, chasing his own end. "Fuck!" Just as you were gasping, tears blurring your vision with the beginnings of overstimulation, he stilled, hips pressed flush against yours, filling you with warmth. 

You freed one hand to run through his hair, still coming down, enjoying the flush on his cheeks and the disheveled look of him. Your palm settled against his cheek, lips twitching into a soft smile. Simon huffed quietly but leaned in, kissing you much more gently now. 

"How're you feelin'?" He asked, low and rumbly and delicious. 

"Good." You smiled. "Very good." 

He huffed a soft almost-laugh. "Ready to finish up?"

"You're the one that distracted me," you pointed out, but you pulled him into another kiss. 

"So sorry," he drawled, very carefully pulling out of you. You hissed softly at the feeling, and he distracted you with another kiss. 

"Well, I suppose I can forgive you," you murmured. "Let me just wash the worst of this off and we can get out." 

"Take your time." Simon kissed the mark he'd left on the junction of your neck, feather-light, and moved behind you to trace his fingers up and down your back as you rinsed off the worst of the mess of blood, slick, and come. 

Simon wrapped you in a towel as soon as you stepped out of the shower and then gave you privacy. Knowing him, he was double checking all the locks before bed. 

Sure enough, when you slipped into bed in an old t-shirt and period underwear, the apartment was locked up tight. Simon made sure you were settled before he settled down, pulling you close and turning off the lights. 

You breathed out a contented sigh and relaxed into him, fingers scratching lightly against his shoulder. He just pulled you in closer, until you could listen to his heartbeat. 

You were nearly asleep when you felt his hand drift down between your legs, moving your panties to the side to slide two fingers into you. You gasped and squirmed. 

"Si, no," you grumbled, trying to pull your hips away. But his fingers were already retreating, and you could just see the gleam of the wetness coating them in the faint light from the window. 

"Just getting a taste," he murmured soothingly before sticking his fingers in his mouth. He groaned very softly and then those eyes focused on you and darkened rapidly as he shifted the two of you, pushing you flat onto you back and moving between your legs. "Maybe more than a taste…" 

#simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #18+ #minors begone

[xzhdjsj]

Zaros x Reader

dreaming of Zaros (nsfw)

[gonna save my yapping for the end of the fic today🦦]

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As the days grew closer to the grand trials of your generation, the wearier your body became. There was preparation after preparation, not only for the trials itself but also for a grand ball to commence such. If there was one thing the royal family was recognized for, it had to be their ability to accommodate and entertain. You weren’t worried. Being part of such a family, you were well experienced with the toll a heap of events took on your body and knew exactly how to handle it.

What you didn’t expect, however, was the toll wine would have on your weakened state.

The ballroom brimmed with life, music, and laughter. A celebration before a war, well not exactly, but something of the sort. It was a good opportunity for both you and Zaros to make good impressions on nobles and dignitaries in attendance. And for a while, it went smoothly as you did just that. You laughed and danced, entertaining guests and accepting drinks. Before you knew it, the wine had gone straight to your head, and you could feel the blood rushing under your skin.

You were beyond grateful you had already greeted and chatted with enough guests for the night before the feeling crept up on you. To everyone's delight, the Queen always serves the best of wines at her gatherings but right now that was definitely no delight for you. You stow away to a corner where you could be alone for a moment, bold purple outfit perfectly blending into the bold purple curtains. You just needed a breather, a moment to calm your racing mind.

“Having a good time, aren’t we?”

Condescending words paired with a cocky grin and gorgeous green eyes. Zaros.

“Am I not allowed to?”

You retort, a weak rebuttal compared to your usual wit. You stand a little straighter, attempting to appear prim and proper.

He laughs, and you know he can see right through you. It has to be the thing you hate most about him. It’s like he’s always one step ahead of you in your own actions. He might just know you more than you know yourself.

“Absolutely not where I was taking this, I was just asking.”

You scoff, swirling the dark maroon coloured liquid around your glass.

"You don’t plan on finishing that, do you?” he eyes the crystal glass in your hand. No, you didn’t but solely to defy him, you down the entire thing in one sip.

“Yes, I did” Immediately, you regret it, the smugness wipes from your face and you reach for the table for support.

“Not one of your best ideas huh?” He shook his head and reached forward to hold you.

You roll your eyes, brush his hands away and try to regain your composure, but to no avail.

Though Zaros wasn’t the best at showing it, he was genuinely concerned. He was especially alarmed when he looked over your shoulder to find guests discreetly whispering to each other. Briskly, he stood up and deliberately splashed the contents of his own glass onto your corset. Taken by surprise, you barely had time to react.

“Why would you do-"

"Oh dear, how clumsy of me. We should get that cleaned up." He shushed you.

"Allow me to escort you to your chambers." He extends his hand.

In the state you're in, you'd be a fool to refuse him. You took his offer and allowed him to guide you out the ballroom and into the shadowy pathways of the palace, the same secret passages that you roamed as children. The journey to your room was dead silent, there was simply nothing to be said. The effects of the alcohol only became worst and you were practically being carried by Zaros. His arms felt comfortable enough to hold onto and secure enough to depend on, a place one could easily become lost in.

In your room, you sit on your bed while Zaros pours you a glass of water. It was dark, but neither of you bothered to switch on the lights. The moonlight illuminating it was enough.

“I don't think it would be wise to go back down there. You should get some rest." He hands you the glass.

You barely process the words coming out his mouth as the bubbly feeling swarms your brain and apparently loosens your tongue.

“You know, despite being so mean, you're very pretty... But sometimes your actions confuse me” You tilt your head at him, studying him as if he was an ancient painting.

His eyebrows shot up, and he laughed in amusement.

"You think so? I can say the same thing about you. I must say I didn't expect that, I thought you only had thoughts of disgust for me in that mind of yours."

"Hmmmm, I s'pose so." You look away. “And no, I don’t. Sure, you get on my nerves very often, but I don’t think… I don’t think I hate you.”

"I could get used to this side of you.” He smiles. “You know, I never did get a chance to dance with you tonight. How about a dance?"

"Right now? I can barely walk Zaros. " You giggle, a genuine laugh, not one to impress some high-status personnel. The kind that makes the warmth in your chest bloom like orchids in the spring.

"I believe I am more than capable of holding you."

Once again, he's reaching out to you, and once again, you take it. Slowly, your bodies move across the carpeted floor to the dim music of the ballroom. Your twirls were anything but graceful, but it was the most enjoyable dance you've had all night.

It was funny at first, the clumsy movements of a drunk and half-drunk duo, but somewhere in the middle, the laughter melted into silence, and you were painfully aware of his presence. Each brush of his hand over your waist, back, or shoulder was enough to ignite a fire on your skin. He must have felt it too, the warmth, the way your heart speeds up, the way your breaths become shallow and uneven. It was the only explanation for why he pulled away from the dance.

"I... I should get going now, good night", he turns for the door, but you reach for his hand.

"Wait no! Stay... please?"

Wordlessly, he takes your hand again, bodies finding the tune that was previously broken off. Your hand rested on his chest, and you felt it. His heart. It was beating just as fast as yours. You hear it. His breaths. They were just as laboured as yours.

Perhaps it was stupidy. Maybe it was pure drunken confidence, but you inched closer, and before you knew it, you were kissing him. You didn't know why you did it, but what you failed to comprehend even more was why he entertained and even returned the gesture. Well, it's not like there was any time for comprehension or deduction anyways, not when his lips dominated yours with a sense of urgency. An ecstasy and desire that could burn the world. Only him. Only this man who you swore to hate can make you feel this way, elicit sincere emotions from you that you wanted to bury so deep and never let the light touch. At least for once, you were honest. You don’t hate him; you can’t bring yourself to hate him.

In the darkness of your chambers, and somewhere in-between kisses, you landed atop your bed. Temporarily separated as he throws his heavy robe to the floor.

"My clothes, they’re still damp. Help me get them off?"

You didn’t need to ask twice. Still kissing you, his hands work on the back of your corset. He was impatient, tugging harshly at the ribbons and pulling them off as fast as he could, with it removing the top half of your attire. He stopped for a moment, and his eyes dont move a single millimetre from your exposed body. It made you feel warmer and maybe just a little bit of insecurity. A hand immediately covers your chest. His eyebrows knitted, and he finally looked up from your chest.

"Don't. Where's all your confidence gone now?", his voice is rugged and demanding, and his eyes do not falter. "I want to see you."

The insecurity disappears and is instead replaced with annoyance and arousal. You 6 remove your hands.

"Not fair, I can't be the only one undressed."

He moved away from you, and the fabric of his shirt was easily removed and discarded over his head. You stare shamelessly. That’s all it took for you to understand why he didn't like it when you covered yourself. The way he looked was magnificent and all you wanted to do was look at him.

It doesn't take him long to return to you, passion growing by the seconds with every needy touch of your wandering hands. You're settled perfectly below him with a perfect view of his expression and body. He really did look beautiful, but you’ve exhausted your ability to call him pretty for today. With each caress and each kiss, you can feel his impatience.

“I want to taste you.” He whispers, eyes aflame with desire and lust.

“Then kiss me more.”

“Not your lips.”

Confusion laced your mind. But the dots connected when he reached for the waist of your bottoms, slipping them down your hips. His body shifted backwards until his face was on the same level as your hips. He moved slowly to give you adequate time to decline him if you wanted to. You didn’t.

“Have you ever done this before?” Once again, he saw right through you.

You swallow, “No.’”

“Don’t think too hard on it, just relax and feel it.”

He holds your thighs in place and kisses the inner side of one. You braced yourself for the feeling, but no amount of preparation could ever prepare you for how amazing the warmth of his mouth felt against your core. You wanted to squeeze your legs shut, but his iron-like grip kept you firmly in place. He knew exactly what he’s doing and he’s very good at doing it. Your fingers find themselves in his hair, gripping onto the soft, blond locks. He doesn’t budge. His tongue moves against you with purpose and determination that drew loud moans and screams of his name from your throat. Your grip on his hair only added to the feeling and he seemed to enjoy it too because each time your fingers tightened in his hair, his moans vibrated into your body and made your stomach feel light and flowery.

The feeling only intensifies as he continues, threatening to consume you whole and that it does. Your body erupts, and you grip onto his hair and the sheets until your knuckles turn white. You’ve experienced it before, but never this intensely, you couldn’t tell if the alcohol or Zaros was to blame, but you were silently thanking both in your mind as the stars faded away from you vision. When he releases you, your body falls limp onto the bed.

“Still want to act like a brat?” He laughs at your state and slides off the bed.

You were too zoned out to reply or notice, but when he returned, the rest of his clothes were gone.

“You did well” he kissed the side of your neck, “So good, I can’t wait any longer.”

He slots himself between your legs, his body lined up with yours.

“I've been thinking about this for a while, a little too long if I'm being honest. You constantly pester my mind, do you know that?" He continues, "Are you ready?”

You nod, and that's all he needs.

And then-

Your body jolts awake, covered in a thin layer of sweat. The boundaries of reality and subconscious unblurring. Your breathing remains unsteady as your mind wraps around what you just experienced. That kind of dream? Of HIM? If your face could flush anymore, you might just bleed out your pores. It was extremely embarrassing but unlike anything you’ve ever felt. You'd never admit it but you wished you hadn’t woken up.

Maybe this was all because you were tired, right? When the mind is tired, it does crazy things. You despise him, so this would never be an option. Besides it’s not like you actually want that, right?... right?

You lay awake and your mind takes the opportunity to drift. Would he really behave like that? Is he actually experienced? That would mean he’s been with someone or a few someones. Suddenly, you feel disgustingly envious of people you neither know nor met. But no, you silence the thought. You shouldn't care who he's been with.

You attempt to delude yourself, convince your mind that this was a simple slip up, and everything will go back to being normal when you wake up in the morning. Except, despite the hazy feeling of being hungover and bone deep tiredness, you couldn’t sleep. You were determined to forgetbut it engulfed your mind all night, right up until the gentle morning sunlight seeped into your room, urging you to start the day. You sigh, pulling the plush covers off your body and walk over to the window. Maybe some fresh air would help.

They sky is beautiful, as it always is, but you struggle to appreciate it as much as you’d like to. Your eyes roam the view from your window, desperate for another distraction, the buildings beyond the palace, the palace gates and watch towers, the courtyard and trees, the garden and familiar blond hair. Blond hair. The same blond hair you’d dreamt were tangled between your fingers as he-

You stopped breathing for a moment. DON’T THINK. DON’T LOOK. DON’T THINK. DON’T LOOK. DON’T. LO-

Unsuccessful. Both your mind and eyes betray you, and you wish you would disintegrate into a cloud of dust from guilt. You can’t help but watch as he graciously moves past each plant, admiring each leaf, each petal much like he did to your body, leaning down to touch them ever so lightly. Your heart hammer against your chest, and you wished so badly you could control it. You wished so badly you could look away. But here you stood, captivated by your sworn rival with very inappropriate thoughts fogging your brain.

He must’ve felt your eyes following his movements. He straightened his posture and looked behind him, long locks of blond hair smoothly shift to accommodate the action, then he looks up. Hurriedly, you step aside with your back presses tightly against the wall, hopefully fast enough for him to have not seen you. You stay against the wall cursing yourself, cursing your dream, cursing the heavens, and did I mention cursing yourself? You waited a while before peeking again, but he was gone. You sigh and drop onto the floor, a strange feeling brewing in your chest. It should have been relief, but no, you felt disappointed and entirely conflicted.

It was one hell of a week ahead.

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So how was it?👹

I hope you enjoyed it! I've been procrastinating writing this fic for a WHILEEEEE

Originally, I was going to separate the reality from where the actual dream begins, but I realised that readers can decide that for themselves if I made it continuous instead.

For me I'd say Zaros left after the dance and the rest is the dream but it could be anything! Maybe the entire thing is a dream, maybe he just chucked you into the room and left, maybe you fell asleep while he was dragging you to your room! Who knows, you get to decide!

#zsakuva #sakuverse #asmr #zaros #zaros x reader #zsakuva zaros

[081314]

Book 7: The Ruler of the Abyss – Chapter 3 (Part 2)

Following is part 2 of my translation of Chapter 3 of Book 7: The Ruler of the Abyss. This part contains episodes 7-44 to 7-50.

Main storyline spoilers after the cut!!

Episode 7-44

Silver: Zzzz….zzzz…

Sebek: Zzzz……zzzz…..

Lilia: Zzzz…..zz….

Everyone: zzz……

Grim: zzz…...zzzz….

Ortho: ……………………

(Cyberspace)

Ortho: ….Aaah! ….Phew, I was finally able to break out of my gear! Since I uploaded my data using the school’s public WLAN network, it took quite a while.

(Beep)

Ortho: Thank goodness. Neither my AI program nor my memory appear to be crashing. And I was able to preserve all my recordings, as well.

(Ortho plays back his recording from the going away party)

Crowley: Draconia-kun!? Just what are you intending to do here!?

Grim: Yikes! All my fur’s standing on end!

(An alarm sounds)

Ortho: A rapid accumulation of blot has been detected within a 10 meter radius. A magical disaster emergency alert has been issued. Immediate evacuation and further precautionary measures are advised.

Crowley: A magical disaster!? Augh…. Everyone! I permit you to use offensive magic! Stop Draconia-kun!

Malleus: Stand back, you fools.

Lilia: Stop it, Malleus!! That’s enough!!

Malleus: O Spinning Wheel of Fate, spin thy thread of calamity. I, the King of the Abyss, shall bestow upon thee… a blessing.

Everyone: Zzzz…..zzz…..

(The recording ends)

Ortho: ….It appears that Malleus Draconia-san’s magic affected my magical reactor and caused my gear to shut down. It’s unbelievable… My armor is comprised of anti-magic materials that Styx developed, and yet his spell penetrated it like it was nothing… Just how strong is this guy…. The large amount of blot and magic activated the magical disaster emergency alert system I have installed in my gear, but…. Seeing as the network is in working order, that probably means the school facilities weren’t destroyed when he attacked. The timestamp on my crash report is 21:18…. I know my magical circuits got fried, but I don’t recall my gear getting destroyed. Since I transferred myself to the network in a panic, I wasn’t able to fully retrieve all of my data. I’m really worried about the other partygoers…. But first I have to make sure big brother is okay!

Episode 7-45

Idia: Zzzz…..zzz…..

Ortho: Big brother! Are you okay!? Oh, thank goodness! You don’t appear to be injured anywhere. Perhaps the effects from Malleus Draconia-san’s magic didn’t spread further than Diasomnia?

Idia: Zzz…..z….

Ortho: I’d normally hate to wake you up when you’re sleeping so peacefully…. But this is an emergency! First, I’ll just connect to the wireless speakers…. There. BIG BROTHER! SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED! WAKE UP!

Idia: Zzzz…..zzzzz…. *mumbles*

Ortho: THIS REALLY ISN’T THE TIME TO BE GETTING SOME BEAUTY SLEEP! BIG BROOOTHEEEER!

Idia: Zzz….zzzz…..

Ortho: Fine, if it’s gonna be that way….

Ortho: Haaaah, haaah….! I tried transferring my data to my spare gears, but the magic circuits are fried in all of them, and I can’t even get them to move a single inch. Since I’m able to operate devices that just run on electricity, I tried playing some Precipice Moirai songs at a loud volume from the speakers in this room, and moving around the cleaning robots, but… ALL OF THEM HAD ZERO EFFECT!

Ortho: Big brother, normally, no matter how deeply you sleep… All somebody has to do is play Precipice Moirai’s hit single “Cut the Thread of Fate!” and you’ll fly out of bed and start doing that weird dance…  I can’t even pick up anything to throw at you. I feel like I’m more fleeting than a ghost right now…. I wonder if anyone else is awake? I’ll hack into the security cameras and take a look.

(Ignihiyde Dorm - Lounge)

Ortho: Ah, I think I see some people over there. As expected of Ignihyde students, some of them ended up not going to the party. I’ll just connect to the dorm’s speaker system and… HEEEY!

Ignihyde Students: ……..

Ortho: Hey! You two sitting in the dorm lounge. Could you please come to the housewarden’s room… Ah.

Ignihyde Students: Zzzz…..zzz….

Ortho: They’re asleep. Could it be…. All the “living people” in the school are…? This is unbelievable….. Did the effects from Malleus Draconia-san’s magic spread all the way to…. I’ll go outside and check.

(Main Street)

Ortho: !? …What is this? The whole school is covered in thorns. And there’s a thick fog of blot as far as the security camera can see…. …No way. Did it also reach outside the school?

(Town at the foot of the mountain)

Townspeople: Zzzzz…zzz….

(Royal Sword Academy)

Royal Sword Academy Students: Zzzzz….zzzz….

(Idia’s room)

Ortho: It’s not just within Night Raven College…. Everyone on Sage’s Island is… No, not just the people. The animals…. And the insects and the fish… Every living thing is asleep. And the only one awake is…. Me? He took the whole island under his control in a matter of seconds…. That’s insane. That’s, like, beyond using cheat codes. For the time being, I need to get off this island. I’ll utilize the submarine network cables and transfer my data over to Styx via the branch office they have in the Land of Dawning. Wait for me, big brother!

(Ortho disappears from the terminal in Idia’s room, and then reappears there a moment later)

Ortho: …Huh? I was trying to leave the island, so how come I ended up back here in big brother’s room? I’ll try again….!

(Ortho tries to leave again, and is sent back to the terminal)

Ortho: Uwaaah! There’s a powerful energy field covering the island, and even if I try to leave along the undersea cables, I keep being forced back here. It’s like the whole island is cut off from the rest of the world…. Huh?

Ortho: ….What? 21:18? No, that can’t be! It took me half an hour alone just to upload all my AI data to the network… And at least another half hour has passed since I came to big brother’s room. No, wait a second. …I’ve got screenshots of the clocks I saw when I was checking the security camera earlier. …I’ll just enlarge the images and stabilize the pixels…. All the clocks on the island read 21:18. Could it be that time has…. stopped on the island?

Episode 7-46

Ortho: Could it be that time has…. stopped on the island? And that’s why I keep being forced back here every time I try to leave? I-In other words, the spell that Malleus Draconia-San cast wasn’t for putting living beings to sleep, it was to suspend spacetime - suspend everything - within the domain his magic controls? That’s crazy! That kind of magic is the stuff of legends! It’s not something you see except for in history textbooks. Do mages who can control spacetime really exist? That’s… That’s the definition of a “living disaster”…………..

Ortho: What should I do? I feel like we… got dragged into something terrible. I need to contact Styx as soon as possible. But how? My gear won’t move, and I can’t get out via the internet. I’m certain that my magical disaster emergency alert activated just before Malleus-san’s magic did. As long as Styx was able to receive my alert, then… But what if… If Malleus-san’s magic doesn’t just suspend spacetime, but also has a damaging effect on a lifeform’s body and mind… Then there’s a possibility their bodies will begin to breakdown as they continue to sleep, as they won’t be able to replenish their nutritional stores. I can’t just wait around for help to arrive. But I don’t know that I can even do anything in this state, if I can’t even move my gear. …………….. No, wait a second. Big brother’s tablet…. It’s supposed to be able to connect to Styx’s experimental broadband satellite uplink.

Ortho: Since Sage’s Island is pretty isolated, big brother was worried about whether the school's network would hold up during an emergency…. And he was saying, “No matter what kind of natural disaster we get wrapped up in, the one thing I don’t wanna run out of is my dailies.” And so he secretly installed an antenna on that big tree that’s behind campus. I’ll use a remote control app that’s on big brother’s computer to boot up his tablet… Here goes! And then we just go into the network settings…. Ah!! It worked! It’s connected to the uplink! The connection speed is… E-Eww! It’s so slow!! It’s barely 1/10th as fast as a 4G cellular connection. I know big brother said before that it’s just an experimental unit, and not one for practical use, but still! This is slow as molasses! It’s worse than ADSL!! I’ve never in my life come across speeds this bad!

Ortho: And what’s worse, since there’s very few communications satellites I can use, I’ll only be able to connect to it for a few hours each day. I was just barely able to establish a connection just now, but I have no idea when it’ll get cut off. Oh, man…. My data is absolutely massive. Even if I’m lucky enough to be able to upload all my data up to the communications satellite….　Will I be able to make it to Styx’s private gateway? What if I get stranded up there in outer space… No, I have no other option. The only who can ride along those radio waves, get through that magical barrier, and escape this island is me, the AI. I have to go.

Idia: zzzzz…..zzzzzzzz… *mumbles*

Ortho: I’m going, big brother…. To space!

Episode 7-47

Styx Technician B: A magical disaster emergency alert has been received from LOD Area 9-40, timestamped 21:18! The sender’s ID is…. Magical Humanoid ORTHO! …!? Wait, what is this? The alert stops right at 21:18, and the transmission just ends there.

Styx Technician C: I’m pulling up the logs from the blot measurement devices in that LOD area. It appears a large-scale magical disaster has occurred on Sage’s Island.

Styx Technician B: The logs cut off immediately after the disaster occurred. Details on the extent of the damage are unknown.

Man wearing a Helmet: Did you say… Sage’s Island?

Technicians: Chief!

Styx Technician A: I see you’ve returned to headquarters.

Chief: Yes. We need to confirm the extent of the damage as soon as possible.

(beep beep)

Narrator: The number you are trying to call cannot be reached.

Chief: …..I can’t reach Idia’s phone, either. It’s possible he and Ortho got caught up in the disaster together. Contact the Magical Force office that’s on Sage’s Island.

Styx Technician A: Yes, sir! ……….Chief!

Chief: What is it?

Styx Technician A: I can’t get through to the office!

Styx Technician B: We’ve also tried contacting the police and fire departments and the private shipping companies on the island, but we’re not able to get through to any of them! We’re running into some sort of radio interference.

Chief: What!?

Styx Technician C: I’m accessing the latest aerial footage of Sage’s Island from our observation satellites! I’ll pull it up on the monitor.

Everyone: !?

Chief: What…. Is that? “Something” is…. completely covering Sage’s Island.

Styx Technician B: Based on the observation satellite’s magical optical sensor, it appears to be an energy field created by magic.

Chief: So there was a high concentration of blot at the time of the disaster, and the whole entire is covered in an energy field… It’s possible that the people on the island… that my sons are already…

Woman wearing a helmet: It’s alright. I’m confident they’re still alive.

Styx Technician C: Head engineer!

Chief: They’re still alive…. How can you be so sure, Head Engineer?

Head Engineer: It’s just the opinion of an engineer, based on the data we’ve been able to ascertain so far, Chief…. Is what I’d like to say. It’s my “mother’s hunch”, papa.

Chief: ….But I thought that engineers despise baseless “hunches” more than anything else?

Head Engineer: You could also argue that hunches are simply real time calculations based on all the experiences - all the “data” you’ve acquired so far. Pessimism won’t improve things one bit. Let’s all try to be a little positive here. You’re absolutely certain the emergency alert came from Ortho?

Styx Technician B: Correct. But we’ve had complete radio silence from him ever since.

Head Engineer: Hmm…. It’s possible either his gear was damaged, or that energy field is blocking his transmissions…. Don’t we have an experimental communications satellite we launched some time ago?

Styx Technician B: Huh? Ah, y-yes. But it’s far from being ready for practical use… Presently, we’re only using it to pick up the logs transmitted by blot measurement devices located in mountainous areas with poor reception.

Head Engineer: ….I see. It should work just fine, then.

Styx Technician B: It should work? My apologies, Head Engineer. But I’m not quite getting the big picture here….

Head Engineer: Can you send me the past three years of access logs for that satellite?

Styx Technician B: R-Right away.

Head Engineer: …I knew it! Looks like someone in LOD Area 9-40 has been hacking into the satellite for some time now. Maybe you think you covered up your tracks, but you can’t fool your mama! …….*sigh* Make sure you keep an eye on that communication satellite’s access logs.

Styx Technician B: U-Understood…. But, why?

Head Engineer: I’ve got a feeling a shooting star will be flying on by sometime soon.

Chief: Is that another one of your “mother’s hunches”, mom?

Head Engineer: No, Chief. This one is an “engineer’s hunch”.

Styx Technician A: Magical Special Operations unit Charon has reached the aerial perimeter above Sage’s Island.

Charon: Hepta Team reporting in. We have visual confirmation that Sage’s Island is inside the energy field, and we’re not seeing any damage to the residential areas.

Chief / Head Engineer: *sigh in relief*

Charon: We attempted making landfall on the island but were unable to breach the energy field. It’s too powerful.

Head Engineer: So you couldn’t even get through when you used the powered armor’s magic shield?

Charon: Affirmative. The target’s energy output surpasses what our magic shields can handle. One powered armor unit on auto-pilot mode was captured by the target. Additionally, the energy field appears to be gradually expanding.

Chief: Expanding?

Charon: Affirmative. The field’s perimeter is expanding at an approximate rate of 6-9 kilometers per hour and is encroaching into the surrounding waters.

Chief: Notify the Land of Dawning and have them issue an immediate evacuation warning to residents on the surrounding islands. 

Styx Technician A: Yes, sir. Right away.

Head Engineer: Get me an anchor into that energy field. I want to get a better idea of just what kinds of magical forces it’s comprised of.

Charon: Understood.

Chief: Those black thorns covering the island… Just where have I seen something like this before….

Head Engineer: Chief?

(An alarm blares)

Styx Technician B: !! We’ve received a transmission from that experimental communications satellite!

Head Engineer: It’s here! What’s the sender’s ID!?

Styx Technician B: It’s ORTHO!

Episode 7-48

(An alarm blares)

Styx Technician B: !! We’ve received a transmission from that experimental communications satellite!

Head Engineer: It’s here! What’s the sender’s ID!?

Styx Technician B: It’s ORTHO!

Ortho: Thi… is.. Or…. Styx… ….you copy…..

Head Engineer: Yes! He did it! I thought for certain your big bro would do something or other to ensure he’d always have internet access. So I figured he must’ve been the one hacking into that communications satellite all this time!

Chief: So Idia’s once again been doing as he pleases with Styx equipment, huh…. *sigh*

Head Engineer: Apply a digital filter and noise reduction on his transmission! And align the gateway’s antenna towards that satellite!

Ortho: Mayday, mayday. This is Ortho. Styx headquarters, do you copy?

Chief: Roger that. Can you hear me, Ortho?

Head Engineer: Or-kun! It’s mama!

Ortho: Dad! Mom! Oh, thank goodness. I finally made it through.

Head Engineer: Or-kun, are you hurt anywhere!? Is your big bro okay!? What the heck is that energy field?? Oh, it must’ve been so scary….!

Chief: Ahem! Please calm yourself a little bit, Head Engineer. Ortho, can you explain what’s going on for us?

Ortho: Yes. The files from my video recordings are really big, so I’ll just playback the audio.

Chief: ….I see. In short, that powerful energy field that’s surrounding Sage’s Island is being caused by Malleus Draconia’s magic - the crown prince of Briar Valley himself.

Ortho: Yeah. And his magic appears to be cutting off the island from the rest of the world… Even the passage of time there is under his control right now. And all the lifeforms within the barrier have been cast into a deep sleep.

Chief: …That déjà vu I was feeling earlier when I saw the island covered in black thorns… Now I get it. This spell bears a striking resemblance to the legends of the Thorn Fairy. I remember seeing illustrations of her powers in old literature. It makes sense to me, seeing as a fae was the one who cast the spell…. And since he’s descended from the Draconia family and all.

Head Engineer: Everything within that energy field is under his magic’s control…. “Domain Control”… It’s an ancient form of magic, where you can alter everything within the domain of your magic at will.

Chief: The fae have governed over the changes of the seasons and the upheavals in the planet’s crust ever since the age of myths. I’d heard that even now they utilize magic that’s connected to the planet, but this is…. This is beyond anything I could’ve imagined. For him to cast a spell of this scope…. There’s no doubt he must’ve overblotted in the process.

Ortho: My internal cameras only recorded up to the point when he activated his magic. But judging by the concentration of blot that I had detected right before my systems were shut down… There’s definitely a high possibility he’s overblotted.

Chief: And if that’s the case, we’ll just keep trying to constrain the expansion of his magical domain as much as we can. And once he burns through all his magic, then…

Head Engineer: Hold on a second. Some fae can draw in magical energy from nature around them, in addition to using their own internal magical stores. A prime example would be the fae who rule over the elements of fire and water. What if… What if Malleus also possesses such an ability?

Chief: You’re saying his spell would never be broken, and his magical domain would just continue to grow? If that’s the case, then it’s possible his domain could expand even beyond the Land of Dawning, and the whole world would eventually fall under his control…

Ortho: Oh, no. Don’t tell me…. That’s why he’s been slowly expanding his domain, little by little….?

Everyone: ………

Head Engineer: We working with way too little information right now….. Let’s contact Briar Valley and ask if they can provide us more data on Malleus Draconia.

Chief: I heard that the previous head of the family, Aidne Shroud, had a lot of difficulties when communicating with the Valley, but…. We’ll give it a shot. And we can’t just sit around waiting for them to respond. In the meantime, we need to work on rescuing the islanders.

Head Engineer: Top priority will be to figure out that energy field and try to find a way to force the spell to be broken, then.

Chief: But everything within Malleus’s magical domain is under his control, right? I fear it won’t be possible to even send the Charon inside.

Head Engineer: And that’s why we need to hurry and come up with something that can break through that energy field!

Chief: But even if you’re able to create such a device…. We have no idea what will happen once they enter his domain. The AI we have equipped in the powered armor that’s onsite has a hard time making ad hoc decisions. There’s no telling if they’ll be able to bring back any helpful data for us to analyze…

Head Engineer: That said, it’s way too dangerous to send in manned units. I’ll try asking the AI engineers if they can provide an upgrade for us, but…. Oooh, if only big bro were here right now!

Ortho: You guys should send me in.

Chief / Head Engineer: What!?

Ortho: As we speak, I’m the most advanced form of autonomous AI in the world. I’ll be able to accurately assess the situation and bring back the data you guys need. I know Malleus-san is an incredible fae who’s able to use disaster-level magic, but… I exist outside the realm of “Nature” that fae are able to interfere with. I’m a product of science that was created by man - by my genius big brother. My magical reactor plays the role of my gear’s heart, and as long it doesn’t shut down, then even Malleus Draconia-san’s magic won’t be able to overwrite my *program. As proof of that, just consider how I was able to escape from the barrier. Don’t you guys agree? But the gear I’ve got right now won’t operate within that energy field. So that’s why I’d like you to make me some new gear, mom. Gear I can use even inside Malleus-san’s domain!

Head Engineer: That’s way too dangerous! We haven’t even finished analyzing the composition of the energy field yet. Even if you’re able to get in, we have no idea if you’ll be able to come back again. And if your core gets destroyed before you’re able to transfer all your data, then you’ll…..!

Ortho: Huh, what’s going on? The reception out here’s getting bad…. Uh-oh, the satellite is passing into the planet’s shadow!

Head Engineer: What!? Now you hold on just a second, Or-kun!! We aren’t done talking yet!

Ortho: I’ll segment my configuration data and start sending it over to Styx in packets. I won’t be able to talk with you guys for a while, but… If you guys haven’t started making something for me by the time I come home… Me and “Cerberus” will see to it that all the sprinklers on the Island of Woe can’t be turned off. Okay, bye-bye!

(Ortho departs)

Chief: Ortho, wait!

Head Engineer: Or-kun! Geez! You’re going to be sorry, young man!

Styx Technician B: Audio communication has been blocked. Now downloading ORTHO’s configuration data from the communications satellite. Estimated time of completion…. 48 hours.

Chief: 48 hours, huh…. What do you think we should do, Head Engineer….? Huh? Head Engineer?

Styx Technician C: If you’re looking for the Head Engineer, she already left.

Styx Technician A: Staff from all technology development related departments are to report to Meeting Room 4 for a mandatory meeting.

Chief: *Sigh* Why are geniuses always like this…. Alright, then let’s go ahead and get started with whatever us average joes can do.

*He is saying “program” out loud and “consciousness” in the text.

Episode 7-49

(48 hours later)

(beep beep beep)

System Narrator: The download of ORTHO’s configuration data from the experimental communications satellite is now complete. Now initiating program recompilation. 48%....... 85%..... Complete.

Ortho: Aaah, I fiiiiinally made it back! Still feels like my data’s all jumbled up, though. The current time is 5 AM. I wonder what’s been going on with Sage’s Island? Big brother is…

Chief: …….Are you back, Ortho?

(The chief pops up from underneath the table)

Ortho: Uwaah! Dad, you scared me! You just crawled out from underneath the operator’s desk all of a sudden… What were you doing down there?

Chief: Our work has been going on and on and on, so I’ve just been staying overnight here at Styx HQ. I’m about to hop on a transport plane and head over to the temporary disaster response headquarters that’s been set up in the Land of Dawning.

Ortho: Have there been any changes in the situation while I’ve been uploading my data for the past 48 hours?

Chief: Styx was able to obtain assistance from the Magical Force and from Briar Valley’s royal family, and we tried getting through the energy field that Malleus Draconia created, but…. Neither our tech nor our magic made even the slightest dent. Whenever any humans or fae get too close to it, they get entangled in the thorns that cover the island and pulled into the energy field. We’ve got a wall of magical barriers setup around the island to try and prevent the domain from encroaching further into the sea…. But we haven’t been able to stop it completely. Even as we speak, it’s slowly continuing to expand. Sage’s Island is located quite far from the mainland, so we’ve avoided any extensive damage so far, but…. It’s only a matter of time, I fear.

Ortho: And what’s mom been up to?

Chief: She’s been holed up in Lab 1 the entire time.

Ortho: Does that mean she’s…

Head Engineer: You wait right there, Or-kun!! How many times has mama told you that you need to listen to people until they’re finished speaking! And you even had the nerve to threaten your own parents! You bad boy!

Ortho: Uhhhh… I’m really sorry.

Head Engineer: If you weren’t just floating around as a hologram right now you would’ve earned yourself quite the spanking, young man! But I’m proud of you for apologizing like you’re supposed to. Never forget: Honesty is the best policy! ……. It’s wonderful to have you back with us, and I’m so glad you made it safe and sound. Welcome home, Ortho.

Ortho: ….Yeah. I’m home.

Head Engineer: Alright. I’m ready if you are.

Ortho: Huh? Wait, so did you…

Head Engineer: Of course I did. I didn’t want you going and drenching the whole island with the sprinkler system, after all. Please come with me to the mainframe in Lab 1.

Episode 7-50

(Technology Development Department Lab 1)

Ortho: This is…!

Head Engineer: Anti-magical disaster gear, to be used in battle within magic domains. It’s specialized to defend against the system degradation caused by the domain. We named it…. “Cerberus Gear”!

Ortho: Woah…. And you made this in only 48 hours?

Chief: …Yes, and all the staff in the tech development department stayed up all night working on it.

Ortho: Now that you mention it, there’s a bunch of staff members lying down on the lab floor.

Head Engineer: Thank goodness the blueprints for your gear were stored on Idy-kun’s computer. All we ended up having to do was manufacture some supplementary special equipment and we were done. Without those blueprints, we wouldn’t have made it in time.

Ortho: No way! Mom, you hacked the ultra strong security system on big brother's computer!?

Head Engineer: Well, I didn’t have a choice! This is an emergency! And I didn’t look through any of the hidden folders he has password protected so it’s fine! ….We’ll just keep this a secret from big bro, okay?

Ortho: He’ll probably figure it out as soon as he sees this gear…..

Chief: Ahem! …Head Engineer, let’s wrap up the personal talk for now, and get back to work.

Head Engineer: Ah, my apologies. Then we’ll go ahead and get started with transferring ORTHO’s AI data into the new gear.

Head Engineer: How does it feel, Or-kun?

Ortho: It’s astounding, the way the energy is circulating throughout my body… It feels… Totally awesome!!

Head Engineer: Right!? Isn’t it super cool!? Mama thought you’d also look good in this kind of super sharp gear.

Ortho: Now that you mention it, the way this armor is styled is kinda different from how big brother normally designs my gear.

Head Engineer: Oh, if only I had more time. I could’ve made the area around the heat exhaust more compact… Everybody at Styx really put their heart into this. …Ahem. Now then… We’ll discuss your special mission you’ll be carrying out. You’ll be going headfirst into the magic disaster that’s taking place on Sage’s Island right now.

Ortho: Yes, ma’am!

Head Engineer: Support Droid units KB-RS01 and 02 will be accompanying you on your mission. These droids are equipped with a program adapted from the one used in the Cerberus System. They’ll help you search the island and will assist you in battle. After you breach the magic domain, that gear will operate for about twenty minutes, at most.

Ortho: Twenty minutes, huh. As long as I have at least that much time, then….!

Chief: You’re goal for this mission is not to subdue Malleus Draconia. You are to place an anchor within the domain that we can use to gather data for us to analyze, and then you are to return to headquarters immediately.

Ortho: Yes, sir!

Head Engineer: Finally, we’ll go over priority #1 in this mission.  …Listen to me well, Or-kun. You absolutely, positively, must not do anything reckless. If things get scary, if you don’t feel safe, then please, you need to fall back. You understand?

Ortho: Yeah, I understand!

Head Engineer: …Ooh, why can’t you always answer me like that. My goodness! I’m sure you already know what I’m talking about. You don’t ever listen to what mama and papa say. Why do boys have to be like this? I could have a hundred hearts, and I’d still be all frazzled at the end of the day. You really are just like your “big brothers”. Once you’ve made up your mind, there’s no stopping you.

Ortho: Mom…

Head Engineer: Come on, papa. You need to say something, too.

Chief: …Ortho. This is a really a problem that Styx and the Magical Force should be handling. There’s no need for you to go to that island and put yourself in danger. It’s okay… You really don’t have to go.

Ortho: Dad…. Thank you guys for always treating me like a real member of your family, even though I’m a humanoid. It makes me really happy. But I don’t want to see you guys lose your precious son. This is something that only I can do. And that’s why I have to go. And I will save big brother. This is my… This is “our” will.

Chief / Head Engineer: ………

Head Engineer: Or-kun, you’re one of our precious sons, too. Promise us you’ll come home safe.

Ortho: ….Okay. I promise.

Head Engineer: Good, then give us a hug. This hug will be our vow.

(Ortho and his parents hug)

Everyone: ……….

Ortho: Heh heh, now I’m fully charged and ready to go! I’ll be off now – to Sage’s Island, where big brother is waiting for me!

Part 1

Part 3

#ortho shroud #idia shroud #malleus draconia #twst spoilers #twst jp #twisted wonderland #ruler of the abyss

[imhereformysciencefriends]

Blow this popcicle stand

My gift for @missycolorful for the @technoblade-gift-exchange

Read on AO3 here!

I had a total blast writing this! I hope you enjoy as well. I admit I kinda smushed together a couple of your prompts, but I am very happy with the result. Enjoy! <3

**

Phil was, historically, better at the talking-to-people thing. Not necessarily the being-reasonable thing, Techno did often have to sit in on all of Phil’s meetings in order to prevent unnecessary bloodshed due to, quote, “it’d be funny, mate,” unquote. But talking to people, talking was something Phil could and did do. Techno? Not so much. He didn’t, he didn’t really care for it, you know. Wasn’t really his forte.

But Phil was busy in a month-long series of meetings negotiating a new peace agreement with a nation that wanted regular access to the moon portal (financially a very good move for the Empire, logistically a nightmare). And while Techno would really prefer to be in those, both to have a comprehensive set of expectations for what would be happening in the future and to keep an eye on his partner, it wasn’t the only nation that wanted the Empire’s attention.

And Techno was, if not suited, at the very least capable of trade negotiations with one of their friendlier allies.

Even if he hated the idea.

His thick, heavy, fur-necked cape moved with his arms as he pulled his long hair back into a ponytail, the sound of his hooves ringing out against the arctic stone rather slowly as he approached the meeting room. Almost like he was dragging his feet. But jokes on you, Chat, Techno didn’t have feet to drag! So clearly he was getting there at a very reasonable pace. And wasn’t stalling. No chance of that, not with him, haha, nope!

Despite it being his literal actual destination, Techno found himself surprised when he was suddenly in front of the meeting room door. Who authorized this? Ninja doors, sittin’ around jumpscaring good hardworking emperors. Probably Phil, the weeb. Actually, Techno should try to remember this bit for later, he was sure Phil would love the notion of a ninja door. Get a good laugh outta that one.

Focus. He did still have to, you know, open the door. Have the pre-scheduled and entirely-foreseen meeting that would take place behind it.

Was that the alarm bell he heard? Off in the distance? Wayyyyy far away in the distance? No? Just him then? Alright.

No, Chat, he wasn’t stalling. He was just securing the perimeter with his superior hearing before engaging with outside forces. Yes he had superior hearing, look at the pink shell of his ears, sticking out of his face like that. What, no, he was not a bishounen, Chat, under no circumstances was anyone allowed to call him that. Honestly, the ideas that Chat got in their heads, smh.

Okay! Okay! He wasn’t stalling! He was opening the door now!

Inside the meeting room was the Essempi convoy, its three main representatives seated on the couch that faced the massive armchair Techno took. Next to his was a significantly smaller armchair, specifically designed to accommodate a man’s wings.

Not for nothing, Techno wished Phil was here.

“Welcome to the Empire,” he started, because that sounded most appropriate. Already, the back of his neck felt hot and damp with sweat. That’s why he put his hair up, he supposed.

“Thank you for having us,” replied the woman in the middle, leaning forward across the low table to extend her hand. Shoot, handshakes, should he have done that before he sat down? Did Phil normally do that? Techno was suddenly blanking on any social interaction he’d ever had prior to this one in his life.

Her hand was firm, warm, and had shallow calluses. The strong grip of a woman who worked and wasn’t intimidated by Techno in the slightest. Would it be easier for him if she was intimidated? More importantly, had Techno met her before? Her voice seemed… familiar. Ish. Familiarish.

Niki! That’s Nihachu Her name is Nikki, you’ve met her before Niki! Nikki? I never know which it is

“Uh, Niki, is it?”

She laughed, and it wasn’t a mean sound. Techno felt his face heating up anyway. “You remembered!” The look on her face wasn’t pity, nor offense, but she gave off the impression of being very knowing of what was going on in Techno’s brain, “My hair was brown last time we met, with the blonde in the front.”

Oh! Okay, yes, Techno could place her now. She’d been invited to the same weird political shindig festival party thing that Phil had dragged him to.

“Nice to see you again,” he said, a little more sincerely. And a touch relieved.

“You as well,” she said warmly, then gestured to the woman to her right. Er, well, to her left, Techno’s right—didn’t matter. “This is Captain Puffy, she’s a state-sponsored merchant we’ve been working closely with. She’s interested to see if she’d be a good match for this route, depending on what we work out.”

“Yo!”

Captain Puffy was an extremely short woman (maybe even shorter than Phil), though far from petite. Her big curling hair and big curling ram horns and big sunglasses and big captain’s coat all spoke to a relatively large personality, and the big smile she flashed him did not actually help settle Techno’s nerves. Maybe he should’ve had some tea or something before all this. She was also slouching, leaned against the arm of the couch with all the debonair swagger of a woman entirely at ease around important people. As an emperor of one of the world’s fastest growing empires, Techno could probably stand to take a page from her book.

Whose idea had it been to put him in charge, again? Oh right, his.

Gesturing to her other side, Niki continued, “And this is Ranboo. He’s something between a pupil and a little brother, to me; he’s mostly just here for this to be a learning experience.”

As short as the captain was, Ranboo was tall. Wraith-thin with too-big eyes and an air about him that seemed even more nervous than Techno felt. Techno at least had his flat affect and “monotone” voice (he still didn’t get that, but enough people had told him that he had a monotone by now that he just accepted it) to act as buffer. This kid (and Techno got a very strong impression that he was young, despite not knowing much about Ender ages (well, maybe he knew more than most, given the Empire’s plot-relevant access to the moon)) wasn’t so much as wearing his heart on his sleeve as he was stringing it up on a chandelier.

“Nice to meet you both,” Techno said, the captain giving him a lazy salute and Ranboo nodding so stiffly it looked like his neck might snap.

“Shall we get straight to it, then?” Niki asked, and Techno nodded, so incredibly thankful that someone else was comfortable taking charge of a conversation.

And then they sank blissfully into the thing that was Techno’s strong suit: his stuff. Techno had a good head for what items were worth, and while he wasn’t the most organized person (he had goons for that) he absolutely knew how much he had of what, and what the Empire could afford to spare in trading efforts, provided they received what they were promised in return. Now, storms could sink even the most experienced ships, and fleets could get blown off course, so he had to factor in wiggle room and contingency plans as well.

Another strong suit. Techno was a beast at contingency plans. Nobody could plan a contingency plan like Techno planned his plans.

The deeper they got into the numbers game and talk of resources, the more Techno chilled out. This wasn’t socializing, not really. He was mostly just indulging in his inventory vices while other people were in the room.

Something Essempi had in plenty that the Empire desperately needed was food. More specifically: vegetation. They had their arctic, thick-furred cows, their fluffy chickens, their heavy-hided boars, their densely-wooled sheep, and their round the clock fisheries. Nothing would breed too close to the moon portal, but here at the castle their herds and flocks were thriving just fine. But plants? That took underground greenhouses with low ceilings and constant torchlight to do anything. And a growing empire was a hungry thing: greenhouses alone weren’t going to be sustainable. Not long term.

Techno had his reservations about putting too much faith in their allies. A resource as important as food needed more than one source.

But. Techno’s reservations wouldn’t spontaneously feed everybody, and Essempi had been friendly and amicable all through negotiations. All things considered, they were probably the closest and most trustworthy ally the Empire had.

And their representatives didn’t make Techno want to melt into a puddle or stab anybody! So. Points all around in their favor. Niki did most of the talking, her voice soft and cheery, clearly the most familiar with Essempi resources and used to political negotiations. The captain would chime in mostly around the actual act of trade itself, naval logs and star charts and detailed maps crowding her end of the low table. Ranboo, as Niki mentioned, didn’t say… anything at all, the whole meeting. He just sat, straight-spined enough to put the strictest governess to shame and making eye contact with nobody, scratching notes into a book he’d brought.

Essempi was offering them good deals. More than fair, if Techno was being entirely honest. And he knew he didn’t have any personal charm to thank for that. He filed that away for future reference. Either Essempi was even more well off than rumors suspected, or there would come a day when they asked the Empire to pay back their generosity (likely with swords and soldiers, if the history books held any credence).

But that was fine. In the now, they were offering lucrative details for necessary resources. (In the future, Phil would need enrichment anyway (Techno, too, he did love a good fight)). Techno would still probably want to set up a couple additional trade agreements with other nations, just in case, just to cover all his bases. And the greenhouses obviously weren’t going anywhere, Techno would not be sacrificing even an ounce of pre-established self-sufficiency.

But even Techno, of all people, had to admit that he was feeling pretty optimistic by the time they all stood and shook hands in parting. He remembered to shake Puffy’s and Ranboo’s this time, Puffy’s hand tiny and grip strong, Ranboo’s slender fingers still faintly trembling with nerves but his smile seeming at the very least half-genuine.

Woof. Ough. His back. The time! The sun set early here, but he was still surprised to see that it had sunk below the horizon while he was squirreled away looking at documents and maps and an antique abacus. His staff seemed to agree, yawning and musing over dinner plans as the two groups dispersed, the Essempi convoy headed towards the guest quarters and Techno and his officials wandering further inwards of the castle.

“Well done in there, Your Majesty!” praised one of Techno’s staff while he wasn’t looking, and he was too embarrassed to admit that he hadn’t quite managed to catch who was talking, so he just raised a hand and gave a vague “Ayup” before leaving quickly. Much quicker than he had arrived, as it happened. So interesting, that things worked out like that.

“Busy day?” Phil asked as the door to the royal quarters clicked shut. Techno sighed heavily and let his head thunk back against the heavy wood. Phil, the intolerable jerk, giggled at him.

“Why weren’t you the one handling that again?”

“Because the little stunt we pulled was just a biiiiiit too successful,” Phil reminded with another chuckle, and Techno groaned as he shoved off the door.

It had been a gambit, but as a fledgling nation the Antarctic Empire had needed to gain the attention of the rest of the world, and gain their attention they had. An extremely brief, brutal, there-then-gone conquest that had left the vast majority of the world temporarily under the Empire’s claim. It served two purposes, each a message:

Do not, under any circumstances, make enemies of the Empire.

Probably a good idea to play nice and make friends, though.

Most of the world had taken the first message very much to heart, and the testing nudges they’d been making abruptly vanished. Some nations, like Essempi, had quickly jumped to playing nice, eager to make powerful allies (and perhaps just as eager to make sure they didn’t have a powerful enemy).

A couple nations had taken message number one as a challenge, and readied warships with bloodied thirst.

Not that the Empire couldn’t handle a bit of… rough play, but it did mean that after squashing attempts at overthrowing or subjugating them, Phil got saddled with miles of paperwork establishing the enemy’s surrender and the Empire’s new normal.

“I thought you were meeting with the guys who wanted moon access today?” Techno asked as he approached. Phil’d had dinner brought to their rooms, as they did most nights when they weren’t expected to make an appearance, and Techno let into the meat and eggs with gusto.

“That’s tomorrow. Tonight was more surrender talk.”

“So that’s why you double booked us. You wanted ‘em alone in a room with you.”

Phil giggled, waggling his fingers so as to make a show of his talons.

Techno gave a very half-hearted kick to his shin. Quarter-hearted. Maybe even sixth-hearted. Phil cackled at him.

“Can’t let you outta my sight for ten minutes,” Techno groused around a mouthful of chicken. Phil popped a handful of red berries into his mouth (some of the only vegetation that could be grown outside of the greenhouses), and he looked altogether too smug.

“How’re things with Essempi going? Off to a running start?”

“Actually? Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“I like the representative they sent over, Niki, she’s got a good head on her shoulders, and so far they’ve been fair, if not generous.” Techno gave his partner a meaningful glance. “We should probably expect a request for military aid, sometime in the future.”

Phil shrugged, entirely unfazed. “We’ve always known that’s a possibility. And we’re not exactly hurting for it.”

“Figured as much.” Techno lifted his plate to slide the eggs into his open mouth, the fork method far too slow. “Honestly don’t think this deal is gonna take too long to finalize. Week, probably?”

“For you? That’s a goddamn miracle, mate.”

Techno snorted. “I know, right? She’s got a pupil along with her, skinny guy named Ranboo. Showin’ him the ropes.”

Phil spluttered a laugh. “And she chose you for a practice round!?”

“I know right? Like, c’mon, cut the guy some slack. He looked ready to shake out of his skin. Don’t just throw him off the deep end chanting ‘blood for the blood god’ like there’s gotta be less intimidatin’ guys than me out there.”

Phil giggled and Techno continued, “Brought a ship captain too, Puffy, shorter than you and louder. She’s been a good help settin’ realistic expectations, but I dunno how involved she’s gonna be in the rest of our meetings.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a pretty good handle on it, mate. Good for you, good for you.”

Techno snorted. “Never thought we’d see the day.”

“Aww, I knew you could do it.” Techno cast him yet another look. He giggled. “Eventually.”

Techno guffawed and set his plate down, dropping his head back. By the Blood God, he felt tired.

“Well,” Phil continued, stretching his arms above his head and his wings out to each side, “nobody got attacked and no emergencies happened, so I’ll call this day a win.”

“Ah, but I did get attacked,” Techno said with a raised finger, remembering his joke from earlier.

“Oh?” Phil asked, with all the sharp-eyed curiosity of a man who knew a punchline was coming, but was trying to tell where from.

Techno heaved his head back up. “In the halls of our own very castle. I was caught off-guard—very brutally, I should add—by a ninja door.”

Phil broke immediately into cackles.

“Snuck up on me while I was just innocently walkin’ down the hall, Phil. Never would’ve expected it. One of our own doors. The betrayal was immense.”

“whAT?” Phil giggle-shouted, his feathers poofing and his shoulders shaking.

“I was just mindin’ my own business when bam! Suddenly the door was right there. Scared the life out of me. Don’t worry, Phil, I showed it who was boss. I twisted that handle like I was born for it.”

Phil was now laughing so hard tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Techno grinned, warmth glowing in the center of his chest. Truthfully, it probably wasn’t that funny of a joke, but the combination of fatigue, the subject being unexpected, and Phil being an easy audience made it sound like ninja doors were the funniest thing in the whole world.

The night was still young, but Techno was utterly drained from the day of talking (and tomorrow would be much the same) so he called it an early night. Phil, equally tired from twisting arms into surrender (and maybe getting to play a little mean with his talons, who knew. Not Techno! Techno hadn’t been there to reel him in!) was more than happy to agree.

This far south, sleeping in your own bed was about as smart as wandering the town naked. Too much warmth leached out that way. It was only sensible that family members shared a bed together, with drapes around the edges to keep the air captive.

Techno had no family to speak of, except the one, so the two emperors dressed for the night and crawled in together, Phil’s top wing spread out over them like an added blanket and his icy little feet pressed up against Techno’s leg.

“Why are you always an ice cube?” Techno groused, gathering his friend in his arms.

“Shhhh, you’re just a friggin’ blast furnace, mate. Go to sleep.”

Techno huffed, breath stirring Phi’s hair and making him chuckle, then nuzzled down into the blankets and his companion, wishing he could hibernate the day off. Blood God himself, he was tired.

But wake the next morning he did, and the next, and the next after that. Essempi eventually embarked for their home, along with the first shipment of goods from the Empire. More countries entered peace treaties with them, or at the very least non-aggression pacts, particularly as more nations fell to the Antarctic Empire’s might. Trade was good, their people sleeping with full bellies and a more or less nutritionally balanced diet. The Empire produced plenty of coal, in its cavernous depths, and many nations of warmer climates had want for the ice they so easily chiseled up from around them.

Things were good.

Techno was getting… better, about the whole talking to people thing. After the first few days, Ranboo had started speaking, and Techno had found a kindred spirit in him. The two now exchanged regular correspondence. Mostly about books, but sometimes they’d share personal stories or gossip (apparently Captain Puffy was working very closely with a certain someone, indeed). Meetings were no longer torments summoned directly from hell (not that Techno liked them, but Techno was pretty sure he was never actually going to like meetings (honestly, he was pretty sure nobody did)). He and Phil were getting a pretty good handle on this whole, “being emperors” thing.

That said, politically motivated social functions were still the worst. But Essempi was, to date, still their closest and friendliest ally, and Techno knew enough about court niceties by now to know that regardless of how much he might’ve wanted to, he and Phil could not turn down their invitation to a ball.

“What even is the point of balls,” Techno groused as he examined the flimsy nothings the tailor had made for him to wear there. Too thin of a material, not nearly enough fur around his neck, he’d freeze to death in this in an instant. He… did like the gold bits, though. He’d conceded on that. And the jewelry. Those parts were nice. The rest of it was like walking around in wet paper, though.

“Maintaining positive social ties with political figures we’ve already established with and makin’ new friends with new people at a designated function for doing so—”

“I was bein’ sarcastic, Phil,” Techno cut off the overly-formal lecture, making Phil cackle. “It’s called a rhetorical question, Phil, ever heard of it?”

“Can’t say I have, mate,” Phil lied with a giggle.

“A rhetorical question is a—” Techno started, overly-formal lecture of his own primed and at the ready, and Phil swatted him with a big black wing, setting them both to laughing.

The boat ride to Essempi went about as well as anticipated. Phil flitted about, happily assisting with the crow’s nest and upper rigging, and Techno spent about half of it bent over the railing, the other half desperately attempting to coax water and ginger teas into his stomach that he didn’t immediately upend.

“We should build a land bridge,” Techno groused when his friend came over to both hydrate and mock him.

Phil, predictably, laughed, “Mate, I don’t know if even we mine up enough stone for that,” he said as he passed a water flask over. Techno swished it around his mouth and spit, trying to rid himself of the now everpresent taste of bile, then sipped slowly and delicately, his stomach groaning pathetically and churning at even that.

“Then we’re building flying machines and we’re taking those. Planes, blimps, hot air balloons, I don’t care, this is the last trip I sail anywhere.”

“Blimp’s not a bad idea,” Phil mused as Techno shut his eyes, bracing himself against the railing with renewed force and willing the nausea to pass him over without taking his water with it. “It’d be more regal and dignified than staggerin’ off a boat dehydrated and starved and swaying.”

“Gonna punch you for that.”

“Are you now?” he asked with a giggle.

“Ayup. Just give me three to five business days to get off this railing and then it’s over for you. It’s so over for you.”

More laughter. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Well, I’m off to go perch in the crow’s nest again, have fun pukin’ your guts out.”

“Death. Death and violence.”

His friend’s retreating laughter left him and he stewed in abject misery for the rest of the trip. By the time they hit land and Techno was able to collapse into a bed that wasn’t swaying every which way, he was even looking forward to the party, since it meant not being on the boat.

The flimsy cheesecloth the tailor had prepared for him made more sense in this warmer climate, and now that he wasn’t being a stubborn child about it he had to admit: he cleaned up good. Deep red and gold and black, Phil his match but green, they were striking, appearing wealthy and deadly and even, somehow, regal.

Despite, y’know, it being the two of them.

The party goers were respectful, nobody jumping at the chance to speak with the Antarctic emperors but no one intentionally snubbing them either, and Techno mostly just had to loom behind Phil with a ridiculously shatterable little wine flute pinched delicately between his fingers and listen. Answer the occasional polite question that was directed his way, make sure Phil didn’t get too excited at any perceived slight, it was almost even normal.

He was at the food table, piling high a plate he intended to share with his co-emperor, when he heard a familiar, boisterous voice.

“Emperor Technoblade!”

“Captain,” he greeted, turning to her. She extended her drinking glass, and he gently clinked his against it. “They’re lettin’ riffraff like you in here?”

Puffy barked a sharp laugh, loud and unabashed. “I’m a plus one.”

“Oh?” Techno raised an eyebrow. “You and Niki official, then?”

Puffy squinted. “And how exactly do you know about that?”

Techno smirked behind the rim of his glass. “I have informants everywhere.”

Puffy laughed, once again boisterous and booming, and landed a playful punch just barely above Techno’s elbow. Haha why are you so short.jpeg. Oh c’mon Chat that joke is not old that’s still peak comedy right there.

“Man, I can’t believe everyone’s so intimidated by you.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you saw me in a fight,” Techno countered, amused.

“And you wouldn’t say that if you saw me in one, blood boy!”

Techno arched an eyebrow. “Blood boy,” that was a new one. In their trade with Essempi, Techno and Phil had gotten to know the sea captain a little better each time she was in their port, and she’d taken to treating them with the same friendly irreverence she spoke to everyone with.

Techno set his plate down on the edge of the table, largely crowded out by the serving dishes but finding just enough space for it to not go falling over. Intentionally, he loomed over her, his impressive height casting her fully in shadow, and let himself grin.

“Careful, Captain. It’s not smart to threaten me with a good time.”

As tolerable as the party was thus far, Techno would be lying if he said he wouldn’t ditch in half a heartbeat to go screw around. And after the miserable journey here, a good friendly sparring match with a spunky lady sounded like even more fun than usual.

Puffy rocked up on her hooves, and even on the tips while Techno was stooping down she couldn’t really get “in” his face but he understood the gesture. His grin widened. It matched her own.

“What’s the matter, big boy, don’t think you could take me?”

“Miss Puffy, um, you promised Miss Niki you wouldn’t cause a scene,” came a timid voice from nearby, and both Techno and Captain Puffy perked.

“Ranboo,” Techno greeted, scooping up his plate of food and crossing the distance to his young friend.

“Hello, Emperor Technoblade, it’s nice to see you, please don’t encourage her.”

“Good to see you too,” Techno said warmly, meaning it. Through their letters, Techno had come to regard the young Enderian as a good friend.

Puffy gasped as she trotted over, and shoved right up into Ranboo’s space. “Are you the nark?”

“Um,” Ranboo said, backing slowly away only to be further crowded by a sheep woman half his height, clearly confused, “no?”

“Yeah, Captain, what’s with this baseless accusation you’re makin’ against my good pal Ranboo?”

“I can’t believe this. Betrayed by my own girlfriend’s tagalong.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about??”

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Techno said, slinging an arm over Ranboo’s shoulders and nearly bowling the guy over with its weight. Techno had seen bamboo shoots with more structural integrity, smh.

“E-either way, please do not help Miss Puffy make a scene. Miss Niki specifically instructed her not to do that.”

“Guess we’ll just have to go somewhere there’s nobody else around,” Puffy said, still full of good cheer.

“True. Can’t make a scene if there’s no one to see it.”

“Oh, no. I. I’m going to go get Miss Niki.” Techno barked a laugh but released Ranboo to go do so, and Puffy waggled her fingers at his retreating backside.

“Kayyyy. We won’t be here when you get back!”

Techno glanced down at the plate in his hand. Hm. Well, he couldn’t just return it all to the serving dishes, he’d already touched it. Puffy nudged him with her elbow, and when he glanced her way he found her pulling at her wide neckline and winking at him. With her other hand, she lifted the neck of a bottle of what surely must be rum, and he caught on immediately. Using one of the overly-fancy napkins, he bundled his snacks and passed them to her, watching her disappear them into her clothes. That was so smart, he’d have to talk to his tailor about providing him that kind of opportunity in future outfits.

His loyalty to his co-emperor did him in, though. Puffy was already heading out one of the patio doors, sneaking off into a well-maintained garden, but Techno detoured to grab Phil, knowing if there was going to be any fighting, for fun or for murder, he’d be heartbroken if Techno left him out.

“Emperor Technoblade,” greeted Niki from behind him while he was trying to wait out the conversation Phil was currently engaged in. She sounded icier than when she’d been in his antarctic home, negotiating trade.

Busted.

“Hello, Niki,” he returned. Definitely not sounding guilty. Nothing going on over here officer, no suspicious activity whatsoever.

“It seems my partner for the evening has vacated the premises. Would you care to dance with me in her place?”

“Uhhhhh.” Techno wasn’t the best at court niceties, but he knew a request from a “request.” He took her outstretched hand.

“What uh—why the sudden interest?” Oh that sounded so suspicious he could stab himself.

“Can a lowly civic servant not ask an emperor for a dance?”

“Uhhhh no, no that’s fine. That’s uh, that’s fine, just, haven’t uh—how you been, Niki, haven’t seen you in a while!” he not-so-subtly changed the subject.

“I have been alright. Times have been better for us than in a long time, and I have been kept busy making sure it all stays in running order.”

“Not too busy, I hope?”

Niki laughed, but it wasn’t the most mirthful sound he’d ever heard.

In some of Ranboo’s letters, he’d voiced concern for his mentor/sister figure, writing of nightmares and insomnia that was only partially due to her high workload.

“Cause stressin’ yourself out can take a toll on the body, you know,” Techno pushed, not sure if it was his place to or not, but eh. He liked Niki. She was a good sensible woman who (normally) didn’t make him feel like dying or killing out of sheer mortification. And during negotiations, she’d been friendly. “It’s important to take breaks and have fun, every now and then.”

She pursed her lips in a frown, and it looked so much like she was pouting that he chuckled. “C’mon, take a load off.” He grinned at her, playful and a little teasing. “There’s a very pretty girl outside who I know would just love to have you come goof off with us.”

“Well now that’s not out of the ordinary. That very pretty girl is always trying to get me to goof off.”

“Maybe you should listen to her more often.”

Niki sighed and let Techno spin her, the dress she’d chosen for the party flaring nicely. “Maybe I should.”

“Yeahhhhhhhh that’s the spirit! Come join us! We’ll make, like, a bookclub or something.”

Niki let out a “pfft,” and then giggled quietly. “I should put that in my credentials somewhere. ‘In a bookclub with an emperor.’”

“Two emperors if I can get him away from those—what are they, petty nobles?”

“Ambassadors from Kpop.”

“Cringe. We gotta get outta here, Niki, I can feel my viewership dropping by the moment.”

“I don’t know what that means—Technoblade!”

In a grand sweeping movement that was definitely not typical but could still technically be considered dancing, Techno rushed the two of them towards the patio, catching Phil’s eye just briefly enough to give a jerk of his chin, watching his friend’s eyes light up with curiosity and mirth.

Okay, good, Phil was coming.

“Really,” Niki scolded, but she wasn’t resisting him at all as he dragged her along, out into the privacy of the manicured foliage and beyond.

“Ehhh, relaaax. Nobody saw us leave. Probably.”

“I am quite sure a great many people saw us leave.”

“Eh. Phil and I already talked to everybody important that would get, like, big mad if we didn’t. We can ditch.”

“I am part of the hosting party.”

“Aaaaaaaaand now you’re not. So it’s fine, it’s fiiiine.”

Niki giggled, and it sounded just a little more genuine. Good. He was getting a good grade in cheering Niki up, something reasonable to want and possible to achieve.

“Heyyyyyy, look what the pig dragged in!” Puffy cheered, bottle open in one hand and waving excitedly with the other.

“You are incorrigible. I cannot believe you dragged an emperor in on your shenanigans.”

“This is actually pretty consistent with my character honey, I don’t know what to tell you.”

Techno barked a laugh and snagged the bottle from her, taking a big gulp before extending it towards Niki.

“I am surrounded by ruffians,” she said, but he noted she took the bottle and a big drink of her own.

“Ehhh, I wouldn’t really call two people ‘surrounded,’ maybe sandwiched?” A familiar sound of wings had Techno’s elbow angling up on instinct, and soon he had a shoulder full of best friend. “Okay, Phil’s here, now you’re surrounded.”

“Who’re we surrounding?”

“We’re forcing Niki to take a load off and have a nice evening.”

“Pog.”

“Cheers to that, Emperor number two!”

Phil spluttered around laughter as he hopped from his perch. “I’m just the number two now, am I?” He took the bottle from Niki, who went and leaned on her laughing girlfriend and pressed a kiss atop one of her horns.

The sound of footsteps and not-so-subtle huffing and puffing had them all turning to look. It was far too loud to be any kind of assassin, so nobody was on guard, and Phil took another swig of rum as Ranboo rounded a hedge.

Realizing his late entry made all eyes fall on him, Ranboo flushed. Huh. He turned kinda greenish on one side and a more typical red on the other. Pogchamp, Techno supposed.

“Uh,” he said, still catching his breath a bit. “Um. Miss Niki, you, uh, left the party.”

“Sorry Ranboo,” she said, looking honestly chagrined. “I did not mean to leave you there on your own.”

Ah. Left alone by the extrovert that adopted you at a party that wasn’t your idea to attend in the first place. A fate worse than death, which Techno would not wish on his worst enemy, much less friend.

“Um. Why is, everyone here, and not, inside?” he asked, tail twitching and lashing with his agitation.

“We’re ditching,” Techno said, slinging an arm around the little beanpole once again. “You are too.”

“I’m—what?” Ranboo spluttered as Techno dragged him forward, starting the group into a slow amble further from the noises of the party, Niki looking at him with apology and Puffy cheering around a laugh.

“Yeah, mate, you’re a delinquent now!” Phil said brightly, pushing Ranboo from behind while Techno pulled. “Gotta play hookie with us.”

“I, um, I uh, well,” he stammered, twisting his fingers, looking about between them and finding absolutely no help.

“You’re bein’ peer pressured. We’re peer pressurin’ you. Just come goof off with us, Ranboo, join the dark side, we have cookies.”

“We do, actually,” Puffy said, taking the rum back and finishing off the bottle. “I’ve got enough snacks hidden in my various pockets to feed an army.”

“Absolute pogchamp.”

“Oh I knew you were up to something!”

“Always,” Puffy said with a wink, rising up onto her hooftips to kiss Niki’s cheek.

“I, uh…” Ranboo sighed. It was a great heaving thing, making him sound more and more like a dejected cat.

“Yeahhhh! One Ranboo, officially roped into our nonsense. Gang’s all here now, gang’s all here.”

“So what’re we doing?” Phil asked cheerfully, crossing his wrists behind his head in a strikingly anime fashion.

“Well, the captain and I were gonna fight—” Phil’s eyes lit up in an excited glint, drawn to the allure of playful violence, “—but since we’ve got Niki and Ranboo now I say we just goof around on the beach.”

“That… does actually sound kind of nice,” Niki admitted, and Ranboo’s whole body perked hopefully. Techno gave one noodle arm a nudge with an elbow and sent him a quick wink. They’d get that girl to take a load off and enjoy herself, even if it took all four of them to do it.

A rustling, too large to be a rabbit, came from a bush ahead of them, just on that seam of land where dirt shifted into sand. Not a moment later, out spilled a man, a man wearing a bright blue onesie.

“Connor?!?” asked all five of them, equally shocked.

“Hey heyyyyyyy, guyyyyys,” Connor said, one leg still trapped inside the bush, splayed out on his back and craning his neck back to look at them, lifting a hand in a peace sign. “How’s it going?”

“Connor, what are you doing here?” Niki asked, concerned.

“Wait, how do you know Connor?” Phil asked.

“How do you know Connor?” Ranboo countered, Niki helping pry the man loose from the bush’s terrible clutches and more or less right himself on his feet.

“Oh, I get around a lot,” Connor said blithely, “At this point I know most people.”

For a moment, they stood in a loose circle, staring silently at one another.

A bottle uncorked and attention turned to Puffy. “I mean, I also know Connor,” she said, taking a swig of something new. “Wanna come screw around on the beach with us? I brought snacks.”

“Oh fuck yeah.”

And screw around they did. Mostly just walking and talking under starlight, the ocean breeze cool but only as much to be pleasant. They found a nice flat rock to take a sit on and Puffy shared the many treats she’d secreted, everyone chowing down and laughing around jokes and conversation. Phil and Puffy got into a wrestling match in the sand at one point, Connor braided uneven sections of Puffy’s hair while Niki pleated nice, neat rows, Techno and Ranboo discussed the recent installment of a book series they’d both been following and that Ranboo had shipped a copy of, knowing Techno would want one and wouldn’t want to wait long enough to place the order all the way from Antarctica.

Phil perched on Techno’s shoulders for no reason other than to feel tall, Connor relayed a tale so wild no one was sure if Connor could actually have survived that sort of thing, or if he was just making up shit as he went along, and Niki was laughing with her whole chest, flush to her cheeks and a weight lifted from her.

It was a good evening. A good night, as the moon rose higher and the distant, far-off sounds of partying wound lower. Their group was winding down as well, conversation fading into companionable silence.

Niki’s weight slumped against Techno’s side, and he glanced down to find the woman asleep.

“Gotter,” he teased softly, nudging Ranboo on his other side.

“Oh, good,” he said fondly, peering around Techno and ending up leaning on him too, as a result. Phil chuckled from above, still perched on Techno’s shoulders. Connor munched away at the remaining snacks, seated on the sand in front of the flat stone, and Puffy leaned contentedly back on her hands on Niki’s other side, staring up at the starlight.

Techno still might not be the best at talking to people, but even he had to admit: if it meant getting him here, on a night that he would’ve otherwise slogged through in a stuffy party full of people he didn’t know, he was pretty glad he’d done so.

Ayup. Not a bad place for him to be.

#dream smp #Technoblade #Philza #Emduo #Niki Nihachu #Captain Puffy #Ranboo #emerald duo #smpearth #smp earth #fantasy politics #my writing #haro writes #connoreatspants is also there #syndicate #dsmp

[arabriddler]

Part 4 ( find part 1, part 2, part 3 here )

Punching Edward Nygma was all Oswald needed to pick himself up again. Almost immediately , he pulled up The Penguin mask and began his siege on black gate. Reading the inmates and the guards, creating alliances, looking over deals and business. Heck, he even managed to secure some alcohol! He’s been careful about it, or tried to at least, last time he fell down the rabbit hole his best friend betrayed him and his empire was in ruins. 

It was going as well as it can in Black gate. Except, every night, one image haunted him. The last look Ed gave him. Laid on the floor, looking up at him as Oswald pulled his punches long enough to register the expression.

Empty. Dead. 

It was a shocking look. It shook him enough for the guards to pull him away. 

Despite all the betrayals, his heart ached every-time he remembered that look. He’d known Ed at his best and his worst. Eyes lively and expressive, and if not, they were deep in thought. They always look way ahead, forward, but this time they just… gave up. 

He worried about Ed’s well-being. 

He was always the first to read through the Gotham Gazette newsletter , looking for anything that mentions the riddler. Thankfully, his ex-friend was always there, causing so much terror to Gotham. Oswald understood it was his feelings taking over, unleashing the storm that is Edward Nygma. Ed was mourning, just as he was. 

It hurt. 

One day, Oswald was snuggled up in bed when the alarms bladed loudly. He woke up in alarm and looked around nervously as all the gates opened. Was someone trying to escape? He wasn’t made aware of that. He knows all the going ins and outs of Black Gate. 

Before he could inspect this further, a man barged into his cell. Guard clothes and gun in hand. In the darkness Oswald could barely recognize his face, and before he could even try to comprehend what happened, the man shot at him. He managed to barely dodge the bullet but it lodged itself in his arm. Oswald, despite the pain, was quick to to react and jump on the man to stop him. He managed to push away the gun, but his assailant roughly pressed the bullet wound and used Oswald’s pain to flip him over. 

He waved a knife in hand and slashed Oswald’s right eye. He aimed again, definitely  for a kill this time, but just before he could plunge the knife, he was pulled off him.

Oswald sat dumbfounded as The Riddler himself pinned the man to the floor. He took the knife from his hands and stabbed him, over and over, a feral cold look on his eyes.

As far as he knew, Ed never killed before. Whether that was a lie or he changed in the period they were apart, Oswald wasn’t sure, but it was..enthralling to watch. 

When Ed stopped stabbing the body that was long dead and just a pile of shredded skin and blood by now. He sat there breathing heavily and staring at it. Oswald approached him carefully, as much as he can with the burning in his arm and eye,  but the moment he called out to him and touched his shoulder, Ed turned around rapidly and pinned him to the wall. 

“ why are you here, Edward?” Oswald asked, and it took a couple of times of repeating the question before he got the answer. 

“ This is a planned attack, a couple of GCPD officers wanted to get rid of troublesome inmates, especially if they can operate from within like you.” 

“ That’s a little extreme.” 

“ I made it in time.” 

“ Let me guess, so you’d kill me yourself?” 

“ Yes.” 

Oswald lifted up his chin, giving Ed all the space he wants. 

“ Kill me then.” 

But… Ed didn’t, just as Oswald suspected. He seemed to struggle for a moment, unsure what to do.

“ Why are you really here, Edward?” 

“ I… I don’t know.” 

“ why did you kill that man?”

“ I don’t know!”

Oswald put his hand on Ed’s cheek, faced him openly and asked again,” Why are you here?” 

“ I still love you”. Ed admitted tearfully,” I tried to hate you, I really tried but I couldn’t”. 

“ Edward..”

“ You broke me.” 

“ you broke me as well.” 

It was hard to hear, but it was… true in a sense.  They hurt each other, deeply. Betrayal from your closest friend is bitter, cruel. How could they? 

But Oswald can fix this, if he can… if he can show Ed that he too is… they could go back to how it was, true and honest this time.

The words were too heavy, too hard. Oswald creased Ed’s cheek and leaned in for a kiss, but Ed shoved him away, calling him cruel and heartless for continuing such games. 

“ it’s not a game!” Oswald tried desperately to explain, eyes full of tears,” I fell in love with you. Sometime, someplace. For a long time, I did, and I only realized it too late.” 

“ Stop lying.” 

“ I’m not lying!” 

Oswald tried to touch him again, but Ed pulled away, creating a good distance between them,” I can’t. I just.” 

Ed looked away, and Oswald stared at him, broken and hurt all over.

“ I missed you. “ Oswald admitted,” You were my best friend, my only friend, and I lost you,” 

“ You were my friend as well.” 

“ then can we pretend nothing happened?”

“ we can’t. The scars run too deep.” 

“ how about we move past it? Through it then past it.” 

Ed glanced at him then looked away. Looking at the body and surveying Oswald’s cell before saying,”I’ll break you out of here.” 

Oswald shook his head,” No. I need to complete my sentence.” 

“ but—“

“ I need to come out of here with a clean plate, a clean name. I need to rebuild my brand.” 

“ Okay. Let me at least take you to the infirmary. Stay on guard until I’m sure it’s safe enough.” 

“ thank you. Don’t worry about the body, I have people here to take care of that.” 

In the infirmary, as Ed sat beside him, Oswald reached out to hold his hand. Ed’s hand shook in his grasp. That was definitely his first kill. 

He was thrilled at the thought that Edward Nygma killed a man for him. 

“ I’m sorry.”  

“ I’m sorry too.” 

When he woke up the next day, Edward was gone, like a dream. 

(Next)

#Oswald cobblepot #The penguin #edward nygma #the riddler #riddlebird #bee’s art #nahlaverse #tw blood #I kept telling myself to keep this simple ( writing wise ) but i can’t

[mixsethaddams]

Steve was bored.

Like, it was about to become a problem type of bored. He was practically falling asleep at his desk and he was already on warning after being late to work. You’d think his boss would be a little kinder for something as simple as sleeping through an alarm, but noooooo. She had to ‘make an example’, apparently. What a bitch. Instant written warning, no second chances.

Great.

It didn’t even happen for a good reason anyway. He binged some dumb Netflix show and kept hitting ‘Next Episode’ until 4am. It wasn’t even well written. So now here he was with a weight behind his eyes and half a mind to write a strongly worded letter to find out what the hell the writers were thinking with that ending.

He would have called out entirely if it wasn’t Wednesday. Steve’s favourite day of the week, because Wednesday was the day the interns from the business campus across town came in.

They were all Steve’s age or thereabouts, his status as a nepo baby securing his less-than-desirable spot in his father’s business behind this stupid desk, and under the watchful eye of Diane, right out of highschool. He envied how the students came in, sat in the corner of meetings and took frantic notes, before going off in a great big gaggle for lunch together while Steve ate a foil wrapped ham and cheese sandwich alone in the staff break room.

So Wednesday meant interns, meant crowded meetings, meant loud discussions of how to split a deli tab, meant Eddie.

Eddie.

Steve could barely keep his eyes off him any time he paraded through the office. His grey slacks were on the borderline of being too baggy for dress code, his white shirt was never tucked in but it was fitted to the point of maybe it was just a size too small, so it didn’t matter anyway. Even his slim black tie, flying around as Eddie bounced through the office, gave an extra endearing quality to the man. And the mop of curly hair, haphazardly thrown up into a bun on top of his head? Don’t get Steve started.

Steve had been looking for an ‘in’ for months now. Time was running out, the internship programme would be ending soon and Wednesday would go back to being just a regular day. No students, no Eddie. Steve tried once or twice to say hi when they passed in the parking lot but Eddie only ever offered a distracted smile before going back to whatever he was doing on his phone. He never even took out his headphones.

It wasn’t until Steve was sitting in the break room one Thursday, forcing himself to chew through stale bread and ham that had smelled better yesterday, that he finally got a chance. He was silently stewing at the fact Diane was forcing him to reenter a huge data sheet of figures later on that day. He fucking hated reentries, and she knew it.

“Hey,” said Eddie, standing at the door before sitting across from Steve at the table.

Steve realised he’d gone too long without replying when Eddie’s eyebrows quirked inwards.

“Hey, hi, yeah…. Hey,” said Steve quickly. He was suddenly very aware of how bland his grey shirt/navy sweater combo looked in comparison to Eddie’s….everything. It didn’t matter that Eddie was dressed in monotone greys today, it was just him.

“You’re not usually here on Thursdays,” said Steve, aiming for casual.

Eddie smirked.

“Yeah well,” he said, leaning back heavily in his chair. “I messed up some figures yesterday so I offered to come in today to fix it. No classes in the afternoon so, made sense,”

Eddie finished with a shrug. Steve had no idea what he’d just said because this was actually the first time he’d heard Eddie’s voice without the buzz of the entire office in the background and he felt like he wanted to swim in it.

“Cool, cool,” said Steve, hoping that was an appropriate response.

Eddie nodded and regarded Steve carefully, eyes dragging over the parts of him that weren’t hidden by the table.

“You take a lot of notice when I’m here….?” began Eddie, leaning forward and motioning for Steve to fill in the blank.

“Oh, S-Stephen, Steve, uh, Steve,” he stammered, clearing his throat.

“Steve,” repeated Eddie slowly. “I’m Eddie,”

Steve knew his name. Had made a mission of finding it out. Broke six different company policies on privacy to find it after the first week.

Steve just nodded, shy now.

“So tell me, Steve,” said Eddie, dragging his teeth over his lip when he said Steve’s name. “Do you always notice when I’m not here?”

“It’s…It’s intern day, Wednesdays,” floundered Steve. “You’re an intern. Wednesday is your day. To be here, I mean, and this is…Thursday, so…”

Eddie’s eye narrowed as a grin tugged on the edge of his mouth.

“Desk 405, right?” asked Eddie, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Third cubicle past the bathrooms, right next to the cooler?”

Steve’s mouth dropped open.

“Yeah, yes, uh, how did…” Steve cleared his throat again. “Why do you know where my desk is?”

Eddie stood, pocketing the paper again.

“You’re the one who’s going to help me fix my mistake,” said Eddie, rapping his knuckles on the table, calling over his shoulder as he left. “Thank Diane, she said you love data reentry,”

Steve did always like Diane.

#and if I said I want to turn this into a stalker steve fic? #then what? #steddie #my writing #seth writes

[sebastianstansqueen]

Lost In The Shadows: Part Twelve

A/N: This one is short, sorry, also have began writing my next series, my stuff about that will be up once i'm finished posting this story, hoe you like it, If you want to be Tagged, either send an ask or comment on this or click on Taglist open.

Wordcount: 1,159

Warnings: angst, Guns, Bucky being unaware, Wayne, and Brock if I forgot anything let me know please!

Masterlist // Series Masterlist // Taglist open// 

Tags: @cherryblossomsky- - @babylooneytoonz - @wonderlandfandomkingdom - @miraclesoflove - @amelia-song-pond- @leyannrae- @avengerlex - @pineprincess - @nik2write - @dorothea-hwldr - @rosie-posie08 - @scxrletrecsmarvel - @sebsgirl71479- @missvelvetsstuff - @hadesownhell - @casa-boiardi- @winterslove1917- @hallecarey1 - @ash-craze - @barnesxstan - @unaxv - @bethexo07 - @itsmytimetoodream - @sebastians-love - @stoneyggirl2  - @ordelixx - @arunabrak

After the stress of being at the hospital worried sick everyday, Y/n had to admit being at her villa in Italy was a nice change from the compound back home. It was also nice that she was able to get Bucky an arm with the thought of mind that money was no object, so she got the best of the best. The best part was it was just her and Bucky, since everyone  back home wanted to keep it hush hush that they were leaving, there wasn’t a security staff always lurking nor did she have any professionals roaming the house like cleaners, and kitchen staff, it felt normal, and she almost didn’t dare say she liked it. 

Currently she sat by the pool, while Bucky was swimming laps, she softly smiled to herself as she thought about it. Tonight they were going to roam the city, starting with an art gallery and then dinner. A lot of this felt so domestic to her and she couldn’t fully hate it. “You okay?” Bucky asked, her eyes opened as she looked at him. “I know you’ve been stressed.” And there was also that, if Bucky remembered he would probably understand the why, because technically you were both in hiding. 

“Bucky, if anything I’m for once not stressed.” She lied through her teeth, she was more stressed than ever before, because they were stuck in a foreign country Bucky had no memory of the Mafia, and for the first time since taking her family business back she wasn’t the one in control of everything, and she hated that. “If anything, I’m excited about tonight, it’s gonna be romantic.” 

As the two of them walked around looking at different paintings, sculpture and other pieces of work. It was nice until a bullet hit one of the paintings, Y/n’s eyes widened. “Get down!” She yelled, she pulled out her own gun that had been tucked away in a secret pouch in her overly big purse, as more bullets came through breaking the glass.

“What the hell is going on?” Bucky asked with wide eyes. 

Y/n looked at him. “Believe me Bucky in another life you’d understand, but for now follow what I do.” She aimed her own gun at the glass ceiling of the building, where she couldn’t see even an outline of a person, she took a deep breath in irritation. “Okay, we’ve gotta get on that roof.” 

“That’s where the bullets came from.” Bucky hissed out. 

Y/n nodded. “I know.” She got up moving, Bucky moved her as she had told him. As people who weren’t dead ran around in panic and fear, and red lights went off with an annoying alarm and people who had gotten shot in the spray of bullets moments earlier laid on the ground crying or dead.  She moved around until she found a roof entrance, she began running up the stairs, when both of them made it up to the roof Y/n found who she was looking for meaning whoever it was wanting to kill her had an open air shot to get her. As Y/n saw it was two people, Sharon and Wayne, Y/n scoffed, wind caused her hair to blow everywhere. “You two have got to be shitting me! You're working together?” 

They both looked at her with wide eyes. “She betrayed Brock, so I'm here for both of you!” Wayne was the first to speak. 

Y/n began to actually laugh. “That’s a good one Wayne, you're working for Rumlow, you're not even stupid enough to do that.” 

“You're the one who’s gonna lose out, Y/n, you are the one who lost doing business with him, and you're gonna die for it.” Wayne smiled wickedly, Y/n noticed he looked different; he'd been bulked up or something. 

“Are you on that fucking staroids he wants to sell on the streets?” She scoffed able to tell, by the obvious side effects. 

“It’s called ‘the serum’.” He said aggressively. 

“Oh, please, all those blue crystals are gonna do for you is kill you eventually.” Y/n was taunting him. 

“Okay that's enough.” Sharron stopped her from continuing. “I’m killing you, and then taking everything you’ve built.” The blond held up a gun at Y/n, making her do the same. 

Y/n, wasn’t aiming for her sister but Wayne, as her finger pressed the trigger Sharons did the same and she ducked down, with Bucky as she watched Wayne fall off the building with blood spreading on his shirt. 

Sharon watched and hurried to follow where he fell, jumping off knowing Y/n was giving her one more chance to get her. Y/n liked a game especially with her sister, so she was willing to play it, if Sharon killed her next time she’d win, only getting one more chance to try again, before Y/n would kill her. Y/n looked at Bucky making sure he was alright, he looked shaken up but no wounds, she helped him up. “Are you okay?” She asked, and he nodded. “Okay come on.” 

When they got back to the villa she began packing everything they had brought, moving as fast as she could.  “Y/n what the hell was that!” Bucky yelled, making her freeze up, stopping what she was doing.

Y/n whipped around. “You're not gonna talk to me like that!” She yelled back. “You're the one who doesn't remember anything, and doesn't know what is going on so you're not gonna yell at me, I’m doing this for your safety, because I care about you.” 

“Explain what’s going on then.” He said with irritation. 

“My sister, who is a skilled assassin, and a guy I refused to do business with are trying to kill me and possibly you, and that’s how we ended up in the hospital I’m assuming, and your don’t remember this because of what you got in the accident, Bucky I’m a mafia boss and so is your brother, but we’ve gotta go if you want to live.” She spoke with pure urgency, she moved up to him, placing her hand in his, she slowly moved in closer to him, kissing him softly. “Bucky, I love you, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, if you come with me I’ll make sure you don’t die.” 

Bucky pulled her closer to him. “I’ll go with you, but be honest with me from now on.” 

Y/n looked at him and nodded. “Okay, for now pack, I’ll figure out where to next.”

_____

Brock shook his head, as Wayne's feed and tracker turned red, he slammed his hand on the desk, a mix of anger and joy. Wayne had been helpful but soon became a pest on his shoulder, he huffed knowing he needed to know Y/n’s next move. He had to be the one to finish her off. 

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x you #marvel #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan #mob!bucky x reader #james buchanan bucky barnes #mob bucky barnes x reader #mob! bucky x reader #mobster!bucky #bucky x mob!reader #mechanic!bucky x reader #mafia bucky x reader #mafia!bucky x reader #mafia sebastian stan x reader

[artdivadej]

Survivor’s Remorse

Part 10 | Part 11+

18+ | PTSD |

Part one

When Peeta did locate Haymitch it was rather quickly, thank God because he didn't want to leave you alone at all on this damned bullet train. To know that it held so many hijacked memories for you, made him antsy and irritable that you even were on it. It was supposed to be a reward for having to have always been on it against your will and now have full control of it, but they all hated the thing. Not a smart gift to give to Victors.

Haymitch picked up the glass bottle and waved him away, having found his pacifier for the next few hours before he passed out. Peeta turned on heel, headed down the hall and strode back into the room. You'd been running your hands over the sheets, fingers trembling before the sound of the door closing made you whip around to face him with wide eyes. Your pupils were pinpricks and you were panting loudly.

Oh no. No. No. No.

Before Peeta could open his mouth to calm you, a lamp came hurtling towards him by your hand. He managed to dodge it out of pure reflex, hearing it crash into a million pieces behind him. You scream with rage and terror, your fingers hooking, as you bared your teeth and nails at him.

"How did you get in here? Where's Peeta?" you hiss at him, circling away towards another

"It's me love. It's Peeta" he answers gently, sliding forward

"No", you snarl sliding your feet onto the bed as you continue to circle him, refusing to turn your back on him "Don't you dare touch me!"

Peeta raises his arms so that you can see his hands, palms flat and facing towards you.

"Sweetness, look at me"

His timbre has fallen to that hypnotic, sweet honey drop baritone that always rattled your senses enough to get you to listen. You stop moving, eyes darting all over his face as your pupils widen a little. Peeta tilts his head up to be able to look squarely into your eyes as he continues to step closer, moving with deliberate slowness, which makes you relax your tense muscles.

"Look into my eyes. It's me"

Your head tilts with confusion, eyes blinking rapidly as you tried to sort through the real and unreal visions swimming in front of you. When Peeta's knee slides onto the bed, your hands cup his cheeks, fingers trembling, eyes locked onto his.

"Sweet Peeta" you whisper sliding to straddle his thigh

"It's me baby" he nods, smiling against your lips

When your eyes begin to fill with tears, bottom lip trembling, Peeta feels that alarm he always did after you had an episode, but had to mash it down and remain calm.

"Hey, hey, shhhh. Don't you do that sweet girl" he hums pecking your lips as his thumbs stroke at your cheeks, his eyes warming you from the outside in with their security.

"I wanted to hurt you Peeta. So bad. I thought you were him", you whimper against his lips

"Talk to me"

Peeta slides so that he's sitting with you in his lap, straddling his wide hips, tiny hands resting on his cheeks, refusing to break contact.

"It's selfish" you whisper after a few minutes

"So am I" Peeta chuckles "This is the first time I've allowed anyone outside of 12 to see you"

This makes you laugh and it takes a weight off of his chest.

"You" you stop and clear your throat "You always come running to me. No matter what. When I call for you, when I need you. If it's within your power, nothing stops you from running to me. It's one of my favorite things about you. It makes me happy. The happiest girl in the world. To be so safe. Loved. Protected"

Peeta knew that you took comfort in the fact that he was there whenever you needed him but had never thought about it to this extent before. You weren't very open about yourself, finding it hard to emote and communicate your feelings, some things those few close to you just understood. You kept a lot guarded. Vulnerability didn't come easy to you. So to know that his need to reach you as quickly as his feet could carry him, brought you such happiness and security, warmed him from his toes to the tips of his ears.

"Mean Peeta never came when I called. He was slow, callous and always so angry with me for needing him"

Peeta's arms tighten around your back and feels the shudder that rips down your spine.

"But I've always needed you Peeta. So much. And it's only gotten worse. I can't breathe without you. They took my breath away when they took you from me" you gasp burying your nose in his neck

His hands rub soothingly up and down your back as he lets you continue. It was best to let you get these dark memories out whenever you could, it was not often, no matter how mad they drove him. If Mean Peeta was a real person...Peeta would obliterate him. Marvel got off light compared to what he wanted to do to Mean Peeta.

"All I wanted was for you to hold me. To feel safe again. To feel this"

Your arms tighten around his ribs, as if you were afraid that he would evaporate into thin air and the torture would be real all over again.

"Taking you away from me was like stealing my life. I meant it when I said that you are everything to me Peeta" you sigh against his collar bone "I love you. So, so much. All I ever needed. For them to take you from me", you whimper as your voice cracks

"No one is taking me from you ever again. Do you hear me?" Peeta asserted squeezing you tight

"I don't want to sleep here" you admit softly

"Well shit. In here five minutes and you've already broken the furniture" Haymitch burps from the door watching Peeta scoop you up into his arms, stepping over to him

"Can we swap rooms? This one is...she can't..." Peeta trails off

"Yeah. I actually don't want to stay in mine either"

"I'll be back to clean up in a minute"

"Don't bother. I've got it. Get settled in. I'll see you two tomorrow" Haymitch shrugs waving Peeta off as he places the bag you'd been carrying into his free hand

Peeta loved the fact that you were quite literally glued to his side throughout the entirety of your trip on the train. There weren't half as many staff as there used to be during the Hunger Days, so it afforded much more privacy, which allowed you to be as openly affectionate as you wanted.

Whenever he sat, you were on, or in his lap, even during meals. He enjoyed it very much that you did this while you ate. The deep arch in your back, ass planted firmly against his pelvis, calves locked around his, against the chair as you leaned forward to eat from your plate with your fingers.

To have you situated this way on his lap while you ate at the same time, was enough to make him want to make love to you all over this table. Something that happened quite a few times since the first night. His dick pushing against the front of his thin pajama pants, up against the seat of your shorts only spurred you into more wanton movements.

It'd become a game between you. A test of the wills. A very welcome distraction. He always waited until he was sure you were full before he claimed his prize.

When you'd polished off a few cheese buns or a sweet dessert, licking your fingers, then and only then was when he'd capture your lips in his. His hands on your waist, flipping you around so that you were now facing him, Peeta tasting every tangy sauce from your lips and sweet treat on your tongue with your thighs on the outer of his. Watching you eat always erupted a dark carnal desire within him. Feeding you, watching you indulge shamelessly, until your belly was pulled taut from fullness, made everything in Peeta aflame with pleasure.

"You're so beautiful love" Peeta moans against your soft lips

The pretty blush that started at your neck went up to your ears. Always so embarrassed by how easily words of endearment fell from his lips, showering you with genuine praise and affection.

"You're quite handsome yourself" you grin, lips placing chaste kisses across his jaw

"I want you. Right now" he moaned loudly

"I'm all yours Peeta" you smile coyly up at him as your hands push his pajamas down his legs "Always"

"Damn right you are" he groans as your hand grips him firmly, trailing his tip up and down your slit

Peeta cursed under his breath when you slip his tip into your eagerly dripping core, his body trembling with the effort to keep still, allowing you full control.

"Yes" you moan against his throat, hips rolling slowly down taking gum in inch by inch

"Baby please" Peeta pleads in a low moan

"What?" you purr against his neck, a hickey forming under your insistent lips

"I want all of you love. Please?" He pleads again, his hips shifting with his begging

You don't answer him with words, your hips slamming down against his, swallowing him down to the hilt. Peeta curses loudly, head thrown back in pleasure, so elated to feel you fully wrap around him like a slick glove. He could spend all day between your thighs if you let him. He quickly pushes the empty tray at your back to the floor before he pushes you to lie flat onto the table. Peeta revels in the way your hips roll, pulling him so deep he can feel himself hitting that wall deep within that drove you insane. Watching every rise and fall of your full breasts beneath his t-shirt, the sun kissed olive skin of your stomach peeking from beneath where it had ridden up, with pleasure.

"Peeta" you sigh blissfully when he thrusts up into you slowly, in time with your languid rolls "More. Make me yours"

"Gladly" he grits through his teeth, his body aflame at your breathy plea

The fingers of his left-hand thread through your right and his hips begin to slam harder, driving into you with fervor. Your moans tumble out of your mouth unrestrained, fingers squeezing his as he brought you closer to your first orgasm, your tightening walls alerting him to your release. It makes his hips move faster, needing to see you cum as you screamed his name. When he leaned forward to capture your cries in his mouth, the sound of glass breaking makes you both freeze.

"Jeezuz! You two are like fuckin rabbits! Can a man get a bagel in peace! Fuck!" Haymitch's cry of despair pierces the air

Peeta looks over his shoulder, as you quickly sit up, to spot Haymitch with his hand over his eyes by the door, feeling blindly in front of him until he reached the table. Peeta gives you a sympathetic smile as he slowly withdraws himself from your walls, albeit begrudgingly, but he would finish what he started in your room. You're biting your lip, cheeks flushed prettily, eyes glowing silver, practically screaming that you didn't want him to stop. He makes sure you're both presentable before stepping back. He kisses your plump lips gently before helping you down from the table and onto your feet. Your hands enclose on his forearm instantly, bringing a smile to his lips. Peeta sits back into his seat and pulls you with him, waiting until you were comfortably situated sideways on his lap.

"You can open your eyes old man" You snicker lowly

"You sure? Last thing I wanna see is your ass sweetheart"

"I'm sure you jerk" You laugh tossing a bagel at his head, which makes him lower his hand as he shoots you a smirk.

"Good. We need to talk" he nods picking up the sesame bagel and slathering it in strawberry jam, not bothering to pull any of the stray seeds from his hair

"About?" Peeta cuts in

"We'll be at the Capitol in about 16 hours. When we get to the Justice Hall-"

"The what?" you ask quickly

"The President's mansion. They've renamed and redesigned a lot of it. It's now the Justice Hall. Where dignitaries meet and stay during these new diplomatic times"

"Oh...that's nice. Does Paylor stay there?"

"No. She prefers the simpler things. She has a home in the city. Now listen up, we'll get to the Justice Hall and drop off the rest of your stuff. A few of the other Victors are already, there since their trips were much shorter, being closer and all. Afterwards Peeta has meetings all day. We won't be back until around 2 am, there's a Victors welcoming celebration afterwards.

Peeta feels you stiffen in his arms and he kisses your temple gently, nuzzling his lips in your hair, grateful this eases the tension in some of your muscles. At least you'd get to be together in the morning and you'd, more than likely, not be able to sleep until he got in anyway.

"Don't stress it. I doubt everyone will be at all the meetings and events. You're not the only one who doesn't want to be in the limelight any more than necessary"

"I can't wait to see them" you beam before turning your glowing smile to Peeta "It's been hard just talking to Jo on the phone"

"Believe me, she's ready to show her ass. She's just as excited to see you" Haymitch snorts

This makes you brighten visibly and it brings Peeta some much needed comfort to know that Johanna would be by your side most of the times he couldn't be. There was no one he trusted more with your sanity and he knew you felt the same. Others were still terrified of Johanna but you never had been, seeing her as the mean but loving older sister you've always wanted.

"Will...will I be able to see Cinna?" you ask in a small voice avoiding Peeta's gaze

He wasn't sure why. He knew that you didn't have feelings like that towards Cinna, but maybe you thought he did? He was the only other man you allowed to see and touch your naked body without a fight after all. Peeta was possessive but there was no reason to feel any jealousy towards Cinna. Cinna acted more like an eldest sibling to the youngest when it came to you. There was never anything illicit about it. It was the same way Peeta felt for Portia. Some bonds formed during the Hunger Days didn't require explanation. You were all just trying to survive and find people you could trust during those days, which wasn't easy.

"He's a hot commodity because of the work he's done with you. He doesn't know you're coming. I'll reach out. Once he finds out you're there, I doubt he won't make his way over, despite how busy he may be. He's been trying to get out to 12 to check on you for over 2 years. Paylor wanted you fully cleared by Aurelius before anyone from the Games was allowed to see you again"

"I hadn't known. I thought...since the games have been over, he just..."

"You had every bone in your hands broken so he could use his to keep living his dream. He wouldn't be able to just toss you away even if he tried. He misses you too. You'll see it in his work when you get there, trust me" Haymitch explains with a soft smile

"And Portia?" Peeta asks unable to contain his own excitement

"Who do you is in charge of your wardrobe for these events?" Haymitch snorts "She absolutely refused to let anyone else work with you"

"Good"

"Well kids, you'd better get your bunny activities out now. Because you won't have much time for it once we get there. Capitol residents, even without the extra opulent flair added anymore, are still an exhausting bunch"

"We're aware" You mutter darkly before slipping to your feet and pulling Peeta with you heading towards your room. "We'll see you tomorrow morning when we get there"

"It's 11 am!"

"I'm storing up" You smirk wickedly at him as the door closes behind the two of you

When Haymitch comes to get you two the next morning around 7 his face in twisted in a pissy grimace that has us watching him warily. We'd both gotten up early, the anxiety of being back in the Capitol forcing sleep to allude us for more than a few hours. He'd found us in the nose of the car, curled up on the couch together, watching the scenery as the train flew towards the Capitol. I sit up immediately, feeling my heart constrict, every hair on your body standing up in warning.

"What happened?"

"We'll have to meet you at the Justice Hall tomorrow. Our escorts didn't get the memo and they're waiting at the station for us to take us to Peeta's first meeting"

"W-what?" I stutter trying hard to stop the thundering of my heart as fear starts to seize my throat

"I'm sorry" Haymitch sighs cupping my cheeks, his arctic blue eyes reflecting his intense distaste with this unforeseen situation "I really don't want to take him from you so soon. You'll be alright. You're strong. Never forget that. You'll have all of us at your fingertips. When we get there, they'll have communication devices for us to use. We'll be able to call one another on video whenever we need to"

"And I'll come running when you call" Peeta affirms when my eyes dart to him

"I'll be ok. Jo will be at the Hall when I get there right?"

"Right" Haymitch nods

"I can make it through a trip through the city" I assert with a sure nod of the head, not wanting the men in my life feel any guiltier than they already did. This wasn't their fault.

"Are you sure? We can just beat them off with a stick until we get there" Haymitch smirks

"I'm fine old man" I chuckle, though the trembling of my fingers give me away to Peeta's sharp eyes

Peeta sighs and spins me around so that I'm in his arms, face buried in his broad chest.

"I swear, I'll come running. Do you hear me?"

I don't answer, only nod against his chest, arms enclosing around his waist to try my best to commit this secure feeling to memory. Just as he nuzzles his nose in my hair, we hear the sound. The same ones that scared him shitless at 16. Screams. Deafening cheers begin to surround the train as it slows. My arms around him tighten, nails digging into his back over his shirt as the memories of our first games slam into me too.

"What the hell is this!" Peeta hisses

"Some bullshit. I said no God damn fanfare!" Haymitch snarls

I release Peeta and turn to Haymitch, giving him a tight squeeze that he instantly returns, his anger dissipated at the sudden moment of vulnerability.

"I'm ok. I'll be ok. You two go. I'll see you later. Right?"

Haymitch's eyes survey my face quickly, knowing this was a lie, before looking into Peeta's for a sense of direction. This was not the agreement and he was clearly seething and ready to cut down whoever had made this horrible blunder. It wasn't even supposed to be known that Peeta would be coming, but we could hear his voice being chanted and it clearly pissed him off. Peeta could see that Haymitch had all intentions on skewering the person who'd leaked this information.

"Yeah. Don't forget to get your communicator. If anything upsets you, we can leave. They're already on my shit list for this bullshit"

"Good. Then go. I don't want them to know I'm here too. I'll see you both in the morning"

When Peeta and Haymitch leave I slide to the floor and take deep gulps of air. It's like I'm trapped in the arena again. Hearing the cheers of the sociopathic residents of the Capitol, celebrating children murdering one another scraping for a mere sliver of a chance of survival. To be treated like a show pony afterward. A steed to mate with whoever had the funds to do so. The bombs were starting to go off again. I could feel myself falling.

Deeper.

Darker.

Mutts everywhere.

"Aht! I knew your hijacked ass would be cowering in here! Get your ass up! I've gotta suffer through these idiots, so do you. And you aint doing it hijacked bitch!" Johanna snarks yanking me to my feet so I'm staring up into her bright emerald eyes, teeming with excitement and mischief.

"Jojo" I breath trying to make sense of my surroundings

"There she is! Let's go bitch. I scared off the lingerers that didn't follow Peeta and your old man outta here. And put this on. I don't want to have to fight to get to the Hall without my axe" she grins pulling a red baseball cap over my head before I yank her to me and bury my face in her chest

"Hey now, I know they're better than Peeta's but don't get lost in there" she snickers

"Shut up" I laugh feeling the haze lifting as she pulls me forward, my bag slung over her shoulder

I give her a once over and see she's positively marvelous. Her skin is toasted from being in the sun, her hair is cut in layers that whip around her, stopping just below her shoulders, the tips a fire red. Her slim body is toned and tight so her curves stand out against her slender frame in her black V-neck t-shirt, tight red jeans with calf-high black steel toed boots on her feet.

When we step off the train, the platform is practically deserted. Everyone that catches a glimpse of Johanna makes sure to move as far out of her line of sight as possible. I keep my head down, my hair down around my face in loose curls, as we make our way over to a hovercar. Once we're inside she pulls the hat off, the tints on the windows shielding us from prying eyes. Johanna is explaining every street and building of importance to me that we pass. Pointing out a few sex shops she wants to visit. More than likely to keep my brain busy so I didn't dwell on the last time I was here.

After about 10 minutes she shoves my head between my knees.

"Keep it down until I say so" she hisses

"Why?"

"You don't want to see where we are now. We're almost there I swear"

"It's....it's the training center, isn't it?" I whisper, happy she hasn't taken her hand from the back of my head

"Shut up" she snaps

So it is. This can't be easy for her either. I wonder how she's keeping calm. Then again. She's been in the Capitol quite a few times over the years, so she probably has coping mechanisms to help ease the painful memories. I listen and wait until the tight grip she has in my hair begins to relax. She hadn't let go until we got past the Halls gates. I realize it's because the last time I'd seen them, I'd been horribly burned ripping Primrose away from them, knowing those bombs on sight, shoving her into a Humvee mere seconds before the explosion blew me into the side of it with enough force to knock me unconscious.

"Thanks Jo" I exhale deeply

"I want some of that damn rabbit stew as compensation" she sighs, her own breath short pants

"You're bad ass" I smirk knocking my forehead to her temple

"Damn right. Look, Annie's here!" she grins pointing at the stairs in front of the large doors where Annie's waiting patiently for Johanna to come back

She looks positively radiant too. Her long hair is now waist length and pulled up into a ponytail, a bang swooped over her left eye that curls beneath her chin. She's in a floor length bright chartreuse sleeveless, flowing summer dress, that makes her lime-colored eyes that much brighter in her face. She's definitely been spending time in the sun, probably on their boat with Finnick, because she's tanned a pretty bronze just like her husband. She smiles as we step out of the car and I hurtle myself up the stairs towards her, throwing my arms around her neck.

"Hey lil red!"

"Hey you" she giggles sounding of wind chimes as she hugs me close

"You look so pretty! I see Finnick is treating you very well" I smirk at her when she pulls back and holds me at arm's length to examine me too.

"It would seem that Peeta has done the same for you. You look breathtaking"

"Stop" I blush

"If we're gonna gay it out, we should do it inside" Johanna laughs pushing us inside

Yeah, this should be easy with the girls here with me. I could do this.

Right?

#peeta mellark #team peeta #peeta x reader #peeta fanfiction #peeta’s games #the hunger games peeta #peeta smut #peeta my beloved #i love peeta #peeta pov #peeta mellark smut #peeta mellark x reader #thg peeta #the hunger games #fanfiction #survivors remorse #part ten

[thebirdandthebee]

OK, cause I'm thirsty today. Jealous Carmy! who has to cater an uncomfortably fancy event and F girlfriend is there wearing a hot dress and he has to keep watching all the rich dudes trying to hit on her until he can't take it and they end up sneaking outside and fucking (bonus points for Carmy eating her out). Thank you Chef!

College was a fun time for Carmen. No, he wasn't in college, but he was in culinary school and catering on the weekends to pay for said culinary school.

It was just fortunate timing that he'd be catering a party his girlfriend would be attending that night with some of her friends - their families all having donated big money to the university to earn an invite. It was a posh affair that she’d spent hours getting ready for. He’d personally zippered her up into a red silk number with a slit nearly to her hip.

He, however, was decked out in the caterer’s special - all white with a black bowie as he flitted about room holding trays of wasabi crab cakes and tartare tacos.

He was grateful for her girlfriends who were always kind to him when he’d sneak in and out of their college house. Tonight, however, he wished more of them were around, and less of the business-school, trust-fund babies that were flocking to her from all angles. He knew his girlfriend was stunning, that was a given. But he certainly didn’t appreciate everyone else knowing that as well.

He didn’t like how closely the suits were getting, and though he could swoop in once in a while, he was close to tossing his tray when he watched a tall, brunette with a dimpled chin touch her elbow gently as they both stood at the bar.

“I’ve got lobster puffs here,” he said, stepping up to the two.

“No, thanks,” the man replied, looking down on Carmen - both literally and figuratively. 

“I love lobster,” his girlfriend grinned, happily taking one and popping it into her mouth. “Delicious,” she moaned - a noise that both men knew was better suited for between the sheets.

“Maybe I will try one...” the other man muttered, taking his own.

Three more times in the next half an hour Carmen could see his girlfriend otherwise occupied by men whose fathers had attorneys on standby. It made his skin prickle in a way that he hated. He slammed down an empty tray on the back counter of the kitchen, catching the attention of the other staff members.

“Try not to get too heated, huh?” He heard the familiar purr, feeling a hand slide down his arm. Turning, he saw her with a small smile on her face - she knew this wasn’t fun for him. “Anywhere... private we can go?” She asked, eyes flicking over to the service door that led to the back alley. He simply slid his hand in hers, shoving open the security bar and sending up a quick thank-you to the big guy above that an alarm didn’t sound.

A moment later, his mouth was on hers, tasting that familiar cherry flavor of the lipgloss she’d swiped on over her red lipstick.

“Hate that you have to work,” she pouted, hands delving in his hair.

“Hate the entitled pricks who think they can just put their hands on you,” he countered, hand sliding up her thigh, hooking her leg over his hip. “You’re mine,” he said, lips pressed against hers tightly.

“Prove it,” she grinned, tilting her head with her wide doe eyes. Carmen flipped her around - an arm across her stomach as he kept her from being pressed against the rough exterior of the building. “I took my panties off in the bathroom,” she said, pulling it from her cleavage, reaching back to shove them into his pocket.

“God I love you,” he laughed, her hands braced against the wall as he nudged her feet apart.

She heard his zipper drop and the anticipation made her face hot.

“Hurry Carmy, what if someone comes out here? The valet is just around the cor-” She paused as he slid into her with one fell swoop. “Fuck,” she whimpered, boosting his ego to high heaven. He grasped her breast over her dress, pressing his face into the mess of wild curls she’d pinned her hair into as he pumped in and out.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he grunted, warm breath huffing in her ear.

“I’m yours,” she gasped as his free hand wandered down to the slit of her dress, easily finding her clit.

“Tell me who this pussy belongs to,” he said feeling her squeeze him haphazardly.

“You, Carmy!” She tossed her head back, kissing him desperately.

“None of those fuckers in there can give you what I give you,” he all but growled. 

“Only you,” she agreed with a whimper.

“I’m gonna cum, baby,” he warned, causing a ripple of goosebumps to travel down her arms.

“I wanna feel you inside of me,” she begged, sending him over the edge. The feeling of his hot orgasm spilling inside of her pushed her off her own blissful cliff. A few moments later, he was using her panties to clean up what he could.

“Don’t look at anyone else, huh?” He asked, kissing her lips in a short series of sweet pecks. “Keep your eyes closed and hide in the corner till I’m done,” he all but begged, a small smile on his lips.

“I only have eyes for you,” she grinned, kissing him soundly. 

“Good.”

#Carmy #carmen smut #carmy smut #carmy berzatto #carmy fluff #carmen x oc #Carmen Berzatto #carmen berzatto smut #carmen berzatto fluff #carmen berzatto x ofc #the bear #the bear hulu #the bear fan fic #jeremy allen white is HOT

[crisiscutie]

Outlaw Biker AU Thought/Scenario

(Based on the proposal here and the poll done by @rottenpumpkin13) A rough headcanon outline of how I think a bank heist would go with the five SOLDIER boyos and their darling. Bunch of rambling rubberish under the cut. Read the proposal for context.

The One Winged Angels MC found themselves in a dire situation when their Club Founder, Rufus, was found guilty of money laundering and other charges, resulting in a severe lack of funds and the MC losing its defense from police interference.

Rufus was sentenced to several years in prison. Who knows if he'd ever be a free man again. At least he didn't sell out the MC.

As a result, Vice President Genesis has successfully talked the morally upright Angeal into conducting a heist on a grand bank in Midgar.

Going on the job with them will be Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth and The Darling. It will be a stealth heist and will be done with the utmost caution to ensure minimal attention, as it has to be done in broad daylight. There shouldn't be too many people at the bank on that specific day, anyway.

During the heist, things were going well at first. Alarms in the bank were secretly disabled before the arrival of the crew.

Darling and Zack worked together to soothe Cloud's worries, since it was his first big score. It's a bit much for a newbie like him, but he's gotta learn one day, right?

The crew was forced to make themselves known when a security guard got snippy with Genesis and got on his nerves. So the stealth heist became a loud one.

Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth sought the money and jewels from the most secure vaults in the lower levels of the bank, eliminating any resisting guards along the way. Meanwhile, Cloud, Zack and Darling were tasked with controlling the crowd, with Darling acting as the lookout for police.

Things took a turn for the worse when Zack became overly friendly with his captives on one side of the room, and Cloud was increasingly uneasy with even the smallest of movements from his captives on his side.

Meanwhile, some guards fighting three boys in the vaults surrendered to them, but Genesis ends up killing them anyway because they recognized his identity.

He and Angeal argued vehemently, and Sephiroth barely noticed it, as his attention was solely on the mission.

On the ground level, Cloud and Zack became too distracted. Which lead to the hostages calling the cops, who arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.

Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth rushed out of the vaults to the sounds of shouting, screaming and clashing weapons, as their younger peers fought off the police.

Upon the darling being shot by a policeman, thus her sustaining a severe injury, the situation became grave for the crew members.

Cloud's rage boiled over when he saw the state of the darling, his thoughts turning to the time Tifa was wounded in a shooting that happened in their village. The other boys soon joined him, their rage contained, but just as menacing.

Zack was able to calm him down and eventually the crew were successful in creating a passageway and escaping.

The score resulted in a success. The darling, although she needed to recover in bed for a while, ended up being fine.

While the darling was recovering, the five boys were especially attentive, constantly checking on her and tending to her needs.

Zack coming by to tell her of all of his dreams and jokes from his runs that day. And he would assist in her physical therapy by having her do squats with him.

Angeal pulling up a chair to her bed, so they can vent to each other; mostly them having good laughs over their woes of having to babysit a club full of hot-blooded idiots.

Genesis and her eagerly watching through several seasons of the LOVELESS tv show based on the play. It's so bad that they hate it but think it's funny to watch it to tear it apart.

Sephiroth coming by to simply hear her voice and get cuddles maybe. Many times, they shared a quiet moment of affection, the only sound being the beating of their hearts.

Cloud showed his face around the darling of the least; He still asks about her and brings her stuff if others can't. He felt a deep pang of shame for not being able to protect her and for almost ruining the score.

Darling would have to ask him to come to her. She would comfort him during their conversations, letting him know it wasn't his fault that she got shot and that his impressive skills had saved her life, actually.

Despite the lingering uncertainty in his mind, Cloud was deeply moved by the darling's tenderness and reassuring words, and he vowed to never stop giving the scores his all.

You don't mess with anyone in the MC. You especially don't mess with The Darling (for obv reasons) and Cloud (Because he is a precious newbie baby that needs lots of love and reassurance).

#sephiroth #ff7 sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #final fantasy x reader #cloud strife #ff7 #cloud strife x reader #angeal hewley #zack fair #genesis rhapsodos #final fantasy #ff7 x reader #biker au