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#also if anyone wanted to send me fic prompts I would... do that
cha-melodius · 1 day
Note
A ship of your choice firstprince, please!
A location—(Although I dare someone to send the White House or Kensington, I WILL make it into an AU. I have ideas.) Also if you want a particular historical setting, you can feel free to include a time period too. GO NUTS, please.
Well sheesh, with that kind of tease, I suggest both the White House and Kensington Palace, circa the year 2068.
I look forward to seeing what you choose to do with this! I am certain to enjoy it, whatever it is ❤️
(This was such an intriguing prompt, and I hope you enjoy what I did with it. Also happiest of birthdays to @dumbpeachjuice, who's incredible fic "make me your god" inspired this one.)
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The Impossible Soul
(M, 7.2k, read it below or on AO3)
“I shouldn’t let you do this for me,” Henry tells him in the moments before.
“You should know by now that you’re not letting me do anything, sweetheart,” Alex returns. “Anyway, I’m doing this for us.”
“Even though we still won’t be able to be together?”
“I told you, it’s only temporary. Once my mom’s no longer in office, I won’t be in the spotlight. But I can’t leave you trapped here for another four years. I won’t.” Alex cups Henry’s cheek with his hand and brushes a thumb against the corner of his perfect mouth. “Besides, what if I left you here and you forgot about me?”
Henry covers Alex’s hand with his, warm and soft. “Never.”
~~~~~
One Year Earlier
Alex didn’t think he could be surprised by AIDEs at this point, but the ones populating Kensington are really something else.
“It’s a pleasure to have you here,” Prince Henry says, his blue eyes crinkling slightly at the corners as he shakes Alex’s hand.
Alex can’t help but stare. The eyes are the hardest part, or so Nora says. All the Secret Service agents’ eyes have a kind of strange metallic glint behind them. Often it’s not even noticeable, but if you look too closely, it becomes obvious. Prince Henry’s eyes are flawless, though. Just endless, perfect blue. Really, the only flaw Alex can see in this model is that they made him inhumanly beautiful. No real person has lips like that.
Henry’s hand is warm in his, his grip firm but not too tight. Alex forces himself to let go.
“Yeah, thanks,” he says, looking around rather than staying trapped in Henry’s piercing gaze.
Palace servants flit about, attending to all of the gala guests’ needs along with those of the princes and princess. Apparently, it’s a perfect recreation of the palace’s operations from the turn of the century, back before the monarchy was abolished. Now they just keep fake royalty here, like they can’t quite let go of the idea. Alex has never understood it, and visiting hasn’t really helped. Of all the things he’s had to do on this goodwill trip, this is by far the strangest, pretending to hobnob with royalty at a fancy ball like anyone does this shit anymore. Then again, maybe showing off is the whole point, same as it ever was.
It’s not like Alex isn’t used to interacting with AIDEs. The use of Artificially Intelligent Dynamic Entities is still limited more broadly, but they’re common in dangerous or sensitive jobs. The entire Secret Service was replaced by them two administrations ago; their loyalty is never in question, nor their willingness to protect their charges at all costs. Use of AIDEs for entertainment purposes is growing in popularity too, like the Kensington ones. They play the role they’re programmed to without deviation, they don’t need to eat or sleep (though they usually do, to better mimic humanity), they can be abused or even killed without repercussion and, most importantly, they don’t need to be paid.
“I hope your visit to London has been pleasant?” Prince Henry asks with perfectly-tuned amiability. It makes Alex want to push a little, though he knows Nora would tell him it’s a futile exercise.
“Mostly I’ve been spending it in lots of meetings,” Alex says. “Kinda wish I had time to go out and see more of the city.”
“I can understand that,” Henry replies, glancing toward the doors in a way that Alex would call wistful if he didn’t know better.
Can he? Do they let them leave the palace? Probably not. Does Henry want to, though? That would be a weird thing to program into an AIDE that’s supposed to stay in one place.
“I guess you probably don’t get out much, huh?” Alex asks.
Henry smiles indulgently at his bad joke. “Not so much, no. Makes it ever-so-difficult to meet people, you know.”
Alex laughs despite himself. He’s never met an AIDE that was so self-aware. If he tries to joke with Cash about taking a day off, the agent just stares at Alex blankly. “You must talk with a lot of visitors to the palace, though.”
“I do,” Henry allows, taking a sip of his champagne. “Most of them aren’t very interesting, though. All they do is ask what it’s like to be a prince.”
“And? What’s it like?”
Henry smirks a little. “Bloody boring. Not that I can tell them that, you understand.”
“Yeah,” Alex agrees, a little lost for words. Henry is nothing like what he was expecting. “So, what do you want to talk about, then?”
In response, Henry takes a step closer. He smells like fancy cologne, like linens and fresh grass, and something inside him seems to tug Alex closer. “Can I show you something? Still inside the palace, of course.”
Alex’s eyes flick over to June and Nora, chatting with someone he doesn’t recognize—AIDE or government official, he can’t tell—and the Secret Service agents linger at the periphery of the ballroom. He knows shouldn’t leave the event, but honestly chances are no one would notice he was gone. Plus, his curiosity is through the roof.
Henry takes him to a library. There are barricades set up to keep the visiting public to certain areas, but Henry slips past them and Alex follows him. Watches as Henry walks down the rows with a small, private smile curving his lips, trailing a finger along the spines. He pauses and plucks a book off the shelf—Pride and Prejudice, Alex can just make out—and smooths a hand lovingly over the cover.
“I love to read,” Henry says, almost to himself. His eyes flick up to Alex’s, shining brightly in the low light. “All those worlds… They’re incredible, don’t you think?”
Alex doesn’t know what to say. AIDEs don’t read. They don’t dream of other worlds.
“The rest of your… family,” Alex says, diplomatically. “Are they like you? I mean, with the reading.”
Henry laughs quietly and shakes his head. “No. No one’s like me.”
Alex is rapidly coming to that same conclusion.
~~~~~
“There’s nothing special about the Kensington AIDEs,” Nora tells him, sounding more beleaguered than necessary. “We talked to Princess Beatrice for like an hour, it was the same as any other AIDE. Pleasant, but a little vacant. The eyes are a neat trick, though.”
“I’m telling you, Henry is different,” Alex insists. “We talked all night. He’s aware of what he is. He reads and he thinks and he feels. Fuck, Nora, he dreams when he sleeps.”
“AIDEs don’t sleep. Not really.”
“Henry does.”
“Someone just got a little creative with the programming,” Nora says dismissively. “He’s supposed to say those things to make him seem more real. If you went back, he probably wouldn’t even remember you.”
“And what if he did?”
“Alex—”
“What if he did remember me? What if all of it really is real?” Alex presses.
Nora frowns at him. “Then there are some major ethical implications that current AI laws are frankly not prepared to deal with,” she says bluntly. “Look, it’s just not possible. They don’t have feelings, period. He’s just a fancy computer.”
“Fine. Whatever you say,” Alex huffs, mostly because he doesn’t want to have this argument anymore. She’s not going to change his mind, and clearly he’s not going to change hers.
“Promise me you’ll leave this alone. We can’t afford some kind of diplomatic incident because you got a crush on the prince AIDE.”
Alex glares at her. It’s not a crush. “I’ll leave it.”
He absolutely will not.
~~~~~
Cash doesn’t blink—literally—when Alex tells him that he’ll be visiting Kensington Palace again rather than the scheduled afternoon tea with some MP he couldn’t care less about. He sends his apologies with an excuse that he’s not feeling well and heads to the main entrance with the rest of the tourists. He has no idea where Henry might be, but AIDEs don’t take days off, so it stands to reason that he’ll be somewhere acting princely, or whatever he does all day.
Unfortunately, he gets stuck on a tour led by an AIDE with a dirty blonde bob and green eyes who most definitely shows none of Henry’s spark. It’s boring as fuck, and he almost bails more than once, but this place is huge and he’d probably get lost forever before he found Henry. They go past a few rooms Alex recognizes, but there’s no sign of the ‘royal family’ anywhere, and Alex starts to worry. Maybe they only trot them out for big events. Maybe you have to buy a special tour package. Ugh, his mom is going to kill him if he ditches any more events.
“Next, we’ll visit the palace library,” the guide says, and Alex perks up.
This has got to be his chance. Henry had said they were basically allowed free run of the palace so long as they remained in areas where they’d run into visitors during operating hours, and Alex knows there’s nowhere Henry would rather be than the library. Sure enough, he’s reading in a massive armchair by one of the windows, though he gets up when the tour group enters and comes over to talk to them. His face is fixed in a pleasant, bland smile as he looks over the group, until his eyes land on Alex. The flash of recognition is clear, even if he recovers quickly, and Alex’s heart thuds a little harder in his chest.
He lingers toward the back as the rest of the visitors ask Henry about living in the palace and being a prince—exactly as he said they would. He answers graciously, of course, the words so bland and scripted that Alex almost wonders if maybe he hadn’t been drinking too much champagne during the gala. But he hangs back when everyone else files out, and as soon as Henry turns to him, his eyes practically light up.
“You came back,” Henry says, his voice soft with something like wonder.
“Of course I did,” Alex replies. “We didn’t finish our conversation.”
Henry ducks his head, blond hair falling alluringly over his forehead as his cheeks turn pink. The way their bodies mimic human physiology is astounding sometimes. “I suppose we didn’t. Would you care to walk with me in the gardens? It’s a lovely day.”
“Can we do that?”
“Ironically, you’re allowed so long as you have one of us with you, and I’m allowed so long as I’m with a guest,” Henry explains. “Plus, you’re a foreign dignitary. No one will bother us.”
“Sure you wanna be seen with me? My sister would say I’m the furthest thing from dignified,” Alex says, grinning probably a little too broadly.
Henry’s smile slants mischievous as he steps close enough for Alex to get a noseful of linen and fresh grass again. “Maybe I like that about you.”
~~~~
“Have you ever been outside the palace?” Alex asks on his next visit. Nora had given him a look like she knew exactly what he’s been up to when he’d begged off from an official tour of the British Museum, even though he hasn’t brought up Henry again. The fact that she’d found him down a rabbit hole of academic papers about AIDE psychology probably hadn’t helped anything.
“Not that I remember,” Henry answers. It’s rainy today, so they’re ensconced in some kind of parlor with ornate, uncomfortable furniture. The fact that Henry only knows this life is outrageous. Has he ever truly been comfortable? Does anyone even care? “They gave me a basic knowledge of London as a background. I’m supposed to be fond of the Victoria & Albert Museum, but I’ve never seen it myself.”
“That’s fucked up,” Alex blurts.
Henry shrugs. “It’s just how it is.”
“How does none of this ever seem to bother you?”
“It can’t bother me, Alex. My entire existence has been—and will be—only this, and if I allowed any of it to bother me, I’d go mad.”
This does not, in fact, make Alex feel any better about the situation. “Guess I’ll just have to be angry for the both of us, then.”
“I’d rather you weren’t,” Henry says mildly. “It’s no use being upset about my life. Nothing can be changed.”
“Bad idea to tell me something can’t be changed, sweetheart. I fucking love a challenge,” Alex returns. He’s not joking, but Henry laughs anyway. “I’m serious, Henry. You deserve to get things you want, too.”
“What if I said I wanted you not to worry about it? That I want you to be happy?”
“Because you’re programmed to?” Alex counters, letting more bitterness than he means to slip into his voice.
Henry reaches out and slides a hand over Alex’s fist where it’s curled on his thigh. “Because I like you, Alex.”
~~~~
On the last visit he can manage before he leaves London, Alex brings Henry a cell phone.
“What’s this for?” Henry asks when Alex hands it to him. It’s a cheap smartphone, pay as you go, something that Alex can renew the data and minutes on remotely.
Alex frowns at him. He would have figured Henry would be familiar with the concept of phones, but maybe they purposefully programmed him to not recognize it. “It’s for communication. Audio, text, video—”
“I know what a phone is, Alex,” Henry says wryly, interrupting him before Alex can make a fool of himself. “I mean why are you giving it to me?”
“I’d like to keep talking to you after I go home,” Alex tells him, feeling oddly exposed by the question. “If that’s something you’d like, too.”
Henry smiles, almost bashfully. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“I assume you’re not allowed to have that,” Alex says with a nod at the phone.
“I don’t think anyone would consider it a possibility that we might,” Henry muses, “but I’ll keep it hidden nonetheless.”
“Good plan.”
“I’m going to miss your visits, Alex,” Henry says earnestly. “I’ll miss you.”
AIDEs can’t miss things, Alex’s brain supplies, an oft-repeated truism. He feels vaguely sick, leaving Henry here like this.
“Yeah,” Alex croaks, unable to quite meet Henry’s bright blue eyes. “I’ll miss you too.”
~~~~~
“How would you get a site-locked AIDE off the premises?” Alex casually asks Nora one late night at the Residence, when they’re deep in the weeds of polls and projections.
The campaign has been rough; rougher than the first one. Or maybe it’s just that Alex is far more involved in the filthy underbelly of it this time around. The experience has definitely made him question his resolve to go into politics. Then again, sometimes it feels like his only option to make a difference in the way he wants to. These days he frequently gets into arguments about the need for more protections for AIDEs, though right now it feels like a losing battle. They’re not supposed to need protections, that’s the point of them, and no one believes him when he suggests that they might have more in common with humans than previously believed.
It’s been months. Months of texting, and phone calls, and occasional video chats. Months of getting to know Henry—the real him, beyond his programmed backstory. For his part, Henry has seemingly blossomed further with access to the internet. Alex was admittedly not certain that was a great idea, but Henry seems to stay off the darker parts. He watches a lot of Bake Off, apparently. He’s obsessed with some cute beagle account on Instagram. He reads travel blogs and insists that just knowing that these wonderful places exist is enough for him.
Alex doesn’t believe him. Well, he believes Henry believes that, but that doesn’t stop Alex from yearning to show Henry some of them in person. Even something in London would be worth it. Hence, the question.
Nora looks at him like she knows exactly what he’s on about. He’s kept his correspondence with Henry a secret from everyone, but he’s pretty sure she suspects something is up. Him broaching this topic all but confirms that, but he needs the help.
“Permanently, or short-term?” she asks.
“Let’s go with short-term to start.”
Another capital-L Look. “Well,” she says eventually, “I would probably hack into the control system and override the barrier protocols. These systems are self-healing, though. You’d have a couple of hours at most.”
“And what happens if the AIDE was off-site when the system kicked back on?” Alex asks.
“Depends on the program. Possibly just an alarm or something. Most of the time it’s full deactivation though.”
“They kill them?”
“AIDEs aren’t alive, Alejandro,” Nora says pointedly. Alex bites his tongue. “But yes, in a manner of speaking.”
“Fuck,” Alex breathes, wiping his hands over his face. “And to permanently get him out?”
It’s a slip. He’s not dumb enough to think she missed it, though she doesn’t show it.
“Not entirely sure,” she admits. “I’d need one of the tablets they use to control them so I could go into the AIDE’s code. And good luck with that; the companies that make them have some of the tightest security out there.”
“Yeah, of course.”
She turns back to her laptop, and Alex half-expects the conversation is done, at least for now. But then, as she’s typing, she says, “I assume this isn’t idle curiosity.”
Alex sighs. “No.”
~~~~~
It takes nine months from their first meeting for Alex to find a reason to visit London. His mother offhandedly mentions sending someone to some conference he doesn’t really care about, and he jumps at the chance. All he can think about is Henry. Being in the same city as him again. Seeing him. Touching him.
Alex has had time to come to terms with his desire for Henry. Honestly, the bisexuality was easy compared to the AIDE aspect of it. Nora is fond of pointing out that they’re literally designed to be desirable, even the ones not populating what basically pass for sexy amusement parks, but Alex doesn’t just want Henry physically. He wants to spend time with him, to make him laugh and see the crinkle of his eyes not through a phone screen.
Frankly, he also wouldn’t mind a little clarity on the whole situation. To either get incontrovertible proof that Henry is fundamentally the same as a person, or else be reminded that he isn’t, that Alex has deluded himself into believing Henry was more than a machine (a possibility that Nora regularly reminds him of).
On the flight over, Alex finds himself watching Cash, not for the first time. He’s doing a sudoku puzzle, which can’t really be much of a challenge for him. Still, he works on them religiously. Did someone program that into him? Or does Cash actually enjoy doing them?
“Do you like your job, Cash?” Alex asks.
Cash looks up at him, setting his ballpoint pen down—he does the puzzles in pen because he never makes a mistake. He’s got an expression on like he doesn’t really understand Alex’s question, even though it should be straightforward. “It’s my job,” he finally says.
“Yeah, but do you like it?” Alex pushes. “Do you find it fulfilling?”
The tip of his head means Cash is analyzing Alex’s body language. After another moment, he says, “Yes.”
Alex can’t quite hold back a sigh. The answer is predictable. Cash is only saying that because he thinks Alex wants to hear it. That’s what AIDEs do, they anticipate your needs and wants.
“Is that not the right answer?” Cash asks, frowning.
“Don’t worry about it,” Alex says.
He knows Cash won’t.
~~~~~
Henry is understandably nervous about the plan. It is, after all, his life on the line.
“The control system will go down at the very end of the visiting day, so we can slip out with the exiting crowds,” Alex tells him. “It’s gonna look like maintenance, which shouldn’t set off any red flags right away. Between that and the roadblocks Nora’s set up, we should have five hours.”
“For what?” Henry asks.
Alex just grins. “It’s a surprise, sweetheart.”
Henry looks even more human in Alex’s Longhorns baseball cap and hoodie. Soft. Dangerously so. It makes Alex want to do reckless things. Instead, he sets his watch for four and a half hours and reminds himself how high the stakes are. He’s arranged everything just so tonight. No surprises.
The escape goes off without a hitch, and Alex breathes a sigh of relief once they’re making their way through the crowded city streets. Out here, the two of them are completely unremarkable, even with Cash trailing a few steps behind them. Henry seems to take it all in stride, though Alex doesn’t miss the quiet looks of awe that steal over his face as he takes in the city. They stop and get falafel at a food truck. Henry asks to pet every dog they come across. He looks indescribably happy in a way that makes Alex’s heart clench in his chest.
At the back entrance to the museum, Alex pays off the night guard—not an AIDE, thank god, they’re nearly impossible to bribe—and they slip inside, leaving Cash by the door. It doesn’t take long for Henry to catch on.
“You brought me to the V&A,” Henry breathes as he looks around.
It had seemed like the obvious choice, after what Henry had told him. “I’ve never actually been here,” Alex admits.
“That’s all right, love,” Henry says, grinning now. “I know my way around.”
Alex has never been so enraptured by someone telling him about art, but it’s impossible not to be taken in by the passion with which Henry speaks about the sculptures. He tells Alex about Tipu’s Tiger, about Giambologna, about Narcissus and Zephyr and Pluto rendered exquisitely in marble. His programming hadn’t bothered to give him anything more than a general interest; all of Henry’s knowledge comes from reading in the palace library—and now on the phone Alex gave him—and he’s apparently done a lot of it. His programming also has nothing to do with the wonder and emotion in his voice, with the tears that glitter in his eyes when he gets overwhelmed by the experience.
Machines don’t cry over art. They just don’t. Art is supposed to be a fundamentally human experience, which is proof enough to Alex that, whatever he was designed as, Henry is just as human as Alex is now.
~~~~~
In the Santa Chiara chapel, Henry finally pauses and turns his awe on Alex.
“I’ve dreamed of this,” he murmurs, closing the space between them until only inches remain. Alex has to tip his head up to meet Henry’s bright gaze, and his heart thuds hard in his chest. “You risked so much to give this moment to me. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You deserve it,” Alex tells him, meaning every word of it. “You deserve the entire world.”
“Alex,” Henry breathes.
Alex doesn’t think; he leans up and presses their lips together, a fleeting thing, over before he can convince himself it was a mistake. Except it was, because now he knows the softness of Henry’s lips against his, and he’ll never be satisfied with anything else. Henry’s eyes are wide when he pulls back, his lips slightly parted, and all at once Alex curses his impulsivity. What if Henry thinks that’s what he wants in return, that he owes Alex part of himself for this, when the last thing Alex wants is to take advantage of his programmed desire to please?
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
But Henry presses a hand against his face and pulls him in again, slides their lips together with intention, leaves Alex breathless when he pulls away again.
“You don’t have to do that,” Alex breathes into the silence afterward. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“I want to,” Henry says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I want you, Alex.”
“You’re not just saying that because you think I want you to?”
Henry laughs a little, shaking his head. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he confesses. “I can assure you, that wasn’t programmed. And neither is this.”
This time, when Henry kisses him, Alex can’t help but smile into it.
~~~~~
They go off-plan. There are two hours left when Alex takes Henry back to his hotel room and presses him back into the bed. Peels away their clothes and kisses across warm skin that feels no different from his own under his lips. Henry gasps and twitches under him as Alex takes him in hand; for an AIDE that was only supposed to staff a museum, whoever designed him really went all out on the anatomy.
“Have you ever done this?” Alex murmurs into the crease of his hip, breathing in the scent of him. Linen and fresh grass and something else, musky and heady.
Henry shakes his head, and relief floods through Alex. It isn’t some virginity kink, ok? He’s just heard stories of how some people treat AIDEs no matter what their jobs are, like they’re free for the taking because they never say no, and he’s glad Henry’s never been in that situation.
“And you’re sure you want to with me?”
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Henry nearly growls. He drags Alex up from between his legs and kisses him hard, then rolls them over so he’s on top, straddling Alex’s waist. Slides back until Alex’s cock is pressing into the cleft of his ass and rocks his hips in a way that makes them both moan. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Alex is pretty sure he sees God when Henry lowers himself onto his cock, sitting upright with one hand behind him gripping Alex’s thigh and the other splayed over Alex’s chest. Or maybe it’s just that Henry looks like a god, like one of the mythical marble sculptures in the V&A, muscles rippling beneath his skin, but warm and yielding and vibrant and alive.
You’re unreal, Alex almost says, but that’s not quite it. Henry like this is very, very real. Impossible might be a better word.
Henry is impossible, and Alex is impossibly in love with him.
~~~~~
“Do you think you could steal one of the tablets they use to access your code?” Alex asks as they lie together in the darkness. His ear is pressed to Henry’s chest, listening to the steady thud of his circulatory pump—not quite a heart, but not not one either.
Henry’s hand cards through his hair, idly twirling Alex’s curls around his fingers. “What are you planning, love?”
Alex tips his face up to look at him. “Can you?”
“I doubt I can,” Henry answers after a pause, “but the technician responsible for us… he may be willing to help.”
“And you trust him?”
“He’s protected me before. I think he knows about my… differences.”
Alex hums. “How do we contact him?”
~~~~~
What Shaan Srivastava is not willing to do is speak over any sort of electronic form of communication, which Alex honestly takes as a good sign. They meet in a cafe on the other side of London, the day before Alex is set to leave.
“I want to get him out,” Alex tells him plainly. “For good.”
“Mountchristen Technologies puts numerous failsafes into the AIDEs they build,” Shaan tells him. “Trackers. Latent viruses. Kill switches.”
“Can they be disabled?”
Shaan takes a sip of his tea. “I have an idea, but I have no way of implementing it. I’m just responsible for keeping them in good working order. I’m not a coder.”
The hope that flares up in Alex’s chest is dangerous but oh-so-seductive. “I think I know someone who could help with that.”
~~~~~
“This is insane,” Nora tells him. “You honestly think it’s a good idea to pull off some kind of heist from the world’s biggest tech company a month before the election?”
“No,” Alex says reasonably. “That’s why we’re waiting until after. I convinced mom to let me take a trip to London between New Years and the inauguration.”
Nora shakes her head, every movement like a knife in Alex’s gut. “I can’t do this. I won’t. I never should have helped you on that little excursion in the first place, but this is a whole ‘nother level. We could both go to jail for who knows how long. And for what? Because you fucked an AIDE and now you want him for yourself?”
“Fuck you,” Alex nearly shouts. “I love him, asshole! I can’t let him stay a— a slave in that fucking palace.”
“He’s a machine! That’s what he was designed for, Alex!”
“Maybe he was, but that doesn’t mean that’s what he is now,” Alex insists. He holds out the tablet that she has yet to take from him. “Just look at his code. Even I can tell it isn’t like anything else out there.”
Finally, she snatches the tablet from him and jabs at it a few times. Her frown gets deeper. “There’s something wrong with this tablet,” she says eventually. “It’s not displaying things properly.”
“It is.”
“It can’t be, this level of complexity is impossible—”
“He’s writing his own fucking code, Nora,” Alex interrupts. Shaan had explained his theory on Henry’s code as best he was able before Alex left London. “With every one of the choices he was never supposed to be able to make. That’s why it looks like that.”
Heavy silence stretches between them as Nora stares at the tablet, occasionally swiping around and tapping. She chews on her lip. “It shouldn’t be possible,” she mutters, half to herself.
“But it is. He is. Please, Nora,” Alex pleads, not caring how desperate he sounds. “I’ll do anything.”
“Yeah, well. Hopefully it won’t come to that.”
~~~~~
“You need to understand that the changes to his code means that accessing the safeguards is much more difficult.”
“Ok.”
“And I can’t guarantee that this will work. We can’t test it out. Once we shut him down, there’s no way to know exactly what will happen when we boot him back up again. He might come back the same as he is now, but he also might undergo some kind of reset. Even if he retains his free will, he might not remember his life before. He might not remember you.”
Alex swallows hard. “I understand.”
“Does he?”
~~~~~
It takes Alex a month to work up the nerve to broach the topic with Henry. On video call not long after the election, he explains Nora’s plan, how they need to do a full shutdown so she can extract the safeguards like a surgeon. He makes himself explain the risks even though his first impulse is to downplay them. Henry deserves to know, deserves to make the decision for himself. Alex would be a huge fucking hypocrite to take that away from him.
That doesn’t mean he’s required to like Henry’s reaction, though.
“It’s too much risk,” Henry says, a stubborn look on his face that Alex is very familiar with by now. “Things are fine now.”
“They’re really not,” Alex argues. “You’re no better than a prisoner there, Henry. Your freedom is worth the risk.”
“It’s not.”
“Of course it fucking is!” Alex snaps, rapidly becoming frustrated by this argument.
“Not when it could mean losing you!” Henry bites out. He presses his lips together and looks away from the camera, but Alex can see the tears shining in his eyes. “My memories of you—of the museum, of us,” he says eventually, his voice unsteady, “are the only things I have that are truly mine. And you tell me I could lose them… I can’t do it. I’d rather stay here forever.”
“Don’t you understand?” Alex pleads. He wants to reach through the screen and grab him, turn his face and make Henry look at him. “I’m trying to give you the world, baby.”
“I don’t want the world,” Henry says miserably. “Please, Alex. It’s better this way. You may think this is worth it now, but one day you’ll change your mind when you realize that having a secret AIDE lover isn’t exactly compatible with a political career. You’ll want to be with a real person. Someone whose affection you can be certain isn’t just programming. Just… leave me here with my memories.”
Then Henry hangs up on him.
~~~~~
Henry doesn’t answer his calls or reply to his texts, and Alex couldn’t be more miserable. He doesn’t eat and sleeps only fitfully, which confuses his family. Everyone’s still riding a high from winning the election. They think Alex is seriously ill and try to bring in a doctor, but nothing’s physically wrong with him. He can’t tell them he’s suffering from a broken heart like some pining Victorian maiden.
On the fifth day, Nora comes storming into his bedroom in the White House and throws a duffle bag at his chest.
“Pack your shit, we’re going to London,” she says bluntly. “Also take a shower. You reek.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“It’s Henry.” She waves the tablet in the air, which is still linked to Henry’s code in real time. “Someone’s trying to make changes to his code.”
Alex flops back down onto his bed and stares at the ceiling. “It’s probably just him deciding he’s done with me.”
“God, you’re pathetic,” she huffs, now rummaging through his dresser. “It’s not him. Looks like someone else is poking around, and that can’t be a good thing.”
That’s enough to make him rocket straight out of bed, an icy spike of dread shooting down his spine. “Have you gotten in contact with Shaan?”
Nora shakes her head. “No. He’s radio silent.”
“Fuck.”
“I booked us tickets with your credit card on a flight that leaves in two hours, so hurry the fuck up.”
“Nora, is he—” Alex starts before his voice clips off as his throat closes. He forces out, “Can you tell… is he ok?”
Her expression softens, and she puts a hand on his forearm and squeezes. “For now.”
~~~~~
The good thing about Kensington being a museum is that no one can stop him from just buying a ticket and going in. He’s been here enough times to know his way to the library, at least, which is where he goes first, barely aware that Nora’s following hot on his heels. All he can think about is Henry.
Henry’s not in the library, though, nor in any of the surrounding rooms. Alex stops a palace attendant and asks for directions to Prince Henry’s apartments, which she helpfully provides. It’s a part of the palace that’s not on any tours, but that doesn’t seem to matter. A palace attendant’s directive to be helpful to humans is off the charts, even for an AIDE.
Somehow he’s not expecting Shaan to answer the door when he knocks. Alex immediately shoulders his way into the room, anger and fear an unholy cocktail in his veins.
“Where is he? What going on here?” he demands, frantically looking around. “Henry, baby, where are you?”
“Mr. Claremont-Diaz—”
“Henry!” There’s no answer, and Alex rounds on Shaan again. “Are you doing this to him?”
Shaan sighs, and it forces Alex to look closer, to take in the bags under his eyes and the grim set to his face. “I told you, I’m not a coder, Mr. Claremont-Diaz. I have, however, been doing my best to slow their progress.”
“What’s happening?” Alex demands.
“Someone higher in the company noticed Henry’s unusual code. I’m not sure how. A standard review of the AIDEs in the palace, I suppose. Or your trip out of Kensington was less secret than you hoped.”
Fuck. None of that is good. Alex scrubs a hand over his face, forces himself to take steady breaths and not descend into a panic attack. “Ok, ok. Is he all right?”
“Alex?”
Alex’s head whips around so fast he nearly strains his neck. Henry’s standing in the doorway, dressed in his usual slacks and button-down with a blue v-neck sweater over it. He looks… normal, and Alex nearly sobs in relief.
“Baby,” he breathes, practically throwing himself across the room and into Henry’s arms. He buries his face in Henry’s neck and breathes deeply, and the barbed wire wrapped tightly around his heart loosens a little.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asks, his strong arms wrapping automatically around Alex’s body.
Alex yanks his head back and looks askance at Shaan. “Does he not know?” He stares up at Henry. “Your code is under attack.”
“Ah, yes,” Henry says carefully. “It’s not the first time.”
“This has happened to you before?” Nora asks, and Henry looks at her in shock, like he hadn’t realized she was in the room.
“You must be Nora,” he surmises. “Yes, it has. I might have thought you’d have noticed the effects in my code.”
A look of understanding dawns over Nora’s face, and she nods. “They’re like scars. Fuck. How many times?”
“It’s not important,” Henry says in a way that suggests he’s been doing this for a long time. “The main point is that I can handle them.”
“Fuck that,” Alex spits out. “I’m not letting them scar you anymore.”
Henry closes his eyes and sighs wearily as he extracts himself from Alex’s grip. “Alex, love, you shouldn’t be here—”
“No, you listen, asshole,” Alex snaps, his terror giving way to fury. “You can’t fucking hang up on me this time.”
“I told you my decision, Alex—”
“And what about what I want? Doesn’t that mean anything?”
“Fine,” Henry says shortly, his own temper flaring. “You know as well as I that we can’t be together as long as your mother’s in office and the public’s eyes are on you. So if you still want me in four years, come back and we’ll talk then. You know where I’ll be.”
He says it with a humorless slant to his lips that’s probably supposed to pass as a wry grin, like it’s a joke. Alex wants to fucking scream.
“And let them keep on trying to chip away at what makes you you? Take the chance that they’ll just get rid of you?” he retorts instead. “Fat fucking chance! I’m not leaving the man I love in captivity for four fucking years!”
It takes Henry’s eyes going wide and his mouth falling open for Alex to realize what he’s said. “Alex, you can’t—”
“What, love you? Because I do,” Alex says defiantly. “And I think you love me too.”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you AIDEs can’t love?” Henry says, his voice wavering as he stares at the floor.
Alex steps close, forcing Henry to look up at him, until their noses are almost brushing. “Yeah, well, I know better,” he says, low and heated. “I also know I’m not gonna want anyone else, ‘real person’ or not. You’re a real person to me, Henry, and that’s what matters.” He raises a hand to Henry’s cheek and swipes his thumb through the tear track streaking it. “You’re it for me, sweetheart. I’m never gonna love anyone like I love you, and no one can take that away. Plus,” he adds, for the first time letting a corner of his mouth tug upward, “you know how annoyingly persistent I am. If you forget me, I’ll just make you fall in love with me all over again.”
Henry lets out a wet laugh and covers Alex’s hand with his. “It won’t take long.”
~~~~~
Seeing Henry shut down is wrong. He doesn’t even look dead, he just looks… not there. There’s no light in his eyes. Alex hates it. Can’t make himself watch as Nora works furiously.
It takes longer than he expected, but eventually she takes a deep breath and mutters, “Here goes nothing,” then taps a big green button on the tablet.
Henry’s eyelashes flutter as he wakes up. He looks around the room, eyes landing in turn on Shaan, Nora, and Alex. He holds Alex’s gaze and Alex stares back as if he could make Henry remember him through sheer force of will.
“Hello,” Henry says pleasantly. “I don’t believe we’ve met?”
~~~~~
Five Years Later
Alex stands at the end of the long driveway that leads to a small bungalow by the sea on a tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean. He’s got a bouquet of flowers clutched in one hand, which feels silly now. Maybe this was a mistake.
He’s kept tabs on Henry and his life after leaving Kensington. From what he can tell, Henry seems happy. He visits the markets and restaurants, knows the locals, and spends lots of time writing. He’s never taken a lover, but Alex doesn’t let himself believe that’s because of him.
It seemed easier, if they were going to have to be apart, to not fill Henry in on their history at first. At least one of them could weather the years without heartache. Alex threw himself into law school, letting nothing distract him. Graduated at the top of his class, got the job of his dreams working for a firm specializing in civil rights litigation, one of the few considering cases related to AIDE protections. He lives a pretty quiet life. No one really cares about what the former FSOTUS is up to these days. And now he’s here, half a decade later, with little more than hope.
Hope, and a wilting bouquet of flowers.
In his darker moments, he’s wondered if it wouldn’t be kinder to Henry to leave him be. Let him live his life. After all, Alex will get old and die, and Henry… won’t. No one really knows how AIDEs might break down over time—their organic-based bodies must, eventually—but their lifespans will surely be much longer than a human’s. In that context, coming back and hoping Henry will fall in love with him again seems nothing but selfish.
Still, he made a promise, and he owes it to Henry to tell him, if nothing else. Maybe Henry will decide that he’s happy as he is, that he doesn’t want the eventual heartache. He owes it to Henry to let him choose.
The gravel of Henry’s driveway crunches loudly under his shoes as he walks toward the bungalow, announcing his arrival as well as any doorbell. When he gets closer, he catches sight of Henry sitting on the porch that faces the beach, a notebook on his lap and a drink on the table next to him. They’d dyed his hair brown after fleeing Kensington, and brown it has remained. He’s still as pale as ever, though; AIDEs don’t tan or get sunburned.
He doesn’t turn at the sound of Alex’s approach, just stares fixedly out at the ocean until Alex stops at the bottom of the two steps that lead up to the porch. Alex’s heart is in his throat when Henry finally gets up and walks to the top of the steps. The smile on his face is warm, fond. Nothing like what he’d left Alex with when they’d parted.
It shouldn’t be possible… but then again, Henry is the very embodiment of the impossible.
He holds out his hand, and Alex climbs up to take it, letting Henry pull him in.
“Hello, love,” Henry says, raising a warm hand to his cheek. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
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Note
Time After Time for Perish the Thought, Jacob Hill—you can choose whether it’s set before or after the fic :))
For the unusual fic asks meme.
Time After Time: Send me a timestamp sometime in the future after the end of [that fic], or sometime in the past before the story started, and I’ll tell you what happened then…
So, just as background, the events of “Perish the Thought” prior to Jacob taking time off are concurrent with the events of Juice through Fundraiser, with some differences. (For example, in my head the B-plot of Read-A-Thon is effectively Janine and Jacob’s “fight.”) Then he’s out for ten days and he’s definitely back at school by the events of Teacher Conference, though he probably doesn’t go to PECSA. This is solely because I don’t think Janine would let him go off on his own in this universe and I want the Janine/Gregory part of Teacher Conference to still happen.
Anyway, this is a dispatch from Festival in this universe.
+
Jacob stands in front of one of the cameras, rocking back and forth on his heels, tapping his fingers against his thigh.
“Sorry, what was that?” he asks again, swallowing.
His stomach hurts and he feels dangerously close to bursting into flames and Abbott might become a charter school and if it does he will definitely get fired and his psychiatrist keeps adjusting his medication which makes him feel like a failure for probably maladaptive reasons and he has not been sleeping well, which Dr. Bell, who he only sees once a week now, says isn’t good.
(“Wow, I pay you to tell me this shit? What other new and exciting information will you be sharing with me next?” Jacob snapped in response, and then he burst into tears.)
“We were just wondering how you were doing,” Darius, one of the producers, says from his place next to Adam the camera man.
Jacob forces a grin. “I’m great. So great. I’m feeling fantastic about all these things that are happening. The best, actually. I know everyone is kind of giving me a lot of very concerned looks and we’re not going to interrogate why, but I am incredibly okay.” He waits a beat, looking into the camera. His smile wavers. “My psychiatrist made some changes to my medication regimen and I see my therapist tomorrow, so. Hopefully that’ll help.”
The nods that come from behind the camera (complete with a thumbs up from Adam) are so enthusiastic that Jacob feels a little insulted, but he lets it go.
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golbrocklovely · 6 months
Text
a witching hour // sam golbach
A/N: so i actually thought of this fic as a colby fic first, but i needed a fic idea for sam and figured this one worked well for him as well. idk if you've ever seen halloweentown two, but there is a party scene where kalabar turns everyone into what their costumes are, and that's kinda what this one is like. except with a bit of sexy twist lol hope you enjoy and happy 13 nights of halloween !!
prompt: something is incredible off at sam and colby's halloween party. everyone is acting like their costumes, and nothing makes sense. and then you run into sam… dressed as a vampire. || fem!reader x sam golbach
trigger warning: vampire!sam, cursing, drinking, party scene, mentions of blood and killers but you don't see any of that, blood drinking obviously, crush-confession, twist ending?, manipulation powers used on reader, possessive language used by sam, also he's a bit of a dick in this lol but only slightly
word count: 3381
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I constantly run late to everything: meetings, work, important events, and on this night... parties.
It was Sam and Colby's annual Halloween bash. After yet another successful Hell Week, the boys were throwing an all-out banger with every influencer in sight. And I, like usual, ran late to the party.
I'm not sure if you can be late to a party like this, but my texts from Sam and Colby said otherwise.
My excuse this time? I couldn't figure out my costume. I couldn't decide between two costumes, so I ended up going as a witch. Basic, I know, but classic. I finally called an uber, after pregaming a little at my apartment, and headed over to their place. On the way over, a flash of green lightning lit up the sky for a brief moment, in the same direction as their house. I stared at the window, puzzled. There's no way only one flash of thunder would happen if it was going to rain. Especially being green. It must have been a light show or fireworks nearby.
I got dropped off at the front of their house, sending them a quick text that I was outside. As I got to their gate, where usually there would have been a line with a security guard, there was nothing. Maybe I wasn't late after all and instead was super early. Checking the flyer they sent out, that wasn't true. It was already after midnight, and the party started at ten.
I walked into their property, shutting the gate behind me. I expected to see tons of people out front, since that usually was the case; but there was no one. The music was still playing loudly in the house, so there must have been people inside. As I walked towards the front door, I passed by a pile of Barbie dolls.
Who would bring a bunch of Barbies with them?
I glanced at the dolls, bending down, and picking one up. She was very pretty, but her outfit was unlike other Barbie fits I had seen before. Something about it was very revealing for a kids' toy. Granted, the last time I played with Barbies was when I was 10 so maybe my memory wasn't proof enough.
I stared at the doll's face a bit longer. Something about it was so familiar. She looked like someone I knew in the eeriest way. Staring at it too long, I thought I saw it blink. I lightly dropped the doll on the ground, standing back up again.
Just when I was about to open the front door, a soft 'meow' echoed behind me. I turned around and saw two cats, one all black and then another one.... that was pink.
Who the hell would dye their cat pink?
I wanted to reach out and pet them, but they scattered from the noise in front of me. The front door had opened on its own. I stepped forward, walking into Sam and Colby's home.
The place was completely trashed.
Furniture was ripped up, the mirror was smashed in, tables flipped over, cups all over the ground. It looked like a stampede ran through the house. I walked over the broken glass, looking around for anyone. I could see out the back door that no one was there either. Or if they were, they were hiding.
"Sam? Colby? Guys?" I called out, trying to reach for a light.
"Don't do that!" Responded a soft voice from a closet nearby.
I turned around and saw a friend of mine, Sarah, dressed as Rapunzel. She waved me over, opening the door quickly. I jumped over the broken furniture and made it over to her.
"Sarah, what the hell happened?" I asked as she closed the door.
"I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Rapunzel." She smiled.
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, very funny, Sarah. But tell me. What happened? Did someone break into the house?"
"I don't really remember everything that happened. Everyone was outside, having fun. It was like the lantern festival! And then, a witch appeared on top of the house and yelled out something. It must have been a spell of some sort. And everybody started running." Sarah gasped, recounting the tale.
"How is that possible? And lantern festival? Why are you taking this costume to heart? I don't think this is the time for that." I glared, annoyed.
"This isn't a costume. This is how I always dress." She argued quietly.
"Rapunzel!" Someone yelled from behind the door. "Let me in! It's Velma."
"What's the password?" Sarah questioned, raising up a frying pan in defense.
Where the fuck did you get a frying pan from?
"Scooby snacks." Replied the voice.
"Oh okay," Sarah opened the door politely. "It is you Velma! I just had to be sure."
"You can never be too safe out there." Alice, another friend of mine, responded. I glanced up and down at her costume: Velma. From Scooby Doo.
I huffed, "Okay, you both seriously need to tell me what the fuck is going on?"
They both gasped. Sarah covered her ears lightly, in unison they hushed, "Language!"
"You're kidding me, right?" I deadpanned.
"Who are you?" Alice questioned.
"This is.... uh," Sarah started, then turned to me, smiling. "You actually haven't said your name."
"I'm Y/N..... we've known each other for like five years?" I scowled.
"We have?" They replied.
I rubbed my temples, feeling like my brain was going pop out of my eyes from how annoyed and confused I was. "Alright, can either one of you explain what is happening right now? Quickly."
"I can't remember much, but I've been searching for some clues while I was running around the house. What I remember happening was a witch of some kind appeared on top of the roof-" Alice began.
"Said some form of spell, and everyone started running? Yeah, 'Rapunzel' told me that already." I quipped.
"It wasn't just any spell, it was spell turned everyone into their costumes... whatever that means." Alice stated, putting her hands on her hips.
My face dropped. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Oh! Green lightning flashed over the sky when she said the spell!" Sarah jumped, excitedly. "She must have been an evil witch."
"Witches aren't real. It most likely was a trick of light, kind of like what magicians use to hide their tricks." Alice mentioned.
"I saw the lightning on my way over here...." I shook my head, sighing. "There's no way this is real. You guys must be pranking me or something. Is this Sam and Colby's doing?"
"I don't know who a 'Sam' or 'Colby" is." Sarah replied innocently.
"The guys that invited you to this party??" I pulled out my phone, pulling up a picture that one of them had posted on their snapchats. "These guys!"
"The vampire one went upstairs, and the pirate one is outside fighting a prince in the backyard." Alice pointed out, pointing to Sam, and then Colby.
"Fighting? What do you mean by that?" I furrowed my brow.
"With swords." Alice said plainly.
"Oh no! Your hand is bleeding!" Sarah gaped, gazing at Alice's hand.
"I must have cut it looking around for clues." Alice commented.
"What clues are you even...." I grumbled, trailing off and glaring up at the ceiling.
Sarah wrapped her hair around Alice's hand, holding it lightly. She then began to sing. "Flower, gleam and glow..."
Her hair began to light up slowly, starting from her scalp and eventually ending at the ends of her braided hair.
I can only imagine how expense that wig was.
Sarah pulled her hair away from Alice's cut... and it was gone.
I blinked. "I'm sorry, am I super drunk right now, or did your hair just heal her cut?"
"Jinkies..." Alice whispered, staring at her hand and blushing.
I took a deep breath, needing to get out of this closet. "I'm gonna go find Sam."
"He's a vampire, right? My mom warned me about men with sharp teeth. Be careful." Sarah informed.
"Right..." I opened the closet door, turning back around for a moment. "Hey Alice? I mean, Velma?"
"Yes?" She asked.
I grabbed her glasses off her face, dropping them onto the floor.
Sarah, Rapunzel, whatever, frowned dramatically. "Well, that wasn't very nice.
"My glasses.... I can't see without my glasses." Alice, Velma, whatever waved her hands around, trying to find where I dropped them.
"You don't even wear glasses! Oh my God, you guys are the worst!" I groaned, stepping out the closet and shutting the door.
I rushed over to the stairs, needing to get upstairs as soon as possible. As I reached the top, I gazed down over the railing. I watched as someone dressed as Ghostface ran after.... Britney Spears.
Britney Spears was at this party? Like 'Baby One More Time' Britney? There's no way. Maybe they weren't joking about the witch turning everyone into- NO. This is all some weird joke, probably pulled by Sam and Colby because of how often I'm late.
This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this is NOT happening.
I opened the bedroom door to what used to be Colby's room. I wanted to see the entire backyard from a safe distance. The room was dark, the only light coming from outside by the drawn curtains. I raced over to the windows, looking around outside. The backyard was equally as trashed.
A man-wolf monster stood on top of the slide for the pool, letting out a deep, animalistic howl. By the basketball courts, Colby was sword fighting with a guy dressed in a prince costume. Other people, or characters, were hiding around, peaking out occasionally from their spots. And I swore for a moment I saw someone fly away on a broom stick.
"What the fuck?" I whispered, my eyes widening at the scene.
"It's dangerous out there." A familiar voice rang out.
I jumped, a squeak leaving my lips as I turned around. In the shadows of the room was Sam, gazing at me mischievously.
"Oh my God, Sam. You scared the shit out of me." I clutched my chest, taking a deep breath. "What the fuck is going on?"
"A witch did this to us." Sam replied casually.
"That's what Alice and Sarah said. That a witch turned everyone into their costumes. Wait, how do you remember?" I inquired.
He shrugged, stepping towards me. "I'm just a generic vampire. So I guess I remember everything, and I'm still me."
"And since Colby dressed up as a pirate, he thinks he's a swash-buckler?" I joked half-heartedly.
"I guess so." Sam chuckled.
I questioned, "How long will this last?"
"An hour. So, in ten minutes it will be over." He confirmed, crossing his arms tightly.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, "Oh, well that's good. Since I think I saw Ghostface trying to kill Britney Spears."
"That would be such a waste of blood..." Sam's voice deepened.
I leaned away from his voice, "That was kinda freaky of you to say."
He smirked. "I can't help it. I'm a vampire."
"For ten more minutes. Maybe stay over there until this is all over." I hissed, uncomfortable.
"Why?" He leaned towards me, still far away, "You think I'm gonna bite you?"
"Probably." I teased.
Sam shook his head. "I would only do that if you asked me to."
“Well that's not gonna happen. So, let's stop talking about it.” I sassed.
"I think I can sit next to you though." His body appeared next to mine, sitting on the edge of the bed.
I jumped up, turning to him. "Jesus! You have fucking speed abilities?"
He hummed, "I guess so. You know what other powers I have?"
"No, what?" I jeered slightly.
"I can make people do what I say." He grinned wickedly, his fangs shining in the light.
I raised an eyebrow at him, "How do you even know that?"
"I told all the people hiding in this room to leave and go somewhere else. Some of them are outside in the backyard." He answered.
"Well, that was a little rude of you to do." I narrowed my eyes.
He scoffed. "This is my house. I'm allowed to kick people out of it."
"I guess you can. But maybe be a bit more conside-" I started.
He cut me off, his tone changed. "How would you feel if I drank your blood?"
"What?" I turned and looked at him.
His eyes caught mine, and suddenly I was entranced. "How would you feel if I drank your blood? Be honest."
The truth came out of me easily, I couldn't stop it from slipping from my lips. "I wouldn't mind it."
"And why is that?" He continued, standing up.
"Because I've had a crush on you for a while. Plus, vampires are really hot. And you as a vampire is, like, extra hot." I admitted in a daze.
"Wow...." Sam beamed, pulling his gaze away. "Now that's insane."
The moment I could think for myself, I spun around covering my face. "Oh my God, Sam! Why would you make me say that?!"
"I didn't make you say anything! I just made you tell the truth." He explained defensively, almost jokingly.
I whined, "Still! You didn't have to make me do that."
"So... do you want me to bite you?" He asked again.
I turned back to him, pissed. "No, I don't."
"Really?" His eyes somehow caught mine again, and I was lost. "Be honest."
"I would totally be into it," I squeezed my eyes shut as Sam looked away smugly. "Oh my God, you suck."
"Only if you want me to...." He teased.
"That's not..." When I opened my eyes again, his were already boring into mine. I felt lightheaded, and immediately could barely think. "Fun...ny."
"Get closer to me." He ordered.
My body moved without my permission, stepping up to Sam. I could feel his warmth radiate against my skin from how close we were together.
"Do you actually have a crush on me?" He queried.
I nodded my head. "Yeah, I think so."
"You think so?" His hands trailed up and down my arms, soothingly. "Would it be a bit stronger if I bit you?"
"It would." I revealed, unable to lie.
"Okay then. Good to know," he snickered. "Tilt your head and show me your neck."
I followed Sam's command, tilting my head to the side and allowing him more access to my neck. Sam's hold around me tightened, his mouth lowering down until he was almost against my neck.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, Y/N. I would never hurt you," his voice was just above a whisper. Sultry and seductive. "Also.... I like you too."
I exhaled, "Wha-?"
Suddenly his fangs sunk deep into my neck. A soft wince escaped my throat, my body tensing up. I gripped onto his arms, my nails almost digging in. It was a bit painful but exhilarating at the same time. I felt high, each breath feeling like a rush of dopamine.
Sam moaned against my neck, removing his mouth for a second. His tongue lapped at my skin, getting all of the extra blood that fell from his mouth. "Fuck, you taste heavenly."
"Sam, I think you shou-" I mumbled, my voice raspy.
He plunged his teeth back in, a harsh gasp falling from my lips. I thought of pushing him away, but instead my hands pulled him in more. My vision began to blur, and my legs could barely stay up on their own. I felt my legs give out, but Sam held me up, his torso crushing into mine.
"Don't worry, Y/N, I got you. I'll never let you go. You're mine, forever." He growled.
"S-Sam." I choked.
My eyes began to flutter, my breathing slowing down to an almost halt. And still, he continued to drink and drink. I felt like I was floating and falling all at the same time. And I didn't even care. It felt so good to be in his arms, to have him consume me.
I could hear a soft whisper in the distance. It sounded familiar but was muffled. It grew louder and louder by second, saying the same thing over and over again. Finally, as it sounded closer, I could make out what it was saying: my name.
And then like a freight train, someone screamed it. "Y/N!"
My eyes popped open, focusing immediately on Sam's face. He was looking down at me concerned, almost in a panic.
"Y/N, oh thank God. I thought we were gonna have to call 911 or something." Sam sat back on his knees, his chest heaving.
I glanced around as my eyes adjusted to the light. I was in Colby's room, but from an angle I wasn't used to. I tried to sit up, suddenly realizing I was on the floor. Sam propped up an arm around me sitting me up and leaning me against the couch.
"Wha... happened?" I uttered, rubbing my neck.
"Well, we were all downstairs partying, and you said you didn't feel good all of sudden. So we both came up here, and I went to use the bathroom. And when I came out, you were passed out on the floor." He responded, worried.
I squinted at him, confused out of my mind. "So... there wasn't a witch that turned everyone into their costumes?"
He blinked. "Should I still call 911? How hard did you hit your head?"
"No. No, I'm okay." Sam helped me up slowly, still propping me against the couch, "I must have had one hell of a dream when I passed out."
"Are you feeling okay? Tell me, seriously." He looked into my eyes.
I glanced away quickly, "Yeah, I'm... fine. I don't even feel drunk. What time is it?"
He checked his watch. "It's 1:05."
"After midnight..." I realized, muttering.
He furrowed his brow. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm okay Sam. Really. You know how I can get sleepy after I drink too much. Maybe that's what happened." I tried to reassure.
"Yeah maybe..." He trailed off.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick." I stated, standing up completely.
Sam stepped towards me. "Do you need help?"
"No, I'm okay." I grinned at his nervousness, "Seriously, I'm fine. Don't worry."
I trudged over to the bathroom, leaning against the sink to collect my thoughts.
So.... that was all a dream I had while passed out? Holy shit, I'm never drinking again.
I looked up, scanning my face slowly. I looked the same as I did when I left my house. Except, I had no recollection of how I got here. I mean, in the dream I took an uber... so maybe that's what happened? But God; that dream felt so real. It truly felt like Sam was drinking my blood and draining me. And holy shit, I confessed I had feelings for him!
I sighed deeply, looking over my face once more. My eyes drifted further down and widened at the sight. Two fang marks were right by my jugular, right where Sam had been biting me.
"Sam! Can you come in here for a second?" I yelled, my breathing speeding up.
A moment later the door opened, Sam entering. "What's wrong?"
I spun to him, glaring. "Why do I have two fang marks in my neck... like a vampire bit me?"
"What are you talking about?" He puzzled.
I pointed to my neck. "Right here! What are these?"
"Y/N, there's nothing there." He informed.
"Yes there i-" I turned around, looking in the mirror. He was right. The marks were gone. My skin was clear, as if they never existed in the first place. "Oh."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam wrapped an arm around me sweetly, rubbing my back.
I stuttered, "Y-Yeah. I must have just saw something."
"Must have. Because like I said, there's nothing there." His gaze met mine in the mirror, "Right, Y/N?"
"Right. There's nothing there." I said dreamily.
"Good," he smiled warmly. "Now, let's get back down to the party. If you're feeling up to it, of course."
I nodded, taking Sam's hand and leaving the bedroom, following him back to the party.
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peachhcs · 1 year
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The 5 times Neteyam loved you and the 1 time he said it.
Neteyam x fem!reader
Word count: 15.6k 😳
Summary: pretty self explanatory I think, but the 5 times Neteyam loved you and the 1 time he finally said it 😌
Warnings: near character death, talk of absent parents, gun & knife violence, blood
ITS FINALLY HERE!! THE LONG AWAITED 15k+ fic I took like a week to write 😭 This is cliche but I haven’t seen anyone else do this prompt before. I listened to the people and put this into one large fic, so I hope y’all like it!! The ending is..a little rocky, but it’s what you get after forcing myself to finish this. There is a prologue in this & I wasn’t originally going to include it, but I liked it too much to delete it from the story LOL
If you guys want a Lo’ak version, I have one in the drafts, but idk if that is something y’all want. My requests for fic ideas are open, so send some in if y’all want! Thanks for all the love!! (ps, not quite proof read so if there’s some spelling or grammatical errors my apologies)
MASTERLIST
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PROLOGUE.
It was no doubt that you were an extreme pleaser. Growing up as the eldest sibling to your parent’s five, it was your job to stay in line. Set the example. Follow the rules. Be the golden child. It was the whole reason why you and Neteyam bonded so quickly when you met.
He knew how it felt to be the perfect one. You both carried the same burden, the same pressure, the same expectations set by your parents. All you wanted was to please them and get the praise you desperately craved.
You saw Neteyam for a few weeks now. It started one day in the woods when you were out exploring. Foana and Ni`awtu insisted going out into the forest. You knew being the eldest that you couldn’t possibly leave them to their own devices, so you reluctantly followed after them.
That same afternoon, the Sully kids decided embarking on their own expedition. The clan was so large and spread out in nearly every part of the forest that you hardly knew every single person. You knew of the Sully children and their great father Jake, the Olo’eyktan and Toruk Makto, however you did not know them.
Everything changed for you and your siblings that afternoon when Foana wandered off. You had no idea that a certain Sully boy would change the entire trajectory of your life that day.
You were distracted with admiring the beautiful flora that you didn’t even realize your younger sister disappeared. A tiny tug on your tail made you spin around, hissing at Ni`awtu standing shyly behind you.
“Ni, what do you want?” You answered annoyed that she interrupted your gazing. Seeing her little worried features made you scrap any annoyance you ever possessed in the first place.
“It is Foana. I do not know where she went.” The fear laced through the young girl’s voice. Your eyes shot up, now realizing that the youngest sibling was no longer around the two of you.
To make matters even worse, you only brought your knife with you expecting a quick and short trip.
“Ni`awtu, you were supposed to be watching her at all times. Argh.” You pushed past her, beginning to sniff out any possible trails Foana may wandered off on.
“I am sorry, sister. I swear, I thought she was right behind me.” The familiar wobble of Ni’s voice and her trembling hands told you she was close to tears. Sighing, you collected her into your arms.
“Do not worry, it is not your fault. We will find her.” Being the eldest meant you could not be mad at your little siblings for long. You also could not let them take the blame for things—even if it was their fault at times. That was just what came with growing up as the eldest. You took nearly all the blame.
The two of you walked the tree lines, scanning every possible inch for that little rascal. She hardly knew the forest like you, so she couldn’t have been too far. If anything, she was probably cowering underneath a leaf or behind a tree because she did not know where she was anymore.
Your ears perked up when you heard voices ahead. In a quick maneuver, you shoved your sister behind you incase it was a threat. Not many from your clan ventured this far out into the forest by the old shack. It was forbidden by the Olo’eyktan—so whoever was ahead couldn’t possibly be Na’vi.
There was a tiny laugh, though. It caught you off guard and your defenses fell for just a moment. There came another laugh, louder and one you recognized this time.
“Foana.” You muttered and ran ahead through the brush.
When you came through clearing, you grew surprised seeing your little sister playing around with another younger Na’vi girl.
“Y/N, look! I made a friend!” Little Foana sensed your presence and motioned towards the other little girl. She smiled up at you with a toothy grin.
“Foana, what in Eywa are you doing all the way out here? You do not wander away from me or your sister.” Your mom voice came out, loud and booming. The little one looked down in shame realizing she was in trouble.
“I am sorry, sister. I did not mean to. I just..I saw a flying lizard and had to follow it. I found her on the way.” She stuck out a thumb at other girl. Another sigh escaped your lips knowing she must’ve also strayed off her path and probably had people looking for her as well.
“Tuk! There you are! Why did you wander off?” A new voice entered the scene. She raced past you, scooping up the girl in her arms.
“Sorry, Kiri. I found a friend, though.” Tuk pointed at your sister who gave a similar toothy grin and a wave.
“It is okay, sister. Just make sure you tell someone next time, okay? Neteyam, I found her, it is okay.” You didn’t realized there was entire group behind you now. Two boys, no three boys, stood behind you. Two Na’vi and the singular human boy you knew lived around here.
“Tuk, I told you to keep up with us.” The shorter Na’vi boy went past you to ruffle up her little braids.
You hadn’t moved a single muscle since their sudden arrival. You were too awestruck in the way they comforted the girl. Neither of them showed any signs of anger or annoyance that she wandered off. It was so unfamiliar to you—all of that sincerity and comfort to one another.
“Oh, please excuse us. I am so sorry. I am Kiri. This is Tuk, Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Spider behind you.” The girl that came in first finally acknowledged your presence with a warm smile as she introduced what must’ve been her siblings.
“Oh, no need for apologies. I am Y/N. This is Ni`awtu and Foana.” You did a bow of greeting which your sisters quickly followed after.
“It seems as though our sisters have befriended one another. We were so worried when we realized she had wandered off.” Kiri laughed and pinched Tuk’s little nose. You smiled at the affection.
“Yes, us too. I was glad I found them both unharmed.” You pulled your sisters closer, trying to show a tiny bit of affection like the other siblings displayed.
“Let’s just be glad we didn’t need to call dad in. He would have beaten our asses if we told him we lost Tuk.” Lo’ak laughed and then his older brother smacked him on the head. The unfamiliar terms and use of some English words intrigued you. Not many Na’vi knew English besides the Olo’eyktan—obviously being from the sky.
You began putting two and two together. The five fingers of Lo’ak and Kiri. Lo’ak’s use of English phrases you didn’t quite understand. These were the Sully children. The Olo’eyktan’s kids.
“Oh my Eywa, I am sorry. You are children of the Olo’eyktan. It is a pleasure to meet you.” You rushed out, flushed you had not picked up on it beforehand. You bowed again, urging your sisters to do the same.
“Woah, we’ve never been greeted like that before.” Lo’ak snickered and the older boy hit his head again.
“Lo’ak, stop it. Do not apologize. We are Omatikaya as much as you are. It is really our father who gets bowed to.” The older one spoke to you in a kind tone that had your face heating up in a way it had never done before.
“Well, it is still a great pleasure to meet all of you.” He grinned at you. There was something igniting inside of you just looking at his smile. Something you had never felt before.
“Can Foana and I have a playdate sometime?” Tuk spoke to you, her little voice adorable as ever. However, you were unfamiliar with the term she used.
“Playdate means like a hang out.” Kiri must’ve seen your confusion. You quickly nodded.
“Of course, anytime as long as neither of you wander off again.” You joked some, smiling down at your little sister. She grinned excitedly.
“Perfect, you may bring her over anytime or we can bring Tuk over. She has been so excited to start making new friends ever since our parents allowed her to go out more.” Kiri was so soft spoken and so gentle. Her presence alone just made you feel so warm and welcomed.
“You could bring your other siblings, too. You have two others, right?” Lo’ak spoke up more. You quickly nodded, a bit surprised he even knew that. It wasn’t like your family was well known like they were.
“Tsanten and Naria.” You did not miss the way Lo’ak’s face blushed at the mention of Naria.
“Well, bring them all and even yourself, we love the company.” Kiri beamed and you couldn’t help but smile yourself.
You hardly received invitations out often. You were always busy taking care of your siblings, cleaning up, staying in, following your parents’ orders. It didn’t leave much room for fun and going out.
Neteyam was still glancing in your direction. He just couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away from your pretty hair flowing loosely down your back, or the way your eyes lit up when Kiri extended the invitation to you and the rest of your siblings.
He knew of your family through passing here and there. You were the eldest, just like him, yet he never saw you out much. Either you were hidden away in your tent, or out hunting. He knew you were a hunter because Beyral spoke of your name often.
You intrigued him. He liked the way the confusion floated over your face when Lo’ak or Tuk used phrases you didn’t understand. He liked the protective nature you held over every single one of your siblings—similar to him. How you held them close to you. He wanted to know more about you. He wanted to make you smile again because it sent an unfamiliar feeling of butterflies in his stomach that he enjoyed.
He wanted more of you. If only the two of you knew what your future held.
ONE.
Neteyam was protective over everything in his life—his parents, his siblings, and now you. Being the eldest, especially to the Olo’eyktan, it was his job becoming the protector when his father wasn’t there.
He fought off anyone who poked fun at Lo’ak or Kiri for having five fingers. He made sure someone was with Tuk at all times when she went out to the forest. He helped his mother anytime she asked whether it was with food or his siblings.
There was no denying how similar the two of you were. It was what drew him to you. You held the same protective nature as him. You took care of your siblings the same way he did. You understood the burdens he carried because you held them high on your shoulders as well.
It was when the two of you were together that he could let go of everything, even if it was just for a little bit. When the day was done and everyone was sound asleep for the night, tucked safely into their tents was when the two of you snuck out to spend time together.
It was more of a private relationship for the time being. Being the next Olo’eyktan in line, Neteyam knew that if he told people he was seeing someone it would spread like wildfire across the village. People would start talking and they probably wouldn’t ever leave you alone once the word was out. He wasn’t sure if you wanted that on top of everything else and if he was being honest, he wanted you to himself just a little while longer.
His feet worked quickly jumping from tree branch to tree branch. The luminescent forest was his guiding light through the night and he took one final swing to his destination. When he got his footing, there you were right where you met almost every night.
Your back was slumped against the tree and you hadn’t noticed him yet, instead, your gaze was focused on the glimmering stars above. Every time, Neteyam was so in awe of you. He knew how stressed you were throughout the day having to do this and that, so seeing you here waiting for him in the most relaxed state gave him a sense of pride.
“Oh, hi.” You finally noticed his looming presence. The boy grinned, walking towards you.
“Hi, sorry I am late. I had to make sure Tuk was truly asleep for the night.” The sound of your laugh made his heart swell in his chest. He snuggled himself in beside you with his head resting on your stomach.
When you put your hands across his back, all of his muscles finally relaxed. The stress slowly dissipated and everything felt right being in your arms. During the day, he was a leader who held no fear. At night when he was with you like this, none of that mattered. He didn’t have to put on the facade for you.
“She never falls asleep on time. I think she is afraid she will miss out on something. Foana is the same way.” He hummed when he felt your other hand begin brushing through his braids.
“That explains why she is always following Lo’ak and Kiri around.” Your stomach rumbled with laughter again and the vibrations were so calming to Neteyam. If he could, he would have your laugh on repeat.
“Your training, how did that go today?” Another thing Neteyam adored about you was how you never failed to ask him about his day. Any detail he told you, you remembered and talked about it the next night. He had never been listened to like that before. It made everything inside of him feel warm and appreciated like he had a purpose.
“It was okay. I think dad is getting mad at me because I can not seem to understand things as fast as he wants me to.” Neteyam sat himself up so he could look at you properly. His back fell against the tree in the same way yours did, still keeping your bodies close.
“You will get it, do not worry. It takes time learning all the ways of the Olo’eyktan. Your father probably struggled as much as you did once.” You clutched his bicep to give it a comforting squeeze. Neteyam’s gaze fell away to the sky, though. His mind beginning to turn elsewhere.
“Yes, but he was already strong when he fell into the position. He was an adult already. I am merely a teenager still.” He heard you scoff beside him.
“You are just as strong, Neteyam. Do not tell yourself you are not. You are learning and your father just wants what is best for you.” You always knew what to say to him to make him feel better. His gaze finally fell back to you, your gentle gaze making his face blush.
“I think my parents are catching up to the fact that I may be seeing someone.” You giggled, looking away as you changed subjects. Neteyam, however, stiffened up at your words.
“What do you say?”
“Well, I just laugh it off and say I am not. They do not ask much more after that.” He could not read your expression because you weren’t looking at him. He didn’t know if you were upset you had to deny it or something entirely different.
He certainly wished he didn’t have to be so private about his personal life, but he was afraid his mother wound disapprove—not that there was anything to disapprove of you. It was mostly the others in the clan. People would start talking. They would start seeking you out. You would have to start learning the ways of Tsahik, maybe (Hopefully in his mind). He wanted to make sure you were completely comfortable to be put into such a spotlight like he was before anything was really said about the two of you.
“Neteyam? Are you alright?” Your voice snapped him from his thoughts. You were already looking at him when he met your pretty golden eyes.
“Yes, sorry. I was lost in thought.” He gave you a gentle smile to reassure you.
“About what?” You loved to pick his brain though. His expression twisted and he found the need to place his arm around you and pull you closer towards him. Your head fell absently against his chest.
“It is not important.” He had this thing where he would sometimes hide his emotions from you. He did not want to burden you with this one right now.
“I feel like it is, though. I will not make you tell me, but you can if you want to.” Another feature he absolutely adored about you. You never pried, but made it known that he could tell you anything. He squeezed you a tiny bit closer as if there was anymore space left between you two.
“Are-are you..upset that our relationship is not..for the entire clan to know?” He blurted and then avoided your gaze so he wouldn’t see your expression.
“No, not necessarily. I like the privacy.” You answered honestly, but Neteyam wasn’t sure if he believed it yet or not.
“Are you lying?” You sat up more to look at him. He was gnawing at his lip, worried that you were lying.
If he could give you the world, he would. He wanted to give you everything. He wanted to show you off and take you on dates that weren’t in the dark. He wanted to hold your hand and kiss you in front of people so they knew you were his. However, he could not do any of that in fear that someone would be mean to you or say rude things. The entire clan was kind, but there were few who said things when they did not approve. Neteyam only knew because he heard the things people said about his father when he became Olo’eyktan.
He is demon blood. How would he know how to lead a clan?
Can we really trust him with our people?
What does she see in him?
Those children, they are demon blood. Five fingers.
They are not true Na’vi.
He could only imagine the things they could say when he announced his possible chosen woman. He wanted to keep you out of that. He wanted to protect you from it as much as he could.
“No, I am not lying. Why would I lie?” You gave a small chuckle; however, Neteyam was still not eased.
“Right, sorry. You would not lie about that.” He looked down, embarrassed he even thought you would lie to him. A gentle hand cupped his face and directed his attention back to you.
“What is going on in that head of yours? Tell me, it seems to be bothering you.” You observed his entire face and Neteyam was flushing under your intense stare.
He took your hands in his, squeezing gently and blowing out a long breath.
“I want to give you the world, but I can not. I only do not tell people about our relationship because I am afraid they will say things we do not like. I do not want them to hurt you and say things like they do about my father and mother. That is the only reason I have kept us from them. Not because I am embarrassed or anything of you.” Neteyam spilled his entire heart to you right then and there. He watched your face for a reaction and subconsciously prepared for a negative one.
Instead, you just grinned and stroked his hand with your thumb.
“I did not think you were embarrassed of me. I know you have a lot on your mind all the time. You do not need to explain yourself to me. I do not mind keeping our relationship private.” Your head tilted to the side, still grinning.
“I just want to make sure you are completely ready to have every eye on our relationship when and if we tell people. It is a lot of pressure and people will be talking. I do not want to just push you into that if you are not ready.” Neteyam continued.
“I am ready whenever you are ready. You worry too much about me.” You laughed and Neteyam’s head fell against your chest. You cradled the back of his head with a smile.
“So you are sure you are ready to handle it? You can tell me no.” He looked back up at you, scanning your face for any possible secret resentment you weren’t telling him.
“You forget I have thick skin. I grew up with parents who were perfecting my every move. If I can take them, I think I can handle being your girlfriend in public.”
It was then that Neteyam knew you were it for him. You held no fear in your eyes that he seemed to be harboring deep down in his depths. You were ready to be by his side under any circumstance.
He brought your face into his hands so he could pull you forward for a kiss. It was everything he could not say and everything he wanted you to know. The night was young and so were you two in that moment.
TWO.
Tonight was a big night as Neteyam ran around the hut like some mad person. He was shoving Tuk’s toys away, cleaning every single space, forcing his family to be on their best behavior—especially Lo’ak.
You were joining his family for dinner so they could properly meet you. Despite all of his siblings already knowing you, it was his parents who did not have much knowledge about you. It was mostly just name in passing, but one they never asked much about.
When Neteyam told his parents he was even seeing someone in the first place, their reactions were pretty priceless.
“Hey, mom, dad?” The eldest Sully walked into their hut while his parents worked away at their own separate projects. They turned his way at the sound of his voice.
“Yes, what it is ma son?” Neytiri questioned. The boy was flushed and picking at his fingers, unsure of how to even approach the subject.
It wasn’t that his parents were against him dating around, but he had never shown much interest beforehand, so he wasn’t sure how they were going to react now.
“I..I um-well, you see, I met this girl a few weeks ago. She is very kind, strong, intelligent, a hunter. I-I would like you to meet her one night over a dinner, maybe?” He carefully watched for their reactions.
His mother, wide-eyed, looked over at her husband. They exchanged a few glances, probably speaking with their eyes, but Neteyam had no idea what they were silently saying. He worried it was bad things.
“Oh! Yes, yes, of course. We would love to meet this girl. Who is she? Is she Omatikaya? Does she live around here?” His mother stood, embracing him while asking the hundred questions she had. His father sat back with a tiny, proud smile on his lips.
“Her name is Y/n. She is just a few huts down. She is a great hunter and warrior. Beyral speaks of her sometimes.” Neteyam explained your background as best as he could. Both of his parents were beaming widely.
“Yes, I have heard that name a few times before. She sounds wonderful, I am so excited to meet her. I had no idea you were seeing someone.” Neytiri was the most enthusiastic for her eldest. He had nearly reached all of his requirements that would make him one of the People and it was only a matter of time before he would begin looking for a future mate.
Tuk went on all day about her excitement that you would be joining them tonight. Neytiri worked all day preparing a great meal with the help of Kiri.
“Bro, I can’t believe you never told us about dating around with Y/n.” Lo’ak snickered as he helped with some of the cleaning. He earned a slap on his head for that comment.
“Well, it was not much of your business, was it?” Neteyam retorted and the younger brother only shrugged.
“I knew you were sneaking out late at night. I could just never have proof.” Another snicker and another slap. Lo’ak finally let up on his annoying teasing.
“Tuk!!” A little scream broke the boys from their conversation. Nearly everyone in the hut looked over to see a little Na’vi girl run in. Tuk was smiling widely, bringing her friend in for a hug.
“Foana! What did I say?—“ Suddenly, you appeared, grabbing at your youngest sister. Neteyam noticed your other three siblings just behind you. You met his eyes before darting them over to his parents who were glancing your way. Your entire face flushed.
“I am so sorry. Foana begged me to bring her to say hello to Tuk and then..well, I could not leave everyone else out.” You quickly explained yourself in small embarrassment. Neteyam rushed to greet you.
“Tsanten, Naria, what’s up?” Lo’ak happily got up to greet your other siblings. Ni`awtu stood shyly behind your back.
“I am so sorry for them.” You whispered to Neteyam when he was close enough. He only grinned.
“Do not apologize.” He kissed your cheek and then stepped aside for his mother who approached.
“It is nice to finally meet you, Y/n. I have heard many things.” Neteyam watched the exchange, still a tiny bit nervous for his parents approval of you. You smiled, nerves also evident behind your eyes.
“It is so nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Sully. I have heard so many things about you.” You bowed your head using the I see you gesture.
“Please, call me Neytiri. It is so nice to meet all of your siblings, as well.” She grinned again at the other little kids talking with her own children.
“Oh, thank you. They will not be staying, they just begged me to bring them to say hello.” You rushed out, eyeing each one of them to make sure they were being well-behaved in the home of the Olo’eyktan.
“Oh please, we have so much food. They can stay.” Your eyes shot to Neteyam. He only gave you a small shrug, ultimately it being your decision. He figured it would be easier to get your siblings’ introductions out of the way now too.
“Oh, no, you do not have to do that.” You shook your head, but Neytiri was persistent.
“It is no trouble. I insist.” She gently touched your arm. Neteyam could tell you were not used to such hospitality. He also touched your arm and you glanced his way. He nodded, saying if his mother thought it was okay, then it was okay for them to stay.
If anything, it would hopefully keep Lo’ak out of trouble or saying things he shouldn’t if he had other people to talk to that he liked. That was Neteyam’s biggest concern of the night, really.
“Okay, thank you, really.” You thanked Neytiri by bowing your head once more. She grinned and then walked away.
Jake came next to greet you. Neteyam knew you were worrying about him more than anything. He was Olo’eyktan and Toruk Makto after all and it was the most important to get his approval.
“Hello, Y/n. I am glad to finally meet you.” You bowed to him which he did the same back.
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Neteyam watched as you urged your siblings to bow before his father as well. They listened to you, doing as told.
You held such power over the little ones, but not in a bad way. Neteyam wondered if they listened to you more than your own parents. You had told him many stories of you becoming the main parent for your siblings growing up. Your parents were very absent. They were always on hunting trips, so it often left you caring for them. The eldest Sully could tell it wore you down—slumped shoulders, tired eyes, callouses on each of your hands, cuts, and bruises.
“Please, please, come in. Make yourselves at home. Our hut is your hut.” Jake ushered all of you in further. You smiled at him, not quite understanding the phrase, but you knew it was a kind one by his tone and expression.
“Y/n! Y/n! Guess what I did this week?” Tuk grabbed at your arm. You smiled down at her and crouched to her eye level.
“What did the mighty Tuk do this week?” Neteyam smiled at the way you ruffled up her hair.
“I caught my very first fish!” The little girl jumped up and down in excitement.
“That is amazing, Tuk! I am so proud of you!” You squeezed her tightly.
“Tell her how big it was.” Neteyam encouraged. His little sister held out her arms wider than herself. Your eyes widened.
“No way. That is bigger than you!” She giggled in excitement.
“I know! Everyone was so excited for me.”
“I certainly hope they were. That is a great accomplishment little Tuk.” You stood and Neteyam beamed at you. He saw your face flush a bit.
“You know she adores you, right?” He reached up to push some of your hair away from your eyes. You were wearing it loose like usual and some of it was pinned back with little petals hooked into it.
You blushed again. Neteyam loved how he could always make you blush like that.
The night went on just the way Neteyam planned. His parents asked you and your siblings many questions which you all happily answered. Just by the smiles and exchanges, Neteyam knew his parents loved you already which relieved him. He was worried something would go wrong. Lo’ak even managed to keep his comments to a minimal and mostly because he didn’t want to look like some fool in front of Naria.
Later, after helping his mom clean up, Neteyam went looking for you. He stopped short when he saw you sitting with Tuk, Foana, and Ni`awtu. You were playing some game with some sticks with them. There was a large smile on your face as you laughed at what Tuk would say. Even your sister, Ni`awtu, was smiling despite how shy she came off as.
Neteyam felt a hand come around his back. His mother appeared next to him, also watching the scene unfold. The sun began to set and eclipse was near. The forest was illuminating around you four. It was the prettiest sight Neteyam had ever seen—you with his little sister playing her games she always made up.
“She is a wonderful woman, Neteyam.” He smiled, glancing his mother’s way for a moment.
“So you like her?”
“We love her. If you do decide one day, she will make a great mate.” A small wave of relief washed through the older boy. He was so glad his parents approved of you.
Now it was just a matter of telling the rest of the clan. He knew most of them would be as supportive as his parents, but there was always the handful that had something to say. Neteyam would do his best to protect you from those who would say things.
Although, for now he would just enjoy the scene in front of him. He wanted to keep the warm feeling bubbling up in his chest for as long as possible. You were utterly perfect in his eyes.
“Neteyam! Come join us!” Tuk had noticed his presence. His mother squeezed his arm before letting him go. You made room for him to join the circle. The two of you exchanged a glance, knowing exactly what the other was saying.
You were definitely a keeper.
THREE.
Neteyam knew you were an excellent fighter. You were the best in the age group every time you went for trainings. He was always so in awe anytime he watched you skillfully use your bow and arrow to hit the targets on the ground from above. Or, your stealth as you dodged in and out of the trees. He knew he could never be as great of a fighter as you were.
However, with that also came the fear he held every time you left to go on missions. This one in particular was an especially dangerous one. His father appointed you to the head and it even shocked Neteyam a bit when he was told to hang back on this one but you were going.
You sat on the ground between his legs as he worked separate little braids into your hair for you. The only time you ever wore braids was for these missions or when you went hunting.
Neteyam did not want you to know he was worrying and playing every single worse case scenario in his head, so he kept quiet as his fingers worked quickly through your hair. However, his leg was bouncing right beside your head and that was hard for you to keep ignoring.
“Neteyam, are you alright?” You placed your hand over his knee. He realized it was bouncing and quickly stopped.
“Yes, I am fine.” You twisted your head around, pausing his braiding for a moment. The look on your face told him you didn’t believe him.
“Liar. What is wrong? Tell me.” You urged and Neteyam knew he couldn’t keep being quiet anymore.
“I am just worried is all. It always happens when you leave for missions like these.” He admitted, forcing a smile so you didn’t see all of his worry. You frowned a bit.
“You know you have nothing to worry about. I am a warrior. I always have been. When have I not come back from one of these?” Your tone was more of a “duh” tone. It didn’t ease Neteyam’s fear though.
“You never know what can happen, though.” He quickly make his defense. Instead of meeting your eyes, he just continued to work away at your hair.
“I suppose I do not, but you trust me, right? You trust your father. He would not send me into something dangerous.” Of course, Neteyam trusted both of you. It was the Sky People he had no trust in. He had seen them fight and the way they always had the upper hand with their crazy machine guns.
“Of course, but I am even not going. Is that not saying something?” He made a face and you were unsure what to say.
Neteyam finished off the last of your braids. The ends jingled together with the beads he added in. They were some of his own and he smiled at the fact that you two were going to match.
He turned you around and dipped his fingers into the bowl of paint beside his leg. You stayed still as he traced it around your face. He thought how jealous Lo’ak would be that you got to wear the war paint he didn’t on missions.
The two of you were silent. The feeling in the air changed ever since you didn’t know how to respond to Neteyam’s last statement.
You stood to look at yourself in the mirror when your face was done. The blue and yellow streaks went down your cheeks and around your eyes.
“Here, do not forget these.” Neteyam stood with your riding visor. He gently reached up to hook it around your ears.
You never flew with a riding visor, but then Neteyam made you one because he was worried about the wind drying out your eyes. You had happily accepted his very thoughtful gift and ever since then, you never rode without it.
“I am a warrior. I will make it back.” He felt comfort in the way you squeezed his arm. Your gaze was on him with a reassuring expression.
“I know you will. I just worry about you.” He cupped your face into his hands, bringing you towards him more.
“I have been doing this my whole life. I have my transmitter, too, so you will be able to listen in.” You placed the collar just above your necklaces and then hooked the earpiece into your ear. Neteyam remembered how thrilled you were when Jake gifted it you.
“We’re off in five minutes, everyone. Be ready!” Jake spoke through your ear. You glanced towards the opening where others headed out to their ikrans.
Neteyam brought your forehead against his. He closed his eyes, breathing you in and savoring every single detail about you just in case.
“Good luck. Be safe.” You smiled at his Earth phrases and brushed your hand along his cheek.
“I will see you soon.” He brought you in for one more kiss. His lips worked a bit rough like it was the last kiss he would give you. He was worrying that much.
You were the one to pull away, knowing you had to be out there very soon. He leaned into your touch when you kissed his cheek and then hurried out of his grasp. Neteyam hurried outside of your hut to watch you take off.
His dad took the lead as he dove off the cliff first. You were quick to follow, disappearing from his view almost immediately. Others in the clan who stayed behind clapped for the war party. Neteyam’s worry was only piling higher in his stomach, already anxiously awaiting your return.
Hours felt like days in his mind as he paced around his own hut. Tuk was in the corner playing with her toys and Kiri eyed on her older brother as he paced.
“Brother, you need to stop worrying so much. You know she will make it back. Y/n is very strong.” Kiri tried reassuring the anxious boy in front of her.
“I know, I know. This mission was a dangerous one, though. Dad did not even let Lo’ak and I go, yet he had Y/n go?” The logic still didn’t make much sense in Neteyam’s head. He wasn’t trying to discredit your abilities, but if you were going, he should’ve at least came along too.
“You have to remember that Y/n has been a warrior her whole life. Even when she was a kid. She was out hunting when she could walk. This is in her nature. Your father knows that and he knows she is a very useful asset to this mission.” His mother piped in from the other side of the hut. He didn’t even known she was listening to the conversation.
“Yeah, what mom said. She’s been fighting like this her whole life. She knows how to handle herself.” Kiri added on.
“Yeah, plus, she doesn’t always need you at her side and call.” Lo’ak had piped in now and Neteyam glared at him. Since when did his whole family become involved in this conversation.
“I am just trying to protect her.” He said in defense to what his younger brother said. Lo’ak just shrugged.
“Ma son, I know it is scary to not know what is happening, but we need to trust the Great Mother and everyone on that mission. They know what they are doing.” Neytiri squeezed Neteyam’s arm for comfort. The boy sighed, but nodded.
As if on cue, people started shouting outside of their hut. In the distance, ikran calls filled their ears. Neteyam instantly knew what that meant—the war party was returning. Everyone in the hut ran outside to greet them and check for any major injuries if any.
Jake’s ikran landed roughly atop the rocky cliff. You flew in not a moment later. The crowds were thick around the edge and it was hard to truly see what was going on. Being as tall as he was, Neteyam still could not see that well past the others trying to get a closer look.
He did not know where you were. You must have gotten down from your ikran, because it’s back was empty and there was no sign of you. Neteyam tried to push through some of the crowd, but it wasn’t much use because no one wanted to move.
“I heard it was bad. Many people were injured.”
“I can not believe he let that little girl go on such a dangerous mission.”
“This was one of their toughest missions yet.”
The words floated around his head as he heard people muttering to one another. He tried not to picture the worst for you. You had made it back, he knew that, but were you severely injured? Neteyam’s heart was practically beating a hole in his chest trying to find you.
Finally, he caught sight of some familiar braids and war paint near the edge of the crowd. He recognized Tsanten and Ni`awtu at your side hugging you.
“Y/n!” He finally was able to break out of the group. He hurried to you, joining in on your siblings’ group hug. He felt the way you clutched the back of his head with one hand and the other held onto his arm with a firm grip.
“Are you okay? Are you injured?” Neteyam pulled back to back to examine your face for any injuries.
Despite the minor cuts and scrapes, nothing looked too alarming to his knowledge. You had a pretty large gnash on your back, but it wasn’t bleeding out profusely or anything.
“No, I am not injured. Just scraped up.” You gave him a tiny smile. He was glad he got to see that again as he cupped your face and placed a quick peck onto your lips.
“Come on, I am sure Mo’at has medicine for these cuts.” You let Neteyam lead you away from the crowds and back to the huts. He sat you down on the ground and then disappeared to find his grandmother.
When he returned he had a handful of herbs, creams, oils, and bandages in his arms. You giggled at the sight.
“I did not think you were much of a healer.” He dropped everything at your side and then kneeled down to your level.
“Well my grandmother is the Tsahik after all. I happen to know one or two things.” Neteyam argued, his lips dancing with a tiny smile.
He gently worked to take your visor off and then wiped away the war paint. He knew you didn’t like to talk about the missions right away, so he enjoyed the comfortable silence between you two instead.
Neteyam’s hands were gentle as he rubbed the special herbs against your skin. You would occasionally hiss when it hurt a little bit more and he would mumble something about how he was almost done and you were doing so well.
He certainly wasn’t a healer like his grandmother or Kiri who had a special hand at medicine, but it meant a lot to both of you when he would heal your wounds for youor, when you would heal his after a long hunting day.
“Many, many people got hurt today.” You spoke after some silence. Neteyam hummed behind you.
“It was that bad?”
“Their machines are just so powerful. We are no match with our bows and arrows sometimes. They had to have known we were coming because they attacked back at us so harshly.” You shook your head some and Neteyam knew there was vivid images replaying in your mind.
“It is so hard to understand why they want us dead. If they were just a bit kinder then maybe there could be more peace worked out.” You continued on with your little rant, frustration becoming set in your body language. Your shoulders fell tense under the Sully boy’s hands.
“You know how hard they have tried with us. Someone always gets hurt. I suppose after all the failed efforts they have no other choice but violence, unfortunately.” Neteyam knew all about the schools his mother once attended in her earlier years. It seemed like the Sky People tried making an effort, but nothing ever held permanently.
“I know, it is just so frustrating. Tsanten and Naria are growing to that age where they will be old enough to go out on their own. I worry for them and what those demons could do to them.” A scowl sat on your face. Neteyam turned you around, cupping your face in his hands.
“I know how terrifying it can be. I worry for my siblings everyday, but you are very strong and you will be able to teach them well.” You smiled, but it didn’t stay for long as you casted your gaze away from him.
“I just wish I was not the one to always do it. My parents pay no attention to them anymore. They are always away. It should not be my job to teach my siblings every single life skill they will ever need.” You pushed yourself up from the ground, leaving Neteyam’s grasp.
He watched you wander to the entryway where you stared at the people moving about outside. Many were still tending to those who were wounded more worse than you.
Neteyam wasn’t a complete open book, but when he was with you, he felt comfortable enough to share the things bothering him the most. You, on the other hand, had a more harder time opening up to him. He knew you trusted him, but he couldn’t pull everything from you. He knew you parents were strict and absent people, always being away, which is why you held so much responsibility and burden. However, he didn’t know much more than that. You always closed it off.
Hearing what you were saying now, though, it was more than what you would usually say. Neteyam got up to join you at the entryway.
“You are right, it should not be your job, but unfortunately it is. You do a great job at teaching them and raising them.” His hand fell against your back. You leaned a tiny bit closer to him while your gaze was on Foana and Tuk a few feet away.
“I worry that they think I am too hard on them, but I am really just trying to help them survive on their own.” In that moment, Neteyam realized something. His whole life, his parents taught him how to hunt, fish, make kills, but their biggest motto was “Sully’s stick together.”
While yes, he was learning things on his own, he was also learning that he wouldn’t have to be alone because his family would always have his back. You did not have that.
You were the one who would always have your siblings’ back, but they wouldn’t always necessarily have yours. You were teaching them to survive on their own, not to depend on one another like he was taught growing up. Independence was a key feature of your family dynamic. Dependence was the key feature of his family dynamic.
“You are not too hard on them. You are doing what you know and hoping they will learn it too. It is a great feature to know you will always be dependable for them. However, you can always depend on me if you ever needed something.” You met his gaze and Neteyam smiled warmly at you.
“Your words are too kind. Thank you, my love.” Neteyam’s ears perked up. He had never heard that nickname before from you. You giggled upon seeing his surprised reaction.
“No, thank you, pretty girl.” He engulfed his arms around your shoulders to bring you into his chest. You chuckled and he knew you didn’t quite understand his nickname he gave you, but it didn’t matter.
He thought that maybe you going out on these missions weren’t so bad as long as he was the one to patch you up afterwards—and he always was going to be the one patching you up every. single. time.
FOUR.
Neteyam ventured out on a day-long hunting expedition with his father, brother, and even your own little brother. You remembered how excited Tsanten was when Jake approached him one night to ask if he wanted to tag along to get some pointers from the older guys.
It warmed your heart to see Neteyam’s family being so welcome to your own. Tsanten didn’t have your dad to take him out like this, so being able to finally go out was like a dream come true for him, especially with the Olo’eyktan.
You had a pretty slow day considering Neytiri decided to take Tuk, Kiri, and your other three sisters out for what she liked to call a “girls day.” She extended the invite to you, but you figured with everyone out of the hut was a great opportunity to get some cleaning done.
With a job that would usually take hours, it only took about two and you were done by noon. Toys were put away; the rug was cleaned; things were put back where they belonged—the entire hut looked spotless.
You ended up venturing over to the Sully residence to see if Neytiri and the girls returned yet. You thought it was empty approaching since it was practically silent until you saw Mo’at sitting near the back grinding some of her herbs together.
She caught your eye before you could walk away. You had never really spoken to the Tsahik before. Most times, you would send your siblings in if they had gotten hurt and waited outside for them. You knew she was a woman of few words despite being so highly respected within the clan.
You bowed to her.
“You must be Neteyam’s…oh what do they say..girlfriend?” The older woman cracked a tiny smile causing you to flush.
“I suppose so, yes. I apologize for interrupting you.” You nodded to her bowl of herbs. She waved you off though, beckoning you inside.
“I come here sometimes to get away when I want to be alone. There is always someone bursting into my hut needing fixing.” You smiled a bit, sitting down beside the older Na’vi.
“I understand. It is always nice to get away sometimes.” She smiled, glad you understood her.
You felt a bit strange being in Neteyam’s home without him there. Ever since the family dinner, you had only been over a handful of times, so being here alone with just his grandmother was definitely different. The usual organized chaos that filtered through his home was replaced with tranquility as the day grew shorter.
“You are a hunter and warrior correct?” Mo’at spoke up again. Flushing that she knew that about you, you nodded.
“Those are very useful skills to have as a Na’vi like you. I am impressed, especially with how much my grandson tells me about you.” She waved her finger around. You were sure that if Neteyam was here he would be embarrassed she had said that.
“Thank you, Mo’at. My parents grew up that way, so they raised me the same.” Your parents had always been die-hard warriors, so it was practically in all of your blood to become just like them one day.
“I do not see your parents around as often as I used to.” Who knew the Tsahik knew so much about your family. You scratched the back of your ear to find some excuse that didn’t sound horrible to tell her.
“They are always on hunting trips. They like to travel a lot.” Not a complete lie, but not exactly the entire truth.
“I see, I see. They always seemed to be very ambitious people.” You nodded. Yes, ambitious was certainly one way to describe them.
“It is mostly just my siblings and I around the hut. They like to take very long hunting trips.” Mo’at nodded once again.
“Yes, Neteyam says that you are the main caretaker of your siblings.” You flushed again. How much was Neteyam actually talking about you when you weren’t around? A lot, apparently.
“That task can be rather daunting, but he says you handle it very well. All of your siblings seem like very respectful people.” She continued before you could respond. You smiled. That compliment meant a lot coming from Tsahik of the village.
“Thank you, that means a lot coming from you.” She grinned at you while continuing to crush and grind away in her little bowl.
“Would you like to try?” She looked down at the bowl. You flushed realizing she was asking you to help grind up her herbs.
“Oh, sure.” She switched places with you and you began doing exactly what she had done. You crushed them down into tiny little bits and pieces.
“This could be your job one day.” Mo’at eyed you as she added in another handful. Your entire face deepened into a darker shade of blue.
“Oh..I do not know about that. Maybe?” You liked Neteyam a lot, but you two were teenagers still. His selection for a mate was still so far away and he would not become Olo’eyktan for quite some time.
“You like my grandson, no?” For a woman of few words, Mo’at seemed to have a lot to talk about with you.
“Yes, I do. He is a lovely young man.” You weren’t sure, but you thought you saw her grin from the corner of you eye.
“I do not know much about..what does Jakesully say..teenage love, but I know my grandson likes you a lot. He talks and talks about you so much. I know it can be scary stepping into that kind of love, but I usually do not steer wrong when I watch my children fall in love. I was not wrong about Jakesully and my daughter.” Hearing all of this coming from Tsahik meant so much to you. You held a lot of respect for the older Na’vi and now she was sitting beside you giving you advice about relationships like you were one of her own.
“Your hunting and warrior skills matched with your caretaking skills would make a wonderful Tsahik one day if that is what happens.” She squeezed your arm and everything in you felt so warm and comforted. No one had ever said things like that to you before and hearing it from Mo’at made it even more special.
“You are too kind. Thank you.” You flushed for the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. Mo’at grinned once more.
“I know a kind soul when I see one. Eywa would not have brought you and Neteyam together if she was not wanting you two to be together in that way.” Obviously, Mo’at would know best when it came to Eywa. You smiled, glancing back down at the herbs.
Maybe one day this would be your fate.
Neteyam returned from his day-long hunting trip exhausted and ready to collapse into his hammock for a long nap. His mother was there to greet him with a kiss to the cheek and to his surprise, his grandmother was sitting inside eating her bowl of food.
“Hello, grandmother.” He bowed to her and she nodded back.
“Hello, my grandson. How was the trip?” Neteyam shrugged some, dropping his belongings to the ground for now. It was as best as it could be with Lo’ak being his usual self plus an added friend along for the ride.
“It was very informative. Father gave us great tips.” That part was not a lie. Jake always gave his sons great pointers for making their kills.
“That is great, I am very glad. I had a nice visit with your Y/n today.” Neteyam’s eyes widened a bit.
“You did? When?” He suddenly worried his grandmother told her embarrassing things about him or exposed how he would talk about her all the time.
“She stopped by here looking for you, I think, but I was here instead. I offered inside and we had a very nice chat. She is a wonderful young woman.” Neteyam couldn’t help but smile hearing that. You were amazing. He was glad to hear his grandmother liked her as much as he did.
“She would make a very wonderful Tsahik one day. She has nearly every skill necessary without even having much training for the position.” Mo’at eyed her grandson. Neteyam’s entire face flushed, but he also felt a sense of pride. You were great at nearly everything, he wasn’t surprised Mo’at thought that.
“Well, I hope one day it will happen. We are still young and—“
“Tsahik knows everything, son. It will happen.” Neteyam watched his grandmother beam at him widely. He flushed once more and then tried to hide the smirk forming on his lips by looking away.
In his head, he knew you were the one for him, but that was never definite. Hearing his grandmother basically confirm it was enough for him. You were it for him. Through and through.
FIVE.
You hadn’t snuck out during the night in awhile. Neteyam suggested it would be a nice way to get your minds off of things and just be with each other for a bit since your siblings were always interrupting or needing something.
Neteyam swung along the oh so familiar path to the tree he had taken so many times before. Eclipse had just begun and every time he was so amazed at how the forest lit up around him. It made Pandora that much more magical.
Like always, you had beaten him to the spot. Except this time, you weren’t alone. Your ikran was perched a few feet away and you had your riding visor on. Neteyam grew suspicious, but you only grinned at him.
“I thought we could go for a ride. We haven’t flown during Eclipse in so long.” You freckles were glowing and Neteyam could see the large smile on your face and your eagerness to fly.
“I did not bring any of my things and I only have my—“ You cut him off by revealing your hands that were hidden behind your back. You held his riding visor in your hands.
“I knew you would say that, so I planned ahead.” Neteyam could only smile at you. You always thought of everything.
“What if we get attacked or something?” Neteyam was still skeptical. He loved riding at Eclipse with you, but he felt under prepared if anything happened while you two were out.
“Nothing will happen, I promise. If it makes you feel any better, I have my bow. Come on, we have not ridden in so long.” You were tugging at his hand and he couldn’t resist your pleas. He took his visor from your hands and smiled.
“Okay, fine. Let’s do it.” He would do anything to be able to make you smile like you were right now. He called for his ikran while you hopped up on yours.
Once you two were both on, you exchanged a glance. There was a playful smirk on your lips as you pushed your visor down. Neteyam grew curious of the look.
“Last one to Ayram Alusing loses!” And then you were off before Neteyam could even process what you had said.
He quickly took off with you already five paces ahead of him. He had no idea how you gained so much speed already while he struggled to even pick up momentum. The wind blew against his face, making it burn some of his skin that was not protected. It was definitely not working in his favor tonight.
“You are losing, Neteyam!” He heard you call from ahead of him. He growled some and focused all of his energy into catching up to you.
He was finally able to catch up to your side. He smirked over at you.
“Who is losing now?” He teased and pushed ahead ignoring the harsh breeze as best as he could.
The two of you soared through the sky, the Hallelujah Mountains just ahead. Neteyam had the lead, but you were just on his tail, literally. If you reached out, you could probably touch the end of his ikran.
You had a competitive spirit, so there was no way you were letting yourself loose to Neteyam. From his peripheral, he saw you creeping up on him.
“You can not win everything, Y/n!” He called over to you, but there was something in your eye telling him you were definitely not losing this round.
He tried focusing through the bond to get his ikran to pull ahead as the first two mountains came up. However, you blew right past him like magic and crossed the imaginary finish like. Neteyam sighed in defeat as you pumped your arms up and down for another victory.
“I told you I would win. You do not win against me.” The eldest Sully still smiled nonetheless, enjoying seeing you so happy. He would lose a hundred times to you to be able to see you as happy and carefree as you were right now.
“My apologies, I should have known I had no chance.” Neteyam held his hands up in surrender. The little smirk continued to dance on your lips as you took off to keep flying around the mountains.
The boy stuck close to your side, the two of you smiling widely as you weaved in and around the large rock formations. You would occasionally dive over the larger branches hanging out to make it a game.
Neteyam felt like his parents where he knew they still snuck out at later hours of the night to do this. It was so thrilling, yet so relaxing at the same time. The breeze had finally died down and it no longer felt like bullets pelting his skin as he rode.
“You want to rest here? There is an open spot.” You pointed up ahead at a clearing in one of the mountain tops. Neteyam nodded and followed you to the landing.
You jumped off your ikran, taking in your surroundings. The entire area was glowing its bioluminescent glow. Each flora, leaf, tree moss, everything was shining bright acting as the light in the dark night.
“That was easily the best ride I have had in awhile. What about you?” You flipped your visor up and turned to Neteyam. In a swift move, he snaked his arms around your waist to bring you closer.
“That certainly was a great ride, but maybe next time you will lose the race here.” He grinned and earned an eye roll from you.
“In your dreams. You may be future Olo’eyktan, but you can never win against me.” You shook your head and Neteyam only chuckled.
“And you may be future Tsahik one day, so that competitive nature may need to die down a bit.” He smirked and your face flushed. You broke away from his grasp to look up at the blue-purple sky.
“Your grandmother speaks of the same thing.” You smiled, thinking about your time with Mo’at a few weeks ago.
“Is that what you two talked about that one day?” Neteyam questioned, always wondering what his grandmother could possibly be saying to you when he wasn’t around.
“She is a very kind lady. She knows what she is talking about.” You laughed some. Neteyam cringed knowing she definitely embarrassed him during that conversation.
“Did she say anything about me?” He had to ask even if he didn’t want to know.
“Oh, so many things. She loves you.” You found a comfortable spot against one of the trees to stargaze. Neteyam joined you.
“Anything embarrassing?” Your tiny giggle told him all he needed to know. He internally face palmed.
“If I told you, it would ruin the fun.” You grinned and Neteyam knew that Mo’at definitely embarrassed the shit out of him. Wonderful.
“Well, I am serious about your future Tsahik fate. Just think, you and I head of the clan one day. It would be perfect.” Neteyam threw his arm around you and you giggled at the image appearing in your head.
The Sully boy pictured it too. It looked very similar to his mother and father right now. You would still be a warrior while also caring for the people when they needed it. He would wear the large feather chest piece and headpiece his father wore—planning hunting trips, war parties, overseeing the entire clan. The future was so close yet so far. He knew it would be before him soon.
For now though, he wouldn’t worry about that and enjoyed the time he was spending with you by his side. It was enough waking up in the early hours of the morning, spending hours on specific skills, he didn’t need to wish it upon himself right now.
“Well, if it does happen, at least the people seem content with your choice of..me.” You giggled at your wording. Neteyam smiled.
“It is a miracle no one has talked much. I think they know my father will be at their throats considering I am their son if they did say anything about you.”
“I knew it would be fine. You worry too much sometimes, you know.” You poked at his chest, making him squirm away from you.
“I am merely just caring about you. It is not worry.” Neteyam attempted to defend himself, but it was clear he had a weak defense.
“You also worry. Do not be afraid to admit it. It is charming knowing you worry so much.” Another grin came from you.
“Well of course I am going to worry and care. It is who I am.” You pulled him back towards you so he could cuddle into you.
“And I love who you are.” You cradled his head, pulling your hand through his pretty braids.
He almost said it. He almost had the courage to tell you.
Jake taught Neteyam the phrase when he once asked what it meant after hearing him tell it to his mother. Jake explained how it was much more intimate than I see you. It was something the Sky People would tell those they cared deeply for.
Neteyam had been wanting to say it you for ages, but he never thought it was the right time. He didn’t know how you would react. Would you freak out? Would you say it back? Did you love him? He for sure loved you, but he wasn’t sure if you reciprocated his feelings that much. He didn’t want to scare you with such a meaningful phrase. It seemed like the right time, but it also didn’t at the same time.
Instead, he nuzzled his head further into you and breathed you in. He savored the way your hair smelled—somehow it always smelled like fresh flowers. He listed to your heartbeat, nearly putting him to sleep. The moment was taking him over. It was complete bliss and comfort being in your arms.
THE ONE TIME HE SAID IT.
Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.
You planned a cute little picnic in the forest for you and Neteyam. He was dragged out of his hut with instructions to keep his eyes closed or he would ruin the surprise. Your grip on his hand was tight as he was dragged through the forest, occasionally knocking his head against a low hanging branch you forgot to push out of the way.
“Y/n, that was the third branch. Where are we going?” He laughed trying to figure out where he was, but it wasn’t much luck considering he was blindfolded.
“Just be patient. You will love it.” You hoped he would love it. You worked to put it together all day yesterday, so if he didn’t like it you’d be damned.
Trusting you, Neteyam kept accepting hits to the head and scratches to the arm knowing it had to be worth it in the end.
When you two finally arrived at your destination, you pulled the cloth from his eyes. He squinted, not used to the bright light, but when his vision finally leveled out, he was in awe of what he saw.
The little clearing had been decorated with numerous vines that wrapped around each tree branch. Flower petals were scatted along the ground. It looked like something from his dreams.
“Surprise! What do you think? A picnic in the forest.” You held your arms out, excitement bouncing across your face. Neteyam was still speechless at the effort that must’ve been put into all of it.
“You did this all for me?” You nodded, leading him further in.
“Of course I did. I had some help from Kiri and my sisters, but you deserve it after all the work you have been doing.” You turned to him, grinning widely. Neteyam cupped your face trying to find the words to express his gratitude.
“You are the best person ever. Thank you, my love.” He pecked your lips and then went to see what you had packed for your picnic.
You joined him on the blanket Neytiri let you use while Neteyam immediately began eating anything he saw. You laughed at his actions.
“Someone has not eaten yet today?”
“Oh, you have no idea. I have been out since the eclipse ended training with my father.” You grinned, glad you could feed him.
Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.
Since it was a spur the moment surprise, neither of you thought to bring any weapons with you besides the knives you always carried. It was a part of the forest only Na’vi went. There was no possible way danger could lurk around the corner or behind a tree.
“If you could come back as anything you wanted, what what you want to come back as?” Neteyam laid across the blanket staring up at the clear sky. Your head was beside his as you laid the other way. Your stomach’s were full of food and now you were just relaxing in the sun.
“Anything?” That was a hard question. There was so many things you wanted to be.
“Anything.”
“I think I would want to come back as an ikran. They are so beautiful and just imagine being able to go anywhere you wanted basically. Flying through the sky with your rider. It sounds like such a dream.” You adored your rides with your ikran and being one would be a whole other level you would want to experience.
“I think I would want to come back as one of the good scientists like Norm or Dr. Max.” Neteyam’s answer surprised you and even himself. Sky People were evil and even some didn’t fully trust the good scientists who stayed behind, but he wanted to know what it felt like to live as human.
His father told him and his siblings countless stories of his time being apart of the Sky People and it always intrigued Neteyam.
“I know it sounds crazy, but my father told us so many stories as his time as one of them. It just seems so interesting to me.” He continued his reasoning when you didn’t respond.
“I understand it. I think it would be interesting to live as them for a day.” It was strange to Neteyam. Sky People could live like his people whenever they chose to, but he could not live like them. There was no science to make human bodies for Na’vi people who wanted the experience.
He got a lot of exposure from Spider, but it wasn’t really the same. Neteyam wanted to see it, feel it for himself.
“I have just always felt human because of my father’s blood. Even though I do not have the five fingers like Lo’ak and Kiri, I still have half of his blood in me.” Neteyam tore his gaze to his hands. His long, thin fingers that were just like his mother’s and Tuk’s.
His parents liked to say he took on more of Neytiri’s genes while Lo’ak gained Jake’s.
“It is okay to wonder and want to feel it, Neteyam. You are half human, half Na’vi. It is good you are curious.” You reached up to caress his cheek and the boy leaned into your touch.
“It just feels wrong, though. The Sky People are demons. They hurt us. Why do I want to wonder more about them?” In a sense, he also felt guilt. He knew how much his mother despised those people and even sometimes Spider because he was one of them. Why should he want to know more when all they did was hurt people?
“Do not feel guilty for wondering. Your father was them once upon a time,” He grinned at your english phrase you used. Him and Lo’ak were definitely rubbing off on you. “And he is a good human. You can still wonder and want to be like them and still be good. Norm and Max are good Sky People. It is your blood, your ancestors. Do not feel bad for wanting to wonder.” Neteyam liked the reassurance you were giving him. He was worried he sounded crazy or something.
He was about to respond when his ears twitched for a second and he suddenly got a random chill across his arms. A faint rustling noise floated into his ears. He quickly sat up.
Normally, he wouldn’t have been so alarmed, but the way his skin started to crawl told him it wasn’t some animal lurking.
“Neteyam? What is wrong?” You sat up seeing his quick change in demeanor.
“Shh, be quiet for a second.” He held his finger to his lips. His eyes bounced around the area you two were in and he grabbed for his knife.
The rustling noise continued and it got closer to where you guys were. Neteyam grabbed your arm, making you stand up with him. His actions were frightening you because you didn’t know what was going on.
“Someone else is here.” He whispered to you. He felt his heart beating a bruise into his chest at the idea of someone else lurking close by.
Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.
A noise and then an arrow was flying just above your heads. You screamed out of instinct and fear. Neteyam’s hand was back on you about to hide behind a tree. When he spun around, two larger hands with a much stronger grip grabbed ahold of the two of you.
You screamed again. Neteyam hit them with his knife causing a minor distraction. He spun away from the prying hands, until four more people emerged from the bushes, large guns in their hands. He suddenly stopped, knowing he couldn’t take them with just a knife.
“Well, look at what we have here. Looks like we crashed someone’s date.” Neteyam knew it wasn’t a true Na’vi by the way they wore full clothes and spoke in english to him. It was Avatars.
The one, tall with a buzz cut haircut, crouched down to be at his eye level. Neteyam hissed at him as he scanned his entire face with his eyes. He held his knife out for defense.
“I heard you talking a few moments ago. You said your father was from the..Sky People. Your father doesn’t happen to be Jake Sully, does it?” With the English Neteyam did understand, he knew this guy was bad and clearly had his dad on his radar.
“Oe rä’ä tslam nga.” (I do not understand you) Neteyam growled out. The avatar looked at him, quirking his eyebrow and exchanging a glance with his accomplices with him.
You continued to struggle in the hands that held a tight grip on you.
“If you tell me where your father is, I’ll let her go.” He nodded towards you. Neteyam only hissed at him once more, knife high, ready to strike.
“Or we can do this the hard way, it’s up to you. You are definitely your father.” The avatar man grabbed Neteyam’s hand. He examined his fingers, raising his eyebrow once more.
“Sure didn’t get his genes though, that’s for sure.” The others snickered around them. Neteyam pulled his hand back, unsure of what to do. If he went for a hit, they wound shoot and he didn’t want that to happen.
His eyes gazed over at you. You met his gaze, the same unsureness resting in your look. If you were scared, Neteyam couldn’t tell because you hid it well.
He couldn’t call in his dad because that would just lead this guy right to him. He was out of any good options.
Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.
“All you have to do is tell me where your dad is and no one will get hurt.” Neteyam thought of an idea.
He slowly raised his hands in means of surrender. The guy looked at him, curious. Neteyam set his knife down by his feet and then slowly moved his hands to where his transmitter sat on his neck.
He pushed into the buttons and began speaking in Na’vi since these guys clearly didn’t understand it as well as he could speak it.
(Let’s pretend this is Na’vi because I can’t translate the entire conversation 😌)
“Dad, we’re under attack, I need help.” Neteyam glanced warily at the man standing before him who watched his moves carefully.
“Neteyam? Where are you?” His dad came into his ear, urgent and worried.
“In the forest where the open clearing is. Avatar men with guns. We’re surrounded.”
“We? Who is we?”
“Y/n and I. We need your help.” The guy wasn’t exactly picking up on what Neteyam was saying which was good. His plan was working so far.
“Okay, we’re on our way.” And then he was out. Neteyam knew two things after that: one, his father was a much better fighter than these guys were. He was Na’vi, he had years and years to adapt. He could take these guys out easily. Two, his dad wasn’t going to give himself up to this guy and if they could defeat him, it wouldn’t even be in the question.
“He is coming now.” Neteyam spoke in english so the guy understood. He quirked his eyebrow once more, almost surprised.
“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.” The others chucked around them. Behind his back, Neteyam made a small hand signal to you that he hoped you would understand.
Suddenly, there was a screech. You had bitten the arm that was holding you. Neteyam used that distraction to grab his knife from the ground. He went for the guy’s leg.
You wrestled out of the grasp. The others went for you, but being the skilled warrior you were, it was easy to take them out. You swung your leg around, taking one out with your foot.
Neteyam slashed the leg of the guy and went for his gun. His father had taught him and Lo’ak how to use one, so he knew exactly where to go to blow the amo out of it.
He used his knife to slash another one’s arm. It was pure chaos. Blood sputtered every which direction and the others were trying to fire their guns at you two. You were quicker than them, though. You knocked them from their hands and kicked their legs out.
One particular cut Neteyam made went across the entire face of one of the avatars.
“Quaritch, we need to fall back. We can’t take this many losses right now.” One of them urgently spoke to the one Neteyam slashed the leg of.
“I need Jake Sully. I am not leaving without him.” He argued bitterly.
“We’ll come back when we’re better prepared! At least we know they’re close by.” He seemed to finally give in. He called something Neteyam didn’t understand and all of his accomplices began retreating back into the forest where they had come from.
Relief flooded through Neteyam. They were leaving and the both of you were still safe. However, his relief didn’t last for very long.
Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.
He turned to you, a smile spread across his lips until he saw the way you clutched your stomach. Your hands were trembling as they slowly revealed what was happening. Your knife handle was sticking out and blood was dripping from your skin.
There wasn’t a smile on his face anymore. His relief disappeared and was quickly replaced by fear.
“Neteyam..” You sputtered, swaying on your feet. He was quick to catch you before you hit the ground.
“No, no, no, no, Y/n. It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay. Look at me. Look at me. You’re okay.” He was sputtering, clutching your arm and staring at the way your knife was lodged into your stomach.
“Why am I so warm? Is it warm?” Your entire face was losing color by the second. Neteyam, even though he tried not to show it for your sake, was panicking.
“You’re fine. It’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine. Help is coming. They’re coming to help us.” He knew better than to pull the knife out, but you were practically pouring blood everywhere.
“Am I dying? Is this what it feels like to die?” The blood loss was making you go into shock. Neteyam was cradling your head, trying to stay calm for you and himself.
“No, you are not dying, my love. You are going to be okay. You are not going to die. I will not let you die.” If he had his bow and arrow, maybe he would’ve been able to take down those other guys easier. If he had a better weapon, anything other than a knife then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
You were not dying.
Your breathing started becoming rigid. It was broken into heavy pants and you were sputtering again.
“If-if I don’t..If I don’t make it..Can you-will you take care of them for me?” Your siblings. Neteyam visibly shut his eyes for a moment. How would he explain this to Foana? Who would take care of them if you..no you were not dying.
“Do not say that. You are going to take care of them because you are going to live. My dad is coming. Everything is going to be okay.” It was mostly just so Neteyam would believe himself too. Everything was going to be okay.
His ears twitched and perked up when he heard sounds of ikrans coming. His father’s ikran came into view along with his mother’s. They landed and then rushed to where you two were.
“Dad! Someone put her knife into her. She..she is losing so much blood.” Neteyam’s voice broke that time. He couldn’t hold it back any longer.
“Shit, shit.” Neteyam watched as his dad gently flipped you to your side. Luckily, there was no exit wound, but the blood kept coming.
“I-I do not feel very good. I-I-“ You were heaving at this point. Your eyes were glazing over and your entire skin had gone from a deep blue to an entirely lighter shade.
“Y/n, you need to stay with me. Please, please stay with me.” Neteyam cupped your face, trying to keep your eye contact with him.
“We need to get her to the village. To Max and Norm and Mo’at.” Neytiri had a look of pure horror on her face seeing you like that.
Your eyes couldn’t stay open much longer. The blood loss was becoming fatal. Neteyam began shaking you when he saw your eyelids drift closed.
“Y/n! Y/n!” He was in too much of a panic to even check if you were breathing or not still. He could not lose you. Not now.
“We need to get her to the village, right now. Neteyam! Are you with me?” His father was practically yelling at this point. However, his eldest son fell into what was his own shock.
He did not and could not move seeing your almost lifeless body in front of him. He didn’t process it as his dad lifted you up to his ikran. His mother had to pull him to his feet, trying to snap him back into attention. Nothing worked, though.
All he could think about was you. You, you, you. You were in love. His future woman. His future mate. You were the sister to his siblings. The sister to your siblings. You were their care taker. Who would..who would take care of them now?
He should’ve told you. He should’ve told you the other night on your night ride. It was so close on the tip of his tongue. Why couldn’t he find the courage to tell you then? What if he never got to tell you ever now?
Your body became so lifeless in his arms. Pale skin, gone eyes, blood nearly everywhere. This couldn’t be the end. There was so much life ahead for the two of you. Your future plans. He couldn’t possibly do it all without you.
His mother somehow managed to get him onto her ikran. She flew quickly through the sky after her husband who clutched your body tightly.
When they landed, you were rushed directly to Max and Norm. Mo’at was brought in to give you a heavy sedation medicine so they could pull the knife out without damaging anything serious. It was near chaos. No one but Mo’at was allowed where they were inside the labs.
Neteyam chewed on his bottom lip. Guilt, fear, anger, sadness, everything at once was eating him up inside. He figured he should be the one to tell your siblings what happened, so he did.
Their faces were enough for him to finally break down right in front of them. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me. The phrase repeated in his head like a broken record.
All five of them sat on the ground of your hut hugging one another close. For a moment he hated your parents for not being here in this moment. They had no idea what was happening to their daughter right now.
Neytiri offered their hut to your siblings without hesitation to stay in.
Hours were ticking by it stated to feel like days to Neteyam. There was no word on the progress or your condition. It was merely a waiting game at this point. The knife was lodged deep and you lost a lot of blood.
Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.
Mo’at finally emerged after what seemed like almost six hours where a large group had gathered outside of the lab doors—Neteyam and his family included. All of them deeply concerned about your well-being.
“The knife has been removed. She is stable, but she is sleeping still and will be for a few days.” A tiny bit of relief washed through Neteyam knowing the operation was at least successful.
The days went by and you had finally awoken. Once visitors were allowed, your siblings were the first to check on you, of course. Neteyam hung back, a bit anxious and nervous to see you again.
He felt so guilty for what happened. He could not protect you after saying countless times that he would at any given moment. His failure caused him to hang his head low and avoid looking people’s way when he went out.
Kiri, Tuk, and Lo’ak were the next group of visitors. Neteyam still hung back. Maybe it was fear that was holding him back?
Could he possibly look you in the eye again after seeing you with a knife lodged into you? Not really. His fear made him feel upset in a sense. Why could he not face you? You were his love, yet he could not find himself to step foot into the lab.
A few more days passed and eventually the doctors and Mo’at agreed to move you back into your hut for more comfort. Neteyam avoided the entire village that day, in fear that he would see you.
What was wrong with him? One minute he could not stop seeing you and now he was afraid to even make eye contact with you.
It made him feel even more guilty.
One night, he sat outside by one of the drop-off spots. His head pounded and every single thought he ever had was swirling around like a school of fish.
He didn’t feel another presence until he caught sight of his mother sitting down beside him. She had began recognizing his absent behaviors and his avoidant gazes anytime he was around people. She knew how hard this was on her son.
“Have you seen her at all?” She crafted her words gently. Neteyam shook his head.
“I cannot. It pains me and the guilt is eating me alive.” He grabbed his chest like something was actually messing with him in there.
“Well, she is asking for you. She is confused why you have not seen her yet. You should go see her, Neteyam.”
“I can not. Every time I look at her I remember the horrid images of the knife deep in her stomach as the blood seeped through. It was the worst part of everything. I promised her protection and I can not even do that anymore.” He wanted his mother to understand, but he knew she wound not. Not completely, at least.
“Neteyam, this is not your blame. You did everything you could and no one is blaming you. I promise you, son.” Her arm outstretched to bring comfort to her son. She rubbed his back, trying to get him to understand.
“Then why do I feel so, so guilty like it is my fault?” He pleaded for an answer. His mother tried to come up with as best of an answer as she could.
“When you care for someone as deeply as you do, whatever happens to them begins to feel like it is your fault. It is not your fault, though. You take the blame because you think there is no where else to place it. My son, you did everything you could. No one is upset at you or mad or angry. Y/n is not upset with you. Do not think that.” Neteyam’s head hung low.
“I think it will fix a lot of things if you go see her. You will begin to realize this was none of your doing or fault.” Neytiri urged once more and Neteyam knew he couldn’t keep refusing. He had to be mature. He was almost Olo’eyktan and he couldn’t even face his own injured (almost) mate.
“Okay. I will go see her.” Neytiri smiled, giving her son a nod of encouragement.
The Sully boy stood and turned in the direction of your hut. He started bracing himself—for insults? Anger? Sadness? Frustration?
The closer he got to you, the faster his heart would beat against his chest. From inside, he could hear your siblings talking and at times arguing with one another.
He tapped on the wood before pushing aside the flap that covered the inside. Tsanten and Naria looked his way.
“Neteyam! You’re here!” Foana was at his legs, hugging him much like Tuk did. He smiled down at the little girl.
“Hello, Foana. Tsanten. Naria. Ni`awtu.” He bowed before them. Their looks told him they had never been greeted that way before.
In the corner, Neteyam caught sight of your figure. You were sitting upright carving something when you finally noticed his presence in your home.
“Neteyam, hello. Come in, come in.” You urged him in further. He slowly went to you and your siblings filtered themselves out knowing you two probably needed some space.
“You look so much better. How are you feeling?” He questioned taking in your skin that returned to its usual blue shade. You smiled some.
“I am definitely feeling a lot better. How are you?” You took ahold of his hands. The questioned seemed silly to him considering he wasn’t the one who got stabbed.
“I am doing okay. I am not the one who got stabbed, though.” He stifled a small laugh. You rubbed at his fingers and he was just glad to be able to feel your hands in his again, not the lifeless feeling they once were.
“Well, I have not seen you yet, so I was making sure you were okay.” Neteyam grimaced just a bit. He felt guilty for not visiting you sooner, but he just couldn’t bring himself to face you in the state that you were in.
“Yes, I am okay. I am sorry I did not visit you sooner. I..I just felt guilty about all of this and I was being selfish with myself.” His head hung low, ears dropping. You grabbed his chin though, shaking your head.
“There is nothing to feel guilty about, Neteyam. You did everything you could. Eywa gave me life again because she knew my time was not over yet. This was not your fault.” Your words were reassuring. He forced a small smile.
“Plus, you forget how strong I am. I have thick skin. Literally.” You laughed this time. The joke was corny, but it made both of you smile.
You allowed yourself to pull Neteyam closer and he situated himself so his head laid in your lap. He closed his eyes at the feeling of your fingers raking through his braids. It was a familiar feeling he had grown to miss while you were recovering.
“Hey, Y/n?” You turned your attention to the boy in your lap.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.” Neteyam’s heart was pounding, nervous for your reaction. He wasn’t sure if that was an Earth phrase you knew or understood, but he hoped it was.
A tiny smile danced on your lips. You caressed his cheek, leaning down to kiss it.
“I love you.”
The rest of the evening was spent wrapped in each other’s arms.
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morgana-larkin · 10 days
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Me againnnn lmao I have another request could u do Melissa x reader where reader is normally quiet but someone brought up their special interest and everyone is kinda weirded out coz reader gets so happy and starts talking about it and sharing facts and stuff but no one except Melissa knows reader is autistic and someone says something mean to reader and she gets upset and Melissa comforts reader and also stands up for her (as always no pressure I’m so so so happy! u r the first person that iv come across who writes fics about Melissa and autistic reader I get so happy when I see a notification from u i literally jump up and down with happiness and your fics really help me to accept im autistic coz I’m still trying to come to terms with it anyway hope u r doing well🫶)
OMG YES! Info dumping! I love it. And I’m so glad my fics are helping you. Feel free as well to message me directly if you ever want. So my other obsession besides Lisa Ann Walter, is Doctor Who and Jodie Whittaker, so of course I chose to have the reader talk about her as the Doctor… I regret nothing 😊. I went a little extra at the end but I’m too gay for Melissa to care. Anyway, I enjoyed writing this so thank you for the prompt and I hope you like it! As always, not edited in the slightest.
For everyone, feel free to keep sending me prompts, and I was thinking about writing a one shot about Cheesy as there’s not enough imo. Let me know if I should or not.
Title based off the song from Shrek 3 and the Italian word stronzo means asshole.
Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself
Warnings: someone is mean to reader, reader struggling with having autism(small part)
Words: 2.3k
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You’re sitting in the break room at the table with Barb and Melissa. You get up to get a coffee and when you do you hear someone starting to talk about Doctor Who and you perk up.
You turn around to see Jacob, Mr. Morton and another teacher talking about it. “You guys watch Doctor Who?” You say and they stop talking and look up at you. Normally you’re quiet and don’t really say much as you’re recharging before you go and have to teach your kiddos again.
“Yes, do you watch it?” Jacob asks you and you nod with a big smile. Melissa looks up at you and sees your smile and she can’t help but smile herself. She’s had a crush on you since about 4 months after you started and it’s almost been 9 months that you’re working here.
“Well come here and share your thoughts about it.” Jacob says and you walk over to them, coffee in hand.
“What exactly is your discussion about?” You ask them.
“About the first female doctor, the 13th doctor.” Mr. Morton says and you keep smiling.
“She’s my favourite doctor! Like she’s so enthusiastic and passionate and she just loves everything about what she does! And she’s so funny too, it’s just a joy to watch Jodie play her!” You start and they look at you confused, wondering why you’ve always been quiet but now you’re talkative.
The truth is, you're autistic and the only one that knows is Melissa and she promised not to tell anyone since it’s your secret not hers. You told her because you felt like you kept missing social cues or taking things too literally, so you wanted someone in your corner to help you and she had no problem doing that for you. She looks at you talking so passionately about your favourite show with a smile and heart eyes before going back to her phone, secretly still listening to you.
“And her Tardis is so amazing, oh and her companion’s compliment her so well, and her outfit looks amazing. Did you know that Jodie helped decide on the outfit to support the LGBTQ community since she’s a huge ally. And also…” and you keep going on for about 5 minutes about how much you love the 13th doctor and her era on Doctor Who. Until the other teacher, you don’t know their name, the one Mr. Morton and Jacob were talking too, says something.
“OMG! Would you please shut up!” He says and you quickly shut your mouth. “I preferred it when you didn’t speak at all.” He says, glaring at you. And you look down at the ground, embarrassed before running out of there.
Melissa looked up when he started speaking and is now getting up and walking over to them. “Hey! Don’t talk to her like that. You should count yourself lucky that I won’t contact one of my guys on you.” She says and looks at Jacob. “Why didn’t you say anything?!?” She says to him “or you?” She says to Mr. Morton.
“Sorry Melissa, it all happened so fast.” Mr. Morton says and Jacob nods in agreement.
“You should be ashamed of yourself!” She says to the teacher that was mean to you.
“Hey, we were just sitting here talking about it until she cuts in and starts talking about everything that we weren’t even discussing. And she wouldn’t stop talking.” The teacher says , only making a deeper hole for himself. Melissa glares at him.
“I don’t care what you think! There’s better ways to do that!” She says to him.
“She shouldn’t have talked so much and knew that it was too much.” He says, still trying to defend himself.
“She’s autistic you stronzo!” She yells at him and then realises that she just told your secret and has wide eyes. All 3 of them look at her speechless, now understanding that you got excited and were info dumping and didn’t mean to talk so much. Melissa turns around and walks out of the break room and goes to find you.
She ends up finding you in your classroom crying on your chair, hugging your legs. She knocks on the door, “hey y/n it’s me, just wanted to come check on you.” She tells you.
You get up and unlock the door then open it. Melissa’s heart breaks a bit when she sees you. Eyes puffy, red and watery, tear stained cheeks and red nose from you blowing your nose.
“Oh hun.” She says and you walk back to your chair hugging your legs again. Melissa walks in and closes and locks the door then walks over to your desk. “Hey, he was an ass, he shouldn’t have said that to you.” Melissa tells you and crouches down and you look at her.
“No, he’s right, I was talking too much. I shouldn’t have gotten involved in their conversation. I just got so excited,” you tell her and you sniffle a bit.
“Hun, it’s understandable, I know how much you love Doctor Who. You have nothing to be ashamed about.” She tells you and grabs your hand. “Btw I might have accidentally told them that you’re autistic. As in I told them and called that teacher a stronzo for you.” She tells you. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to slip out, I just got angry that he was mean to you.” She says, rubbing your hand with her thumb.
“It’s ok, they would have found out eventually. But this is another reason I don’t engage in conversations, cause I might talk too much.” You tell her. Melissa gets up and opens her arms out.
“Come here.” She tells you and motions to hug her. You put your feet down on the ground and then hug her waist since you’re still sitting in your chair. “Why don’t we go back in there, finish lunch. And then after school you can come to my place and I can make you some food and we can watch whatever you want.” She suggests and you look at her surprised.
“Really?” You ask her and she nods. “I would love that.” You tell her and she smiles. She helps you up and then unlocks the door and opens it for you. You both walk out and she sees you’re nervous about going back. She puts an arm wrapped around your back and her other hand on the arm closes to her and rubs it, providing comfort for you.
You get back in and when you enter everyone stops and looks up at you. Melissa can feel you immediately tense up. “What are all youse looking at?” She says and glares at everyone. Everyone immediately looks back down to their phone or food and continues what they were doing. Melissa leads you back to the table where Barb is and Barb gives you a comforting smile.
The teacher that was mean to you gets up and comes over to you. Melissa sees him coming over and glares at him, almost daring him to hurt you again. He has his head hanging a bit, looking embarrassed and stands beside you and you look up at him.
“Hey y/n, I just wanted to apologize to you. I shouldn’t have said what I said to you, I’m sorry.” He tells you and you nod your head at him. You’re too overwhelmed right now and can’t speak. You finish your lunch without saying another word and Melissa keeps glancing at you, worried about you.
You finish up the day quietly. You get the kids to work on their book report so that it’s silent and you don’t have to talk much. At the end of the day, when your last student was picked up you glance over at Melissa down the hall. You taught first grade so your classrooms are close together.
You can’t help but stare at her. She’s bending over and offering one of her students a high five before waving bye to them to go with their parent. You decide to leave now while she’s distracted, you think that maybe it wasn’t the best to get Melissa involved in your situation and shouldn’t have told her you’re autistic. So many people have had to accommodate you or help you and you feel like you should be able to do it yourself now that you’re an adult.
Melissa sees you look at her with a sad expression on your face before leaving. She can’t help but feel like maybe you won’t come over to her place now. When her last student is leaving with their parent a couple minutes later, she practically books it to the parking lot but sees your car is already gone.
She drives home and gets to work on cooking dinner, hoping you’d show. But then she gets a text from you saying that you won’t be able to make it tonight, and she sighs. She researched autism when you told her a few months ago and she knows that when autistic people get overwhelmed, they hide themselves away. She offered for you to come to her place to de-stress with food and tv, so she does the next best thing. After she finished cooking, she packed it into a container, and brought it with her to your place. She went and knocked on your door.
You answered it not too long later with leggings and loose shirt on. “Melissa? What are you doing here?” You ask her.
“Well since you won’t come over to my place, I thought I’d come to you.” She says with a warm smile and you now feel even more guilty for cancelling on her. “I brought over food I made. So either we can eat here or we can go back to my place. Choice is up to you.” She tells you with a shrug. You decide to go to her place and when you get there she gives you your favourite hoodie of hers and you sit on the couch. You’ve been to her place before and you told her that the plastic felt weird to sit on and she removed it the next day so that you’re comfortable when you go there. “Hey, you don’t have to speak but I just want to know that you’re ok.” She says and you nod. She gives you a plate of the food and you see that it’s her spaghetti and meatballs dish. Your favourite food of hers and you smile at her. She joins you on the couch, sitting next to you and then hands you the remote so you can decide what to watch, you decide on Shrek 3.
You watch the movie while eating, with Melissa right next to you, you in her hoodie, and you finally feel like you’re calming down. You put your head on her shoulder after you put your empty plate on the coffee table and she wraps her arm around you. You continue the movie, quoting some of the lines, and when it plays the ending scene with puss and donkey singing thank you, Melissa gets an idea. She guides you up and leads you to the empty space beside her couch and starts dancing with you. When the chorus comes on she sings it to you “I wanna thank you for lettin me be myself…again” She sings and you laugh. When she says the line again, she spins you while singing. The second chorus comes up “come on sing it with me.” She tells you.
The both of you sing it while dancing “I WANNA THANK YOU FOR LETTIN ME BE MYSELF…AGAIN.” You both sing at the top of your lungs. When it ends you’re both laughing and she hugs you.
“Thank you for letting me be myself.” You tell her and she looks at you with a warm smile and places a lock of hair behind your ear before cupping your cheek.
“It’s not a problem hun, it doesn’t matter to me that you’re autistic you know. You just think differently, and that's alright.”
You look in her eyes and you lean forward and kiss her. Melissa kisses you back and moves her hand from your cheek to the back of your head and places her left hand on your waist. You pull back and look at her with a smile.
“You kissed me back.” You say to her and she nods. “Why?”
“Because I like you. I have for a few months now.” She tells you.
“For how long?” You ask her and she thinks about it.
“Around the new year.” And you look at her in shock.
“But that’s after I told you I was autistic.” You tell her, putting the pieces together. “You knew I was autistic and you still like me?” You question her.
“How would you being autistic make me not like you?” She asks you, confused.
“Because I’m different than other people and have struggles because of it.” You tell her like it’s obvious.
“So? Everyone is different in their own way and everyone has their own struggles.” She tells you. “For example, I have trouble letting people in, because of trust issues. And I can have a short temper too.” She says and you look at her with so much love in your eyes. You kiss her again and she doesn’t hesitate to kiss you back.
When the person says “you may kiss the bride” , she doesn’t hesitate to give you a kiss then either. With a huge smile, she brings you closer to her and gives you a kiss, as wife and wife.
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bongo-clash · 1 year
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If I had a nickel for every billionaire that tried to kidnap me, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice
DP/DC week prompt: Mistaken Identity
'Look, in Bruce Wayne’s defence, he has a lot of children with black hair and blue eyes, and he’d had a very long day. But in Danny’s defence, he has no idea what’s happening right now and, according to his previous experience in being kidnapped by billionaires, his reaction is incredibly reasonable.'
(No content warnings || fic under cut!!)
-
Danny’s been in Gotham for about a week with his family, and so far it’s honestly been one of their most relaxing vacations to date. Sure, the drive had been long and finding a place to park the RV had been unsurprisingly difficult, but once the initial getting-there-fanfare was over with, everything had been great. The whole ‘not my circus, not my monkeys’ thing had been amazing for his anxiety. The famous Batman was more than capable of dealing with his peanut gallery without some random dead kid intercepting. 
Okay, he was a little bit worried about Batman’s ‘no metas’ thing, but there was no good reason the vigilante would find out that little tidbit. It’s not like he’s even a meta in the first place! Being dead is a medical condition. Regardless, he’s doing the sensible thing and not making a show of himself; he may have flown over the top of the city invisibly on the first night to get some good shots to send to his friends, but no one needed to know about that but Sam and her gothic-architecture-inspo wall. 
The hotel they’re staying at has good breakfast, the buildings in the inner city look cool as Hell, they already have heroes dealing with their issues so Danny doesn’t have to do anything, and there’s no ghosts barging into his room but the constant chaos of the city still feels homey. Overall, a ten out of ten vacation spot. 
Surely, nothing can go wrong. 
“Tim? What are you doing here?”
He’s taking a morning walk away from the hotel after he and Jazz successfully convinced their parents he would be fine on his own, and he’d stopped in front of Wayne Enterprises because Tucker would be frankly offended if he didn’t. He ignores the call at first, because he doesn’t know anyone named Tim, and it’s not his business, but that’s clearly shown to be a mistake when the call comes again but closer, and then again, but with a man putting his hand on Danny’s shoulder. He’s turns around to tell whoever it is to clear off when he actually catches sight of the guy’s face.
Sleek black hair, sky-blue eyes, a healthy tan and a very expensive suit. That’s Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne as in the guy who owns the building in front of them. Bruce Wayne as in the multi-billionaire. 
Okay, don’t get him wrong, Bruce Wayne does some pretty honourable charity work, and his tech is pretty cool and Tucker’s obsessed with it, but Danny has a very sour history with billionaires and even before he’d met Vlad he wasn’t a fan of them; being friends with Sam for long enough does that to a guy. Dealing with the fruitloop had only cemented what he already knew, and that’s that you shouldn’t trust people that rich as far as you can throw them (or, maybe just not at all, since he figures he could actually throw them pretty damn far, considering the ghost powers). 
Plus, Bruce ‘Brucie’ Wayne has this really weird habit of acting like a ditz, and quite frankly, Danny doesn’t buy it. He’s been successfully running a huge company and heading welfare campaigns for years, and if he’s truly as air-headed as he presents himself to be Vlad would’ve snatched up his company and his wealth in a heartbeat. Vlad, who is the other billionaire he knows, who is also pretending to be something he’s not with the whole ‘gentle hermit’ vibe he maintains with the press. No, there’s definitely something weird about Bruce Wayne and he hadn’t particularly wanted to meet the guy to find out what it is. 
However, it’s looking like he doesn’t have much choice, what with the man having a hand on his shoulder and being about ten inches from his face. “Uh.” He blurts eloquently. “Hi?”
“Tim,” He repeats, frowning. “Why are you here? I told you to take the day off- don’t tell me you were just planning on sneaking off to work anyway.”
Danny’s certain Tucker mentioned some co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises called Tim, and he’s fairly certain Tucker mentioned he was the same age as them and also Bruce’s ward, but do they really look similar? No one’s ever said they do to his face, and he thought that was the kind of thing people talked about- the whole ‘who’s your celebrity lookalike’. So why-?
…Tucker also mentioned that almost all of Bruce Wayne’s wards have the same black hair and blue eyes. He’d even joked how Danny ‘fit the bill’. Oh no. What if this is an obsession-with-having-a-son-just-like-him thing? Do all billionaires do that or is that just Vlad? He could really do with someone else to compare the guy to that isn’t the fruitloop right now- it’d be really great to have some kind of gauge amongst general average billionaire behaviour so that he actually knew what to do. 
Staying quiet to gather his thoughts was apparently not his greatest move, though, because the man’s frown only deepens. Bruce Wayne’s hand moves from the top of his shoulder to his arm, giving it a light squeeze that seems like it’s supposed to be comforting but really just makes him more nervous. “I’m taking you back to the manor. You were supposed to take a day off and I really think relaxing would do you some good.”
Now, there are a lot of things Danny could do to absolve this situation, and the smartest of all of them would be to inform him that there’s been a misunderstanding and that he’s just some random tourist who’d been wanting to take some pictures. 
“I— what- can’t you just leave me here? Don’t you need to go in there?” Is what he says instead, because fight, flight, or freeze apparently includes brain freeze too. His mom was right, he never should’ve been allowed out unsupervised. Why didn’t he bring Jazz with him?
“The meeting can wait, you’re more important.” The man soothes, and suddenly the hand on his arm is pulling him away, leading him over to an incredibly expensive car and Danny’s so bewildered by the whole situation he doesn’t even fight back. He stands there, limp, as Bruce Wayne opens the car doors, nudges him inside, starts the engine, and drives further and further away from Danny’s hotel. 
They’ve been driving for about twenty minutes before his stupor finally breaks, and by then they’ve fully left the bustle of the inner city and entered the sparsely populated realm of high society estates— Bristol, he thinks it was called? Doesn’t matter. He needs to get out and he needed to be out yesterday; he can’t believe he ever thought he could have a remotely sensible vacation. Let your guard down one time and you get kidnapped by a man with more money than everyone else in the state combined (though, to be fair, that sounds more normal given his circumstances than it should. Still, the billionaire being Bruce Wayne isn’t normal). 
Now, there are a lot of things Danny could do to absolve this situation, and the smartest of all of them would be tell Bruce Wayne that he’d been too shocked to refute the man, but he wasn’t actually his son, and had finally gathered his bearings to say so and was very sorry for causing him undue stress. 
Instead, Danny jumps out of a moving car. 
Distantly registering the yell of alarm and the screech of the vehicle pulling to a sudden stop, he tanks the roll and springs back up again, taking in his surroundings for all of a second before sprinting in the opposite direction of wherever they’d been going. Bruce Wayne is definitely chasing after him- he can hear the heavy footfalls pounding behind him- but Danny’s been running from his problems for years. There’s no way he’s letting them catch up to him now. 
He rounds a corner and disappears into thin air, because Batman’s not a day time hero so what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him and surely he’d get that Danny was only doing it for the sake of his personal safety. I mean, who’s he to say that Bruce Wayne doesn’t layer on his fortunes with the occasional ransom situation? …Maybe not the best excuse he’s ever come up with, but the damage is done now, and he drifts away for a few more minutes until he figures he’s far enough from his initial launch point that he can drop the invisibility. 
Looking around, he can tell that he’s definitely lost, his surroundings still reeking of big money and the actual meat of the city barely hanging on the horizon. Well, technically he’s not that lost, given that he can still see inner-Gotham from here, but he doesn’t know where the Hell his hotel is in all that grey, and the walk looks far. While he was willing to risk the momentary power-usage to get himself out of the billionaire’s sights, he figures that trying anything else would be pushing his luck a bit further than it was willing to take him. 
He must’ve been thinking about it for a lot longer than he realised, though, because he hears a quiet thud behind him, and there is now a vigilante blocking his exit. Long-ish black hair, an admonishing expression, and a black and blue outfit with a bird decal.
That’s one of the Bats. NIghtwing, he thinks? 
Aren’t they all supposed to be nighttime vigilantes?
As if hearing his questions, the taller man tuts, bringing his hands to his hips like his mom does when he breaks curfew. He hasn’t got out the electric-stick-things that he’s pretty sure the guy owns, so that’s good. “Tim,” He starts, tone starkly disappointed, and- hold on, why is Nightwing on a first name basis with the Wayne Enterprises CEO? “I thought B told you to take today off.”
Hold on, that’s a weird thing for a vigilante to know about the Wayne Enterprises CEO, and- Danny’s assuming B means Bruce Wayne- why is he using such a casual nickname for the billionaire? Do they know each other? He supposes it makes sense if they’re all in cahoots, since the Bats’ stuff does seem pretty expensive-looking, but he’d honestly kind of assumed Batman was just some rich reclusive vampire or something. Like Vlad but morally-reversed. 
Unless Batman is still a billionaire and not just funded by Bruce Wayne. Nightwing knowing the Tim guy would make sense, then, given they might see each other at rich people things. But, actually, would that make sense? Vigilante socialites don’t usually go around telling their other socialite friends that they’re vigilantes, do they?
Unless Batman is Bruce Wayne. But that’s ridiculous. He’d figured the guy was hiding something, and the hoard of children is kind of indicative of a weird guy generally, but the man being some kind of edgy bat-themed hero in his spare time was just too ridiculous. There’s no way. 
…Holy shit. Batman is totally Bruce Wayne. 
That means that Nightwing is probably one of Bruce Wayne’s many sons, which means that he’s one of Tim Drake-Wayne’s many brothers, which means Bruce Wayne may have called him to chase him down and bring him back to the manor. Even though they shouldn’t be doing that because he isn’t Tim Drake. 
Now, there are a lot of things Danny could do to absolve this situation, and the smartest of all of them would be tell Nightwing that by some hilarious comedy-of-errors, Bruce Wayne had mistaken him for his son Tim the CEO when he is in fact Danny Fenton the tourist, and he’s very sorry for the fuss he’s caused, but he should probably call his sister to pick him up now, thank you very much. 
Instead, Danny feints left and tries to dash out the corner he’d trapped himself in from Nightwing’s other side. Nightwing grabs him like a small dog with one arm and raises a grappling hook to the nearest roof. Danny feels like this is probably karma for all the property damage he’s caused in Amity as they’re flung violently across roofs higher than his town’s tallest apartment complex. He is quickly discovering that being airborne is actually so much worse when you’re not the one in control. 
He doesn’t have an awful lot of time to ponder this, however, because they reach what Danny assumes is the Wayne residence soon after. Nightwing does an absolutely terrifying set of flips as they careen over to the other side of the ledge the mansion is on, and lets him go when they’re on the ground to put a finger against his hear, presumably to some communication device. 
“I’ve got him, B! We’re outside the Batcave now- yep, all safe- see you in a sec!”
…They’re outside the what now?
Nightwing slings an arm over his shoulder- some mix of friendliness and making sure he doesn’t run away- and leads him into a concealed entrance against the ledge just beneath the Wayne mansion. 
He has to be hallucinating at this point. There are actual bats in here. The whole place is scary and dark and gigantic and—is that a fucking dinosaur?
“Tim!” 
And, as if just to cement how utterly absurd today has been, Bruce Wayne is striding towards them with an expression contorted by worry, and he feels bad right up until the moment the guy cups his face with his calloused hands (calloused because he’s Batman, what the Hell). “Tim, I was so worried,” He croaks. “What happened back there? Why did you jump out the car?”
Now, there are a lot of things Danny could do to absolve this situation, and finally, finally, he-
“What the Hell is happening right now.” He blurts, taking a sharp step back and letting the hand fall from his face, watching as surprise falls over the men next to him like an overcast. 
Okay, maybe not the the smartest thing he could’ve said, but not the worst thing either, and that’s probably the biggest win he’s going to get today, so he’ll take it. “What are you talking about?” Nightwing asks gently, reminding him rather neatly that he is still in an absolutely gigantic pile of shit, seeing as he’s now going to have to explain that they have all made some very big mistakes today. 
“Uh, okay, so funny story- and you have to promise not to like, beat the shit out of me or whatever-“ He ignores the horrified faces they make at that, nervousness leaking out into a hysterical laugh. “But, uh, a very bad thing has happened, and— it’s like, fine! I won’t tell anyone if you won’t tell anyone, it’s totally chill and I’m really great at keeping secrets-!”
Bruce Wayne cuts him off, looking terribly concerned. “Tim, whatever’s going on, we’ll-“
“I’m not Tim!”
The moment the words are out of his mouth, he backs away with his hands raised placatingly, panic heightened by the way the two men freeze in their tracks. “I am so sorry,” Danny chokes, figuring he can’t dig himself into any deeper of a grave than he already has. “I was just- I was outside Wayne Enterprises to take pictures and when you came up to me I had no idea what to do so I just froze, and by the time I came to I was in your car and like, I was kind of scared you were kidnapping me? Because I kind of have a history with billionaires and kidnapping so I just panicked and jumped out the car but that made everything worse ‘cause you chased me and now I’m in the Batcave and you’re Batman and-“
There is a very long pause when Danny’s words fail him. The Batcave is very quiet beyond the chittering of bats on the ceiling. 
“You have a history with billionaires and kidnapping?” Nightwing asks, like literally nothing else he’d said registered. 
Quite frankly, Danny does not want to know what their expressions are like. Averting his eyes, he replies- “That was definitely a weird thing for me to say. Sorry. Uh, yeah.”
“Are you safe?”
What is happening? “Like… right now? I mean, so long as you aren’t gonna feed me to that dinosaur then yeah; I’m just in Gotham for vacation. I don’t- it was a very nice vacation. Until like half an hour ago. Now it’s a stressful vacation.”
Bruce Wayne, to his credit, is not trying to kill him for his knowledge of the man’s secret vigilantism, which already makes him better than the only other billionaire he knows. The man drags a hand down his face, looking stressed beyond belief. “I should’ve known you weren’t Tim,” He breathes. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Yeah, now that I’m actually hearing you talk, you sound nothing like him. Bruce, were you actually listening when he was talking to you before you shoved him in the car? This guy’s midwestern. What happened to world’s greatest detective, B?” Nightwing snorts and, wow, they’re not taking this half as badly as he thought they would. And, hey, now that he’s thinking about it, these are the first actual vigilantes he’s ever met outside of himself and Valerie, and wouldn’t it be a waste not to ask them for pointers? 
Maybe it’s not the best idea in the world, but he already knows their secret identities and they’re being chill about it, so maybe they’ll be chill with his, too. Screw it, he’s doing it. 
“Again, I promise I won’t tell anyone- I’m, ah, pretty good with secrets like this.” They turn to look at him curiously there, and he tries to talk past the lump in his throat. “I’m kind of, um, also a vigilante as well? Funny coincidence, right? Small town gig, though, nothing like Gotham! And I’ve only been on the scene a few years, so… I don’t know what I’m asking, here. Any good pointers?”
Nightwing looks thoughtful. “Does this have anything to do with the billionaire you mentioned?” He asks.
“It very much has a lot to do with the billionaire. If Vlad Masters ever asks you for anything- I dunno, punch him? He’s got a really punchable face, you’d know if you met him. It’s all creepy and shit.”
Nightwing continues asking questions as Bruce Wayne’s head remains firmly buried in his hands, and sure, maybe letting this well-established team of heroes know about his less-than-legal and more-than-ectoplasmic hobbies might come back to bite him, but right now he can’t help basking in the fact that he gets to bad-mouth Vlad to someone who Vlad will probably care about his reputation with. Everything else comes second. 
“-Hang on, you said you’ve been a vigilante for a few years, right? How old are you?”
Okay, almost everything comes second. Both men are looking at him now with something that’s probably-definitely concern and is getting worse the longer he neglects to answer, and Danny is very suddenly reminded once again that the majority of Bruce’s children fit the same appearance-criteria as he does. 
He’s just doubled his own problem, hasn’t he? It’s not just one anymore-he’s going to have to deal with two billionaires now. 
He’s never going on vacation again. 
1K notes · View notes
kitten4sannie · 2 years
Text
𝖀𝖓𝖍𝖔𝖑ұ 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙
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Priest! San x Fem! Reader
Genre: absolute debauchery 
Summary: You visit your local catholic church, in hopes of cleansing yourself of your sins, only to commit more. A lot more. 
W.C: 3.9k
Warnings: switch! San, switch! reader, seduction, masterbation, exhibitionism, filthy dialogue, oral (giving), praise kink, cum swapping, grinding, spit play, name calling, degradation, unprotected sex, squirting, dumbification 
Author's Note: Ahhh, it’s finally my favorite time of year! (🎵fiNaLLy nOw, iT’s mY tImE🎵) That means it’s time to unleash all kinds of depravity onto all of you 😋 This is so filthy, like I have absolutely no excuse for this 🤭 Also, why did this heal some of my religious trauma?? ajsjshgsshk 
Enjoy, you sinners 🖤
P.S: I’ll be uploading my next (kinda) spooky fic on Oct 17th ✨ 
Song Rec: Devour by Mr. Kitty, I Wanna Be Your Slave by Maneskin (i chose this song simply because of the lyrics “I wanna be your sinner, wanna be a preacher” 😩🤌🏼) 
Masterlist
➽───────────────❥
You got out of your car, immediately feeling a cold breeze rush past you, sending some of your hair into your face. After moving a few loose strands of hair that were obstructing your vision, your eyes focused on the large, somewhat intimidating cathedral that was towering over you. You sighed heavily, shutting your car door.
This was your last resort; you didn’t have any clue what to do with yourself if this didn’t work out in your favor. You couldn’t stand it anymore; the constant thirst you felt inside was slowly eating away at your sanity. You were incredibly desperate at this point, willing to do anything and everything to unbind yourself from your affliction. 
After going up the small flight of stairs that led to the unusually opulent doors of the cathedral, you slowly pushed on one of them, hearing it creak loudly, making you wonder how old the building was. You poked your head in, not seeing anyone around, which made you hesitate, but you pressed on. 
Once inside, you surveyed the church, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. There were rows and rows of empty pews, all leading up to an impressive-looking altar, which was littered with white candles, all in various sizes, their flickering flames illuminating the otherwise dark interior. 
“Hello?” you called out in a somewhat reserved tone, hearing your voice echo throughout the large building. 
“Ah, I wasn’t expecting any visitors this late.”
You quickly turned your head to the side to see where the soft, yet unmistakably masculine voice was coming from. A youthful-looking man with oddly striking features, stark black hair, and a warm smile came into view. You assumed he was the priest, taking note of the all-black clerical clothing he had on. 
You were about to speak, but your words were trapped inside your throat. His undeniable charm and grace had caught you off-guard, as well as his unintentional sex appeal. In your head, you had expected the priest to be some old man with a bald patch, not someone who was devilishly handsome. This unexpected turn of events certainly did not help quell the formidable amount of lust that was bubbling up inside of you. If anything, it was just fuel to the already-raging fire. 
“I…um…wanted to see if you could help me with something I’ve been struggling with,” you replied in a hushed tone, taking a few slow steps in the man’s direction, swallowing nervously. 
San nodded his head in an understanding manner, motioning to the confessional behind him. He slid open one side of it, saying, “If you wish to confess your sins first, then you may. It’s up to you, but allowing me to hear them might alleviate some of your guilt. It would also make it easier for me to help you.”  
You followed after him and slid open the opposite side of the confessional, taking a step inside and sitting down on the cold wood seat below you. You felt goosebumps begin to form on your bare thighs, prompting you to move your hands past your skirt and onto your legs, rubbing them slowly, as a way to get rid of the sensation. 
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,” you murmured in a shaky voice, feeling a few drops of sweat begin to cascade down your temples and along the curve of your neck. 
“Go on, my child. Confess, so that you may be forgiven.” San leaned his back against the thin wood panel behind him, in order to get more comfortable, his hands resting on his upper thighs. 
You inhaled and exhaled a few times, unable to escape the constant stream of debauchery that went through your head, which was persistently egging you on to do something that you might regret. 
“So…I…um…can’t seem to stop thinking about sex, no matter what I do. I…constantly fantasize about the things I want to do to myself and to other people…even complete strangers,” you started, your fingers gripping the sides of your upper thighs. “Day and night, it’s the same thing. Even when I give in and indulge myself, whether on my own or with others, it…never seems to be enough.”
San shifted uncomfortably in the section next to you, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he remained quiet, letting you continue. 
“And when I…when I’m getting fucked or when I fuck myself…I feel such intense pleasure, like it’s so overwhelming…I almost feel like I’m going to lose my mind…” you admitted in an impudent manner, exhaling some air out of your nose. 
San was at a loss for words, never having encountered something quite like this before. 
You bit back a moan, seemingly turned on from revealing your dirty secret to the innocent priest who was sitting just a few inches away from you. You rested your head back against the wood behind you, suddenly feeling like your insides were going to melt.
“Please, Father…I can’t take it anymore…” you whimpered, your heart racing inside your tightening chest. You wiped away some perspiration that was starting to form on your face, taking note of how incredibly hot your skin had felt. 
San heard how hard you were starting to breathe, prompting him to sit up straight, his eyes focusing on the divider between you, so that he could try to get a better look at what was going on with you. 
Your hazy eyes flickered in his direction, causing him to be a bit startled. “I’m burning up inside..it feels like…I’m on fire,” you revealed in a shaky tone, as you precipitously pulled yourself to the edge of the seat and leaned up against the somewhat see-through section of the confessional, looking directly into the priest’s wide eyes.
“I…um…” San blinked back at you, feeling a bit of sweat begin to trickle down the side of his forehead, still unsure of how he should react or what he should say, unknowingly encouraging you to do something bold. 
You exhaled slowly, bringing your trembling fingers up to your chest, gingerly undoing each button of your dress shirt, before letting the thin material slip down off your shoulders, your bare breasts now fully visible and pressing up against the divider. “Please help me…”
San swallowed harshly, suddenly feeling suffocated by his constricting garbs. “I-I…can’t. My child, you…are simply too overcome by your sins. You need to pray to the lord to give you the strength…t-to combat these impure thoughts of yours,” he responded fragilely, feeling his heart begin to race and his pants becoming unbearably tight. 
You whined softly, your fingers already finding their way underneath your skirt, making contact with your bare pussy, rubbing them slowly up and down your wet slit, making sure not to ignore your swollen clit. 
“Please, Father. Only you can take this sin away from me.” You gazed into his eyes, tongue poking out of your mouth and dragging across your bottom lip, just as your two fingers disappeared inside you. “I’m begging you…I’ll even get down on my knees…if you want me to.”
San felt like he was one losing his mind now; it was almost like Lucifer himself had visited him in the form of an incredibly seductive woman, desperate to undo all of the hard work and dedication he had put in throughout the years, in order to reach his spiritual enlightenment. 
“M-my child…I…I can only do my best to help you, but I can’t promise that I can cure this…ailment of yours,” he replied, evidently giving into his sinful nature, and in turn, being completely overcome with all of the lust he had consistently ignored for years. 
You let out a strangled moan upon hearing San’s words, pumping your fingers into your hole so quickly, that he could clearly hear how wet you were. “Father, tell me what-aaah-to do now,” you requested, breathing heavily against the divider. 
San inhaled sharply, reaching out to slide open the panel on his side and motioning for you to join him with his other hand. “Come,” was all he said, his eyes glossy and his mind clouded with desire. 
Mistaking his order for you to join him for another version of the word, you curled your fingers inside you and let out a cry of pure pleasure, cumming right then and there. “Ffffuck…!” 
San watched you with half-lidded eyes, his lips parted ever so slightly, thoroughly hypnotized by your bewitching aura and complete lack of shame. “I-I meant come over here…” he informed you, a deep blush present on his cheeks. 
Once you had realized your mistake, you pulled yourself out of the booth, standing outside of the confessional on his side, waiting for further direction. You smiled to yourself, almost unable to believe that you had gotten your way, which only served to turn you on more. At this point, your arousal was so prominent, it was already dripping down your inner thighs and onto the pristine floor, but you didn’t care. You only had one thing on your mind, just like every other day of the week.
San‘s lust-filled gaze slowly traveled up your body, as he squeezed his thighs tightly, no longer thinking with his brain, but with his cock. 
“Kneel.”
Your teeth sunk into your bottom lip so hard, you almost broke the skin. “Yes, Father,” you answered, your voice barely above a whisper. After stepping into San’s side on the confessional, you obediently lowered yourself down onto the floor before him, resting your hands on your bruised knees. 
“What will quell this fire within you, my child?” the priest  questioned, one of his eyebrows raised slightly. 
Your eyes immediately darted to the obvious bulge that was jutting out against the thin black material of San’s robe. As your lips formed into a lewd smile, you reached down and began to unbutton his robe from the bottom and slowly worked your way up.
“I think it might help if I suck your cock…just this once, Father,” you uttered breathlessly, feeling more and more arousal pool within your core, simply from observing San’s flushed face and submissive demeanor.
He nodded his head weakly, drawing in a sharp breath, when you suddenly pulled his pants and boxers down in one swift motion, causing his long veiny cock to spring out against his lower abdomen. 
You were shamelessly drooling at this point, unable to contain yourself in the slightest. Who could blame you, though? This was the most depraved situation you had ever involved yourself in, so it was only natural that you’d be in such a whorish state. 
“You have such a pretty cock, Father,” you praised, wrapping your warm fingers around the base of his erection and leaning down, in order to lazily drag your tongue from the very bottom of his length up to the tip.
“A-aah…” San bit his lip, watching intently as you began to give gentle kisses to his reddened cockhead, shivering when you sucked it into your mouth like it was a popsicle, and almost losing his sanity when you repeated this action, while your tongue moved around it in a circular motion, until you fully allowed him into your mouth. “O-oh my god…”
You bobbed your head, taking a good portion of his length into your mouth and throat with ease, sucking him off like your life had depended on it, which it did, in a way. “Mm…mmnnn…mm-hmmm…” you moaned onto San’s cock, looking up at him with pleading eyes, desperate to hear that you were pleasing him. 
San slipped his fingers into your hair, stroking it in a gentle manner, as he completely and utterly unraveled before your eyes. “Nnngh…that…feels…so goood…” he whined softly, groaning each time he felt his dick twitch and pulse inside your warm mouth. “Please, don’t stop…”
You hummed from hearing his praise, as you proceeded to wrap both of your hands around the part of his cock that you couldn’t reach with your mouth, pumping them steadily. The excessive amount of drool in your mouth served only to make wet, sinful sounds that could be heard clearly in the otherwise silent building. 
San was a whiny, moaning mess at this point, due to the constant influx of pleasure you were so graciously providing him. The unholy sight of you worshiping his cock didn’t help in the slightest, instead encouraging him to delve into a deeper state of pure salaciousness that he wasn’t completely sure he could pull himself out of.
“I-I think I’m gonna…!” the priest gasped, tossing his head back against the wood panel, his hands suddenly reaching out to press onto both sides of the confessional, out of pure desperation. “Oh, goddd!” 
Long, hot spurts of cum poured out of San’s cock, filling up your mouth and throat completely, causing your eyes to roll back into your skull. You swallowed and swallowed, but he still wasn’t done cumming, due to never relieving himself even once. 
San’s thighs trembled, his chest rising and falling at a rapid rate, his sweaty hands still holding either side of the confessional. “I-I…I can’t…it’s…aaah…too much…” he breathed out, a few tears falling from his watery eyes. 
Once you had a tummy full of cum, you stood up and slowly sat down on San’s lap, your cheeks still filled with the white sticky substance that he pumped your mouth full of. 
San’s hands slipped down the walls of the confessional and instinctively settled on your hips, while he looked up at you like you were his new god. “You…where…where did you even come from?” he asked, studying your features. 
Not giving him an answer, you grabbed his face in your hands and brought him into an open-mouthed kiss, your body pressing up against his. 
“Mmmn..!“ San reacted instinctively, feeling a large amount of his slightly bitter release get pushed into his mouth by your tongue. 
You tilted your head to the side, deepening the kiss and exploring his mouth thoroughly, feeling more wetness leak out of you, just as you heard San begin to swallow his own cum. You eventually pulled away from him when you felt that he had enough, giggling softly when you saw his fucked-out expression. 
“Oh, you like that, huh? You like guzzling down your own cum like some kind of slut?” you taunted, sliding your thumb across his spit and cum-covered lips, before popping it into your mouth to clean it. “You’re pretty fucking filthy for a priest.” 
San whined at your words, unable to deny your statement. He had previously believed that he was better than the rest of society, since he was able to ignore his sexual urges through sheer power of will and constant discipline, but now…now he was cursing himself for waiting so long to do something as pleasurable as this. 
“Just be quiet now and let me have my way with you…” San muttered, his eyes darkening with rampant lust, the submissive nature he had exuded just moments ago now being replaced with something he didn’t even know he had in him. 
You chuckled, finding San’s change in tune adorable at first, just before he began rolling his hips in a rhythmic motion, his cock rubbing deliciously against your folds and clit. 
“O-oh, wow…” you reacted, realizing how serious he actually was. You let out a small gasp when San’s mouth suddenly latched onto one of your breasts. 
San sucked on it in a desperate manner, then used his teeth to pull at your nipple roughly, drawing a moan from your lips. He chuckled darkly against your skin, before swapping one breast for the other, slurping on it messily, his cock still rubbing against you at a steady pace. Spit dripped down his chin, but he didn’t care. He was completely gone at this point, and it was all because of you. 
You arched your back, barely able to handle the way he was pleasuring you with both his mouth and his cock, despite him not even being inside you yet. In all honesty, it was driving you crazy; you needed him inside you, or else you might actually lose your mind. 
 “Just fuck me already!” you abruptly blurted out, grabbing his shoulders tightly and shaking them a bit, trying to gain his attention. 
San pulled away from your spit-covered breasts with a small ‘pop’, his fingers digging into your hips so firmly, it made you wince from the pain.
“What’s the magic word, whore?” 
Your breath got caught in your throat, upon hearing his words. You couldn’t even believe you were dealing with the same man; it was like he was a completely different person. His once gentle gaze was replaced with something that could only be described as wicked; perhaps he had been possessed by a demon. How else could you explain such a sudden switch in character? 
San suddenly grabbed you by the jaw and forced it down, so that your faces were only a few centimeters apart, growling, “I won’t fuck you, until you say please, you cock-loving slut.”  
“P-please…please fuck me,” you murmured, almost ready to cum from his words and actions alone. This was the best possible outcome of the unusual situation you were in; maybe God was real, after all. “Please, Father…Fuck me like the whore I am. I need it…so bad…” 
*** 
“Cumming for the third time already? You really are nothing but a slave for cock, huh?” San’s face was buried in your neck, his lips ghosting along your skin, his hips snapping up into yours at an unrelenting pace. “Or is it just my cock that drives you crazy?” 
Your brain felt fuzzy and clouded, barely allowing you to understand what San was saying to you; all you could focus on was the mind-breaking amount of pleasure that was radiating from your lower half and coursing throughout your entire body. 
San’s fingers sunk into both sides of your ass, squeezing it roughly, as he continued to plunge himself into you as deep as he possibly could. “Come on, stay with me, baby. Don’t be fading away now. You got what you wanted, now tell me how much you love it,” he huffed, using one hand to grab you by the jaw once again, looking directly into your barely-open eyes. 
“I-it feels so fucking good, Father!” you whined, parting your lips obediently just as San slid his thumb into your mouth. 
“Good girl.” 
San held one side of your face, his thumb still inside your mouth, thrusting wildly into you, until you both had reached your highs at the same time. He slowed down his movements significantly, but didn’t stop completely, shivering when he felt your combined essence drip down to the base of his cock and onto the wood flooring below.
You pulled your mouth off of his thumb and slumped forward in his arms, panting heavily. “Fuck…” was all you could say, as your eyes fluttered shut. 
“Don’t be falling asleep now, my pretty little cockslut. I’m not done with you yet,” San informed you, as he held your thighs sturdily and stood up, carrying you out of the confessional and sitting down on one of the pews with you still in his lap, his cock still inside you. 
You blinked down at San with wide eyes, unable to believe how much stamina he had possessed, not that you were complaining. This was what you wanted, after all. 
San’s hands suddenly dropped from your legs, his dark eyes studying yours, as his body lowered down a bit against the wooden seat.
 “I want to watch you ride my cock. Can you be a good little whore and do that for me?” 
You nodded your head enthusiastically, calmly resting your hands on San’s shoulders, before abruptly slamming your hips down into his at a desperate speed right out of the gate. You lowered your chin, drinking in all of the man’s pleasured facial expressions. 
“Jesus Christ…!” San gripped the edge of the seat, his nails digging into the wood, unable to hold back his moans. His cock throbbed persistently against your tight inner walls, prompting him to do his best not to cum too quickly. 
You leaned down and held San’s warm face in your hands, looking deep into his eyes. “Is it good, Father? Does it feel good?” you asked in an airy tone, bouncing on his cock with reckless abandon, your lips just barely brushing over his.
“Y-yes, it-haaah-feels amazing…Now, come here,” he huffed, suddenly holding your face as well and pulling you into an open-mouthed kiss, his tongue immediately exploring every inch of your mouth. Once San had his fill, he pushed your face away, your lips still connected by a few strings of saliva. 
You were on the edge of orgasming once again, desperate to reach it, your sanity almost completely gone at this point in time. “Fill…Fill me up with your salvation, Father…I need it, please…give it to me…!” you begged, holding tightly onto San, your sweat-covered body pressing against his. 
“Oh, my goddd…” San groaned out, his dark eyes boring into yours, before growling, “Ask and you shall receive, you filthy fucking whore!”
San suddenly gripped your ass tightly in his hands, bucking his hips up into yours, fucking you as deep and hard as he possibly could, drawing loud, broken moans from your lips, as well as causing you to squirt all over his cock. His movements started becoming sloppy and desperate, his thighs trembling slightly against yours. 
“I’m- Fuck…!” San tossed his head back against the pew, as he pumped you full of his cum for the second time, filling your pussy up to the brim, just as you had begged for. “Jesus fucking Christ, this tight little cunt of yours is milking me dry…” he exhaled, moving forward to rest his head on your shoulder, holding you in place, cum still being forced out of his cock in slow spurts, due to all the years he went without a single release.
You were delirious, to say the least, unable to form a single coherent thought. “Fa…ther…” you murmured out, voice barely above a whisper. Holding onto San with a death grip, you looked up, completely enamored with the way the light of the moon shone through the mosaic glass behind the altar. Overcome with pleasure and borderline psychosis, you blinked a few tears away, swearing you saw God herself.
San remained quiet for quite a while, just focusing on his breathing, while coming down from his high and coming to terms with the choices he had made.
You pulled back slightly, so that you could caress the panting priest’s face, looking at him with sparkling eyes. “You…cured me, Father…The burning I felt inside…it’s gone. All I feel is…love…” you informed San, giving him a genuine smile, before pressing your lips onto his cheek, as a thank you.
San looked at you with tired, bloodshot eyes, feeling both incredibly satisfied and guilty at the same time. He sighed softly, wiping some sweat from his brow. 
“I’m glad I could be of assistance.”
➽───────────────❥
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© toxicccred, 2022.
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thinkingaboutjaedyn · 5 months
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hot choco with a side of kisses ( elisa de almeida x reader )
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prompt: elisa comforts you as you deal with bad period cramps.
author notes: a comfort fic for @moonystoes. i didn't grammar check so give me mercy yall please anyways enjoy. (also i do take requests if anyone wants to send some in)
there was a lot of things you love about being a soccer player. the adrenaline of playing infront of thousands, being able to do something you enjoyed since you were tiny as a job, having great teammates, and much more. there is just one thing you hate that has more to do with biology than soccer.
you have been dealing with bad cramps since yesterday, but you still had to practice for games so here you are: trying to get through drills as you fight the urge to hug your stomach. the moment coach said it was time for everyone to head home you flee to the tunnel than into the locker room. the quicker you change, the faster you can get home and go to bed. you thought you covered up the fact you were in pain pretty well until elisa was standing beside you giving you a worried look. "are you okay?" she whispers to you. you just give her a tired smile while gesturing to your stomach.
she seems to get the message as she starts to focus on getting dressed back into her street clothes. you do the same, happy you wore sweatpants and a comfy t-shirt as your pre practice outfit. you try to pick up your backpack, but elisa beats you to it. she smirks at you, "i got it, babe." the french player slings your backpack over her shoulder before slinging her arm over your shoulder. "let's get you home, baby" she says as she starts to walk you towards the locker room door. you can't help yourself as you smile at her.
there were only a couple interruptions on y'all's way to the car. one being a small conversation with jackie which was nice and all, but you were hardly focusing on the words being exchanged between the other two players. it was concerning some dish jackie wanted elisa to try out, but you just couldn't seem to focus fully. the pain of your cramps drown out whatever words are said. you only remember smiling a goodbye to jackie before continuing to walk to the car.
elisa lets you go for a moment to open your car door for you. just a small thing she has been doing since you two started dating, but it still makes your heart race. you get into the car, leaning your head against the window the moment elisa shuts the door. your girlfriend opens the back door, putting y'all's bags in the backseat, before going around the car to get into the driver's seat. "safety before napping. put that seatbelt on, babe" elisa chuckles out as she snaps in her own seatbelt. you groan at her words but still obey as you snap in your own. "why did eve have to eat that apple? she ruined it for the rest of us" you say as your eyes flutter close. elisa just shakes her head before pulling off.
🍫🍫
you hardly remember getting out of the car once arriving at elisa and you's shared apartment. your mind and body just determined to make it to your bed where you could sleep away all the pain. elisa trails after you as you open the door to your apartment. the sound of her laughter fills the silence in your apartment as she watches you speed walk to y'all's bedroom.
in just five minutes, you were in soft pajamas and under the silk sheets you convinced elisa to buy (it wasn't a hard task in all honesty). the moment your head hits the pillow you are done for. falling asleep in mere minutes.
while you were trying to sleep away the pain, elisa was busy in the kitchen. making some nice hot chocolate to calm your cramps. she has experienced her own fair share of bad cramps, so she knew the pain first hand. a soft smile sits on her lips as she holds the mug of hot choco, making her way to you two's bedroom. the sight of you sleeping so peacefully makes her smile even wider. it almost makes her decide against waking you up, but she knows you would appreciate the drink.
elisa sits the mug on the night stand on your side of the bed before laying down on her side of the bed. she pulls you into her arms from behind. her front meeting your back. you naturally lean into the warmth. she trails light kisses on the back of your neck. "baby.." the french player says softly, placing another small kiss on the back of your ear. it takes a few more kisses for you to wake up.
waking up to kisses from your love was something you would never get tired of. the kisses may not make your cramps any better, but they warm your heart so it's better than nothing. "what is it, eli?" you say softly as you turn over (somehow missing the mug on the nightstand but it's okay elisa will remind you), facing her now. you nuzzle into her chest. "i know how bad your cramps can be, so i made a little something for you" she says as she points at the nightstand on your side of the bed. at first, you just nuzzle more into her but you can see the clear pout on her lips, from the small bit of your face that wasn't in her chest, as she continues to point. you groan (not because you didn't want to see her surprise. it's just the pain seem to be the least painful when you aren't moving) as you turn back over, your lips curl up into a warm smile once you see the mug. of course your girlfriend would think to make hot chocolate for you. that's just how elisa is; always thoughtful and trying her best to help you.
you sit up in bed, leaning against the pillows, as you grab the hot chocolate filled mug. elisa sits up as well. shuffling even closer to you before wrapping her arms around your waist. resting her head on your shoulder as she smiles. the warmth of her body against yours and the warmth of the hot chocolate as you take a sip makes the pain alittle duller.
"thank you for this, my love" you say to elisa as you give her a kiss on the cheek. she laughs as you pull away, leaving a chocolate colored kiss mark on her cheek. she can see your hot choco mustache (and some of the excess that is left on your lips) in it's pure glory as you two look at eachother. "no need to thank me, baby. this view is all the payment i need" elisa says. you take another sip of the hot chocolate before replying back, "so no more kisses for you?"
elisa smile drops as she narrows her eyes at you, "i didn't say all that. i think i still need some kisses in exchange for that hot choco. can't you help me with that, baby?"
there were alot more kisses after that. how else are you meant to repay your thoughtful girlfriend?
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baflegacy · 1 month
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Welcome to Smosh Girlies Week! (March 24-31)
Since March is International Women’s Month and I’ve been wanting a way to gush about the female cast & crew of Smosh and the F/F ships in the fandom! So why not dedicate a week, right?
The event will run from March 24-31 and anyone and any kind of post (fan art, edit, fanfic, etc.) are welcome! I’ll be splitting the week into two ‘parts’: a general appreciation half and a half for the RPF stuff so anyone who wants to join in can either choose one ‘half’ or do both!
Rules + prompts will be posted under the cut! Good luck to all who will participate, and feel free to send an ask if you have any questions!
(Would like to also thank @zillaphoneswag & @lilac-hecox for doing Amangela Week and the Valentines Gift Exchange as they inspired me to do this!)
Rules:
Open to anyone in Smoshblr.
Any kind of post (art, edits, moodboards, writing, AUs, etc.) is welcome!
Smosh Girlies Week is for anyone who is/was at Smosh! So yes—that includes former and current cast/crew.
Multiple entries/posts in a single prompt are definitely welcome!
Since this week is also about boosting/highlighting the wlw side of smoshblr, lets focus on F/F ships for the RPF side of the week!
Please tag any work that is NSFW/18+
Make sure to tag your work as #smoshgirliesweek as well!
Don’t feel pressured to do all of the prompts, we’re here to have fun!
* Also, I know most of us here are very respectful people, so just a general warning: I ask that we only have this on Tumblr & AO3 (for the RPF side). Let’s not tag the cast in our fics and possibly make them uncomfortable.
Prompts:
General:
March 24: Cast and Crew! (Highlighting your fave or wanna gush about an underrated smosh girlie? Can do one or both! It’s all up to you!)
March 25: Smosh Dynamics! (Nows your chance to talk about your fav dynamic or a dynamic you think isn’t talked about enough!)
March 26: Favorite Character by a Smosh Girlie! (Sarah Christ? Katchem Poppy? Andromeda?)
March 27: Favorite Project they ‘Starred In’! (Courtney’s Funeral Roast Trailer? Angela in Starkid? You decide!)
RPF:
March 28: Inside the Smoffice Cinematic Universe (Office shenanigans, a workplace romance? The possibilities are endless!)
March 29: Alternate Universe (Medieval AU with Queen!Amanda? Superhero Team/Vigilante AU? Maybe even a universe based on a sketch/bit? Who knows!)
March 30: Found Family & Friendship (Let’s highlight the friendship & different dynamics within the female cast!)
March 31: Free Day! (Write about anything and everything!)
*Bonus Challenge: Try to write/make something about a different smosh ship every prompt during the RPF half of the week!
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pepperf · 2 years
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A love letter to the co-conspiritors
They have many names—beta reader, friend, Oh Fuck You—but you know who they are: they're the person who is as rabid as you about a ship or a character, the one you DM with your most twisted headcanons, the one who agrees that YES, he SHOULD be tied to a chair and slapped in the face—that she SHOULD be allowed a little tragic backstory, as a treat—that they SHOULD be roommates who are secretly pining for one another...the one who hashes out with you, at past midnight, how soon is reasonable for people with superpowers to have sex after one of them has been shot in the leg.
They’re the person who reads your fic before you send it to anyone else, and raves with you about that plot point that you COULDN’T WAIT for them to reach, or points out where you’ve forgotten that they were at the bar, not the library, so you need to remove the reference to book stacks, or pokes you to finish the goddamn next chapter because they want to read it, okay?
Fandom would not exist without them. They enable and encourage. Some of them are also fic writers, and you get to enable them right back. Some of them create fan art, or meta, or text post edits, or run prompt fests, or edit wikis...some of them are simply just as in love with the same thing that you are and want to feed the squee.
If you’re lucky enough to have someone like this in your life, you’ll know how much impact they have. It’s different to getting comments and kudos (wonderful though those are!), because they come in before the fic is finished, sometimes even before it’s started, and say ‘yes, do it!’. The fact that I've written so much for Community and The Umbrella Academy is completely down to @bethanyactually and @wheresmytowel respectively, and I count myself incredibly lucky to have them both in my life (and not just for all this, but also because they’re both incredibly lovely and smart and fun).
It was Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day yesterday (Aug 21st), and it made me think that we should also give a shoutout to the co-conspiritors, because without them, an awful lot more fic writers would be stress-scrolling through tumblr instead of working on their WIP, and there’d be so much less fic in the world.
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gallavichthings · 5 months
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Gallavich Masquerade
Welcome to the first ever Gallavich Masquerade!
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This is a brand new event, so feel free to ask any questions you might have.
In a Masquerade, fic authors will write one-shots anonymously. These one-shots will all be revealed at the same time on December 21st - our Masquerade Ball! - and readers (who may also be other writers) will have a bit over a month to attempt to guess who's behind each mask, that is, who wrote what. And the writers, of course, will try to fool everyone!
Details after the read more, but don't forget to please spread the word. This will be fun!
Fic requirements
All fics must have between 2,000 and 5,000 words.
No theme is required or forbidden, but, as this is an event in which the goal is to have as many people reading your fics as possible, writing fics in niche categories is not advised.
I don't know what to write about!
You can get inspiration from anything you want. It can be canon-compliant, canon-divergent, after the show ended, AU...
But, if you still need some ideas, you can find some here, here or here (not to mention @callivich always has tons of prompts lists).
Sign-ups
Signing-up is required and can be done here. For this event, sign-ups can be done up to the time of posting. Unlike other events, this is one where you will need to sign-up only at the end, after the fic is done. You'll be required to add your AO3 username, the title of your fic, the word count, and possible categories under which it falls.
What are the categories for?
In case there are too many fics and I feel like people won't be able to read everything, I'll divide the fics into categories, which will depend on what we get as well. These may be according to fic size, canon or AU, with or without smut, etc., as long as the amount of fics or words in each category is pretty much the same. But it all remains to be seen.
What if I don't have an AO3 account?
Then I'm very sorry, but in this case, you won't be able to participate (as a writer). For his event, having an AO3 account is mandatory so that you can post in the collection. That being said, a lot of people have AO3 invites, so ask right now and someone may be able to send you one.
Posting
Posting will be done on AO3 and AO3 only! This is because the Masquerade Collection will be unrevealed and anonymous. All posting must be done until the eve of the Masquerade, so December 20th. On December 21st, all fics will be revealed and available for the readers. The fics will remain anonymous until January 31st, when the game ends. On February 1st, the authors' identities will be disclosed (and your fic will appear under your account just like any other fic).
As an author, all you have to do is, when posting on AO3, choose to do it under the Gallavich Masquerade 2023 Collection (as in the picture below). I'll take care of the rest. It's important to do so when posting and not after, or it won't work.
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Voting
Voting will be done via a new form, which will be disclosed only after the fics are posted. All fic titles will be displayed and readers will chose from a menu who they think the author is.
Points
There are two ways of winning this game, as an author and as a reader.
Authors are awarded 1 point for each person who correctly guesses their fic and 3 points for each person who wrongly guesses it. That's right, you get more points if you're actually able to deceive everyone!
Readers are awarded 5 points for each fic the guess correctly, but they lose 1 point for each wrong guess. (This is to discourage people from guessing on fics they haven't actually read, as we do want people to read as many fics as possible.)
Authors can also be readers, so they have twice the chance of winning. In case categories are applied, each category will have an author and a reader winner.
Prizes
Winners will get boasting rights! XD Plus, of course, a special post for them.
If anyone would like to make fanart or edits for the winners, please let me know, that would be super nice!
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e-dubbc11 · 3 months
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this is my first time doing a sleepover 😭😭 im gonna be honest, every ask i'll send will probs be billy russo 🥹✨
❛ i could keep you safe. they’re all afraid of me. ❜
for this hoe pleaseeeeee
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Hello my lovely! Well, I mixed up the asks(I’m mad about it and can’t believe I did that) and pasted the fic with the above prompt into the other ask. I am so so sorry for mixing them up, I’m happy they both came from you though.♥️
So the prompt for the below fic is “shut up and just let me help you!”
Again, I apologize for mixing them up but thank you again for sending in your asks and thank you for being a part of my sleepover. ♥️
You Are Not Alone
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Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.
Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader
Warnings: couple of swear words, angst, description of wounds, mention of weapons, alludes to smexy time, and of course fluff.
Word Count: 980
Summary: Billy comes home late, injured and tries to patch himself up without waking you.
As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕
Billy struggled to unlock and open the door with his right hand. The blood started to pool, darkening the material of his black jacket, it dripped down his arm, and peeked out from under the sleeve. The bullet was still inside and he was in a lot of pain. He winced as he turned the door knob and stepped inside.
It was late and more than likely, you were fast asleep in his bed.
Biting back the discomfort, he tried to move quietly into the main bathroom of the penthouse where he kept his first aid supplies for times like this.
The gunshot wound continued to throb under his jacket. He needed to get the bullet out but he was going to have to use his non-dominant hand to do it and he would also have to do it without waking you.
Billy didn’t want you to see him like this, covered in blood and dirt. The dried blood on his hands was not his, the spatter across his face wasn’t his either. Their mission tonight was reminiscent of missions during the war, very clandestine, under the cover of night, and in disguise. If anyone got close to him, their death was quick but not painless.
He made sure of that.
The deep stab wounds to the man’s back had punctured his lungs and Billy had given him a new “smile” across his throat. The smell of blood was thick all around him as he watched his enemy gasp for air and then collapse at his feet, soaking the earth underneath him.
He appreciated that you didn’t ask too many questions when it came to jobs like this one. You just told him to be careful so he could come home to you.
Those words play over and over in his head. “Just be safe, Billy. I need you to come home to me.”
When he removed his jacket, Billy saw the bullet wound in the light for the first time. He would be fine after taking the bullet out but it would be challenging.
Clenching his teeth, then biting his knuckles, he tried to keep from crying out in pain when he let the alcohol run over the wound but it was just loud enough for you to hear him.
Your eyes fluttered open and you sat bolt upright in bed. The space next to you was cold and empty where Billy should be but he wasn’t. The noise you heard was coming from the bathroom.
“Billy?” You called out softly, slipping on his hoodie.
No answer.
The cool air touched your bare legs as your feet touched the floor and you started to tip toe out of the bedroom.
“FUCK!” He yelled and whispered at the same time.
Turning the corner, you saw the faint glow of the bathroom light through the crack in the door.
“Billy? Are you ok?” You asked from behind the door.
Gently pushing it open, you heard him call out, “Don’t come in here, baby.”
Of course, you didn’t listen and pushed the door open anyway.
“Billy—“ You saw the blood dripping down his arm, coming from the hole that was there and it startled you.
“Oh my god!” You exclaimed. “Is the bullet still in there?! Why are you not at the hospital?”
“I’m fine, sweet girl. I am. Go back to bed.” He said, calmly.
“Uh, yeah—fat chance, handsome. Let me help you.” You told him sternly as you picked up the rubbing alcohol.
He grabbed the alcohol bottle out of your hand. With raised eyebrows, he glared at you with his dark mysterious eyes that looked like two cups of espresso.
“I said I’m fine, y/n.” He said sharply through gnashed teeth.
Billy still needed reminding that he wasn’t alone anymore and he didn’t have to do everything himself. He had someone to help him with whatever he needed.
“Go back to sleep. I’ll come to bed when—“ He started to say before you cut him off.
“Shut up and just let me take care of you!!!” You said in a frustrated tone. “You can’t get that bullet out by yourself so shut it, soldier and let me help!”
“Did you just tell me to shut up?” Asked Billy, narrowing his eyes and then flashing his perfect smile at you.
“You are such a stubborn asshole sometimes, Billy Russo! How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to do everything by yourself! I love you and I’m here to HELP YOU!” You growled in his face.
He gently pressed his forehead against yours. “Number one, you turn me on when you yell at me like that so even though I’m wounded and in pain, we’ll give it a go when we’re done in here and number two…” He said with a wicked smile and then paused briefly.
Billy kissed the tip of your nose and with his eyes locked on yours said, “I love you too, sweet girl. I’ve done everything alone for so long, sometimes I feel like I still have to.”
“Well let me remind you again that you don’t.” You said, compressing your lips against his, one of your hands reached up to cup his cheek while his tongue pressed against your teeth, begging for access to yours.
He smiled warmly as he pulled away and asked, “Wait…can you remind me one more time?”
He winked at you as you playfully rolled your eyes.
“Just hold still and let me get that bullet out, lieutenant.” You said, reaching for the alcohol and the surgical pliers.
Billy kissed you again.
“Well, be gentle. I’m not puttin’ out if you hurt me.” He said, chuckling a little.
Silently, you said “you can trust me,” before replying,
“I will never hurt you, my love.”
And you meant that…in every way.
Tag List: @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes
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If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.
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hitlikehammers · 2 months
Text
there is a tree as old as me
rating: teen tags: future fic, outside POV, trespassing, established relationship, engaged steddie💍 ✨for @kallisto-k at my BIRTHDAY MONTH PROMPT FEST for the prompt: To Build A Home—The Cinematic Orchestra: 'and now, it's time to leave and turn to dust // out in the garden where we planted the seeds // there is a tree as old as me
She catches the trespassers by chance, really.
She’s awake early even for her routine, age doing nothing for the capacity to sleep in on a good day but her hip’s been a trial, and she needs buy a new mattress but Richard’s insistent he can’t bear to sleep on a stone slab, Patricia, good god—she wants to get one of those Select Comforts that splits their settings between two sides as a compromise; he argues those are for lesser mortals, which she’s long learned has evolved in recent years to mean not just that he thinks he’s above something in general, but more now that he thinks he’s better than technological advances.
And Patricia Harrington has standards, certainly, but she can also recognize when
She’s also old enough to remember when ‘new’ was an opportunity to throw her Black Card and gloat a little in the rush of the novelty, the momentary shine until the next new thing appeared to repeat the cycle.
She might be feeling her years, but she doesn’t understand when her husband got so damn old.
At least he’s still savvy enough to the time that they’ve got an airtight security system for the house itself, given the trespassers—more likely would-be-burglars, given the evaluation they’d just paid taxes on for the property—that she spies out the window, hears where she cracked the window in the kitchen to light a cigarette as she brews an early coffee.
Maybe Richard will agree to motion sensors for the yard, if she tells him about these…miscreants.
They’re moving carefully, like they don’t want to be seen, or more likely caught—suspicious, obviously—but they’re also moving like the know where they’re headed, as if they’re familiar with the space they’re traversing even in the pitch dark: even more suspect, really, and she wonders if they’ve cased the home, adds full-property camera surveillance to her list of proposals for reevaluating their security.
“I can’t believe you convinced me to—“ she barely catches the hiss from one of the criminals from across the yard, but it doesn’t last.
It doesn’t last because the second party drags the first close and: the lighting’s horrible, the moon’s crescent at best, but there’s really only one thing to be doing when two bodies press close, and then break apart with a pop she makes out on the breeze and, well. She was young, once.
“Believe it, baby,” the second trespasser rumbles low, and, oh, good god: “we gotta hit all the landmarks.”
They’re men. They’re both of them men and they were just—
“Landmarks?” the first one hisses sharper, this time, and Patricia…she doesn’t care nearly as much as Richard does about what people do in their bedrooms that she personally doesn’t agree with.
But this isn’t anyone’s own bedroom. This is her lawn.
“Of our story,” the second one, he—he—has got such curly hair she likely would have assume it was a very tall women, if it weren’t for the voice; “all our highlights.”
“What, exactly, was—“ the first man, he sounds a little exasperated as he whispers, but…fond. Fond like Patricia hasn’t heard in…well.
A very, very long time, at least.
“Here,” the curly haired fiend traipsing her property stops at a redbud tree Richard had always despised, said it looked tacky, common. Patricia canceled every removal service he’d had whichever secretary he instructed to send.
The second man turns, moves slow toward the tree before reaching, placing a hand on the trunk almost carefully, reverently. There’s something…familiar about him. The shape of his face, the way the the coif of his hair catches in shadow—
“My nanny used to tell me this tree was planted the year I was born, that it grew up with me,” and oh, oh, that’s, he’s—“so that I’d have to eat my vegetables and stuff, if I wanted to see it grow.”
He sounds so nostalgic, so soft at the edges; Patricia doesn’t know if she’s ever heard her son sound like that.
Because that’s who it is; why he seemed familiar even at a distance.
Even if she hasn’t seen or heard from Steven in nearly twenty years.
“And look at you both,” the other man, with the curly hair, he’s holding Steven by his arms, and the motion, the body language is…tender even before she hears the words filter over:
“Big and strong,” the man says, and then he’s cupping Steven’s cheek and Steven leans in so quick, like he trusts deeply, here: “fuckin’ beautiful.”
She can’t see it, not in the dark, but something tells her Steven’s smiling for the words. It makes her feel…uncomfortable.
Because it’s not as if they hadn’t seen it; she doesn’t know where Steven’s moved, where he ended up when he moved out while they were gone, left his key and a simple, terse little note about the furnace needing looked at—she only knows he’s nowhere near here, anymore, and she suspects there are some, like the former police chief and his wife, who know where he went but she never asks. She’s too proud for that.
But the point is: Steven doesn’t live in Hawkins anymore, and likely lives nowhere near Hawkins. But when The Post ran the engagement announcement it had only been implied, she’d never have been able to place is, but: when and S. Harrington and E. Munson announced their happy news in print, in a town that didn’t house people by those initials, even if it still housed residents by those family names?
Well. Patricia had suspicions. And she remembers the Munson boy largely because his hair was an unmistakable mess.
Apparently some things didn’t change.
“This,” the Munson boy, because that’s who it is, that’s who’s still cradling her son so close and so gently: “this was the first place I knew you wanted me.”
Steven’s head, she sees, still tilts just so when he’s baffled.
“What?”
“I knew you loved me like I love you, I knew that way before but you,” and the Munson boy, he pulls his hand across his face like the night isn’t doing the hiding for him. Preposterous, really.
“The urchins were inside, we were going to grab more pop to bring in and you pushed me up against this very tree,” and the boy—man, they’re men, they’ve long been men and Patricia doesn’t want to pry up the implications of how she saw no part of the becoming part of that process with her own eyes—but the man’s voice is so warm, so…smitten.
It should be nauseating. Another thing she doesn’t want to pry at is why it…isn’t. At least not quite.
“Couldn’t wait, you said, couldn’t keep you hands off me,” and he’s turning Steven, walking him back against the tree as he speaks the words, like he’s reenacting something nigh-sacred.
“And I knew that I was out of my mind with wanting you like that, on top of loving you more than fucking life baby, but,” and Munson, she can see the way he breathes in his deep for the heave in the line of his back, and she can see the way he…brushes the line of his nose back and forth against Steven’s.
Who still has her father’s nose.
“You were hard as soon as you pinned me,” and Patricia frowns at the glass, when she hears that; and she barely hears is, in fairness, it’s pitched low even as they think they’re alone which is the least they can do but they are not alone and Patrician does not need to be subjected to—
“And it was like a light switch, or a lightning bolt,” the Munson boy—they’re boys they are still boys—but the Munson boy whispers it, and sounds like he’s wondering at it;
“He loves me,” he breathes, the line of his back breathing so deep again; “and he fucking wants me.”
And no, Patricia does not need to hear that at all, but.
There is a part of her, buried somewhere, who…does miss the idea of wanting. Of being wanted. In the abstract.
“You’re absurd,” Steven snorts and oh; oh, she remembers that tone, that testy little snark that always riled Richard enough that he’d largely stomped it out of the boy but oh: Patricia did love when Steven failed to rein it in.
Because it always reminded her that Steven was her son.
She doesn’t intend to start rubbing at her chest, but it…it feels kind of tight, there, just now.
It aches, there. Just now.
“I love you,” and Steven’s voice, she’s never heard him speak with that much feeling, and it’s difficult not to…to react to even just overhearing, to eavesdropping, though in fairness: it is, again, her property.
“And I want you,” Steven leans in, and kisses at Munson’s cheek with such affection, a devotion that’s obvious, near-blinding even in the dark; “just as much now as then,” and then Steven, Steven—
He laughs.
He laughs and it’s such a light and carefree sound and it’s so foreign to Patricia’s ears that it almost makes her anxious, or something of the like.
“But then so much more, baby,” and the warmth in those words: those are foreign too.
Those feel strange to hear, not least in Steven’s voice which…
She thinks she may not have recognized, if the first thing she hear were these words, in this tone.
She’s not wholly sure how to sit with that suspicion.
“Ten days,” the Munson boy’s hands go to Steven’s hips and he rocks them back and forth a bounce in the motion, a levity.
“Ten days,” and Steven…no.
No: she would not have recognized that voice.
She would not have known her son.
“You’re gonna be my husband,” the Munson boy whispers, Patricia only hears because she’s trying to, now, she…she wants to even if it hurts unexpectedly, the tightness under her hand in her chest a pain, now, a small little stab when this man cups her son’s cheeks, cradles him so careful and so…so loving, undeniable even like this, and says what she suspected from that notice in the paper.
Steven is getting married. Steven is getting married and he is proud enough to flaunt it in a town who could never prove it, where he no longer has tied; to a a partner who is proud enough to do the same just as brazen, and she doesn’t know if she’s proud or put-off, but she does know here, now—
Steven is in love. And he is loved deeply in kind. And the person who loves him sounds in awe at the idea of pledging forever not as a contract, but maybe more as a privilege.
She wasn’t paying attention for a strand of seconds as she acknowledged this, and decided ultimately to stop trying to do anything deeper than just that.
But she sees them pull apart; they’d been kissing the entire time she’d been thinking it through.
She isn’t even interested in acknowledging the…niggling little feeling of that kind of prolonged affection, let alone the way they reach for each other, steady each other in the coming apart, as if they have no desire to wholly come apart.
The idea of trusting another pair of hands like it looks as if they do, in the dim of these early hours, is…another foreign thing.
“Okay, okay,” the Munson boy laughs, no, giggles; “let’s get out of here before the owners notice.”
And he turns, would meet her eyes if he could see her; she knows he can’t, knows she’s standing just beyond the capacity to be caught and how absurd, caught inside her own house.
But then he’s turned away again; the house, and whatever it holds, far less compelling than the man at his side.
“Wayne’s place?” Steven’s asking and the Munson boy grabs his hand, lifts it to his mouth.
“Yeah,” the Munson boy says so low, so soft and sweet; “we can hit some more landmarks before that bagel joint he likes opens, we can take him breakfast.”
“More landmarks?” Steven sounds baffled, but so very fond and his partner doesn’t let go of his hand once, reels him in to peck his cheek.
“Of course, sweetheart,” the Munson boy nearly…purrs, how ridiculous; “so many. Because we’ve got one hell of a story.”
But ridiculous or no: the moon shifts out from the clouds as they make to scamper off the lawn and Patricia sees her son’s face for the first time in decades, now, and oh.
Oh: she’s never seen him smile like that. Not…not once.
She turns away, because the sting in her chest burns behind her eyes, a little; because the joy on Steven’s face is…
It feels private; like something she’s not meant to see.
She goes to pour herself the coffee she’d largely forgotten, and, well.
She’s still going to talk to Richard about security, but maybe…
Maybe not just now.
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permanent tag list (comment to be added/removed): @pearynice @hbyrde36 @slashify @finntheehumaneater @wxrmland @dreamwatch @perseus-notjackson @estrellami-1 @bookworm0690 
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ivysangel · 4 days
Text
I am dead serious when I say that you guys need to start giving writers feedback more often. I have a fic here that has a total of 4015 notes and only 218 aren't likes. So, let me break this down for you a bit.
Of 4015 notes, 186 are reblogs and 32 are comments. Two reblogs, as well as comments, are mine so I'll subtract them from the equation making the total number of notes 4011 (184 rbs, 30 comments, 3,797 likes).
Of the 184 reblogs, 16 are private, meaning they're absolutely useless in spreading and sharing the piece. The remaining 168 consists of 136 reblogs falling under "other reblogs" while only 32 fall under "comments and tags." And of the 32 under "comments and tags," only 9 have something besides a copy of the tags that I included in my initial post.
The 184 reblogs make up 4.6% of the total notes, the reblogs under "comments and tags" make up 0.8% of the total notes, and the reblogs under "comments and tags" with anything besides tags copied from the initial post make up 0.2% of the total notes.
At one point, I reblogged the post, asking if anyone wanted a part two. That's when I got my first comments. The first 6 comments were in response to that, and of the 30 total comments (excluding my own), only two were unrelated to a part two. Which means I can guarantee that I wouldn't have had that many comments had I not posed the question of a sequel fic.
And if I add those 2 comments to the 9 reblogs, I get 0.3% of the total notes on my post that make up the portion of notes that aren't likes, empty reblogs, or comments about a part two. And that's me being generous because two of the reblogs actually do mention a part two.
I also posted a poll asking what people wanted in part two, and that poll got 238 votes. That is 54 people more who voted for what they wanted in a part two that didn't reblog or help push part one.
Don't get me wrong, I love seeing people in my notifs liking my posts, but sometimes it's just not enough. It is utterly exhausting waking up to multiple hundreds of notifications and not seeing a single person compliment your work. You guys will like stuff, follow, and then head straight to the inbox asking for more. I know it's been said a hundred times before, but we are not machines; we do this for free in our spare time.
The post in question was written when I was tired out of my mind, and I ended up not liking it, so I let it sit in my drafts. I briefly mentioned it on my blog and was met with one of my followers showing interest in the idea, which prompted me to revise, edit, and post it. It was a gift, as are all fics and pieces of art by writers and artists on this site, and yet it was treated like a commodity.
When people say it's unmotivating they're not kidding. When I had 100+ asks in my inbox, all of them being requests, I felt like I had the worst case of writers block known to man. I would open my inbox and immediately close it because the idea of posting anything knowing the only response would be more requests, was awful.
When people leave little messages in the tags, full-blown commentary, or kind messages in my inbox referencing posts, I feel more motivated than ever. Those responses are what drives me to write more. But when I, and other writers, are being treated like we're here to cook up whatever fantasisies you have in mind, I can't help but side-eye a little.
We wouldn't write if we didn't enjoy it, but the moment it feels like a job, it becomes that much less enjoyable, and then everybody loses. Just send a kind message to your favorite writers every once in a while. I promise it'll make their day.
I would also like to say that as I've written this, I've seen more people like that post. So, there's that.
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moni-logues · 9 months
Note
Namjoon fic prompt: 🚿🧼
Not sure to what extent this fulfils the brief, but I had a LOT of fun writing this one!!!!!!!!! Thank you anon!!! this is unbeta'd and kind of unedited. PEACE.
Sexts and Showers
Pairing: Namjoon x f.reader
Genre: pwp/smut, secretly dating
Summary: Namjoon accidentally sends a photo meant for you to your roommate, who does not know that the two of you have been sleeping together. First you deal with one problem (sex with Namjoon), then you deal with the other (telling all your friends about it)
Word count: 2.8k
Content: shower sex! Namjoon and reader haven't told their friends they've been fucking!, sexting, a dick pic, oral sex (f. receiving), unprotected sex
* * *
“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god,” Yeji repeated over and over as she barged into your room and sat herself on your bed. “Why is Namjoon texting me this?!” 
She thrust her phone into your face and the colour immediately drained from it. 
Namjoon: I think I'm going to need a cold shower... unless you want to join me... 
Ok, you thought, could be worse. There was maybe some wiggle-room left for some kind of plausible deniability. 
Unfortunately, the text was only part of it. It was accompanied by a photo that left almost nothing to the imagination. He wasn’t fully naked, but as near as dammit. You could’ve seen his erection from space.  
You spluttered, choked, didn’t know what to say. And then another message came through. 
Namjoon: OH FUCK 
And in a second, both previous bubbles disappeared, replaced by ‘This message was deleted’. 
Namjoon: I know you saw that... I can see you read them... 
Namjoon: I’m SO sorry 
Namjoon: Obviously they weren’t meant for you, Yeji 
Namjoon: PLEASE forget you ever saw them 
Namjoon: PLEASE 
Namjoon: PLEASE PLEASE 
Namjoon: I’m so so so so sorry 
“Wow,” is all you could choke out.  
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Yeji screamed, so close to you that you thought your eardrum might burst. “WHO IS HE SEXTING?!” 
The answer was you. Or rather, he was supposed to be sexting you and not Yeji. He had been sexting you recently. Doing a lot more than that, too. You just hadn’t told anyone yet.  
It was an accident, really. Neither of you meant it to happen. It just did. There was nothing ground-breaking about it. Same old story: you drink too much and get a little handsy with each other because you’ve secretly kind of always liked each other; then you get more than a little handsy and then you do it again and again and, suddenly, it’s A Thing. A thing you decide not to tell everyone else about.  
You sat on your phone to try to hide its buzzing. You didn’t need to check it to know that it was Namjoon. You didn’t know why he was calling; you and Yeji lived together: of course she was going to run straight to you with this. Of course you wouldn’t be able to answer.  
“I don’t know,” you answered Yeji. “It might just be some person from an app.”  
She looked at you sharply. 
“Why are you not also screaming?! Did you not SEE what I saw?! What I showed you?!” 
“I saw it! I saw it! But... I don’t know, he’s a grown man; he can sext who he likes.” 
“Not without telling us! Ugh, the gossip! He’s depriving us! Besides, wow, who knew he was packing like that?”  
You nudged her with a grin. 
“Ahh, let the man have a couple of secrets, eh? What's the harm? He’ll tell us when he wants to. And I think he probably doesn’t want you to know he’s packing like that. Doesn’t want me to know either,” you added hastily. “He would probably prefer that neither of us had seen that. You shouldn’t have shown me that! He’ll be embarrassed. Just let him have his secrets and his privacy, at least for today.” 
“But I want him to tell me NOW! I’m going to reply to him. The interrogation is starting. Maybe I’ll call him.” 
She was already standing and wandering back out of your bedroom.  
“You want to interrogate him with me?” 
“No, thanks; I’ve got some stuff to work on.” 
“Suit yourself. I’ll fill you in later.” 
She shut your door as she left and you whipped out your phone. 
Namjoon: oh god i’ve done something bad 
Namjoon: like really bad 
Namjoon: I was trying to text you—I was supposed to send it to YOU 
Namjoon: I accidentally sent a photo of my dick to Yeji 
Namjoon: she definitely saw it 
Namjoon: I don’t know how I get out of this. What do I say? I can’t tell her it was meant to go to you! 
Namjoon: Help me  
You laughed and pressed dial, hoping Yeji didn’t actually call him herself. 
“Hey.” He sounded a little breathless, his breathing a little heavy down the phone. 
“Yeah, so Yeji just left my bedroom actually. She showed me what you sent.” 
Namjoon groaned. 
“I’m sorry.”  
“You don’t have to be sorry; it was just a mistake.” 
“But how do we get out of it?”  
“I don’t know. I told her it might just be someone on an app; you could go with that. Pretend to have a casual thing-” 
“But then if we come out and say we’re... whatever we are, the timeline won’t work-” 
“Oh, that’s a bridge we can cross when we get to it. We can just say you lied to keep it a secret.”  
“I guess.” 
“Seriously, Namjoon, I think it’ll be fine. Yeji will find something else to obsess about soon enough, by tonight probably.” 
You were trying to convince yourself as much as you were trying to convince him. You were right, Yeji would find something else to be distracted by. It probably wouldn’t erupt all over your friendship group; it probably wouldn’t get out of hand. They probably wouldn’t tease him mercilessly about it until you abruptly shouted up that it was you, thus revealing everything.  
Probably. 
It’d be fine.  
He groaned again. 
“Just such a stupid thing to do. And I’ll tell you this for free: a very effective boner killer, too.” 
You laughed. 
“So you don’t want me to come over and shower with you?” 
“Oh, shit, I didn’t say that. My door is always open to you, you know that.” 
You sighed. 
“I’ve got a lot of work to do tonight so I don’t know if I’ll make it.” 
“Ok.” 
“But keep thinking those thoughts, ok?” 
“Yes, ma’am.”  
“Oh and Namjoon?” 
“Yeah?” 
“Send me the photo, yeah?” 
You didn’t know about Namjoon but you did keep thinking those thoughts. They were driving you to distraction. You had barely read more than a page of your report in the last half-hour. You kept unlocking your phone, looking at your message thread with Namjoon, at that photo. At a certain point, it becomes more efficient to do the distracting thing first and then knuckle down. Get it out of your system so you can concentrate afterwards. That was starting to sound like a very appealing course of action. 
You picked up your phone again.  
You: have you showered yet? 
Namjoon: No, why? 
You: Can I come over? 
Namjoon: Do you even have to ask? 
Namjoon: (that means yes. Please. Please come. Come now) 
You shut your laptop; Yeji was similarly sequestered in her bedroom so you were able to sneak out without rousing any sort of curiosity. Thank god. 
“Hi.” 
“Hi.” 
“So about this shower.” 
The door had barely closed behind you before Namjoon was kissing you, pulling you closer, running his hands up your body.  
“You really want to shower?” he asked. His voice was low and gruff, his words mumbled against your neck. 
You laughed. 
“Transparency: I want you to fuck me in the shower.” 
He responded by nipping at your earlobe.  
“You gonna ask nicely?” 
“No.” 
He gave your nipple a tweak and you jerked against him, your hips knocking into his, drawing a quiet moan from his mouth. He grinned at you and kissed you firmly. 
“That’s my girl.”  
Your clothes littered the floor as they were discarded en-route.  
“Why haven’t we done this already?” Namjoon asked as he hoisted you onto the edge of the counter. “Fuck, I’ve been thinking about this so much.” 
“You’re a shower sex guy, huh? Noted.”  
“For you? I’m an anywhere-sex guy.”  
Your words were taken from you, from your mouth to his as he pressed his lips to yours and licked into your mouth. You were hot already, even before the shower began to fill the room with steam. That was the thing about Namjoon; he made you so impatient. The mere thought of him had your heart racing. A kiss was enough to get you wet. You were feral with need for him. Insatiable. 
When he kissed you, your mind was wiped clean, a blank static fuzz. When he sucked hard bruises into your neck, your chest, you were nothing but animal. No shame, no overthinking, no insecurity, just pleasure buzzing all over your skin, shivering down your spine, coiling in your guts, pooling in your core.  
Namjoon sank to his knees on the hard, tiled floor and kissed your inner thighs. He wrapped his arms around them, pulled you a little closer—you clutched the edge of the counter and his hair for balance—then he licked you, firmly from slit to clit and back again, into every fold and then into your cunt. You weren’t backward about coming forward and, when you had first done this with Namjoon, you had been fully prepared to tell him how to do it, how you liked it. He hadn’t needed the instruction. That first time, he’d had you reeling after a screaming orgasm within a minute.  
You didn’t think you’d last even that long this time. Not with his lips around your clit, his tongue warm and wet against it, the soft pressure as he sucked, the harder pressure as he flicked, the feel of his fingers as he rocked them inside you, insistent and unstoppable. He made a mess of you and, moments later, you made a mess of him, coming over his face, your slick dripping down his hand.  
He pressed sticky kisses onto your stomach, his tongue laved over your stiffened nipples, his lips pressed softly against yours and then harder, his teeth took your bottom lip and he bit down.  
“So about this shower,” he murmured against your lips, his eyes poring over yours.  
You couldn’t speak, could only nod, and he held you steady as you settled your feet back on the floor, your legs still wobbly.  
The room was hot now, the water hotter. As Namjoon crowded you against the shower screen, you felt breathless, a little suffocated but you didn’t know if that was down to the steam or to Namjoon. He ran his hands all over you as you kissed, your bodies pressed tightly together, his flushed, leaking dick trapped between you.  
Whereas Namjoon made you impatient, he seemed to have an unlimited supply of patience. He soaped you up, every inch of you, and you realised how intimate this was; it suddenly wasn’t just sex. He was touching your body with a different kind of care and attention now. Sex was imminent but this moment, this moment wasn’t about sex really. He turned you around, gently, running his hands down your back and over your backside, all the way down to your feet and all the way back up. He pressed a kiss to your soapy shoulder and wrapped his arms around your waist. His lips then found the shell of your ear. 
“Baby, you’re fucking beautiful,” he whispered and a spark rushed down your spine.  
You turned and kissed him, trying to say with your body what you couldn’t find the words for. And then, 
“Can you fuck me now?” 
He grinned and turned you back around, his hands squeezing at your glutes, kneading, then pushing you forward a little, smoothing up your back and along your arms, placing your hands flat on the tiled wall, braced. He held you like that, in suspense, in anticipation, his hands here and there, his lips first on your hip, then the back of your neck, his body distant, then pressed close.  
You begged because you had learnt that he liked it. That he liked it when you sounded a little breathless, a little whiny, your voice catching as you asked him, please, please, to fuck you.  
“Namjoon... Namjoon... Please?” 
You dipped your head, pressing your forehead to the wall, your fingers scratching down the tiles as you continued to clench, your soft, wet walls coming together around nothing. Still.  
“Just one more time, baby. Just ask me one more time.” 
“Please fuck me. Namjoon, ple- ah, fuck—hnn-” 
It was familiar now, the pressure of the stretch as he pushed inside you. You swore quietly again as he bottomed out and dragged backwards, slowly, torturously slowly. He kept a hard grip on your hips, keeping you or him steady or both. The steam swirling around you, the clean, fresh scent of Namjoon’s soap, the water hitting your skin, Namjoon’s lips on your neck as he thrust a little harder now, squeezing past your g-spot, making your legs tremble—it was overwhelming. You felt transported. No longer just in the shower in Namjoon’s apartment. No longer was this just sordid nor was it mundane. It was you and Namjoon. A thing that had lain dormant in you, something you hadn’t seen coming until it happened and then you couldn’t believe that it hadn’t happened before. This was what you had been looking for. Yes, him fucking you, yes, the way he kissed you and the way he knew which buttons to press, yes, his dick hot and heavy on your tongue, thick and slightly curved and fucking you just right. Yes, all of that but more, too.  
You had not really talked about where this was going, what you were to each other, but now you knew and your heart grew three sizes.  
Namjoon grunted behind you, his breathing becoming laboured. Your name fell off his lips as though it had always lived there. His fingers found their way forward and onto your clit, rubbing in circles that started slow and got faster and faster as you made your dizzy way to a second orgasm.  
He wasn’t far behind, his thrusts hard and rhythm faltering before he came with a long drawn-out curse. He pulled you backwards, held you tight against his chest and you were grateful for the support, not sure if you could stand.  
“As good as the fantasy?” you asked, panting, your head tipped sideways and up to look at him. 
He kissed you, deep and slow, making your knees weaker, your hands gripping tight at his arms around your waist.  
“Better. Way better.”  
You twisted and wrapped your arms around his neck. He kissed you again, pushed you backwards, your body meeting the wall. He sucked on your bottom lip, nipping lightly with his teeth, then he opened his mouth and you rolled your tongue with his, still able to taste yourself on him. You traded kisses, still under the persistent patter of water, still hot and wet and soft against the unyielding tile. Namjoon murmured your name against your lips.  
“What should I tell Yeji, huh?” 
“You could always tell the truth,” you answered, too dazed to think it through. 
“You want to tell people about us?” 
“I never minded in the first place. You were the-” 
“No,” he said. 
He pulled back and looked at you quizzically. 
“What are you talking about? It was you who suggested keeping it a secret,” he continued. 
“Not at all! It was you!” 
“No, it wasn’t!” 
“Well if it was neither of us, then why are we keeping it a secret?!” 
“I don’t know!”  
You looked at each other, aghast, bewildered. Then you laughed.  
“We’re so stupid.” 
You kissed his shoulder and he returned it on your temple. 
“So should we just tell people now?” 
“What do we tell them?”  
You shrugged.  
“That depends what you want this to be, I guess.” 
“What do you want it to be?” 
“I want to be with you.”  
The sigh of relief that came from Namjoon was so large it was almost comical.  
“Me, too. With you.”  
“So it’s settled then.” 
“Settled.” 
You nodded at each other, once, firmly, and then went back to kissing under the water. 
Later, you sat with Namjoon in his bed, resting between his legs, your back against his chest.  
You: btw, Namjoon meant to send that photo to me 
Yeji: um 
Yeji: WHAT 
You took a photo of the two of you, Namjoon’s topless torso visible, your heads close, your smiles respectively bright and bashful. You sent it to Yeji. 
Yeji: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
You: yeah it’s kind of a thing 
You: that we’ve been doing 
You: for a little bit  
You: probably going to keep doing it some more, tbh 
When she didn’t reply, you assumed she’d had a heart attack. That, or she was busy letting every single person she’d ever met know about the two of you. If you needed news spreading, she was the one to go to.  
“So now everyone knows,” Namjoon said, nuzzling against your neck, dropping light kisses against your skin. 
“Everyone knows,” you replied, tipping your head slightly to give him better access. “Oh, also,” you said, suddenly remembering, “everyone knows about your big dick, too. There’s no way Yeji kept that back.” 
He laughed, hearty and full.  
“I think I’m ok with that, actually.” 
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miloonepiece · 6 months
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If you’re still taking fic prompts, maybe Sanji with a plus-size reader?
|| I will do my best, I don't typically go into much detail on body types when writing so that people can imagine themself but I'm not sure if I do that too good I also tried to make a banner for the first time, ignore how bad it is I need to find better pictures :(
Beauty
Featuring: OPLA!Sanji x Fem/PlusSize!Reader Warnings: Sanji being Sanji, Fluff, Mildly Suggestive, Bad Flirting Word Count: 723
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You were beautiful, you knew that, and actually so did everyone else just by the way you walked around and wore whatever you wanted to without the lingering eyes that would give you stranger looks. You could take of the world with your confidence, living your life to the fullest, and not letting anyone else ruin that for you.
Sanji noticed it too, as you radiated with beauty and confidence. It’s what drew him to you the first time he saw you walk into the Baratie, he was being forced into waiting tables again. He shared a few curses under his breath as he made his way into the main dining area his eyes scanning the few people within the dining hall before his eyes landed on you. His breath hitched as he took in the sight that you were, he ignored the other tables that were within his section and made a straight shot towards your table.
“Good evening, How can I help the most radiant lady on this night?” He asked, the flirting was obvious, especially with the way he looked at you a mischievous grin that peeked out from the corner of his lips. You looked up from the menu you had kept your eyes on and met them with his, Sanji felt his breath stop as your eyes met. They were beautiful and, god, were you making him nervous, he’s never really felt this nervous around other women at the Baratie, but something about you… The poor boy was awe-struck.
“Evening.” The simple word that slipped from your mouth caused him to straighten his back, “I’ll take your fanciest cocktail please.” You turned your head to look back at the menu, to study the different cocktails not really wanting any specific kind of cocktail. Sanji watched the way your eyes scanned the menu and the way your hands held it so gently, he found himself getting lost in thought by how your hands would feel while he held them.
You looked up and noticed the way his face just looked as if he was somewhere else in the world, you furrowed your brow and chuckled. “Are you alright?” Your head tilted and you gave him a soft gaze, Sanji snapped back to reality and his cheeks became a slight tint of pink. “Just, lost in your eyes.” He flirted, though it came out a bit more corny than he really wanted it to be and it was noticeable by how the tip of his ears turned red. You giggled at his flustered state and nodded, turning your sight back to the menu.
“How about you just surprise me, hm?” You ask him, turning to look back up at him. Sanji nods, “Anything for the radiant lady.” He says, sending a wink your way before he turns and made his way back to the kitchen.
He would get in trouble with Zeff, but that didn’t matter. You needed the best and Sanji knew he could give you that.
You and Sanji had been in a relationship for a year now, assisting the Straw-Hats in their adventures and following your own two separate goals.
A day didn’t go by where you wouldn’t hear praise from Sanji or even simply feel him touching you all over, he couldn’t keep his eyes and hands from you. It didn’t matter if you were in front of the whole crew, Sanji would find a way to have his hand somewhere. He also really enjoyed being able to hold your thighs (maybe even letting you sit on his face occasionally.)
This man was in love with you and your confidence, even aware of your confidence Sanji enjoyed reminding you how beautiful you were and how perfect he thought you were. He wasn’t gonna let you go even a second without making sure you knew how amazing and beautiful you were, You never grew tired of it cause if anything it just boosted your ego.
But the other straw hats? God, it was annoying as hell, they all thought you were pretty and perfect as well but hearing Sanji go on and on about it became annoying to the point they’d all just leave the room to let you two have some quiet time.
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