#I know the implication of the Leaving Together route is that the Voices stay behind. but I can't picture the bird man without them. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fific7 · 3 years

Text

Dangerous and Divine - Part 3

Billy Russo x Reader

Summary: Billy Russo is an itch you don’t want to scratch. But he’s all over you like a rash.

A/N: This does not follow canon, it’s mainly lemon zest 🍋 The GIF is from Exposed, unreleased pilot show in case you’re wondering 😌... Billy vibes.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content including oral sex, between consenting adults. Some drinking & swearing.

(My GIF)

“Nothing to see here,” you muttered and scooted across the café as quickly as you could, heading for the sanctuary of your office.

Closing the door firmly behind you and heading straight to your fancy CEO swivel chair, you sat down and shakily placed your hands flat on the desk. You took some deep breaths. That stupid big idiot and his BDE! How dare he kiss you like that in front of everyone.

And even worse, leaving you all hot and flustered like some kid who’s never been kissed before! Let’s be honest, that’s what was really getting to you... he hadn’t actually bent you over the counter and fucked you, but by your reaction he might as well have.

How ridiculous, you told yourself sternly, get a grip! You put your forehead on the desk’s cool surface. They’d all been staring at you, and you could feel your face heating up again at the thought of them watching Billy kiss you really quite passionately. And you melting like a complete fool in the process.

After a couple of hours hiding out in your office, you knew you’d have to face the music sooner or later and made your way back down to the café. The regulars, you saw, had gone by now so that was something but by the mischievous looks on your co-workers’ faces, you knew you were in for some serious teasing.

You made your way over to one of the two monster Gaggia coffee machines in the café and started making yourself a cappuccino. “Anyone want one?” you asked over your shoulder. Jake said he’d have one too, but the other two passed. You could just feel their curiosity crackling through the air like electricity. They were of course fully aware of the Ex and that whole daytime soap plot, but were just about losing their shit as they didn’t know anything about this hot dude, who’d walked in to the café and kissed you like he knew you extremely well.

You handed Jake his coffee and helped yourself to a danish cinnamon pastry - yeah, eating the profits again - munching into it and then pointing at your staff members with it. “Okay, guys. Here it is. In its entirety. I went to little cousin’s cocktail party last night as you know, and met the guy who was in here earlier. We left the party, went for a couple of drinks elsewhere, he drove me home, I got out of his car and he drove away. Like, immediately I got out.”

You really didn’t feel the need to mention the kiss he’d stolen before you got out of his car.

Gabrielle’s mouth fell open, “You met him last night???” The implication being that A) how was that possible and B) where did that kiss come from if you hadn’t slept with him? You sighed, taking another bite of pastry. “Yes! And as I’ve just told you,” you looked around to make sure there weren’t any customers in earshot, “he did not stay the night, okay? He didn’t even get out of his car.”

“It’s just that it looked a bit ...” Steve trailed off nervously. “Well...umm... friendly... for someone you’ve only just met,” finished Jake. You nodded. “I’m aware of that. What you saw there was the Billy Russo Show, done purely to embarrass me. He’s a cocky big shit. And trying to get me to go out with him.” “Are you going to?” asked Gabrielle. “Oh, hell yes! Wouldn’t you?” Jake almost got whiplash, he nodded so emphatically, “Yes. Yes, I would.” You all had a good laugh at that.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

There were only 2 days to go until Friday, and you found yourself panicking. What to wear, what to wear? OK, after mentally reviewing your wardrobe you decided that a shopping trip was in order.

Hanging up your new purchase in the wardrobe, you felt pleased with your choice. Nothing too flashy - you weren’t sure of the venue, so went with smart/casual - a sleek navy number, wraparound style, mid-thigh length and showing only a hint of cleavage. Less is more right?

Teamed with a pair of metallic navy heels, it would be fine. You hoped. What if he was taking you somewhere really low-key? Oh well, you shrugged, if you ended up looking a bit like Cinders at the ball in some local pizzeria, so be it.

Jake and the others were still buzzing about your upcoming date, in fact you’d eventually asked them if they wanted to come along too. They’d at least had the decency to look guilty, but only a little. You were sure that if they found out where you two were headed, they’d follow you. You decided you’d better check for shadowy figures tailing you on Friday night.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

8pm on the dot, the buzzer sounded in your apartment, Billy’s voice announcing that he was downstairs. You were not quite ready, still had a couple of tweaks to make so buzzed him up. He strolled in as you opened the door, leaning in for a kiss to which you turned your head, so it landed on your cheek. “Lipstick!” you trilled, moving back towards the bathroom. “I won’t be long, have a seat. You’re looking good, Russo, by the way.” “Thanks,” you heard his voice from the other room, “and you’re looking absolutely gorgeous, sweetheart.”

You’d felt happier when you saw that he was also smart/casual.... what looked like a cashmere burgundy sweater over black jeans, with a leather jacket. He looked edible.

When you emerged back into the living room five minutes later - a veritable vision in navy, you mockingly smirked to yourself - Billy Russo was nowhere in sight. You stopped in your tracks, and then heard a drawer opening in your bedroom. You walked through to it, just in time to see Billy picking up a pair of your lacy silk panties out of your underwear drawer.

“Russo!” you yelled, “put those back, you perv!” He slid the smooth fabric between his long fingers, grinning devilishly at you. “Mmmmm, are you wearin’ something similar right now?” Before you could stop yourself, you bit back, “Who says I’m wearing any at all?” His eyes widened, a big grin appearing on his face. “Oh, really? Wanna prove it?” “No!” you replied, knowing your face was scarlet, “just forget I said that. I’m joking with you.” He shook his head, “Yeah, like I’m goin’ to get that image out of my head anytime soon.”

“Let’s go, Billy,” you said, walking to the front door and pulling on your own leather jacket. “Hey, we’re matching,” he laughed, pointing between your jacket and his, “ain’t that sweet!” “It’s creepy, actually. Matching clothes? Vomit-inducing.” He laughed, “You’re funny.” “No, I’m just not some soppy sappy woman who’s going to fall at your feet, Russo.” He took your hand as you closed and locked your front door, and the two of you headed for the stairs.

“Yeah, I’d kinda got that vibe already,” he grinned at you, “but it doesn’t matter, I know I’m gonna get you in the end.” “Just keep on telling yourself that,” you snarked back.

Looking at the back of his head as he walked down the stairs in front of you, you really wanted to run your fingers through that hair but managed to keep your hands to yourself.

Fastening your seat belt, back in the gleaming Wraith, you watched Billy’s fingers as he fastened his and then placed his hands on the steering wheel. You mentally shook yourself, you were beginning to fantasise about different parts of his body and you’d better snap out of it, you told yourself.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

He took you to a really nice Italian restaurant, not too posh, just nice and relaxed with friendly staff and really good food. The conversation from the night in the bar was picked up where it left off, each of you adding more and varied information. You learned that Frank had sadly lost his wife and kids when they innocently got caught up in a savage gang war gun battle. Billy told you that his friend had gone off the rails for a while, but had recently met a lovely lady called Karen and they’d started dating. He was really pleased for him, as he’d been so worried about him for a while. You thought you’d quite like to meet Frank sometime.

You told him something more of your life, thankfully not involving assault and cheating ex-boyfriends this time. He’d been fascinated and truly appreciative of the struggle you’d had to get your business off the ground, saying that he’d been lucky in having a major investor lined up before he’d even left the Marines.

You saw a dark look flit over his face for a moment, but then it cleared and he went on to ask you more questions about your business. You’d both chatted easily together until it was almost midnight, and you’d become “that couple” who were the last ones in the restaurant. You realised that, when he dropped the ‘Billy Big Dick’ nonsense, you really enjoyed his company and felt that you two had clicked even more this evening.

He drove away from the restaurant, and it took you a few minutes to notice that he wasn’t driving the route to your apartment. “Billy,” you sighed, “are we heading to your place by any chance?” That damn smirk was back on his face. “Yeah,” he said, “I’ve seen yours, so now you can see mine.” ”Oh, ha bloody ha. I’m not sleeping with you, you know.” A grin appeared on his lips as you glanced across at his profile, illuminated by each passing streetlight. “Just keep on tellin’ yourself that, sweetheart,” he replied mockingly. You laughed out loud, “You cheeky big bastard.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

His apartment was everything you would’ve expected - open plan, with modern, sleek furnishings and decor in dark masculine colours. You settled yourself onto the large sofa, and he headed to the kitchen area; a moment later, you heard wine being poured then his tall figure reappeared, holding the two wine glasses. He handed one to you, and you took a sip - it was very good wine. “So, Billy... I’m guessing your li’l batchelor pad here sees quite a lot of action, and not the type you saw in the Marines, huh?”

That smirk. He sat down next to you, hand going to rest on your shoulder and playing with a strand of your hair. His expression became serious, “No. I don’t bring women back here.”

You scoffed, “Oh come on, Billy... you’re...” then you stopped, looking away from him. “I’m what?” You shook your head. “C’mon, what were you going to say?” “Never mind. Well, if you don’t bring them here, let me guess... you go to their place and disappear before the morning light?” He shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, breaking eye contact with you. “Okay... that, I can’t deny. How did you guess? And what were you going to say before?”

Oh to hell with it, you thought.

“I was going to say... you’re hot, Billy. So obviously - unless you’ve got a problem down there and need some little blue pills...” his eyebrows rose, his mouth dropping open slightly before he started grinning, “...you won’t be a saint and you’re more than likely a player.”

He leaned in towards you, eyes staring deep into yours, “Firstly, I have no problems with my equipment in any way shape or form,” ....smirk... “it’s in perfect workin’ order. And I’d be more than happy to prove that to you.” His lips met yours in a kiss, quickly growing heated. He pulled away, making eye contact again, “And you’re right, I’m no saint. A player? Yeah, maybe. But I can be a saint for you, if you want me to be.”

“But that wouldn’t be the real Billy Russo, would it?” His eyes were still on you. You carried on, “Look, I’ll level with you. I like you - when you’re not wearing your BDE persona. It’s a total clichè, but I really don’t intend to be just another notch on your no-doubt designer bedframe.”

He smiled at you, “I get it, I really do.” He trailed a finger along your cheekbone, “I wouldn’t be tryin’ to be someone I’m not. I just meant that I like you too, and I feel comfortable dropping the persona with you.” You smiled back. “OK, but Billy?” “Yeah?” “I’m still not sleeping with you.”

Laughing, “Oh, yeah?” pulling you against his chest, a hand going to your cheek as he kissed you long and hard. Breaking away, hand on his chest, you whispered, “Yeah...”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy was poised above you, looking down at you as if you were something he wanted to devour. Your clothes had joined his on the bedroom floor a little while ago; you were both lying on his very large bed, and yes it was designer-made - you’d asked him.

He gently pushed aside a strand of your hair, before kissing your lips. His mouth then made its way slowly but surely down to your neck and collarbone, and you felt little nips on your skin before his tongue licked your skin slowly. He moved slightly lower and sucked your nipples while his hands were busy massaging your breasts. Your hands moved to his broad shoulders, pulling him down further so you could feel more of his skin against yours.

You heard a chuckle, “So yeah, I guess you really aren’t gonna sleep with me after all, huh?” You shifted out slightly from under his body, “Shut up Billy, and put this to good use,” letting your fingers trail down to his hard length. You slid your fingers around it and gave his tip a firm squeeze. His breath hissed between his lips, and those big hands pulled you back underneath him. “Don’t worry, I was gonna.” You smirked, “I confess I was impressed when I saw what you were packing,” another squeeze, another hiss, his mouth on your neck, “but actions speak louder than words.”

He laughed, “Be careful what you wish for, sweetheart.” Deciding to head for the mother lode, you gave him one last squeeze, firmer than before, sniggering as his hips shot forward. “Same to you,” you said, before sliding your hands into his silky hair at last. Running your fingers right back through it, you sighed out loud and grabbed a handful with each of yours, and tugged. “I see you like my hair,” he smirked.

You leant forward and kissed him, hard. He groaned, kissing you back even harder. Then your hands ran over the muscles of his chest, down the trail of hairs on his lower stomach, before grabbing his cock and wrapping your fingers round it. He growled, “And what ya gonna do with that, sweetheart?” You began stroking him firmly, “This.... until you decide to get off your ass and do something.”

He laughed out loud, and suddenly his hand was between your legs, his thumb on your clit, rubbing hard. His lips at your ear, whispering, “Something like this?” and you felt a long finger plunging into you, swiftly joined by a second one. He began sliding them in and out, curling them, and it had an instant effect on you, your breath hitching. “Billy,” you sighed, your hand stilling momentarily on his length. You heard his low chuckle, and he increased his pace. Okay smartass, you thought, and gave his tip a very firm squeeze. “Aahhh!” you heard, and gave him another one for good measure. “You minx,” he laughed, then picked up pace with his fingers again. Then they were gone from you, and you saw him moving his head downwards, hands moving to your hips, his tongue replacing his fingers. He was lapping at you, his thumb back on your clit, and now you really were in trouble.

You grabbed his shoulders, digging your nails in, beginning to writhe on the bed, and then his fingers were back, sliding in next to his tongue. The combination of thumb, tongue and fingers was like an incendiary bomb going off in your core, and you could feel your climax building by the second. His pace increased and that was it, the explosion happened and you now grabbed his head like a vice, keeping him where he was as the aftershocks of your orgasm washed over you in waves. Very pleasurable waves. Finally, you released his head and you saw his dark eyes meet yours, a satisfied glint in them. “That was only number one, angel,” he grinned, “fasten your seat belt.” “Cocky bastard. And I’m an angel now, am I?” He moved up and back over you, hands sliding up your body.

“For sure,” kissing your neck, nipping the skin lightly with his teeth. “And I’m so lucky, havin’ one in my bed.” He sat up, opening a drawer in his bedside table, scrabbling around until he produced a condom, unwrapping it and holding your gaze as he rolled it on.

His hands moved to your breasts, palming them then circling his thumbs over your nipples as they peaked once again. You grabbed that hair of his again, little gasps making their way between your lips. Your feet were flat on the mattress, knees either side of his thighs and you felt his hand moving down, then the head of his cock was between your legs, edging its way in. Billy thrust right inside you, and there were loud groans from you both as he sunk in. “Mmmm...” he kissed you, tongue diving into your mouth, then he pulled away, gazing at you, “you don’t know just how good you feel around me.” You shifted a bit, rolling your hips to his, “About as good as you feel inside me.”

A low growl, then he was moving on you, fast right from the get-go, his thrusts forcing a moan from you on each stroke. Your legs moved - seemingly of their own accord - around his hips, and this new angle obviously pleased both of you, as the noises the two of you made got even louder. You felt him deep inside you, and every time you squeezed and held him there, he actually whimpered.

“Good puppy!” you managed to gasp out, hearing an answering snort of laughter from him. “I am not...” he gasped back at you between thrusts, “...a fuckin’ puppydog, sweetheart.” “But Billy, you’ve got those big brown eyes ...” your own eyes closed at a particularly forceful thrust, “...and you are fucking me, so...”

His only answer this time was to pull one of your legs higher onto his back, thrusting deep as he did, and then his hand cupped your breast and massaged it hard. That shut you up.

His fingers were at your inflamed core again and then he was rubbing at your clit, making your back arch with sheer pleasure. He was switching between kissing you hungrily and nipping and sucking love bites onto your collarbone. Thank god he wasn’t targeting your neck, you thought, that would look so professional at work. You, meanwhile, were over-indulging in your obsession with his hair, running it back off his forehead with your fingers and tugging on it to your heart’s content.

Finally your over-pleasured body couldn’t take any more, and your climax hit you like a truck. Your nails dug into his muscled shoulders, grabbing him in a death grip and a small scream of “Billy!” exited your open mouth. You felt him give a few sharp thrusts, realising that he was about to come; you heard your name, then a long groan and he released his warm seed into you. He sunk down onto you, kissing you softly but with passion, long fingers laying gently along your jaw and neck as he did so.

“Angel....” he sighed.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@blackbirddaredevil23

#ben barnes #billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfiction

133 notes · View notes

bright-molina · 3 years

Text

Cross My Heart: A History

Intermission: In which you can’t help but recall your history with Bobby and everything you went through. Always side by side.

aka “We interrupt this program”

word count: 2144

warnings: brief and kinda vague implications of parents dying/leaving

a/n: So here’s today’s episode of Cross My Heart. Really this a look into the relationship with Bobby and why it means as much as it does. It’s a little different but I thought it would be nice insight. Enjoy!

*flashbacks are in italics

The silence in the car was deafening.

It never was.

Especially not with Bobby, Carrie, and Kayla. Especially after a show. This was different though.

It was a small car but Bobby had made sure to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. Your thoughts drifted as you stared out the window, driving the very familiar routes with ease.

“Again?”

“Again.”

It was dark and your head was buried in your knees but you knew who it was immediately. You could feel the opposite end of the couch sink a little and peeked up for just a moment.

The last few months in that big, old home had been difficult but nearly every night without fail Bobby found you sitting in the living room in the spot closest to the window. He knew of the nightmares you had well enough.

“I can’t -” Your voice shook and he shifted to look at you. “I can’t remember what he sounded like.”

The two of you had been kids at the time. Six year old kids who had gone through way too much. More than anyone should have to.

The silence was loud and tense and finally Bobby sighed and admitted something to you. “I-I don’t remember what mine sounded like either.”

Months had passed and the two of you had developed your own little routine. Bobby hated talking about his reasons for being there but you needed to talk about yours. He let you talk as much or as little as you wanted to and listened every single time without fail.

This time, though, he moved closer and the shaky exhale he let out was much like your own. “That’s okay though. You have me. And I promise I will talk so much that you’ll forget what everybody else sounds like.”

It had worked. You laughed through the tears streaming down your cheeks and for the first time in months you actually felt okay.

“Hey,” Kayla’s voice broke you out of your thoughts as you pulled into her driveway. She’d noticed you going through the motions and had tried her hardest to avoid saying anything until now. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

“Will it?” Your voice was quiet, barely audible to her over the music playing through the radio. One glance in the rearview mirror revealed Carrie and Bobby having their own hushed conversation.

“Of course it will,” Kayla sounded positive and you were tempted to believe her. “You’ve gotten through harder things.”

She gave your hand a reassuring squeeze before getting out of the car, making you promise to text her later. You only nodded, her words ringing loud in your head.

“I heard you.”

“Heard me what?”

Even at just over seven years old you knew what was happening well enough. It was only a matter of time. For both of you.

“You sounded good.”

Bobby knew what you meant then. You watched the grin on his face fall and you quickly shook your head, sitting up a little taller in your usual place by the window.

“I’m serious,” You moved over a bit, a silent invitation for him to join you. “I didn’t know you could sing. And - and the guy said you could have one of those guitars he always brings with him.”

“I didn’t know either,” Bobby sat down in the spot beside you and stared at the empty space in front of him. “He said it's red. Said it’s waiting at -” You watched the smile grow on his face again. “At home.”

The two of you talked until the sun went down. Like you always did. It wasn’t until you were walking to the kitchen side by side that it really hit you. Bobby was leaving.

“I’ll come see you,” He promised after asking you what was wrong. Of course he noticed. He always did.

“No,” You shook your head and gave a sigh then. “My da -” The word caught in your throat but you powered through. “My dad's sister, my aunt, came to see me the other day when you were gone. She said nobody ever told her but she’s moving here now and next week I’m moving in with her.”

Bobby frowned, dropping the fork on his plate and leaning forward against the table. “You didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t know how,” You shrugged easily. Too easily.

“You can always tell me anything.”

And though the chatter all around you was loud, all you could hear was him and the single thought swimming in your head.

You copied his movements and leaned forward just as he had. “Can I tell you a secret then?”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” For a second you debated stopping there. But then his serious look turned into a gentle smile and you sighed before admitting, “You’re my best friend and I’m gonna miss you.”

Bobby nodded and finally picked up his fork, continuing with his dinner as you did the same. Just moments later when you were distracted enough he returned the gesture. “I’m gonna miss you too.”

“Move over.”

You jumped at the sound of Carrie’s voice in your ear and turned to look at where she was leaning forward on the center console. “What?”

“Move over, I’m driving.” She repeated, staring at you until you opened the drivers side door. While you walked around the front of the car, Carrie climbed across the center console until she was settled in the seat.

The moment you closed the passenger door she started driving. For a little while she said nothing, simply glancing back and forth between you and Bobby, both of you staring out opposite windows.

“I’m positive it’s gonna be okay, you know,” Carrie looked at you as she stopped at a red light, putting the music up to hide the conversation you were having.

“Kayla said the same thing,” You shook your head, cracking a smile for just a second before it faded. “How do you know?”

“Because you’re Y/N and Bobby,” Carrie said it so easily that you couldn’t help but look at her and believe her. “Things have always worked out in your favor.”

You stood on the sidewalk in front of a house that was apparently brand new. At least it was to you. Your Aunt Sofie talked loudly on a phone held to her ear as she lifted your few bags out of the trunk of her car.

She spoke big, angry words you didn’t understand the meaning of and constantly adjusted the tight ponytail her hair was in. But when she looked at you it was with a kind smile. One that made you believe you’d be okay there.

“Don’t worry about that,” She told you when you asked her about the phone call. “Just some work stuff. Now come on, let’s go get you settled.”

She had offered you her hand but before you could take another step somebody called your name. You looked at her and she looked at you and it took a moment to realize your name hadn’t come from either of you.

Your eyes narrowed in the direction of the voice and you really couldn’t believe your eyes.

“What are you doing here?” You and Bobby shouted at the same time, you confused and him excited. There were three people with him: the man from the other day, a woman frowning at her phone as she typed away angrily, and a girl around your age.

They all stopped on the sidewalk while he ran and practically tackled you onto the floor.

“I live that way,” He waved behind him down the street and you were sure the shock on your face was obvious.

You pointed at the house behind you just as he had, “I live here.”

The two of you laughed together and barely paid any attention as your Aunt Sofie walked over and introduced herself to Bobby’s family.

“Oh!” He left you for only a few seconds before coming back, dragging the girl along with him. “This is Carrie.”

“I can introduce myself,” She huffed at Bobby, who only smiled and rolled his eyes, before turning to you with a grin. “I’m Carrie.”

“Y/N.” You returned the smile and you were positive then. Everything had worked out okay. It was perfect and despite everything else, it would all be okay.

It would always be as long as Bobby was there beside you.

Bobby couldn’t get out of the car fast enough.

Carrie had only just shut it off before he was all but sprinting inside without so much as a look back. Your phone vibrated in your pocket again but you paid it no mind. You knew exactly who it was and you had no intention of answering him now. There were other problems to think of at the moment.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” You sighed, letting your head fall back against the seat as your thoughts finally went quiet.

“No tomorrow. You’re crazy if you think I’m leaving you alone right now,” Before you could ask her what she meant she got out of the car and ran for your side, opening your door and dragging you out.

“Care no, I can’t be here right now,” You insisted, not budging from where you stood.

“Of course you can,” Carrie held your hands in hers, forcing you to look at her. There was a serious look on her face as she stared at you. “This is home. We’re home and I’m not letting you leave.”

“I’m not letting you leave.”

“You can’t make me stay.”

“Maybe,” Your admission made Bobby turn around to look at you. The anger on his face was obvious but it didn’t stop you from moving towards him. It never did.

Carrie watched the interaction closely as you left her side, wondering briefly if you would be able to get through to him where she couldn’t.

“But I’m not gonna let you be alone right now, either of you. So if you leave, we leave.”

“Why do you care?” He didn’t mean the words but he couldn’t stop them. “You don’t have to care. Nobody does. No one ever has to care.”

Knowing why he felt that way didn’t make it easier to hear.

Their mom - Lori - had left when they least expected it. And their dad, as hard as he tried, was still unable to leave tour to come back to them. There they were, two thirteen year old's suddenly on their own one morning. It was enough to make them feel as terrible as they had years ago.

“This is your home, Bobby,” You motioned all around your own living room, the space the three of you had been staying in for the past few days.

Pictures of you, him, Carrie, and Kayla were scattered around in mismatched picture frames. A jar filled with spare guitar picks sat on the counter. Recordings of old home performances were collected on dvd’s under the tv.

But you weren’t talking about any of those things.

“We are your home,” You caught him when he practically collapsed into you upon hearing your words and how serious you were. His body shook and soft cries escaped him for the first time since the week before. “We’re your home and I’m not letting you leave.”

“I should’ve never answered those stupid messages,” Your head dropped and you shut your eyes tightly, trying your hardest to keep your composure. It wasn’t working. “It was a mistake.”

“It wasn’t,” Carrie thought of the moment they’d interrupted back at the venue. Of how intimate it seemed. Of how completely and utterly happy you looked. That was a look she’d never seen before. “Mistakes were made but messaging him wasn’t one of them.”

Carrie could tell you didn’t believe her and she didn’t blame you. It was hard right now and she could understand the doubt you felt. She knew those feelings well enough.

“Come on,” She locked her arm with yours and pulled you close as she led you inside the house. “You guys will be okay. It might take a while but you’ll get there.”

You weren’t sure who she was referring to but you didn’t ask.

The walk you made to her room was silent and familiar and comfortable. It wasn’t until you passed Bobby’s room that your thoughts started running wild again and the twisting nerves returned.

“Hey,” Carrie noticed you tense right away and she was quick to shut the door behind her. Your phone started vibrating again and this time she took it. You watched as she frowned at the screen, silenced the ringer, and stuffed it under a pillow. “I’m right here for you. Okay?”

“Yeah,” You nodded and took a deep breath, giving her the best smile you could manage at the moment. “Okay.”

Tags:

Everything: @meangirlsx @theolivekiddo @dream-a-little-bigger-x @s-h-a-d-o-w-s @fangirlangioma @jaskiers-sweetkiss @babychickanon @goddess-of-night @n0wornever @calamitykaty @hellophantoms @funsizearsonist @crybabyddl @txrii @sunsetcurvej @willex-owns-my-heart @angryknightstatesmantrash @all-in-fangirl

Cross My Heart: @who-even-is-galileo @the-romanian-is-bae @p0gue420 @jemimah-b99 @echocharm17618 @grace2000 @quillsandtypos @sunsetcurvenotsunsetswerve @mystic-writings @ifilwtmfc @marinettepotterandplagg @canadailluminate @skys-writings @phantompogues @biqherosix @wanniiieeee

message me/shoot me an ask to be added/removed!

#a little different but important i think #luke patterson #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson x reader #julie and the phantoms fanfiction #jatp fanfic #julie and the phantoms fanfic #julie and the phantoms x reader #julie and the phantoms imagine #jatp fanfiction #jatp x reader #jatp imagine #luke patterson imagine #luke patterson fanfiction #luke patterson fanfic

94 notes · View notes

mythicamagic · 3 years

Text

Yang x MC Oneshot: The Red Crane

Summary: The Lao Shu mafia boss is looking for a certain woman- his woman- to be exact. (Not as AU as you might think) Yang x Liliana oneshot.

Rated M for smut

3,000 words

AN: Part of this was originally a rp between me and my friend LadyDiana2000, but I've reworked and extended it into a oneshot. As always you can read this on Ao3 or fanfiction.net via the same username.

Warning: Smut, and the usual themes found in Yang's route aka references to human trafficking.

The Red Crane

The State-Operated Casino in Burlone had been deemed 'neutral ground' for the three deadly mafia families constantly engaged in turf wars. The Falzones barely indulged there due to its leader's distaste, but it was frequently visited by the Visconti and Lao Shu alike, along with regular citizens.

Of course, due to its popularity, copycats popped up everywhere in different territories. Many tried to capture its feel and opulence, but few succeeded.

One such unsavoury copycat lurked in the innermost depths of Lao Shu territory, behind far too many back allies to ever be relevant; The White Crane.

A little tidbit the locals didn't know- or frankly didn't care about- was that its female staff had been provided through underhanded means. Human trafficking valued foreign girls highest, so it was only natural the casino house exotic looking women.

The gambling room was located underground in a transformed basement, drunk men observing the girls. Some were on a cramped stage as entertainment, others waitressing. This newest batch had arrived together, and after a few failed escape attempts and punishments- they'd been shaken enough to be potentially wonderful gifts or products to sell on.

Liliana had never intended to get mixed up with mafia men or human trafficking. One second she'd been enjoying Italy's fine streets, heading towards down an alley- the next…

She shuddered, wiping down a table. Rough hands had grabbed her, snatching her away. She seemed to have been a spur-of-the-moment kidnapping.

Escape proved futile from the seedy casino. Guards were posted outside, and though unsteady with too much liquor in their system, they always overpowered her.

Green eyes dimmed, hazed by the thick smog of cigar smoke.

She'd been fortunate enough to avoid the territory's overabundant drug use, but that could easily change.

I miss you, Elena, Sister Sophia. I hope the children are alright.

It felt like such a long amount of time had passed since she'd seen them- since she'd last glimpsed decent sunlight not smeared by grimy glass.

Glancing at a kiseru pipe held within an older gentleman's hand, she shook herself, continuing with the day's chores.

Have I been forgotten?

----

It's after hours and early in the morning when the owner unexpectedly asked the girls to stay. Usually they'd go to sleep after tidying up. He smiled, standing within the empty casino room. "The time has come for one of you to leave the nest, little songbirds."

The girls shifted anxiously, having sat down in a section of old chaises and lounges. "What does that mean?" one asked.

"Surely you've wondered why you were all brought in here at the same time? Staff are kept in rotation, you see. We need new faces every few months or so. It's just good business. Eventually all of you will be bought or gifted. In this case, one of you will be a gift to the Lao Shu mafia. I hear their leader is without a woman right now."

The door to the basement swung open soundlessly- a man leisurely wandering down white steps.

Liliana stiffened, becoming still as a statue.

"Ah- signore Yang. I didn't think you'd be here so early."

"Mn," a man wearing a fine green changshan ignored the owner, gaze half-lidded. He lowered himself into a seat facing the cluster of women, taking out an ornate pipe and lighting it. Long red hair spilt from broad shoulders- some strands having been tied into a sloppy braid. Liliana's fingers twitched, experiencing an urge to fix it.

"From the looks on their faces, I assume they know the situation," he drawled, flashing his teeth in a mockery of a smile, golden eyes icy cold. As the leader of the Chinese mafia based in Burlone, people knew his name, but he wasn't widely known to the public eye.

"That's the boss of the Lao Shu?" a girl, Victoria, leaned in close to Liliana.

"Yes- but I'm not sure why he'd come here himself," she whispered back, hands drawing into loose fists on her dusty skirts.

Yang watched them watch him, taking a drag from his pipe and exhaling a cloud of curling smoke. "There's not much atmosphere here tonight... give them alcohol if they want it, they look foolish sitting there empty-handed," he addressed the owner.

He nodded, "Chie, would you-"

"No," Yang cut in. "They're busy with me right now. You take their orders. Nothing too expensive, mind."

Miraculously, the owner nodded with the briefest flash of fear, clearly not wanting to displease him.

Some of the girls ordered, though Liliana declined softly, wanting her mind unclouded.

"We'd probably look less foolish if we knew what you wanted," she spoke up, thankful her voice didn't shake. "We were just told something about being 'gifted' a moment before you came in, sir."

"I see."

He'd been collected since the moment he'd walked in, but his eyes unexpectedly burned the second they locked onto her, stealing Liliana's breath. Twin hooks glinted- secured at his hip. "Well, the weaselly owner of this cesspool is going to gift one of you to me," he spoke in a rich cadence, lifting a shoulder lazily. "I'm sure he intends for me to pick at random but I'm not particularly interested in that. If you want to come with me, then speak up," he uttered, accepting a glass of red wine without acknowledging the owner.

"Get on with it, then," one of the more jaded women sneered.

Yang's eyes slide to her. He gazed silently, with such deep, cold apathy.

Like a hawk assessing prey, Liliana stilled. Those tiger-like, vibrant eyes slid shut as he smiled indulgently, "I'm going to tell you now, I cannot abide those who refuse to understand anything. For example...the position they're in," he shot the woman a deadly smirk.

He took a sip, tilting his head consideringly. "You could entertain my men and be passed around, or become my woman, and everything that encompasses."

The implication is startling. Mafia had prostitutes, but he was offering something usually reserved for girlfriends.

This grabbed the attention of many of the girls, though Liliana reddened and glanced away. "Is this a conscious choice?" Amira asks. "Do we say- Yes, I want to be your woman, and that's that? Or are there hurdles you expect us to jump through first, only to be prostituted?"

"No hurdles. That's that," he mimicked, lips curving sharply. "Mn... but it would be unfair not to warn you of my nature. I get bored easily," he drawled. "If you abandon any effort to think for yourself, if you tell me 'I don't know anything' or 'tell me everything'... I will assume your brain is mere decoration. You will become worth less than nothing to me."

"And if that happens, you won't let us go," Liliana murmured, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. She wondered how long this farce would last for, lips thinning.

Yang hummed, expression unreadable as he squinted. "You're skinny," he observed bluntly.

Heat abruptly burst to her cheeks, "I like to share my meals with other people if they ask for seconds!" she felt the need to defend.

"And you went hungry instead? What a soft mindset," he gave a mocking smirk as though unable to comprehend the notion. "I'll feed you, plenty."

The way he said it sounded strangely inappropriate, and she swiftly dropped her gaze, exhaling shakily. His aura was intense- attention feeling heavy. Her thighs pressed together.

Yang took another drag of his kiseru, seeming to enjoy himself. He suddenly noticed something, motioning to Lucrecia. "Woman. Come here a moment."

Lucrecia paled but dutifully stood, padding over with visible trepidation on her face. "Yes?"

His pipe lifted, propping up the ribbon on her shoulder, gazing at it. Golden eyes gleamed. "Are you Hui's plaything?"

She swallowed, stuttering. "I... I don't think so? I just attend to his drinks and food orders," she explained. "The ribbon is something he tied onto me- so that he could monopolise my time."

It wasn't the complete truth, Hui had propositioned her many times. Lili stiffened, gripped by something that heated her blood.

Yang hummed, drawing closer to invade her personal space. "That so?" he purred, voice dropping. "Because if you were Lee's woman, I'd take you just to piss him off," he flashed a sharp-toothed grin.

"Let her go," Liliana burst, standing from her seat. Silence filled the room immediately, her heart hammering loudly in her ribcage.

Ah...

Searing, half-lidded eyes pinned her in place, dragging sensually down her form. Sweat beaded on her brow.

"Are you going to wait around all night or will you finally voice your desire to come with me?" a silky chuckle caressed her hearing, Yang's amusement palpable.

Liliana bristled, biting her lip. Lucrecia's distressed features were enough to draw her forward. "I'm not interested in being your pawn, but yes. I would like to leave this place. Please stop toying with Lucrecia needlessly."

Releasing her friend without another word- a tattooed hand darted out.

Squeaking, Liliana felt herself be tugged down roughly. Prying her eyes open, she shifted on his lap, an iron grip holding her around the waist. Sturdy thighs cushioned her legs- his chest solid with muscle despite his tapered waist.

She opened her mouth to say more- before a mouth pressed to hers. He forced a deep, long kiss against startled lips- tongue brushing against hers, swallowing her muffled noises.

Blushing hotly, Lili tried to ignore their audience, pressing her palms against his chest and shoving to no avail. She couldn't help but return the kiss, stifling less than innocent noises.

Yang chuckled and nipped her bottom lip, scraping sharp teeth over soft flesh while pulling away. "Women usually pretend to be completely enamoured by me," he whispered playfully. "But your glaring eyes aren't unattractive."

"I'm sure you'll receive plenty of glares from me in due course," she panted, cheeks stained red. Green eyes flashed and narrowed, shakily wiping her mouth.

A slow, pleased smile curved his lips, directing his attention to the waiting owner. "I think this one will prove entertaining," he stood.

"Oh! I'm glad!" the man bowed. "Please accept this humble offering. We hope it demonstrates our loyalty to the Lao Shu."

"There's just one thing," Yang sighed with dismay, grasping the hilt of one of his weapons. He lifted it, resting the curve of the hook beneath Lili's chin, metal cool on her skin. Green eyes remained calm, gazing at him quietly.

Yang almost seemed to gentle- just for a moment- before continuing with a playful lift to his voice. "If you're so loyal to us- I assume you didn't mean to steal something that belonged to me."

"W-what?"

A disappointed look crossed Yang's cruel, handsome features. He tilted his head, earring catching the lamplight. "Now that is a pity. I half hoped you'd had the balls to do it on purpose. Never mind," his palm planted against Liliana's back- shoving.

"Wait outside."

Gaping, Liliana stumbled forward. Shooting the girls a worried look, she tried to convey her fear for them, fluttering her hand slightly.

Please get down. Duck for safety. Escape!

Some of them seemed confused, while others caught on, becoming tense.

Hitching blue skirts up and taking the stairs two at a time, Liliana hurried, flinching at a brilliant blaze of colour and light.

She glanced back just once- witnessing Yang swing his hooks down- cleaving through muscle, sinew and bone like butter. Women cried out with horror as the owner collapsed, choking on his own blood.

Fresh air caught in her throat, and Liliana breathed in greedily, lungs protesting as she kept moving.

Multiple swaths of pinks, purples and reds painted the skies, sunset a burning hue on the horizon beyond tiled roofs.

It felt so good to be above ground.

The second she'd managed to race out onto the streets- the guards caught wind of the horror downstairs, drawing their guns and descending into the basement.

Liliana steadied herself against a wall in an alley, hearing rapid gunfire.

Pressing a hand to her mouth, salty tears of relief and worry for her companions welled up. They slid down rosy cheeks, eyes squeezing shut.

She could've run. Seized the opportunity to flee due to the chaos downstairs. Return to the church.

But she knew he'd pursue her.

Hearing footsteps draw closer over cobbled ground, Liliana sobbed, vision blurry as she looked up. But...that wasn't quite the truth. A part of her didn't want to leave this person either.

Yang lowered his bloodied weapon off one shoulder, crimson staining his clothes. Not one injury marred him, as per the norm.

"T-the girls," she managed to choke out.

"It appears they made it out alive," he drawled uncaringly, stepping closer.

"You didn't have to play around like that," she hiccuped, glaring. "Pretending not to know me..."

"Since you're partly to blame for causing my boredom over the past few weeks, a little roleplaying isn't much punishment."

Lili opened her mouth to reply- only to feel hands grab her head, a mouth slanting over hers. The clang of metal bouncing against stone indicated he'd dropped his hook. Shuddering, Liliana pressed herself against him, gasping against his lips and feeling a fresh wave of tears overcome her.

Yang backed her into a wall, body caging her against it, drawing hungry lips down to her neck to place open-mouthed kisses there- biting down.

Jolting, Liliana mewled, gripping him tight. "Y-Yang," she wanted him closer, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I tore Veleno apart looking for you," he hissed in her ear, nipping it. "And some of the other territories. I wondered if the Falzones had finally stolen their precious maiden back- but no. The piss-poor, fucking White Crane 'casino' was holding you. It's precious, really."

Though he smiled jaggedly, Lili could feel his temper spike, coiling tense muscles tighter. His blood-lust hadn't been sated.

She endeavoured to sway it into a different kind of lust.

"I thought..." she mumbled, kissing his chin. "I thought you might've forgotten me."

His tongue ran over the shell of her ear, hands roaming. "Obviously getting kidnapped has hindered your intelligence. I don't let go of my things," he smirked. "Especially not a woman who can glare like a cat. Besides- you returned to me willingly, Lili," fingers marked with intricate tattoos glided over her hip. "You chose to be my woman in there. It's too late to pretend otherwise~"

Her shoulders dropped with relief. Stroking a hand through soft, brilliant red hair, she breathed in his spicy, masculine scent. Her hips bucked of their own accord, a sigh fell from her lips, feeling him grind against her in return.

"Yang-" she breathed, tugging at his hair as he sucked on her collarbone, hand worming between them. "Not here-" a noise escaped her throat, shuddering.

Tattooed fingers pressed and glided against her clit, hidden beneath layers of skirts.

Lifting herself from the haze of pleasure they elicited, Liliana pushed against his chest insistently. With a hiss, Yang ripped his hand away and grabbed her around the waist, retrieving his weapon before leaving the alley.

They didn't make it to the Lao Shu base.

Stumbling as far as the dimly lit docks, Yang tugged her beneath the harsh shade of a boardwalk. The tide was out, allowing Liliana to fall back, cushioned by cool sands.

He gripped her stockings and yanked- ripping a large seam over her sex to allow access. Liliana opened her arms- cradling him close as Yang sank inside her without fanfare or preparation. Lili gasped, wet enough- but needing to adjust to his size once more.

"Did anyone else touch you?" he breathed, eyes half-lidded yet blazing with liquid heat.

"No- no one."

"Good," their breaths intermingled. "Otherwise I'd regret killing them so quickly."

He tugged her dress down just enough to expose a breast, firm grip squeezing it roughly. The way Yang's pupils dilated with every shaky moan she gave made her want to drown him in screams. Liliana clutched at broad shoulders in a death grip as he began moving, rolling lean hips with quick, hard movements.

She hitched her leg, throwing it over his waist- back arching as nails scraped her thigh. His free hand settled at the base of her throat, squeezing slightly.

"I think you owe me an apology," he purred.

"Pardon?- ah!"

Yang gave a rough thrust- cock hitting a spot deep inside that had her choking on a gasp while he simultaneously gave another squeeze. "You know why."

Blunt teeth grit, breath wheezing as he controlled her oxygen flow, cunt clenching hard around him in response. "I'm...sorry, for leaving Lan and Fei," she panted. "I just wanted to quickly check on Luca in town- gn!"

She keened loudly as his other hand played with her sensitive nipple, and threw her head back as Yang began to kiss down her jaw.

"That's a good girl," cold fire brightened his gaze. "Apology- hah- accepted. You were probably sharing food again, hm? That's just like you."

He kissed her hard, using his grip to keep her in place as she shivered with a broken moan. He tasted sweet, rich and decadent and she needed more, opening her mouth just enough for him to force his tongue in.

Yang moved more fluidly, hips undulating against hers with deep, deliberate thrusts. Lili marvelled at his frankly dishevelled look. They never broke eye-contact, bodies plastered together as they made harsh marks into the sand.

They both breathed heavily, the air between them hazy. Lili felt herself getting close, squeezing around him like a vice.

"Liliana," Yang caressed the syllables of her name like a hushed, sinful word. He knew it affected her, and wielded it like any other weapon. "Grip me harder, Liliana. Don't you want me to feel it when you experience rapture?"

Whining, she found purchase on the nape of his neck- digging blunt nails in and dragging them down, feeling him gasp, hips spasming- knocking her own release out of her like a thunderclap.

"Yang!"

He grunted, choking on a dark laugh as he came, releasing inside her. He abandoned her neck in favour of gripping blonde hair- tugging it to yank her head back- a bruising kiss pressing against rosy, open lips.

"Never a dull moment, hm?" Yang chuckled breathlessly, eyes dancing.

Laying in a daze, Liliana could barely formulate words, feeling him pool inside her- their combined juices leaking down her thighs as he pulled out. She knew she'd just traded one cage for another. That this person- this murderer- was just as dark and terrible as the men who had kidnapped her.

And yet, whether it existed or not- Lili imagined she could see it. A fondness in his cruel gaze. She wanted to be kept by him. It didn't make logical sense, but she felt it didn't need to. Yang was a being of impulse, instinct and indulgence. The more he touched her, the more Liliana sank down into the depths of where he resided.

Red cheeks flushed a darker shade of rouge. God forgive me, but I think I'm in danger of loving this awful man.

With a sharp grin, Yang abruptly flipped her over onto her hands and knees, ripping skirts aside and raising her ass- entering her from behind.

"Ah-! A-again? So soon?" she squeaked, moaning.

"What are you talking about? Playtime usually runs into a few sessions," a velvety chuckle resounded in her ear. "Now spread yourself wide, Lili. I want to feel your lungs compress as I hammer into you from behind. That sounds entertaining, doesn't it?"

Lili squeezed her eyes shut, heart thudding wildly. Trembling knees shifted in the sand, dragging apart.

Yes, it does.

#Piofiore no Banshou #yang piofiore #piofiore fated memories #Piofiore #piofiore fanfiction #yang

32 notes · View notes

passable-talent · 4 years

Note

Going with Ani to free his mom because you know it’s such a big moment for him (and obviously being there for the aftermath)

oof. here I go to make myself angsty for the evening

same day request answering. its like its april.

Padme Amidala is a really good person. It pretty much all comes back to that.

She’s kind. She’s empathetic. She recognizes when someone is in pain, and when someone needs help. She understands when an unwise course of action is one that needs to be taken.

So, of course, she understood when the Jedi apprentice meant to protect her instead wanted to run away to his birth planet and help his mother. Of course she did.

Though, level headed as she was, she thought that it might be wise to gather up another Jedi. To watch over her while Anakin was distracted, or possibly to help Anakin face whatever plagued his mother.

She suggested Anakin call upon Obi-Wan, which he refused. Obi-Wan’s mission was just as important, and if he knew what Anakin planned, Anakin would never be allowed to go.

So, instead, he called for you.

You were also a Jedi apprentice, at that time training between missions at the temple on Coruscant. Your master, Shaak Ti, trusted you immensely, and granted you permission to leave on your own. You commanded a Starfighter and were on your way- opening a com to Anakin en route. You had never been to Tatooine before, but had heard about it whenever Anakin felt like sharing his childhood. As his closest friend other than his master, you knew how much his mother weighed on his soul, and how much he had wished that Qui-Gon could have saved her, too. You had known that one day, he would try to return. He had promised his Shmi as much.

Anakin’s reunion with Watto was tense for just about everyone there. You didn’t know the terrain, you barely knew Padme, you certainly didn’t know Watto, but you felt the impatience rolling off of Anakin. It put you on edge, and so as he followed Watto into the shop, you kept pace behind Padme, ensuring her safety. It was the one thing you felt you were capable of doing, the one thing you could control.

Anakin wasn’t very talkative. Padme tried- but he was a focused man, and felt closer to finding his mother than he had in a decade. You were a silent support, beside the senator, as though you could take some of the weight off of Anakin’s shoulders. Every emotion he experienced seemed to radiate out from him, and it almost made your head pound to get blasted with them all- the guilt, the fear, the anger. You just hoped that he’d find his mother alive, or else, you imagined, this would get so much worse.

When you left the ship again, you found yourself in the most flat, barren landscape you’d ever seen. Growing up among the skyscrapers of Coruscant, it was almost unfathomable, to look out at the horizon and see nothing between you and it.

There was, however, one little building, which you could gather was your destination. And a droid.

Anakin’s mind must have been clouded by his emotion, or maybe he just wasn’t showing it, because you could feel that something was off. From the moment C-3PO requested to go inside, you knew that there was nothing but bad news here. You couldn’t say anything, though- you felt it wasn’t your place. Anakin was among his family, now, even if they’d never met him, and he needed to hear it from them.

You could tell. Shmi Skywalker was gone.

“It was just before dawn,” Cliegg Lars explained, “they came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders.” You had heard of them before- in Anakin’s ramblings of the pod racing he did as a child. You sat at the end of the table opposite Cliegg, though it did feel informal. The head of the table was meant for anyone other than you, surely- but Anakin had his place at Cliegg’s right hand, and Owen at his left.

“Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms off the vaporators.” At the very least, you were silently happy that Shmi had spent her last years as a free woman with a husband that clearly cared about her greatly.

“From the tracks, she was about halfway home...” Your heart broke with every word for Anakin Skywalker, who had spent years dreaming of returning for his mother, only to arrive too late. “...When they took her.” Anakin’s face was devoid of clear emotion, but you knew him well- you could see that famous temper brewing inside of him. But, this was more than a frustration. This was so much deeper than that.

“Those tuskens walk like men,” Cliegg continued with a sigh, “but they’re mindless, vicious monsters. Thirty of us went out after her, four of us came back.” You lowered your head in respect, but kept your eyes on your friend, whose brows were tightly knit. He was thinking, mulling it over, considering, processing. You couldn’t blame him, but wished you could make it easier.

“I’d be out there with them, but...” Cliegg, too, was weighed down by his grief. His loss, you could see, was still just as raw as Anakin’s. “After I lost my leg, I just couldn’t ride anymore, until I heal.” Anakin’s heart seemed to break open wider with every moment that passed him by, and Cliegg continued, trying to reassure his lost stepson that his mother hadn’t died unloved.

“I don’t want to give up on her, but she’s been gone a month.” Unimaginable it was how much it must’ve hurt Anakin to know that he had missed her by only a month. “There’s little hope she’s lasted this long.”

And there it was- the clear implication to Anakin that his mother was not only gone, but dead. That there was a finality to it, and nothing he could do. You watched him, carefully, as he turned his head, and clearly you could see that he didn’t take such helplessness well.

He stood, and you made to do the same, but the both of you were interrupted by Owen, asking Anakin’s intensions.

“To find my mother,” Anakin said, and you let out a short breath.

“Your mother’s dead, son,” Cliegg said, with the voice of a heartbroken husband, “Accept it.”

Anakin left without a word.

You followed, knowing his plan.

“Anakin, it’s dangerous,” you told him, and he turned, shaking his head.

“I’m going. I have to.”

“I know,” you said, and in the gaze you shared with him, he realized that you meant to come with him.

Padme emerged from the entrance, and her gaze met yours. You nodded, and she gathered that you hadn’t been able to stop him. You hadn’t tried.

“You’re gonna have to stay here,” you said, a little more hardness in your tone than you had intended. “You’ll be safe until we return.” Anakin stood behind you, grief and anger rolling off of him, and though she could not feel the Force, Padme clearly could see a man in pain. After all, Padme Amidala is a really good person. She walked to him and gave him a brief hug.

“We won’t be long,” you promised as they parted, and as she retreated inside, you followed him to the speeder.

The longer he rode, the more anguish he felt. He hardened before you, from a boy who lost his mother, to a man who sought revenge. You could only hope you would serve to curb the damage.

Just after nightfall you reached the encampment of the raiders, their domes still lit by dying fires. You deferred to Anakin’s lead, assuming that he would know your enemy better than you. It had been a while since the two of you had gone on a mission together- if the atmosphere were less dire, you might have even enjoyed it.

You don’t know how he chose which dome to enter, but it was the right one. You felt the world change when Anakin laid eyes on the bloodied woman tied to a post, like you were recognizing her yourself. Shmi Skywalker, still alive.

“Go,” you whispered, stationing yourself between the opening of the dome and the opening Anakin had created. His reunion was his own, and you gave him the best security and privacy you could. It was astounding that she had survived, all this time, and for a moment you were filled with hope, joy, that he had disobeyed Cliegg and searched for her anyway. Otherwise, she likely never would have been found. You kept your eyes to the night outside the dome, a lookout, your breathing calm with the joy and love and relief that Anakin had once again allowed into his body.

And then you felt it change.

You whirled around, and she was dead, and Anakin’s silence was suddenly all you could hear. The world was turning red around the both of you as he felt the grief of his mother’s death for a second time, and his eyes lifted to yours.

“Anakin,” you breathed, knowing nothing else to say. His grief hardened into anger, but he gently closed her eyes and held her close. You didn’t know what to do. Panic hit you hard as his anger curdled into rage, and his eyes lifted.

“Anakin, we need to take her home,” you said, hoping to deflect his focus. He didn’t listen.

As he lowered her gently to the floor so that he could stand, you tried to move into his way, and successfully you cupped his face, catching his eyes for just a moment. In them, you didn’t see the anger you felt from him. In them, you saw so much sadness.

And so you let him go.

It wasn’t the Jedi way, you knew that. And you wished you could will yourself to move, to stop him, because the pain that his actions would cause would haunt him, possibly for the rest of his life. But it felt as though he needed this, as though it was the only thing that would sate his soul. So you breathed mantras, and did your best to combat his anger with peace, thinking that it might invade him.

And when the Tusken Raiders had all given their last breaths to Anakin Skywalker, you went to him.

He collapsed to his knees under his own weight, no longer grieving but feeling a consuming emptiness. You had to force yourself to block it out as you ran to him, and pulled him against you. Never before had you felt someone who needed a hug so bad, and only then did he begin to break, knotting his fingers into the robes at your back. He buried his face, but did not cry, and you stayed as long as he needed you to.

You drove home. He held his mother, behind you, cradling her like she had once held him. You rode through sunrise, back to Cliegg’s home, where quickly you were met by Owen, Padme, Cliegg, Beru. You dismounted quickly and retreated, knowing that this was Anakin’s moment, and his alone. His anger had returned, but it didn’t feel so sharp anymore- it was anger and sadness and frustration, and it just felt to you like pain. Incredible pain.

You stayed in the room with him, wherever he went, continuing the strategy you’d had back at the camp. You held peace in your chest, and hoped that he could feel it the way you felt his pain. You hoped it would calm him. His pain did not fade, but it did dull, and for a while as he tinkered with the shifter, it felt as though maybe the anger had drained from his body.

Padme entered with two meals, and she handed one to you before approaching Anakin, her footsteps light, but her presence noticeable.

“I brought you something,” she said over his shoulder, and when he didn’t respond, she moved around to his front. “Are you hungry?”

“The shifter broke,” he told her, and if it wouldn’t have taken from your concentration you would’ve chuckled. He avoided the question- you knew he hadn’t eaten in at least a day. “Life seems so much simpler when you’re fixing things.” You would give anything to have back the boy you’d trained with on Corellia. So heavy Anakin felt now, with everything that had happened. You wished you could give him back the peace he had once felt. Padme looked to you briefly as she moved to set down the tray near Anakin, and you nodded. You’d get him to eat eventually.

“I’m good at fixing things,” Anakin continued, “always was.” Padme turned back to him slowly, the both of you noticing the waver in his voice. “But I couldn’t...” he trailed off, putting down his tools. “Why’d she have to die? Why couldn’t I save her?” You sat up, more toward your feet, ready to approach him if you felt the need. He was getting ramped up again, but the jagged edges of his grief this time was less anger and more blame. Blame on the Tuskens, blame on himself. “I know I could have!” He turned from Padme and for the briefest of moments his eyes met yours, but he moved forward, away from both of you.

“Sometimes there are things no one can fix,” Padme said softly, and you kept your breathing steady to combat his erratic emotion. “You’re not all powerful, Ani.”

“Well, I should be,” he said, giving her words no time to hang in the air.

“Anakin,” you said, showing disapproval of such a thought, and for the first time wished Obi-Wan was there.

“Someday I will be,” he insisted. “I will be the most powerful Jedi ever.” He turned to face you and Padme again, tears glistening on his face but his expression angry. You didn’t know what to say, even when he levied his gaze toward you.

“I promise you. I will even learn to stop people from dying.”

“Anakin,” it was Padme’s turn to say, and what he said next shook you to your core.

“It’s all Obi-Wan’s fault!” he shouted, “He’s jealous! He’s holding me back!” Anakin launched whatever he’d picked up across the room, and it clattered quietly before coming to rest.

“You know that’s not true,” you said, quickly rising to your feet. You took a step closer to Anakin as he turned away, but did not get too near.

“I know,” he conceded under his breath. Padme sensed what was really going on.

“What’s wrong, Ani?’ She asked, and finally you realized what was truly causing his pain, in this moment. He was looking at his hands as he stuttered the beginning of a sentence, the hands that had killed so many.

The peace in your body faltered- if you had stopped him, he wouldn’t be grieving nearly so much now. It was your fault.

“I killed them,” he explained, “I killed them all. They’re dead- every single one of them.” He turned to Padme with rage at himself and the raiders twitching his lips, tears still falling from his eyes. “And not just the men, but the women and the children, too. They’re like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals!” You lowered your head, trying to push away your own guilt so that you could be there for him. His pain, you knew, was greater than yours.

“I hate them!”

Hate leads to suffering.

As Anakin sank to the floor, you and Padme sat to flank his sides. You were his best friend, closer to him than anyone else in the world, and so you leaned against his side while Padme offered her words.

“To be angry is to be human.”

“I’m a Jedi,” Anakin insisted, “I know I’m better than this.”

“Most Jedi never know their parents,” you said softly, “and never form attachments. There is no one in a Jedi’s life who matters as much as your mother does to you. I’m sure you’re taking this with more grace than Master Windu would have.” Anakin didn’t laugh, but he did quiet, almost as though he believed you. Slowly you found the hand he held beside his knee, and gathered it into yours.

Padme leaned forward and gave him the best hug she could from the side, but then left Anakin alone with you.

She’s a good person, like that.

“Anakin, I’ve known you for a long time,” you started quietly, “and all of that time I’ve known you to be a kind man. A compassionate man. Quick to anger, yes, but not to judgement. They earned your rage, and that’s okay. It does not outweigh all of the good you’ve done in your life.” His grip tightened on your hand, still his breathing erratic, but once again the jagged edges of his mind began to soften. You let silence drift into the room for a moment as he slowly evened.

“She was beautiful,” you said, laying your head down onto his shoulder. He nodded, and slowly, there grew the beginning of a smile on his face. “And she won’t be forgotten.”

-🦌 Roe

#reader insert #angst #imagines #star wars #star wars anakin #star wars prequels #star wars self insert #jedi reader #anakin imagine #poor anakin #anakin x reader #anakin skywalker imagine #anakin skywalker x reader #anakin skywalker #fics

96 notes · View notes

crowleyellestair · 4 years

Text

Proof- Eskel OS

Summary: Y/n asks for Eskel’s hand, but she wants permission from the family first

Nerves racked through her body as she sat in the back of the bar. In hindsight, maybe it was easier to go to Vesemir first, letting Lambert fall second in this order. Dandelion had assured Y/n that both of the witcher’s would be supportive. Hell, Geralt had agreed to their excitement that would match his own. Of course, the White Wolf hadn’t outwardly expressed it, but Y/n was aware of the signs that said he was.

The woman’s fingers thrummed against the table and her eyes tried to reread the paragraph she had been stuck on since she sat down. The book had always calmed her, yet the weight of the situation laid on her shoulders like water behind a dam.

“Alright,” Lambert’s booming voice called as he plopped down across from her. “What was so important that you sought me out? Alone, no less. Should I tell Eskel?” A small smile made its way to present itself, nerves and joking be damned. She placed the book in her bag and passed the full cup of ale she got for him to his side of the table. He nodded in thanks before taking a long drink.

“I need you to not tell Eskel, actually.” The younger witcher tensed as he sensed the urgency and waver in her tone. He placed the cup down as he readied himself, arms crossing over his chest.

“Oh? That’s not a great way to start a conversation.” Y/n let out a sigh, reading herself as well. Her eyes opened and met his own, trying to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

“I know that this isn’t necessarily the way to do this. And I know you aren’t related by blood. And, I know this could come off as disrespectful, but I refuse to go on without trying. Lambert,” she took a large breath, squaring her shoulders a little. “I am asking for your permission to marry Eskel.” She watched as the younger witcher mimicked a statue. After a minute or so, his brows furrowed.

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because you need family permission in these situations, and Eskel considers you his brother. And not just because of the ‘witcher’ thing. I… I know Eskel will never ask for my hand, and there are times where he insists it’s too dangerous. I’ll stay at camp wherever he goes no matter what, but I want him to know that I’m serious. That I’ll never leave him.” Lambert laughs, and rests his elbows against the tavern table.

“You know he loves you. A little too much if you ask me. It’s been, what? Four years?” Y/n’s hand rubs against her brow as she sighs. She still hasn’t gotten a distinct reaction yet, and she didn’t feel as though she was above water.

“Yes, and I am aware he loves me. Despite that, I know that he still worries about my love for him. You guys don’t really believe in marriage, but I don’t come from the same background. I think that maybe, if we get married like from anyone back at my hometown, he’ll know that I’m serious. Like I want to be with him the same way I know how others express they want to be with their significant other.”

“That’s just convoluted.”

“That’s just Eskel.” Lambert let out another laugh, and a true smile donned him.

“Can’t argue with that.” Y/n still waited with tense shoulders and wide eyes. Lambert went in for another drink before a brow raised to his hairline. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you… Do you approve? Accept my proposal for your brother?”

“Yeah, obviously.” She let out the breath she was holding, letting it turn into a chuckle, and returned his smile.

“Obviously.”

The healer was proud of herself for making Lambert swear to secrecy until she announces things as she couldn’t ask her light for his hand until she asked Vesemir. And she couldn’t, for the life of her, find the older witcher. Or at least, not without Eskel knowing. Y/n had to wait until winter, and even then, she had to wait until she could get him alone. Her anxiety grew back, as before, if Lambert said no, she would have time to cool off. If Vesemir refused, then they’d have to live with that together until the snow passed.

Luckily, the greenhouse he had started precuring wasn’t attached to anything in the fort. After the first three weeks of winter, Vesemir was finally alone an Eskel was occupied with Lil’ Bleater. At first, she knocked on the door, knowing Vesemir knew she was there from her footsteps. The small grunt is what pushed her into the room. There wasn’t much that was ready, most everything being sprouts. He was bent over a hedge of something when she approached him.

“Vesemir?” The old wolf looked up, placing the vial in his hand onto the table. One look at her worrying hands, and he knew something was off.

“What’s wrong?” She gave a small smile, picking up the small clippers between them, and snipping off a brown leaf on the already presenting Caphea Ilevea.

“Nothing, I hope. I mean, of course, if you say no, it will be okay.” Her own brows furrowed, matching his. “I mean, it won’t be. At all. But I will still care about you-.”

“Y/n.”

“Yes, the point. You are Eskel’s father in our hearts, and so I need to ask you this- with no disrespect intended. I am asking for your approval to marry Eskel.” Much like Lambert, he simply stood there for a moment. His arms slowly crossed, and his brows furrowed more.

“Witcher’s don’t marry.”

“I am well aware of that, sir. I wouldn’t have taken this route if I didn’t think Eskel needed it. He still worries that I’ll leave him one day, but I need to prove to him that I’m not going anywhere. I would give my life for Eskel, but he doesn’t believe that devotion will last. I will admit, the Path is hard, but I’d go through anything for him.”

“Have you asked the others?” Her hand flew to her neck after she placed the clippers down. A flush crossed her cheeked in embarrassment.

“Yes, but for a reason. Geralt had walked in when I asked for help from Dandelion. And I decided Lambert could be the biggest resistor in this situation. I remember how long it took for him to warm up to me. I’m sorry for not asking you first, as I know the father-.”

“You’re already breaking the rules by being the one to ask for the man’s hand to begin with.”

“Yes. As I said though, no disrespect.”

“And none taken. You have my permission. I know how well you keep him safe. But you must know, that there are prices to this. You can’t back out for any reason. You aren’t allowed to die, either. Your passing would destroy him, even if you would happily replace his life with your own.”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you.” Vesemir grasped the vile once more, bending down to inspect the stems of the plant in front of him.

“What have I told you about calling me ‘sir’?” Y/n smiled as she made her way back to the door.

“Not to say it, as you’re no noble. However, that’s the correct title for a father in law, and I have seen you as such for years. It’s just going to be official now.”

The whole time, Y/n had been worried about what his family would say, and not how the witcher himself would react. Eskel had started to pace in their large shared room. Y/n decided a while ago to sit on her heels, as continuous kneeling might be bad for her knees on the stone floor. It had been going well, until the implications of everything set in.

“How could you do that, Y/n? Why would want to?” His hand hasn’t stopped rubbing his scarred cheek, and she was sure they’d have to replace the rug as his walking track would be visible once everything was over. Y/n flinched at his volume, but only because she knew everyone in the keep would now be aware of what was happening.

“Because you don’t believe me when I say that I love you.” Eskel scoffed, but the out of character action was visibly regretted.

“Of course I believe you. I’d know if you were lying.”

“Then you don’t believe that I’ll stay.” That made him stop in his tracks. His sad eyes glistened as they flew over her form.

“You can’t know what you’ll want in the future. And tying yourself to me is what starts the wedge. You’ll feel trapped, and I know that if we do become married, I won’t let you go.” His voice lowered to a wobbly whisper. “Geralt’s djinn bind might be a little different, but he was strong enough to let Yen go. He found happiness somewhere else. I can’t do that. Not with you.”

“Eskel, you know how clever I think you are, but you’re being a right ass.” His brow rose and he plopped himself across from her on the floor. “How long have we known each other? How long have we been together? If I knew where I could find a djinn, I’d leave right now and bind us together. This is the safe and fun way of showing you to open your eyes. That I love you, and that will never change. That when you leave for a hunt that you refuse to let me follow on, that I will still be at the camp waiting. I want others to know that I love you, and how that will never change.” The witcher’s eyes were finding the wall very interesting, so Y/n closed the distance between them. Her hands cupped his cheeks, and he was forced to look at her. His shoulders were slumped, and his legs were barely folded. He was vulnerable. But Y/n wouldn’t do anything to destroy that. “You took a chance on us once. Can I ask you to do it again?” His lips pursed, and he blinked a few times, the little wetness that had gathered disappeared.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. I love you, Y/n.” She quickly brought their lips together, his hands finding her hips.

(Part 2? The ceremony?)

#witcher imagine #witcher x reader #eskel x reader #eskel imagine #geralt imagine #jaskier imagine

164 notes · View notes

hieludoboi · 4 years

Text

A List of Things I’d Like to do With You (Pt 5/9)

A/n- Sorry this took forever and a half to write! I was experiencing some sort of writer’s block but I’ve seemed to get over that now!

A/n- I also wanted to add that there are implication of Daichi and the reader having sex, there’s a steamy scene or two but no full blown sex! In the anime Daichi is eighteen, so he’s not a minor! The reader is also eighteen! I hope y’all won’t get too upset!

Summary- There’s first times for everything, right?

Pairing- Daichi/Female! Reader

Word Count- 5k+

Trigger Warnings- Sad, cemetery scenes, maybe some swearing, jealous reader, a little nsfw, nothing too explicit

Links- Part 1, 2, 3, 4

Masterlist

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

Daichi was exhausted. With nationals inching nearer every day, his free time became less and less. It seemed like he lived at the gym, the hardwood floors becoming his bed, and the net becoming his blanket. It had been almost two weeks since he had last gone to visit Y/n. He was certain that the old couple at the flower shop was wondering where he had gone.

It was cool when he finally left the gym, the other boys staying behind to either put in extra practice or hangout. Daichi felt bad, leaving the boys while they put in more work, but it had been so long, and her grave was most likely barren by now. Daichi hated that. He hated that people who barely knew her mourned and grieved her loss like they were friends, hated that they used her name in vain, hated that they would claim they knew her to get sympathy from those who didn’t. He despised the way her grave was brimming with chrysanthemums for the first month. One whole month, and then it was as if she simply stopped existing, her name lost to the ever-changing clouds and winds of life. Daichi had concluded that he hated death.

He had decided on a pretty bouquet of yellow roses. Did they have meaning? No, they were simply beautiful. Just like life, Daichi thought to himself, burrowing deeper into his thick coat and scarf. It was cold, way too cold to be out, probably, but it had been so long since he had gone to visit. A few moments in the biting cold couldn’t hurt him that much, right?

“You’re gonna get a cold, Daich,” Daichi could feel his body stiffen, the voice barely a whisper along the shell of his ear. Stiffly, he turned around. His eyes were watering, ready to spill over with tears, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of the wind and falling snow, or because of her voice. He swore he had heard her, her voice soft yet clear as crystals. For a moment, he was convinced that he saw her standing in the snow, a playful grin on her lips. Daichi’s hand reached out a moment too late, her body dispersing with the swirling wind and snow before he could reach her. For the second time, he was too late.

“Are you okay?” Daichi turned around, surprised to see Kiyoko standing at the foot of Y/n’s grave. Daichi felt like ice and lightning were clinging to his body, shocking him frigid and stiff. Surely it was just his imagination, right?

“Oh- yeah, just a little cold. It’s nice to see you,” Daichi said, walking over to stand beside her. Kiyoko offered him a subtle smile before crouching to place her bouquet atop the snowy ground.

“I’m sorry.” Kiyoko murmured, straightening up and closing her eyes to hide the pain that welled in pools. Daichi’s eyes widened, shaking his head vigorously. It’s not like Y/n’s death was Kiyoko’s fault, so why was she apologizing? “I knew…” Kiyoko whispered, slowly but surely losing her composure. Daichi felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart dropping to his stomach. Did she know? “I knew, I knew, and I said nothing. She didn’t want me to. It felt wrong, and- and I thought you should know but-” Kiyoko covered her mouth with her hand, her teeth sinking into the flesh of her palm, but the muffled sob still slipped through the corners. Daichi stood frozen to the ground. The only thing he could see was the swirling white of the snow. Through the patches and swirls of wind, he felt like he could form a figure, slowly walking towards Kiyoko and holding her in its arms. He closed his eyes, harshly rubbing his palms against his eyes. She was dead. There were no figures, no ghosts, nothing. It was just his mind playing tricks on him. That’s all it was.

“I should have told you, I should have said something, but you were so happy, and her smile was the biggest it had been since July-”

“You wanted her to be happy, you wanted to make sure she was smiling before she couldn’t smile anymore,” Daichi interrupted, his words being slowly dragged from his lips and into the winding winds of winter. Kiyoko took a shaky breath, nodding and wiping the tears that slipped from the corners of her eyes. “Thank you. It must have been difficult, so thank you, Kiyoko,” Daichi looked up at Kiyoko, offering her a smile.

———————————————

Y/n could feel the way her nose scrunched, her lip curling in disgust. Kiyoko, who stood beside her with a broom in her hands, giggled.

“Sawamura-kun! Sawamura-kun! You’re so handsome! Sawamura-Kun, I play wing spiker too! Ugh, disgusting.” Y/n practically snarled, gripping the broom tightly in her hands. “I mean, really, I’m right here, I’m not dead yet! They could have some decency!” Y/n huffed, muttering to herself as she aggressively swept the gym floors.

“Don’t joke like that, please,” Kiyoko murmured, stopping in her tracks to stare at the dirty wood floor. Y/n stopped, looking up from her broom to apologize to Kiyoko. It had been a hard week. Y/n had spent most of her nights curled in bed, her body shaking and her chest caving in. She was getting weaker, and waking up in the middle of the night to throw up was becoming more and more difficult. Her worst night was by far Wednesday night. She had woken up with brittle, twig legs, her head feeling hollow, her heartbeat just barely there. She could feel nausea swirling in the back of her throat, the metallic taste of blood manifesting on her tongue, coating it to prepare her for her routine. She had thrown up before she could get out of bed, falling asleep in her own sick and blood before she could call for help. In the morning she had been cleaned up, and her mother had kept a bin at the bedside. Y/n felt like a senile old woman, lost in her own home, helpless and scared.

“They look ridiculous though, don’t they? Squeezing their knees together and making those stupid pouts and faces,” Y/n pointed out, snickering along with Kiyoko at a particular girl who was overdoing it with the whine in her voice. Y/n sighed, turning her head to focus on her sweeping. It was ridiculous, really. The school couldn't care less about the volleyball team, but now that they win their games the entire female population wants to show up at the gym doors and swoon over the team?

Y/n chewed on the inside of her cheek, eyes zoned in on the second year who was standing in front of Daichi. She was tiny, no taller than maybe 155 centimeters, with curly black hair and vibrant yellow eyes. Was she gorgeous? Absolutely, Y/n couldn’t deny it, but she was also stupidly smart. Smart, gorgeous, well mannered, and level-headed? She hated to admit it, but a pit of tar felt like it was forming at the bottom of her stomach. Hina, that was her name, and she was everything that Y/n was not.

—————————

Daichi hummed as they walked to Ukai’s convenience store. It was a tradition at this point, heading to a convenience store after they got done with class to pick up a snack or a light meal before a study date.

“So, what’s today’s escapade?” Daichi asked as they walked out of the shop. Y/n scowled, not paying any mind to Daichi.

“Didn’t Hina ask you on a study date? Tiny, smart, y’know, curly hair? She was all over you and you can’t even remember?” Y/n practically hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe she was being ridiculous, a little insecure, and a bit silly, but Hina was a smart girl. She was kind, calm, and rational. Someone who held herself with a certain air of elegant confidence. She thought before she spoke and was simply everything that Y/n was not. Surely Daichi would leave her for someone who was more put together, someone who wasn’t fraying at her seams, right? Someone who would stick around for longer than a few months.

“Is that what this is about? You’re ridiculous,” Daichi scoffed, shaking his head and massaging his temples. Y/n stiffened, her eyes focused on her shoes. She was being ridiculous, and any rationality in herself lately seemed to be thrown out the window.

“So what if it is!? God, I can’t believe you let her grab you and flirt with you and hug you!” Y/n yelled, feeling the heat of anger storm her body. Whether she was angry at Daichi or herself, she didn’t know. She was running out of time. Soon enough, Daichi would start his life, and probably get married to Hina while her corpse sat in the dirt, rotting away inside a casket she, unfortunately, would have to pick.

She watched as Daichi closed his eyes, letting a frustrated sigh leave his lips. She was being ridiculous, and it didn’t matter that she knew she was being difficult. She had stood up and started this argument, and she’d be damned if she backed down by just a sigh and a frustrated look.

“I’m going home,” Y/n grumbled, glaring at the ground as she walked.

“Well, you’re shit out of luck, we have the same route and we’re next-door neighbors,” Daichi huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. They walked in silence, neither of them uttering a word. It was tense, awkward, and clunky. Daichi would have usually solved the argument by now, reeling her in with gentle and reassuring words. He knew that few people could get along with her, and knew that she hated the way she was, but something had been off. She wasn’t telling him something, and it hurt. Since when did they keep secrets from one another?

Daichi said nothing as they split, each one of them slamming the doors of their homes. Daichi sighed as soon as he closed the door, groaning as he rubbed his hands over his face. Did he really have a study date with Hina? Surely he would have remembered if he did, right? The girls had practically swarmed the third years, buzzing with the excitement of a strong season. It had been a while since Karasuno had this good of a team, and the energy of their new first years seemed to rub off on their peers.

Daichi was trapped in his thoughts, his mind buzzing. They had an escapade today, so why did he promise Hina a study date? He had been standing in the living room for fifteen minutes, oblivious to the knocking that had started on the door, until a loud knock hooked him into reality. He took a deep breath, plastering a polite smile on his face before opening the door, only to see Hina. So he had promised her a study date. Great, Daichi thought to himself, mentally smacking his hand to his forehead.

“Hey!” Hina practically chirped, making her way into Daichi’s home. Daichi offered her a smile he hoped wasn’t too fake. He felt awful. These little escapades were something important to Y/n, and they always brought such a lovely smile to her face. Something had been bugging her for a while, Daichi could tell she was constantly in thought, her lips chapped and raw from how much she would chew on them. He also suspected that she had been a little sick for some time. A sickly yellow undertone clung onto her s/c skin, her face seemed to get thinner each week, and she was constantly getting exhausted. Daichi hoped she was taking care of herself.

“God, he’s so stupid!” Y/n complained to Suga as she laid on her bed, her phone resting on her chest while on speaker. Suga laughed from the other end of the line, a light, and clear sound. “Or maybe I’m just insecure,” Y/n huffed, shoving her head further back into her pillows.

“Yes, and yes. He shouldn’t have said yes to Hina, he had a commitment to you for today. However, you also know that it’s hard for Daichi to say no sometimes. For as scary as he tries to be, he’s really just a sweet old man,” Suga pointed out. Y/n giggled, folding her hands atop her stomach. “Don’t stress, okay? You’re practically his soulmate, and he talks about you non-stop. I mean, he always has, but it’s so much worst now!” Suga whined. Y/n could practically see the way Suga’s hands moved to prove and stress his point. They would be okay.

——————————————

Daichi was trying, lord was he trying. Hina was a super sweet girl, but god was she boring! Looking back at it, there was really no reason for him to accept a study date from a second year. They didn’t have any classes together, and this was most likely just her trying to ask him out.

“Sawamura-Senpai?” Hina asked softly, amber eyes round and innocent. Her voice was soft, barely grazing his eardrums. She was cute, but so. Utterly. Boring.

“Oh! Well, would you look at the time! I need to start dinner before my mom gets home! It was nice having you over. Hope you pass that test!” Daichi’s words were rushed as he helped scoop notebooks and pens into her bookbag, not paying any attention to the pout on her face. Before she had the chance to speak or comment about how his mom was already making dinner, he was ushering her outside. If her mother’s car hadn’t already been waiting for her, he would have felt bad shoving her outside.

“Now that that’s out of the way…” Daichi mumbled to himself before walking into his bedroom. He felt bad, honestly, he did. Y/n probably had a whole elaborate plan set up, and he had blown it off without realizing it. He hoped that some snacks and games could help ease the situation.

——————

Y/n sighed as she stepped out of the shower, plopping down onto her bed and sitting there for a moment. She felt refreshed and calm. The giant frog sat in the middle of the bed, it’s fake and beady eyes focusing on her back. She sighed as she pushed herself up and off of the soft bed, turning to stare at her back in the mirror. She was shedding weight faster than the family dog would shed hair in the winter, and she could see it clearly on her skin. Y/n’s eyes focused on the juts and indentations of her back, s/c skin seeming like a tightly bound cloth on a canvas. She wasn’t the skinniest person; she knew that, and maybe she was the only one who could see all the rigid lines.

Humming to herself, she walked to her closet. As she rummaged through her clothes, she couldn’t help but think about what her funeral would be like. Would they dress her in all black? Or maybe they would dredge her body in sunshine yellows, with rays of orange and petals of red? Would her face be dusted pink and pretty? Or would it be left bare as to how her family knew her? Would people she never knew attend? Would they cry in pain? Wallow in self-pity? Would they celebrate her life or mourn her loss? Would Daichi be alright? Grabbing an oversized beige sweater, she pulled it over her head, gliding across her sunflower rug to her drawers to quickly pull on some shorts and fuzzy socks. She wouldn’t be going out today, so there was no need to be picky. It wasn’t until she was dressed that she turned to her desk to pick up the box of orange fairy light her parents had bought for her that week. Halloween was her favorite time of the year, and the light orange bulbs gave a spooky pop above her head and on her white bedroom walls.

“Pretty snazzy, huh froggy?” Y/n turned to ask the frog, her hand on her hips, and a grin on her face

“Very.” Y/n looked up, eyes wide at the sudden intrusion of Daichi’s voice. What was he doing in her room?

“Weren’t you on a date?” Y/n sneered, plopping onto her bed, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips pulled into an angry frown. Daichi’s left hand was hidden behind his back, his brown eyes apologetic, lips pulled into a worried frown. He didn’t know how he got roped into a study date with a second year, but he had.

“Onigiri?” Daichi murmured, bringing his left hand out into view, a plastic bag with snacks, candies, drinks, and Onigiri in his hand. Huffing, Y/n turned away from Daichi and clambered onto her bed, taking the plushie in her arms and leaving space for Daichi on the bed. He grinned, setting the bag on the nightstand next to her desk before letting himself fall back first onto the mattress. Y/n let herself sink further into the bed before tossing the frog onto the ground, turning onto her side, and pulling her phone from underneath her pillow. She loved being in Daichi’s company, but she couldn’t be bothered right now. If he wanted someone to pay him attention, he could go off and search for Hina for all she cared. Daichi rolled his eyes, rolling onto his side and wrapping his arms around her body. Y/n grunted, trying to shrug his arms off of her but to no avail. Eventually, she settled into his arms, tangling her legs with his while she mindlessly scrolled through TikTok.

“How about we catch up on some homework?” Daichi suggested, pulling away from her warm body and sitting up on the queen-sized bed. Y/n’s eyes flickered from her phone to Daichi’s face, catching a glimpse of the tender look in his honey brown eyes

“I’m all caught up, how about I set up the switch and I can wreck you at Mario Kart?” There was a teasing grin on her face as she sat up, stretching her arms over her head. Daichi watched as she lowered her arms, the too-big sweater draping down her left shoulder. His hand reached out before he could stop it, calloused fingertips brushing against soft skin, lingering a bit too long before pulling up the sweater. He could hear the way her breath caught in her throat, feel the way her body shivered at the contact. Daichi looked up, his gaze locking with her’s for a minute too long before Y/n abruptly pulled away, busying herself on setting up the console. Daichi let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and busied himself with setting up their buffet of snacks on her desk. It would be a long night.

——————

Y/n grunted as she plopped herself onto her bed, her body facing the screen in front of them. Daichi was sitting behind her, slouching against the headboard, his legs splayed on the bed. The lights were off and the orange lights cast a warm glow over their heads

“See something you like?” Daichi asked, wiggling his eyebrows an excess amount. Y/n rolled her eyes, turning away from Daichi while he laughed from behind her.

“You wish!” Y/n turned back around, sticking her tongue out at Daichi. Daichi mock gasped, clutching a hand to his chest before feigning hurt. “Big baby,” Y/n teased, reaching forward to flick Daichi’s forehead. Daichi looked up, catching her wrist before she could get any closer. Y/n pouted, ready to pull away and press start, but Daichi pulled her in, their noses touching, shallow breaths fanning each other’s lips. Y/n could feel the soft gasp escape her throat, her pupils devouring the e/c of her irises. They stared at one another for what felt like years before Daichi brought up a hand to lightly flick her nose. Y/n flinched, huffing before glaring up at Daichi who was glaring holes into his lap, a furious blush on his face.

—————————

“I knew I’d win!” Y/n declared, standing in front of the television with her hands on her hips. Daichi chuckled, tossing his controller on the nightstand next to him.

“Why don’t you come say it to my face?” Daichi teased, sitting up from his slouched position and giving Y/n a challenging grin. Y/n let her hands fall from her hips, climbing onto the bed and crawling onto Daichi’s lap so she was straddling him.

“I. Win.” Y/n’s voice was barely above a whisper, her face only centimeters from Daichi’s face. He watched as she lowered her body, settling her entire weight on his lap, her hands coming to rest on his chest. He could feel the blush spreading across his face and feel the heat radiating from her body. Daichi felt the breath catch in his chest, a subtle warmth spreading across his body. He didn’t allow himself to think anymore, he let his body move on its own. And suddenly, his lips were crashing against hers, his hands wandering over her hips, squeezing them softly, groping what he could.

Y/n’s breaths were ragged, quick puffs of air escaping her lips between their kisses. Her hands were shaking, nervous, and cold as she cupped Daichi’s face, her thumbs and fingers finding purchase on smooth skin. At that moment, all that there was in the universe was them. Just her and Daichi locked away in her little bedroom of orange glow and silk covers. She thanked whatever deity above that her parents had gone to visit her aunt today.

They stayed like that for a moment, groping each other, memorizing each other’s mouths and bodies, their fingers dancing in and around curves and dips. And then Daichi’s hands were slipping under her sweater, freezing her skin and prickling her senses. Y/n gasped, pulling away from the kiss, her hands bracing against Daichi’s chest. She looked beneath her, letting herself become enveloped in sticky honey eyes. He was staring at her with such a soft look, his hands coming out from beneath her sweater to cup her face, rubbing the soft skin of her cheeks.

“Hey, we don’t have to do anything, you know that right? I’m sorry for assuming, you kissed back, and I thought- I’m sorry, I should’ve ask-” Daichi blinked in surprise, not registering that her lips were trailing soft kisses along his jaw until she was nibbling at his Adam’s apple.

“It’s okay. I want this, please. I know that you’ll stop the moment I ask. I trust you Daichi, so much.” Y/n mumbled, bringing her head up to gaze into his intoxicating eyes. Daichi nodded, eyes wide and chest warm. He trusted her, and she trusted him.

Without waiting another moment, he leaned forward, capturing her lips in another burning kiss, his hands trailing underneath the sweater to rub her sides, taking pleasure in the way her body shivered at his touch. Leaning his head to the side, he let her lips wander, leaving little nips and kisses on any skin that was left blank, as if it were a canvas for only her to paint.

“Thank you for trusting me,” Daichi mumbled. Y/n sat up, letting him pull the sweater off her body, and gasped as he quickly sat up. Y/n watched as he pulled the shirt off of his chest, admiring the muscles along his body before Daichi dipped down, letting his lips trail from her neck down to her shoulders.

“I’ll always trust you,”

——————————

Daichi smiled, watching as Y/n gently rested her head on his chest, her face warm and eyes lidded. Both of their bodies were sticky with sweat, glistening beneath little orange lights, but it was okay. Daichi wrapped an arm around her body, his fingers lightly massaging her hip. He watched as Y/n’s body twitched at the touch, her eyebrows furrowing as she swatted his hand away. It wasn’t his first time, but he could tell by the way that her thighs quivered beneath his fingertips, that it was her first time.

He remembered when they were second years, how she had said something about wanting to wait for the right person. Was he that person? Had she been waiting for him? It made Daichi feel guilty. He had been in love with her since middle school, and his feelings only seemed to grow in high school. He had busied himself with different girls, a few of them hanging around long enough to become a past girlfriend and body. God, he felt like such a whore.

“Why’re you making that face?” Daichi blinked, eyes flitting back to Y/n’s face. The corners of her eyes crinkled a little, her lips turned up into a soft smile.

“No reason,” Daichi murmured. Y/n hummed, letting her head fall back onto his warm chest. While Daichi began to fall asleep, Y/n let her mind wander. She began to wonder what life could be like if only she had more time. Ignoring the building ache in her stomach, she instead curled further into Daichi’s side, letting herself be rocked to sleep with Daichi’s heartbeat and soft breaths.

—————————————

It was fairly dark out. Clouds of gray shrouded the sky as people crowded under a small green tarp. Y/n watched as they cried, gripping onto one another like they too would be consumed by earth and grass if they let go. She looked to her left and saw Daichi standing a little ways away from the casket, his hands shoved into his pockets while tears dripped down his face. A crash of thunder sparked the ground, and it seemed as if people’s cries grew louder. Shaking her head, Y/n began walking towards Daichi, ready to ask people to move, but she seemed to float right through them. She flinched, bringing her fists up to her chest, only to see wispy clouds of white.

“I’m a ghost?” Y/n shook her head, reminding herself that this couldn’t be anything more than a dream. And so she continued forward, walking- no, floating towards Daichi who stood apart from the crowd of crying strangers. His eyes were cold, no longer pools of honey but now pits of pinecones, dull and maybe even pointed. Who was he mad at? Who’s funeral was this? Surely, it couldn’t be hers, right? Y/n took a breath, making her way towards the simple casket that rested in the front of the crowd, waiting to be lowered into the grave that sat beneath it.

The casket was simple, a black and glossy box detailed with flower streaks of silver along the sides. It was minimalistic at best. Looking up, she was met with a simple stone, her name written across it in a pretty font of cursive. Between her birth and death date were little bellflowers ingrained into stone. So it was her funeral. Y/n shook her head, taking a step back and flinching when she passed through the body of a particularly small woman. Eyes wide with panic, she looked up, taking in the sight of Hina with blood-shot eyes and tear-stained cheeks as she walked to stand by Daichi’s side. Her chest hurt, her veins ached and her eyes burned. They were holding each other, crying amongst one another, and finding comfort in warm arms. Y/n bit down on her bottom lip, dragging her hands down her face and willing away her tears. I hate it here; she thought to herself.

—————————-

She had woken up the next morning trapped beneath Daichi’s arm and squashed against his naked body. Her cheeks felt wet, stained with old and new tears. She had been crying in her sleep. Sneaking out from beneath his arm, she quickly changed into some shorts and a sweater before making her way to the bathroom. It was still fairly early; the sun had yet to rise fully, and the birds were just coming from the trees to begin their morning show. She wasn’t particularly nauseous that morning, honestly, she only got nauseous by midday, but getting sick while Daichi was awake was not a risk she was willing to take. Taking a breath, she turned to the shower, turning the knob and watching as the water flowed down onto the shower floor. Hopefully, the pouring of the shower could hinder the noises that would surely escape her throat in a few moments.

She spent her shower sitting on the floor, letting the water run down her body and soak into her skin. Her legs sat flat against the shower mat, her heels touching the cold stone floor, the bottoms of her calves the only ones getting wet with the constant trickle of water. She was sure to step out with steaming skin, and who knows, maybe she would boil away into soup underneath the hot stream, but nothing could bother her anymore. Bracing herself for the impending nausea she would feel, she slowly stood up, clutching onto her forehead as she felt lightheaded. Who knew cancer could come with anemia too?

She supposed she couldn’t complain all that much though. She felt no nausea throughout her morning routine, she managed to brush her teeth and dry herself off with no complaints, and putting on her clothes seemed easier than usual. Overall, it was a decent morning, but her dream from the previous night seemed to plague her mind like a swarm of locusts.

“Thought you dipped,” Daichi remarked as he walked into the bathroom, eyes still small with sleep. Y/n looked up, midway through her morning face routine, and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, because I’m going to leave my own house,” Daichi grunted, reaching over her shoulder to grab his toothbrush. He had spent the night so often that he had clothes, shampoo, and a toothbrush ready for him at all times.

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Daichi mumbled around his toothbrush, lazily staring at himself in the mirror. Y/n chuckled, bending over to splash some water on her face and get rid of any cleanser that was left behind. She stood up, taking the small towel on the bathroom counter to dry off her face, humming to herself as she did so. Life was normal, as normal as it could be with her death just right around the corner.

—————————————

“I’m surprised she let you inside,” Kiyoko giggled from beside Daichi. Someway or another they had found themselves in a small coffee shop, sitting across from one another sipping on their drinks and taking small bites from their pastries now and again. Daichi chuckled, softly agreeing with Kiyoko’s statement.

The snow was still falling outside, coating tree branches and frosting over sidewalks. Now and again a couple would pass by the store windows, one of them almost slipping over a patch of unsalted ice. It made Daichi chuckle, a sad smile lingering over his lips, knowing that that could have been them.

“Sometimes, I hear her voice, y’know? And I know it’s just me imagining things, but it’s nice to pretend sometimes, y’know?” Daichi murmured, looking up to meet Kiyoko’s sympathetic gaze. Kiyoko offered Daichi a soft smile, reaching over to place her hands over Daichi’s in a comforting manner.

“I do too, but I’d like to think that that really is her voice, and not my head. I’d like to think it’s real and not pretend,” said Kiyoko. Daichi could feel the way her lips quivered ever so slightly as they raised into somewhat of a smile. Looking up and over Kiyoko’s shoulder, Daichi let himself get lost in the spiraling winds filled with fluffed snow. Somewhere in the chaos of swirls and snowflakes, he could make out a body, a face, something familiar. And suddenly Daichi was shocked still, eyes wide and fingers frigid from the soft voice that grazed his eardrums.

“You gotta live a little, Daichi.”

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu imagines #haikyuu oneshot #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu daichi #sawamura daichi #daichi sawamura #sawamura daichi x reader #daichi sawamura x reader #haikyuu angst #haikyuu fanfiction

30 notes · View notes

sit-back-and-read · 4 years

Text

Happy Birthday

Kendra was currently sitting on her bed. It was her birthday, at noon, so in a few hours she would go downstairs and blow out the candles on her birthday cake. She knew that it was supposed to be a surprise, but she had overheard her parents and Seth talking. From the conversation, she knew that her grandparents were coming, along with Warren, Dale, Vanessa, and Bracken. They were most likely already here.

But here she was, in her room, looking through a very particular box of letters. Gavin Rose’s letters.

She had read a certain letter many times. It was the first letter she had received from him.

Dear Kendra,

I’m very sorry I can’t be there to escort you home.

Crazy news from Dougan, huh? I can hardly believe how upside down everything

has become! I knew there was something shady about good guys wearing masks

. . . they’ve done away with them now.

I’m off on another mission. Nothing as dangerous as what we went through

together, but another chance for me to prove myself useful. I’ll fill you in later.

Guess why I like letters? No stuttering!

You’re an amazing person, Kendra. I want you to know how much I have

appreciated getting to know you. Hopefully I’ll get a turn standing guard over

you and you’re brother in the fall. I hope someday soon we’ll get to know each

other better.

Your friend and admirer,

Gavin

Kendra quietly wondered if Gavin had meant anything he had written. She remembered looking forward to each letter, rereading the parts about missing her and hoping to see her soon. She had even memorized most of them! Had he had signed that letter “your friend and admirer” with a smirk on his face, knowing that his betrayal would leave her crushed? She hoped not. Kendra didn’t like to admit it, even to herself, but she had fallen totally head over heels for the demon prince. He had seemed so innocent and kind---the complete opposite of Navarog.

Out of nowhere, Kendra noticed the sentences on the letter seemed blurry. Why was she so upset? She couldn’t be crying, could she? Contrasting her thoughts, a tear slipped from her right eye and onto the paper, making the ink clot around the word “friend”. She felt pathetic. How could Bracken, the most attractive person she had ever met, like her? She was just an ordinary girl who had powers because the fairy queen had pitied her. Dougan had given her that letter around the time of her birthday about four years ago. Why was she still upset over something that had happened so long ago?

The door to her room swung open so fast she jumped. Bracken jumped in holding a box wrapped in blue decorative paper with a metallic pink bow on top.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” he shouted. Kendra quickly brushed away her tears with her forefinger. She managed a tight, awkward smile.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice cracking. Bracken’s smile vanished.

“Hey,” he said softly, closing the door behind him. “You okay?” He sat down next to Kendra on her bed, setting aside the present on the bedside table.

“Yeah,” Kendra replied, “I’m good.” Bracken looked unconvinced.

“You never were a good liar, were you?” he asked, brushing a new tear off of her cheek.

“No, I guess not,” she confessed, smiling a bit.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he said, concern in his eyes. “What happened?”

“Well, it’s a long story, and, I mean it happened a while ago…” Kendra started.

“Oh, come on. You know I have all the time in the world.”

“. . . Alright, here it goes.” she said hesitantly. Bracken nodded.

“So, when I first became a Knight of the Dawn, two other people were getting knighted along with me. One was an old woman who I never got to know very well, and one was a 16 year old boy named Gavin Rose. Me and Gavin were friends from the start, we got picked for missions together, and wrote each other letters,” she said, nodding towards the heap of envelopes and ruffled up notebook papers sitting on her bed. She continued the story.

“Over time, we grew closer. I began noticing small things as romantic implications.” she admitted, glancing over to Bracken, hoping he wouldn’t mind her talking about this. His expression remained neutral, so she continued on.

“We were eventually assigned a mission at a dragon sanctuary. We had to regain a key to an artifact vault. We successfully found and took the key, but trouble began on the way out.

“Two dragons waited in ambush on the top of a pass that was a necessary exit route. We were all ready to fight, but before any one of us had made contact, Gavin transformed. His face elongated, and he grew wings, and before anyone knew what was happening, the pitch black dragon that had been an innocent 16 year old only a moment ago, ate Dougan, and hurled Mara off of the cliff. And then I was alone. I ran to a crevice in the mountain where I knew dragons would not be able to fit. In panic, I didn’t think about their human avatars.

“Before long, the Gavin I had known entered the cave. He was sporting a smile that looked like it belonged in a horror movie, not on his innocent face. He was holding a bag. It was the knapsack that held a pocket dimension to the room Warren was in, injured. He burned it to the ground. If we hadn’t recovered the teleportation artifact, Warren would still be in there, rotting.

“Gavin approached me slowly. He threatened me, tried to hurt me. Of course, the only lasting damage he had inflicted was on the inside. I wanted to break down and cry. I managed to stay strong though, at least until Raxtus came and saved me. He was small, and fit in the tiny cave. Navarog was gone in three bites.”

Kendra had finished the story. She was staring at her feet. She felt tears coming, and didn’t blink them away, letting them flow down her cheeks. She gave Bracken the letter. When he finished reading, he glanced up at her. “How could he have written those letters Bracken? How could he have written these words down on this paper knowing that in the end he would betray me? Try to kill me?!” Kendra’s voice quieted. “Knowing he never even felt anything for me in the first place?” she looked away. She wished Bracken hadn’t seen her cry. He seemed a little unsure of how to reply.

“He must have been despicable, Kendra. He obviously had no idea how lucky he almost was.” He paused. Kendra wondered what he had meant when he said lucky. “Do you need time alone?” He asked. Kendra hesitated. She half wanted to sit alone in her bed, alongside the pile of letters, and cry; but she also desperately wanted someone’s comfort. Or maybe just Bracken’s comfort.

Bracken began standing up.

“No, stay” she said, not truly wanting him to leave. She tugged at his sleeve. He sat back down. Kendra began to notice that he was a little closer than before. Their legs were almost touching. She laid her head on his shoulder, and more tears streamed down her cheeks, making his shirt damp. They sat like that, undisturbed, for what felt like an eternity. Not in a bad way, in a wish-you-could-stay-like-this-forever kind of way. After a while Bracken broke the silence. He moved his head to look at her. Kendra did the same.

“No one is ever going to hurt you again.” he promised her. Tears glazed Kendra’s eyes. She looked down and nodded bitterly. “You know I would never hurt you, right? He asked. She looked up, straight into his clear, blue-grey eyes. She realized his face was slowly growing close to hers now. Her nose brushed against Bracken’s, and, moving ever so slowly, her lips found his.

All of a sudden, nothing really mattered. Gavin Rose was beyond her field of thought. The Society of the Evening Star had never been farther away. A dragon war was a problem for tomorrow. And the so many betrayals she had experienced had been made up a few seconds ago, when Bracken’s lips had found hers.

Fresh tears beelined down her face, making her cheeks sticky. It felt like she had dranken all of Tanu’s bottled up emotions at once. She felt guilt and excitement, confusion and happiness, fear and love. And then their lips parted, and she opened her eyes, and looked up at him.

“I know,” she whispered. They kissed again, the mood lightened by their connection. Seth sprang into the room. Kendra and Bracken both jerked their heads toward the doorway, where he was standing. For a moment the three of them just stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Then Seth started turning red, as if he couldn’t breathe. “Seth?” Kendra said, nervous.

“I KNEW IT!” he screamed suddenly, making Kendra jump. “OH MY GOD WARREN YOU OWE ME TEN BUCKS!” Kendra could hear him running down the stairs. “VANESSA! WARREN! YOU ARE SO NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!” he yelled, already downstairs. “I TOLD YOU SO!” he yelled, followed by a slammed door. Kendra and Bracken slowly turned their heads toward each other until they were looking directly into each other's widened eyes. And all of a sudden they were laughing. Kendra didn’t stop giggling until Vanessa stood in the doorway.

“Kendraaa” she said in an accusing tone.

“Yes?” she said, blushing.

“If what Seth told me is true… did you two…” she turned a little red.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not,” Kendra said in a smug tone with her head up. “I’ve bet you’ve kissed Waaarreeeeeeen a ton of times” Kendra said, leaving Vanessa speechless. Kendra grabbed Bracken’s hand while Vanessa was thinking of what to say, pulled him up, and ran past Vanessa and out the door. As they ran down the stairs, giggling, Kendra could hear Vanessa say in a fairly loud voice, “I happen to be in my twenties, young lady! You’re 15!” This only made Bracken and Kendra laugh harder.

“I’m 16 now, actually!”

Kendra could hear Vanessa half-heartedly jogging after them, so she sped up. Kendra threw open the screen door and ran outside, still giggling. She spotted Warren and Seth sitting in two lawn chairs just right of her. Seth was totally wide-eyed, and Warren had his hand out. Kendra gave him a high five and kept running. She heard Vanessa say “Warren!” in an exasperated voice, as Kendra and Bracken, still holding hands, entered her mom’s wooden greenhouse, locking the door behind them.

Kendra, panting and laughing, fell down into her mother’s bed of poppy flowers, her hand leaving Bracken’s in the process. It was pitch black in the greenhouse; her mom used special lights to grow her plants, not real sunlight; and sometimes she forgot to turn them on. Kendra tried getting out of the flowerbed, only to fall back down, laughing even harder. Bracken was also laughing hysterically, about two meters away. After they both calmed down, Bracken spoke.

“Kendraaaa” he whispered “where aaaare yoooooou”, he joked in a spooky voice. It took all Kendra had to stay silent and refrain from laughing again. “Keeeendraaaaaaaa” he repeated. “I can't seeeee youuuuu.” Kendra snickered, and quickly covered her mouth. Bracken’s silhouette turned towards her and started walking. He passed her, and so she silently got up and started creeping away. Just when Kendra thought she found a great new hiding spot, she felt warm arms wrap around her waist, twirl her around and pull her closer. “Caught you,” Bracken whispered playfully. After a few moments of gazing into each other's eyes, Kendra felt Bracken’s face growing closer to hers. She could almost feel his breath on her face. Nervous, Kendra gradually moved her face closer to his. Their lips brushed against each other, and Bracken moved his face away from hers for a moment, as if asking permission. Kendra nodded slightly. He moved in slowly, and eventually their lips met. Kendra put her arms around his neck, and Bracken put one arm around her waist and used the other to pull the metal cord above him, which turned on the lights. Kendra suspected she would have squinted at the bright light, but she didn’t mind because her eyes were closed. Bracken’s other hand wound under her arm and bent upward to end with his hand on her shoulder. They stood, embraced, for many minutes. She wished this moment could last forever, just her and Bracken, but eventually she pulled away.

“We should probably go.” Kendra said. “Wouldn’t want to miss cake”

“Yeah.” Bracken replied, sounding a little hurt.

“Hey,” Kendra said, pecking him on the lips. “It’s not you.”

He smiled.

Later, at dinner, they had asian food. Bracken and Kendra sat across from each other instead of next to, judgment of Vanessa. They played footsie until the cake was done.

Soon, the lights were turned out, and the candles were lit.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Kendraaaaaaaa, Happy Birthday to youuuuuuu!!!” sang Warren, Vanessa, Grandma, Grandpa, her parents, Seth, and Bracken. Kendra beamed. She couldn’t imagine a life without any one of the people in front of her.

Before she knew it, everyone was saying their goodbyes. Warren had winked at her and wished her good luck with Bracken. She had blushed and nodded. Vanessa told her to fill her in on all the details by writing her letters with umite wax. Kendra had agreed. Grandma and Grandpa squeezed her tight and made her promise to call them at least once a week until her next visit to Fablehaven next month. And finally it was Bracken’s turn to say goodbye.

“You’ll write?” he asked.

“Promise.”

“And call?”

“Of course.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about.” he sounded relieved.

“Should I be worried?” Kendra asked, concerned. “Aren’t you going to a dragon sanctuary in a week? Are you gonna be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry needlessly. We’ll keep in touch.” he said, handing her a swirling pearly prism.

“You’re horn?”

“Yup.”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely.”

“Okay. I guess calling won’t be necessary then.”

“I guess not.”

They stood in silence for a moment, looking at the ground.

“I’m gonna miss you” Kendra blurted, looking up at him. She blushed and looked back at the ground. “I mean, I have know idea when I’m going to see you again, or even if you’re going to make it out of the dragon sanctuary, and we have Ronodin to worry about, and I know you told me it doesn’t matter but---”

“Hey,” he said, tilting her chin up to look at him. “Everything is going to be fine.” Kendra sighed.

“I know. It’s just---”

“Nope. No ‘it’s justs.’ it’s going to be okay.” he promised.

“Okay.” she sighed.

“I’m going to miss you a lot.” he admitted. Kendra smiled shyly.

“I will too.” she told him. She looked up at him. He looked away. Bracken took a deep breath, as if building up to something. He seemed a little nervous, his bright eyes hinting at anxiety. He glanced up at Kendra. Their gaze met, and his eyes shot back down. He inhaled heavily.

“I love you,” Bracken said, holding his breath. Tears were building up just above his lower eyelashes. Kendra kissed him before they could fall. When they broke away, Kendra looked up at him. His eyes were still closed, his mouth in an anxious grimace. He seemed to be dreading her answer.

“I love you too, Bracken.” She assured him. He took a deep, shaky breath and opened his eyes. This time it was he who leaned in for the kiss. It was soft and gentle, and Bracken wrapped Kendra in a warm embrace with one hand, the other on her cheek. She rested her hands on his shoulders. Their lips parted slowly. Kendra still had Bracken’s arms around her, and he had hers. Their foreheads rested on one another. When they broke apart fully, they gazed into each other’s eyes. Bracken’s thumb caressed her cheek.

“Happy Birthday” he said.

#brackendra #bracken #brandon mull #kendra sorenson #kendra

49 notes · View notes

darkkitsuneprincess · 4 years

Text

Conquest (Nobunaga x Reader)

Finally! Something new and lovely! With the threat of Mitsuhide’s route release (major SQUEE action over here ‘cause I do love me some snek), the smut gears are churning again. With any luck it won’t take as long next time to post something new. So…here you go. Enjoy!

Title: Conquest Pairing: Nobunaga x Female Rating: M (again, very NSFW) Length: 4100 words Description: AU game of Go, now with smut action!

*******

The soft clack of wooden soles filled the empty hallway, a stark counterpoint to the knocking of my heart as I made my way to the tenshu. My hands shook against one another inside the sleeves of my kimono. My belly quivered. So much rode on my winning just one game of Go. If I had any hope of returning to my time—of returning home—I needed to withstand Nobunaga’s advances. He was determined, a man possessed if I were honest in my description, and I stood no chance. Even with regular tutelage in both gameplay and battle strategy from Mitsunari, I was fooling myself to believe I was any contest for that terrible and beautiful tactician’s mind.

Having reached the door to Nobunaga’s room, I hesitated. I always hesitated. My heart was his long before he pressed his hand to my chest and claimed it for his own. It had taken nearly dying for me to accept that truth. Yet now that we were back in Azuchi, back in this familiar space with nothing to stop us save my own inhibitions… my body quaked with a mix of anticipation and fear.

What would he choose to claim tonight? How would I react? Did I want to let myself be claimed if I couldn’t prove his love for me?

I didn’t know. I wanted him as much as I wanted the air I breathed and I was even willing to take on all the awful things that came with him—ruthlessness, cruelty for the greater good, death—so long as I knew I would be more than a temporary plaything. For him, for his love, I could choose to stay…

I pushed the thought away and tapped my fingers against the door, sealing my fate.

“Nobunaga, I’m here.”

“Enter.”

And so I did, sliding the door to the side and slipping in. The sight of him robbed me of breath. Nobunaga lounged against his armrest from behind the goban with a thin smile on his lips, a predator even in repose. He stalked me with his gaze as I crossed the room on unsteady legs and took my seat on the vacant cushion. His gaze was appreciative and hungry. Haughty, as if my losing was already a foregone conclusion.

I wouldn’t let myself dwell on the fact that I had no chance of beating him as I picked up my first stone and followed his opening volley with one of my own. We were silent as we placed our pieces, the soft clack of the stones the only sound in the room. This game was…different than the last. Nobunaga was focused yet not, his gaze traveling upward to my face more and more often as we claimed and lost territory. Despite my own distraction, I managed to hold my own until the very end. In a series of quick, incursive moves he wiped out the narrow lead I’d held for most of the game, crushing my territory in a solid and decisive victory.

“I win.”

…a phrase that haunted me. I stared at the goban in frustration. My losing was inevitable, yes, but no less annoying. Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from scowling, I leveled Nobunaga with a cold stare.

“So you did.”

He blinked in surprise. “No smart remarks from you?”

“What good would it do? You’ve already set the terms of our wager.”

“This is quite unlike you,” he responded. “Are you unwell, Y/N?”

“No.”

An arrogant smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. “Are you so desperate for my touch that you are willing to give in then?”

Yes. “No.”

“Then why not put up a fight?”

“Because you won.” He looked…disappointed almost, as if he’d expected a long battle. “Do you want me to fight?”

“I’ve come to expect it from you.”

“Well I’m just full of surprises, aren’t I?”

I found myself in his arms in the next breath, the sound of stones scattering across the tatami a distant echo behind the hammering of my heart as the spicy scents of cinnamon and incense surrounded me. My hands landed on his arms just above the elbows, my brain noting wildly in the moment that my hands didn’t even go half-way around.

“As am I,” he answered.

My skin prickled with awareness everywhere we touched. His ragged breath slipped over the skin of my throat, igniting the flame low in my belly as he leaned close and captured my earlobe between his teeth. I shivered, a tiny moan escaping my lips.

“Such sweet cries from one who shows no affect,” he murmured, his deep, sonorous voice rumbling through me and setting my nerve endings on fire. The tip of his nose moved down the line of my throat with the lightest of feathery touches then back up again. His fingers flexed against my hips, the warmth radiating from his body seeping into my skin through the layers of my kimono. “I would almost believe you enjoy yourself when I touch you.”

And there’s the trap, I thought.

Rather than implicate myself, I remained quiet, my fingers flexed against his arms to keep them from shaking while his lips slid over my skin to the split at the throat of my kimono. My head fell back and I bit my lip to keep from making another sound. He knew full well what he did to me. There was no need to stroke that massive ego of his further.

“What shall I claim tonight?” he asked, his lips moving against my skin. His fingers dropped to my leg where my kimono had bunched around my knees, sliding beneath the layers of fabric to tickle over my outer thigh. “I own so many parts of you, yet my lands are not connected. Your leg, your lap, your ear, your forehead, your hand…”

“You speak as if you’ve forgotten basic battle tactics,” I said. I was goading him and I knew it, but his touch did such wicked, wonderful things to me. “You may be a master at Go, but even I know that to win at Risk, you have to keep your territory intact.”

“What?” Nobunaga pulled back and looked down at me, curiosity burning in those beautiful, cinder-red eyes.

“A strategy game from my time. You start with a map of the world and use your armies to conquer the continents piece by piece.”

“It sounds delightful,” he said, a smile softening his sharp gaze. I knew I had his attention now. His curiosity was almost as insatiable as his hunger. “You will teach me this game.”

“Is that what you want for winning?” I question, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. “Me to teach you a game?”

“Absolutely not,” he answered without hesitation, his fingers digging into my sides to remind me exactly where I was. “I will claim my prize and learn everything you know of this game.” He leaned in again, nibbling along the cuff of my ear and winning another moan for his trouble. “And then I will use that knowledge to destroy you again and again.”

“That’s not fair!”

Nobunaga groaned despite the smile on his face when he pulled back. “Will you give me no peace, woman?” he asked, his devilish expression turning predatory.

“Probably not,” I replied.

His hands threaded through my hair, his long fingers massaging my scalp in the process. I shivered as those calloused fingertips traced my ear and slid down my throat. His touch was more intoxicating than any sake, more addictive than any drug. The tiny voice of reason in my mind told me I should put a stop to this, but my heart and body craved him.

“I continue to claim you bit by bit, yet those lips of yours protest. Your body responds…” His fingers drifted over my shoulder and down my arm, leaving a trail of tingling warmth in their wake. “…and it tells me you want this.” My hand rose in response to his touch and our fingers threaded together. “Then you deny me.” His other hand slid to the back of my head, closing around my hair. “Perhaps you will be willing to relinquish control of those beautiful lips now.”

“You are a warrior, yes?” I asked.

“Yes…”

“Then how can you possibly enjoy the conquest if I don’t resist?”

Nobunaga’s gaze darkened and his smirk grew into a feral, hungry grin. “So you want to be hunted…to be claimed.”

In a breath I was on my back on the tatami, his large, muscular frame over me and filling my vision. Gone was the cold façade of the conqueror, replaced with a fiery new passion I’d never seen before. That look in his eyes, beautiful and desperate, it burned.

“If being claimed is what you desire…”

“You only get to claim one thing,” I reminded him at the same time I pushed against him. He did not move even an inch.

“But the choice is still mine,” he responded and began to map with his lips the parts of me he’d already taken—my hand, my ear, my forehead, my leg, his palm over my heart…

“Make your selection, Devil King.”

The flames in his carnelian eyes burned hotter and his smile twisted into something almost cruel.

“The Devil King is not interested in petty acquisitions,” he said, leaning in to drag the tip of his nose along my throat. “No…I want complete submission. Tonight you will give everything to me.”

“All is fair in love and war, Nobunaga. I will not submit.” I pushed harder against him and slipped away, rising on shaky legs to put some distance between the two of us. I couldn’t think with him so close, taking up all my attention.

Nobunaga tracked me with his gaze as I moved to the other side of the room and slid open the balcony door. He was enjoying this. Truth be told, so was I. My safety was never once in question; if I asked him to stop, he would. OF that one thing I was certain.

“Do you still intend to return to your time?” he asked, his rich, deep voice hinting at uncertainty.

“I…” I had thought so much about it but had yet to come to a conclusion. These games, his driving need for me to look only at him, the way I felt in his arms… Sasuke told me not to get attached, but I’d gone and done it without realizing it. I wanted Nobunaga and everything he was willing to give me. I could tell myself that now because to do otherwise would be unfair to either of us. Yet the thought that he could so callously take lives in the name of his ambition, though…

“My fireball is without retort.” He rose to his feet, fluid and graceful despite his considerable size. “How interesting.”

“I am not a toy, Nobunaga.”

“No…” he replied, eating up the distance between us with long strides. “My toys do not talk back to me.” Those long, lean fingers closed around my jaw. His thumb grazed my bottom lip. His eyes burned with that cold fire.

“If I claim these tonight,” he did it again, “will you try to stop me?”

I stared up at him, mouth open, breath coming in small gasps. Would I ask him to stop? Did I have the strength to push him away again?

“You’ve taken my heart,” I said, my voice thin and raspy against his fingertips, “what could be more important than that?”

“Is that…surrender I hear?” he questioned, closing the distance between us while his thumb continued to toy with my lips.

“Not even close,” I responded, catching his thumb between my teeth and biting harder than necessary. Nobunaga grunted in response, his gaze darkening as it focused on the spot where I, for once, held him captive.

“You are brave,” he said, pushing his thumb deeper into my mouth. Swirling my tongue around the callused digit, I reveled in the salty-sweet taste of his skin. I closed my lips around his knuckle, suckling gently and drawing a gasp from his throat. “Naughty girl,” he added, ripping his thump from my mouth as he closed the distance and claimed my lips.

Oh… Oooohhhh…..

He held me by the throat and the back of my head, plunging his tongue between my open lips and drawing me into a delicious new battle. His cinnamon-and-incense scent was infused into his lips, and I couldn’t stop the moan from rising as I twined my own tongue with his, enjoying this new kind of warfare.

My back hit the wall and Nobunaga’s strong arms caged me in. This man now owned me, body and soul. I only hoped I could live up to whatever expectations he’d built in his mind.

Nobunaga broke away from my mouth, his lips leaving a fiery trail along my jaw to my ear, then down my throat. Before I realized what was happening he had my kimono open, kissing and licking his way over my collarbone toward my breasts. My fingers carded through his soft, thick hair and my head fell back against the wall with a soft thump. I never wanted this feeling to end, but my competitive spirit flared to life under his touch.

“Nobunaga…” I gasped as his lips closed on the aching peak of my left breast. His hand rested above it and my heart hammered against his touch, urging him onward as he licked and suckled at my sensitive flesh. “That’s—mmm—that’s not…not your t-t-terri—ngghh—territory…”

“It’s too late for revolt,” he answered through his teeth, without letting go of my nipple.

“It isn’t revolt if you never had control of the territory in the first place.”

He let go of me with a wet pop and laughed. The jerk actually laughed at me. “So you’ve declared war against me, have you?” A smile slid onto his lips but a shiver overtook him as I moved my fingers against his scalp, dangerously close to the back of his neck. He tensed as if waiting for me to launch an attack.

“I did nothing of the sort. You declared war against me the moment you placed the goban between us.”

“Then you should save yourself the heartache and surrender to me.”

“There is no honor in surrender.”

His mouth fell open in a flash of surprise. Then Nobunaga raised one eyebrow and his smile widened further. The look in his eyes was one of pure heat. He was enjoying this as much as I was. “You do remember who I am, yes?”

“Of course.”

“Then who am I?” he asked, his fingers tickling along the length of my leg and causing me to shiver. My kimono hung open to the floor. He could have taken advantage at any moment, but he remained in his territory, his gaze locked firmly on mine.

“You,” I started, pulling my fingers from his hair. I placed my hand against his cheek, allowing his warmth to seep into my skin, “are the Oda Nobunaga, one of Japan’s great unifiers.” I allowed my smile to widen and my eyes to narrow. “and you are on your knees in front of me.” I captured his jaw in my other hand as his eyes widened, holding him tightly as I leaned close—so close that I could feel his ragged breath against my lips. “It would appear, my Lord, that you have submitted to me.”

“Have I?”

His gaze darkened and his fingers ceased their teasing torment along my skin. Something flashed in his eyes—something dangerous—and for a moment I wondered if I’d taken this game too far.

Too late now.

“A man who goes to his knees willingly is one who submits, is he not?”

Nobunaga laughed. The sound rumbled through me, spreading more of that delicious, tingling heat in its wake. “First rule of warfare, little one,” he said, and before I could draw my next breath, my back was against the cover of the futon, “when you have a man on his knees, you should always bind his hands so he cannot attack.” My kimono lay open on either side, the evening air cool against my overheated skin. Nobunaga held himself above me, his lower half nestled between my parted thighs. Everywhere he touched burned.

He captured my earlobe between his teeth, worrying it until I moaned with a mix of pleasure and pain. “A cornered man on the verge of surrender is often a desperate man.” He turned his attention to my neck, leaving small, stinging bites on my skin. “And a desperate man will stop at nothing to win.”

Nobunaga returned to my lips, drawing me into another rough, battling kiss, and when he released his hold on my mouth, my hands were bound above my head with my own obi cord.

“Do you know what I do to those who demand my submission?” he asked, teeth raking over my neck again. I stared up into his gaze and shook my head slowly. “I crush them beneath me.” Nobunaga flexed his hips against my core, unquestionable proof that he now had complete control over me. He stilled, dropping his mouth to my ear, and took a deep breath. “If you do not want this, Y/N, tell me now because I have no intention of stopping.”

His words excited me. Despite his complete domination of me, he was still concerned about my well-being. That alone urged me onward as I reached up with my bound wrists and took his face in my hands, drawing his mouth back to mine. He kissed me like a man possessed, with all the passion and fury locked inside his ice-bound heart.

“I will not submit,” I said, my voice small and shaking when we parted, and his eyes darkened further as if he waited for the perfect moment to deliver the death blow, “not without a fight.” Surprise filtered into his features and I thrust my hips upward, knocking him off balance just enough to be able to hook my leg over his and flip him onto his back. His surprise turned to shock and amusement as he found himself on his back, his wrists in my tied hands against the floor. I leaned over his big body, my unbound breasts pressing against his chest as I dropped my mouth close to his ear. “I can also demand submission,” I said, my lips grazing the cuff of his ear and causing him to shiver. A growl rumbled out of his throat and his hands flexed under mine, reminding me that he only allowed me the appearance of control.

“Demand what you like,” Nobunaga replied, a smile splitting his beautiful face, “it appears you and I seek the same goal.” He punctuated his words with an upward thrust of his hips. His arousal became apparent as his cock slid against my core, halted only by the fabric of his night robes.

Then I was on my back again, Nobunaga’s embrace gentle and his kiss punishing. He tore away the remainder of his clothing with one hand and settled his hips between my thighs. Those long, calloused fingers moved over my thigh to my hip, then between our bodies to seek out my wet heat. He dipped one finger inside and I answered with a moan.

“I see my little conqueror enjoys losing,” he said, laughing against my lips as a second finger joined in, pushing deep and stretching, preparing me. “It was an impressive battle,” he continued, curling his fingers up and finding that secret, sensitive place that caused my hips to rise of their own accord, chasing that bright point of pleasure, “and now I shall claim my reward.”

“Nobunaga…” I gasped as his fingers vanished, his name sliding into a long, low moan as he pushed inside, filling me almost to the point of pain. An answering rumble issued from his throat as we came together. Only when he was fully seated inside me did the sound die away.

“Mine…” he growled, catching my ear between his teeth once more as he began to move. My hips rose to meet his deep, hard thrusts, my body begging for more under his fast, steady rhythm. I looped my bound arms around his neck and clung to him desperately, my lips seeking purchase along his shoulder, at the base of his throat; anywhere I could touch became my territory as he drove me higher and higher into the most intense, sublime pleasure of my life. “Mine…” he groaned again, repeating the word like a prayer punctuated with tiny, stinging bites over my skin and long, delicious kisses. My belly quivered in anticipation as that knot of pleasure curled tighter and tighter, urged on by the draw and drag of his heavy member moving inside me. Nobunaga shifted his position, deepening his reach and bringing his hips down against me with each thrust. My fingernails dug into his shoulders, my head thrown back in ecstasy, and I shattered.

My channel tightened, drawing him deeper still as wave after wave of the most exquisite pleasure crashed over me. Still he rode me through it, his rhythm increasing and pushing me higher until he seated his hips fully against me and came with a loud, desperate moan.

Nobunaga collapsed against me, breathing hard, and I held him to me as we came down from the pleasure high, his hips still gently rocking and my own rising to meet his movements. Tiny aftershocks of pleasure jolted my core as the realization of what I’d done tried to take control. I’d given him everything he wanted without securing my own requirements. But the way he’d looked at me…

I pushed the thoughts away, leaning up to kiss the top of his head. His soft, feathery hair tickled my face and I felt his cheek tighten against my chest as he smiled. Nobunaga pulled my arms from around his neck and rolled, pulling me to lay atop his body yet retaining our intimate connection. He released my wrists, kissing the angry, red lines where the silk had burned my skin. His fingers combed through my hair and slid down my back, holding me to him.

“You are a truly amazing creature, Y/N.” He laughed, the sound rumbling all the way through me and rekindling that fire burning in my core. I looked up, suddenly bashful as he stared down his nose at me with a new intensity to his gaze.

“How so?”

“You bring out both the best and worst in me.” He punctuated the statement with an upward thrust of his hips that told me he was nowhere near finished. He was still inside me, and his cock was already stiffening again. The action drew a low, weak moan out of me. “You allow me to play out the most lurid of fantasies. You give me exactly what I need.”

“A-and what is…is that?” I asked, fighting to stay focused on his words as his movements under me became more pronounced.

“A beautiful, entertaining bedmate of which I may never tire,” he answered, sitting up and capturing my mouth as he brought my hips down hard against his. He held me in his lap, my legs bent on either side of him, and thrust upward again, urging me to move. Those big, broad arms closed around me, placing me exactly where he wanted me as he continued his slow, languid kiss.

This second round was less desperate; slower, more intimate. We kissed long and deep, his tongue twining around mine and expressing the affection he couldn’t vocalize. My hips rocked against his slow thrusts, tilting so that each time we came together, the brush of his hips stimulated me further. Though we were less frantic, every sensation seemed heightened. It was less about chasing the climax than enjoying the moment, and enjoy it we certainly did.

Nobunaga held me tight, his fingers dancing over my skin as we moved together, our bodies instinctually finding a rhythm together and stoking those low-burning flames until we came together in a strangled series of whispers and moans.

We collapsed together into the bed, exhausted and delirious with pleasure. I dozed against his shoulder. He slept with his head against my breast, never allowing me farther away than his arms could reach. Throughout the night we sought the warmth and pleasure of each other’s bodies time and time again until the sun began to rise.

#ikemen sengoku #ikemen sengoku fanfiction #ikesen #ikesen smut #ikesen fanfic #ikesen nobunaga #ikemen sengoku nobunaga #ikemen sengoku fanfic

206 notes · View notes

kenzieam · 3 years

Text

The Blue Plate Diner - Chapter Two

@jewels2876 @moonbeambucky @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @iammarylastar@captstefanbrandt @badassbaker @pinknerdpanda @oliviastan17 @mizzzpink

I know I’m forgetting people, sorry. If you want in, hit me.

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

Rating: M

Warnings: Language, general nuttiness, smut, major angst, drama

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

FEEDBACK IS LIFE, Y’ALL!

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

Years after leaving, Bucky returns to his hometown a successful lawyer, there only to clean up his recently deceased mother’s affairs, but hoping despite himself to see her again; Levka Riel, the girl he wanted all through high school and could never have. But their parting was anything but sweet and old wounds have festered for years in the shadows. Even if the truths in their past are revealed, has it been too long to repair the damage?

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

** I feel the need to clarify, in case there’s any confusion as to how Bucky and Lev could honestly have had NO contact in almost a decade... this story takes place before cell phones were the extension of our hands that they are today, before the Book of Faces and social media ruled all, when it truly possible to leave a town and not be kept updated on old school-mates and neighbors and the only way to contact most people was by landline or the postal system.**

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

BTW, this upcoming chapter is a doozy. Lots of shit gets exposed, heaps of steaming lies and truths and rattling skeletons in closets. This chapter exhausted me and that’s why I ended it where I do, I couldn’t take any more and needed a break.... Enjoy.

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

Seven years later, and she was staring at him in her diner like he was a ghost and going out of her way to avoid him in their small, small town.

And not once had she answered the letters he’d sent her, the ones begging for her forgiveness, begging for another chance.

Bucky needed to get out, the house was suffocating with only his thoughts for comfort and he decided to grab a few groceries, not that he was planning on staying much longer but dining at The Blue Plate was hit or miss; if Lev was there, she either left or traded tables with Hattie, leaving the old woman to serve him, the only thing sharper than her mind being her acid tongue, as Bucky’s presence meant disruption and he was tired of that disappointment; Lev smiling and happy, joking and laughing with regulars only to see her face fall when she saw him, regardless of how nonthreatening he tried to be.

Old time country music wheezed through scratchy speakers as Bucky entered the main grocery store in town. It was sadly out of date to his eyes, the old turnstile checkouts, the floor faded and scuffed with thousands, perhaps millions of footsteps over the years. But it was well-lit and clean, the selection not entirely lacking, and Bucky busied himself trekking slowly up and down the aisles, finding old brands he hadn’t seen since he was a child, somehow still magically in business and apparently only supplying mom and pop locations. There was not an ‘organic’ sticker in sight and Bucky was humbled by the produce section, small and tidy, lacking any of the vast variety he’d come to expect at the supermarkets he frequented back home.

Turning from jams and jellies into the soup aisle, he stumbled to a stop, eyes wide and disbelieving.

“Lev?”

Lev lifted her head from the can she was studying, alarm already rising in her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder at something before finally choking out a strangled, “James, hi.”

How he wished she would call him something else, ‘James’ was obviously meant to keep distance between them, distance he ached to close.

Fumbling for more, Bucky said the first thing to come into his head. “Chicken noodle? I remember eating that every night I was home alone after school.”

“Didn’t your mother cook for you?” The implication that Doris Barnes would never serve something so common as canned soup hung in the air and Bucky wondered, for the umpteenth time, why Lev was so bitter about the old, dead woman.

“Not when she was working double-shifts.” Bucky answered. In truth, much of his adolescence was spent caring for himself, his mother working her hands to the bone to keep their household afloat.

“Oh.” she began, a faint flush beginning to color her cheeks. “I-”

“Mom? Can we get mushroom too?” A new voice interrupted, a child’s voice and Lev inhaled sharply, head snapping to the side.

Bucky’s gaze fell on a young girl, maybe six or seven. A battered ball-cap covered her head and both knees were missing in her jeans, a series of band-aids adorning her fingers.

When nobody spoke, the girl offered a tentative smile. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Bucky breathed, staring down at her, entranced. Although he’d suspected Lev and Steve would have started a family, he’d not known for sure.

“We have to go.” Lev announced abruptly.

“What’s your name?” Bucky asked, extending his hand, which only seemed to ratchet up Lev’s anxiety.

“Meadow, what’s yours?” She replied, grasping his hand, and giving it a shake.

“Meadow, that’s beautiful. I’m Bucky.”

Lev reached for Meadow’s other hand, pulling the child away from Bucky’s reach. “C’mon, Med. We have to go.”

“Say hi to Steve for me,” Bucky continued; realizing in this moment that he needed to give up and drop the torch he’d carried for so long, the proof was literally standing right in front of him. “I always figured you two would settle down together, he’s a lucky guy.” The words cut his throat, burned his tongue as they passed.

Lev recoiled like he’d slapped her, eyes wide then narrowing with unexplained fury. “You bastard.” She hissed roughly and, before Bucky could ask what the problem was, he’d just complimented her for Christ’s sake, Lev took a step forwards and hit him, slapping his cheek hard enough to sting.

“Fuck you.” She growled, so low Meadow probably couldn’t hear then whirled away, dragging her daughter behind her.

WHAT THE HELL HAD JUST HAPPENED?

Bucky touched his cheek, quite literally struck dumb and tried to sort out what he’d said that had been so horrible.

He was still puzzling it out when he approached the checkout and laid his chosen goods on the turnstile. The cashier was one he recognized from years ago, now greyer and with thicker glasses. She eyed him, unimpressed.

“That you that upset Levi Riel? What did you say? She lit outta here like the devil was after her.”

Great. Not only had he hurt Lev somehow, but everyone had seen it too.

“Nothing, I just congratulated her on her family, told her Steve’s a lucky man.”

The woman sucked in a breath, shaking her head as she started ringing through his groceries.

“What? They were together all through high school, I just assumed-”

“Steve Rogers is dead.” The woman replied bluntly, eyeing him again. “Ain’t you Doris’ boy, weren’t you best friends with him, didn’t you know he’s gone?”

Bucky staggered, feeling like the woman had just kicked him in the chest. No, he’d not heard that Steve was dead and no one, his mother included, had seemed to care enough to tell him. “No… what happened?”

The woman’s face softened slightly. “Well, you’ve been away.” And you’ve never bothered to come back and visit your mama until after she died, her eyes reproached. “The Rogers boy was killed ‘bout four, maybe five, years ago, hit by some looky-loo out on Route 4. He was helping pull some woman outta the ditch and got crushed against his own tow-truck, peeled him open like cheese on a cheese grater I heard.” She shook her head sadly. “Hit the girl hard, young as she was with that baby to take care of all alone. Damn shame.”

Bucky was silent through the rest of the checkout, his mind jumbled and tangling on itself. Steve had been his best friend and he’d not known the man was dead. Sure, they hadn’t talked since that last time Bucky had come home, nearer to eight years ago now, but he’d loved the man like a brother, even as he’d hated him. Any amount could have been on the credit card carbon he signed, he barely looked at it as he passed it back to the woman, barely remembered the drive back to his mother’s.

No longer hungry, he put the food away and walked upstairs into his old room, sitting down on the bed and pulled an old picture frame off the bedside table. Faded and crinkled, he nevertheless could see it clearly.

He and Steve, thirteen, perhaps fourteen, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, grinning ear to ear after winning their baseball league’s championship game.

Brothers in everyway but blood.

But no more.

The tears came hot and fast and, for a time, Bucky let them take over.

Later, throat raw and eyes burning, Bucky stood and stormed into his mother’s room, began to tear through the drawers.

There had to be something, somewhere, something that showed his mother hadn’t completely forsaken him; a newspaper clipping, the funeral service leaflet, anything to show that the old woman had in some way acknowledged the boy who’d called her his ‘other mother’, even if she hadn’t bothered to inform her real son of his best friend’s passing.

He turned to the closet and ripped the doors open, pushed the hangers from one side to the other, the metal screeching and groaning before reaching for the shelf above, knocking a few hatboxes askew and blankets to the floor before his hands closed on a shoebox with some weight to it.

Frowning, he pulled it down and flipped off the lid, stared inside at the contents for a moment unable to process what he was seeing.

A stack of letters, all opened. The top one was addressed to him, the name on the return address taking what was left of his breath and sanity away.

Levka Riel

With shaking hands, he pulled the stack out, setting each one back down onto his lap as he read their addresses.

James Barnes

Levka Riel

James Barnes

There were over a dozen letters in front of him, all opened, all read, all addressed to either him or Lev. He hadn’t been sure of Lev’s address, she’d moved since graduation and he wasn’t home long enough that one time to learn it, so he’d mailed all her envelopes to his mother with a note requesting she pass them along. He assumed the same was true for Lev, that she too, not knowing Bucky’s dorm address, had entrusted his mother to send on her letter to him.

And she’d done neither.

Bucky set the box and letters aside, scrambling to his feet and into the bathroom, spewing the contents of his stomach into the toilet, retching until he saw stars, until long after his stomach was empty, and he was just spitting weakly.

WHY??

WHY HAD HIS MOTHER NOT GIVEN HIM LEV’S LETTERS?? WHY HAD SHE HELD BACK THE ONES FOR HIM??

WHY HAD SHE ALWAYS SAID NO, EVEN WHEN HE’D ASKED IF SHE’D HEARD ANYTHING FROM HER, IF LEV HAD ANSWERED HIM?

Oh god, what had he missed??

Breathing raggedly, a deep, heavy sense of dread clawing in his belly, he returned to the bedroom and gathered the letters, collapsing to sit on the bed. He chose the most dated, the one wrote perhaps a month, maybe six weeks after he’d left that last time.

Bucky,

I’m sorry for all the horrible things I said to you that morning, I’m so sorry for the way we left off.

I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to write this letter, but I want you to know, you deserve to know.

I’m pregnant and I know it’s yours.

Steve and I always used protection; that night at the party, you and I didn’t.

I’m scared, Bucky. I’m not ready to be a mother but I can’t bring myself to even consider getting rid of it.

Please write me back as soon as you get this, I don’t expect you to drop everything and become a father, but I need to know what you want and that you’ll help in some way.

Lev

His heart cracked with an audible noise and, while he thought he’d used up all his tears earlier crying over Steve, a fresh wave came, burning hot trails down his cheeks. Hands trembling, he opened the next one she’d sent.

Bucky,

I haven’t heard from you yet and your mother swears she sent my letter to you.

I’ve told Steve and he knows he’s not the father, but he’s offering to help me with whatever money he can get, but you know as well as I that jobs in this town aren’t great, isn’t that why you left?

I need to know what you want. Do you want to be in your baby’s life?

Are you mad at me? This was an accident, but it makes me sick to think about terminating it.

Please write me, I’ll give you my phone number as soon as I can afford to get a line hooked up.

Lev

It continued, each letter, each word slicing deep.

James,

Why won’t you answer me?

I heard her heartbeat yesterday at my doctor’s appointment.

That’s right, it’s a girl.

I’m keeping her and I still hope you’ll want to be in your daughter’s life.

Lev

P.S. – My phone is finally hooked up; my number is 977-541-0201. Please call me.

Until the last letter, the one that truly broke the remainder of his heart.

James,

She’s here.

I’ve named her Meadow Grace Riel.

Your silence is answer enough. I get it, you want nothing to do with the child you helped create.

I just wanted you to know that she’s here and she’s safe.

I won’t bother you again.

Lev

The letters fell to the bed and he dropped his head into his hands with a sob. He cried so hard he could hardly breathe, until his lungs burned in his chest and what air he managed to get rasped in his throat.

I’ve named her Meadow Grace.

Meadow.

He’d met his daughter today and not known.

It all made sense now, the fearful and angry looks from Lev. The way she’d tensed in the grocery store when their daughter approached him. The way she’d looked so hurt, so betrayed and broken when he’d implied that Steve must be so proud of his family. Like he couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge his own child, like their past had never happened.

What could she be thinking now? How cruel and heartless, how much of an asshole did she think he was?

His fingers brushed over his letters, the ones he’d written to Lev. After he’d gotten over his hurt, his wounded heart at their parting, he’d written to her, apologizing, and asking for another chance. He’d tried again and again, varying the words but keeping the message.

I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

His mother had read these, read his contrition and kept them to herself.

She’d known about Meadow, she’d known about Lev being pregnant, and she’d done nothing!

Except lie to him when he asked if Lev had tried to contact him.

What sort of monster had raised him?? What possible excuse could she have had??

What hell had she put them both through? Had she spoken to Lev, acknowledged her granddaughter in any way? Helped even though she’d kept him in the dark?

He couldn’t think about that now, he’d go crazy if he did.

He needed to see Lev, to try and explain what he was still too stunned to believe but held so concretely in his hands.

Half-falling down the stairs, he stumbled into the kitchen and reached for the local phone book; flipping in open and scanning the pages madly.

He would have done this far sooner if he hadn’t been sure of Lev simply slamming the door in his face, but he needed to see her now, to explain what he’d just found and beg for another chance, even if this hadn’t been his fault, even though he was just as much a victim of his mother’s cruelty as Lev and her…. their daughter.

The thought brought him up short.

He was a father.

He had a child, a daughter, one whom he’d missed out on everything in her young life.

Fresh rage swept over him, a new tidal wave of fury unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, sharpened by betrayal. His mother was supposed to love him, not hurt him and hide things and then, on top of it all, go off and die before he could learn said truth and confront the old bitch.

Dropping the phone book, he turned and barrelled back upstairs.

It didn’t take long; he took no time to be careful or preserve anything of hers.

Anything personal, pictures and notes, were tossed into the firepit in the backyard and lit ablaze. Anything else of hers, clothes, jewelry and knick-knacks, was thrown carelessly into garbage bags and left at the back gate for Percy and Hank to pick up tomorrow on their weekly garbage day.

The furnishings and other impersonal elements he left as is, controlling his voice long enough to call Duke Hanover and start in motion the process of selling the house and its contents.

He couldn’t stomach the thought of keeping anything of that old witch’s and the problem he’d been struggling with since learning of his mother’s death, what to do with his childhood home, was now solved.

He would take the money; it was all that was worth anything to him anymore.

Next, he gathered his few things, what he’d brought with him and what little he still wanted to keep from his old room, and checked into a hotel, collapsing on the bed, and falling into a deep, exhausted stupor.

He woke the next morning with a scratchy throat and aching muscles; apparently tearing through your childhood home and throwing away everything personal was a physical workout as well as an emotional one.

The horror and dread, sorrow and agony appeared not long after and Bucky lay for a long time, on his back and staring at the ceiling, helpless to stop the memories from slinking back in, coiling their claws around his mind again.

Bucky stirred, feeling the beginnings of a headache. He’d drank enough these last two years of college to recognize a hangover when he had one, and this felt like a doozy. The next thing he felt was pleasantly sore muscles, faint twinges of scratches on his bare skin and he chuckled low in his throat, burrowing his face into the pillow.

He’d gotten lucky last night, as well as shit faced.

The rest of the story hit him then and he remembered just who he’d spent the night with.

Finally.

Levka Riel.

The girl he’d wanted his whole life.

Simple good luck had brought them both to Wayne Templeton’s party last night and Providence had taken over from there. A rush of heat went through him as he remembered, the sounds Lev had made, the way she’d clung to him, the breathless promises, and declarations he’d groaned into her throat as he’d moved inside her. It had been magic last night, the culmination of fate and Bucky’s mind began to run with possibilities.

Lev could move back up with him, they could get an apartment off-campus. She could enroll too and start building a career for herself.

He would do anything for her-

Lev stirred at his side, sighing and stretching. She lifted her head, her hair a tangled mess and peered through it towards him.

“Hey,” Bucky whispered, ready to roll over and pull Lev towards him, snuggle down into the sheets and enjoy this pause from their chaotic lives.

“What the hell?” Lev murmured, head snapping to stare down at the pillow, then at the walls and the tangled sheets around them. She all but leapt off the bed, fighting the sheets that entwined around her struggling limbs.

“Lev?” Bucky sat up, not caring to cover his own nakedness.

Lev’s eyes landed on his cock for a beat and the last mysteries of what had happened fell into place. You did not wake up naked and sore and dripping next to a similarly unclothed man without there having been some action beforehand.

“Oh god.” She whispered, backing away. “What did I do?”

“Lev?” He was staying frustratingly monosyllabic, but his mind was a torpid mess, trying to process what he was seeing and hearing. Shouldn’t she be happy like he was? Hadn’t they just spent the most incredible night together?”

“Get out.” She demanded, holding the sheets up in confused bunches to cover herself.

“What are you talking about?” Bucky stumbled for words, recognizing the shadow of the ghoul around the corner and desperate to fight it off. “We just had a-”

“It was a mistake. We were drunk.”

“NO. It wasn’t a mistake. I love you, Lev. I always have!” He had to lay it all out, make her see.

“You hardly know me! You’re just Steve’s creepy friend! Is that why you were always hanging around, you thought there was something between us?! Steve is my boyfriend, not you!!”

Realization crashed over him like ice water.

She didn’t feel the same way, she never had.

Whatever he’d thought he’d seen in her lingering glances, her tentative smiles had not been reciprocation of his own devotion, but the hesitation of fear and discomfort.

She didn’t love him; she didn’t even like him.

He had been so stupid. So misguided, laughable really.

Rage replaced the cold fingers tickling his spine, turning his blood to fire.

“You fucking slut.” He growled. “’Steve is your boyfriend’? Then why are you sleeping around at a party like a GODDAMN WHORE?”

The fury in his voice made her stop, stare at him with the start of fear in her eyes and it only inflamed Bucky more. Never, ever, would he be angry or out of control enough to hurt Lev, his love for her was too strong, flowed too deep and the way she was eyeing him warily said as clear as day that she didn’t know him at all, she thought he was just as ham-fisted and brutal as the rest of the assholes in this town.

“Fuck you.” He snarled, reaching for the nearest item, a half-full can of beer and throwing it at her. He’d been a hell of a pitcher in his junior baseball league and the can would not hit her because he didn’t want it to, but his anger made sure it hit the wall close to her head, as a warning. “Fuck off, you goddamn piece of trash!”

With a choked sob, Lev stumbled from the room and Bucky, the tremors in his body rapidly morphing from of fury to sorrow, followed not long after.

He’d gone home, holed up in his room until his plane ticket came due, then left this piece of shit town behind.

Until now.

Tears burned hot on his skin and he choked a fresh sob, pulling himself into a sitting position on the hotel bed. You’d think he’d have no tears left after the last few days, but his sorrow and hurt seemed bottomless and Bucky cried until he could hardly breathe, his throat swollen and hindering his air.

He needed to make this right, he had to apologize to Lev. He’d been on his way to doing just that when the rage of his mother’s betrayal had side-tracked him yesterday.

A half-hour later he’d found Lev’s address in the phone-book, managed to choke down some black coffee and was standing in front of a small bungalow, in need of some paint and TLC, Pandora’s shoe-box in his shaking hands.

#bucky #bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #au bucky #au bucky barnes #au bucky barnes fanfic #au bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes drama #au bucky drama #bucky and lev #bucky and levi #the blue plate diner

11 notes · View notes

self-proclaimed-chaotic-good · 4 years

Text

Stranded with You | Bodhi Rook x Reader (Oneshot)

Prompt: There was only ONE bed!

Fandom: Rogue One (Star Wars)

Words: 4105 ??

A/N: So this took longer than expected. I had it written out and ended up deleting everything since it didn’t spark joy and ended up writing 4k words instead. Takes place after the whole Battle of Scarif.

For the past two weeks, there had been one problem after another. First of all, the reports given underestimated the number of people involved in the trade routes. Second, The weapons dealer that you were hunting down had somehow caught word of the Rebellion’s investigation before you even landed on the planet. Third, because of this, there had been an ambush and with quick thinking on your pilot, you were able to get out of the area, but not without sustaining any damages to the ship’s system. You weren’t able to get far and managed to land on a nearby planet.

Good news, the ship was salvageable and the two of you had gone unscathed. The planet that you landed on had been a part of the trade routes, so you could still do some investigation. Bad news, you weren’t sure how long until the dealer tries to hunt you down. And… the most affordable inn near the docks was so popular with trades folk and travelers that they only had one room available. This should have been fine, and almost fortuitous given your situation, but opening the musty and moldy door, the two of you realized that there was only one bed.

Had you gone with someone that you were close with, whether it was Cassian, Luke, or Shara, then this would have been a minor inconvenience. But, you were assigned to go on this mission with Bodhi as your pilot. Bodhi Rook, a defected cargo pilot of the Empire. You didn’t mind that he was from the Empire, it wasn’t like he was given much choice to work for them. It was the fact that every time you tried to get close to him, he wouldn’t even look at you. Maybe he doesn’t like you. You used to be assigned to intercept the Empire’s cargo ships, after all. You were pretty sure you had run into each other at least once or twice.

“I, uh, I’ll sleep on the floor,” Bodhi offered.

He slowly made his way inside, dropping his bag on the floor to use as a pillow. He began taking his jacket and vest off on the table and sat down, taking his goggles off last with a sigh as he looked around the room. You walked over to the bed that seemed to fit only one person.

“We can rotate who gets to use the bed,” you said, “We’re going to be here for a while.”

Bodhi nodded. “I would need to know which parts need replacing and see what kind of exchanging system this planet uses,” he said, looking everywhere but you.

“Okay, do you need help?”

“No, I think I’m good,” he said quickly.

The two of you sat in silence, the reality of the situation sinking in. Bodhi cleared his throat, standing up and grabbing his bag with him.

“Where are you going?” you asked as he moved past you towards the door, “Are you checking the ship now? It’s late.”

“I’ll be out for a couple of minutes,” he said.

“Okay, do you want me to come-”

“No, it’s fine. Get some rest.”

You sighed, grabbing his arm before he could walk out. “I don’t think it’s a good idea if we separate.”

“Look, I need to be doing something, okay?” he snapped, yanking his arm away.

You raised your hands and backed off. “Okay.”

Bodhi huffed, looking at the doorway then back at you. “I’ll use the comms if anything comes up,” he said.

“Okay. Be careful out there.”

Without another word, he left, leaving you alone with the ruckus of the tavern nearby leaking in through the windows and the couple arguing through the thin walls next door. Yo closed the door behind him and fell back onto the bed.

There were times where you saw Bodhi as this soft spoken person, a bit optimistic, even. There were times where you saw him as a leader, showcasing his quick thinking and confidence. But, those were only when he was around his crew.

Around you, he was closed off. Sometimes snappy. At first, the Rogue One crew didn’t believe you when you told them about it, but Chirrut had said that there is conflict in his mind, a storm that calms when he’s around his friends. You understood that much, as you knew that they’ve been through a lot together. You wished that you could at least have a simple conversation with him.

You managed to go to sleep after reporting to base on your current status, your data pad and communicator lying next to you on the bed. You were roused from your sleep by the door opening, your hand reaching out for your blaster by instinct. Bodhi froze by the doorway, eyes widening as you looked ready to pull the trigger. When your brain was fully awake, it eventually registered that it was only Bodhi coming back. You sighed tiredly, setting the blaster down.

“Think we can repair it in time?” you asked, stifling a yawn.

Bodhi nodded. “Possibly. I just need to look around for the right parts. If they’re not available, I might have to send in a custom order, which will take longer.”

“But doable, right?”

He grunted, trudging over to the refresher to wash up. The stench of alcohol and some kind of herbal smoke wafted in the air as he passed. You ignored it, not wanting to question what he had been up to. It was definitely more than checking up on the ship.

You leaned against the headboard as you scanned for reports related to the area. The place was crawling with criminal activities, but there were rules that even they tried to follow. Honor among thieves and all that. Still, when it came to the arms dealers that you were tracking, one slip up could make this whole mission blow up.

The next day, you and Bodhi decided to take a walk around the small city, using scarves to cover half of your faces. So far, there hadn’t been any active violent crimes and there were a fair amount of citizens that seemed comfortable walking about the city.

The two of you went into a tavern to get something to eat. There were a lot of travellers mingling, their heads turning every time someone new entered. Satisfied that it wasn’t who they feared it was, they go back to their conversations.

“This isn’t as bad as the last planet,” you noted.

Bodhi hummed in agreement. “I’ve seen a few shops we could check on for the ship parts,” he said, changing the subject, “I, uh, had asked around last night on the best repair and salvage parts shops. It depends, but bigger ship parts are mainly near the docks where there is more traffic. That also means that it’s more expensive.”

You cursed under your breath. There’s not enough credits between the both of you and the Rebellion is on a tight budget as it is. “Think we should just call for a team to pick us up once we retrieve information on the trade routes?”

He pursed his lips, looking around at the tavern, then at his drink. “Think they’d actually send someone for us?” he asked lowly.

“What?” You frowned at the implication. “Why wouldn’t they? It’s not like we’re on warring territory. Even then, I’m sure we could get one of our friends to come.”

He nodded at this. “Yeah, but what if they ask for a status report. And like a good soldier, you tell them everything. Our ship was attacked, now we’re grounded until we can fix it, but we may not be able to afford to. Then, they ask if we’ve got the intel. They’ll only ask about the intel. You send it to them, then ask when a crew is going to rescue us. No reply.” He made each point with a jab of his finger while looking you dead in the eyes.

“Bodhi,” you said softly, “That is not going to happen to us. Do you think Jyn would stand for that? Cassian? Shara? Kes? Luke? Even Leia?” You shook your head. “Even if they are ordered to stay put, it’s not the first time they’ve gone against orders.”

“We blow up the Death Star and there’s still a war going on. Not as immediate or impending, but there are remnants scattered across the galaxy. They can’t risk any Imperial sympathizers or potential traitors.”

You stared at him. “What does that have to do with us?”

“I was an Imperial cargo pilot, (Y/l/n),” he said, “Why do you think they sent me on this mission with you? Just because I’m familiar with how the Empire works? Because I can fly a ship? They want to keep an eye on me and so the minute I slip up, they’re going to send in the order for you or someone else to eliminate me.”

“Bodhi, I think that’s a little extreme,” you said, your voice wavering.

“Is it?” He looked around your vicinity again, as if looking for a spy with a sniper.

You sighed. “Look, we’re stuck here and we still need to look into the trade routes. We get those done and see what happens next. I won’t tell them the full details and if we’re still unable to get the parts, I’m going to make sure they send someone before I give the intel, okay? There are many ways around this. We’re going to be fine.”

Bodhi studied you for any deception. Once he was sure you were telling the truth, he let out a long exhale and leaned back in his chair. He shook his head.

“I’m sorry about all of that, I-”

“No, it’s fine, Bodhi. I understand.”

For the past few nights, Bodhi refused to take his turn on the bed. He would go out late, claiming to check on the ship and see if he could haggle for the part. You had the feeling that he was doing more than that. So, one night, you decided to follow him.

He had walked passed the ship and went deeper into the city, parts where you’re pretty sure you two hadn’t walked through before. There laid various forms of entertainment, including the gambling den he went straight for. Bright lights lit up the streets as the crowds became thicker. You weaved through them to catch up to Bodhi while maintaining a distance. He disappeared into the building, smoke escaping as people walked in and out.

Bodhi had considered his options, how they were going to get their information and then get off the planet. The prices for the bigger parts were ridiculously expensive, more than he remembered Jedha having, and certainly more than what he can afford. He had considered calling in a team to pick the both of you up once you managed to get the information, but then he was reminded of how some of the higher ups viewed him.

Although they awarded the Rogue One crew with medals with retrieving the Death Star plans, Bodhi suspected it was from the insistence of Princess Leia. Everyone else was still wary of him, though those who had fought with him on Scarif or worked with Rogue One had already overlooked the fact that he had been a part of the Empire. With that in mind, he didn’t want to be too dependent on the Rebellion for every issue. This was something that could be done without their involvement.

He went back to what he knew, his old habits that he could benefit from. Gambling. He had once sworn that he would never do it again, only an innocent game of sabacc here and there with some of the pilots, but nothing too serious. But here he was, gambling what little credits he had to double, even triple, it. That way, he can afford the parts and he can fix the ship. Then the two of you could leave, report in with the information, then leave the mission behind.

You left him to it, waiting on standby in case anything happens. From the beginning of the mission, you noticed that he never carried any form of protection with him. Even when he’d leave at night, he would only bring his usual gear. While you couldn’t exactly stop him from gambling, you could at least be nearby to protect him. And that’s how it’s been for the rest of the week.

Slowly but surely, Bodhi had been able to replace the damaged parts of the ship. You never spoke to him how he managed it. He never seemed to want to talk about it anyways. You’ve been reporting back to base your progress without disclosing any details about the ship. Another benefit you had with following Bodhi every night was the information you gained just from gossip around the streets and within the gambling den. Having more time to walk around the city, you had a rough map of it in your head and were slowly narrowing in on the arms dealers you were looking for. Things were happening and you’d be able to get back to base in no time.

That is, until one of the gamblers accused Bodhi of cheating. Drinks were splashed, ash trays toppled over, card tables flipped, and blasters were drawn. You rushed to Bodhi’s side, to his surprise, your own weapon drawn as you maneuvered yourself to stand between them.

“Move aside,” the gambler growled, charging their weapon.

“What’s happening here?” you asked, adrenaline running through you with your eyes darting around to watch out for any sudden movements.

“That rat’s been cheating us dry!” They turned to the card dealer. “You’ve seen it, right?”

The card dealer sighed, eyes drooping as they cracked their neck. “I’ve seen nothing.”

The gambler growled again. “I want my credits back!”

“Enough, Girricks!” The card dealer shouted, pulling out a blaster rifle from under the flipped table and aiming it at the gambler. “I think you’ve had your fill here. Leave the premise or we will be forced to escort you out. Make any violent moves and I will not hesitate to shoot.”

Girricks sneered at the card dealer, whipping their head around to glare at you and Bodhi before withdrawing their blaster and storming out of the den. Card tables were fixed up right and drinks were refilled once they left.

The card dealer turned to the two of you. “I suggest you leave as well,” they said calmly.

“Okay, thank you,” you said, grabbing Bodhi’s arm and guiding him out.

Bodhi sighed once the two of you were out, “What were you doing here?”

“I’ve always been coming here because you’ve been coming here,” you said casually while you walked in the direction of the inn.

Bodhi frowned. “You’ve been following me,” he muttered.

“Yup.”

“How long?”

You shrugged. “After the first week? I figured you needed protection and I was right. Never leave the room without a blaster next time. By the way, do you even know how much filler I had to put in my reports so there’d be no gaps when I leave out this kind of stuff? Paperwork. I hate it. Even one of the best spies in the Rebellion, Cassian, hates it. I heard he sometimes make Kaytwo write them for him and-”

Bodhi stopped, grabbing your shoulder. “Thank you… (Y/n).”

You smiled. “You’re welcome, Bodhi.”

The ship repairs were near completion and so was your intel. After that whole incident at the gambling den, you and Bodhi had become closer. He still insisted on sleeping on the floor, but at least now, he doesn’t silently leave the room at night. You were practically his bodyguard, which he needed given the amount of people that’s been getting angry at him for his winning streaks. Can’t go to the same den, of course, and you were definitely not playing those kinds of card games.

After another successful night of winnings, the two of you made your way back to the inn. Bodhi was in good spirits at the progress the two of you made. The sooner you get off the planet, the better. You both decided to stop for a late night snack before heading in as Bodhi believed that the ship would be fixed by tomorrow, as he had won the final part in a card game.

Everything was going smoothly, but unfortunately, someone with a grudge had other ideas. None of you ever thought that that encounter with Girricks would turn around and bite you in the ass. It turned out that they were much more petty than either of you thought.

With two hired mercenaries, Girricks waited near the inn to ambush you and Bodhi. You were in such a good mood that night, that you didn’t suspect a thing. Even after it happened, you still admonished yourself for lowering your guard. Things could have gotten way worse than it had.

It started with a bolt of light shooting out from the dark alley. Instinctively, you whipped your blaster out and stood in front of Bodhi, eyes scanning the area. Another shot from the opposite alley and you pushed Bodhi aside, shooting in the direction of the shot before following Bodhi in cover.

“You think it’s those bucket heads?” you whispered to Bodhi.

He shook his head. “They tend to use overwhelming numbers over a selected skill few and the mission isn’t high level enough to warrant the latter. It’s something else.”

You peeked over from the pile of crates and saw Girricks lumbering over with his blaster, calling over the two mystery shooters from the alley. Your mind raced as you came up with a plan to separate them. From the looks of them, those two were average mercenaries, but you couldn’t assume and underestimate them.

“Come out, rat!” Girricks shouted, “If you won’t give me my credits back, then I’ll have to take them from your dead body.”

“Geez, Bodhi, how much did you win from him?”

He shrugged. “A lot. He’s a terrible player.”

“And a terrible loser, too. How good are your combat skills?”

“Um, Chirrut has been teaching me a few hand to hand combat and Baze taught me how to shoot, but I need a weapon.” You looked around for something to improvise with before giving Bodhi your blaster. “What? No!”

“Here’s what we’re going to do. They’re coming this way right now. I’m going to find a way around and distract them, then you shoot. Just don’t shoot me.”

“But-”

You disappeared into the shadows before he could protest any further. He gripped the blaster and breathed deeply. He could hear their heavy footsteps growing closer and closer, his hand trembling as he readied himself. As a cargo pilot, he didn’t have much use for weapons, usually carrying around a first aid kit and candy that he stole. Even at the Battle of Scarif, he hadn’t done much of the fighting, concentrating on getting the message through. If he ends up dying on this planet because of a sore loser gambler after surviving everything he had gone through, he would be extremely pissed.

There was a loud clatter, followed by a shout. Bodhi peeked over the crates and saw you had thrown something at one of the mercenaries. They both turned their backs towards him to shoot you. Bodhi raised the blaster and pulled the trigger, exhaling as he did so. One stumbled over before falling after another shot from him. The remaining mercenary whipped around, looking for him. Bodhi shot again before ducking back, but he couldn’t help but notice that there was no sign of you.

“Come out, rat!” Girricks repeated, “I have your little friend here. Continue hiding like a coward and your friend dies, and you will be next.”

“Bodhi, do as they say,” you said.

He sighed, raising the blaster in the air before rising from his hiding spot. He glared at Girricks as he stepped forward, seeing you pinned by the creature’s burly arm. You nodded at him, assuring him that it was okay.

“Drop your weapon!” Girricks ordered.

Bodhi did as he was told, slowly bending down to drop it, then kicked it over to the injured mercenary. They limped over and grabbed it, training their rifle on him.

“All this over some credits?” Bodhi asked.

Girricks laughed. “No, not just the credits you stole. The credits that I will be rewarded when I turn the two of you into the Empire.”

“Look, we were just doing a supply run when our ship got damaged,” Bodhi said.

“You’re part of the Rebellion. I could tell by the way you two carry yourselves. This idea that you have that you serve a higher purpose to spread peace across the galaxy. You fight while the people caught in the middle have to suffer.”

“This is a fight that the Empire provoked,” you said, struggling within his grasp, “Occupying planets and moons, reaping their resources and killing and enslaving their people. Turning us in will only give you but an insignificant and temporary sense of euphoria before you find yourself suffering again. It’s not worth it.”

“Do not lecture me, rat!” Girricks turned to the mercenary. “Grab him and let’s go.”

You wiggled around and bit Girricks arm. He shouted, slapping you across the face and sending you to the ground. Bodhi saw you fall and felt a rush flow through him as he tackled the mercenary, wrestling for the weapons before getting a hold on their rifle and using the butt of the weapon to get them out. Bodhi crouched over the body and pointed the rifle at Girricks.

“Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!” Bodhi shouted. “Drop your weapon!”

You stood with wobbly legs, staggering over to Bodhi’s side. He handed your blaster back, his eyes never leaving Girricks as they moved to drop their blaster. With a twitch of a muscle, you shot their hand before they could turn their blaster around to shoot. Their blaster clattered to the ground, leaving Girricks vulnerable. They raised their hand in defeat, glaring at the both of you.

“Next time, I won’t miss,” you warned.

“Give it up, Girricks, and leave us,” Bodhi said, “While we’re still in a good mood.”

“A murder’s a murder, no matter what side you fight for,” Girricks said. With that they turned and walked away.

Bodhi’s shoulder sagged in relief, turning to you as you lowered your blaster. “You okay?” he asked.

You nodded. “I’m good. You?” He nodded. “Good. Let’s get some rest now. I want to work on that ship first thing in the morning. The sooner we get off of this planet, the better.”

Bodhi agreed, letting you lean on him as you two made your way towards the inn. Once through the door of the room that you became familiar with for the past few weeks, you both fell backwards on the bed, too tired to shower or even argue who gets to use the bed.

You were the first to wake, finding it hard to move with something holding you down. Bodhi had wrapped his arms around you during the night, which explained why the temperature felt warmer than usual. You carefully removed his arms around you and stood to stretch. Looking down at him, he looked peaceful and relaxed, not as tense as his waking state. You smiled, then decided a shower was definitely in order.

Later that day, you finished up your report in the ship while Bodhi had been doing the finishing touches. He rushed in, dropping his tools, and went straight for the pilot seat. He flipped a couple of switches and pressed some buttons, making you wish that you learned how to fly. Then again, if you did, then you might not have gone to this mission with Bodhi.

The engine gave a promising hum and Bodhi laughed in excitement. “Okay! Let’s finally go home!”

The base was relieved when the two of you came back, the Rogue One crew being the first ones to greet you. They noticed a change in the way you treat each other, but Chirrut was the first to know. He had simply smiled in silence, patting the two of you before walking off. It came to no surprise later that week when you and Bodhi entered the mess hall while holding hands. Almost a year later, you ended up living in the same quarters. One bed, of course, though this time there was no discussion on who got the bed.

#WritersMonth2020 #bodhi rook x reader #Bodhi Rook #rogue one imagine #star wars imagine #star wars #rogue one #oneshot #finally finished this year's writer's month!

32 notes · View notes

lil-meow-meow-goes-rawr · 4 years

Text

The Final Battle

⚔︎ Previous Chapters: Trouble Brews, Illusions, Tragedy Strikes, Together

⚔︎ Pairing: Jungkook x OC

⚔︎ Genre: Medieval Fantasy, Knight!Jungkook, Knight!Hoseok, Wizard!Yoongi, King!Namjoon, Prince!Taehyung, Prince!Jimin, Brothers!Yoonjin

⚔︎ Warnings: death, trauma, ptsd, mentions of blood

⚔︎ Rating: 13+

⚔︎ Synopsis: As the battle rages, challenges arise which may just tear them all and the kingdom apart.

⚔︎ Word Count: 15.2K

⚔︎ A/N: This is it! The end of the road for The Phantom Knight series. A little bittersweet to be honest. I’m gong to miss writing it. I’m so glad you all have enjoyed it so much. Thank you for all the love and support you’ve given it🥺

⚔︎ Tag List: @ephemeralninon, @nochuactivate

⚔︎ Masterlist

With a mighty cry, Jungkook took to the sky, igniting chaos among the knights. Yoongi’s brow arched at the sudden array of screaming men as they sought shelter from the terror of the Moon Dragon. The knight before us crumpled to the ground, his entire body shaking as his arms reached up to cover his head.

I took a moment to watch Jungkook. The dragon’s wingspan covered nearly the entirety of our knight’s training grounds. His movements were fluid and graceful; the way in which he moved through the sky was as if I were watching a dance come to life.

Yoongi lightly nudged my shoulder, shaking me from the trance I had fallen under. With a sheepish smile, I motioned for Yoongi to follow as I quickly maneuvered back through the trees. To get into the castle unnoticed, using the main gate was not an option. Thankfully, I knew a few secrets to the old castle.

“Forgive my doubt,” Yoongi muttered beneath his breath, “but how do you expect for us to enter the castle when you are leading us away from the only known entrance? Do not tell me you plan to have us scale the wall.”

I threw a smirk over my shoulder. “Tempting, but no. Tell me, Yoongi, have you ever been inside the castle?”

The wizard hesitated before bobbing his head. “Once, when I was just a boy. Our father would often perform for the King. He allowed me to join him once when he was called to entertain for a visiting king.”

I was not surprised. Before it was banned, magic was often used as a source of entertainment. Wizards had been a common sight among the royal families. “And did you happen to find your way down to the dungeons?”

“Unless I am mistaken, the dungeons are the one place in the castle one tries to avoid.”

“If that is what you believe, than you are truly missing out on some of the most useful areas of the castle.” My hand came up to stop him as our destination came into view.

Yoongi followed my line of vision, his frown of confusion only deepening. “You want us to sneak in through the dungeons?”

I did not offer him an answer as I carefully surveyed the surrounding area. The knights on the far side of the castle were far fewer than those outside the main gate. I spied a few dotting the tree line several yards away, yet their attention was glued to the largest threat - the Moon Dragon. I silently thanked whomever had constructed the castle several generations ago. The windows to the cells sat just outside the tree line. There would be no need to cross an open area to reach the barred windows.

Yoongi dutifully followed my lead as I dropped to my hands and knees, staying as low as I could. We did not need to draw any further attention to ourselves.

“Lady Emelyn,” Yoongi ventured, “with all due respect, I do not think the dungeons are our most reasonable option.”

“Hush,” I scolded, “unless you wish to alert everyone in the vicinity to our presence.”

Yoongi pressed his lips together, though the look of apprehension remained.

Running my hand along the bottom of the metal bars, I prayed to God I still remembered the way in. It had been years since I had taken advantage of this route. Would it even still be there? It would be most inconvenient if they had finally gotten around to fixing it.

A triumphant smile painted itself on my lips as the loose bar slid out of its slot, revealing an opening that had appeared much larger when I was a child.

“Will we fit inside?” Yoongi questioned, his eyes growing large in amazement.

“There is only way to know.” Without waiting a moment longer, I swung my feet down through the small opening. For the first time in my life, I was grateful to be small. Enduring all the teasing I received from Jimin suddenly seemed worth it. If my shoulders had been any wider, I would not have fit.

Years of practice helped me land lightly on my feet and I quickly stepped aside to allow Yoongi the room he needed. The wizard was taller than I was, yet his build was not much larger. He easily slid through the opening, though he stumbled through his landing.

The key was easy to find. Still tucked securely away in the corner of the cell, out of sight from any passerby.

Yoongi remained silent as he watched me unlock the door, his mind struggling to believe what his eyes were seeing.“How did you come to learn of an entrance such as this?”

“The broken bar was first discovered when one of the prisoners escaped. The escape route was found, though no one ever did anything about it. They simply stopped holding prisoners inside this cell. When I was growing up inside these walls, there were many times when King Merek would threaten our kingdom. Jimin and I would often be forbidden from seeing Taehyung during those times. So we used this cell to escape the castle and ride out to meet Taehyung along the boarder.”

Yoongi chuckled though he did not speak another word as we ascended the stairs into the heart of the castle. My mind raced as we made our way silently through the corridors toward the staircase which led up to Jimin’s quarters. I was not gifted in the art of strategy. I knew what must be done to save the kingdom, yet I was not certain how we were to go about accomplishing that goal.

“What is it we are searching for?” Yoongi questioned, his voice so low I nearly missed his question. “You said it was important to defeat King Merek’s army.”

“I am in search of a brilliant mind.”

Yoongi scoffed lightly. “If you were looking for brilliance, you should have simply asked.”

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. The smug grin on the wizard’s face did not help my plight. “We are in need of someone who knows everything there is to know about battle strategies.”

“You are planning on sending us into battle? Lady Emelyn, I am no expert in these matters, yet I do not think that to be the best idea given our current circumstances.”

I shook my head. “I do not wish to alert more than two people of our presence here. If everyone were to find out I had returned, it would cause a commotion so large, the knights outside the walls would quickly be alerted to our arrival. No, our best chance is to remain unseen for now.”

“Then who are we here to find?”

“Two people I would trust with my very life and whom I know will do anything to protect this kingdom with me.”

“Emelyn?”

I froze, immediately recognizing the sound of the voice. Spinning around, I saw him hurrying toward us, confirming my suspicions. Prince Taehyung. He was here and yet it did not make sense. His kingdom was the one attacking my own. What would he be doing inside the Kim Castle?

“Taehyung? What are you-” My question was cut short when I suddenly found myself pressed tightly against the prince’s chest; his arms wrapped tightly around my body.

“You’re alive!” He sobbed, burying his face in my hair. “By God, you’ve come back to us alive.”

“She will not be alive much longer if you continue to hold her so tightly.” Yoongi said pointedly.

Taehyung quickly stepped back yet kept his hands on my shoulders as he looked me over. “You are not injured? Nothing is broken?”

“Other than the rib you crushed just now,” I teased, “I am perfectly fine.”

“How did you escape the dragon? When did you return? How did you get past Father’s knights?” The questions tumbled from his lips with hardly a breath in between.

“It is a long story of which we do not have the time to tell.” Hesitating slightly, I asked, “I mean no disrespect for I am more than grateful to see you, but what are you doing here in the castle? Is it not your kingdom that is invading ours?”

Taehyung cringed at the accusation. “They are my father’s knights patrolling the boarder. I was here with Jimin when the castle was taken and I have dutifully agreed to play the role of hostage for now.”

“Leverage,” I breathed, “that is what you have given Namjoon.”

Taehyung grinned. “There is no kingdom I would rather be held captive in.”

“Lady Emelyn,” Yoongi prodded gently, “we must hurry. The sun will be rising soon.”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes as they came to rest on the wizard. Setting his shoulders back into a defensive stance, he took a small step forward. His movements were small but the implication was clear. He was ready to protect me. “Who are you?”

I rolled my eyes at the gesture. “Honestly, Taehyung. Do you truly believe this man would be with me if he were not a friend?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Taehyung cast me a side glance. “I do not intend to trust anyone who’s name I do not know.”

“Oh for the love of-” my arm waved dramatically through the air as I motioned between them, “Taehyung, this is Yoongi. Yoongi, I would like to introduce you to the most stubborn prince I have ever known. Son of the king who wishes to destroy my kingdom.”

“The man you are meant to marry.” Yoongi said knowingly, looking the prince over once before turning away. “As he is not one of the two you mentioned before, I must insist we continue on. Jungkook will not hold out for much longer.”

Nodding, I resumed my pace. Yoongi fell into step behind me, but it seemed Taehyung was not prepared to grant us leave just yet.

“Emelyn, wait.”

I cringed at the way in which his voice echoed off the walls of the empty corridor. “I do apologize, but I am afraid we simply do not have the luxury of time at the moment. I will explain everything to you in great detail later. For now, we must find Jimin.”

“Emelyn,” Taehyung repeated, his elegant fingers wrapping securely around my wrist, forcing a halt in my departure. His large eyes were pleading as he pouted, “I only wish to know what is going on. First you disappear for more than a week and once you make your return, you refuse to speak with me. I may not be your intended, but I am your friend.”

The desperation in his voice gave me pause but a sharp shake of Yoongi’s head shut down any thoughts I had of sharing information with him. “It is best if you do now know.”

“Why?”

Taking a deep breath, I carefully slid my arm out of his grasp. “Because it is your kingdom which has attacked. If anything were to go wrong, the less you knew of what was happening, the safer you would be.”

“I do not need to be protected,” he said indignantly, puffing out his chest. “You can tell me. Perhaps I could help.”

“I’m sorry,” I quickly turned away before I gave in to the betrayed expression tainting his features, “it is better this way.”

Yoongi ushered me forward and I quickly obliged, hoping Taehyung would choose not to follow us. I had always been weak to his charms. I could never keep secrets from him and until today, I never had reason to. It hurt knowing I had to keep this from him now. I had dismissed him, tearing a knife through the trust we had so carefully built over the years. I swore to myself then, after all this was over I would do everything in my power to repair the damage I had done to our friendship.

Just as we turned the corner at the end of the corridor, I heard my name called out one last time. I stopped but refused to turn around. I could not face him. Not without revealing every last detail to him.

“Jimin and Hoseok meet inside the prince’s room every night to discuss their strategies with one another. If you hurry, you may still find them there.”

I smiled, silently thanking him. Despite everything, he was still willing to offer his assistance.

If Jimin truly was in his room, we would not be able to reach him. The only way to reach the Prince’s room was to travel through the center of the castle which would ensure our mission to remain unseen was a failure. Even then, as we crept down the dark corridors, I could hear the chattering of large numbers of people. If we were to remain undetected, I would need a bit of help. Thoughts of turning back to request Taehyung’s assistance crossed my mind more than once, yet that may lead to divulging more information than was needed. Taehyung did not need to know what was about to happen. It was better if he didn’t. He was meant to be playing captive after all. Hostages did not often get the luxury of knowing their captor’s plans.

No, I needed someone else. Someone who could go to Jimin’s room without raising the attention of anyone else. Fortunately, I knew just the person for the task.

“Where are we heading?” Yoongi questioned.

“The kitchens.”

“Did Taehyung not tell us we would find them in the Prince’s room?”

I stopped and turned to him, my voice resounding in a harsh whisper. “We cannot simply waltz up to my brother’s room. It would be cause for far too much attention. Our arrival would be discovered sooner than we could reach the room. It is better we send someone to fetch him. There is less suspicion in Jimin coming down to the kitchens for an evening snack than the girl who disappeared suddenly making an unannounced appearance.”

“You make an excellent point.”

Yoongi and I made it down to the kitchen without any trouble. The incessant chattering seemed to be coming from everywhere and yet nowhere. The people’s voices rang clearly through the empty corridors of the castle, and yet we had not seen a single person since Taehyung. The thought unnerved me.

“Emelyn,” Yoongi hissed, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the dark lardar just outside the kitchen. The overwhelming smell of raw meats washed over me as Yoongi carefully closed the door behind us. It was not the first time I had used this room to escape detection. Not many, apart from Nelly, would ever care to enter this room seeing as how the food could not be consumed until cooked. It remained my least favorite place to hide.

A few moments passed in which I forgot to breathe. The steps of a man paused just outside the door and I sent up a silent prayer, hoping God would be on our side tonight.

“Nelly,” a familiar voice called out from the other side of the door, “suppose you make another cup as well? We are meeting with the King in a short while and I do think he would appreciate something warm to drink. It is going to be a long night for all of us.”

Though her words were indistinguishable, I heard the cook shout back a response. Seconds later, the man was moving forward again. I didn’t waste anytime. Barely containing my excitement, I slipped out the door, ignoring Yoongi’s protests.

“Hoseok,” I called, keeping my voice as low as possible while trying to grab the knight’s attention.

The two cups in the knight’s hands fell to the stone floor when he turned to me. His eyes were wide as he simply stared, unable to believe what his eyes were telling him.

“Sharp reflexes,” Yoongi muttered beneath his breath, his words dripping with sarcasm, “just what every knight should have.”

The silence stretched out between us and I shifted uneasily under Hoseok’s gaze. “How are you?”

“Emelyn?” The knight questioned, as if refusing to believe I was there.

A tight-lipped smile and small bob of my head was all I could manage.

I did not see him move. One moment, Hoseok was standing several feet away, wide-eyed and disbelieving. The next moment he was crushing me against him in an embrace that would have rivaled Taehyung’s.

“You’re alive! You have returned to us with breath still in your lungs.” He cried. “This is wonderful! I shall alert King Namjoon immediately. He must know of this.”

“No!” Reaching out, I grabbed his arm as he turned away. “You mustn’t tell the King.”

Frowning, he turned back to me in confusion. “Why not?”

“No one must know I am here.”

“Might I inquire as to why you wish to keep your arrival a secret? Do you realize what your disappearance has done to this kingdom? To your family?”

His words hurt and I found myself cringing at the accusatory tone in which he used, but I simply shook my head. “If we are to defeat King Merek and his army, we must not alert anyone to my presence here.”

“And yet you have chosen to speak with me.”

“Because I need your help.”

“What is it you are planning?”

I hesitated, glancing over to Yoongi once before saying, “I will explain everything in a moment. Please, you must fetch Jimin. Meet us down in the dungeons. It will be the safest place to talk.”

Hoseok narrowed his eyes, the uncertainty was clear. I missed the way his eyes used to dance with amusement and the sound of his laughter as it rang throughout the castle. Tonight, I would do everything in my power to return the joy to this place.

“Alright,” he finally agreed, “I will do as you have asked. Jimin and I will meet you down by the old cell as quickly as we can.” Without another word, he turned on his heels and strode away, leaving the cups to remain where they were on the floor.

I sighed and carefully picked them up. The one had chipped. Nelly would not be happy with that. She would demand Hoseok found a way to fix it, standing over him with that large spoon of hers until he did.

“We must hurry, before someone else wanders over for a late night snack.” Yoongi said.

Nodding, I placed the cups on the small bench outside the door to the kitchen. A sigh left my lips as I looked up at the door. I was so close to seeing her again. Nelly was my best friend aside from Taehyung and Jimin. She was the one I would confide in with all of my secrets. I would spend hours in the kitchens listening to her tell her tales as she busied herself with the meal preparations. I missed her.

Yoongi’s hand came to rest gently on my shoulder, urging me to move along. I knew he was right. It was time to go.

Mere moments after arriving back in the dungeons, the sound of frantic footsteps filled the silence which had settled between Yoongi and I. Jimin appeared on the stairs, breath ragged and eyes wide. A large grin spread across my lips when I saw him. His steps faltered and if Hoseok had not been there to catch him, he would have fallen.

“When Hoseok told me you were here in the castle, I did not believe it was true.” Jimin breathed.

I spread my arms out wide, exaggeratedly turning in a circle. “Here I am.”

Without skipping a beat, Jimin rushed forward, pulling me into an embrace so strong I feared it may shatter my bones.

“I knew it,” Jimin cried into my shoulder, “I knew you were still alive. The others, they believed you to be dead. After a week of silence, I began to fear the worst as well. Still, if anyone were to defeat a dragon, you would be the one to find a way.”

With one final tight squeeze, I pulled away. “About the dragon-”

“Is is still alive? Has it returned?” Hoseok’s hand immediately went to the sword at his side.

“Well . . .” As if on cue, a knight rushed past the barred window of the nearest cell, mumbling on about dragons and death. “Perhaps he has made an appearance tonight.”

Hoseok drew his sword and turned to run back up the stairs, ready to defend the kingdom with his very life.

“Wait! Hoseok, do not run off so quickly. First, listen to what I must tell you. There is much you need to know and very little time to tell it.”

“Where have you been for the past week?” Jimin spoke as Hoseok descended the stairs again.

“The dragon took me to Blood Mountain.”

Jimin nearly fell over once again. “How did you survive?”

I told them everything then, as quickly as I could, sticking only to what was necessary. Yoongi jumped in a few times, filling gaps in the story I overlooked. I would fill in the details later. I did not have the luxury of time to do so now.

Hoseok struggled to believe me. His past with the Moon Dragon was one not so easily overcome. His narrowed gaze remained fixed on the stone floor as I spoke. At the mention of Jungkook being both the Knight and the dragon, his head shot up. Large eyes blinked over at me in disbelief.

Jimin had long since sat on the floor, his legs crossed beneath him as he silently took in every word I spoke. When I had finished, he blew out a long breath. “So the dragon outside these walls right now is the very one which has tormented our kingdom for nearly two decades?”

I nodded, wringing my fingers together nervously.

“And he is meant to save us?”

“No,” Hoseok shook his head, slowly backing away, “the Moon Dragon is nothing more than a killer. The beast is not here to save us.”

“Jungkook has full control over the dragon tonight,” Yoongi assured him, “he will not be killing anyone.”

“How are we to know that?”

“Because I am the one who gave him the control he needed.”

Hoseok scoffed. “Are we to believe the words of this wizard?”

I leapt to Yoongi’s defense. “Yoongi is the reason I am alive today. Without him, I would not be here. He is the only one with the ability to subdue the dragon. It is by his doing that Jungkook is able to be at our aid.”

“I am not inclined to trust people I do not know, who have willingly chosen to continue a practice which has long since been forbidden.”

“I only mean to make the world better.” Yoongi said, his tone even.

“By breaking the laws?”

“Unjust laws which should have been abolished long ago. There are those of us who do not have a choice. We are born with magic and therefore deemed criminals at birth.”

Before Hoseok could respond, Jimin leapt to his feet. “Enough. The two of you can argue over the laws of the kingdom later. Right now, we must simply be grateful Emelyn has returned to us.” Turning to me, he smiled. “What is your plan to save the kingdom, Milady?”

Just as I opened my mouth to answer, commotion rang out overhead. Frantic shouts and hurried steps filled the air.

“What is happening?” Jimin asked, heading for the stairs.

Hoseok held out a hand to stop him. “Wait here. I shall go and report my findings back to you.” He disappeared up the stairwell then, leaving the rest of us to stare after him.

The tension that filled the room in his absence was nearly unbearable. I could hardly force myself to breathe as every horrible possibility played through my head. Had we lost too much time? Had King Merek advanced his knights already? I did not have much time to ponder these questions as a few mere seconds later, Hoseok appeared once more on the stairwell. His face was crestfallen and his skin was unnaturally pale.

“King Merek has demanded for our surrender.”

“You are shocked by this?” Jimin raised a skeptic brow, “Is that not the point of the siege? What is the reason for the sudden panic?”

“King Merek has presented a weapon he did not possess before.” The knight’s eyes drifted to Yoongi. The way in which he looked at the wizard sent a shiver down my spine, as if he were ready to tear him apart. “He has a wizard working alongside him now. A wizard who threatens to flatten our kingdom if we do not surrender. He has already subdued your dragon.”

My mouth fell open as I attempted to process the words I had just heard. That was not possible. “W-who? Who is this other wizard? Yoongi is the only remaining practicer of dragon magic. Only he can truly control the Moon Dragon.”

“So it would seem.”

“Hoseok,” Jimin stepped forward, his tone low and authoritative, “what is it you are implying?”

“This new wizard claims to be him.” Hoseok drew his sword and held it against Yoongi’s throat.

Jimin and I shouted in protest as Yoongi let out a soft squeak. His eyes fell down to focus on the sharp edge of the sword as it rested against the soft skin of his neck.

“Hoseok, what are you doing?” I demanded, stepping toward him. “Put the sword down.”

His hand came up to silence me, his eyes never once leaving the wizard. “I must now ask you, are you truly who you claim to be? What is your true purpose here in this kingdom?”

“He does not need to prove anything to you.” I said firmly. “Drop your sword, Hoseok.”

“How do we know he is not a fraud?”

“Because I have seen his magic with my own eyes. I have borne witness to the wonders of his powers. He returned Jungkook’s control. This is the Min Yoongi they tell of in stories. Of that I am certain. I will not repeat myself again. Lower your sword.”

Hesitantly, Hoseok obeyed. Yoongi took a shaky breath as he retreated a few steps from the knight.

“Than who is this other wizard?” Hoseok spat. It did not go unnoticed that he chose to keep his sword free of its sheath.

“I suppose there is but one way to answer that question,” Jimin smirked, “I believe it is time to confront the king.”

“I cannot do this.” Hoseok said, finally sheathing his sword, “I will not work alongside wizards and dragons. The very idea goes against everything I stand for and believe in.”

Closing my eyes, I nodded reluctantly. “I cannot ask so much of you. I only wish for you to help protect my people. We will drive away King Merek and his men. Our kingdom will once again be safe.” Knowing Hoseok’s history, it came as no surprise he would wish not to be involved. I would respect his wishes and we would fight this battle without him.

“I take it we are in need of a new plan.” Yoongi stepped up beside me, quietly offering some support.

I didn’t know what to tell him. I had not imagined Hoseok would walk out on us like this. I’d been counting on his skills to be along side us tonight.

“I do not pretend to understand everything which has transpired here tonight, yet I am sure of one thing. By some miracle, Emelyn has returned to us and she brought with her some powerful allies. I do not know who King Merek has with him, but I do believe it is time we found out.”

Originally, the plan had been to keep my return discreet. With King Merek’s sudden announcement however, things were not going to play out the way I had envisioned. Jimin quickly devised a new plan. We knew we had with us the real Yoongi, so Jimin suggested we go confront the king under the guise of negotiation and possible surrender. All the while, Hoseok would begin spreading the word of the Phantom Knight’s return, igniting a new spark of hope within the people.

Yoongi fidgeted nervously as we left the castle the same way we had come. His eyes kept darting back and forth as if expecting someone to emerge from the trees with a battle cry on their lips.

“I am sure this proclaimed wizard will be of no significance.” I said, attempting to bring his nerves down. “King Merek often speaks of things with far greater enthusiasm that what is actually true.”

“This other wizard has managed to subdue Jungkook while he is not only in dragon form but also fully in control. Even I do not possess a power so great.”

“I have seen you work your magic with my own eyes. You underestimate yourself.”

“Perhaps it is you who holds too much faith in me. Seokjin would often do the same. He saw a power in me far greater than I have ever been able to accomplish.”

“Your brother saw something in you that you cannot see yourself. Something special that I now see as well. He was not wrong to hold you in such high esteem.”

Yoongi did not look convinced but he nodded nonetheless. Perhaps simply to make me stop talking. “I shall do what I can to aid the rescue of the kingdom.”

“And that is far more than we could have ever asked for.” Jimin shot a grin over his shoulder.

“She did not ask,” Yoongi said with a knowing look in my direction, “I simply offered my abilities if she were to need them.”

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “Do not be so modest. You did this to aid Jungkook and no one else.”

The wizard did not deny my claim, offering only a small shrug in response.

A heavy silence settled between us as the whole of King Merek’s army came into view. Their numbers were far greater than I ever could have imagined. My chest ached at the thought of them ravaging our land. They would not get away with doing this to my people. King Merek had placed my people in danger because of a mistake I had made. It was time to set things right.

Jimin’s hand slid into mine, offering the comfort he always seemed to know I needed.

“Where is this other wizard?” Yoongi’s eyes scanned the many faces before us, looking for anyone that may stand out.

“I would assume he would be at the front.” Jimin said. “King Merek will want to make sure everyone sees him.”

“So we find the king and we will find the wizard?” I asked.

“Precisely.”

“I found him.” Yoongi said, his steps slowing to a halt.

“Where? How did you-” The question of how Yoongi managed to find the king so quickly died on my lips as we rounded the side of the castle and the tip of a large wing came into view. My steps quickened as the full form of the dragon slowly appeared. Jungkook had been rendered helpless, sprawled on the ground like a lowly lizard before the king. His dark eyes remained fixed ahead of him, locked on the one who held him there.

Jimin faltered in his steps. The last time he had seen the dragon, Jungkook had been carrying me away from him. They may have been on the same side now, yet Jimin still saw an enemy before him. One hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword while the other remained balled into a fist at his side.

“Now is the not the time to settle your quarrel with the creature.” Yoongi said pointedly. “You must remember we are all on the same side for this battle and if we are to drive King Merek away, you must be willing to work with us.” It was a challenge. Yoongi would not be moving ahead if Jimin did not first agree to set aside his personal feelings toward Jungkook.

I held my breath, waiting tensely for Jimin’s response. We had already lost Hoseok’s aid, we could not afford to lose Jimin’s as well.

“I will agree to work with the beast,” Jimin said, choosing his words carefully, “on the condition that I may speak with him myself after it is all over.”

With a simple nod of my head, I squared my shoulders slightly. “This is a reasonable request, however you should be aware that I will be ready to defend the one who once defended me. Bear in mind it is because of this dragon that I am still here today.”

Yoongi cleared his throat, his brows were raised in expectation.

“Yes of course, without Yoongi or Jungkook, I would have died on that mountain.”

“Yet it was because of Jungkook that you were taken to the mountain in the first place.” Jimin reminded me.

“Because he needed my help. Jungkook is as much a part of this kingdom as you and I. I will not abandon any of my people.”

“For someone who is not even in line to rule, you sound like a wise ruler.” Yoongi said.

I shook my head. “I only care for the people of this kingdom. That is all.”

“Then perhaps we should continue on. If we are to waste any more time here, it may become too late to save the people.”

Jungkook heard us approaching before anyone else. His eyes darted in our direction and despite being in his dragon form, his relief was evident.

“The king, he is already here.” Yoongi nodded toward the small group of people now approaching King Merek.

Jimin cursed, earning him a sharp hand to the back of his head. “We were meant to arrive before him.”

“Perhaps if you had not spent so much of our time discussing my loyalty to the people, we may have done just that.” I hissed at him. “Come, we must hurry before Namjoon does anything he may regret.”

“You do not think he would surrender, do you?”

My words remained silent though everyone seemed to have the same thought. Namjoon would do anything to protect the kingdom and the people in it. Even if it meant he must make a great sacrifice.

As the dragon’s image slowly grew with each step I took, so did the rate in which my heart beat against my chest. A crowd gathered to witness the phenomenon that was the mighty Moon Dragon. Those from within the safety of the castle’s walls stepped out to merge with the knights and catch a glimpse of what was being told to them through whispers and rumors. Jungkook, one of the single most feared predator known to man, now nothing more than a skeptical for curious eyes to wonder on.

My pace quickened as I raced down the hill. We had to help him. We had to get him out of there. Not only had Jungkook been rendered defenseless, but in the hands of the enemy, he was a dangerous weapon.

From the main gates, I caught a glimpse of Hoseok approaching the situation as well. He appeared less than thrilled to be near the beast, yet every year of his training as a knight told him not to deny the king’s orders. He was there to protect Namjoon, no matter the cost.

I bit my tongue to keep my anger from boiling to the top. The knight had refused to lend us his assistance, and yet he was there beside the king, approaching the very thing which had given him reason to refuse to help us.

Behind them, an army of our own knights followed. I estimated around thirty men. Still significantly smaller than the army behind King Merek, yet enough to raise alarm within the enemy’s ranks.

Jimin cursed. “What does he think he’s doing? Is he trying to cause an uproar among King Merek’s men?”

“He is only securing his own safety, is he not?” Yoongi asked.

“Thirty men won’t do anything against an army of our enemy’s size. The only thing he is going to accomplish with this is unrest and distrust.”

“Then we best arrive at the scene before they do.” I pushed past them both, purposefully bumping into Jimin a bit harder than was necessary. The man had a brilliant mind for strategy, but he also had a bad habit of standing and complaining when he should be moving into action.

“Emelyn,” Jimin grasped my wrist in a tight hold, forcing my feet to stop their decent, “you must not rush down there so carelessly.”

“I am not being careless.” I huffed indignantly, shaking his hold from me.

Yoongi stepped up beside me. The wizard was out of breath though he attempted to hide it as best he could. “I’m afraid Prince Jimin is correct. You did not appear to notice the advancing knights to your right. Had he not intervened, you would have walked directly into their path, allowing them the perfect opportunity to take you as a hostage. Granting them another form of leverage for King Namjoon’s surrender.”

Jimin wiggled his brows with a coy grin. “I like this wizard. He has a good head on his shoulders and a mind for strategy.”

I pushed passed them, ignoring Jimin’s grunt of protest. I did not wish to stand and listen to my brother’s flirtations.

“What is your plan?” Jimin asked, hurrying to catch up. “Surely you are not going in ill-prepared.”

I cocked a brow. “Really now, Jimin. I do hope you know me better than that. I may not have your keen sense for strategy, but I do not often go without a plan.”

Yoongi kept pace quite easily despite his continued shuffling stride. “Yet you come off as a person who does not approach a situation with any form of preparation.”

I rolled my eyes but did not offer any return quip. It was true. Most of my time spent on Blood Mountain, I was not prepared for anything I faced. Every turn had led to a new surprise.

“So, what is the plan?” Jimin questioned. His tone was light, yet I could hear the trepidation beneath it.

“The plan is for you to trust me.”

“You don’t have a plan.” Yoongi stated simply.

I huffed indignantly. “Not true.”

“Then do enlighten us.” Jimin nudged my shoulder with his own.

“The plan?” I swallowed hard, knowing fully well I was rushing into this situation without one. “The plan is to free Jungkook and keep everyone alive.”

“I like it. Simple, straightforward and to the point.”

Yoongi shook his head in disbelief. “This is not a plan. This is a goal.”

“What’s the difference?” I shrugged. “As long as the outcome is the same.”

“Let us just hope this other wizard does not cause too much trouble. Or we may never reach your goal.”

“With your powers on our side, we have nothing to worry about.” I offered him an encouraging smile even as my own hands continued to shake with the fear of the unknown fast approaching.

“I only hope you are right.”

Approaching the kings, I threw my shoulders back and held my head high. Confident steps pushed me forward as I clenched my shaking fists at my side. A persona I had long since mastered and an easy facade to slip into. Everyone expected me to be as fearless and sharp witted as King Namjoon and Prince Jimin. Someone who could lead as well as protect, regardless of the fact I was a woman. So that is what I gave them. A confident image. One which had earned the respect of many other rulers surrounding our borders. It was the same persona I slipped into now. Despite my fears and the looming sense of danger, I portrayed nothing short of confidence.

King Merek was the first to see me. I watched as his beady little eyes grew to twice their size. He had presumed me dead, just as everyone else had. His pasty skin grew a bit paler as he gaped at my swift approach.

Namjoon was quick to direct his eyes to what had captured Merek’s attention so profusely. When he saw him, I saw several emotions flash across his face: shock, disbelief, joy and confusion before settling on pure relief. The corner of Hoseok’s lips twitched up into a small smirk. He did not allow his own attention to remain on me for long. His eyes were quickly drawn back to the King Merek and his surrounding army.

“King Merek!” I announced, stopping just short of both kings. “I know I may have been absent for a short while, but I am quite certain nothing has changed in that time. If I am correct in saying, you are trespassing onto our land.”

Merek’s shock quickly turned to indignation. “Take a look around you, Milady. The subject of crossing your borders should be the least of your concerns.”

“I am well aware of your plan to lay siege against our kingdom. I only wish you had better sense than this.”

“Watch your tongue or I shall have it cut from your mouth. Perhaps you have gone nearsighted in your absence. You are in no position to be making such remarks.”

“You may have more men at your disposal, yet I have someone far more valuable than all of them combined.”

Namjoon’s eyes darted between Jimin and myself, attempting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. His gaze momentarily came to rest on Yoongi, unanswered questions drawing his brows together. I was surprised he had not attempted to silence me yet. I had essentially arrived and halted any agreement they may have had underway.

Merek laughed. A hearty laugh which had him gripping his sides as his head fell back and tears streamed down his cheeks. Every head turned to stare at his theatrics. No one was sure of what was happening or how to react themselves. A few knights let out a tentative chuckle, though most simply continued to look on in concern.

“Lady Emelyn, no matter how prepared you believe yourself to be, I have with me a secret weapon which will no doubt defeat any surprise you may try to throw at me.”

“Are you perhaps referring to the wizard?”

“The very wizard who took down your dragon.”

“Yes, I do believe I have heard his name before. Yoongi, wasn’t it? The last man alive to practice dragon magic.”

“You appear awfully calm for someone who is about to have their entire kingdom flattened.”

Stepping forward, I whispered loudly enough for everyone within a few feet could hear me. “I have the luxury of staying calm because I know something very important which you have failed to notice.” Stepping back, I could not fight the satisfied smirk on my lips when I caught sight of the king’s ashen face. “Please, do show us this wizard you speak so highly of. Prove to us his might and perhaps there may be an agreement of surrender.”

“Milady,” Yoongi rang his hands together nervously, shifting his weight between the soles of his feet.

A sharp wave of my hand silenced him. I knew he was nervous, yet I also knew I had gotten under the king’s skin. He was rattled and it took a count of three breathes before he managed to form the words, calling his wizard forward.

Yoongi’s breath hitched and a hand came up to cover his mouth as the other wizard stepped forward. My own knees nearly buckled beneath me when I saw him. A tall, slender man stepped up beside King Merek. Elegant features of which I had only seen the likes of once before.

“Seokjin,” Yoongi choked back a sob.

Nodding to Jimin, I gave the order to hold the wizard back as he attempted to step toward his brother.

I was not sure how Seokjin was alive, or if he was truly the Seokjin we knew. I had watched him take his final breath. The life had left his eyes despite everything we tried. How was he standing here now? Breathing and fully alive?

“Lady Emelyn,” King Merek announced, the confidence returning to his words, “I would like to introduce you to the last known master of the dragons, Min Yoongi.”

A strangled sound came from the real wizard. His eyes remained glued to his brother as if trying to convince himself this wasn’t a dream.

“How, might I ask, did you procure the assistance of someone so powerful?”

“Ogres can be manipulated far easier than one might believe, and their magic is quite strong.”

From the corner of my vision, I saw Yoongi stiffen. My mind was racing. The ogre attack had not happened by mere coincidence. King Merek had sent them after us. No, I gripped the fabric of my dress until my knuckles were white, he sent them after Yoongi. I had merely been an unplanned disturbance in the plan.

Suddenly it all made sense. The ogres had been sent there to find Yoongi. Yet King Merek overlooked one small detail when conspiring with the creatures. One which had just given us the advantage we needed to turn the tides.

“You sent the ogres after Yoongi. You had him kidnapped.”

King Merek’s grin stretched out a bit wider. “It seems as though the monsters on that wretched mountain are useful for some things.”

A small smile of my own played on my lips as I stepped forward. “A brilliant plan, I must say. Had it worked in your favor, my kingdom would have held no hope against your attack.”

Merek scoffed. “I’m afraid it has worked. Your kingdom stands to ruin. No matter how you try to turn this around, I still hold the advantage.”

“If what you say is true, then prove it.”

Namjoon’s jaw went slack as his eyes grew wide. Shaking his head, he attempted to draw my attention but I carefully ignored him.

King Merek hesitated.

“Go on,” I urged him, “use your wizard to send the dragon over the castle. Burn it down along with everyone inside. That is what you came here to do, after all.”

“You do not fully understand my intentions.” The king spat. “I do not intend to completely destroy my prize before I have the chance to enjoy it.”

“So you plan to use the dragon as a weapon against us?” I asked, waving a hand to indicate those of us who stood around him.

“Perhaps you are not as thick headed as I first believed. With the dragon by my side, I will be able to defeat any knight you send my way.”

“A dragon will not fight your wars for you.” Yoongi ground out through gritted teeth. “He will not be so easily manipulated.”

“You underestimate the power which my wizard possesses. There is not a beast alive who could overcome his magic.”

Seokjin scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“There are only a few things wrong with that,” I countered, “though perhaps you are too stubborn to understand it. I doubt you are fully aware of how the wizard’s magic works. If you were, you would have known that is not a magic suitable to fight a war.”

“He is capable of controlling the dragon. That is more than enough power to destroy your kingdom.”

Nodding thoughtfully, I slowly began making way toward Jungkook. Controlling a dragon would grant him more power than he could ever hope to control. My kingdom would not stand a chance against King Merek and his army if they were to yield such a power. As I reached the very tip of his nose, I crouched down beside the dragon. His eyes were glued to me the entire time, watching my every movement. Reaching out, I placed a hand on his scales. “Fascinating creatures, aren’t they? A natural instinct to protect, yet unable to be tamed except by those with magic strong enough to do so.”

“This is no ordinary dragon.” Merek stated proudly, as if he knew something we did not. “True dragons have been gone for years. The only ones left, just as the one you are touching now, have been fabricated by those with dragon magic. They can only be controlled by those who created them.”

Seokjin stepped forward then, casting a swift glance in his brothers direction. The wizard remained in the same position, staring open-mouthed at his brother. “Pardon me for saying so, but I do believe that is where you are wrong.”

King Merek spun on him angrily, his face turning a bright shade of red. “Excuse me?”

“I said you are wrong in your assumption that only a wizard wielding dragon magic can control one of these creatures.”

“Of course I am not mistaken. Everyone knows that. It is common knowledge.”

“It may be common knowledge, but that does not make it true.”

“Than who can control them?” The king challenged, his face resembling that of the tomatoes Nelly enjoyed using in her cooking.

“No one.” Yoongi’s voice was quiet, yet his word were not missed. “A dragon cannot be controlled my any one man. You would need an entire army of wizards who practiced dragon magic and even then it would be a gamble.”

Jungkook shifted. I gave the barest shake of my head. Not yet. He could not give away the fact he was under no one’s control. King Merek still believed he had the upper hand and that was how it was going to stay.

“Who is this man?” Merek demanded, his voice shaking only slightly. “What right do you have to tell me what I can and cannot do with this beast?”

Jungkook let out a breath of steam and I gently patted the tip of his nose. He did not take kindly to being called a beast. I could only imagine the amount of times he had heard that phrase and had it directed at him. The very thought had my own anger bristling but I quickly bit it down. Now was not the time to lose my composer.

Before Yoongi could answer, I grabbed the king’s attention back onto myself. “You never answered me earlier. What is holding you back? You’ve proven your point. The dragon is here, clearly under your command. So command it. Have it take to the sky and prove to us just how powerful you are.”

“Emelyn,” Jimin muttered a warning.

I ignored him. He was simply going to have to trust me for now.

“So?” I pressured. “Do it.”

Angrily, King Merek waved a hand at Seokjin. “It seems the lady would like a show. I suggest we give her one. Send the dragon up and have it take out that tower.” I did not need to look to know he was referring to the corner tower. Not a fatal hit to the castle but one that prove just how much power he held. Merek did not intend to destroy the castle in full. He wanted it for himself when the kingdom was his. He would tread carefully which was exactly what I hoped for.

Seokjin rolled his eyes. “As Yoongi pointed out just a moment ago, I cannot control this dragon on my own. It would take an army to do so.”

“You subdued the beast just moments ago!” The king shouted, his anger no longer under control. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“While this is true, you cannot always believe the things you see. Subduing a dragon is nothing when speaking of actually controlling one.”

“Unless of course,” Yoongi threw out his arm and Jungkook flinched, “you have the right wizard for the job.” With a simple flick of his wrist, he sent Jungkook soaring up into the air.

King Merek’s face had grown ashen. He looked ready to fall over as he watched Jungkook circle overhead.

“I have one small suggestion,” my hands folded together behind my back as I stood back up, “the next time you attempt to utilize magical creatures to do your bidding, make sure you understand them fully. Ogres have powerful magic, this is true. Yet you seem to have overlooked their small minds. Perhaps you may not have realized the wizard was not the only one to live on that mountain?”

“No,” the king’s breathing had become shallow.

“Ah, then allow me to explain. The wizard lived with his brother yet only one possessed the magic you were seeking.”

Jimin laughed then, finally understanding what was happening.

“The ogres you sent after him did not understand this. They were told to apprehend the one who lived on the mountain. Do not feel too badly. They did their job. In fact, they did it so well, we never would have suspected them to be working for anyone. As it turns out though, they took the wrong brother.”

Yoongi dropped his arm and Jungkook immediately came down to land next to him.

“You see, the brother you have, as wise as he may be, possesses no magic.”

Seokjin sighed. “I’m afraid she is correct. I was not blessed with the powers you seek. That gift was given to my brother.”

Jimin clapped excitedly, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. “I love when the odds turn in our favor.”

“So what will it be, King Merek?” I challenged. “Will you surrender now? Or will you stand and face the very creature you planned to weaponize?”

That was when Jungkook tensed. His head shot up from where it had been resting on the ground beside Yoongi and his eyes were wide as he carefully scanned the surrounding knights. Yoongi reached out to lay a hand on his neck. It was clear Jungkook could hear or possibly even see something we could not. Something was coming and judging by the expression on the dragon’s face, it wasn’t friendly.

King Merek’s smile returned, a bit more sinister than before. “You underestimate me. Do you truly believe I would not come prepared. Controlling the beast was a risk, there is no denying the fact. Even if I had captured the right wizard, who’s to say he could do all the things that were said about him? This is not my first time strategizing an attack.”

Hoseok drew his sword, stepping in front of Namjoon.

“Dragons are powerful creatures, and yet they are not quite as invincible as one may believe. There is one natural enemy for a dragon. Fortunately for me, these creatures can be tamed.”

Without breaking his eye contact with me, King Merek summoned one of the knights forward. From amidst the sea of armor, a single knight emerged. In his arms rested a creature I had never seen before but one which caused panic in both Yoongi and Jungkook.

“Lady Emelyn, did you know there is only one creature considered to be a natural predator to the dragon? The ichneumon is a magnificent creature. I would never have guessed something so small would pose such a huge threat to the dragons. Do you know how they do it?” His tone was light as he took the creature from the knight. Just smaller than the cat which enjoyed roaming the halls of the castle, the ichneumon nestled happily in its handler’s arms. Though it did not go unnoticed the way it carefully watched every move Jungkook made. “These little creatures are the only known animal to actively hunt dragons. Their small size makes crawling up and inside the beasts quite easy. Most often the point of entry are those large nostrils though they have been known to shoot right down the throat as well. From what I’ve come to learn,” stroking the creature’s fur, the king calmly hushed it when it began hissing at Jungkook, “these smart little animals bury themselves within the mud alongside river banks and in marshy areas. Anywhere a dragon may choose to water itself. We believe it to be the mud coating on their thick fur which saves them from the flames and heat of the dragon’s insides.”

Jimin rubbed at his nose. “They climb up their noses?”

“And eat the dragon from the inside out. I imagine it’s not a pleasant way to die.”

Jungkook shook his massive head, releasing a spurt of steam in protest. Yoongi’s eyes had narrowed as he carefully kept an eye on the ichneumon. He was keeping Jungkook on the ground for now, though the way his fingers kept twitching against the dragon’s scales, he was prepared to send Jungkook shooting for the sky should the need present itself.

“What do you plan to do with the creature?” I swallowed hard, doing my best to keep my voice from shaking.

“This little guy is my security. Should you attempt to turn the tides, I release him on your dragon. Once the dragon is eliminated, I once again gain the upper hand.”

“You had this planned from the start.” Jimin breathed.

“Of course. What sort of a king would I be if I did not prepare for the worst in order to protect my men?” His gaze met Namjoon’s directly. He was challenging him, asking him to take the bait.

There had to be a way around this. Jungkook was with us which meant at the moment, we had the advantage. Even with King Merek’s newest surprise, we kept the upper hand. The animal could not fly. Jungkook simply had to keep to the sky and he would be fine until sunrise. Then again, there was no telling if the ichneumon would still attack Jungkook even out of his dragon form. I doubted there was much of a scent difference between his human and dragon forms. The ichneumon may not be able to tell the difference.

Jimin cursed under his breath. As an automatic response, I hit him on the back of the head. “Emelyn, we may be cornered. Sunrise is soon and there’s no guarantee that thing will leave Jungkook alone after he’s turned back. Without the option to fly away, he’s vulnerable and with the Phantom Knight gone, our kingdom simply doesn’t stand a chance against a full assault.”

He was right of course. King Merek’s army was far larger and stronger than our own. We could fight but we would not win. It was the simple truth.

“Alright, King Merek,” Namjoon said slowly, “what is it you suggest we do now? It seems to me we have come to a sudden stalemate.”

“I suggest you surrender.”

Namjoon simply shook his head with a small laugh. “I fear that is not how I run this kingdom. We do not succumb to fear quite so easily.”

“Than perhaps you will change your mind once your strongest weapon is defeated.”

I realized what he meant too late. I spun to warn Jungkook but Yoongi had already shot his arm up, sending Jungkook shooting into he sky. The king was quick however and threw the ichneumon after him. The creature gripped onto the dragon’s leg and quickly climbed its way up his body. Jungkook screamed as he folded his wings and dove for the ground. Those in the line of his decent screamed, scattering out of the way as quickly as they could. At the last second, Jungkook’s wings extended. He ran the side of his body against the ground before shooting back into the sky. The ichneumon was stunned but it held on.

Turning back toward the king, I took the sword of the knight beside him, swinging it up to rest against his neck. Every one of his knights responded by stepping forward and drawing their own swords. Jimin shouted and every one of our thirty knights present, drew their swords as well.

“Call it off.” I demanded, digging the side of the blade into the tender skin of his throat.

King Merek choked back a strangled cry as he stared with wide eyes at the blade resting against his skin. He talked big and often sent his knights out to battles he knew they would not return from, yet Taehyung’s father had never been very brave with his own life.

“I cannot. Once the ichneumon attacks, there is no calling it off. These creatures are friendly enough to humans but they are not able to be tamed. Much like that lovely dragon of yours.”

“Emelyn,” Namjoon said sternly, reaching out to grip onto the end of the sword, just below my own hand, “drop the blade.”

“No,” I hissed, “I will not back down until he calls back his pet!” I pushed the blade closer and the kings knights pressed in, each with their swords pointed for my own neck.

“Did you not hear him?” Jimin placed a hand on my shoulder which I swiftly shook off, “it’s impossible to call it off. It is up to Jungkook now whether he lives or dies.”

With an cry, I slashed the blade angrily against the kings shoulder as I brought the blade down. His white tunic quickly colored a bright red as it soaked up the blood from the wound. My eyes shot to the sky at the sound of a pained cry from Jungkook. My breath hitched as I watched him plummet toward the ground, his wings flapping helplessly as he attempted to right himself. I caught the tip of the ichneumon’s tale disappear down his snout and I screamed.

Yet just as Jungkook’s massive form hit the ground, the sun appeared over the horizon. I held my breath as I watched his body lying limply on the ground, his head thrashing uncontrollably, fighting to dislodge the unwelcome creature. Even as the sun continued to rise and the rays came to rest on him, he remained a dragon.

Spinning on Yoongi, I gripped his shoulder, shaking it hard. “Why isn’t he turning? What’s happening to him?”

Yoongi’s eyes were wide as he watched Jungkook still. “The magic from earlier is keeping him from shifting with the rise of the sun.”

“Yoongi, please, you have to do something!” Jimin wrapped his arms around me, carefully pulling me away from the frightened wizard. I struggled against him, frantically pleading with Yoongi to help Jungkook - to keep him alive. His body had gone completely still. I could only assume the worst as I went limp in my brother’s arms. Jungkook was dying and there was nothing I could do.

Yoongi’s entire body shook despite the clenched fists at his side and his best efforts to remain collected. Seokjin walked up to him then and carefully blocked Jungkook from his view. “Breathe, Yoongi. I need you to take a deep breath. Clear you head. I know you well enough to realize what is happening. You are attempting to process everything at once when you should be focusing your mind on just one problem at a time.” Grasping his brother’s hand, Seokjin brought it up to his chest. “Do you feel that? I am no physician, yet I am certain this is what they refer to as a heartbeat.”

Yoongi cracked a smile at the teasing.

“It means I am alive and I will stay that way for now.” The wizard visibly relaxed and Seokjin nodded encouragingly. “Good, now I need you to focus on the next problem. Jungkook needs help and you are the only one who has the ability to do that.”

Slowly, Yoongi nodded, the haze over his eyes clearing as he looked between Seokjin and Jungkook. “Right, I will do what I can.”

“Excellent!” Seokjin turned and gave a slight bow in Namjoon and Jimin’s direction before turning to me. “As for you, I do believe this man here is still attempting to take your kingdom by force. Leave the dragon to my brother. You have other things to concern yourself with.”

Setting my jaw, I gave a curt nod. Jimin released his hold on me when he felt I was steady on my feet. “King Merek,” I took a deep breath before squaring my shoulders and turning toward him with my head held high, “you have demolished the lands of my kingdom and put every one of my people at risk. Not only have you threatened my king but you have also nearly killed someone whom I hold very dear. As such, I refuse to stand idly by while I watch you plunder what is left of my kingdom.”

“What is someone like you to do against an entire army?” King Merek sneered.

“She is not alone.” Hoseok said, stepping forward. “She never will be so long as she continues her loyalty toward the kingdom.” As he spoke, the whole of Namjoon’s army appeared over the hill. The majority rode on horseback. Those on the ground carried not only their swords but various other weapons as well. Namjoon must have sent for them while the rest of us had been caught up in conversation. Seeing the men stand behind me gave me the courage I needed to push forward. Bringing my sword up, I directed its point to King Merek. “Surrender now, or bare the consequences.”

“Empty threats!” Merek shouted. “You speak nothing but empty promises to your people. You should be ashamed to call yourself a ruler.”

“That is where you are wrong, King Merek. I am not a ruler. I do not even belong to the royal family yet I love my people just the same. I am willing to die for their protection. Can you say the same?”

The king bristled, fighting against the rage I could see building behind his wild eyes. “You will regret ever making a stand against me, Lady Emelyn.” Raising his sword above his head, he gave the signal to attack.

I often spent my evenings training with the knights against Namjoon’s better judgement. I was not as skilled as they were, yet I was able to hold my own in a fight. I always thought myself to be prepared if ever the need arose for me to join an actual fight. However, I quickly found out just how wrong I had been. I was nowhere near prepared to fight a true battle. The smell alone of blood and sweat was nearly enough to knock me off my feet. Yet it was the sounds that surrounded me which kept me frozen on the spot. Guttural shouts and screams; cries of war as the knights charged one another; bodies hitting the ground and not returning to their feet. My vision clouded as my mind attempted to process everything happening around me. The moment I raised my own sword in defense, driving the point through the weakest point in the armor, my entire world crashed down around me. I saw myself, Taehyung and Jimin sparing with wooden swords as the knight fell to his knees. I heard myself promise to become skilled with a sword to ensure my ability to keep the people safe as I pulled the blade out of the knight’s flesh. Fresh, hot tears stung my eyes as I saw the knight take his last breath and I felt the tears of anger rush down my cheeks after Namjoon refused to let me officially train with the knights. All those years of telling myself I was ready to defend my kingdom no matter the odds had all been lies. My hands shook so badly I dropped the sword. The world seemed to slow around me as the reality set in. I had killed a man.

“Emelyn!” Someone’s voice broke through the haze which had settled around me. Raising my head, I saw Taehyung racing toward me atop a horse. No, that was my horse. I smiled in relief at seeing she had made it back down the mountain alive. She was back home. Then I saw the look on Taehyung’s face as he rode toward me, his sword drawn and his eyes wide with fear. It all seemed to be a dream as his sword clashed with one aimed for my own head. One of King Merek’s knights had appeared beside me, arms raised above his head, ready to strike me down, just as I had done to another, a few mere moments before.

Before I knew what was happening, Taehyung drove his sword into the knight, leaving it there as the man fell. Reaching down, he lifted me up to sit just in front of the saddle. He was talking to me, yet I struggled to understand his words. A sharp pain had me gripping onto my side as he urged my horse back toward the castle. Looking down, I saw my hand tainted a bright red. I was bleeding. Had I been struck with a sword? I did not remember receiving such an injury and yet the blood on my hand proved of the wound’s existence. I tried to think back yet all I could see was the face of the knight as my sword struck him down.

My vision tunneled as Taehyung leapt off the horse and carefully lifted me down with him. As he carried me towards the safety of the walls, I caught a last glimpse of Jungkook. He was unnaturally still. I could not so much as make out the movement of his breathing. Unknowingly, I walked Jungkook straight into a trap and it cost him his life. It was not just one man I killed that day. Two lives had been taken by my hand. As I allowed the comfort of the darkness to swallow me whole, I prayed for the punishment I knew I deserved. I prayed I would not return.

I woke in a disoriented haze. The sounds of battle raged all around me. Despite the world spinning, I pushed myself up, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the fog around my vision.

Shouting - so much shouting. The voices slurred together until I could no longer decipher individual words. Panicked voices responded to sharp, urgent commands. Bodies rushed past in every direction, blurred together in a crazed mess.

Stretching my neck, I was just able to see the forms of Namjoon and King Merek locked in battle together. Hoseok remained by his side, yet he remained distracted by his own foes. I scanned the sea of faces, searching for the one face I longed to see the most. The face of the one man who could mean the victory for our kingdom. I refused to believe he was gone. He was a strong warrior and Yoongi would see to it that he lived to fight another day. I had to believe it. Still, the dragon was nowhere to be seen. Though my vision remained unclear, I was sure I would be able to pick out the form a massive dragon.

Attempting to stand, I braced the palms of my hands on the ground and carefully pushed myself to my feet. My success only lasted a few moments before I crumpled back to the ground where I had been placed, just inside the castle gates.

Sudden bursts of shouting drew my attention back to the front lines, though I could not understand what I was seeing. Some were cheering while other fled for their lives. Unable to see clearly, I struggled to understand which side had gained the upper hand.

A shadow loomed over me and I looked up, only to be met with the face of a man whom I did not know. A sinister smile crept up his lips as he bore down on me. “They may believe they have gained the upper hand, but let us see how they manage with the loss of a princess.” His sword came down to meet my head and I only barely managed to roll out of the way.

Fear consumed me as I dodged his next attack. This knight - I had never seen him before which could only mean he was one of Merek’s men.

Blinking hard, I forced my eyes to focus. I needed to see the attacks to successfully avoid them. Until now, I believed it to be nothing short of luck I was still alive.

To my right, I heard Taehyung’s voice. He was nearby. A surge of hope coursed through my veins at the sudden realization I was not completely alone.

From the corner of my eyes, I spied a fallen knight. The bright purple coloring on his armor told me he was one of our own. Silently, I sent up a prayer for the fallen warrior, thanking him for his sacrifice as I rolled toward him. I unsheathed his sword and brought it up just in time to meet another strike.

Our blades clashed in a jarring blow. I felt the impact ricochet up through my arms and I nearly dropped my blade. Leaving me no time to recover, the knight pulled back for another strike. Knowing I couldn’t take another attack head on, I rolled to my feet, swaying for just a moment before managing to catch my balance. My nerves were rattled. I struggled to focus as I carefully dodged another attack. Much like the cat hunted the mice in the kitchens, the knight was toying with me, leading me back toward the thick of the fight.

That was when I heard it. A terrified cry sounded from a nearby knight. In a panic, he raced past me, his sword long forgotten. Frowning, I looked to where he had come from. What was he running from.

“Lord, protect us.” The knight advancing on me dropped his sword as well, slowly backing away.

I spun, my eyes scanning the sea of bloodshed before me. Surely, if two finely trained knights had been frightened away, the threat must be large. Yet there was nothing to be seen.

Confused, I asked what he was so afraid of. The knight did not give an answer, instead turning on his heals and racing after his comrade. I was grateful for the sudden reprieve of his attacks, though it concerned me I could not find what they had been so frightened of.

Seokjin appeared beside me, seeming to melt right from the shadows. “I do believe the tides of the battle have turned.”

“I do not-”

“Did you truly believe my brother would allow a weasel to take away the last of the dragons? Surely you must know him better by now. As odd as I find his obsession with the beasts to be, I suppose it has finally found itself useful.”

“Jungkook,” I breathed.

The knight appeared in the crowd then. No longer in dragon form, yet just as dangerous. The look in his eyes was one I did not recognize. Those wide, innocent eyes which closely resembled those of a fawn and seemed to hold the entire universe inside them, were dark and void of any compassion. He was nothing short of a warrior. The protecter my kingdom had grown to rely on and respect. His presence alone gave the enemy pause. Our own knights, after taking a moment to realize they were now fighting alongside the esteemed Phantom Knight, pressed harder against Merek’s army. We may have been smaller in numbers, but the strength Jungkook’s presence offered allowed for their bravery.

“The Phantom Knight has made his return.” Seokjin smiled fondly as Yoongi shuffled up toward us.

“Yoongi,” I said in awe, my eyes glued to the one person I though I would never see again, “you did it. You saved him.”

“Did you have any doubt I would not succeed? Did our time together on the mountain prove nothing to you?” Young sighed. “I would join the fight, though I fear I may cause more of a problem for your people than I would find myself useful. I am not one for getting my hands bloody.”

My own hands shook from the adrenaline as my gaze dropped down to stare at them. The vision of the knight falling to my own hand was still burned in my memory. A scar I knew would never heal. I would forever be tainted by the blood I spilled and the lives I’d taken.

“Hey,” Seokjin laid a gentle hand on my shoulder, “you must not dwell on what is now in the past. You must look ahead as that is the only way you can help your kingdom now. Lingering amongst the bad memories will do no good for anyone.”

“How did you-”

Yoongi shook his head, cutting me off, “Do not question it. I may have been born with magical qualities, but it was my brother who was born with the wisdom of five men. Take his advice and let us move forward into what I know will be the greatest era for the Kim kingdom.”

I knew he spoke the truth. Dwelling on the past would only cause damage which would not be so easily repaired. It was best to focus on what was in front of us. My eyes easily found Jungkook once more, his simple brown tunic standing out amongst the array of battle armor. He was standing before Namjoon, his sword at King Merek’s throat. He had done it. The king was cornered and battle was won. My kingdom was once more safe.

The morning sun shone through the small window, illuminating the room in a soft orange glow. Propelling myself up onto the counter, I snatched an apple from the basket as Nelly passed.

Before I could take a bite, she plucked the fruit from my hand. “The knights are working hard and I need every one of these apples to prepare the food.”

“I’m starving,” I whined, faking another reach for the fruit.

Nelly kept the basket carefully out of my reach, setting them down at the furthest end of the counter.

“You favor Jungkook over me,” I teased, “you wish to impress him with your cooking.”

Nelly hummed in agreement, unashamed. “At least he is polite enough to keep his fingers out of my food until it is served.”

It had been nearly a week since Jungkook stepped in as the Phantom Knight and saved the kingdom from King Merek’s attack. It was a slow process, yet the lands were slowly being recovered. Namjoon estimated more than a years work would be needed to revive what we had lost. The people were happy to return home despite the decimation however.

Namjoon assigned the knights to help wherever they could - rebuilding homes, plowing the fields or even hunting to procure food for the people’s tables. Jimin and I busied ourselves as well. Jimin spent most of his days out with the knights, helping those on the outskirts of the kingdom. His tender heart drove him to work from sunrise to sunset every day, paying special mind to the widowed mothers and the families who had lost a father to the recent battle.

Taehyung, desperate to atone for the wreckage his father had created, spent his days among the markets helping to rebuild the shops. While the current situation was less than ideal and most had little to spend, Taehyung managed to get each one of the shops he helped, back on their feet. Jimin liked to joke that Taehyung’s charms could sell a freezing man a block of ice.

Though he stayed here in the castle, I saw very little of Jungkook. He shied away from any crowd, preferring to remain where he always had been - in the distance, ready to protect. Simply because King Merek was no longer on our land did not mean his threat was gone completely. The king had promised to return and though Namjoon believed it to be an idle threat, we remained on edge. Jungkook kept to the boarders, keeping watch as our kingdom slowly began to heal.

I was not allowed outside the castle walls until I was able to heal fully myself. Yet I could not simply stand by, doing nothing. I needed to keep myself busy so I placed myself wherever there seemed to be the most work to be done. Some days were spent in the heat of the kitchen with Nelly, helping to prepare a weeks worth of meals for a young widow’s three children, allowing the family to focus on more important things. Other days I did not leave the throne room which had quickly become a temporary ward for the sick and injured. The damage, not only to the land but to the people as well was sickening and though they were slowly healing, there was still a long journey ahead of us before our lives would ever resemble anything normal.

The past week had not been easy to conquer. With every wound I tended, I hoped to atone for the life I had taken. Yet no matter how many men were cared for and sent back to their families, the guilt continued to weigh heavily upon my shoulders. Wherever I went, whatever I did, the man’s face remained seared into my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him there.

“Milady,”

Shaking my head, I turned to find Nelly watching me with concern.

“Milady, are you alright? You seem a bit dazed.”

“I’m sorry, Nelly,” jumping down off the counter, I gave her tight-lipped smile, “do excuse me for a moment. I will return shortly.”

“Perhaps you should take a rest, Lady Emelyn. It is not ideal for anyone to lack so much sleep.”

I kept quiet as I left the kitchen and padded down the deserted hall. She was right of course. I had not gotten much sleep this past week. I could hardly close my eyes without becoming short of breath. My body pleaded with me to sleep but my mind would not allow it. Too frightened to tell anyone aside from Nelly of my struggle, I had let it go on unchecked. My people needed the attention far more than I did at the moment. My own problems could wait.

Deciding I needed a bit of fresh air, I wandered out into the gardens. Nelly had done a wonderful job of preserving its beauty while I was away. The flowers were all in full bloom, offering a soft glow of light with the help of the sun overhead.

With a sigh, I sank down onto the stone bench, attempting to keep my mind from racing to quickly. All I wanted was a moments peace, yet even that seemed so far from reach.

“Do you think it wise to be out here on your own?”

I was not surprised to see Jungkook appear from around the corner.

“Are you following me now?” I teased lightly, tilting my head back against the rays of the sun, taking the risk to close my eyes for a moment. “I do believe that is considered an act of treason against the royal family.”

“I am only here to keep you safe.”

“It is not I who needs your protection now but my people.”

“They are safe.” He assured me, coming to stand next to the bench.

Patting the seat beside me, I requested he sit for a while as well. “We would not be here if not for you. Thank you.”

“I have only done what I was meant to do.”

No longer able to keep my eyes closed while keeping the images at bay, I brought my head down and smiled lightly at the sight of his stiff posture. My heart raced at the close proximity yet I chose to ignore it, simply enjoying the peace of the moment. I felt safe with him by my side. As if I could conquer the entire world as long as he remained with me. It was a foolish thought, but a comfort nonetheless.

“You appear to be exhausted, Milady. Perhaps you should rest your head for a short while.”

I shook my head lightly. “I am fine. I will be needed in the throne room again soon. One of the knights needs the dressing changed on his wounds.”

“You have not been sleeping.”

I started at the sudden statement, unsure of how he knew. Had Nelly said something to him?

“It is clear you are exhausted. One does not need to be a physician to understand the signs.”

Swallowing hard, I blinked back the tears which threatened to spill. “I can not sleep,” my voice was small, hardly more than a whisper and yet Jungkook caught the words easily, “for every time I try, I am swept into a nightmare I can not escape.”

Reaching over, he took my hand in his, locking our fingers together. He did not rush me to speak, nor asked me to elaborate. Having faced unspeakable horrors himself, he knew the greatest thing to offer was a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on. No words were needed to understand the pain he knew all too well. That day on the battle field, Yoongi had been forced to rid Jungkook of his dragon completely in order to save him. Though it had been the plan all along, Jungkook was still adjusting to his new life as a mortal knight. I saw the insecurities in the way he walked and interacted with others, as if he were trying to put up a shield which was no longer there. He felt vulnerable and weak, that much was certain.

“I hear Yoongi and Seokjin are returning to the mountain.”

I was grateful for the change in subject. Smiling lightly, I nodded. “I had a feeling they would not remain here for long. Yoongi does not seem to enjoy the crowds which continuously appear wherever he goes.”

“The people are fascinated by his abilities. It is no wonder why they seek him out.” Pausing briefly, a frown creased his brow. “Yoongi has offered for me to join them.”

I froze, my hold on his hand tightening briefly. “Will you?”

“I do not know. King Namjoon and Prince Jimin have also offered me a place among the knights. A formal acceptance into the king’s guard should I choose to take it.”

I swallowed hard, attempting to keep my voice steady. “What do you feel is right?”

He breathed a nervous laugh. “I was hoping you might tell me the answer to that question.”

“Jungkook, I can not tell you what is right or wrong when it pertains to your own life. This is a decision you must make.”

I knew he did not enjoy being at the castle. Having spent his entire life secluded from other people, he was not used to the wide-eyed gazes and awed whispers as he passed by the people. The prying eyes made him uncomfortable and I would not blame him for choosing to return with the brothers. Yoongi adored him and I knew he would be well looked after for the first time in a long while. So why did he hesitate? Was it because he wished to continue his protection over the kingdom? Did he still feel as though he owed the kingdom his service?

“You have done my kingdom a great service,” I sighed contentedly as my head came to rest on his shoulder, “we owe you a great deal of debt and gratitude.”

He tensed for only a moment before he relaxed fully, drawing me in closer to wrap a protective arm around my side.

“I will stand by you, no matter your decision. Of that you can be certain.”

Leaning down, he planted a featherlight kiss upon my forehead. For the first time that week, as my eyes drifted shut, the nightmares remained at bay.

To no surprise, Jungkook chose to return with Yoongi and Seokjin. Though he hastily offered his services should we ever need him. The need seemed unlikely as our greatest threat had been eliminated. A mutiny broke out among King Merek’s people. The king was overthrown and Taehyung had stepped up to take his place. With the lingering danger gone, my kingdom could rest easy, even without the Phantom Knight at our side.

Yoongi was relieved to finally be returning to his mountain, escaping the curious eyes of the people here. Seokjin on the other hand, appeared to be a bit more reluctant. He had managed to charm his way into Nelly’s heart and the two had been nearly inseparable for past several days. With promises to return often, Seokjin eventually joined his brother on horseback, prepared for the long journey back home.

Jungkook lingered a moment longer, hesitating as he stood beside his own horse.

I took the opportunity to step up beside him, my hands clasped behind my back with a playful grin on my lips. “You will return won’t you? I am not sure I could bear to have my knight stay so far from me.”

“Perhaps,” he smirked, “should there be a viable reason for me to make the journey.”

“I could think of one.” Emboldened by the playful banter, I rose up on my toes to capture his lips in a swift kiss.

His eyes were wide as I sank back down, rocking gently on the balls of my feet. After a moment, his shocked expression was replaced with one which stole the breath from my lungs. Leaning forward, he placed his lips next to my ear, sending delightful shivers through my body. “I would return every hour if you so wished it.” Pulling back only slightly, he raised his head and placed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “This will not be the last you see of me, Milady. For you, I will always return.”

He was on his horse then, riding fast to catch up with Yoongi and Seokjin. I watched him go, my fingers reaching up to trace the lingering sensation of his lips on my skin.

“It looks to me like you have made quite the friend.” Jimin’s laughter was barely concealed behind his words.

Rolling my eyes, I tore my gaze from Jungkook’s disappearing form. “Do you ever keep your nose out of other’s business?”

“Not when the business looks like that,” he wiggled his brows suggestively, “so when does our dear knight plan to return.”

“I assure you, I haven’t the faintest idea.” A warm smile painted itself across my lips.

“The king wishes to see you in the dining hall,” Jimin bumped my shoulder with his own, “Taehyung will be arriving soon with plans for a new treaty between the kingdoms. The king wishes to review these plans with you before he arrives.”

“Thank you, Jimin.” With a small sigh, I turned once more to look out to where the three of them had long since disappeared.

“Hey,” Jimin looped an arm across my shoulders, directing me back toward the castle, “you’ll see them again. Judging by the look on his face after you kissed him, you may see the knight sooner than you think.”

“Jimin!” I protested, jabbing my elbow into his side.

Giggling he dodged the next attack. With a squeal, he raced up toward the castle gates with me close behind.

What I spoke earlier was the truth. I did not know when Jungkook would return, yet I knew he would. Just as he always had, the knight would return when the kingdom needed him and I would be here waiting when he did.

#The Phantom Knight #bangtanfairygarden #bangtanarmynet #bangtanscenery #jungkook fanfic #bts jungkook au #medieval!jungkook au #jungkook au #jungkook angst #bts au fanfic #bts fanfction #bts fic #bts fluff #jungkook fluff

32 notes · View notes

thiswasinevitableid · 4 years

Note

I have a suggestion for the Meet Ugly Prompts! Can you do 36, Sternclay, NSFW? Thanks so much! :)

Here you go!

36. it’s mid-apocalypse and you break into my secret shelter and I swear I’ll kill you if you don’t give me three damn good reasons why I shouldn’t

Barclay is running out of daylight. It was worth it, he found two flocks of survivors, waited with them until Ned was able to get the car down and pick them up (the Lincoln is remarkably immune to hoards of undead/possessed humans). They’d told him there was another group further East, that they’d passed them the evening before and tried to link up for greater safety. So Barclay took his chances, just like everyone does these days, and gone to find them.

He’s found them; eight people, all prone on the ground, all with white ooze seeping from their mouths and the wounds on their bodies. Too late. He’s almost immune to being too late. Almost.

It’s not worth trying to dispatch all of them, he’ll lose what time he has left to find shelter if he does. He turns into the woods, trying to remember if he can make it to the cave up the rock-face or if he’ll be spending the night on the move.

His Sylph sense of smells picks up something human and he pauses, tilts his head and listens for footsteps. What he gets is the crunch of leaf litter behind him, from the clearing where he found the newly minted undead.

Maybe the person nearby has shelter. Maybe they’re vulnerable and need help.

Cautiously, he takes off his bracelet, and the scent becomes much stronger. He follows it, finds its source at a log. Kneeling down, he feels along the ground and finds metal beneath a full foot of dirt and leaves.

The sun goes down, and he shoves the log, sliding the hidden door open enough to drop down into the darkness and slide the door shut over him. A human couldn't manage the weight, but a Bigfoot certainly can.

Once in the holding room, he keeps the bracelet off long enough to spot a door to his right. He turns human, considers his options, and then politely knocks on the solid metal. No answer, but not moaning voices either.

He could probably manage the night in this holding area. But just to be safe…

He pulls out one of the last things they got from Heathcliffe prior to blowing the gate closed (for now. He hopes) to at least foil part of Reconciliation’s plan. A universal lock pick. Holding it against the metal, gears whir and tumblers fall until the door swings open. He steps through into a well lit bunker and is immediately greeted by the barrel of a handgun.

“Shut the door.”

Barclay shuts the door, keeps his hands up in surrender.

“Give me three good reasons why I shouldn’t shoot you.” The man, tall and lean and clearly comfortable with the weapon in his hand stares him down with steel in his blue eyes.

“I, uh, I’m on a rescue team, see?” He indicates the torn red patch on his jacket, the one volunteer rescuers got when this all went down.

“How do I know you didn’t steal that from someone who was?”

“Why the fuck would I do that?”

“I’ve run across no fewer than three groups of people claiming to be ‘helpers’ or to offer shelter who then, on all three occasions, tried to kill and eat me.”

“What the fuck, there’s still plenty of food places?”

A huff, “you seem genuinely indignant, so fine; one reason. You need two more.”

“I, I honestly didn’t know if anyone was down here, I just came down because it got dark. There was a party I, uh,” he swallows, ashamed, “I didn’t get to in time. They’re infected now and I didn’t want to get bit.”

“Shit, they’re close and you opened the main door?”

“And closed it!” Barclay says hurriedly, “but if they or anything else does get in, I swear I’ll help you. And I’m damn good in a fight.”

“One reason left.”

“I, I, uh, I’m a good cook?”

“How does that help us in this situation?”

“You still gotta eat, right?”

His walky talky crackles with Mama’s voice, “Barclay, you somewhere safe? Over.”

He doesn’t move.

“Bud, if you’re in trouble gimme your best guess at coordinates and I’ll come. Over.”

“Reason number four: if you kill me, you’ll be dealing with her, and I cannot stress how terrifying she is when someone she loves is hurt.”

The man hesitates, then lowers the gun, nodding. Barclay picks up the walky-talky.

“Found a bunker, staying the night, over and out.”

“Come on, then.” The man waves for Barclay to follow him into the main room, “but if you try anything, know I’m not a man of empty threats.”

“Clearly.” Barclay mutters, taking in the bunker; it’s well supplied, like a miniature house, and if one did not know what was going on outside, it would seem cozy. No longer with terror tunnel vision, he gets a better look at his reluctant host. Short, black hair that’s been combed back, sharp cheekbones and a clean-shaven, handsome face. He’s almost Barclay’s height, which is novel.

“So, uh, how’d you get such a sweet hiding spot?”

“I am, or was, an FBI agent. I knew where many of the apocalypse fallout shelters were, and was lucky enough to be near one when this all started. I was en route to a town called Kepler.”

“No shit.” Barclay sits down at the tiny kitchen table, “that’s where I’m from. Where we’ve been running the rescue missions out of.”

“I’ll admit I’m not up on how things are going outside. I lost contact with my superiors three days into the epidemic. They were my last tie to what was happening. As I said, the last times I went out to search for others, to try and help if I could, other people posed an issue.” He sighs, sits down across from Barclay, “I guess it’s nice knowing I rid the coming world of three groups of people who would eat others for fun.”

The implications of that statement take a moment to sink in and Barclay is torn between feeling sorry for how frightened the man must have been and understanding just how close he was to dying a few minutes ago.

“I’m sorry you’ve had such shit luck. Maybe the nice digs balance it out?”

A polite laugh, “they do. I was worried at first about getting lonely, but that’s not all that different from how my work life used to be. Most people don’t want to pal around with a man in black on a mission.”

“That does explain the suit.” Barclay points to the slacks and dress shirt the man is wearing and the jacket hung over a nearby chair.

The man blushes, “I, uh, I’ve only had my work clothes, most of which were suits. Plus, they make me feel a bit more like...well, like myself I guess. That’s always been my fear of apocalyptic scenarios; that’d I’d stop being me and become some faceless creature bent on survival.”

Barclay shudders, “yeah, I get that.”

A hand extends, blue eyes taking on a bit of warmth, “I’m Joseph. Joseph Stern.”

“Barclay.” Barclay shakes his hand, noting the way Joseph inhales sharply at the touch.

“Are you hungry? The food in here is about what you’d expect, but it’s still food.”

“Here, lemme see what I can do.”

Joseph shows him the shelves of canned food, instant ramen, and MREs, and Barclay sets to work in the weird little kitchen. The bunker must have a generator running of some non-electrical source of power, because he’s able to get a hotplate working. Cooking soothes him, a familiar rhythm in an alien space. Joseph sits nearby, sometimes talking with him and sometimes inventorying his supplies. It’s been awhile since he spoke this easily with someone; he loves his friends, but they can talk over him very easily.

When he presents the two bowls, Joseph’s face lights up.

“This, this looks amazing! How did you do this from all that? Wait, is that Spam?”

“Yep.” Barclay twirls some ramen on his fork, “adds a hell of a lot of salt and it’s actually pretty nice deep fried.”

Joseph takes a bite and moans, “lord, I’ve missed food. Er” he clears his throat, “that came out wrong.”

“Bit of a foodie are we?” Barclay teases, bumping Joseph’s shin with his toe.

“Yes, actually. I traveled a lot for work, and food is a great way to get to know a place. Plus, people always talk easier in restaurants, so it’s an excellent way to do recon.”

“What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever eaten?”

“Hmmmmmm. Is it tacky to say foie gras fries I had once?”

“No and holy shit that sounds good.”

“Oh, it was. I do love a good fried rice though; like, the kind you get from some hole in the wall place that just sells every kind of Asian cuisine mushed together.”

“Mmm, I haven’t made fried rice in awhile. Maybe I should do that when I get back.”

“Oh, right. How far is-”

The walky talky squeaks and Barclay grabs it in a flash.

“Mama, that you? Over.”

“Yep, it’s me. Indrid got a word to Aubrey through the ol’ third eye and says to stay indoors all through tomorrow and into the next day. Gonna rain buckets, make the roads rough for anyone who’s human but not that dangerous for an oozer. You feel me? Over.”

“Copy that. I’ll stay put here. Over.”

“We’ll let you know when it’s clear. Over and out.”

“Looks like I’m staying here a little longer.”

“That’s absolutely fine. Did she say third eye?”

“Uh, hey, you wanna grab dessert? I saw some Twinkies on those shelves and haven’t had them in ages.”

Joseph raises his eyebrow in a way that indicates he knows exactly what Barclay is doing, but follows him all the same. They spend the evening eating baked goods of dubious quality and talking on the couch. At some point Barclay adjusts, bumping against Joseph, but rather than pull away the agent just lays his legs across his lap. When the time comes to sleep, Joseph shows him to a bedroom behind yet another heavily fortified door.

“This is kinda…”

‘Grim? I agree.” They stand between the two small beds in the grey room, the lamp buzzing above them. Joseph’s is on the right, somehow more tidily made than the one that hasn’t been touched.

“We could, um, push them together. If that’s something you’re comfortable with. Might feel less like a prison and be warmer too.”

“Works for me.” Barclay pushes his bed away from the wall. Were it safe to do so, he’d show off, by lifting it over his head. He bets Joseph would like that.

Barclay waits until Joseph is changing into pajamas to strip down to his boxers and slide under the covers, not wanting to presume his comfort with Barclay’s mostly naked body. Judging by the appreciative look he gets when Joseph lifts the covers and stares, he didn’t need to be so concerned.

“Y’know, you can just ask for a hug.” He chuckles when he notices Joseph hesitantly inching closer.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortableAH.” He laughs as Barclay pulls him into a hug, smoothing his hands along his soft pajamas.

“Ohhhh” the sigh is soft, chaste, but still dripping with want, “this feels nice.” His fingers trail up and down Barclay’s chest.

“Mmm, but we both gotta rest up. Been a long day. Get some sleep, agent.”

Ever since the Reconciliation-generated illness broke the perimeter, the other Lodge residents have had trouble sleeping. Barclay’s gotten into the habit of kissing their foreheads; for his kind on Sylvain, it was always a gesture of protection. So when he kisses the top of Joseph’s head, it’s purely out of habit.

Joseph just sighs again and murmurs, “goodnight, Barclay.”

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

He wakes up before Joseph, gives him a much more deliberate kiss on the cheek and heads out into the main bunker. Makes coffee and a simple breakfast, revels in the delight on Joseph’s face when he walks out and sees the meal waiting for him.

They play cards after breakfast, Joseph better at BlackJack and Barclay better at poker. Try their hands at a chess match, though Barclay is rusty (but more than happy to let a handsome guy show off for him). Joseph digs out what books are available, so they can read now and then. But mostly, they just talk. Joseph talks about his work, about his interest in the paranormal. Barclay talks about the Lodge, his friends, offers a carefully edited series of stories from his traveling days.

They’re laid out on the couch, Barclay functionally spooning the smaller man as they read. He doesn’t notice he’s running his hand up and down his side until Joseph moans.

“Will, um, will you keep doing that? I, it’s been awhile since I’ve been touched like that. But, um, more to the point, I like it when you touch me. So, please?”

“Course.” Barclay grins, sets his book down so he can loop his other arm under Joseph’s head. He slows his strokes, takes time to savor the muscle he feels under the dress shirt. Even in his human form, he can smell that the agent is aroused. Then again, the fact he’s twitching his hips is kind of a give away.

Barclay rumbles out a laugh, leans forward and nuzzles the back of his neck, kissing it when Joseph gasps.

“Barclay, will you--that is, I want, unnnnfhcuck” He moans when Barclay gently nips the base of his neck, trailing little lovebites all over his throat.

“What is it babe? What do you want?” Barclay bites his ear just as he’s trying to answer, causing another whimper in place of a reply.

“Oh fuck you.” Joseph snickers, turning his head to kiss him, the awkward angle doing nothing to dampen the hunger in it.

“Can if you want to.”

“Good lord yes” Both Joseph’s hands find his arm, clinging to him as he wiggles his ass backwards to grind against him. Barclay’s cock eagerly responds, and Joseph groans, excited, “oh yes I like that very much.”

“Not sure you’re ready for that yet, babe. Much as I like the idea of cumming in you until you’re fucking dripping, rather be on the safe side and use a condom the first time I fuck you into the ground.”

“Figures that’s one of the things I haven’t found in this place.” Joseph grumbles as Barclay unbuttons his slacks.

“Think I got something you’ll like just as well.”

“Okay, oh, ohOkay.” Joseph tips inelegantly backwards as Barclay yanks off his pants and underwear. Barclay growls, hooks his legs over his shoulders and dives forward.

“FUCK” Joseph grips his head, pulling him closer as he laps at him, “ohlord, oh thank you, fuck.”

Barclay growls, does it again when the noise makes the agent tense and moan. Chuckles with each new sound of pleasure, drinking them in as he relishes Joseph filling his senses.

“Fuck, shit, Barclay you’re going positively wild and I love itGAHhhnnnyes.” Slick coats Barclay’s bear as he drags his face up so he can suck Joseph’s dick. God almighty does he want to be inside him, want to make him scream as he fucks him open in both forms, want to watch his body bounce and strain to take his Sylph form while those blue eyes go teary with pleasure.

He cups Joseph’s ass with both hands, pressing him as hard against him as he can manage, his focus stripped down to doing whatever it takes to make him cum.

“Fuck, fuck, Barclay, ohlordohfuckme, like that, please just like that.” His ass tenses under his hands and Barclay flicks his tongue out one last time as he cums, panting and still pleading for more.

Taking care not to actually hurt him, Barclay hauls Joseph so he’s laying on the couch before pouncing on him, kissing him until he’s gasping, growling and rumbling praise as Joseph manages to get his jeans open.

“That’s it babe, jack me off, lemme cum all over you, oh fucking-A that’s good.”

Joseph moans a little at the compliment, then smirks, “you have a thing for marking me, big guy?”

“Fuck yeah I do.” Barclay sinks his teeth into his shoulder, nearly howls when that makes Joseph speed up.

The agent swiftly undoes the buttons on his dress shirt, running his hands across his chest as he grins teasingly up at Barclay, “you want to cum on this, want me to let you make a mess of me?”

“Uhhuh, fuck, Joseph, you’re all mine babe, all mine.” He drops down to kiss him, pumping his hips so his cock fuck’s Joseph’s fist over and over again. He’s growling uncontrollably, kisses turning messy feral as he licks and nips at the human’s lips and neck.

When he cums he buries the sound against Joseph’s throat, praying he can’t notice how non-human it is. Glancing down gives him a perfect look at the last of his cum dripping onto the agent’s stomach, and he whines, low and animal, with affectionate want.

“That, that was, ha” Joseph kisses his cheek, “good lord I can’t remember the last time a hook up felt that good.”

“Glad you liked it.” Barclay smiles at him, kisses his nose.

“I did. I like you too, Barclay. So much.”

The come down on the couch together, cuddled up and trading innocent kisses between whispers of affection.

As they’re cleaning up, Barclay picks up the walky-talky, intending to call Mama for an update, “y’know, I meant to ask last night; what were you going to Kepler for?”

“My work with the UP. I was investigating a string of disappearances tied to Bigfoot.”

Barclay drops the device.

“I know, it sounds silly in the face of what happened next.”

“Uh huh, right, I mean, it’s good to have a goal-”

“Barclay, this is Mama, we got the all clear to pick you up. Over.”

Joseph looks at the radio, visibly sad but clearly resolve to the fact Barclay will leave him.

He could do just that. Leave him here to keep fending for himself. Pretend this never happened. Pretend he doesn’t matter.

Keeping an eye on Joseph, he gives Mama the nearest spot on the road to pick him up.

“And, uh, Mama? Tell Ned he’ll be picking up two people. I found someone I can’t bear to leave behind. Over.” He holds out his hand. Joseph looks at it, then around the room, then at his face.

Then he smiles, and takes his hand.

Barclay knows they’ll be explaining to do down the road. Bu right now, that doesn’t scare him. Right now, Joseph’s hand is in his, and that’s all that matters.

#meet ugly #Sternclay #agent stern/barclay #prompt fills

28 notes · View notes