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#Thing stays behind to guard the camp but falls asleep every time
cupophrogs · 2 months
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Was Pops much help in Home Sweet Home? I can imagine he was really helpful with the puzzles. Also did noodle father tend to your wound from the train wreck?
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“I can do blood, but 1. It was my leg, and 2. I could see my muscles flexing whenever I moved. It’s a damn miracle the adrenaline let me go as long as It did - still is, rather. I still have no idea how I managed to carry DD’s ass while running! Pops and DD both are forcing me on bed rest until I stop limping. Cunts, the both of them!(/lh/j)” (Language, Cherub.)
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bg3galore · 4 months
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Sleeping headcanons
Wyll
-Will hum you a soft tune and rub shapes into your back, while you're settling down for the night.
-Would definitely tell you stories of his life growing up and about his dreams for the future, while you listen closely to his breathing; until you fall asleep.
-Always kisses your forehead before falling asleep.
-Chuckles softly to himself every time you fall asleep before him and will take it as an opportunity to watch your sweet face sleeping; wondering if you're dreaming and what about.
Karlach
-Is a loud snorer and a very deep sleeper
-The perfect cuddler, especially for a harsh winter night; that infernal engine will actually be put to a good cause- comforting the two of you from the prickle of ice, snow and cold alike.
-During the summer, she tends to smother you a bit so you have to squirm your way out of her hold a few times if you're to get any rest at all
-Gets particularly soft and vulnerable when you tuck her hair behind her ears and tell her every little thing you love about her; it makes her feel like her engine is going to combust on site- but in the best way possible.
Shadowheart
-Plays with your hair and enjoys it when you do too
-She always prays right before and right after sleeping and always mentions you in her prayers; she wants you to be safe and healthy forever and always.
-On rare nights that she does have a nightmare (not doubt featuring wolves) she'll reluctantly wake you up and want you to spoon her and comfort her tenderly with words or reassurance; she knows it's silly that they are just wild dogs with no table manners but they terrify her to her core.
-She takes a couple of hours to fall asleep, so in the meantime she likes to read, meditate and admire every inch of you while you sleep or chill in your shared bedroll; it reminds her how lucky and blessed she is everyday.
Gale
-Snores mildly on nights his orb is particularly vexing but will still insist on you cuddling up together; he will apologise for all the trouble he knows he causes although he knows he can't control his situation or habits.
-You have a nightly ritual where you'll lay adjacent to each other and get lost in each others eyes, which tends to lead Gale to slowly getting flustered and eventually crumbling and being very keen for some sleep- he can't control his love or actions in relation to you very well so having you looking at him like that really switches something in him.
-If you ever have trouble falling or staying asleep he'll cast a sleep spell on you to make sure you will get your well deserved rest, and watch over you for a little while just in case something should happen or change.
-On nights where he struggles to sleep and you have long been taken ahold by sleep, he'll wonder off to a quiet place on the other side of camp and quietly play with his magic.
Lae'zel
-She's the type to kick and move around a lot in her sleep, maybe even growl- although she has no memory or idea about it; she would be too proud to admit it willingly anyways.
-Very light sleeper, from as early as she can remember she never wants to give any potential enemies the upper hand so she applies this too to her sleep- she will be the one with a blade to their throat.
-Initially she's not a huge fan of the cuddling idea but once you've been together for a while she starts warming up to the idea of it, and will try it once everyone is asleep; she's full of a soft joy and ever so slightly god forbid drops her guard.
-Falls asleep very easily despite her guard being up so much, she has a lot of pent up rage, anxiety and just general exhaustion so this wears a toll on her body taking her completely out before you even realize it.
Astarion
-Is prone to frequent nightmares/reliving his past with the Szarr household, which causes him to jolt awake and sometimes cry or scream.
-Otherwise he's a quiet sleeper and a wonderful cuddler, he always wakes up in the same position he fell asleep in.
-His favorite sleeping position is to have his head directly on your chest so he can listen to your heartbeat, he finds it incredibly comforting and reassures him that he's not alone and won't ever have to be again- not at night, not in the day and certainly not against his demons.
-Takes a minimum of 4 hours to fall asleep especially if he's left alone with his thoughts; they eat at him with anxiety and doubt- so he tends to get to bed much earlier than everyone else in camp.
Halsin
-Only tends to snore if he's been in wild shape for too long
-Wonderful big spoon, also loves to hold you against his chest while you lay by the camp fire and watch the stars and reminisce on stories long past.
-Like Astarion he relives/has nightmares about some of his traumatic experiences from his youth but he's much more discreet about it and will do his best not to wake you up; and instead will go for a brief walk to clear his head and take in the scent of nature and all its bounties.
-Adores it when you nuzzle your face into his neck and will absolutely make you lay completely all over him so he can be closer to you; unless it embarrasses you of course.
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wildfire317s-oc-box · 10 months
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Demon slayer R.P Starter: Yukio
*Somewhere in the darkest parts of the forest, at some point about an hour or two after sundown Yukio was hidden, crouched like a tiger amongst the thick wild grasses and a few bushes, laying in wait for his latest hunt to fall asleep and for the one human who was sitting with his back to him to be the one left on guard for his moment to strike. Yukio had been tracking this group of escaped rapists and other perverts for a week now but every time he caught up to them after sleeping until sundown something would always go wrong and they would leave their camp before he get there which usually left him with less than an hour before sunrise for him to find or make somewhere to hide. But due to being able to stay right on their heels thanks to the trees and some damn near surgically precise timing on his part he managed to injure one of them in the leg just enough to heavily impede their traveling earlier that morning, though the scent of freshly spilled blood sent him into a feeding frenzy and nearly drove him to jumping into sunlight for just a taste. There were nine of them excluding a hostage they had taken at some-point when he had passed out for a bit (whom he was planning on letting go), just barely enough to make this hunt worth it and he knew for a fact that all but the one he was waiting on taking guard; snored once they were soundly asleep and what order they went in. He wouldn't have to wait to very long now especially since they had been drinking quite a bit... His tail quietly swished back and forth, As he waited to pounce he could feel himself starting to uncontrollably drool with hunger and could feel himself getting desperate and growing more impatient by the second..."maaan im starving... i wanna eat already...mmm they smell delicious and look so easy to scare heheh im gonna enjoy devouring them" he thought to himself with a hungry grin. He gnawed on one of his hands to prevent his hyena-like giggles from sneaking past his lips, but couldn't do much to stop his stomach from growling loudly or prevent his secondary mouth from gnashing its shark-like teeth with vicious hunger. He would make short work of them, with how hungry he was he knew there would be nothing more than their torn, slobber drenched clothing left once he was through with them and he would certainly have to go track down more prey to feel full, maybe even go on another raid.*
This is where you find him:
Humans (and others that don't eat humans): *as you are walking along a path, you happen to notice a group of rather drunk looking men camping around a small fire in a small clearing deeper into the trees and behind one of the sleeping men you think that for a moment you see what look like the large, light refracting eyes of some kind of predator looking at them. It could be a demon, it could be an animal but either way whatever it is looks hungry and you may want to warn them before it decides to make them it's next meal*
Humans (and others that dont eat human's) 2: *you had been taken hostage while the demon hiding behind one of your captors was napping earlier that day. You noticed him following the group not long after you had gotten taken, but had yet to say anything about him. You wondered if he knew you were a hostage or if he even cared. They were planning to do bad things to you before they left to keep moving and left you for dead in the middle of the woods for scavengers and it wasn't like you could escape since they hog-tied you. You were surprised the one on guard didn't hear him with how loud his growling stomach and gnashing fangs were, but they were all pretty drunk...and they were probably louder to you as you seemed to be the only one aware of them.*
Demons (and others that do eat humans): *as you are going about your nightly business you happen to find a group of human men camping around a fire in the forest. They were drunk enough that you could faintly smell the alcohol coming off of them. And from the looks of it you aren't the only one who may be eyeing these humans for a decently sized next meal. You get the sense that whoever that demon in the bushes is they are strong enough to rival most of the kizuki. They seemed to be waiting for something before attacking...maybe they spotted you and are waiting for you to make your move so they can see what you will do.*
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soft-boi-eli · 3 years
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Hello Hello!
I just wanted to say I love your fics!
ALSO!
Could I request a CC!SBI X Gn! Insomniac Reader! Where the reader is an insomniac (Obviously-) but is somehow a pro at MC!
Like they are basically god at the game! They also REALLY enjoy horror games! They don’t get scared easily and LOVE horror movies! They basically love anything horror/creepy-
ANYWAYS!!
The reader lives off of ramen and Monster energy drinks (For fun-)! They have a Twitch (Which has about 18 mil followers and 14 mil subs!) and a YouTube channel (Which has 20 mil followers!)
They mainly play horror games (Obviously-) and MC!
You can do headcanons or scenarios/images with the SBI! Maybe like playing a horror game together or MC? OR! Maybe some things they do together? Or when they meet up? Or-to many ideas Nightmare-
ANYWAYS!
I don’t really care! And don’t worry about taking too long on it!
ALSO!
Maybe we could be friends? Only if you want too!
Remember to eat, drink, and get enough sleep!
<3
Yes. I lovesthese ideas and I'm gonna choose headcannons due to they are a bit easierfor me to write.
And yes I'm perfectly fine with being your friend! I'm actually happy to make friends on this app so yeah!
Pronouns:nonbinary
Tw: cussing. Insomia, mentions of horror movies. Mention of horror games. Fluff.
SBI with a horror streamer friend head cannons.
*Ahem* tommy wanted to paly a game with you so you choose a game that didn't look like horror until the middle. He screamed at the jump scare and it made both of your chats so happy.
When phil decides to play with you there is literally a silence after a jump scare. Everyone thought he had a heart attack and honestly so did you until he spoke up about accidently hitting his mute button when he jumped.
Wilbur. He's a bit better then tommy but more scared then phil would be. Any little noise won't get him but when it starts to get noticeable the noiseless to him. The jump scare, he'd fall out of his seat and stay on the ground for a bit. You ask if he's good and he literally doesn't answer. He's dead. You killed him. Congrats.
Techno. He'd handle them a bit better then everyone else. Not as good as you but heisnt very paranoid. He literally runs at the noises trying to get jumpscared. While you run after him telling him to stop because if he doesn't then you'd lose and die. And technoblade never dies.
If you all play together both tommy and wilbur pussy out. Techno last the longest and phil the second longest. While you remain the ruler of horror games.
Now how you all met was dream invited you to the dream smp to add to the chaos. Needless to say it got extremely chaotic due to you being on almost 24 hours. You first ran into techno. He seemed confused and skeptical.
You both found eachothers love for potatoes. You set up camp quote close to techno but not too close.
Phil popped in when he needed something for a build and noticed a new name. Talked to you in chat and asked to join your VC. You both found each other talking for a bit.
Wilbur was next. Wilbur got curious over the new person and just hoppedinto the same VC as you techno and phil. He was quick to realize that you were a famous youtuber. Mainly for your horror videos and your extreme Parkcore skills.
In minecraft that is.
Tommy noticing that all of you were in the same VC joined in with shouting. He was low key jealous that everyone was obsessed with you. Then he saw why.
You literally cracked jokes at his shouting.
"Is that an angry pomeranian? Nah nah. It's an angry child. Even better an angry blonde!" - you.
He was shocked and immediately started joking and laughing with you. He wasn't fully angry for long.
Now about your diet. When they heard that you had only eaten ramen and drank angry drinks they were concerned. You lived quite close to techno so when you guys met up he was shocked that you looked as healthy as you did.
He hated the fact that you literally didn't eat anything else.
You told him occasionally you have something other then ramen but you were just too lazy to really cook anything and that you didn't feel like burning the house down.
One month phil, tommy, wilbur, and techno decided to organize a month long sleep over so that they could celebrate your birthday. Phil being quote the father figure cooked different, but easy dinners every night just so you didn't eat only ramen that day.
When they actually arrived though you got a text from Phil asking about your address in your dms. Not think much of it you just sent him your location.
You were going to take a small nap. Just to bost your energy before you went and streamed later that night.
As you were sleeping there was a car heading to your house.
Phil, wilbur, tommy, and techno were all just existing in the car. And when they arrived to your house they didn't expect to actually see a clean house.
You woke to a loud knock.
When you opened the door in your half dazed state you expected a package. But to see four people standing on your porch.
You nearly jumped out of your skin.
You were stuck there blinking at them.
Finally snapping out of it you let them in. Confused on why in the ever loving fuck they were here.
Phil explained they were here to celebrate your 21st birthday and they were here for a month.
You stared at them for a while. Confused on what to do since you haven't had people over in almost 2 years.
But you got use to it.
So when you got done streaming and smelled something other then ramen you were thrown off guard. Like what was that. I haven't smelled that in years.
But after the second day you got use to it too.
For your birthday phil literally made a feast.
Like he found your favorite food other then ramen and cooked it. With that he prepared everything you could dream of.
Your sleeping habits. Let's dig into those.
I'm in no place to talk as right now it's 3:05 in the morning. And here I am.
But when they are over they don't let you stay up till no 3-4 in the morning. They all know the importance of sleep.
But there are those nights where no once can sleep and it results in a late night stream. And streaming for hours none the less.
The amount of accidental all nighters everyone has pulled was immense. But that's what happens with jet lag, adhd, and insomnia.
Literally you get tired randomly. Sleep for only 3 hours. Wake up. Drink coffee, energy drinks, highly caffeinated tea. And don't sleep till late at night.
Pillow forts.
It's a must and it happens. Horror movies, pillow forts, and snacks. Like you all are in this massive fort, watching horror movies, one by one you all are falling asleep. You and techno were the last up due to technos active mind and your body not letting you sleep.
You two literally just vide there, changing the movies from horror to some silly animated movies, like how to train your dragon, frozen, Luca, and many others.
You two pull an all nighter and it's actually a bet to see how long anyone else takes to notice.
You bet an hour. Techno says all day.
You won. Philza notices the worse eye bags under both you and technos eyes and immediately starts scolding.
He is papa bird and he won't let anyone of his children neglect their needs.
"Did you even drink water at all? You guys should of been sleeping not binge watching horror movies all night!" -philza
You could only offer a smirk, along with a laugh.
"I think we did I just can't fully remember. Also we were watching animated films. Not horror. Surprised you didn't wake up to let it go." - you.
You turn to techno.
"You owe me 15 bucks pig boy!"-you again.
Handing you the money he rolls his eyes. "Yeha yeah. Rub it in." -techno.
Ah yeah they found a horror game that you were scared of surprisingly. It was actually surprisingly you hadn't played it yet.
Outlast.
You had been holding off that game until you finished your other one but here you were. Bored out of your mind.
So you decided fuck it.
That game teriffed the shit out of you. It was so good though.
When you screamed they all came rushing up due to the fact that you never scream.
They say you out of your chair, on the floor, blinking. They thought you were hurt.
But you sat up and looked at your computer.
"Damn. That was actually really good." When you looked behind you and found the boys all staring you smiled and waved.
"You need something?"-you
"You screamed. We heard a thud. We thought you fuckin died!" -tommy.
"No I'm alive. My soul almost divorced my body but it's still quite here."-you
That day made highlights.
The popular y/n actually got jump scared. The one person who never screamed at horror games screamed.
When they left you were sad yes but they were still your best friends. Ready to talk when ever you want.
Sometimes I think that you guys talk all through out the night. Them forgetting that you were actually in a different time zone.
Sometimes they pop into your streams, be it MC, horror, you just talking to your fans, or even the once in the blue moon, cheerful games.
They just pop in and start talking to you. And you talk back like they were there since the beginning.
Phil is now one of your moderators too. Along with tommy, wilbur, and techno. When they pop in they make sure no one picks on you.
And since you are now close to the SBI. You are now part of it.
You didn't choose the fans did. But they are your new family. No matter what.
Even if they disagree with your eating habit.
Or energy drink addiction.
Or insomnia.
Or you mainly playing horror games.
Or you basically living in your streaming room.
Or even the nearly 24 hour streams.
I could go on but I'm not gonna.
I'm tired. But I can sleep. 2 days and I get to have a tour of my new school.
And it took so long to finally get into it.
We have been going through a huge hassle even before school started to get me enrolled.
And then we had to get me into this program.
But now on Monday I get to go in. Get a tour. Then start either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Anyway hope you liked. It's now 3:50 and it's no proof read I'm sorry
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zuluc · 3 years
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summary: how the genshin boys give hugs
characters: childe, diluc, kaeya, razor, venti, xiao, xingqiu, zhongli
style & genre: bulleted & written; fluff
warnings: none
notes: a self-indulgent fic for my birthday yay, i hope you guys enjoy this I just really want a hug but it’s hard to see friends right now 🤧🤧
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Childe
sometimes a side hug or quick embrace; sometimes not because there are days he never wants to let you go
his outward persona is lost because he trusts you
once his arms come around you, you feel like the life is being squeezed out of you, in a good way of course
there are still traces of his past he has yet to share but he wants you to know how much you mean to him
Paimon had stayed behind to finish that chop suey Su Er'niang offered you both. You finished your share, giving some to your companion, and you left to sight-see around Liyue. 
It’s different from Mondstadt and there were quite a bit of things to get done here for your journey. Your feet take you to the stairs leading up to the Wanwen Bookstore and you hope no one has bought out the book you wanted to finish.
Before you could take a step upwards, someone grabs your wrist and pulls you into a small alley. You hand comes up to summon your sword but then your vision is obscured by a head of copper hair. You gasp when his arms tighten around your torso while he heaves a sigh beside your ear. He lets go after a few seconds and you can see the smile on his face.
“Just a recharge,” Childe winks and turns around to get back to what he was doing.
Diluc
he gives the type of hugs that hold so much emotion that he hides from the public
his body runs warm and appreciates when you snuggle further into him when he has you
his hugs are never quick and he likes to take his time, his hold tight enough to make you feel safe but loose enough to allow you to leave if you so wish
rarely initiates them but will take full control when you’re in private
You could tell when the work he had was becoming too much for the night. The annoyance tainted his handsome features and you just wanted to take it all away. Diluc worked hard, everyone knew that, but he was only human. 
You give him the letter Jean wrote out and proceed towards the door to get back to your own duties. Your name rolls off his lips and when you turn around to look at him he’s gesturing for you to get closer. When you’re mere inches from his desk he stands up and places one hand on your back and the other on the back of your head, burying his face into your neck.
The temperature outside was chilly and his naturally warm body contrasts to how you felt prior. You can feel him frown against you when he feels how cold your skin is.
“Will you be coming back tonight?”
Kaeya
he gives you many hugs, anywhere and at anytime
there isn’t a day where you never receive one and if that every happens, the next day will include even more
will almost always lift you off your feet and/or catch you off guard; he likes to keep you on your toes
even when you’re just standing around waiting for another mission or watching the sun set he’ll hold you close against his side
He’s late. Again. 
You finished off the last of the slimes around Starfell Lake with little to no damage to yourself, luckily, but someone was supposed to assist you to get the job done faster. You look around for any more enemies before kneeling down and dipping your hand into the water. It was cool against your skin, relaxing you after the day’s work. But it might have been just a bit too peaceful.
A force pushes you forward and you close your eyes to brace for the inevitable impact into the water. You wait a few seconds before realizing that you are still very much dry, but there’s something blocking you from lifting your arms. Kaeya chuckles behind you as you lightly hit his arm, hugging you tight.
“I got you,” he says with a smile.
Razor
he’s an awkward hugger, mostly because he doesn’t know how these things work as well as that he doesn’t want to hurt you
he doesn’t know where to put his hands and they usually end up against his sides before he realizes that he makes you think he doesn’t like them
when he gets more comfortable, his hugs are gentle and soft
he grew up with the wolves and these types of things just didn’t happen, but you make his heart soar
He’s taking a casual walk in Wolvendom to reflect on what Lupus Boreas had told him only days ago. He wasn’t a wolf, he was human, but he couldn’t accept it so quickly. His mind wanders and he doesn’t hear the steps, or rather running, behind him. It’s only until you jump on his back that he realizes.
You knew that he was thinking about what happened and you wanted to return as fast as you could to check on him. You slide off his back and he gives you a forced grin. Razor avoids your gaze but you place your hands on his shoulders to square them towards you.
He appreciates your presence and he wants nothing more than comfort, hands twitching at his sides. You’re aware of his little signals and smile when you hug him tightly. He closes his eyes and breaths in your calming scent while hugging you back with care.
“Thank you.”
Venti
there’s a sense of happiness once he hugs you because it just makes you feel lighter and free
there seems to always be a slight breeze about him and you can feel it brush your face when you rest your head on his shoulder
he comes and goes but never forgets to hug you before and after he returns to see you
his hold can range from very loose to holding on just a bit tighter
Venti left a month ago and you knew that’s just how his way of life was. He was never one to stay place for too long, much like the wind you would say. You yourself were someone who likes to travel around, but everything always brought you back to Mondstadt. 
You stand overlooking the city at “your usual place,” as he liked to call it, for some peace of mind. You sit on the edge of the statue’s outstretched hands and lean back on your hands to take in the view. A soft breeze passes by you and your ears pick up a quiet sound behind you. You smile and stand up, immediately wrapping your arms around him. 
His own naturally fall in place behind your back and a light laugh escapes his lips. It was nice to see you again, as always.
“Missed me?”
Xiao
he used to be so stiff when he first started hugging you as he never had physical contact with anyone
being you, he warms up and learns how to properly hug someone
will have a hand behind your head because he wants to make sure that every part you of is against him
he’s very protective of you in general and it gives him a peace of mind knowing he can keep an eye on you in this way
You’re sleeping, sitting in his lap with your head resting against his chest as he sits on the balcony of Wangshu Inn. You came to him only a few moments ago and it was clear that you took the time to clear out nearby hilichurl camps due to the small scratches and bruises you had on you.
Xiao narrows his eyes at more of the culprits across the water on the little islands, making a note to do something with them later. You mumble in your sleep and he looks down to see your brows furrowed. He cups your face gently and smooths his thumb over your cheek which causes your face to return to it’s peaceful state and you move closer to him. 
It was surprising that he fell for someone. You made your way into his life so unexpectedly and now he just wanted to take care of you. And he wouldn’t change a thing.
“Rest well.”
Xingqiu
very proper hugs because they are reciprocated in with the same energy, or even more, than the ones you may give him
he has no problem in giving you hugs away from prying eyes
he would usually whisk you away onto adventures with him with a promise of them
will get flustered when you hug him while saying just how much you appreciate him
You’re amused at the way he presents himself to others and talks to them as expected of him. Xingqiu was known to be mild- and well-mannered as his mischievous side was hidden from those not so close to him.
You both manage to escape the party, standing beside each other as you look up into the night sky. He feels less restricted with you and he takes this opportunity to lace his fingers through yours. You give him a fond smile and return to staring at the stars.
An idea pops into your head and you let go of his hand, him giving you a questioning look before he is brought into a hug. Xingqiu blushes at the suddenness of your actions but returns it nonetheless. His eyes keep diverting to the house so you have to reassure him that no one can see the both of you. 
“Let’s get out of here.”
Zhongli
he enjoys hugging, contrary to what most might think
he likes the intimate feeling and being close to someone he loves in such a sweet way that can be done anywhere
he will never deny you of the affection and if you initiate it he will go through with it no matter what
he’s always looking at you paired with a soft smile on his face whenever he has you in his arms
Zhongli’s voice pierces the quiet as you both take a stroll outside of Liyue. He’s telling you of its history and old traditions that have disappeared throughout the years, but you’re becoming tired due to the sound of his voice.
When you’re out of sight from the guards at the front gates you give a slight tug to the end of his coat sleeve. He stops in the middle of his story and sees that your eyes are growing weary. You keep your hold on his sleeve until you pull yourself to rest your head on his chest, closing your eyes and content with the sound of the night as you’re against him. 
He holds you close, making sure that you’re not actually asleep as it would make for a very interesting walk back. You tell him that you’re just resting your eyes for a few moments and that he can keep talking. That you love the sound of his voice. Zhongli places a kiss to your forehead as he continues, adoration for you clear in his eyes.
“Now, where was I...”
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honeyabyss · 3 years
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Mc falling asleep next to them
Lucifer:
he had been working nonstop for hours now and the pile of yet to be read and signed documents wasn't getting any smaller
you had been sitting in his study silently working on your own assignments, that was until you've finished them about an hour ago
pacing his room in boredom and looking at the stuff he keeps in his closets (mostly books, records and demonus)
"Could you stop wandering around, you're irritating me!" Lucifer is stressed, annoyed, etc and your sighs, constant footsteps and opening and closing of closet doors, didn't help him to concentrate
you could have left the room and found something else to do, but you were determined to spend some time with him, as the evening work hours are quite literally the only hours where you can be alone with him
so instead you seeked permission for putting on a record to have at least some entertainment, which was both a good and a bad choice at the same time
yes you had something to enjoy and relax to, but the relaxing part worked a little bit too well
after a good ten minutes you were sleeping peacefully, stretched out all over his sofa with no care in the world
"I'm going to take a small break and get some coffee. Do you want something as well?" Lucifer asked only to be met with silence, which he didn't appreciate
he was about scold you for being rude, when his gaze fell on your sleeping form and the words seemed stuck in his throat
how could you sleep so peacefully right next to one of the strongest demons of hell, he honestly didn't know if he was pleased you found comfort in his presence or if he should be annoyed that you don't take him serious enough
nonetheless you seemed to have a good sleep and as this is often near impossible in the House of Lamentation, he decided to let you sleep
he got himself his coffee and once back in his study he moved his workplace to the small coffee table and took a seat next to you on the sofa
he adjusted your form so you weren't hanging half of the edge and put his coat over your sleeping form for some warmth
"Foolish little lamb, letting your guard down in a house of wolves, good thing I'm here to protect you..."
Mammon:
"And then I, the Great Mammon, made an action movie worthy escape and totally didn't run away in a panic, because Lucifer was chasing me..."
he had been telling you how exactly he got into the situation of hanging from the ceiling once again, as you've tried as careful as possible to cut him free, which was harder then expected with the way he kept moving around
once finally free, he dropped onto the ground, whining about the rope burns he got basically all over his body, though demons heal quicker, it still wasn't a nice feeling
with a sigh you offered him your hand and pulled him up and away to your room to give him some of the salve Satan had made you the last time you had accidentally cut yourself while cooking
you sat a flustered Mammon onto your bed while you went ahead and searched through your bathroom cabinets that were filled with products Asmo had gifted you, when you finally found it you asked Mammon to hold still while you put some salve onto his burned skin
"W-what?! N-no way! I don't need your help, I can do that on my own!" and with that Mammon stormed away with your salve and locked himself into your bathroom
you knew better then to argue at this point, Mammon would do what Mammon wants to do...until he fails and seeks protection behind your back...
be it because he is embarrassed, doesn't know how to open the salve tube, or because there were so many rope burns...but Mammon took quite long to apply the crème, leaving you to wait for him for at least half an hour now
helping out Mammon can become quite tiring, not that you mind helping him or don't like being around him, but a nap sounds nice right now
and so you lay down in your bed, it is after all your room, and just because Mammon is currently camping out in your bathroom, doesn't mean that you can't take a nap
Mammon comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later, he probably needed a few more minutes to build up courage to face and thank you, but he is met with the sight of you sleeping on your bed
Mammons brain is working overdrive, trying to figure out if he should leave the room quietly, wake you up or stay and watch over you...then again he doesn't want to be seen as a creep by you, but he can't deny that he would like to stay with you
he carefully climbs into bed and pushes you a bit further in so you sleep on the wall side and don't fall off in case you move, it takes five more minutes until Mammon risks putting his arm around you all while holding his breath in anticipation of your rejection, when none comes he settles a little closer to you and falls asleep as well
"Don't worry my human, the Great Mammon is gonna keep you warm and protected in your sleep!"
Bonus: even though you two fall asleep next to each other with only Mammons arm wrapped around you, expect him to wake up on top of you holding you like your his pillow
Leviathan:
it was 5am and Levi and you were currently waiting in line in front of a shop to get your hands on a new limited edition Ruri-Chan figurine
surprisingly enough even though you turned up quite early, there were a good amount of people in front of you
the shop would only open a 9am so you still had a long time to queue in the coldness of the devildom morning
"Ah that is not fair! We planned everything so carefully, it was the perfect timing, why aren't we first in line?" Levi complained while standing on his tiptoes to be able to see and count the demons in front of him, coming to the conclusion that if everyone were to buy one figurine he'd still be able to buy one for himself...and whatever you might want
you weren't the happiest when he told you about his plan a few weeks prior and getting woken up this early you might have been a little slower than usual in getting yourself ready, now that you were here you couldn't help but feel a little guilty
you tried to cheer Levi up with the argument that if you were longer in line that also meant you could spend more time together, which resulted in Levi turning into a blushing but happy mess
you put down the blanket you've brought and made yourself comfortable on it, Levi joining you but looking a bit stiff from the closeness
you ate a breakfast consisting out of sandwiches made with whatever was left after Beels midnight snack, which wasn't much but better than nothing
afterwards as there was still a lot of time to pass you started to play some games on his Switch, trying to stay awake
the emphasis lies on 'trying', because after 2 hours or so you start to fall asleep, eyelids and limbs heavy, you don't have the energy left in you to fight the sleep and so you nod off, your head falling onto Levis shoulder who had been inching closer over the period of time...to be able to better see the Switch display not to be closer to you...
Levi.exe has stopped working
there he sits red as a tomato with Mc sleeping on his shoulder, the queue in front of him starts to pack up and move as the shop gets ready to open up, his Switch display is showing the game over screen, his mind feels fogged over and he has no idea how to react now
Mc just fell asleep and Levi feels guilty to wake them...but they have to move...
"H-hey Mc? T-the line i-is moving? Wake up....please..." his attempts are way to quiet for you to hear and even as he gently shakes your shoulder you do not wake, leaving Levi quiet in a dilemma
"N-no other choice..." he says as he packs up the stuff alone, leaving only you sitting on the cold floor...he can't just leave you here..
Levi turns into his demon form, his hands shaking and eyes flitting across your from and over the crowd of other demons, before he carefully lifts you into his arm, his tail wrapping around you as well for more stabilization, so he has one hand free to carry his shopping bag later
he never bought something faster than that day, he got his figurine and even bought you some anime merch he knew you had stated to like, all while feeling like he was running the worst fever of his life and receiving stares, giggles and smug smiles from way too may people, that was enough attention for at least a century for Levi...but he did like holding you in his arms
"This is not fair! I have to deal with all the embarrassment while you sleep...but I guess it's okay if it's for you..."
Satan:
Satans last anger fit had caused way more damage than usually, it had taken place in the library when Mammon had tried to steal a very rare book about spells, to sell it after he found out how rare it actually is...now that lead to Satan throwing down and emptying almost all bookshelves and kicking Mammon through the room
While Mammon was strung upside down from the ceiling, Satan was forced to clean up the library alone, but you had pity on him as there were quite a lot to clean up, if Lucifer doesn't find out you helped there will be no consequences
Satans opinion about you helping was split, first of all he was really thankful for the help even though he was at fault for the chaos, having to clean up all alone was a bit much, but on second thought Satan was worried that you tried to go against Lucifers orders, he's proud of you for defying his eldest brother but also feels like it's a stupid idea
but you have made your mind up and so while Satan repairs and stands up the shelves, you begin to put the books in, you might not know the exact way they stood like Satan, but for now getting them off the floor is the priority
there aren't many words spoken as you silently work away, only once in a while you point out a book which got a bit more damage, the cover hanging off loosely or a few pages ripped out, you two decide depending on the damage if it can be fixed or not
every now and then Satan asks you to hold a piece of a shelf together while he fixes it, he is surprisingly fast and knows exactly how to repair it...just as if he had to do it more than once in a while...
"Oh Mc? Can you give me the screwdriver? No no that one, the one with the cross head is what I need..." you had no idea there were so many different tools, and wouldn't be the slotted one sufficient if you just angled it right? Satan just laughs and let's you try it for yourself, only for you to fail, he then shows you how to do it correctly guiding you through fixing your first shelf
"The last shelf is standing again, I'll help you with the book now." Satan pointed out, a small ray of hope now that only the books were left, you didn't reply, which honestly wasn't really necessary, but a small affirming noise would have been nice, so Satan tries to keep the 'conversation' going, while he works on the books with his back turned to you
"...you're still ignoring me? Are you angry at me for making such a mess? You know you didn't have to help...you can go, no need to act like all high and mighty!" he was getting angry again, yes he did make a mess, but he didn't do anything to you! Had he? He couldn't remember, but humans might interpret actions and words differently…he didn't want you to be mad at him, and neither did he want to get angry at you, but with you ignoring him it became quite difficult to keep his voice low
having enough and wanting to make up before it gets worse, he makes his way over to you, who was leaning against a shelf with a book in your hand
as he sits down next to you and turns your body to him through a guiding hand on your shoulder, he startles, you fell asleep in a sitting position? That sounds more like something Belphie would do...Isn't that uncomfortable?
You must have been exhausted after filling up three shelves of books and fell asleep midway on your fourth shelf, Satan chuckles amused and relieved you aren't mad at him but simply sleeping
He picks you up and brings you to your room where he lies you down in your bed, covering you with the blanket and hesitantly stroking your hair before going back to cleaning up the library
"Thank you for being so patient with me and helping me! You can rest now and I'll make it up to you later!"
Bonus: he will most definitely take you out on a date of your choice, even if he doesn't enjoy the idea as much as you
Asmodeus:
Asmo had taken you out shopping, as he claimed his wardrobe was not having the right clothes anymore so he had to get new ones fast
he had dragged you through town for the whole day and you two only returned home late in the afternoon, you completely exhausted and ready to drop in your bed, while Asmo while being slightly tired, still insisted on putting on all the clothes and showing them off to you and his followers on Devilgram
he entrusted you with his D.D.D to take some nice amazing shots of him to gain even more followers, though that seemed impossible as it already felt as if the whole population of hell was already subscribed to his account
but as long as all you had to do was hold the D.D.D up and click the screen for a picture, you were fine, you sat down on Asmos bed trying not to disturb the bags of clothes that lay there as well
Asmos screen lit up nearly every few seconds with a new message, how did this man not get crazy with all the message?! And he must check them all, because whenever you write him, he is on and writing back instantly...maybe you should steal his D.D.D from time to time to get him away from it...
While Asmo was changing into new clothes in the bathroom, you could hear him humming a happy tune, clearly in his element and enjoying his time, which made you happy as well, but the exhaustion was still plaguing you and the bed felt unbelievably comfy and on top of that the humming of Asmo was slowly lulling you into sleep
"Oooh Mc~ I especially like this top! Just look how nicely it fits, it shows of my best parts, which are all of me haha...hey Mc?~ Look at me!" Asmo pouted as you stayed put on his bed, and climbed over your form, already expecting you to start pushing him off, only to get concerned when you don't
then he sees your eyes are closed and you seem to be peacefully asleep, he instantly coos at your sweet sleeping expression, the back of his hand caresses you cheeks softly, but you don't react much besides moving a bit into am ore comfy position
Asmo backs off and begins to put down his bags, then he tucks you under his covers and climbs right in with you, pulling you close so that you lie on his chest, his arms encircling you to keep you put
the pictures for Devilgram are forgotten for now, they're not running away anyway, you two can continue another time, but for a beauty nap sounds good
"Oh Mc! You look so cute when you're sleeping...next time tell me you need a break, I'm happy to cuddle you while you're recovering!"
Beelzebub:
you had decided to stay a bit longer at RAD today, because you still had something to discuss with one of the teacher, as well as doing some research for an essay that was due next week
most of the brothers had already left for home or different work related activities, except Beel who had Fangol practice today after school, and as you were not allowed to walk around the Devildom without someone accompanying you for protection, all that was left for you was to wait for Beel to finish his practice, which usually took place for about two hours
you sat down on one of the benches at the side of the field, waving to Beel so he knew you where you were and could keep an eye on you
you worked away on your homework and checked you D.D.D from time to time replying to all the messages you got
the practice seemed to be still not finished even after two hours had passed and you were getting a bit tired from sitting around, but you also couldn't just wander off, Beel might start worry...plus the risk of running into a less friendly demon was still a thing
so you shifted from one position into another not really being able to get comfortable on the hard wooden bench
the ground seemed to be comfier with every minute passing, and so you lay down ignoring the weird looks of the team and trainers, you're body simply wasn't made to sit on this bench longer than necessary
"Here you can wrap yourself in this...it's getting cold. Training is almost over, just hold out a few more minutes!" Beel came over and gave you his jacket and you quickly put it on revelling in his warmth
but here is the problem the jacket made you feel so comfortable that you fell asleep, right on the floor next to a few dozen demons
"We're finished! I'm hungry, let's go get something to eat, any wishes what you want?" Beel was packing his stuff and rambling on about how he could eat at least one year worth of food, training having starved him quite a lot
but when you didn't respond he grew worried and kneeled down next to you, gently resting his hand on your side, he simply laughed when he saw you fell asleep, he is used to it due to Belphie, so he carefully picks you up and carries you home, deciding to order food once there
just Beel giving you a piggy back home, softly smiling to himself and being happy you've come to be so at ease around demons..still at bit worried, but he'll protect you, no worries
"I'll stay by your side until you wake up...and then we can eat lots of good food...please just don't sleep too long or I might have to eat before you wake up."
Belphegor:
so there he was, sleeping, on your bed, in your room, without an invitation...and honestly it wasn't even a surprise anymore, coming home after a work shift at Hell's Kitchen and just wanting to sleep, but no there was no space for you on the bed
I have no idea how, but he manages to occupy the whole bed, and hog blanket and pillows to himself as well
if only he was easy to wake, just to tell him to move over, but no he wouldn't wake up unless you pulled the big guns and nobody wants to face the consequences after one dumped water bottle on his head, it would be a hundred times easier and less dangerous to wake Satan
but you were really tired and just wanted to cuddle into your bed, maybe you could maneuver him with a bit strength..actually forget that...you could always call Beel for help to carry him to his own bed, but by the way he was clinging to your blanket and pillows, that would only end in a empty mattress to sleep on and then you would get cold...
honestly it was his own fault at this point you had threatened him to do it, but he had just laughed it off...
and so you climbed into bed and lay down on top of him, wrapping your arms around him so that you would get at least his body warmth if not the blanket
to your surprise he didn't wake up and he was really comfy, his rhythmic breathing was really relaxing and it didn't take you long to fall asleep
after some time Belphie wakes up with you wrapped around him, he quickly realises that you're asleep, but is stunned nonetheless that you would actually have the guts to sleep on top of him with the risk of waking him up in a bad mood
"That's quite bold of you! You didn't think I will let that slip though, right?" he chuckles amused but shifts nonetheless to make room for you, his embrace is tight, and he hopes just a little bit that you wake up, so he can tease you, but you stay asleep looking content with your new position
"I suppose I could go for another nap...now that I have my favourite pillow with me, sleeping will be even better!" he cuddles you, just like the blanket and pillows...which you don't get any of by the way, but you get Belphie so that's even better, he's gonna keep you warm, don't worry
"You're such a odd human...no idea why I like you...anyway just stay here in my arms and sleep!"
Diavolo:
yesterday was amazing, Dia had taken you to a trip in the human world and you had showed him around, visiting as many places as you two could
what you didn't know was that he had actually sneaked out of the castle to spend time with you
well you didn't know until a very angry Barbatos opened a portal right in front of you two and started lecturing Dia for at least one hour
you felt a bit guilty that you were the indirect cause of this and quickly apologised to him promising to make it up
so here you were in Dias office, overseeing him to do his work so he couldn't sneak out again and Barb didn't have to find him
after all if the reason for sneaking out was right in his room then he had no reason to go, besides the intimidating amount of work left on his desk after yesterdays excurse
Dia worked concentrated for most of the time, only now and then staring out of the window or talking to you
"Isn't it boring to watch me work? I can work alone, I promise to run away...or else Barbatos might get a heart attack from shock of seeing me gone again" he chuckled while signing another document
you reassured you didn't mind sitting next to him in silence, you had a good book borrowed from Satan, tea and cookies from Barbatos and you could stare at Diavolo all day long
your last statement made Dia flush red quite quickly and he tried to distract himself with his work, he slouched over in his chair trying to escape your gaze, but you were having none of it
your arms snaked around his waist and your head came to lean on his shoulder, Dia stiffened not sure how to react he liked the feeling of you hugging him, but now he was scared to move too much as not to disturb you or accidentally hit you with his elbow while trying to write
after a few more documents his eyes flit over to your face, cheek squished against his shoulder, eyes closed and breathing calmly
"Mc? Are.. are you sleeping?" he is whispering trying not to be too loud in case you are truly sleeping, and that you are! A soft smile graces his lips, nobody was ever this relaxed around him, he is proud and wants you to stay asleep as long as possible
he keeps working until Barbatos knocks on the door, coming in and announcing to have brought more tea, only to stop when he sees the sight in front him, Mc holding onto Dia, head resting on his shoulder and sleeping, while Dia put his finger to his lips to tell him not to be too loud
you sleep for an hour or so until Dia really has to move, apologising multiple times for having to wake you
"I'm glad you're able to relax around me, please continue to be yourself! My shoulder is always there for you to nap!"
Barbatos:
"You liked the cake that much? I'm flattered! I could teach you how to make it if you'd like?"
you had been over for tea at the castle and the chocolate cake with black-as-hell cherries was the best cake you've ever ate, it was bittersweet in taste not too much sweetness and not too much bitterness, paired with the melting chocolate, you could have eaten the whole cake on your own
you doubt you'd be able to get the same ingredients in the human realm but maybe you could find similar ones, so you were more than willing to learn with Barbatos
and so you arranged to meet the next Sunday afternoon for a baking session
Barb let you into the castle already awaiting you at the door even though you were early
you two worked on the cake, Barb explaining each step carefully, even for the easiest steps he takes his time to explain and help you, being very patient with you no matter how much you screw up
"Next we have to melt the chocolate in a pot. Wait a minute I turn on the stove for you" while you put the chocolate pieces into a pot, Barb moves behind you and turns on the stove, his arms brushing your sides, yet he stays fully focused, what can't be said for you
the cake is put together quickly with you two working together and while it bakes in the oven and the chocolate is meting, you two go ahead and start cutting and coring the rest of the cherries to decorate the cake later
"Here have a taste, they're bitter at first but the aftertaste is nicely sweet!" He holds out a cored cherry for you to taste and eats one himself, smiling gently at you while you sniff at the fruit first, which smells exactly like a normal human world cherry
the only thing left to do is wait for the cake so you two sit down for some tea at a small table in the kitchen, talking about the week, when Diavolo calls for Barb and he quickly excuses himself to help the prince out
the sweet aroma of the baking cake, the warmth of the tea and the very comfy chair you're sitting in, are a dangerous combination making you fall asleep
as Barb returns he sees you with your head lying on your folded arms on the table, clearly asleep, Barb decides to eave you there while cleans the kitchen and checks on the cake half an hour later
"Mc? The cake is ready to be decorated do you want sleep or do you want to help me?" somewhat embarrassed you stand up and help him with the decorations , Barb acts if nothing happened but he can't help but think about your gentle expression while you slept
"Next time I'll let you sleep longer... I wouldn't mind if you visited me for your naps if that meant I could see you more often."
Solomon:
learning magic was many things: exciting, frustrating, dangerous, fun...but sometimes it also was unbelievable boring
like when you think about magic, you think about casting charms, curses, making potions and all that stuff, but nobody told you that beforehand you have to learn everything about the new spell or etc in theory!
so here you were sitting with Solomon as he rambled on about how while the shrinking charm could have really bad side effects if casted wrong, sure it was important to know how to cast it correctly but did you really have to listen on to everything that might go wrong?
listening to all this just make you feel less confident, I mean technically you were practicing with a tea cup to shrink, so shrinking only a part of it wouldn't be too bad of a side effect, but what if you used too much pressure and made the cup explode and you'd hurt Solomon in the process?!
You took a deep breath, which made Solomon stop talking as he looked at you questioningly
"Anything wrong? Already giving up? Is it toom much?" his light teasing was meant to make you relax, but all you could do was give a small, stiff smile, signalling for him to continue and he did, after messing up your hair with his hand giving you a huge grin, but he talked slower now giving you more glances to make sure you were still alright
"How about a small break? I'll make us some tea..." he stood up and made some tea...in a beaker over a Bunsen burner..this weirdo..
the tea didn't taste weird though, it was just normal tea, even though the preparation would have made Barbatos get a stroke
after the break he was back to full tutor mode and your concentration slipped with each new word, until your head falls down, your chin resting on your chest comfortably, you had fallen asleep right before him
Solomon notices instantly that you're asleep and starts laughing so loud that you wake up again, he is crying and gasping for breath at your flustered state and you hit for good measurement on the arm
"Am I that boring? Fine if you're tired you can rest on my bed. I'll read you a bedtime spell book..." he doesn't stop laughing and teases you endlessly, you better be on your toes around him, you won't be hearing the end of this
"Hey sleepyhead? Do you want me to read you into boredom? I won't take pictures of your sleeping and drooling self...No promises made though..."
Simeon:
He was staring blankly at his manuscript, writers block had been plaguing him for quite some while now, but the new chapter had to be sent to the company until next week
you had offered to help him out maybe you could give him some ideas, so he invited you over and let you read the latest chapter so you'd know what had happened
you sat in his room brainstorming ideas on a small extra sheet trying your best to help Simeon out who looked quite lost
"Do you think that would work? Doesn't if feel a bit too rushed? But maybe if we combined these two ideas together..." he seemed to had found something and began to roughly write up a plan for his further writings
he continuously asked you questions about the smallest details, it was kind of cute that he relied so much on you, he probably could have done the rest himself as well, yet he kept involving you into the whole process
while his one hand scribbled like a madman, his other rested on your arm occasionally lightly squeezing it, reminding you that he didn't forget about you
you slowly fell asleep, the sounds of each others breathing, the pen scratching over paper and the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall, the inly sounds to be heard
"What about this part? How do you think it could go from here?...Mc?" he wasted no time in making sure you were lying comfortably, putting his cloak over your form and still squeezing your arm from time to time while he continued to write late into the night
only then did he notice, the brothers might worry about your absence, should he wake and bring you home? or should he let you sleep here and inform Lucifer about your safety? but the sofa you were currently sitting on, would make your back hurt if you continued to sleep here
it took him some time debating with himself, but came to the conclusion to carry you to his bed and tuck you in, giving you a forehead kiss like he was used to with Luke, only to realise what he'd done and quickly scrambling away in embarrassment to give Lucifer a quick call about the situation
"Have sweet dreams my lamb! I'll be guarding you in any realm, even the dream realm!"
Luke:
Luke, Simeon and you were having a small movie evening, watching some old Disney movies
Simeon didn't allow you to watch something else to protect Luke, but you didn't mind too much
you were having some freshly made desserts by Luke who had worked on them the whole day, as he was very excited for your meetup
you watched a few movies, talking, laughing and joking together, just having fun
"Huh? They called the mean cat Lucifer? Hahah how fitting, he kind of even looks like the real Lucifer! Ah, don't tell him that though!" Luke really liked to compare the different characters to the people he knows, but when there actually were a cat called Lucifer he was quite surprised...who would want their cute pet to be called like a demon? Why not call them angel names? Michael is a pretty cool name...
over the time you became more and more tired and Simeon seemed to notice, suggesting on stopping for today and continuing another time, but Luke convinced you two of one more movie
unfortunately you didn't last the final movie and fell asleep cuddled underneath the blanket between Simeon and Luke
Luke took some time to notice, only seeing it when he turned to you wanting to tell you his opinion about the last scene
"Oh! Simeon... Mc fell asleep..." Simeon already knew, as you had fallen onto his shoulder, not that he minded, he just told Luke to stay quiet and watch the rest of the movie
Luke cuddled up to you to keep you warm and occasionally glanced at you to make sure you were okay, and there cuddled next to you he as well fell asleep...trapping Simeon underneath your combined weight, making it impossible for Simeon to get out of the bed, so you three just slept together that night
"Don't worry Mc! I'll keep all demons away from you while you sleep!"
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dapandapod · 3 years
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Two Pillows
Hello there! Here be a little story (2098 words only) of Geralt and his loneliness. And how he fights it and how he fights himself! 
Here on Ao3  and thank you a billion @damatris for helping me reading through it and giving me a thumbs up! The ending has been glaring at me for weeks...
Please enjoy <3
Geralt has picked up a habit over the years he has been traveling. He isn’t a lonely man per say. He doesn’t feel the need to be close to others necessarily. He just sleeps better with two pillows. One he is propping under his head, it is a bit flat and worn out, just perfect. The other one is a little bigger. Just a little fluffier. No one asks about the two pillows, why should they? Who cares about a mutant's sleeping habits?
So when no one but the stars are watching, Geralt cradles it in his arms and holds it close. Curls around it and keeps it safe. It smells like him now. He doesn’t mind, but he prefers when there is someone else's smell on it sometimes. It happens that he hides a soap from Kaer Morhen inside it, when leaving the empty halls hurts more than usual. It smells of pine, if Lambert was the one doing the soap that year it sometimes smells like beer.
It’s not that he pretends that he is holding someone. It just is. It’s fine. Geralt sleeps in his bedroll with his pillows, and the aching loneliness inside is kept at bay. Sometimes he thinks of Renfri. Sometimes he thinks of Eskel. Sometimes he thinks of his mother, faceless after all these years.
Sometimes he thinks of arms returning the embrace, of a heart beating under his ear, of a hand stroking his hair as he falls asleep. But it’s the wind stroking his hair as he falls asleep. His pillow pressed against his chest. The only heartbeat is his.
It happens that Geralt travels with people. Sometimes it’s a merchant going the same direction, sometimes it’s a hunter or just a farmer bringing their goods to the market. Those shared nights are complicated. Instead of holding his pillow close, he watches the star travel across the sky. When morning comes the only rest he got is meditation. Which is fine, he can make due.
   Then Posada introduces him to a certain bard, and he finds his nights changing. He doesn’t trust the bard. Doesn’t like him. He brought nothing to their travels, not even a bedroll. He managed to talk Geralt into letting him borrow the fluffy pillow, but failed at getting a place in the bedroll. The summer nights are still warm and Geralt is kind enough to make camp where he finds the grass thicker, the moss richer. He learned that first night that Jaskier sleeping poorly is a Jaskier that won’t shut up.
But that means Geralt only has one pillow. So he meditates the nights away, because truly it is fine. He can sleep without holding something, but he doesn’t trust the bard yet. That’s it. He listens to Jaskier snuffle in his sleep, his snores and hums. He is never quiet, that man, and Geralt finds it settles him. It becomes a backdrop, a constant he doesn’t even realize he needs until it leaves. Jaskier does that sometimes. Leaves.
They spend winters apart. Sometimes a whole year. Jaskier still borrows his pillow, after all this time. And that first night Geralt holds it, it smells like spices and warmth, achingly familiar. And if he holds it a little closer, digs his fingers into it a little harder, only the stars are there to see it.
    What irrevocably changes things however is when Geralt falls asleep with Jaskier in his arms. They don’t mean to, but the summer festival had them both in a merry mood and deep in their cups. Jaskier can’t seem to find his own bed, and decides Geralt's bed is good enough. Some shuffling, wrestling and resignation later, Jaskier steals Geralt's fluffy pillow once more and wriggles into the circle of his arms.
It is late. So late it is bordering on early, and Jaskier falls asleep immediately. But Geralt’s mind is spinning. He has held people before, of course he has. But something settles in him, clicking into place. He is home. Geralt doesn’t even notice falling asleep. Doesn’t wake when the sun shines in through the window, doesn’t stirr when the smell of cooking breakfast drifts up towards them.
When he comes to, there is a heartbeat under his ear. There is a hand stroking his hair. Someone holding him close. They smell like spices and warmth. And Geralt knows he is well and truly fucked.
  They don’t talk about it, why on earth would they talk about it? But when they part, the pillow is not enough anymore. The smell of Jaskier quickly fades from it, and he finds that he is saving it. Savouring it. So the pillow sits unused, waiting for Geralt to break or for Jaskier to come back.
    Winter is hard. Too hard. Geralt breaks first, holding the pillow tight. When spring finally comes he is more exhausted than he has been for a long time. Lambert and Eskel share a worried glance, but Geralt doesn’t have time. It’s not that they usually decide a time and place. But this year Geralt wishes they had. He is not sure what he wants, and how to express it. He needs Jaskier close, even if it is only him borrowing the pillow. A something to make the path easier.
Their roads don't cross. Sleep eludes him, keeping his sanity hostage. Geralt breaks again, and finds himself in Oxenfurt. Jaskier is there, surprised to see him. On his arm is a beautiful blonde, Priscilla is her name. They performed together during the winter and made a contract with one of the local inns to stay until summer. It’s not fair.
   Geralt leaves without his bard, returning to his sorceress. Lilac and gooseberry stick to his skin as they again soar, crash and burn together. On a mountaintop far above the world, it is for the last time. Jaskier is there, caught in their flames. It is not fair, Geralt knows it is not fair. But Jaskier brought his own pillow on this blasted hunt, and Yennefer pushes him towards an edge he has been toeing for years. He doesn’t even notice falling until it is too late. And he is pushing Jaskier out of the way, shoving him out of reach with all his might.
   Time is strange. It passes him by, he is a pebble sitting in a stream watching the world pass by. And like water eats away stone, so time is wearing Geralt down. Geralt returns to Oxenfurt. Searching, looking, aching for his friend, his bard, his home. Priscilla meets him with an acid tongue. Jaskier isn’t there. He didn’t return at all, sending word that he is taking some time off and going to the coast.
He knows he is a bad friend. Knows he is a bad man, a bad witcher for risking human lives for his own stupid longing, his need to keep Jaskier around. But he can’t help it.
   Geralt finds Jaskier at the edge of a cliff. The wind is raging, tearing at his hair and clothes. The waves crashing against shore with an anger he can only find in nature. They watch each other against the backdrop of a grey sky. Jaskiers face is impassive, strange, guarded when Geralt walks up to him, falling to his knees. He can’t keep going any more. There is nothing left of him but the aching sadness and loneliness. The absence of friendship, laughter, spices and warmth.
“I'm sorry.” He croaks out, words stolen by the wind. “I’m so sorry.”
Every beat of his heart is agony, his eyes burn and his chest aches.The ground is cool and slightly moist under his knees, sand and salt seeping through his trousers. He can’t look up at Jaskier. He watches his shoes, well worn and a little stained.
Then there are warm hands on both sides of his face, and Jaskier tilts his chin upwards. So many emotions are swimming behind Jaskiers eyes, his brow set and lips a firm line.It feels like he hasn’t aged a day.
Jaskier doesn’t say anything, just wrapping his arms around Geralt's shoulder and tugging him into a hug. Geralt's face is pressed against Jaskiers stomach, and he can smell the warmth, the spices, the fabric soft under his cheek.
   Geralt didn’t plan ahead, didn’t think any further than finding Jaskier again. He should have, and they end up sharing Jaskiers room at a nearby inn. Geralt almost wants to offer him his pillow, selfishly collecting his scent for that inevitable parting. But he can’t, not when the inn already has enough. There is only one bed though, since Jaskier didn’t count on company. Geralt offers to take the floor, and Jaskier almost lets him.
But he scoots over, making room for Geralt on the bed. They don’t speak, just lay down facing each other. Jaskier has obviously been sleeping here for a while, and being surrounded by his scent makes something inside Geralt unclench. They watch each other, waiting. Waiting for what, he doesn’t know, but wait they do.
“Why?” Jaskier asks him finally. His voice is hushed, as if afraid to disturb the silence.
“I had to. I couldn’t pull you down with me. You-...” You are too precious to me. Geralt almost says it, it is on the tip of his tongue before he stops himself.
“I what Geralt? I can’t read your mind.”
“I don’t need you.” Geralt mumbles, and Jaskiers brows furrow in hurt. “I don’t need you, but I want you. So much. When you are around, I-..:” Geralt falters again, and Jaskier waits in silence.
“When you are around, I settle. I can’t describe it. I want you around, and that is selfish of me.”
“That sounds like need to me, Geralt, and it is not selfish. You are allowed to want things.”
“You are not a thing.”
“No, I’m not.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You said.”
They don’t talk anymore after that. They look at each other, and then Jaskier hands Geralt another pillow to hold and turns his back on him. He knows. Of course he would have noticed. Shame burns in Geralt, and he wants to hold Jaskier, but he isn’t sure it would be welcome. So he burrows deeper into the blanket, surrounded by Jaskiers smell, and holds the pillow tight.
   When he wakes up, he is still holding the pillow. It is warm and sweaty, and Geralt soon finds out why. Jaskier lies pressed against his back, arm slung over his waist, forehead leaning against the back of Geralt's neck.
Geralt stays still, no matter how sweaty he is he doesn’t want to break this hold. It is a little unfair of him, because Jaskier likely did it in his sleep rather than by choice. He lies there and waits for the inevitable, for Jaskier to wake up and pull away. When Jaskier finally wakes up, it is at least an hour later. Geralt possibly slumbered a bit too, feeling too safe and comfortable to fight it. And now, Jaskiers heartbeat is picking up and he is getting tense. Before Jaskier can do anything, say anything, Geralt places his hand on Jaskiers.
“Stay?”
He regrets it the instance he opens his mouth, but somehow, for some reason, Jaskier stays.
“You are right.” Geralt confessess. “It’s a need. I need you. You are-” And he falters again, pulling in a shuddering breath. Jaskiers fingers flex under his, but he waits silently until Geralt is ready.
 “Missing you is like missing home. You are home to me.”
Geralt wants to flee. Wants to run. Wants to take back his words and hide them again, shove them back into the deep darkness. But they are out. And they were heard.
 “Geralt…” Jaskier is shuffling backwards, cold and empty space between them.
 He knew it. He knew it would be too much, too soon. But he was ready for it, but it still hurt.
 “Look at me.” Comes from behind Geralt, and he turns, shifting with the pillow still in his grip. Jaskier's eyes are gentle, but he can’t read them. Doesn’t know how to interpret them.
 Jaskier grabs the pillow and pulls it out of his grip, eyes never leaving his. He tosses the pillow on the floor carelessly, and it’s strange, so strange.
 “You are my home too.” Jaskier says quietly, placing his hand around Geralt's wrist, pulling him closer.
Oh.
Geralt breaks again and again and again, and he reaches out with both arms, pulling Jaskier to his chest, holding him close.
 Finally holding him close.
292 notes · View notes
violets-page · 3 years
Text
Shot Down |R.R.|
MASTERLIST
A/N: This was my first request and I was so excited! Hope you enjoy <3
The 100, Raven x fem reader? If your kay with it maybe where reader and Raven are in a relationship and had an argument but then the Murphy situation happens in the dropship so the reader helps raven out and when shots happen the reader protects Raven?
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You loved Raven, truly. In fact, you loved her more than you thought your heart was capable of. But you couldn’t help but feel like she wasn’t really over Finn. You saw the way she looked at him when he and Clarke were together. You saw the pain of losing your first love and the crushing weight of having to watch him happy without her. No matter how many times she smiled and told you she was ‘so over him’ , you couldn't help but notice how her gaze always lingered on him for a second longer.
When Raven crashed to earth only to have her heartbroken you were there to comfort her. Brought together by her tech-savvy ways and your creative ideas the two of you spent countless days together, thinking up and prototyping weapons. And when night time crept up, throwing darkness onto all those below her, She’d creeped into your bed shuffling blankets to make room on your lap for her head. You’d play with her hair and hum her to sleep as she cried on your lap over a boy who didn’t deserve her.
As you two had grown close an unspoken thing rose between you.
Little kisses through the day, always over before you could move towards her. Cuddling into her bed at night, warm bodies pressed against each other as you fell asleep to the lullaby of her beating heart. Makeout sessions in the forest when no one was around but the trees and birds and all of earth's problems melted away when her hands were in your hair and her lips planted on yours.
Raven hadn’t been one much for public PDA and for a while you thought that was just how she was. It never really bothered you, so what if she didn't feel like sharing your intimate moments in front of a group of immature strangers.
That was until Finn approached you and asked if you knew what boy she was seeing.
*    *   *   *   *   *   *   *
You rolled your eyes as Finn sauntered toward you.
“Hey.” his voice sounded exhausted. Much like everyone's did nowadays.
His hands were shoved in his pockets and he glanced around as if searching for someone. With all that you knew about Finn, you had never actually spoken to him. In fact, you actively avoided him. Desperate not to give off the impression that you were willing to talk to him you let out a hum of acknowledgment.
“I'm worried about Raven.”
Your eyes shot up to meet him. He had no right to worry about her, anything worry-worthy had been his fault. You bit back all the lectures and insults you'd thought you'd say to him someday, the ones you thought up while wiping tears with your shirt sleeve.
“Why.”
“I heard her talking to Octavia the other day about a guy she was seeing. I don’t think she knew I was there but..” he sighed, his hand going in towards his greasy hair as you tried not to grimace at its look.
“None of the guys here are good for her.”
Yeah, none of the guys.
You shoot him a frown and bit back your laugh. “No, but if she was seeing someone how would I be able to tell?”
“Well, when we were together she was always very affectionate. Holding hands in public and kisses all the time. She’s really big on PDA. Ya know?”
You didn't know.
*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
You held in your emotions for a few days, desperately trying not to let his ridiculous words get to you. But you couldn't help it as you drifted away from Raven. Every time you were together your mind drifted to her and Finn on the ark, holding hands and kissing in the halls where anyone could see. Your mind soaked up awful thoughts until you felt your heart might just explode.
This led to you storming into her tent in a fit of anger. You waved your hands furiously through the air as you told her about the conversation you'd had with Finn.
“I know you're not over Finn, and I know you're just using me to get over him but you don't want him to know about it in case he wants you back. I won't be your safety guard to fall back on until you're ready to get up and walk away!”
“What? That’s not what’s going on at all.”
“Oh yeah, cause it sure as hell seems like every time we’re out you want nothing to do with me. You won't even hold my hand outside this tent much less kiss me.”
“Y/n listen to me!”
“No, I’m so sick of this shit”
You loved her but you weren’t going to sit and watch her fawn over her asshole ex.
When the yelling had gotten too much for you to handle you stormed out of the tent, sweat running down your back from the hot weather and your bubbling anger. You hate how it felt and how it reminded you of stupid Finn and his stupid greasy hair. You remembered a stream you had seen on one of your forest explorations with Raven.
Raven. Raven. Raven.
You hated how even when you were mad and anger flowed through your veins, you couldn’t escape the thoughts of her. You needed to get out.
The stream was probably a 20-minute walk from camp. You knew the woods weren’t safe but you couldn’t stand being cooped up in camp for a second longer. You took one of Ravens’ guns with you, just in case.
When you reached the steam you glanced around before stripping. The woods were hauntingly beautiful, but every time you looked at them all you could see was Raven. Her back pressed against the trees as her fingers weaved knots in your hair. Your fingers slipping under her shirt exploring the curves of her hips. Her lips against yours, silent gasps for air interrupting the rustling of leaves.
You wadded into the water as if it could wash the thoughts from your mind. The water was like ice and only reached enough to go a little over your knees. The light breeze made goosebumps peak from your skin as the water suddenly seemed much warmer. You squatted down, the algae rocks tickling your toes. Splashing your face with the cool water, you scrubbed it, thankful to get rid of the sticky sweat that had built up over the weeks you’d been on earth. You took a deep breath and tried to relax your muscles.
As you sat in the water you thought about everything that’s been going on. More specifically everything going on with Raven. You hadn’t even let Raven explain herself before you stormed out. Your quick temper was always your biggest problem. Hell, it's how you ended up down here in the first palace. Guilt was a sickly feeling, it nestled into your stomach and made you feel like a monster.
Suddenly the woods felt too empty, The river too dirty and everything too loud. You felt loneliness fill your heart, its claws creeping their way up as you choked back sobs. As Raven's face once again visited your memory you decided it was best to get back and apologize before the sun disappeared and sleep took your lover.
As you got closer to camp you took note of the eerie silence, a major contrast from the usual laughs and shouts that filled the camp. Walking in you saw why. Everyone was crowded around the dropship. Most people looked indifferent or only had slight concern etched across their faces. That was until you came across Octavia standing at the front.
She looked as if she would just about pass out. Fear covered her whole face as she tapped her foot impatiently. A walkie-talkie clenched tightly in her hand as her teeth pulled tightly against her bleeding lip.
“What’s going on”
Without her eyes ever leaving the doors of the drop ship she answered you.
“Murphys got Bellamy trapped inside. I- I think he’s going to kill him. Jaspers under the ship trying to get him out.”
You surveyed the crowds trying to find Raven but nowhere was the girl donning the red puffer jacket anywhere to be seen.
“Where's Raven?”
Octavia’s eyes flickered to you for only a moment before returning to the dropship. But with that one look, you knew she didn’t want to tell you.
“Octavia, where is she.” You moved in front of her, blocking her view of the dropship. Annoyance flashed across her features but it quickly vanished.
She sighed “She's under there helping Jasper but-”
That was all you needed to hear before you turned around and headed toward the dropship. Before you could make it two steps Octavia had grabbed your arm and pulled you back. You considered pulling your arm out of hers or even pushing her down so she would let you go. But the girl had a grip like iron and an attitude to match.
“She’s got this. By going in there you could mess up everything. Just trust her. Okay?”
You nodded and stayed put. But her words did nothing to ease the fear that washed over you like a tsunami, drowning you.
A gunshot rang through the air and Octavia’s grip on your arm tightened. One part in an effort to reassure herself and another part to keep you put.
You weren’t super religious but at that moment you begged whoever -if anyone- above to make sure Raven came out of this alive and unharmed.
Minutes seemed like hours until finally a familiar mop of brown hair appeared from beneath the dropship. You felt every muscle in your body relax and the headache that you hadn't even noticed disband.
You shrugged out of Octavia’s grasp and ran to Jasper quickly engulfing him in a hug. His arms hung limp at his sides and you could see his anxiety written across his face. But at least they were okay.
“Oh thank god”
You peered behind him, expecting to see Raven, but no one was there.
As if sensing your unspoken question he spoke,
“She’s still in the dropship. She-”
But you were already gone.
As you squirmed your way through the complicated working of the dropship you spotted the brunette. Your lungs filled with air and the knot in your chest eased. She was okay.
“Raven ..”
She jumped at your sudden appearance and something within the circuit she was working on sparked. She let out a slight scream as the sparks burnt the tips of her fingers.
You both looked up as the noises from above ceased
And then came the gunshots.
After the first one, you dived over her without a second thought, knocking you both to the ground. You heard her head hit the ground with a loud thunk as the air left her lungs. You covered her body with yours tucking your head into her neck as you covered her face with your hands. You breathed in her scent as bullets rained down on you. You could feel her heart's erratic beating against your chest. It felt like forever until they finally stopped.
When they did Raven wasted no time moving you off of her and getting back to the control panel, finishing what she started.
You however couldn’t move.  
Damn adrenaline.
You took a few deep breaths and calmed your heart as much as you possibly could. You tightened your muscles in an attempt to sit up, the same way you've sat up your entire life. Except for this time, your muscles wouldn’t tighten. It was as if they had stopped working entirely.
“Raven “ you called out to her. You were terrified, your heartbeat so loudly you could feel it in your eardrums. She was too focused on finishing the control panel to hear you. Finally, she got it, shooting you one of those proud smiles you always loved. It quickly dissolved when she saw the fear on your face as tears streamed down from your eyes.
“I can’t move. Oh god. Oh my god. “ Your tears turned to sobs as your body shook. She was by your side in a second as she quickly took to examining your body.
“I can’t find a wound.”
“Please, please, please Raven.” She had no idea what to do but couldn’t bear to watch you break to pieces in her arms.
Slowly she moved you so you were sitting up, and although it took a while she was able to get you up and onto her back.
A bang sounded from above and the whole room shook. Her hand slipped from its grip on your thigh but she quickly managed to catch it.
She held your legs as you wrapped your arms around her neck. Although your cries were no longer audible she felt you shake against her back as warm tears splashed her shoulder.
Before she even got into the camp she was yelling.
“WHERE'S CLARKE. SOMEBODY GET CLARKE.” the blonde rushed to her side, a sharp intake escaping when she saw you.
“She says she can’t move. Murphy shot her. I couldn’t find the wound but I don’t know.” She tried desperately not to cry.
Not now.  Raven thought.  Not when she's breaking.
She carried you into the dropship, laying you carefully down on the table. It took a while but Clarke finally made it in to help.
After sanitizing her hands with what was left of the alcohol she looked at Raven. They both knew this wasn’t going to be good.
“I need to get the bullet out. Can you distract her?”
Raven nodded and held your hand tighter. You could feel her warm palm against hers, the only thing keeping you from falling apart in a fit of hysterics. That was about the only thing you could feel. Everything below your chest was dead weight.
“Remember how you thought I wasn’t showing you public affection because I still had feelings for Finn?” Clarke risked a quick glance at the girls before resuming her work.
You felt her fingers enter the wound in your back and let out a scream.
“Is now really the best time to talk about this” you tried to say between screams and grunts. She nodded, a determined look on her face.
“That’s not why.”
“Okay..” you urged her to go on so you could focus on her voice instead of the fingers probing around underneath your skin.
“No one knows that I am ya know,” although she didn't make a show of it you knew Clarke was listening.
“And I guess I was just- am just, afraid of the way people might look at me.” the raw emotion on her face almost made you forget what was happening.  Almost.
You screamed again as Clarke’s fingers exited the wound.
“Got it. Now comes the painful part” You looked at her in horror.
She turned your head away so that you were once again looking at Raven. The brunette couldn't hide the horror that flashed across her face at whatever Clarke was doing behind you.
“Trust me, it’s best not to watch this part.”
Raven almost couldn’t handle the look of fear on your face. She wanted to wrap you up in her arms and keep you safe and away from this cruel world. She laced her finger between yours, light kisses against the back of your hand in an attempt to calm your pounding heart and shaky breaths.
Clarke handed her a cloth for you to bite on. It would stop you from breaking your own teeth is what she had said.
Raven squeezed your hand in reassurance and placed a gentle kiss on your head as you let out a ground trembling scream. She felt her heart fall to pieces at the sound. The world around you disappeared as you tried desperately to focus on Raven instead of the hot metal searing your flesh.
And then-
It was over.
You just lay there, studying Raven. Her lower lip was redder than the top one due to her gnawing on it anxiously. Her eyelashes were long and cast delicate shadows across her high cheekbones. Her jawline was sharp and unmoving. Skin pulled tight in a frown of worry. The whole thing had taken a toll on you. But you refused to let yourself fall asleep.
“Raven, I’m so sorry.”
She let out a sad laugh as tears started forming in her eyes
“Never do that again.”  She wanted to scream at you. She wanted to hit you and yell at you for being so stupid. For putting her life above yours and trying to be the hero. But she knew you wouldn’t be able to handle that. Not today at least.
Your eyelids were so heavy. You decided you would just close them, not sleep.
As your eyes fluttered closed Raven turned to Clarke.
Is she going to be okay?
“Yes, but…”
“But what”
“She suffered a slight spinal cord injury. I don’t know how bad it is. She might be able to walk again in six months or a year or possibly never.”
As you heard these words your mind drifted as the welcoming arms of sleep embraced you.
As longs as Raven is okay,
I can handle it.
Pt.2
181 notes · View notes
zukka-dyke · 4 years
Text
a concept:
when zuko goes back to the fire nation, after ba sing se and before the day of the black sun, mai sneaks into his room every night and they sleep together. not in a sexual way, they’ve both come to the conclusion that neither of them are at all into the opposite gender, but the idea of being together, just the two of them, for the rest of their lives, well that seems better than being in a loveless mariage with someone that they don’t even know.
that’s the thing, about mai and zuko. they love each other, they really do. just not in the way that people want them to love each other.
because of this, this love, this solidarity, mai sneaks into zuko’s room in the palace every night, and she lays with him until they both fall asleep, and she comforts him when the nightmares come.
the nightmares still come, of course they do. mai thinks it’s something about being back in the palace, being in the room that he was in when his life changed forever, every single day. she was there, on the day of the agni kai, she saw what happened, she can understand why zuko still dreams about it.
she dreams about it too.
so they both still have nightmares, zuko almost ever night and mai maybe once or twice a week. it’s still too much; no kid their age should have as much trauma as they do.
but they have their trauma, and they can’t get rid of it, so when zuko wakes from his nightmares, mai wakes too, and they brew a pot of tea and sit together on the balcony, soaking in the night time breeze and refilling their cups until there’s no tea left. then, they’ll go back to bed, and mai will lay with zuko until he falls asleep, and then she’ll go back to her own room, right next to ty lee’s, and they’ll keep up the charade for another day after that.
the night before the day of the black sun, zuko is more restless than usual. mai can tell; he’s usually still in sleep, but that night he tosses and turns until mai herself gets fed up with his constant motion and pulls his restless limbs towards her body, purposefully cuddling someone of her own acord for what may be the first time in her sixteen years of life.
she doesn’t see zuko at all, the day of the eclipse, and when she sneaks into his room that night, all that’s left for her is a letter, no prince in sight.
and mai- mai is mad. she’s mad because zuko didn’t tell her, and they promised each other that they wouldn’t keep secrets, and if he’d just told her, then she would’ve gone with him, and then they could still be together.
not be together be together. mai might not have loved zuko like that, but he was her best friend, and she did love him, and her heart aches with the idea of him being gone.
people think that ty lee is her best friend, mai herself tells them that ty lee is her best friend, and she tells them that zuko is her boyfriend because that’s what’s expected of her. 
but that’s not who she is, not really.
so she reads zuko’s letter, and then she reads it again, and then she runs down the hallways with it grasped tightly in her hands, and she fligs open the door to ty lee’s room and she sees her friend there, drinking a cup of some herbal tea, and she holds her cup just like zuko does, with her pinky fingers balenced on the bottom, and mai sees her and she breaks. she manages to fling the door shut behind herself, and gives ty lee enough time to shoot her a concerned look before she collapses to the floor and sobs, actually, really sobs.
she hasn’t sobbed like this since zuko was banished.
ty lee is concerned, of course she is, and she’s on the floor with mai in a second, prying the letter out of her trembling hands. she reads it, and then she’s crying too, albeit softer and quieter than mai.
with shaking hands, ty lee pries mai up off the ground and onto her bed, and they sit there together, crying, for who knows how long.
mai gets over it, she thinks. she’s pretty sure that the avatar will win the war, when it comes time, not that she’d ever say that, so she thinks that zuko will survive, even if she won’t. she hates the idea of her living while he dies, and really, living without zuko isn’t really living anyways. 
but she makes due. without zuko to share a bed with now, she shares with ty lee, the two of them staying up late with their pot of sweet, herbal tea, and their pinkies resting on the bottoms of their cups. 
mai is the little spoon.
(they don’t talk about it)
then she gets the letter from her uncle. the hawk arrives at the window of ty lee’s room, early in the morning, and together they run until they find azula, mediatiting alone in one of the pavilions. when they get to the boiling rock, mai tells the other two to stay on the airship, and she goes into the prison and she finds her uncle, who takes her to zuko.
mai tries to fight. she tries to play the part of the girl that she’s supposed to be, hreatbroken by the betrayal of her love. but really, the only tears that she’s crying are that of relief, because zuko is alive, he’s alive, and that’s enough for mai. to know that he’s doing what he set out to do, that’s enough for her.
and later that day, when she sees him fighting with the water tribe boy up on the gondola, sees that sparkle in his eyes, that all too familiar look, she knows that he made the right choice. 
now she has to make the right choice too.
so she stops the guards. she knows that azula will try to kill her, but she means it when she says “I love him more than I fear you,” and that’s enough for her. she’s willing to die if zuko gets to live.
but then ty lee saves her. and they both go to prison, but it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, because they’re together, and zuko is safe, and mai can finally rest easy knowing that zuko is safe, and so is ty lee, and everything will be okay.
they break out of prison within the week.
mai doesn’t really know where they should go from there. she’s been around the world, but she really doesn’t know where she and ty lee, the daughter of a fire nation noble and an ex circus performer, will be welcome. after a week of camping around the fire nation, they reach the earth kingdom boarder, and mai can see the coastline, maybe a day’s walk from where they are. they still have some money, just enough for two ferry tickets to kyoshi island.
the girls don’t welcome them at first. they take one look at them, their pale skin, their fire nation eyes, and they arrange themselves into fighting stances, but mai bows so low that her nose brushes the ground and ty lee does the same beside her and for the first time in years she takes the knives out from under her sleeves and lays them on the ground in front of her.
she’s unarmed, unprotected, and honestly afraid for her life, but ty lee’s there next to her, and there’s a little voice inher ear that sounds suspiciously like zuko saying “breathe mai, just breathe” and so she does.
the warriors take them in, promise them a meal in exchange for their story. after that, they’ll decide if they get to stay longer.
and for a minute, mai is tempted to lie, to say that they’re just travelers, just refugees hiding from a war that they don’t want any part in.
but zuko always told her to be honest. 
so she is.
she tells the warriors everything, from meeting azula and ty lee at school to being gay. one of the girls asks her if she and ty lee are a couple, and they both go red in the face but mai finds that she really isn’t against that idea. she tells them about ba sing se, and how sorry they are for stealing the uniforms, and she talks about zuko coming home, and the nightmares, and then him leaving all over again.
she tells them about the letter.
she tells them about boiling rock, and saving zuko, and ty lee saving her, and then she talks about prison, and camping, and the smallest, dimmest hope that they’d be welcome here.
and they are.
after hearing her story, and giving them dinner, the warriors welcome her and ty lee with open arms and warm hearts, and mai has the most amazing month of her life training with the warriors and spending her every waking moment with ty lee, and time passes so quickly that before she knows it it’s the night before the comet and she’s taking ty lee on a walk along the beach, and then they’re kissing under the stars.
the comet is horrifying, and the sky is red, and mai hates herself for not being with zuko, but she and ty lee are safe on kyoshi island, and they stand with the rest of the warriors on the beach and watch silently as the comet comes and goes, and mai and ty lee are alowed to have the war paint and armour on, for real, for the first time. 
word reaches the island the next day that ozai has fallen, that zuko and azula went up against each other in an agni kai, that zuko is set to be the next firelord, and mai knows that they have to go back to caldera.
some of the warriors come with them, and mai’s hands shake for the entirety of the ferry ride, but then she’s there, and she sees the same water tribe boy from the prison, and a girl who looks just like him, and another girl in green, and a kyoshi warrior who the girls tell her is named suki, and a bald kid who can only be the avatar, but she doesn’t pay attention to any of them, just follows the water tibe girl’s directions and grasps ty lee’s hand tight in her’s as they fly down the hall, towards the infirmery.
towards zuko.
they get there, and zuko is standing on shaky legs, trying to get his arm through the sleeve of his robe without pulling too much as the skin around his injury, and ty lee stands in the doorway, a respectable distance away, while mai crosses the room and says, just a hint of her usual snark in her voice,
“need any help there?”
and zuko turns, and he smiles, a real, full smile, a grin even, and it’s something that mai hasn’t seen on his face since they were children, since before his mother died, and mai can’t help but let a smile sneak onto her face as well. she guides his arms through the sleeves, and notices that he smells like ink and the sea.
“so the water tribe boy then,” she murmurs, and zuko goes red as a tomato but doesn’t deny it.
“so ty lee then,” he counters, and ty lee goes red where she’s still standing in the doorway, and so does mai, but neither of them deny it either.
it’s over, mai thinks to herself that night, laying in an unfamiliar palace guest room with ty lee curved around her. it’s all over.
zuko will be firelord, and ozai will be in prison, and azula will finally get the help that she needs. mai and ty lee will go back to kyoshi island, and they’ll train with the girls, and open a flower shop, and they’ll come back to visit zuko sometimes, in the palace, with his friends.
mai will learn that the earth kingdom girl’s name is toph, and the boy from the prison, the one that zuko smells like, with the boomerang, his name is sokka, and his sister is katara, and the avatar is aang.
she’ll become especially close with suki and sokka, suki because ty lee will become a warrior, and even though mai is just an honerary member she still holds the girls near and dear to her heart. sokka because he’s one of the only other people in the world who knows what it’s like to love zuko the way that mai does, and mai will never, ever take that forgranted.
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lunnybunny12 · 3 years
Text
Sandor Clegane x reader (Reason 1)
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Requests are open 
Warnings: Death, Murder, hanging, swearing and prostitution 
Word count: 1230
Part 2 (Reason 2)
Part 3 (Reason 3)
Part 4 (Reason 4)
Master list
A daughter of a whore, raised by nuns, became a thief, ran away to Braavos and was trained as an assassin. That just about summed you up.
You had fought your whole life to get to where you were, to prove you were worthy enough to be apart of a world filled with shitty people. Despite all of that, you still found yourself  laughing at the situation you found yourself in.
"(Y/n) fucking Hill"
Your head shot up at hearing that name. You hadn't gone my Hill since you went to Braavos.
"Ah, so you know our little sparrow do ya Clegane?" Thoros said nudging your side as he sat beside you.  When he saw the look you gave to the former guard he dropped his joking demeanour. 
"The Fuck you doing here?"
Sandor stared at you for a moment before turning to the 3 men behind you. The men were stood on 3 small barrels, hands tied behind their backs and a rope around their necks.
"Chasing them. You?"
"Hanging them" Berec retorted.
"They're our men. Or they were. They attacked a nearby septor and murdered the villagers, why do you want them?" Thoros asked.
"Same reason. I was helping build it. They killed a friend of mine."
"You have friends?"
"Not any more" Sandor said, his eyes darted to you for a second before walking up to your group "They're mine."
"It's the brotherhoods good name they've dragged through the dirt-"
"Fuck your name. They're mine," Sandor said through gritted teeth. " I've killed you once before Beric and I'm happy to do it again."
At the corner of your eye, you saw another one of your group stretch his bowstring and aim an arrow at him.
"Drop the arrow," You said clearly so that everyone could hear and stepped closer to him.
 "He's not going to hurt US... you can have one of them."
The look you got wasn't one of surprise or shock. He was thinking. The other men around you weren't surprised at your boldness, you'd been with them for years and had quickly earnt the respect you were given.
"... Two" Sandor said looking at you.
After a moment of silent deliberation, you nodded to him in agreement.
Just as Sandor was about to plant his axe in one of the traitors heads, Thoros stopped him.
"We're not butchers..."
"Speak for yourselves" you mumbled under your breath with a smile.
"... We hang them"
With an annoyed look, Sandor replied "Hanging? All over in an instant. Wheres the punishment in that?"
"They die-"
"Thay all bloody die. Except for that one" Sandor said motioning to the one-eyed man behind him. " I'll only gutt one of em"
By this point, you had taken a few steps away to get a better view of the scene. The men that were about to die were part of your group once but their twisted sense of right and wrong had lead them to do awful things. They deserved what they were about to get and thankfully others thought the same.
"No" Beric said.
"Chop off one hand?"
"We gave you 2 of the 3 out of the respect of your loss. That's generous."
With a sigh, Sandor dropped his axe " You're all a bunch of Nancies... There was a time I would've killed all 8 of you just to gutt these 3."
"You're getting old Clegane" you chuffed
Suddenly, Sandor kicked the barrel out from under one of the man's feet, sending him falling a short distance to his slow death.
"He's not" Sandor said doing the same to another of the man.
That's when you moved to stand in front of the last man. His eyes wide with fear. You'd admit that you enjoyed watching the fear grow as you let kicked away his barrel too.
When you got back to camp, Beric told Sandor that he was born a fighter and no matter where he went a fight would always find him. How everything happens for a reason Bla bla bla.  It was true that Sandor was a fighter, he had gutted his first man when he was 12 years old and didn't regret it, but that didn't make him a fighter. What made him a fighter was how he continued to live his life and grow stranger with every passing day and by the way he looked he had continued to do so. Beric also said that Sandor would be useful in the brotherhood. How it needed strong men to help is win the upcoming war and how he could help more people he's hurt.
You saw something change in him at that moment. It could have been how he sat or the look in his eye, you weren't sure... but something did change.
That night when everyone was supposed to be asleep, you stayed awake to keep the fire lit. While stoking the flames, thoughts swam around your head like a fish in a shallow pond. The flames shone like a beacon in the pitch-black forest. The occasional snore and animal sounds echoed off of the trees. The stars above were the only thing for the company.
At the corner of your eye, you saw someone lumbering their way towards you. You weren't scared, you knew he wouldn't hurt you.
"Cant sleep Clegane?"
"Not with all these cunts snoring like dying pigs"
"It good to see you haven't changed" You said, eyes gazing into the fire. 
"and there's no point in trying to save face, I know you're still angry with me,"
"And for good fucking reason. You kissed me took the gold and pissed off to Braavos the first chance you got." he quietly seethed. when he put it like that it did sound like an awful thing to do.
With a sighed "Sandor, what am I?"
"I'm not playing guessing games (Y/n)"
"What am I? I'm a bastard, born to a whore and gods know who. No money, no parents, hell not even a name. From the moment I was born, I had to fight for myself because no one else would. I pissed off because after your father died and that brother of yours became the lord, you became the princes bitch in the red keep. There was nothing for me in Westeros, so I left,"
"And what of that kiss then ey? You left that out of your little rant" he said cockily.
You looked at him without a speck of fear in your eyes. His whole life he had never met anyone who looked at him like that and it rendered him speechless.
"That kiss was the only thing of worth I could've given you to remember my by. I knew full well that if I died you'd be the only one in Westeros to remember me ... we were friends once Clegane and you couldn't even tell me you were leaving so I did it first." You said taking a deep swig of ale from a pouch on your hip and then passing it to him.
"Was that the only reason?" He asked taking the pouch from you.
"No. but its the only one I'm brave enough to admit to right now" You joked earning a smile from the man.
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reinerispretty · 3 years
Text
reminiscence. (? x f!reader) pt10
hello!!!!!! we r back with another edition of this fic hehe. thank u all for ur support, i appreciate u so much! it’s also five am and i am not even tired so rip. 
also!! who do u think reader should end up with? i have it decided but i’m willing to hear reasoning and perhaps be persuaded ;)
pt1
pt9
pt11
“So, where do we find this Iroh guy?” Mako asked.
“You think he has any relation to General Iroh?” Bolin questioned. “I mean, how many Iroh’s can there really be, y’know?”
“He’s Iroh as in, Zuko and Iroh,” Korra informed them, and Bolin let out a shocked gasp. While she was nervous about getting her memories back, (Y/N) would definitely be grateful not to be absolutely lost when things were discussed.
A Republic City winter was nothing compared to a South Pole winter. (Y/N) was cold while she slept, cold while she moved, cold while she stood still! Korra’s mom had her wrapped up in so many different coats, furs, and blankets that she waddled while she walked. “How are you okay right now?” She asked Korra as they walked to breakfast together. “I feel like my nose is going to fall off.” 
Korra looked back and flashed her a smile. “It’s all I’ve ever known! You just kind of get used to it.” (Y/N) frowned. She couldn’t imagine ever getting used to weather like this. 
As they sat and ate their breakfast--(Y/N) tried to eat, but the layers made it hard to bend her elbows--they discussed their plan for the day. Led by Tonraq, they would travel by snowmobile to the Spirit World Portal. It was a long trip, so they would have to camp for the night, but the next day they would be trekking through the Spirit World looking for answers. “It’s warm there,” Korra said, nudging (Y/N) with her elbow. She smiled gratefully. 
She decided to ride on the back of Korra’s snowmobile. Bolin would be on the back of Asami’s and while Mako also had his own, (Y/N) wasn’t sure if she wanted to have her arms wrapped around him for the entire trip, especially when they hadn’t discussed the things that happened between them. Her and Mako hadn’t discussed things at all, really. She knew they were on better terms since the first time they met, but he was so guarded and she was so scared that anything Mako had to say to her, she might not want to hear. 
So, she waddled over to Korra’s snowmobile. “Mind if I ride with you?” She asked as Korra secured their supplies. 
“Not at all!” Korra said, her face lighting up. Then she cleared her throat and turned her eyes back to tying knots. “Just be sure you hold on tight, okay?” (Y/N) nodded, managing a joking salute. 
She wrapped her arms around Korra’s middle as tightly as she could, but it must not have been enough because as soon as Korra hit the gas, (Y/N) was flung off, landing on her back in the snow. She let out a shout of surprise, followed by a groan as she opened her eyes and saw Korra staring down at her. She wore a humored smile on her face. “I told you to hold on tight!” 
“I was!” (Y/N) insisted as Korra helped her get back to her feet. She pulled some rope from their side pouch and wrapped it around (Y/N’s) waist, then tied it to her own.
“We do this for little kids sometimes, so they don’t get lost in the snow.” (Y/N) narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her. Korra laughed at the childishness and helped her get back on the snowmobile. Then they were off, (Y/N) much more secured this time around. 
As they rode through the snowy hills, (Y/N) leaned her head on Korra’s back, taking in the sights of the Southern Water Tribe. Far out where the sea was, icy glaciers poked through the inky waters, shimmering against the sunlight. Everything was rather sparkly; if (Y/N) looked at the snow for too long her eyes felt sore. She turned her head and waved a gloved hand at Bolin, who gave her a thumbs up from his position behind Asami. 
Sometimes, when she looked at Bolin, it physically hurt her heart. She knew it was some sort of physical reaction, something her body remembered that her head didn’t. The feeling increased when he had referred to them as being friends. There was nothing wrong with being friends, in fact she supposed that was better than any other alternative, but even now she had always thought there was something more between them. Perhaps she had interpreted everything wrong. There was a giant piece of her memory missing, after all, and all she knew was that she had really messed up Bolin when she had left. It was probably better if they were just friends. Bolin was great and she didn’t want to lose him a second time. 
Their ride was so long that (Y/N) had eventually fallen asleep against Korra’s back, only to be awoken by the snowmobile coming to a jolted stop. She awoke and squeaked in fear, gripping on tighter to Korra. 
“Sorry!” She said. “I’ve never been really good at breaking.” 
“You’re going to tell me that after I spent hours on a giant metal deathtrap with you?” (Y/N) huffed. 
“It wasn’t that bad considering you were snoring into my back,” Korra quipped, quickly turning herself around so she could untie them. “You sounded like a lion turtle.” 
“I don’t even know what that is, but I’m sure you’re wrong.” (Y/N) slid off the snowmobile and began untying the packs. 
“Lion turtles used to carry cities on their backs and bestow the gift of bending to humans occasionally.” 
“Think we’ll find one in the Spirit World to grant me some powers?” (Y/N) asked. “What element do you think I’d bend? I think fire’s pretty cool but-” 
“Oh, you’d be an airbender for sure,” Korra said as she hoisted two packs onto her back. (Y/N’s) face lit up.
“Really! Why do you think that? Is it because of my calm and collected nature?” 
“It’s because you talk so much,” Korra explained. “You’re constantly bending air with your mouth.” She booped (Y/N) on the nose before making her way to the rest of the group. 
“You’re hilarious! (Y/N) called after her, gathering her own packs onto her back. “Why don’t you stop being the Avatar and become a comedian instead!” 
They set up their tents and made fire, which was easy work considering two out of the six people in the party were firebenders. As soon as (Y/N) finished her tasks she sat in front of the fire. She was probably too close, but she didn’t care. It’s warmth, albeit small, made her feel just a smidge less cold than she had been, and she’d take it. The rest of their group soon joined her, Asami sitting on one side and Korra sitting on the other. She appreciated the girls protecting her from any awkwardness that could potentially ensue from being near the boys. 
“I’m thinking when we get to the Spirit World, we’ll try our luck at finding Iroh,” Korra explained. “He’s always got spirits around him, maybe one of them will know who took (Y/N’s) memories.”
“And if they don’t?” Mako questioned. “We can’t just wander around the Spirit World hoping for some clue.” 
“Maybe I’ll start remembering again,” (Y/N) suggested. “Like when Bolin took me to the spot where we met. I got that memory back.” 
“You also threw up and passed out from that,” Asami reminded her. (Y/N) pursed her lips. 
“I can handle it,” (Y/N) reassured them. “At this point, I’ll do whatever it takes to get my memories back.” 
“The Spirit World is magnificent, but it’s also dangerous,” Tonraq said. Night had fallen, and his face was illuminated only by the fire. “They might not be happy to see humans there, especially after what happened last time.” 
“I’m the Avatar,” Korra said. “They have to at least listen to me.” 
“I just want you all to be careful. Whatever took (Y/N’s) memories has to be powerful. Maybe dangerous.” 
“We’ll be careful, Dad,” Korra reassured her father. Tonraq trusted his daughter’s abilities, that was obvious, but the worry he held for her was still evident on his features. (Y/N) swallowed, her mouth feeling dry. She hadn’t really considered that this could be a dangerous mission. If she was being honest, she had never really thought this far ahead. She had spent every day maneuvering around the different dynamics of the four friends, making sure that she didn’t overstep her boundaries or create unnecessary problems. She hadn’t considered what would be waiting for them on the other side of the Spirit Portal, or that the people she had grown to cherish would be put in danger for her sake. 
Asami passed around their food and (Y/N) ate silently, considering this information. Her friends talked around her, but she was so distracted that their comments went in one ear and out the other. Once she finally zoned back in, it was just her, Korra, and Mako sitting around the fire. 
Korra let out a big yawn, stretching her arms. “I’m absolutely beat,” She said. “I think I’m gonna turn in. You coming?” (Y/N) shook her head.
“I think I’ll stay near the warmth just a little longer.” Korra nodded and gave them a sloppy salute as she waded through the snow and to the tent she shared with Asami and (Y/N). It was just her and Mako now. 
She stared at the flames of the fire and how they danced in the cold night air. Should she say something to Mako? This was the first time they had been alone together and neither of them had immediately made up somewhere else they needed to be. They’d be heading to the Spirit World tomorrow, so if there was any time for them to communicate, it should be now. 
(Y/N) adjusted her coat, huddling further inside it. “Want me to make it bigger?” Mako asked, and (Y/N) nearly jumped, surprised to hear him talking to her. She looked at him, eyes wide and not quite understanding what he was talking about. “The fire, you want me to make it bigger?” 
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” She said. Mako stared at her for a moment before making the fire larger and while she had said she hadn’t wanted that, (Y/N) was grateful. It was so hard to be straightforward with Mako sometimes, because of the way he jumbled her brain. It was like she didn’t even recognize herself when she was around him anymore. Before, only one emotion accompanied being around Mako, and that was anger. Now, (Y/N) felt a whole range of emotions when she looked at his amber eyes. “I think we should talk,” She said finally, wincing at how small her voice sounded. 
“I think so too,” And he gave her a half smile. (Y/N) nodded, but both of them remained silent. How should she start? How did people even communicate properly? Perhaps the thing (Y/N) was most excited about getting her memories back was how to talk to people normally. She felt so awkward! 
“Why’d you kiss me?” She asked suddenly, her face heating from embarrassment. Mako’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead. 
“Oh,” He coughed. “I mean, well, it’s a little--it’s like--” (Y/N) couldn’t help giggling. “What’s so funny?” 
“Nothing!” She insisted, biting down her smile. “You just...you seem so tough and confident and aloof sometimes that it’s funny to see you act so...” 
“Embarrassing?” He guessed. (Y/N) shook her head. 
“Normal?” She tilted her head and shrugged. “You don’t always have to wear this tough guy act, you know.” 
“It’s not an act,” Mako insisted, but he and (Y/N) exchanged a look that had them both stifling back their laughter. “Maybe sometimes. People believe you’re tough if you act like it. Keeps you from getting your stuff stolen when you’re sleeping in a gutter.” 
“You grew up on the streets?” (Y/N) guessed. Mako nodded. 
“Sometimes I forget what you know and what you don’t.” 
“Me too, if we’re being honest.” They paused into a silence that wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, just full of anticipation. “They teach you how to dodge questions on the streets, too?” 
Mako sighed, running a hand through his black hair. “It’s not easy for me to explain stuff like this. Bolin’s the one that can talk about emotions and feelings.” 
(Y/N) smiled. “Bolin can talk about anything.” 
“When we were arguing on that balcony, I wasn’t just angry at you for being here. You hurt Bolin a long time ago, but watching you be with my brother and knowing that I could never be with you...that hurt, too. You were so close to me that night and something inside of me said I should kiss you and once the idea popped into my head, I couldn’t get it out. I think I hoped that once I did it, it’d be some sort of release. Like a way to get it all out so I’d stop feeling like that.” 
“Was it?” 
Mako looked directly into her eyes. Normally, his gaze would make (Y/N) feel weird and she would have to look away. She couldn’t bring herself to do that tonight. 
“Not at all,” He admitted. “I thought I had gotten over you once you disappeared, but once you came back it all hit me full force.” 
(Y/N) thought for a moment about what she wanted to say. Then, she took a deep breath. “I don’t have any memories to base my feelings off of. But there are certain things, feelings, that I remember that I can’t place. They’re just there.” She placed a hand over her heart. “It happens when I look at Bolin. I remember feelings, like sadness and regret, but I don’t know why. It’s overwhelming sometimes, discerning emotions. The things that I feel for Bolin, they’re like past feelings that I’m remembering. Kind of.” She squinted her eyes shut. She wasn’t sure if she was explaining this right, but she was trying her best. “But when I look at you, now that the anger has subsided, I feel things now. Being around you feels nice and when you talk to me, I feel very...light and relieved. I can barely hold your gaze without blushing, and--and I think about you. A lot more than a friend should, I think.” 
“But,” She continued. “I don’t have all of my memories back. I don’t know how or why I left and I don’t know if things will change once I do.” 
“I get it,” Mako said. “As much as someone with memories can.” (Y/N) gave him a small smile. “And I don’t want to confuse you even more, because I’m sure being around Bolin is confusing enough as it is.” 
“You have no idea,” (Y/N) breathed. 
“I’m glad I told you. Almost two years and I finally admitted to my brother’s ex-girlfriend that I had a crush on her the whole time. This is a big day for me.” 
“The whole time?” (Y/N) questioned. “When did you realize that you liked me?” 
“I think Kya told us that we couldn’t share too much about the past with you, or else you might lose your memories forever?” (Y/N) pouted. “Fine, but if you can’t get your memories back, don’t blame me.” The wind picked up over them and he scooted closer to her so that he wouldn’t have to shout over it.
“Aye-aye, Captain,” (Y/N) said, giving a small salute. She rested her chin in the palm of her glove in order to pay attention. 
“There was this one time when you got to our place. Bolin wasn’t there yet, I think he was out performing tricks with Pabu. It was cold outside, one of the coldest days Republic City had had in a while. You came in and you were like an icicle. You were shaking and had forgotten your coat and decided to walk halfway across the city to our place. I gave you a blanket and one of Bolin’s coats, but your hands were still like ice, so I used a little firebending to warm them up.” Mako remembered the feeling of your hands completely encased in his. “I held your hands for a while, until they were warm enough. I got up to leave for work and you grabbed my hand and pulled me back down onto the couch. You said, ‘Stay, Mako! I love having you around.’ So, I stayed. We talked all day until Bolin got home, and I ended up losing that job, but spending that time with you made it all worth it.” 
(Y/N) sat silently for a long while before saying, “I’m sorry for making you lose your job.” 
Mako laughed. “It’s cool,” He said. “I wasn’t a very good delivery boy anyway.” 
(Y/N) pulled off her gloves, exposing her hands to the cold winter air. “Do you think you could...?” She offered her hands to Mako. He gave her a small smile and nodded, removing his own gloves and taking her hands in his. (Y/N) let out a happy sigh of relief at the feeling of warmth that emanated from his skin. 
“I’m sorry for being so mean to you at first,” Mako said. “I just didn’t want Bolin to get hurt again.” 
“I understand,” She said quietly. “I’d probably do the same if I were you.” Cautiously, she leaned her head on Mako’s shoulder. They sat like that for a long while, staring at the fire as Mako held her hands in his. While she was probably even more confused about her emotions than before, part of her hoped that whatever happened in the Spirit World wouldn’t change how she was feeling right now. She wanted to see where this could go. 
---
Once the cold became too much for either of them to bear, Mako and (Y/N) parted ways. Korra and Asami were fast asleep when she entered their tent and slid into her sleeping bag. She fell asleep quickly, her hands still warm, but it felt like she was asleep for only moments when Korra shook her awake in the morning. 
“One more hour,” (Y/N) grumbled, rolling over to avoid Korra’s gaze. The Avatar scoffed. 
“I already let you sleep in as late as possible!” She gently kicked (Y/N’s) butt. “Up! Spirit World today, woohoo!” A very groggy (Y/N) reluctantly left the warmth of her sleeping bag. The early morning sun was absolutely blinding as she walked out of the tent. (Y/N) let out an unhappy grumble. 
“Tea?” Asami offered, handing (Y/N) a thermos. (Y/N) smiled gratefully at her and took a long sip of the beverage, feeling it warm her from the inside out. 
“Thank you so much!” (Y/N) said. “I needed that.” 
“You were up pretty late,” Asami said, giving her a knowing smile. “Any particular reason?” (Y/N) shrugged playfully as she loaded her sleeping bag onto Korra’s snowmobile. 
“Mako and I finally talked.” 
“And? How’d that go?” Asami glanced over at Mako’s who sleepily nodded at whatever Bolin was excitedly saying to him. (Y/N) lightly slapped her friend’s arm. 
“Don’t stare!” She laughed. “It went fine. We talked about our feelings, actually.” Asami’s eyes widened in excitement and she opened her mouth to say something, but (Y/N) cut her off. “And while there are some feelings there, I told him how until I got my memories back, nothing could be certain.” 
Asami hummed in approval. “Seems like a good resolution.” 
“What’s a good resolution?” Korra came over to tie her own belongings to the snowmobile. 
“Mako and (Y/N) finally talked about their kiss.” 
“Woah!” Korra exclaimed. “Are you guys dating now?” 
“I’m missing like seventy-five percent of my memories and you think we’d be dating?” (Y/N) snipped. Korra shrugged. 
“I don’t know what goes on in your head!” 
“Like I told Asami, it was a good conversation. We talked about our feelings but I said that until I got my memories back, nothing could be done. I mean, what if I get them back and there was actually a non-Spirit World reason for why I was so awful to Bolin?” (Y/N) shook her head. “I was honest about how I felt and I think that’s good progress.”
“You know Korra,” Asami started. “Weren’t you telling me yesterday how much your bag hurt from having (Y/N) hold onto you?” 
“What? No?” Korra said, furrowing her dark brows. Asami elbowed her sharply in the side. 
“Remember? You said she held on too tight? Don’t you think that today you should ride on the snowmobile by yourself, since you’ll need to be at your best Avatar abilities in the Spirit World?” 
“I know what you guys are doing and I’m having absolutely none of it!” (Y/N) insisted. “I’m riding with Korra, end of story.” 
“Oh, I see what’s happening here,” Korra said. She placed her hands on her lower back. “Oh, yep, there’s definitely a tough knot there and it’s all (Y/N’s) fault. I don’t think I can ride on a snowmobile with you anymore.” 
“I thought the Avatar was supposed to bring peace, but all you’re causing is chaos,” (Y/N) hissed. 
“Hey, Mako!” Asami called out. Mako looked over to them, raising a questioning eyebrow as (Y/N) banged her head against the snowmobile. “Do you think (Y/N) can ride with you for today? Korra’s back is absolutely killing her.” 
“Ow~!” Korra drawled dramatically. 
“Uh, sure?” Mako questioned. He walked over to Korra’s vehicle and untied (Y/N’s) pack from it. “I think Tonraq said we were leaving in a few minutes, so I’ll be over there.” 
“Sounds great, she’ll be right there,” Asami said. 
“I’m not going,” (Y/N) said with a shake of her head. 
“I thought you said it was a good conversation?” Korra questioned. 
“You guys are so lucky I’m not a bender and I’m not very good at hand-to-hand combat because--” She shook her fist at both of them. “You’d be getting it!” She stomped over to Mako, a frown etched on her face. 
“Everything alright?” He asked. She let the frown fade from her face. 
“Everything’s fine,” She said with a sigh. “Korra and Asami are just being big pains.” 
“Don’t I know it.” Mako strapped his helmet and placed (Y/N’s) on top of her head, buckling it underneath her chin. He then tied a rope that connected the two of them, as Korra had done yesterday. “Safety first,” He said with a smile. (Y/N) felt her face flush as he helped her onto the snowmobile. Shyly, she wrapped her arms around his middle, and then they were off toward the Spirit World Portal. 
This trip was much shorter than the previous day’s. The portal was only an hour or two away from where they had camped. While (Y/N) was surprised that they had arrived so soon, there was no doubt that they were there, as the portal was a beam of warm yellow light that shot into the sky. It lay in the middle of the woods, only accessible by foot. 
They parked their snowmobiles on the outskirts of the woods. Tonraq began setting up his tent; they had agreed that someone should stay behind with a radio just in case anything went wrong and they needed backup. But to (Y/N’s) surprise, Asami was setting up her own tent as well. 
“You’re not coming with us?” She asked. Asami raised an eyebrow and shook her head. 
“We agreed before you woke up this morning that someone else should stay behind with Korra’s dad to help keep watch. You obviously need to go, as does Korra, and I knew Bolin and Mako would be absolutely horrible if they had no idea what was going on inside. So, I decided to stay.” 
(Y/N) frowned. While the reasoning was sound, it still made her sad that Asami wouldn’t be accompanying them on their journey. She and (Y/N) had developed a real friendship over the last few weeks. They had spent nearly all of their time together. It would be strange, not having her around. 
“Be safe, okay?” (Y/N) asked, throwing her arms around Asami and squeezing her into a hug. 
“You’re going into a completely new dimension and you’re telling me to be safe?” Asami laughed, but she wrapped her arms around (Y/N’s) frame and hugged tightly. “I can’t wait to hear all about your memories.” The two friends parted and (Y/N) lifted her pack onto her back. 
“Ready?” Korra asked, and she, Bolin, and Mako nodded. Their group said their goodbyes to Tonraq and Asami before Korra led them into the woods. 
“The last time I was here, I was frozen into a block of ice by an ex-girlfriend,” Bolin said. (Y/N) raised an eyebrow at him. “It wasn’t you! It was Korra’s cousin from the Northern Water Tribe.” 
“The one with the evil dad?” (Y/N) asked. 
“That’s the one!” Bolin nodded. 
“This is it,” Korra said as they stopped in front of the Spirit World Portal. (Y/N) could feel its energy radiating from outside the forest, but now it was even more prominent. “Next stop, Spirit World.” She turned around to look at (Y/N), whose face looked as if she had seen a ghost. “Everything alright?” 
(Y/N) nodded, gulping. “I’m okay,” She nodded again, trying to convince herself that she was speaking the truth. What if getting her memories back wasn’t necessarily a good thing? Something had blocked them out. Perhaps they had done it for her own benefit. But they had come this far, so she remained silent as she stepped through the threshold and into the Spirit World. 
It was an odd feeling, transitioning between two planes. It felt like each particle of (Y/N’s) body was buzzing, until suddenly she was on the other side and staring at so many colors, some that she was sure she had never seen before. She released the breath she had been holding as she stepped through. 
Indescribable beings flew overhead, cawing and cooing at them. Korra had been right: the Spirit World was significantly warmer than the South Pole. The group removed their jackets as (Y/N) took in her surroundings. Currently, they stood in the middle of a rocky wasteland, but patches of flowers and grass popped up here and there. In the middle stood a gnarled tree with a hollowed out middle. 
“That’s the Tree of Time,” Korra explained. “That’s where the first Avatar had imprisoned Vaatu, the dark spirit that I defeated a month ago. His energy made this part of the Spirit World a wasteland, but it’s healing.” 
“It’s beautiful,” (Y/N) breathed, and Korra smiled. Their group walked across the barren land to the greener parts of the Spirit World. Butterfly-like animals flittered around them as they walked and Korra explained her many trips to this place. Mako and Bolin had been here as well, although they had never been further than the Tree of Time. That helped (Y/N) feel less out of place. 
“So, where do we find this Iroh guy?” Mako asked. 
“You think he has any relation to General Iroh?” Bolin questioned. “I mean, how many Iroh’s can there really be, y’know?” 
“He’s Iroh as in, Zuko and Iroh,” Korra informed them, and Bolin let out a shocked gasp. While she was nervous about getting her memories back, (Y/N) would definitely be grateful not to be absolutely lost when things were discussed. 
“There it is!” Korra exclaimed, and then she started running. The others dashed behind her, not quite sure of where she was going, until a small house appeared seemingly out of nowhere and they were right in front of it. A small tea party of spirits and one human sat at a table in the garden. 
“Korra!” The old man exclaimed. “Welcome back! We were just about to start afternoon tea.” He peaked behind her at her friends. “And you brought company! The more the better, I think I have some extra teacups in the house.” 
“Hi, Iroh,” Korra said. “We really appreciate it, but we don’t really have time--” But the old man was already headed inside his house. When he returned, he held four additional teacups and a bright smile on his face. 
“Sit, sit,” He insisted. Korra looked to (Y/N), who shrugged, and dropped her backpack to the ground and took a seat. If having tea was what she needed to do in order to get her memories back, then she would do it. “You!” Iroh said as he placed (Y/N’s) teacup in front of her. “I’ve heard many things about you. Welcome back.” 
“Back?” (Y/N) questioned, looking at her friends. “I’ve been here before?” 
“You are (Y/N), yes?” She nodded. “When Korra first visited me to ask about you, I did not know much.” He placed a hand to the side of his mouth. “Spirits are horrible gossips sometimes, and I did not want to lead the Avatar on a path different from the one you must take. But I have asked many a visitor about you and they have all said the same thing: you were here, not too long ago, but you were here for a while.” 
“Why was she here?” Mako questioned before (Y/N) could. Iroh sighed as he poured their tea. 
“Whatever the reason, it was not good. Many of my friends say they saw her enter the dark part of our realm and she did not leave for a long time.” 
“It’s true!” One of the spirits interjected, an oddly blue wolf. “I saw you months ago with my own four eyes. You looked nothing like you do now. You came through the portals, yeah? Last time, someone brought you here the other way.” 
“You mean through meditation?” Korra asked. The spirit nodded. 
“Whatever it was, something powerful had to do it. I couldn’t do nothing like that.” 
“So, powerful spirit in the dark parts of the Spirit World. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but it doesn’t sound like something a good spirit would do.” (Y/N) looked to Iroh to confirm her suspicions. 
“Spirits are neither good nor bad, unless we are discussing Vaatu and Raava. But there are some spirits whose motives become skewed.” 
(Y/N) deflated in her seat. The spirit who had taken her memories was powerful and most likely dangerous. And if they found it, she would be leading her friends right to them. 
They finished their tea with Iroh before continuing on their journey. Bolin had talked excitedly with him about his adventures with Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko, whoever those people were, and Iroh gave him a Jasmine Dragon teacup to take back to the mortal realm. The entire time that they talked, (Y/N) was incredibly distracted by what Iroh had told them. 
“We should go back,” (Y/N) said suddenly. All three of her friends stopped and looked at her as if she were insane. 
“But, you need to get your memories back,” Bolin said. 
“I’ll just start over,” She insisted. “I can start fresh. Whatever this spirit is, it isn’t good, and I don’t want to hand you guys to it on a silver platter. We’ll go back and I’ll just learn to live without my memories.” 
“There are pieces of you you’ll never get back. Important memories that might have meant a lot to you. You deserve answers, (Y/N), for everything that’s happened to you.” Bolin grabbed her hands and she felt that same shock of electricity run through her body every time he touched her. 
“It’s not worth it if it means you guys will get hurt.” 
“Stop trying to play hero,” Mako said suddenly, his voice much harsher than it had been the night before. “If we didn’t want to be here to help you, we wouldn’t be.” 
“You shouldn’t be helping me. You guys fight every day for the greater good, for the people of the world. I’m one person. You can’t get yourselves hurt over one person. This,” She gestured to the entirety of the Spirit World, but referred to their mission. “Isn’t as important than whatever is going on back in the mortal world.” 
“But you’re important,” Korra said suddenly. “You’re important to Bolin and Mako and you’ve become important to Asami and I. The Avatar fights for the greater good, but as your friend, I’ll do whatever it takes so that you can feel like yourself again.” 
(Y/N) felt her eyes watering. Why weren’t they getting it? “If anything happened to you guys while we’re here, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” 
“And if we gave up on you, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself,” Bolin said. She looked up at him through watery eyes. “No matter what we’ve been through, we care about you. I care about you. And we’re going to get that dumb spirit to give your memories back.” 
(Y/N) looked from him to Korra to Mako, whose head immediately turned as soon as her eyes landed on him. “Okay,” she said. “But I think this is a horrible idea.” 
“I find that horrible ideas make the best stories,” Bolin said with a smile.
---
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292 notes · View notes
ttuesday · 3 years
Text
Time
Summary: After spending the night on guard duty, you make a bet with Micah to find out who can stay awake the longest.
Word Count: 2,772 
~unfortunately there’s no smut in this, it’s mainly fluff and maybe a bit of angst ? idk lmao~
8am You spent the entire night on guard duty. Bill was supposed to take over a couple of hours ago but he never did. It didn’t take long for you to realize he was after sleeping in, preferring to stay wrapped up in his warm bedroll instead of coming out to relieve you from duty. 
Finally about two goddamn hours after sunrise, John came out and offered to go on guard, mentioning to you that Bill had woken up about twenty minutes ago but decided that avoiding you was better than owning up to his mistake. 
You walked into camp and scanned the area, trying to find Bill so you could confront him. Dutch sat outside his tent, reading a book. A frustrated Arthur was playing dominoes with Tilly. And Micah sat at one of the tables, cleaning his revolvers. It seemed as though everyone was around except for Bill.
“Mic, have you seen Bill this morning?” you asked as you walked up to Micah. The man scoffed “How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?”. “But it’s your name” you replied. “That ain’t my name” he snapped back, glaring at you. “But your name’s Mic-ah” you sounded it out as if you were teaching Jack a new word.
Micah rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath but he stopped when he noticed you yawn. “Awh, you all tired out from being out on watch?” he mocked. “I’m not tired” you answered bluntly.
“Sure you ain’t” Micah replied sarcastically.
The truth was you did feel a bit drained. You had just spent the whole night on guard duty, of course you were kinda tired but you weren’t going to admit that to him.
You and Micah always had a strange friendship. Half the time you were both arguing with one another, hurling insults at each other and bickering over anything and everything. But then a few hours later you would both be sitting at one of the tables, laughing together as if you were the best of friends. It was strange but it worked.
“Seriously, I’m not tired” you reinforced, knowing he didn't believe you the first time you said it “you’d be surprised how long I can stay awake”. “Is that so?” he questioned, focusing his attention on cleaning his revolvers again. A small smirk tugged at your lips “Yeah, I mean I could definitely stay awake longer than you. That wouldn’t even be a challenge”.
Why were you saying this? Well, you had only one reason. You wanted to annoy him.
Micah chuckled “Now you’re just lying to yourself”. “Or you’re underestimating me” you corrected him. You knew there was no way Micah could go longer without sleep than you. Sure, you spent the night awake but from the dark circles under Micah’s eyes, it was obvious he had a couple of restless nights recently. 
“I’d even make a bet that I could stay awake longer than you” you smirked. Micah let out a loud, arrogant laugh as he looked at you again “That’s real funny”. 
“What? You scared I’ll win?” you continued to annoy him. 
“There ain’t no way in hell you’d win” he furrowed his brow.
“You wanna bet on that?” you asked. Micah considered it for a couple of seconds, his gaze momentarily flicking down to his guns before looking at you “Fine, but don’t expect me to let you win”.
Out the corner of your eye, you saw Bill cautiously step into camp. “There he is” you muttered to yourself. Bill hesitantly glanced around, presumably trying to see where you were so he could avoid you. “Williamson!” you called, getting his attention. Bill looked at you with wide eyes before turning on his heels and walking in the opposite direction.
You started to walk after him, not about to let him get away that easily. “Hey, get back here!” you yelled. Micah chuckled as you jogged after Bill. He was confident that you would fall asleep first, especially since you just got off guard duty. There was no way you’d win this bet, Micah was sure of it.
12:30pm You sat under a tree, listening to the gentle midday breeze make its way through the branches overhead. You had been reading a book Mary-Beth recommended to you but put it down on your lap, the warm summer’s day starting to make you feel drowsy. 
“You asleep yet?” Micah suddenly appeared. You quickly opened your eyes and blinked a few times to try and quickly wake yourself up. “You know I’m not sleeping until you do” you reminded him. “You weren’t being serious about that, were you?” he questioned.
“Of course I was”.
“Huh, well you’re gonna be waiting a while,” he replied, only now starting to realize you were being deadly serious about this bet “I don’t plan on losing an easy bet”.
He leaned against the tree, taking out a pack of cigarettes and putting one between his lips. “How was your talk with Williamson?” he asked, putting the packet back into his pocket and taking out a match. “It was fine, he said he’ll do my next shift on guard duty to make it up to me. Actually, when was the last time you went on duty?” you gazed up at him.
You couldn’t remember the last time you saw Micah out there on guard. In fact, you couldn’t remember a time he was ever on guard duty.
“Why would I waste my time doing that?” Micah sneered, lifting his boot and striking the match off of it. You sighed, picking up your book again and flicking through to the page you stopped at “You can be so grumpy when you’re tired”.
“I ain’t tired” he grunted. You laughed softly, making Micah huff. “Sleep’s overrated” he said with a new found determination “and I will win this bet, make no mistake about that”. Micah stormed off, mumbling what you presumed where insults under his breath.
You admired how seriously he was starting to take the bet but you knew he wouldn’t last. Sure, you had been awake for many, many hours at this point and you were tired but Micah could’ve been awake for days by now. He never was keen on sleep and that’s what made you think this was going to be an easy bet to win. Even if you didn’t win, maybe this would encourage Micah to sleep and as much as you didn’t want to admit it, that would be a good thing too.
4pm You were helping Pearson with dinner. Normally you didn’t but he had a fight with Sadie earlier in the day so you decided to step in and give her a break. You chopped the vegetables, humming a tune to yourself.
“Well, well, well, what’re you doing?” a voice asked from behind you. You didn’t bother turning around. Micah always had a distinct voice you could recognize immediately. 
“What does it look like I’m doing?” you replied with a hint of sarcasm in your voice.
You expected him to move around the table and into your line of sight but instead Micah peered over your shoulder, slyly placing his hand on your hip as he did. “Hmmm” was all he said as he looked down at the vegetables. You expected him to move but he stayed where he was, his chest pressing against your back and his hand subconsciously kneading your hip.
A strong scent suddenly hit your nostrils and you couldn’t help but scrunch up your nose. “Have you been drinking?” you turned your head towards him. Micah also turned his head to look at you properly, his lips curving upwards and into a smirk. “Maybe” he grinned.
You could smell the whiskey every time his hot breath hit your face. You hadn’t realized how close his face was to yours until his eyes momentarily flicked down to your lips.
It caught you by surprise, your nose nearly bumping against his. Micah didn't expect your faces to be so close either, his mouth staying slightly open though he stayed quiet. You’ve heard the phrase ‘getting lost in someone’s eyes’ but you didn’t think it was actually real. Yet there you were, unable to stop gazing into his blue eyes, as if there was a magnetic pull to him.
You had to remind yourself that you were in the middle of camp with other people nearby. You cleared your throat, tearing your eyes away from his. Micah snapped back to reality too, taking his hand off your hip and stepping away from you. 
He moved over to the other side of the table, resting his weight against it. “You, uh... you wanna have a drink with me?” he asked, glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby. You focused your attention on chopping the vegetables “I can’t, Pearson has about ten other things he needs me to do”.
Micah rolled his eyes “You know, if you keep helping ‘em all the damn time then they’ll start treating you like a workhorse”.
You laughed “As if you know anything about working and pulling your weight around camp”.
“Just tryna look out for ya,” he mumbled “you’ll thank me one day”.
“I’m sure I will,” you replied, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in your voice ”now shoo, you’re distracting me”. You scooped up the vegetables in your hands and turned your back to Micah, walking over to dump them into the pot of stew.
Micah let out a forced chuckle before he picked up a bottle of beer and made his way over to the campfire. A smirk spread across your face as you watched Micah gulp down his beer. Maybe this would be a good thing. If Micah was drinking alcohol then surely it'd make him tired fast. In a way, he was unknowingly sabotaging his chances of winning. You nodded to yourself as you got back to work, confident that you’d win.
10:35pm Your mind was in a cycle. Within an hour you’d go from feeling completely fine to absolutely exhausted. You had spent the last ten minutes in a daze, staring at the campfire with drooped eyelids. Out of all the days to make a bet with Micah to see who could stay awake longer, why did it have to be the day after your night shift? Micah sat at one of the tables, sipping on yet another beer. He looked normal… well, whatever normal is for Micah. Basically, he didn’t look tired.
“And that’s why you should never trust people that swim in the same water they fish in” announced Sean. You snapped out of your daze, raising your eyebrows as you looked at him. “What?” you asked, completely baffled by his statement. 
Sean tilted his head “Wha- have you been listening to me? I’m trying to teach you some very valuable life lessons here”.
“Yes, yes, thank you” you nodded your head, still confused but deciding to act as though you knew what the hell he was on about “that was, uh… quite something”. 
A proud smile spread across Sean’s face as he stood “See, I knew you’d find that helpful”. He lifted his arms up as he stretched. “That’s me done for the night,” he let out a big yawn “I’m robbing a stage tomorrow so I need my wits about me”. You tried not to yawn too, clenching your jaw. “Good luck with that” you replied, a small yawn managing to escape. 
With Sean heading off to bed, you realized that there weren’t a lot of people still awake. Micah got up and walked over to the beer crate, picking up another full bottle. You got up and followed him over.
“I told you, this is bet is going to go on for a while” he said, knowing it was you who was approaching. “I know,” you replied “but I don’t plan on giving up anytime soon”.
“You want a beer now?” he offered, lifting up another bottle. You thought about it for a few seconds “Nah, it’ll only make me sleepy”. “You sure?” he waved the bottle slightly “just one drink?”.
You knew Micah was already after having a plentiful amount of drink so no matter how sleepy the alcohol made you feel, it would have the same effects on him but sooner. “Ok,” you took the beer “but just one”.
2:23am You told yourself you were only going to have one beer and you meant that, you really did. But you were having a good time, so one beer turned to two beers, and then three, and then four. 
You weren’t sure what number you were on now but the good news is that you weren’t feeling tired. You were definitely drunk but not tired.
At some point, you both decided to go for a walk along the outskirts of camp. You knew Micah must’ve felt sleepy since he was the one who suggested it, presumably to try and keep himself awake. The two of you strolled through the woods, chatting and laughing until eventually you decided to sit down by a tree. Micah sat down next to you, putting his arm around your shoulders without a second thought to the action.
He was warm and surprisingly comfortable as you shuffled closer to him. You could stay there forever. You’re breathing started to slow as each blink seemed to last longer. 
“So what do you want if you win this bet?” Micah asked, a relaxed smile on his face. You blinked again, this time keeping your eyes closed “Haven’t decided yet. Why, how much do you want if you win?”. You presumed Micah wanted cash if he won.
“I, um… I wasn’t going to ask for money” he revealed, his breathing getting heavier.
“What were you going to ask for?" you asked.
He hesitated, debating whether to say it or not. “I dunno…” he stalled “maybe, uh…”.
You waited patiently, too relaxed to care about how long it would take him to say it. “Maybe something like a… a kiss” he said shyly before he immediately began to backtrack “but money sound’s good".
“You… you wanted a kiss?” you opened your eyes and sat up straight to look at him. For once, Micah actually looked nervous. The flirtatious, confident front he usually portrays had completely vanished. He wasn’t sure what to say. Slowly, a smile spread across your face. “Yeah, that could be arranged” you giggled.
Micah nodded, a goofy smile on his face. You settled against Micah again, resting your head by his chest. You could hear his heart rapidly beating. “but you gotta win to get your reward” you reminded him. He chuckled, holding you close to him “And I intend to”.
“I have to admit, I thought I would’ve won this by now” you sighed, closing your eyes again. “That's not gonna happen” Micah muttered, resting his head on top of yours.
You hated how your mind wandered into thinking that this is what life would be like if you were dating Micah. You liked being this close to him, feeling his warmth and finding his breathing relaxing. Micah was an awful man yet for some reason, you found comfort in him.
You could feel yourself drifting off to sleep, finding it harder and harder to open your eyes. Just as you were about to give in to the exhaustion, you heard a noise.
It sounded like a snort and it came from the man next to you.
You opened your eyes and blinked a few times, trying to get your brain to work. Trying your best not to disturb Micah, you moved your head up to look at him. A massive smile spread across your face as you realized Micah had drifted off to sleep.
You couldn’t believe it, he was actually sleeping. He let out another snort as he nuzzled his head closer to yours. You wanted to get up and celebrate but you also didn’t want to wake him up.
You knew in the morning he was going to argue that he didn’t fall asleep. There was no way he was going to admit that you won the bet. You wondered what you’d get for winning. A part of you wanted to ask him to buy you a drink at the saloon in town, or pay for dinner for the both of you. Either way, you had won and there was no way you were going to let him forget about this for a long, long time.
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genshin-impacted · 3 years
Text
campfire stories // Childe x Reader (sfw)
Word Count: 2.3k 
Notes: gender neutral reader, reader pov, (implied mutual pining), takes place in 1.2, hints to Childe’s Story Quest, but no direct spoilers, a LOT of bantering
an indulgent fic combo w/ character analysis of Childe and the reader’s inner turmoil in regards to their (developing) feelings for him
Summary: You walk on this tightrope, balancing the tension that exists on being on opposite sides and the comfort that comes with easy conversation and undemanding company. So you let yourself worry about Childe. How could you not when you look at Childe and see someone with an easy attitude, carefree laughter despite his guarded eyes? 
For when you talk to him, you are reminded of home-- for better or for worse.
Here is the accompaniment/sequel fic: Letters to Home!
As a wanted person, there were few places you could safely invite yourself into. It is strange being received in such a manner when you were so welcomed back in Mondstadt, but you understand why, as a foreigner, you would pose the most threat to Liyue considering the recent death of the geo archon. 
(The fact you keep getting dragged into political turmoil is concerning, to say the least, though you have a feeling your path is going to continue to be full of trouble. 
You try not thinking of brown tousled hair and blue eyes and fail. Childe is, after all, the epitome of trouble.)
Luckily, you are used to camping out in the wilderness. Despite Paimon’s whines, she is also at ease surrounded by nature, with easy access to food and fresh air. Though both of you still wish you were able to sleep in an actual bed as you did at Wangshuu Inn, considering how close to the harbor you actually were.
When the moon fully rises above the two of you, Paimon is fast asleep within the tent while you tend to the flickering embers of the campfire, basking in the silence that solitude brings you. Though your moments to be alone are soon interrupted when you hear the crunching of grass underneath the footsteps of another, and you turn, alert, to see who approaches.
"Oh, what a surprise,” Childe says, coming down from the darkness of the hills. You can hear as much as you can see the amusement on his visage that you have become accustomed to seeing often. “Fancy meeting you here.”
"It really isn’t,” you reply back dryly, looking at the measly tent, the small campfire, and two logs that you placed in front of them as temporary seats. You try to not be embarrassed as Childe looks around with too much care. “You got something to say about my lovely campsite?” You ask, knowing full well you played into his hands when he laughs and waves a flippant hand. You roll your eyes, a small smile lifting your lips as you watch him patter around your set-up, only for you to notice a gash on his wrist-- maroon in color. And once you see that, you begin to notice other wounds scattered along his body like red paint splashes on a grey canvas.
He’s hurt, you think, and worry bubbles in your chest before you can tell yourself it’s a bad idea. 
You shouldn’t be concerned, knowing who he is and who he works for. The last time you met up with a Fatui Harbinger (other than Childe, that is), she almost killed you and Paimon after stealing something that didn’t belong to her. You think you’re allowed to associate the Fatui with cold smiles and brutal actions. 
But Childe is different. You find yourself relaxing in his presence before you remember who you’re talking to, but you wish you didn’t have to put your guard up for unsavory ulterior motives in the first place. It’s not as if you don’t see how Childe’s amiable smile can so easily turn icy or that his proclivity for violence is something dangerous in and of itself, but you wish these things were something you didn’t have to worry about.
There is a constant strain in your friendship, if you can call it that-- for no matter how many times you banter easily in a way that has you almost forgetting you’re on opposite sides, you remember Venti, and the suspicion wedges itself in between the two of you. You walk on this tightrope, balancing the tension that exists on being on opposite sides and the comfort that comes with easy conversation and undemanding company. 
So you let yourself worry about Childe. How could you not when you look at Childe and see someone with an easy attitude, carefree laughter despite his guarded eyes? 
(You never thought you would ever be involved with someone in such a complicated and convoluted way, but you can't help but crave the way you and Childe clash so casually, reminiscent of your friends back in your world.
You talk to him and are reminded of home, for better or for worse.
And if you think his smile is charming or that his eyes remind you of the ocean, you try not to.)
“Hey,” you start, gesturing toward him nonchalantly, “why are you so beat up?” 
Childe chuckles, rubbing the back of his head, and you can see dried blood sticking to the tips of his hair. "Stumbled into a few ruin guards," he tells you, and you immediately translate that to ‘I picked a fight with them.’ As if knowing your train of thought, he quickly changes the subject. “You know, it shouldn’t be that bad trying to find an inn to take you in.” He grins, despite the look you threw at him. “You could just… provide the owners with extra incentive to let you under their roof.”
“Does it look like I’m made of money to you?” You retort, “Also, I can’t believe you’re trying to brush off the fact that you willingly walked into the ruins to fight them.”
Despite your snappy tone, Childe only laughs, and you can't help but be pleased that the conversation between the two of you is quick and smooth-- natural. “You know me so well already,” he says. “Have you been paying a little extra attention to me lately?” 
“Can't help it," you reply sarcastically, "you're a walking disaster, can't keep my eyes off of you." You smile when he laughs. “Anyway, come over here,” you say, rummaging through your backpack to find the medical tape. “You look like you’re one flesh wound away from dying.” 
You savor the moment of silence as Childe blinks at you in confusion. 
“...ah, are you going to dress my wounds? Worried for me, are you? How kind of you.” You can hear the teasing tone in his voice, but it is gentler in a way you did not anticipate. He looks at you with a softened gaze, and you can feel your face warm for reasons other than the campfire, so you roughly pat the log next to you, ignoring his grin. 
“No, this is actually my diabolical plan to end you once and for all,” you tell him, waiting as he takes off his top to bear his back to you. 
He glances back and you must have been too slow to train your expression to a more neutral one because he winks at you. “Be gentle, alright?”
"I'm going to be the opposite just because you said that," you say, snickering as you sweep off the caked blood where the scratches have healed over. You think briefly that joking aside, it was strange that Childe would trust you to not stab him in the back, but it passes as soon as it comes when you finally see how many scars he actually has littered all over his body. 
“Admiring my battle scars? Shall I let you take a look at every one of them?” You hear him say, and you bluster in silence as he laughs. “No need for ointment,” Childe says, when he hears you twist open an herbal soother. “I’ll be fine.” 
Without warning, you slather a healthy amount of antibiotic cream onto his wounds. He yelps at the coldness of the balm, and you can’t help the laugh that bursts from your lips when he turns to you with a pout. 
It's ridiculous to think that this man whose lower lip was protruding because of your mischievous administration was the 11th Harbinger, but you're starting to think part of the appeal is because this side of him is so unexpected to see. 
“I never said that I'd be gentle,” you reply teasingly with a fondness that so easily comes through. (You think Diluc would disapprove of how trusting you seem to be, and how Amber would have a heart attack knowing how much you hang around Childe-- but neither of them are here with you, and you are not in Mondstadt.) You find yourself sweeping your fingers over his wounds more lightly, and if he notices that your hands are more gentle, only a momentary glance behind him is telling. 
He hums. “Hm, I hope you don’t treat every patient you meet like this,” he says with a lilt of playfulness. 
“Of course not.” The campfire flickers in the corner of your eyes, comfortably keeping you warm as you press your hand onto his shoulder to wrap it with gauze. “You’re a special case,” you remark dryly. “Aren’t you glad?”
“You really know how to make a guy feel warm inside,” Childe tells you, and you can hear rather than see the smile on his face. 
For once, the two of you sit in silence. It’s a rare occasion, and you start to think that perhaps the two of you fill in the quiet with witty retorts in order to avoid the looming tension between the two of you. But with the soft flicker of fire and the gentle rise and fall of Childe’s shoulders with his breathing, you find yourself more comfortable in his presence than you’ve ever been. 
You wish you could stay like this forever, and so you set out to make it so.
You tell him what you have wanted to be if you had not come to Teyvat and become an adventurer. You avoid the more personal feelings that come with it, the yearning to go back home, how lost you felt when you were alone, and tell him briefly about who you are beyond what he knows of you as Mondstadt’s Honorary Knight. 
Childe listens to you without interruption, but you know his attention is on you from the way his shoulder shakes in laughter when you tell him about the antics your friends got into or the way he shifts when you talk about your dad.
“Do you miss your family?” He asks you suddenly when you take a brief pause to tie the tape around his shoulder.
“Yes,” you reply honestly. “I try not to, but I get homesick a lot.” You pause, your hand feeling the warmth that emanates from his skin. “You?" You try, "Do you get homesick?”
“If I give myself a moment to think about my family, I do,” he tells you, just as honestly. “I haven’t been back to Snezhnaya in, hm, quite some time, I think.” 
You trace your finger along the middle of his back where a long, white gash of scar tissue lay, and Childe does not even flinch. “Do your family know you’re Fatui?” You ask quietly, and you see your hand leave his back when he leans forward, away from your touch, to pull his shirt over his head.
Before you can open your mouth to apologize, he glances back at you and gives you a smile that makes your heart clench. “Not the young ones.”
“Oh.”
Childe laughs, and you feel your face warm again at the lack of tact in your response. “I’m kind of a ‘bad guy,’ as you already know. I’d rather have my youngest sibling still think of the world of me for as long as I can, you know?” He slips his hands through his grey jacket, continuing almost superfluously, “Defend their childhood dreams and what not.”
Instead of a response, you hum, glancing down at the red scarf that still lay pooled on the grass. You reach out for it the same time he does, and you look up to see eyes dark and blue as the ocean deep.
“Do you think I should quit?” He asks you abruptly, or so it seems to you, as you tug the scarf instinctively. You look into his eyes, wondering why they reminded you of the abyss.
The campfire ambers flicker at the corner of your eyes.
You falter when you think you should have not; isn’t the answer clear to you? Haven’t you thought Childe was better off without the Fatui? But something about the way Childe told you about his family, about his given role as defender of childhood dreams makes you think that there is more than what he has shown you. 
The fire seems unbearably hot now, but you think it might have something to do with the fact your body is close enough to Childe’s to feel how warm he is (and you wonder why you even took note of that). 
“Does it really matter what I think?” You ask instead, lifting a hand to pinch at his cheek, feeling yourself smile when he lets you do it with only a tiny wince. “Whether you quit or not-- isn’t that up to whether you think what you’re doing is still worth it?” You let go of his cheek and scarf, grinning up at him as he rubs his cheek and stares at you thoughtfully.
“Ah, well…” Childe responds after a moment of silence where you could only hear the crackling of the wood. He pulls his scarf across his shoulder and smiles at you. “Who knows?”
You roll your eyes. “What do you mean ‘who knows’? Didn’t you ask me because you care about what I think of you?” You gasp dramatically. “Childe… am I… a special case?” 
Much to your surprise, you watch as Childe’s expression morphs into something akin to embarrassment. “Ah, well, you know,” he stammers, “you’re certainly the only Honorary Knight that I know of.”
“If you really think I’m dumb enough to believe that--”
“I never said that!”
The two of you banter until the stars are high and the moon moves across the sky. You continue to share stories with him, eagerly stretching out the time where the two of you are not Fatui and Honorary Knight. Childe carefully listens to you, learning more of where you came from and the circumstances that brought you here. In return, he shares stories about his family, about his viewpoint on battles and of snow. (“You and your obsession with blood,” you retort, and he only laughs, inching closer, but never touching you, underneath the blanket you swept over the two of you for warmth when the fire dies out.) 
If your relationship with him changes that night, you cannot tell. But sometimes you think his glances linger on you longer when the two of you pass by, and you wonder if he wants to share more campfire stories, knowing how much it brings you closer to each other-- no matter how much the two of you pretend that it isn’t the case. 
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gaemkyuu · 3 years
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Mommy, Can We Keep Him? (Charlie Gillespie x Original Character
Warnings: mention of teenage pregnancy A/N: I was inspired to write a character like Lilo from Lilo and Stitch and thought of what if Charlie had a daughter like that? Then I thought about Dad! Charlie.... Here is my inspired writing piece! Let me know if you want a follow up wedding piece! Disclaimer: This is a FICITONAL writing piece! In no way do I claim characters in this piece act this way in real life.
Masterlist *now taking requests ;)
Mommy, Can We Keep Him? (Charlie Gillespie x Original Character)
Riley King started working for Netflix when she was 18 and impressed everyone at the head office with her hard work and dedication. With her motivation and work ethic, she managed to climb her way to be part of the executive management team all at the ripe age of 21. People often asked Riley how she climbed the ladder so quickly, or what was the secret to her success. No one ever guessed that her motivation came from a little girl who looked exactly like her.
Emerson Gianna King was born on August 31st of 2014 when Riley was 16 years old. She had quite the wild nature to herself, always sneaking out and illegally partying with her friends. It was only a matter of time that she would be blinded by love and give her virginity to a boy she swore would get married. He was 17 at the time and she was head over heels for him. One drink too many and a poor judgement call resulted in Riley’s teenage pregnancy.
Her one true love broke up with her a week after they had had sex, stating that his dad had had gotten a job at a law firm in Miami and that a long distance relationship wouldn’t work. She didn’t know that she was pregnant at the time, but when she did, she tried to reach out to him. His family thought it was stupid attempt at getting back together and claimed that the baby wasn’t his. They were ready to launch a full lawsuit in order to protect their family’s reputation, something that Riley and her single mom couldn’t afford to do. So they dropped it, signing legal papers that they would never contact them again and that their son wasn’t responsible for paying any child support.
This heartbreak and her daughter made Riley clean up her act and graduate high school a year ahead of her friends. She quickly started working for various companies, taking night classes at the local college campus in hopes to get her foot in the door for a bigger company and work her way up. Which is exactly what she did and how she ended up working for Netflix. That’s how she met Kenny Ortega, who introduced her to the actors of Julie and the Phantoms. She mostly worked with Netflix, but she was assigned to be there every day of boot camp to watch and monitor the development of the TV show, making projections about how their viewers would receive the new show. She didn’t anticipate to be a part of the small family that was created behind the scene with the cast and crew, and she certainly didn’t anticipate falling for one of the lead actors Charlie Gillespie.
They had been dating for three months before Riley told him about Emmerson. She had expected that he call off the entire relationship, understanding that not everyone wanted to be with someone who had a baby at sixteen. They were 22 at the time and Riley explained that she was looking to be in a serious relationship for her daughter’s sake. While Charlie couldn’t promise that this relationship would go in the direction they both wanted, he did promise that he would do his best to be there for her. He didn’t know that winning over the little girl’s heart would prove to be difficult.
Emerson wasn’t like all the other kids. For one thing, she was very mature for her age. She was potty trained at two years old and started to learn how to read basic books at the age of 4. She developed her speech quickly and often looked to use specific words that kids her age rarely heard or understand. She was a perceptive little girl and sometimes she was a little too smart and observant for her own good. This made it difficult for her to make friends at daycare because everyone thought she was weird. Riley would often catch her talking to Lilo whenever she put Lilo and Stitch on for her to watch. She would tell Lilo about the frustrating girls at her daycare and how they too “need to be punished”.
So it was no surprise to her that when Emerson first met Charlie, she would be grilling him. Charlie had expected her to be a cute little girl that likes to play with dolls. Instead, he was met with a perceptive toddler that made him question his own intelligence at times. She was very standoffish when she met him, afraid that this man was going to hurt her mommy, but over time Emerson began to open up and trust Charlie. One night, when they were six months into dating, they had to cancel their dinner plans as Riley’s babysitter came down with a flu and no one else could babysit. Therefore, their dinner plans were changed to ordering pizza and having a movie night with Emerson. Riley groaned partly through the beginning of Lilo and Stitch when her work called, excusing herself as it was an important phone call. 
This left Emerson and Charlie alone for the first time.
“Charlie, who’s Elvis Presley?” Charlie’s eyes grew big like teacup saucers.
“Your mom hasn’t shown you who Elvis Presley is?! How many times have you watched this movie?!” Emerson shrugged, not taking her eyes off the screen, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth and chewing.
“Do you want the real answer?” he was caught off guard at the frankness in her tone, starting to wonder just how many times she had watched the film. He shrugged it off and paused the movie, pulling his phone out and opening Youtube to educate the child on the legend, Elvis Presley.
When Riley returned to the living room, she was shocked to see Emerson sitting in Charlie’s lap, holding the phone, staring intently at the screen and listening to the music that played out of the speaker. She had never seen her daughter so focused before. She looked at Charlie who was equally focused on the screen of the phone as well, and she smiled to herself enjoying the view. Out of defense, Riley quickly shrugged off the creeping thought that this could be her family. After all, her and Charlie had only been dating for 6 months.
“How have you not shown her who Elvis Presley is?” he exclaimed, noticing her presence. Emerson looked at her with questioning eyes as well, feeling slightly betrayed that her mother withheld such precious information away from her. 
“I’m not really a big music person! I kinda just listen to songs I like rather than musicians” she shrugged sheepishly.
“Mommy, Charlie said there’s a documentary on Netflix about Elvis Presley. Can we watch that instead of Lilo and Stitch?” Riley’s jaw dropped at the fact that her daughter was more interested in watching something other than her favorite comfort Disney movie. She silently nodded and changed the settings on the TV, starting the Elvis Presley documentary. This was the first time her daughter ever really opened up to someone and found something in common.
Emerson absolutely loved the documentary and would go on for weeks listening to Elvis Presley nonstop. After Riley waved goodbye to Charlie and closed the door, Emerson sat patiently on the entryway bench for her mother.
“Mommy, can we keep him?”
“Yeah, Emmy. I think we can”
***
It soon became a regular thing to have Charlie stay the night at Riley’s house. He woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, but on his way back to the bedroom he heard soft whimpers and sniffles coming from Emerson’s bedroom. He stood outside her door, debating if he should go get Riley or if he should go in himself. He knew Riley was exhausted having had a full day of work and meetings, so he opted to let her sleep and peek into Emerson’s room. He thought that if it was out of his control, he could always go and get her. The sight of the little girl broke his heart.
Emerson was fast asleep, but she was trembling and clutching onto her stuffed bunny for dear life. She whimpered and tears fell from her closed eyes. Charlie quietly moved to her side and sat on her bed, softly rubbing her back, whispering her name to break her out of her nightmare. It worked, but when she woke up, she jumped into Charlie’s arms and softly cried. He was surprised at first,  but quickly snapped out of it hugging the girl and rubbing her back.
“It’s okay Emmy... It was just a bad dream... It wasn’t real... you’re okay... you’re safe” the little girl started to calm down as Charlie soothed her and rocked her side to side a bit.
“They took me away from mommy...” she whimpered and nid her face in Charlie’s neck. He felt the collar of his shirt dampen as she cried, but he picked her up and moved to the armchair she had in her room. He sat down and held her tightly in his arms.
“No one is ever going to take you away from mommy, okay? I won’t let that happen” he didn’t know where these words were coming from or where he got the confidence to say them, but in that moment he knew that he would do whatever he could for Emerson.
“Promise?”
“I promise.” he whispered, kissing her head and rubbing her back. She settled comfortably in his chest and took deep breaths. Charlie instinctively started to hum a song softly as he rubbed her back, until her breathing steadied and soft snores came from the small figure. Charlie smiled to himself that he was able to handle the situation alone, but he realized he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to put her back in bed, or if he had to hold her for the rest of the night. Not wanting to wake her up, he carefully reached for the knitted quilt beside the armchair and draped it over them. Guess he was sleeping in the armchair that night. His neck would hate him in the morning. 
Riley woke up early that morning when she rolled over to cuddle the missing Charlie. She bolted up and threw on her housecoat to search for him, but stopped when she noticed Emerson’s door cracked open. The sight inside the bedroom brought tears to her eyes and she covered her mouth to avoid making any sound that would wake them. There was Charlie sleeping in the armchair holding a sleeping Emerson in his arms. They were both fast asleep and quietly snoring.
For the first time, in their nine months of dating, Riley let herself see the possibility of Charlie being the man who could be Emerson’s dad.
***
Charlie fiddled with his collar nervously, holding flowers in the other hand. He took a deep breath and shook off his nerves before pressing on the door bell. He waited patiently and anxiously outside, only to be greeted by his beautiful girlfriend, Riley. She smiled brightly at him and he stood there blown away by her beauty. They were both dressed up semi-formally tonight as Charlie insisted on taking Riley out for a fancy dinner to recreate a cheesy romcom movie date for their anniversary. Their usual dates consisted of hiking or lounging at the beach, so Charlie figured it would be nice to dress up for once, especially since Riley rarely dressed fancy.
“Hey! Come on in, I’m just finishing up debriefing the babysitter” Charlie kissed her cheek quickly and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as she rushed back to the kitchen. Charlie waited by the front door patiently for her to finish up.
“Where are you taking mommy tonight, Charlie?” he jumped at the voice from behind, turning around to see Emerson sitting on the entryway bench. She looked up at the man who waited for her mom, bunny beside her in one hand and her blanket in the other. Charlie smiled at her presence and squatted down to her level, petting her bunny on the head.
“I’m taking mommy on a fancy dinner. You off to bed?” she nodded and opened her arms, to which Charlie gladly received her hug, only, he didn’t expect her to awkwardly latch herself on to him. Thinking quickly, he adjusted himself and picked her up. She was short and thin, so it was no problem carrying her. Her small stature always made her mother worry that she wasn’t getting enough nutrients. “I guess I couldn’t let you sleep without some snuggles could I?” she nodded as she laid her head on his chest, something her and Charlie had in common was that their love language was physical touch.
“It’s nice to see mommy in something other than jeans or sweats. I like your bowtie too” Emerson fiddled with said bow tie as Charlie gently rocked her. He was always so surprised at how observant she was and how she was able to clearly articulate her thoughts for being six years old. She was very bright and quick to understand situations, which made it hard for her to make friends at daycare. Another thing that Riley worried about often.
“You want me to tuck you in Emmy?” she shook her head against his chest and wiggled, signifying that she was okay with being put down. Charlie obeyed her wish and set her down on the floor, sitting on the entryway bench like she once did. “You’re looking a little sleepy squirt” he chuckled, clearing the hair from her face.
“Mommy said the babysitter and I get to watch a movie of my choice before bed time since it’s Friday. I wanted to watch Big Daddy but mommy said the babysitter might question her parenting choices” he let out a big laugh and Emerson giggled back.
“Having fun you two?” Riley appeared in the entryway with the babysitter. Riley crouched down and opened her arms wide to hug Emerson. The little girl jumped into her mom’s arms, nearly knocking her to the floor. “Love you Emmy. Please listen to the babysitter and go to bed on time” Riley knew she wouldn’t put up a fuss, but she figured she would remind her anyways.
“Love you mommy” she smiled as she kissed her mom’s cheek and walked to Charlie. “Love you Charlie” she tiptoed so that she could reach the man’s cheek, who also gave her a big hug. “Don’t be out too late!” she called skipping into the living room, the babysitter following after. The couple stood in the entryway thinking about Emerson’s last remarks before disappearing. 
“Ready to go, my love?” Charlie cleared his throat, opening the door and gesturing for Riley to go first. She playfully rolled her eyes and they stepped out of the house towards the vehicle. Emerson waved at them from the front window, and they waved back, until she couldn’t see them any more. 
***
“Remind me again what time you fly in?” Riley wiped some of the water that splashed on her face as she washed the dishes. Like all mothers, she was multitasking. Cleaning the house for Emerson’s birthday and trying to figure out her schedule considering Charlie was flying in from Canada. Emerson sat at the kitchen table quietly coloring while her mother was on the phone.
“Don’t worry about picking me up. You already have so much to do! I’ll just get an uber to your place” Riley toweled off her hands and took Charlie off speaker phone, holding the phone to her ear. Despite dating for a year and a half, they hadn’t officially moved in together. Charlie still had his place with all of his things, but half of his stuff was at Riley’s. “Plus I don’t want Emmy catching on to my surprise for her.”
“Right. Okay, well I’ll keep the door unlocked, since we’re home all day. I gotta go though, I still have to call the bakery to set up a pick up time for her cake and cupcakes” the couple said their quick ‘I love yous’ while Emerson shouted hers from the kitchen. Riley took a moment to herself and sighed against the wall in the corridor. Between everything at work and Emerson’s birthday, she had quite a lot on her plate but she was relieved that Charlie was able to come home a little earlier to help her out. She straightened her spine and returned to the kitchen, kissing her daughter’s head. “Emmy, mommy has to jump on to a zoom meeting in the office, are you okay to color for 30 more minutes?”
“Mommy, when can I go on a date with Charlie?” her mother froze mid movement around the kitchen, the question catching her off guard. “I know we go on dates together, but you always look like you have way more fun when it’s just you and Charlie. I wanna have fun with Charlie too” she smiled at her daughter and sat down beside her.
“Well, why not ask Charlie on a date? You can make him a little card before he gets in tonight and while I do my meeting.” her eyes lit up at the suggestion and she quickly got to work, making her mother smile. Riley got up and headed to her office, not wanting to disturb the project her daughter had started.
Riley’s meeting lasted an hour, much to her displeasure, but it was a productive one. It worked out for Emerson as she had made an elaborate card to give Charlie when he came home that night. Riley helped her daughter take a bath and ordered Sugarfish for dinner, both of them anticipating the arrival of their favorite guy. As soon as Emerson heard the door creak open, she bolted for the entryway and jumped into Charlie’s awaiting arms. He peppered her face with kisses and tickled her until Riley came along, who he kissed deeply and earned a “yuck!” from Emerson. Their dinner arrived soon after Charlie’s arrival and they all sat around the dinner table, Emerson lost in Charlie’s stories of his hometown.
“Emmy, don’t you have something for Charlie?” she perked up remembering and clumsily got out of her chair, putting her chopsticks down to run to the office. She grabbed her card for Charlie and skipped back to the dining room, placing the card beside his bento box.
“Oh? What’s this Emmy? Can I open it?” she nodded her head enthusiastically and sat back in her place at the table. Charlie’s smile wavered as he read the card, feeling slightly emotional. On the front was a picture of the three of them and inside the card read:
Dear Charlie,
Will u go on a date with me?
Love, Emmy
Hearts, flowers and smiley faces decorated the inside of the card, but the text was written in big bold letters. He could tell a lot of effort went into making the card judging by all the neatly placed stickers and carefully drawn pictures and patterns. It still amazed him that for a six year old, turning seven, that she could write so neatly. 
“Mommy helped me with some of the spelling, but I mostly did it myself” she smiled, anticipating his response. “What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful Emmy. I would love to go on a date with you” she clapped her hands and bounced in her seat, her reaction causing everyone at the table to smile and laugh. They continued to eat their dinner while planning things that they could do together, as Riley sat there watching and admiring the relationship that was unfolding before her eyes. How did she get so fortunate to find a man like Charlie? 
***
Charlie ended up taking Emerson to Disneyland and even though Riley accompanied them, Charlie and her went on all the rides together. Riley took pictures and held onto their things as the two enjoyed themselves around the theme park. Charlie knew it would be a good thing to have Riley around because she was the voice of reason when Emerson and Charlie thought of having their third Dole Whip of the day. The two of them laughed and had the time of their lives. When supper time came, Riley planned to meet a client over super at downtown Disney, planning on meeting her boyfriend and daughter later on in the evening. This left the two of them to have dinner with Goofy at Goofy’s Kitchen. 
As they enjoyed each other’s company and visits from Goofy, Charlie helped Emerson pick out her dinner and order it. Charlie could honestly say this was the most fun that he had had in a long time, but he should’ve known that with Emerson’s intelligence, there was more to this date than just having fun.
“Charlie, when are you going to ask mommy to marry you?” Charlie choked on his water, not expecting the question from the curious little girl. “Mommy said I wasn’t allowed to ask you because it was rude”
“Not rude at all Emmy, but why are you asking me that?” he was genuinely curious, thinking that maybe Riley had been venting to her subconsciously again, or that Emerson overheard a conversation with one of her friends. 
“I heard Aunty Savannah teasing her the other day over the phone and mommy got really red in the face. I think you should ask her, I know she’d say yes” Charlie’s eyes grew wide as Emerson nonchalantly recounted the conversation her mother had the other day. Emerson continued to color in the coloring book Charlie bought her earlier.
“Do you want me to ask mommy to marry me?” Emerson nodded her head as soon as the question came out of his mouth. “How come?” the question was meant to be playful, but Emerson’s reply was serious.
“Because I want to be able to call you daddy.” 
Charlie felt a lump in his throat.
“I’ve never had a daddy. It’s always been mommy and me. If you marry mommy, then you can be my daddy.” she paused to take a sip of her juice. “I think you’d make a great daddy”.
Charlie wiped away a tear that threatened to fall from his eyes and cleared his throat, feeling emotional. He took a sip from his water and took a deep breath. “You think so, Emmy?”
She nodded her head, continuing to color in her book. “Plus Justina at daycare said that in order for me to have a little brother or a little sister, you have to have a daddy AND a mommy.” Charlie chuckled at the little girl, and got up to kiss her on the head, hugging her too. 
“Got any ideas on how I should ask Mommy to marry me?” Emerson forgot about her coloring in that moment as her eyes sparkled with excitement over Charlie’s question.
“Well...I have a couple ideas...”
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deexchanel · 3 years
Text
Don't do this to me.
Word Count:
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x BlackFem!OC
Warning: Angst, Sadness.
Summary: Charmaine's first mission with the team but it doesn't end well and the team loses a member.
Go to the series masterlist before you read this chapter, if this is your first time: Charmaine
A/N: Okay so I feel way more comfortable posting this chapter after I said I wasn't going to post the rest. Let me know if this cringy, I love feedback.
------------------
The day was Friday and it was the same as any other day, Charmaine was back home from her class, Peter was getting out of school, the team either train or helped find the location of the Hydra base that held the scepter. One month after the avengers been staying in the tower. The relationship between Charm and Bucky was growing every day, at times they act like a couple without even noticing.
"Did you enjoy dinner?" Charm questioned while washing the few dishes that were in the sink. Bucky walked over placing a kiss on her cheek and putting his dirty plate in the water.
"I loved it, that lobster mac and cheese was amazing."
She blushed at the comment and his boldness of him kissing her on the cheek. He winked then walked over to the couch sitting down beside Sam, joining him in the movie that was playing. Bucky let go of the nervous breath he was holding,  he seemed confident on the outside but on the inside, he was scared as fuck.
Charmaine wasn't no easy girl that he would flirt and take home the same night in the '40s. She was the girl that he wants to get to know fully, learn the little things about, be himself around. So most time he was around Charm, he was nervous as hell praying that he wouldn't say something dumb.
Charmaine hummed one of her favorite songs while cleaning up the last dish thinking about a certain long-haired brunette. She turned around coming face to face with spiderman who was hanging upside down.  The 21-year old let out a yelp clutching her heart.
"Peter don't do that !! What the hell dude."
"You okay Charm?" Bucky questioned from the couch looking over at her. He saw Peter hanging down so his concerns washed away. "Oh, Peter just scared her."
"Yeah, you alright?" Sam asked as well not taking his eyes off the screen, ignoring what Bucky just said.
"Sorry Champagne, I just came back from patrol and I rushed in here before you left to ask you this. Can you make brownies? I wasn't here the last time you made them and everyone said they were good. " Peter rambled as he let himself come down, sitting on top of the perfectly clean marble countertop.
"They were!" Sam chimed in.
"See! I want to try them." Peter pout poking out his lip.
"I be spoiling you guys I swear. I'll make some just for you Peter."  Charm groaned playfully, opening the cabinet grabbing the brownie box. "Get your ass off my counter, I just cleaned it."
Peter hopped off happily," So? You and Bucky?"
"Peter if you continue to say something about that topic, I'm not making the brownies." She warned looking in the fridge for the eggs.  Maria walked in from the elevator with a serious face grabbing everyone's attention.
"They found the base. Cap said suit up and meet them in the lab in 5. Peter, Happy is downstairs waiting for you."
Everyone nodded and Charm hugged Peter. Tony had let slide with one of his kids going on the mission, not both so Peter was going home until they got back. She kissed his forehead.
"This mission shouldn't take long, I'll be back to make your brownies. Be good for Aunt May."
" I am Champagne, be safe and please come back. "
"I will Petey. I'll always come back."
-----------
Charmaine walked in beside Sam as they were the last two to join the rest in the lab. She found a spot beside Scott. Everyone was in full armor ready to go except Bruce and Tony because you know.
"Glad of you two to finally make it," Tony said sarcastically then started swiping away on his tablet. It projects a hologram of what seems to be Rome. "We are going to Rome. Intel tells us that hydra has a camp in the countryside."
The hologram shows a huge vineyard with a building that looked abandoned with little buildings surrounded.
"Inside sources tell us that the person who is over this organization called M.A.Z.E is supposed to be visiting any moment now. We're taking down two operations at once so be prepared for this mission to be one of the hardest." Maria said reading something off her tablet. Charm snuck a glance at Bucky who was in his winter soldier attire. She hoped that this mission wasn't going too hard for him.
"Brief explanation. Stay focused at all times, take out as many as you can, feeling overwhelmed? Walk it off. Get in, Get out. Anyone that has the chance grabs the scepter." Steve spoke with determination.
"When we get there we fight anyone that comes our way. Sam or Stark will find a way to get us in. Charm you stay by someone at all times okay? first mission and we don't want to lose you."
"Gotcha." Charm nod her head understanding his rule.
-------------
Inside the quinjet, she sat beside Bucky. Both had their mask off to communicate with each other. Everyone was in either their own zone or in a conversation. Bucky closed his eyes so he could converge on how to not lose control of himself, he didn't want to completely turn back into the winter soldier.
"You like my suit?" Charmaine asked softly taking him out of his trance.
Bucky turns his head giving a smile, "I like it. You make it look good and very badass."
"I feel like a badass." She jokes making them laugh. As their laughter died down, Charm grabbed his hand pulling it in her lap. "Are you okay about this whole mission? I know history with you and hydra isn't really that good."
"I should be good, I just don't want to be captured again, you know? Steve and I are still working on me not reacting to my trigger words. It's hard but it's working. Plus I got you fighting by my side so we are going to be the coldest duo."
"Well I'm not going to let that happen, you protect me so I'm going to always protect you . If you don't mind, I could help with the trigger words? I'll be there to hold your hand or something." Charm said with quiet empathy giving him a soft smile. " Coldest duo? Well, this mission should be over in no time. When we get back can we finish watching Legally Blonde? You fell asleep before it started leaving me up by myself."
"I'll check with Steve when we do it the next time, I wouldn't want you to get hurt if anything happened," Bucky said nodding his head towards Steve. " And I told you that I was tired! You didn't listen and put on the movie anyway."
"I'm not going to get hurt and I thought you were playing!" Charm said in defense then calmed down. "Hey, Bucky?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm always going to be here for you okay? You mean the world to me and I don't want to lose you under no circumstances." She said holding his hand to her face. Charmaine looked him in the eyes, showing that she was serious. A world without Bucky is a world that she can't live in. She needs him.
His hand opened and Charm cuddled to it. Bucky looked at her in admiration rubbing his thumb against her cheek. He admits it, Buchanan was head over heels for her,"You mean the world to me as well so don't think you're going anywhere. You're my lucky charm."
In the next four hours, they had arrived Rome's countryside and everyone prepared for landing. Charm stood next to her dad as his Iron Man suit connects over his body. Before his helmet covered his face, Tony turned to Charm.
"Kiddo, be safe alright? Don't get hurt or anything."
"I will." She reassured and he kissed her forehead. 'Now thinking about it Tony has a weird way of expressing his feelings' Charmaine thought to herself. The doors to the jet opened and Steve spoke up, "Stark, Sam you're up!"
-------------------------
A/N: I am not good with action so skipping to the juicy part.
-------------------------
Charmaine ran down the hallway trying to find the exit to the big building. Thor didn't retrieve the scepter and they were still looking but time was winding down. She ran into this room where there were big computer screens on the wall with a closed-cell in the corner.
"Ahh, I have been looking for you." A female voice came from behind her making Charmaine turn around swiftly. "I'm Mazikeen and you are going to be on in my unit."
The room filled with tension as they circled each other not losing sight of one another. "Unit? I'm not going to be anyone's slave. Let alone let you lay a finger on me, so let go of that stupid ass idea you have." Charmie snapped holding her fist up. Mazikeen winked getting in defense mode as well.
"Snarky? I like that. Let's do this shall we?"
She swings on Charm who easily blocks it. The two fight hand-to-hand combat for a couple of minutes, none stop. Charmaine was getting tired but she held her weight up. She kicked Mazikeen on her back, placing her foot on her neck. The Demon grabbed her ankle smirking then rolled over making Charm fall on her side. She gets on top, pulling out her knife.
"This won't hurt one bit. Well, maybe just a little."
"Anyone have eyes on Charmaine? The building is going to blow in 3 minutes." Tony's voice came through the comm.
"I'm busy at the moment!" Charm yelled pushing Mazikeen's arms up so she wouldn't get stabbed in the face. The dark skin girl moved one of her hands to the side grabbing the demon's hair yanking it.
Mazikeen fell off and it gave her enough time to get back to her feet. Charm kicked her to stay down but Mazi grabs her foot mid-air then twist it making her body twirl, falling on the ground.
"I will have you to myself and make you my eternal flame. Right along with the other 3 elements. You are going to be the most powerful." Mazikeen leans down grabbing her hair yanking it making Charmaine cry out in pain. The demon moved her mouth close to Charm's ear with a sinister smirk.
"I'm going to have you kill anyone that stands in our way."
A guard's body flew in the door from someone kicking him through. Bucky walks into the room angrily seeing Mazikeen holding a handful of Charm's brown hair.
He runs over punching her in the face making the demon drop his lover. Bucky grabbed Mazikeen by the neck with his metal hand dragging her towards the closed-cell.
The bounty hunter's eyes widen from the pressure that was on her throat, she hit his arm repeatedly but that didn't do anything. Bucky flings her into the closed cell like she was discarded trash.
Charm sits on the ground rubbing the back of her head, the words haunting her mind. Bucky goes back over to help his best girl onto her feet.
"We need to out of here now."
But it was muffled because of the mask. She nodded putting her weight on him as they walked to the exit. On the roof, the two ran to the middle.
"We're on the roof! Bring the Quinjet!" Bucky yelled taking off his mouth cover. Charm was hunched over trying to catch her breath, she literally just fought 5 minutes straight now she doing a full-out run. She needed more exercise.
The explosion sounded off and the building shook. Just in time, the Quinjet hovered down lowly so they could get on. A huge crack in the roof separated the two.
The building was going to collapse.
They looked around frantically as Charm's side start to slowly but gradually fall.
"Jump!" Bucky yelled, holding out his hand.
Charm did as told, not even second-guessing, leaping off the fallen building. She catches the side of the broken roof, barely holding on with one hand. All she needed to do was use her upper body to lurch her forward so her other hand could grab his. Bucky bends over, reaching for her hand, not taking his blue eyes off her brown ones.
Charmaine's eyes were filled with fear, feeling herself slowly losing grip, "I can't reach it!"
"Use your strength, Charmaine. Grab my hand!"
"I can't, Bucky; my body is too tired. I feel myself slipping!"
"Charm, grab his hand! Bucky, you need to need to grab Steve's hand. That building is going to collapse any second! He will pull you guys up." Natasha said in the comms but was ignored by both.
Bucky leans forward more without noticing that he might fall himself, "I'm not leaving without you charmaine. grab my hand!"
"I'm trying!" Charm yelled when she tries to lift herself; it aches in pain. She drops her hand down in pain. Tears clouded her vision as she knew this was it; Bucky stared at her scratched-filled face knowing what she was thinking.  He shook his head; He can't lose her, not now, " No Charm, you're leaving with me!"
Charmie could feel the building she was holding on to began to fall, sobbing; she looked into Bucky's blue eyes one last time. "I'm sorry Bucky."
"No Charmie, you have time. Just grab my hand! P-Please." Bucky yelled as tears clouded his vision. "You're my lucky charm. I need you!"
The building collapsed, and his feet slip from under him. A hand grabs his keeping Bucky from falling in the rubble; Natasha lowered it down in time just for Steve to grab the back of his armor from falling with her.
"No!" Bucky stared in horror watching Charmaine screamed, falling into the explosion reaching out for him.
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Steve gasp as tears fell down his face seeing the horrible fate of his sister.
There was nothing either could do.
With the help of others, Steve pulled Bucky into the quinjet.
Bucky laid on his stomach sobbing with heartache.
Tears weld in Thor's eyes as he saw that Charmaine wasn't on the jet. This didn't seem real to him; he couldn't accept it, "Where is Charmie? Why isn't my sister on this jet?!"
"Steve, where is Charmie?" Natasha asked, slowly getting up from the pilot seat as Clint took over. Her heart raced, hoping that he would say that Tony has her or something. Bruce grabbed her waist, but she snatched away from his touch.
"Natasha, sit down."
"Don't tell me to sit down! Where is she?!"
Steve couldn't say anything as he drops to his knees, breaking down. Sam catches him before he hit the floor. "I got you man."
The jet doors opened as Tony flew in; he raised an eyebrow to see the team in tears. He was getting files in this underground room but got out in time just as the building collapsed. He noticed someone was missing.
"What's going on? Where is Charmaine?"
No one answer, which made Tony panic.
"Where is my daughter?!"
"Tony, she died; she f-fell into the explosion," Scott informed him while wiping his tears.  Her falling replayed in Bucky's mind like it was his personal hell. Charm reached out for him, and he couldn't save her. He failed.
Tony's world crumbled as tears blurred his vision looking around the jet as if she was hiding, "What? Barnes tell me he's lying! Where the hell is my daughter!"
Bucky sat up now with his knees to his chest; he couldn't stop crying no matter how much he tried. He lost the one person that meant the most to him other than Steve, the person he saw a future with. His best girl is no longer here.
Tony sat down in a seat in disbelief; for once in his life, he cried. He completely broke down, not being able to hold it. She filled the lonely hole in his heart; everyone he ever loved was gone, and the person who made him happy.
Was gone too.
------------------
It was evening time when they got back; they had been gone all day.
The living room was silent; the avengers sat down sulking and mourning. Bucky squeezed his eyes tightly closed as the memory of her falling hit his mind like a truck. Tony had his head in his hands, just letting his mind run all over the place. The elevator ding, and a frantic Peter walked out looking for Tony.
"Mr. Stark, I'm here! What happened? Is everyone okay? Are you okay?" Peter rambled, walking into the living room. He noticed everyone's sad behavior, then looked around for Champagne. "Guys?  Did something happen? Where is Charmaine?"
Tony gets up from the couch, going to Peter, engulfing him in a hug. Peter hugged back, shock that he did that but was still confused about what happened. "Mr. Stark, what's wrong?"
"She n-not co-coming back, kiddo."
"H-huh?"
"I'm s-sorry, kid."
"N-no, you're lying! This isn't a joking matter, Mr.Stark; everyone can put smiles on their fucking faces, and Champagne can pop up from under the couch." Peter said abruptly, pulling back from Tony's arms; doing a 360 to look around for a camera. Steve rubbed his hand over his mouth to keep from crying again.
"Queens, it's not a jo-joke."
Peter's face reddens from anger and sadness," She said she was coming back! She promised! What happened to her?!" Charmaine promised without even promising him because she always comes back. Peter prayed that this a sick ass joke; she was his best friend. Him and Her against the world.
"She fe-fell into the explosion Peter," Bruce said sadly; with that, Natasha broke down in his arms. Peter wasn't taking this well, and that broke everyone's heart even more.
"N-no guys, stop this, pl-please."Peter cried, shaking his head, then he looked Tony in the eyes. Her father nodded his head as a way of saying that it's true. Peter broke down mentally, " My Champagne is su-supposed to be here with me. My best friend is.."
Tony pulls his son into his arms; tears threaten to spill.
Peter sobbed his heart out.
-----------------------
2:43 a.m.
Bucky's body lurched forward after grabbing the gun that was kept under his pillow for 'emergency purposes' raised at...
Steve.
"Bucky, drop the gun. It's me."
"Shit, I'm sorry, Steve." His fingers slowly lost grip of the gun, and the weapon dropped to his lap. His chest drew up sharply with each breath as he tried to control his rapidly beating heart. Steve sat on the edge of his bed.
"It's fine Buck, you were yelling, so I came in here to see if everything was alright."
"I should be fine."
"Okay, I'm going back to bed and try to get some sleep before my morning exercise." Steve sighs, getting up from the bed. He wasn't getting any sleep at all, but he didn't want to tell Bucky that.
"Steve?" Bucky called before he could leave out the room. Steve stopped in his tracks looking at him.
"Yeah?"
"Can you stay with me and watch Legally Blonde? I was supposed to watch it with Ch-Charm when we came back, but..."
"I'll stay Bucky; I don't mind."
Bucky gave a small smile getting out of bed, grabbing some pillows and the comforter. Steve grabbed his laptop from the desk to find the movie. 5 minutes later, the two super soldiers were lying on the floor, eyes glued to the computer enjoying the movie.
-----
Awe this is a filler and it's long so bonus.
Give feedback plsss😂. If this is cringy let me knoww!
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Next Chapter: Eternal Flame
stay slutty my friends!
52 notes · View notes
rocorambles · 3 years
Text
Training Camp ft. Ikkei: Part 1 - Know Your Place
Pairing: Yandere Nekomata x Kuroo ft. Ikkei
Genre/Warnings: NSFW, Yandere, Sex Toys, Chastity Cage, Exhibitionism, Voyerism, Humiliation, Degradation, Objectification, Cock Warming, Sweat Kink, Overstimulation, Gangbang
Summary: Nekomata has special plans for Kuroo’s first New Year’s trip. 
Previous | Next 
A/N: Of course I need to dedicate this to @sawamooora #1 Ikkei stan. 
Kuroo impatiently waits, brimming with excitement as he searches for the familiar sight of Nekomata’s car approaching, suitcase packed and ready to go besides him. It’s been months since their little relationship began and the pink cage around his cock and the plug nestled in his ass feel like second skin, bringing a sense of comfort to the younger man as he’s reminded of just who belongs to with every shift he feels against his sensitive cock and insides. 
He’s always hated New Year’s, dreaded being forced to spend more time than he wanted to at home, in an empty house devoid of any real familial love other than a fond smile here or there from his grandparents. He doesn’t want to be ungrateful and he loves his grandparents, he really does, but the loneliness is tormenting, the emptiness and silence clawing and digging its way under his skin as the clock ticks down to midnight every year, with only him there to greet the new year, his grandparents already long fast asleep and his father nowhere to be found. 
But this year...this year’s going to be different and he can’t help the grin that spreads across his face when a car honks at him from the street, practically skipping and almost tripping over his long legs as he shoves his suitcase into the trunk of his coach’s car and hops in the passenger seat. 
Kuroo’s always been envious hearing his friends tell him about the fun celebrations their family did over the holiday, something green and ugly churning in his guts whenever someone rambled on and on about the amazing family trip they went on during the time off. But over time, as he got older, he had grudgingly come to terms that it’s just never something he’d ever experience, settling for the quiet dragging days he spent idling away in his bedroom instead. 
So when Nekomata had asked him if he wanted to go away to the countryside with him over the New Years holiday during one of their post-coital cuddle session, he could hardly believe his ears, almost smacking the old man in the face with how quickly he turned to stare at him with wide hazel eyes before grinning and enthusiastically nodding his head. His body suddenly regained all of its energy despite how many orgasms had been coaxed out of him and he noisily pestered the older man with all types of questions about what they’d be doing and exactly where they were going, only shutting up with a gasp when a wrinkled hand reached down to circle his cum-filled hole, amused eyes staring at him as a finger slipped inside the loosened entrance. 
“Well if you’ve recovered enough to make so much noise, let’s put that newfound energy and loud mouth to use.” 
Needless to say, Kuroo didn’t get any answers that night. 
And even now as they begin their long road trip, he still has no clue or hint of what’s in store for him. 
Nekomata fondly smiles as Kuroo inquisitively looks around, pretty eyes sparkling with excitement and awe as he scurries around like a kitten exploring new territory, examining every inch of Ukai Ikkei’s peaceful training camp nestled among the woods of Miyagi. It’s a beautiful location, so different from the bustling city of Tokyo, hidden from prying eyes, only snow and barren trees visible for miles and miles. Perfect for what he has planned for his adorable pet and he laughs when Kuroo lays beside him that first night, pouting and whining about Nekomata not telling him that there were indoor volleyball courts here so he could pack accordingly. 
He had wondered when Kuroo would bring it up and despite creaking bones, he eagerly makes his way to his own suitcase, pulling out a package he had purposefully kept hidden for this very moment, gleefully watching as the taller man curiously opened the bag. Not many things catch Kuroo off guard, so Nekomata watches in pride as the athlete’s jaw drops, almost reaching the ground as he realizes exactly what he’s staring down at. 
The Nekoma captain knows it’s going to be a long weekend when he sees the vibrating butt plug innocently laying on top of a bundle of fabric, throat dry as he sets the toy aside and examines the soft bundle still inside, cock twitching in interest in its prison, a little whine stuck in his chest. 
“Shouldn’t you thank me? Now you’ll be able to play all the volleyball you want this weekend. I even have some old friends visiting tomorrow who can join us.” 
“It’s- That’s way too small! You want me to wear just this in front of other people?” 
Hazel eyes pleadingly stare at the older man, but it’s no use and Kuroo pouts as Nekomata sternly stands his ground, reluctantly nodding his head and cuddling into his cushy chest when the coach uses his weakness against him, softly murmuring little praises about how good he’ll look, how he just wants to show off his handsome boy to everyone. 
Doesn’t Kuroo want to make him happy? 
He does! He does! 
And despite how embarrassing it is, lean toned torso on display, cute nipples pebbled in arousal as Nekomata teasingly sucks the two peaks to attention, tiny bulge and ass cheeks practically hanging out of the skimpy black spandex shorts (really just glorified panties), Kuroo can’t help the pleased flush he feels spreading inside of him at how proud and hungrily Nekomata looks at him, whispering how gorgeous he is as he playfully prods and pushes the vibrating plug inside of Kuroo’s tight hole. 
But it’s time to play a different game and Nekomata pulls the dazed boy after him, pretending nothing’s unusual about how he introduces the almost naked youngster to the rest of the senior citizens gathered on the indoor court, ignoring the leering looks they give the flustered athlete, biting back a smile at how veiny wrinkled hands roam and linger inappropriately across Kuroo’s body as they introduce themselves and greet the frazzled man. 
He’s proud of how well Kuroo takes all the attention and the wandering touches, something akin to jealousy curling inside of him at how the messy haired man unconsciously leans into fingers that run along his nipples and sticks his ass out just a bit more when someone presses up behind him. Maybe he had trained his toy too well, but there’s no time to linger on it, not when everyone’s lining up on either side of the net and getting in game position. 
Adrenaline pumps through Kuroo and he feels at home, almost forgetting the embarrassing outfit he has on as he gets ready to play like he always does, thinking to himself if maybe he should take it down a few notches, not wanting to hurt any of the frailer men around him. He sees a spiker jump in front of him and he leaps in the air, toned arms reaching up, ready to block the ball, but he yelps, mind going white as the vibrator inside of him is suddenly turned on, pressing relentlessly against his prostate and he falls on the ground in surprise. 
Old faces crowd around him, rough hands helping him up, voices asking him if he’s okay, but it’s all background noise as he stares wide-eyed at Nekomata, heart racing at the smirk he receives in response, the flash of a remote peeking from his coach’s shorts solidifying his worst fears. But there’s nothing he can do, nothing he can say without letting everyone else around him know exactly what’s happening, that he’s traipsing around in public with a toy shoved inside of his ass like a slut. So he stays silent, plastering on a forced smile on his face as he reassures everyone he’s fine, unaware of the shared smirks behind his back, all of them in on Nekomata’s naughty little secret. 
It only gets worse after that, the vibrations becoming unpredictable in timing and intensity, sometimes hitting him at the peak of his jumps, sometimes starting up in between plays, sometimes not moving at all, only making it so much worse when it does begin again after a longer pause than normal. His anticipation and anxiety only makes things worse and he knows he’s a mess, sluggish, sweating far too much for a simple game with old men, sloppy. But he grits his teeth, determined to make it through at least the first set before making up some excuse to leave and relieve himself. 
Unfortunately Nekomata and company have different plans for him and when he once again jumps to block another spike, he can’t hold back the scream as the vibrations hit him full blast, not stopping even when he collapses on the ground, writhing and grabbing his ass, begging Nekomata to turn it off, uncaring of how everyone is watching the lewd spectacle he’s making of himself. 
But it’s not Nekomata who hauls him up and he sobs as Ikkei snarls at him to stop whining, sneering at him for being a fucking whore who can’t live without a toy inside of him. 
“How dare you waste all of our time by pulling shit like this? We’re here to play volleyball, not babysit a horny slut. So go make yourself useful, get off the fucking court, and be our little bench cock warmer since you clearly need something to always fill that slutty hole of yours.” 
Kuroo can hardly register what’s happening, incoherently blabbering and drooling as the intense vibrations still relentlessly assault him, mindlessly following as Ikkei continues to drag him over to the metal bench, moaning as his pre-cum soaked shorts are pulled off of him. He petulantly whines when the plug is pulled out of him, immediately changing his tune and apologizing when Ikkei’s hands swat at his ass, rough palms humiliatingly spreading his ass cheeks apart, leaving his gaping fluttering hole on full view for everyone. 
But when he’s positioned over Nekomata’s sitting form, trembling thighs bending as he’s shoved down on the cock he’s grown so familiar with, it feels like everything’s right in the world and a dopey smile spreads across his face when he bottoms out, the familiar weight and heat inside of him soothing his highstrung body. And suddenly he can care less about how the rest of the men are crowding around Nekomata and him on the excuse of being on a “water break”, greedy eyes taking in how Kuroo’s long legs splay wide open, pretty pink chastity cage out in the open, tight hole stuffed full of old man cock. 
He doesn’t know how long he stays like that, body drunk on pleasure, jolted back to attention here and there by fingers that teasingly tweak and brush his nipples, a wrinkled hand easily fondling his cute little caged cock in one hand, a raspy voice mockingly tsking him for dripping so much sticky pre-cum everywhere. 
The first set finishes and then there’s bickering as the other old men complain about how it’s unfair that only Nekomata gets a cock warmer when he sits out, demanding that Kuroo be passed around as a communal object. Nekomata is hesitant, surprisingly fierce possessiveness keeping him from readily agreeing. But when Ikkei urges him on, encouragingly asking his long-time friend things like “don’t you ever want to just sit back and watch?”, “don’t you want to see what your little pet looks like being split on multiple cocks?”, he can’t help the voyeuristic curiosity inside of him that ultimately has him acquiescing.
Kuroo doesn’t know how many times he’s passed around, doesn’t care, mind only able to think of being full, uncaring of how or by who. 
Sometimes he’s made to face the game, fingers prodding his face, palms gently slapping his cheeks until he’s paying attention, forced to keep track of points, punished by vicious pulling and twisting of his aching nipples and smacks to his pathetically imprisoned cock when he says the wrong numbers or forgets to say anything at all after a point is scored. 
Sometimes he’s made to face the player whose cock is splitting him apart, coaxed into sloppily making out with chapped lips, the scent of elderly bodies filling his nostrils, the wet sound of tongues and mouths tangling together echoing in his ears, bony hands digging into his bare ass. 
He thinks he may have passed out once or twice, maybe even a few times, only to wake up moaning, tears in his eyes as arousal and denial mix and meld in a painfully intoxicating cocktail inside of him. All he needs, all he wants is to bounce on the cocks shoved inside of him to his heart’s content, desperate even for the lackluster untouched prostate orgasms he’s limited to with his chastity cage still firmly locked. But anytime he tries to even shift his hips, every time he even breathes louder than normal, he’s scolded and vulnerable inner thighs are meanly pinched until he stays still like a good toy. 
It’s all a frustratingly dizzying experience, time and space blurring in Kuroo’s mind, brain turning off as he allows himself to just submerge in the feeling of being passed around and used, allowing himself to just let go and be the mindless sex toy they want him to be. But he’s snapped back to reality by a sudden inability to breathe and piercing coldness across his entire torso, muffled squealing filling the air as he’s laid face down on the cold metal bench, Ikkei’s cock breaching his mouth further and further, Nekomata sinking balls deep inside of his loose ass, both men surrounding him, their legs spread on either side of the bench, caging him in between them. 
As his mouth is stretched painfully wide, nose brushing against Ikkei’s lower stomach, gray scratchy hairs tickling his face, ass full, Nekomata’s hands playfully kneading and groping his toned buttcheeks, any humane part left in his sex-crazed mind shatters. All he knows is serving and pleasure and he happily moans as his bare flat back is used as a table for sweaty towels, soaked fabric carelessly tossed on top of him. An especially drenched towel is thrown over his head and he deeply inhales, the salty heavy smell of sweat intermingling with the musk of Ikkei’s groin only dragging him further down a path he’ll never be able to recover from.
He could live happily just like that for the rest of his life, filled on both ends, white cotton fabric acting as a blindfold, encasing him in the pungent scent of his tormentors, reminding him just how far he’s fallen. But his owners have different plans, ignoring his little complaining mewls from being left empty and unfulfilled as Ikkei and Nekomata pull out of him. The towel still around his face prevents him from seeing anything, but a delighted smile slips on his face at the feeling of something prodding at his entrance, a content sigh escaping him when the familiar vibrating plug is pushed back into him, eyes closing and focusing on the soothing feeling of being filled once again. 
But that comfort is short lived and he screams, a panicked overwhelmed keen that makes the men around him laugh as the vibrator is suddenly turned onto its highest setting, the borderline unbearable intensity against his relentlessly stimulated prostate driving him crazy, body writhing and convulsing in agonized bliss, fat tears and drool making a mess of his face. Yet that doesn’t stop his audience from meticulously pulling back up his ridiculously tiny booty shorts, pulling the material snugly high up on Kuroo’s hips, locking the plug even more firmly in place, slapping the captain’s perky ass for good measure and prodding at the toy inside of him through the stretchy fabric as he continues shaking and trembling, eyes rolling back, tongue lolling out. 
The towels that had been strewn about his body and head all lie rumpled and discarded on the ground, thrown off by the younger man’s chaotic movements, and the group of men watch in awe and lust, veiny wrinkled hands pumping their useless old cocks at how broken their little toy looks. He barely looks human. He definitely doesn’t sound human. And it only makes the desire in their aged bodies grow that much more, pride and power swelling inside of them at how much control they still have, despite their numbered days, over a bright and powerful young thing like Kuroo Tetsurou. 
Gangbangs? They’re a young men’s game. But as they stare at the now cum covered man still sobbing and wailing as the vibrator inside of him continues its relentless assault, slobbering all over their cocks and fingers as they make sure not to let a drop of their sticky liquid go to waste. They can’t help but give themselves a pat on the back for their successful attempt, yawning and slowly walking away on aching legs and hips, bones creaking and cocks exhausted from being used so thoroughly after almost decades of no action.  
Kuroo makes to get up, confusion in dazed hazel eyes as he tries to follow the pack, whimpering as every move he makes only makes the vibrations inside of him hit different angles. But he’s gently shoved back down by two pairs of hands and he bewilderedly pants, turning his attention towards Nekomata and Ikkei, gasping when they each toy with one perky nipple as they amusedly observe him. 
“And where do you think you’re going, Tetsurou? There’s water bottles, towels, and all this equipment that still needs to be packed up and stored away. I’m not turning off your little toy until everything is cleaned up, understand? So better get to it.”
Tears stream down his face at the stern words, dismayed eyes taking in just how much of a mess there’s left for him to clean, realization that his torment has hardly begun sinking in. But he shakily nods and two pairs of eyes watch in sick fascination as their little slut begins to move around, breathy gasps and lewd moans interspersed with his actions, stumbling and panting like a cat in heat. 
It’s going to be a great training camp.  
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