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kim-miyeon · 3 years

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Hell Above- Chapter Seven

PAIRINGS: Hwang Hyunjin X Female Reader

WARNINGS: Series contains mature content, read at your own discretion. Mafia!AU, explicit language, suggestive language, graphic scene, violent scenes, mental health, panic attacks, family issues, mild abuse, angst, 18+.

WORD COUNT: 5.1K

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So Sick Of Playing, I Don’t Want To Do This Anymore

“A twin sister?”

You stood there, trembling. Your mind clouded with the idea that Yeji has Jeongin and that the possibilities of whether he was okay spiked your anxiety. You didn’t know what she was capable of and you didn’t know how far she would go.Everything happened so fast in your mind. One second you were happy. You woke up and left your home, kissing Hyunjin goodbye one to many times, before you headed to the company. Your headspace was clear. Now you feel sick, your heart is cold. You wondered how you were breathing because your chest felt tight. Jeongin’s smiling face was stained in your mind and you couldn’t paint over it with his fear. All that you knew was that Yeji has Jeongin.

Yeji has Jeongin.

“Don’t you think that would have been information for all of us to know?” Minho’s eyes were a darker shade of black, one that was filled with rage and frustration. He stared into you as your tried to not let the dagger of his words pierce into your fragile state. You should have told him. You shouldn’t have sent Jeongin out by himself. You had underestimated the potential harm that would be done. Your lips quivered as you tried to process everything and deliver a message back to Minho. But your gaze returned to the phone in your hand, fingers ready to redial Jeongin’s number again.

“I-“

“NO Y/N. YOU DIDN’T THINK., YOU NEVER THINK. YOU ACT. YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT ALL THE TIME AND LOOK WHERE WE ARE! OUR YOUNGEST IS MISSING BECAUSE OF YOU.” Minho screamed and the vibrations of his voice rang in your ears as he stepped closer to you. Instinctively you flinched back, turning your head away from him, which caused Minho to soften. Your eyes were brimming with hot tears and you blinked them away. Because of me. Jeongin’s gone because of me. You felt Minho’s presences retreat from you and you relaxed as you looked at the phone, fingers grazing over the dial button as the screen switched to process your request.

“Minho..” Seungmin softly pleaded, placing his hand on Minho’s shoulder pulling him back and Minho let out a huge sigh of frustration. You raised the phone up to your ear and looked up at Felix who stood to the side of you, watching the debacle between his elders.

“So what do we do now?” Seungmin asked. The ringing tone in your ear buzzed as you bit your lip, praying that the other line answers. Then immediately you heard the automated message come through as the line went dead. You redialed the number,

“Well, we know what we know. Yeji is ‘Y’ and she has Jeongin.”

“But we don’t know where Jeongin is. He could be anywhere in the city.” No answer. You hit the redial button again.

“Anywhere in the world.”

“Felix, maybe you can look at the last coordinated Jeongin was in, and we can start by looking at those places first.” No answer. You brought your thumb to your teeth, chewing in the nail and redialed the phone again. You knew there was hope because the phone rang once. You knew that someone saw you were calling and turned the phone off. Yeji was smart. Turning Jeongin’s phone turns off the possibility of locating him. But you were smart too. You knew Yeji was someone who played on ice, and you knew if you kept trying to call, she'd turn the phone on and you would be able to ping the reception. You just had to keep trying. You redialed the phone again, the sound drowning out the conversation between the boys,

What you didn’t notice was Minho looking at you. Watching you intensely as you redialed the phone over and over again.

“Yeah I can do that” Felix responded to Seungmin’s request.

“Y/N.” Minho darkly said as he watched you hit the radial again and raise the phone to your ear. You were standing there in silence, in fear. You needed one chance to get the phone to turn on.

“Y/N.” Minho’s voice grew louder as the other two boys took notice of you and you felt their stares shooting at you. You tried to ignore them as you pressed the redial again, the hairs on the back of your neck standing straight as you felt Minho’s presence come closer to you. Once Minho got close enough, you swiftly moved your hand to the back of your belt, where your gun rested in its holster and grabbed your weapon aiming it at Minho. As if on cue, Minho retrieved his weapon from his holster, aiming it back at you. The other two boys started to shout at you two, trying to calm the situation down.

“Yah Yah YAH.” Seungmin yelled.

“GUYS PUT THE GUNS DOWN.” Felix screamed at you two.

You held the gun sideways towards Minho as he held his at you, face on. Your demeanor proving that you didn’t care. You redialed the number again and raised the phone back to your ear, listening to the automated message again.

“Stop calling him, Y/N.” Minho gritted through his teeth as you ignored him and redialed.

“Y/N.” Felix whispered looking at you as you continued to redial Jeongin’s number, not listening to the boys.

“Y/N, I SAID STOP-” You fired your gun at the glass window of the office and watched it shatter behind Minho. Minho, bent down and tried to shield himself from your bullet, the loud ringing of the gun in his ears. Seungmin and Felix now both holding their weapons at you, as a form of training when a weapon goes off.

“Are you FUCKING CRAZY?!” Minho screamed at you as you continued to focus on your task.

“Y/N, stop calling him.” This time it was Felix who whispered to you. You looked up at his concerned face behind the gun he was aiming at you. You bit your lip.

“I can’t.” you whispered.

“He’s not going to answer.” Felix stepped closer to you slowly as you hit the redial button again. Your heart breaking as you heard the automated message.

“He will.”

“Y/N stop…” Minho stepped closer to you calmly and you turned to him, the gun still pointed.

“NO I WON'T. JEONGIN’S GONE BECAUSE OF ME. I-“

“THEY COULD TRACK YOUR CELL RECEPTION TO THIS PLACE AND TAKE ALL OF US. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!” Minho cut you off with a dose of reality. The thought of all of your family perishing at the hands of you was enough to make you lower your weapon. You felt yourself begin to choke on the tears forming in the back of your eyes as you tried to blink them away.

“I need to know he’s alive.” You whispered, lowering your head. Minho grabbed your weapon and phone from your hands and you looked at him with helpless eyes. He turned your phone off and unloaded your gun as he put your phone in the back of his pocket and headed you your unloaded gun.

“You better hope he is.”

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

Jeongin’s head was pounding, almost like his brain was swelling and trying to break free from his skull. The smell of dust mixed with blood poked at his nose as he realized his eyes were shut. Groaning, he fluttered his eyes open to a dark underground space. In front of him stood to large men, and one woman, who was sitting on the table that was placed a few feet away. She was tilting her head, almost in admiration to the boy that stood across from her. Feet and hands locked in place, arms up hands hanging above by a chain and feet locked on the floor. The side of his face covered in his own blood, damage from the car accident. The woman hopped off the table and looked at Jeongin who was now fully aware of the scene he had entered in. Realizing that he was trapped by shaking his body he huffed as the woman laughed a bit at him.

“Well it’s good to know you’re awake and aware.” her words were thick and rolled of her tongue sickly.

“Yeji.” Jeongin spat.

“Oh good. I didn’t even have to introduce myself to you.” Yeji clapped her hands like a child. “I mean, I figured she would have told you.”

“She?”

“Your cousin…. Lee Y/N.” Jeongin’s eyebrows raised and he grew confused. “I understand that you two are very close”

“How did you-“

“Find out?” she finished for him. Yeji began walking around Jeongin slowly as he was trying to figure out how your identity was exposed and how Yeji knew.

“You’d be surprised to know that not every member in your family is fond of her.” Yeji said as she reached Jeongin’s ear and whispered slowly. “Loose Lips.”

“Who told you?” Jeongin gritted and flinched at her.

“That wouldn’t be as fun if I told you.” she stood back up and laughed as she walked back to the table. Jeongin noticed his belongings sitting on the table including many different types of silver medical tools. He could only imagine what kind of ideas were in Yeji’s head. What kind of torture he was going to have to endure. He knew that keeping quiet was the way he was trained. Die for your family it was an honor. But if he were to die, he would die for you. To protect you and your dream.

“I know her plan, Jeongin.” Yeji turned to him holding a knife in her hand. “I know everything”

Yeji walked over to Jeongin and he glared at her. Yeji cocked her head to the side, using the knife to trace soft patterns up the side of Jeongin’s clothed waist. “She’s married to Hyunjin. Her mission is to kill him right?”

Jeongin just stayed silent. Yeji’s small eyes looking at him and her face grow more serious. She leaned forward, using the knife to graze up Jeongin’s body and up his neck as he tensed She clicked her tongue.

“But… from what I gathered… she can’t kill him. Right, Jeongin? You know why too.”

She leaned her face incredibly close to Jeongin’s face and then brought the knife on Jeongin’s cheek. Jeongin felt the sharpness of the knife against his skin. Yeji was waiting for Jeongin to release information on you and she whispered.

“Why can’t she kill him?”

“We needed him alive” Jeongin looked at Yeji and she smirked. Standing up she turned and looked at one of the larger men, she nodded at him and he nodded back, walking up to Jeongin. Jeongin noticed a dark weapon in the man’s hand and before he had a moment to realize what it was, the man swung the weapon into Jeongin’s stomach, blowing the air out of him. The other man began assaulting Jeongin with the hard weapon against his back. Jeongin screamed and Yeji watched as the men beat the young boy. She say Jeongin’s muscles tense as he tired to withstand the pain and then one of her men used his fists to strike Jeongin ins the head. Once Yeji felt like he got the message, she raised her hand and the men stopped. Jeongin’s head held low and blood seeped from his mouth as she noticed that the attack he had just endured may have caused him to drift off. She turned around and grabbed the injection and walked up to Jeongin. She used the syringe with the needle and pierce it into Jeongin’s heart, injecting him with the liquid that was inside. Jeongin shot his head up and groaned in pain as Yeji looked at him removing the needle.

“I don’t like liars, Jeongin.” She walked back to the table as she heard Jeongin desperate cries fall from his lips. She turned back around, “There’s adrenaline flowing in your blood stream right now. Which means I can torture you as long as I need to, and you’re gonna feel every bit of it. And I’ll keep going into that pretty little heart of yours...gives out.”

Yeji walked over to the younger boy and lifted his shirt to see the marks and bruises forming from his recent attack. She noticed that he was breathing faster, due to the injection and when she grazed over his ribs, Jeongin yelped in pain and she looked up at the boy. “Breaks my heart to see such a sweet boy like you get beat up for other people’s baggage.”

She paused and Jeongin looked at her. “I know she’s in love with Hyunjin. And I know she won’t kill him. She’s weak.”

Jeongin was trying to comprehend who told Yeji and who knew all the information that she knows. All at the same time he was overcome by pain from his ribs which he believed could be fractured and his arms that were growing numb from being held up for a long period of time. How could Yeji know that you were in love with Hyunjin? Who would have known that instead of Jeongin?

“It’s a shame too, she plays so smart but in the most crucial moments she lets her walls down and anyone can attack.” Jeongin hated how Yeji spoke of you. He hated that the way she tried to scrounge for a response was to belittle you.

“She won’t be played by you.” Jeongin breathed and Yeji laughed.

“See that’s where I feel like you’re wrong… she’s already playing the game I started for her. And soon it will be all over.” Jeongin looked at Yeji as she began to explain her purpose.

“See, because what I think is that by telling her that you’re alive, she will be fueled to try and find out where you are.”

Jeongin knew what Yeji was doing.

“Might lead her here..” Yeji walked over to Jeongin’s belongings and scanned over them. Grabbing his phone she turned to him and smiled.

“Should we call back?”

Jeongin knew you must have been calling, he knew how worried you probably were and how dumb you would have to be to come her and save him. In this moment he wished that Minho was making sure that you had stayed put and not done things the way you wanted. YOur safety was more of a concern for Jeongin than his own.

“Tell me jeongin, if she’s not going to kill my brother, what does she plan to do?” Yeji emphasized the way she said her brother, as if she was annoyed that you hadn’t killed him. He wondered if that was Yeji’s plan, to also kill Hyunjin. He was processing all this information the way you would. If Yeji was after the throne of the Hwang family, it would make sense to kill Hyunjin, but if she knew that Hyunjin and you were in love, killing both of you could end a chance of unity. Jeongin looked at Yeji who groaned.

“Silence. Very well then. I obviously didn’t expect you to be cooperative for your first interrogation.” She began walking away behind Jeongin who was left with the two men.

“Don’t go easy on him. He may be young but I hear he’s a fighter.” she said behind before exiting the room, leaving Jeongin to endure the torture he was about to receive.

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

‘Hey, so I’m not going to make it for dinner, I’m caught up at work. I’ll be home late love you.’ You hit send on the phone to Hyunjin as you laid your head down on your desk in agony. You were so frustrated and genuinely afraid. The night was getting later and later and you had no clue where Jeongin would be. You felt your heart quench at the thought of him being dead, but you knew Yeji wouldn’t kill off a member of your family, if it was you that she wanted. You knew that Yeji knew. She knew you were the leader, she had to. All the events leading to now, only confirm that she had all the information that she needed and she had to have known you’d send one of your men to trace her steps. It pissed you off. This whole time you thought you were ten steps ahead. You were way behind, she had the upper hand and now you were playing her game.

You heard the doors of cars closing outside and you shot up at the sound. The boys had left to go trace the areas Jeongin was in last. You stayed behind, ordered by Minho, to be safe. You ran to the door of your office and saw Seungmin walk in first in the main entrance.

“Did you find anything, did you find him?” You ran to him and grabbed a hold of his arms as Seungmin looked at you in sadness.

“Y/N...” he said and you shook your head. Minho and Felix followed behind entering the building as you started to walk out.

“Woah where are you going,” Minho stood in your way and you pushed him away from you.

“I’m going out there.” You sternly replied pushing your way into the cold dark night. Minho ran after you and left Felix and Seungmin in the building. You were walking towards a car before you saw Minho run in front of you placing his hands on your shoulders, stopping you in your tracks.

“It’s dark and cold.” He said softly and you looked at him in anger.

“So..”

“Y/N..” Minho’s breath could be seen in the night as you heard the desperation in his voice.

“I can’t let him be out” you shook your head, tears beginning to form.

“Y/N...” Minho said again, trying to get your attention.

“He’s alone and scared and--”

“Y/N!” Minho shook you gently to get you to look at him. Tears were dripping down your face as you were imagining a night without the safety of everyone knowing Jeongin was out there alone. Minho pulled you into his chest and wrapped his arms around you, hugging you. You cried on his shoulder as your arms hung to your sides, unable to process anything in your mind. Minho’s hand raised and stroked your head as he tried to shush you. You couldn’t think, but you knew that it had been years since Minho had embraced you like ths. Years since you've cried on his shoulder.

“Jeongin is a man. He has trained for this. She probably is interrogating him and receiving no information.”

“But-“

“Jeongin is strong. He will be fine. We will resume search in the morning. You need to get home. That’s the safest place for you.” Minho pulled back and you looked at him, begging him to not send you home but also knowing that he was right.

“Y/N please. You need to go home.” He said and you nodded to him.

*****

“It’s been a while since you and I have had time to hang out.”

Chan ad Hyunjin were sitting in Chan’s car, munching on some fast food burgers that Hyunjin was craving. You had been working late for a few days and missing dinner and today, he didn’t feel like cooking. So he called Chan to see if he was up for a quick trip to the drive thru. And also, because it had been a while since Chan and Hyunjin had hung out, and since the incident at the ball, Hyunjin was hoping that Chan and him could talk about you.

“Well someone as busy as you probably uses a lot of his free time doing other things.” Chan ate a fry as he suggested to Hyunjin who rolled his eyes laughing at the reference made. It had been a few days since Hyunjin and you had had some quality time together. You had been at work for three days and the only time Hyunjin saw you was at night when you’d come home and wake him up softly as you got in bed with him. He was missing you and was worried about you since you were working so much.

“How is she?” Chan asked, signaling that he wanted to talk about you.

“She’s good. Working late these past few days.” Hyunjin said, taking a bite of his burger and Chan nodded.

“Ah yes. Her accountant job.” Hyunjin looked over at Chan who’s tone of voice was off and Hyunjin chuckled.

“You say that like you don’t believe her..”

“Because I don't.” Chan’s bluntness caused Hyunjin to look at Chan, his heart dropping to his stomach as the disapproval of Hyunjin’s wife.

“You don’t like her.” Hyunjin stated and Chan looked at him and pursed his lips.

“I don’t trust her.” Hyunjin grew annoyed at Chan's response and feelings towards you and he sighed.

“Have you considered that maybe I trust her?” Hyunji asked Chan and Chan just sat back and shrugged.

“She told me that you two went to the same school. Why don’t I remember?” Chan asked and Hyunjin shook his head in confusion at the change of subject.

“She wasn’t a face to remember and you were older.” Hyunjin stated, and Chan nodded slowly, taking another bite from his sandwich before washing it down with soda.

“What makes her special to you?” Hyunjin looked up at Chan who had asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you marry her, why didn’t you tell anyone. Why are you protecting her?” Chan’s had always been one to be worried about everyone, more protective of Hyunjin. Being similar to an older brother, Hyunjin knew that Chan’s intentions were good but they came across incorrectly.

“I never asked to be the heir.” Hyunjin softly said.

“Being heir is an honor.”

“To who?” Hyunjin looked at Chan and retorted quickly, Chan being taken aback at the response that Hyunjin had. “I've grown up and my life was decided for me. And everything I did was controlled. Everything. But then when I saw her, I just felt like this was something I could control. And I took a chance, and I saw her in secret, I kept her away like a second life. And we built a life, one that I wish was real. She makes everything okay. She doesn’t look at me for my money, my power, I can be myself.”

Hyunjin looked over at Chan who was staring at Hyunjin.

“I know that I’m going to have to tell her the truth, I just don’t know if I’m ready to lose her if I do.”

“All this for a woman.”

“Not just a woman, Chan. What we have is real and honest. I want to be with her every day of my life.”

“What if she isn’t who she says she is.” Hyunjin laughed at the question Chan asked and looked at him.

“You’re starting to sound like Yeji.”

“I assume she’s suspicious as well.” Chan said, grabbing his drink and taking a sip.

“Well she’s psychotic.” Hyunjin shoved some more fries in his mouth as Chan sighed.

“Hyunjin. I have always had your best intention at heart.” Chan started.

“If that’s true, then you’d give me your blessing.” Hyunjin looked over and Chan looked back and relaxed his shoulders at the request.

“Give me time.”

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

You sat at your desk twirling in the chair back and forth, chewing on your thumb nail. It was almost six o’clock and your eyes felt shot. Your skin was dry, your hair was brittle. It had been 5 days. Five whole days since you heard Jeongin’s laughter, or seen his smile. Five days since you have been able to sleep, eat, and live. You were falling deeper into a hole and you were trying to climb out but you couldn’t see the light yet. You were so lost in your own head that you didn’t even hear the door of your office open. All you saw was the figure of Felix, holding a tray of food and placing it on your desk.

“You need to eat.” he said sternly.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Felix almost whined to you and was going to say more before you cut him off.

“Did you find anything?” you kept twirling in your chair, not even looking at the boy.

“No..”

“Then leave me alone.” You swatted your hand away, signaling Felix to leave. Felix sighed as he turned to walk out your office and you returned back into your mind.

“Jeongin like this”

You aimed for the bottles that were set on the logs in front of you, aiming your gun and firing at the bottle that shattered on contact. You turned to Jeongin and he lifted his gun and aimed it. You thought it was funny to watch a young kid hold a gun the way he did. Only thirteen years old, and he was building his aim under your training. You watched as he closed one of his eyes to find a better aim and pulled the trigger, shooting the glass. You smiled brightly in accomplishment and he turned to you in excitement.

“There you go! See I told you, you can do it!” You gave him a high five before you returned to aiming at another glass bottle, shooting it with no effort and Jeongin watching in amazement.

“How did you never miss a shot?” he asked and you looked at him and laughed a bit.

“I imagine it being Minho’s head.” You cocked your brow and laughed as Jeongin laughed back at you.

“I’ll imagine it being grandpas.” he lifted his gun and aimed as your blood ran cold. You looked over to Jeongin, as he aimed his gun at the glass and fired his weapon, shooting the glass on sight, almost flawlessly. His words caught you off guard, you wondered if he had heard the nights of shouting and crying. He lowered his weapon and looked at you softly.

“I don’t like that he hurts you.” he said and you gulped. Jeongin was so young. Too young. He shouldn’t be exposed to things like this.

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you” He grabbed your hand and squeezed it softly and you frowned.

“Don’t make that promise to me.” you whispered.

“You’d do the same though. Protect me, protect you. That’s what Family does.” He grinned at you and you looked at him. You didn’t have much to be happy about in this life. You hated everything that came with being you and living under the name your father gave you. But if there was one thing that you could be happy about, it would be to protect Jeongin, even if you had to die, you knew Jeongin’s life was more important. He is just a kid, and soon he will sit at the head with all the members and take part in the mafia. And even then, you would give up your life for him

“I’ll always protect you.” you smiled.

“Guys we got something.” Seungmin ran to Felix and Minho in the conference room and the boys looked at him quickly as they followed Seungmin out of the room. Seungmin led the boys to the back and they saw a crushed up vehicle being lowered from a truck.

“Shit it’s Jeongin’s car.” Felix said.

“Fuck,” Minho cursed under his breath, “Wheres Y/N?”

“In her office.” Seungmin said and Minho nodded.

“Keep her in there. I don’t want her to see this.” Seungmin left as ordered to your office to make sure you didn’t come out.

“Hey guys I found some pictures.” a soldier hollered at Felix and Minho as he walked up to them with the photos. Felix grabbed the stack and widened his eyes just from the first photo.

“Oh my god Minho.” Felix gasped.

“There’s a message on the back of these.” the soldier stated and Minho’s blood went ice as he nodded and tenses up.

“Take these inside.” Minho ordered Felix and watched as Felix walked inside the building as Minho tried to take a deep breath as he stood to the soldier ,” Keep looking at the car for any clues”

“Fuck, she’s killing him.” Seungmin said as he flipped through the images Felix brought. Photo after photo of Jeongin bleeding. His body was crippling and was covered in marks and blood. Pieces of his skin were taken from his body, eyes were swollen, blood in his mouth that dried purple. It was highly intense. It was far too much for a boy to endure.

“He’s dying, she hasn’t fed him either, look at his body” Felix winced and Seungmin sighed

“God what are we going to do, how are we going to tell Y/N.” Felix said and Seungmin’s eyes widened.

“Keep your voice down we don’t need Y/N to know.”

“Know what?”

Seungmin and Felix turned to see you standing behind them as they hid the photos and looked at you nervously.

“Y/N..” Seungmin stuttered.

“What don't you want me to know?” you stepped closer beginning to grow anxious and annoyed at the boys. Your eyes landed on the way they looked as if they were holding something behind their back.

“You found something.” You walked up to them.

“You can’t see it!” Felix grabbed you back and you began to hit him and push him.

“Let go of me!” You yelled, fighting back.

“Y/N no you’re not okay!” Felix yelled back and before he could do anything you pulled him to the floor and the pictures he held scattered on the floor as Seungmin tried to help Felix.

“Oh my god.” you paused as you saw the photos of your baby cousin, malnourished and broken. You picked up the photo closest to you and your hand trembled as your heart sunk. Skinned, burned, bruised. You felt the tears well in your eyes at the horror of what Yeji has done to him. Your lips quivered and your breath intake began to increase. You felt heavy, you felt hot.

“Jeongin..”

Your heart was pounding faster, you could hear the beating loud in your ears. You were choking on your own breath, tears were caught in your eyes, but you couldn’t function. You couldn’t make sense of reality. What was going on? You begin wheezing and you collapsed to the floor.

“Fuck Y/N!” Seungmin yelled as he ran to grab you from the floor, your eyes wide and looking everywhere and then back to Seungmin.

“Y/N breathe. Breath Y/N..” Seungmin said in the calmest tone he could.

“FELIX HELP ME!” Felix ran behind you and tried to help.

“What’s happening!?” Felix asked and Seungmin was trying to help you breathe.

“I think she’s having a panic attack. Get the paramedic team!” Seungmin yelled and Felix got up and ran towards the phone on the desk.

“GET UP TO THE MAIN FLOOR. Y/N NEEDS HELP NOW.”

A/N: I am so SORRY for posting late y’all thank you for still loving me. I hope I was able to deliver you enough content to last you to next week. Stay healthy, STAY HAPPY. Stay....STAY<3 -KMY

Taglist: @hyunfeji @zenzedana @datura-inoxia @minaamhh @ninjaleeknow @beethiin

125 notes · View notes

fictional-thoughts · 4 years

Text

Poisoned

the mandalorian x fem!reader

warnings: smut, rough messy sex, slight dom/sub elements, sex pollen (dub/con), language, breath-play, fingering, one (1) spank

words: 6k+

a/n: this is genuinely the smuttiest thing i’ve ever written...enjoy

The Mandalorian is walking too fast, he’s gaining speed, leaving her behind in the foggy dark green forest. She’s desperately trying to keep up but her body’s seizing up and trembling and soaked in sweat. His cloak sways behind him and she’s try to not feel dizzy as the tanned colour of it clouds her blurry vision; but the planet is spinning in time with her twisting nerves and white hot muscles.

He’s clumsy, ducking under banches almost too late and his boots catch on thick veiny vines that litter the forest floor. The air smells damp and of pollen, of fluorescent flowers, dripping their sickly sweet scents and luring their prey. Deathly and dark violet the bulbous and puffy flowers hang in thick bunches, taunting the bounty hunter, teasing him with their lavender faces.

He should have known something was wrong. It was too silent. Too dark.

“Wait, wait,” she’s sweating under the thick and flexible armour, it feels as if there’s a million suns spanning the vast sky above her, burning down in fury from the gods. Skins slicked and her underclothes are sticking uncomfortably, melting to her frame. Her hairs a mess, damp and knotted and frizzy with humidity. “Damn it, Mando — somethings wrong.”

Mando nearly freezes in his tracks at her words voice high and broken; fuck, he knew it. She’s got it too, she has be feeling the same, weakened, chest constricted, halting breath in the lungs and skin burning like a forest fire, tongue parched and dry in the mouth, it’s death but only slower.

“What did you say?”

She coughs. The pit of her stomach is pulling towards an unseeable object, ripping through muscles in curling motions, thighs and hands trembling. The forest is so dark and bushy and green and lush she’s having trouble telling what is in front of her, eyes bleary and blinking in and out.

She hears the Mandalorian speak and nearly crash into the brushes under her heavy boots, the hot curls of pain unfurl inside her, a caged animal, clawing to be free and rid of her wretched body.

Something is really wrong.

Her hands find a mossy tree trunk and she’s barely keeping herself up, she’s holding her head in her shaking hand and has got her eyes screwed shut to block out the sight of the Mandalorian pushing his way back through the trees to get back to her, his long rifle catching on the vines and boots thumbing on the ground that seems to sway, a gentle and giant seesaw of lush greenness is the planet, twisting into a thousand vines.

He’s getting closer and it’s all she can do but not scream. Don’t, don’t come any closer.

“You okay?” He grips her forearm tight in his gloved hand and her skin erupts in goosebumps, prickling her skin with an override of electricity. Her mouth drops open as a thousand fluttering beings swarm inside her stomach as he’s connected to her.

“Don’t touch me,” she’s frantic and he’s pulling away from her, his gloved hands raised, almost in defence. Her own clammy hands are pulling at the thick straps and buckles of her armour, it’s too tight and she can’t breathe.

The Mandalorians mind is racing, thinking back to every single second they they’ve been on the godforsaken planet, it’s a slipping of details, they’re all a blur, pieces fell where they shouldn’t be and he’s so confused, why can’t he remember what happened to them? Why does it seem to be affecting her more then it is him?

Then he realizes.

The Mandalorian growls a soft swear, “shit,” and she whips her head to look at him, pupils dilated and forehead glazed with a sheen of sweat, she’s a breathtaking disaster.

“What?”

“This is your fault.” He’s harsh, condescending. He angrily snaps his rifle over his shoulder to free up his movements, he’s handling the weapon roughly and she’s watching with slight awe. Every second he’s in hot pain, it’s pulling him closer to her every second and now he’s absolutely certain. “Now —” he tries to explain but she’s already lashing out in that bright red anger.

“You bastard, how is this my fault?” She stumbles and nearly falls but catches herself with some dignity, ignoring the Mandalorians hand moving to help her, if need be. Her raised voice causes his chest to lurch and he’s trying not to look directly at her. He’s now absolutely certian and trying to remain calm.

They’d been wandering through the thick forest, stepping through shallow streams and climbing over moss covered rocks protruding from the planets crust. She’d been walking along, weapons slung across her chest, just absolutely entranced by the canopy of violet flowers that hung in thick and heavy looking bunches over their heads; the red suns of this planets atmosphere did their best to shine through the long winding leaves of the plants, but as the bounty hunters continued on, the darker their surroundings became.

She was ignoring the Mandalorian, angry at him once again for getting them lost, but his argument in retaliation was she had simply forgotten to pack the ships tracker back at base. Packed into a steaming argument she then proceeded to send him surly glares and refuse to speak.

The Mandalorian didn’t mind much, he liked the quiet, and quite honestly, he enjoyed it more when he knew she weren’t going to start speaking. He’d never been much of a talker, but going on this mission with a fellow (amateur) hounty hunter, he’s been forced to converse, pleasantly or not.

They had been walking under the flowers for ages, time didn’t exist there, a loop of the hours that dragged on forever. Then that is where everything was her fault.

She touched a small fluorescent flower, curled her slim fingers around the velvety petal she smoothed skin of the plant under her palm and turned to examine the bright pollen covering her flesh.

She caught his gaze for a moment, a hazed over kind of glint in her eyes, then looked down at her pollen covered hand, then back at the innocent looking plant, a light violet powder covered her hand, and imprinted on the large petals was her very handprint.

“It’s just a plant. We should keep moving.” He turned and strode away, pushing down the idea that she had looked beautiful, surrounded by soft colours, it was different than her usual aesthetic. She only smiled, her frustration melted away, and brushed the rest of the pollen from her palm, together they watched it soak into the air, soft and aesthetic it slid between the panels of sunlight that peeked through.

The faces of flowers watched the hunters leave the forest; poisoned and deadly.

“You gotta be fucking kidding. Fuck.” The Mandalorian sighs deeply and he’s trying not to stare as she’s stripping from her metallic armour, her hurried fingers untying the laced up straps of her chest piece he’s kneeling down and helping her before she can yell at him. His gloved hands graze the skin of her collarbone exposed between the laces of her white undershirt and she’s whimpering.

She can’t strip right here. He’s not sure what will happen if she does. “Stop.”

“I said don’t fucking touch me,” she’s pushing him away and glaring, dark and deep.

“Do you know what that was?” He’s cooled down, thinking of what to do, that pulsing and burning need is brimming within his chest, begging and a slur of sinful thoughts seep into his mind. “The flowers?”

She’s sunk down to the brushy forest floor amongst the fluffy ferns and little white dotted flowers with red cheeked and filled with fierce bemusement she answers him. “The hell should I know.”

His shoulders droop with his heavy sigh and he’s scanning the trees around them, wondering if it’s the pollen affecting his sight too or if the wooded plants really do look as if they are bending over them, creaking and contorting into an arch as if to protect the two hunters, watch over them. “I’ve heard of these before, and this has to be it — why you’re in pain.”

The Mandalorian makes no comment of his own deplorment, controling desire morphed into threads of pain. He’s keeping it under wraps but having her so close to him, so bare and soft, as much as she exists to him as an enemy rather than one he’s thought of in such a way its throwing his attention askew.

“I’m not in pain,” she’s snapping at him again, short words and a steely tone she’s already turning a cold shoulder, never accepting the fact that she’s not immortal.

Inwardly she knows she’s lying, but it’s a half lie, she’s in pain but it’s a familiar feeling, the warmth pooling inside her, trembling hands and thighs, she can just feel the dampness at her core, hot and slick she’s absolutely soaked.

“I’m just —” she cant string the words together, looking up at the stern Mandalorian she’s fighting back the urge, the longing and pathetic urge to crawl into his lap and have him fuck her till she can’t breathe; to sink himself deep inside her with a hand around her neck and to just fuck her senseless.

“I know.”

They’re back at the ship, the night air is cold and there are few stars alive in the sky. The Mandalorian and her are only feet apart, he’s across from her in his chair, back straight and unmoving, facing the dash. She’s sitting on the ground with her back against the rough cooling wall, the metal grated floor is hard and her ass is sore but if she’s sitting anywhere else she’s close to the Mandalorian and she can’t have that.

WInd howls outside and the huge trees sway in the darkness outside the Mandalorians ship.

She’s got her eyes closed, jawline accented in the semi darkness she’s leaning back to the wall, bottom lip caught under her teeth she’s biting down harshly and tapping her foot in an anxious beat as sweat drops past her sternum and slides over her skin between her breasts, she feels every milimeter of her skin crawl and its rolling in waves, the slick and pushing arousal, its sliding under her skin and got its grip on her chest so tight shes stripped her shirt off.

Her forgotten armour and boots lay in the middle of the open space within the ship.

This isnt ending soon.

The Mandalorian watching his fist curl and uncurl, the wrinkles of the leather gloves he’s wearing bend and fade, he’s unfocused and can only think of her, she’s ten feet away and hasn’t spoken to him since they made it back to his ship. He’s thinking of how she uttered a moan as he brushed her lower back, her eyes closing, slipping into a world where the affects of the pollen are taken care of.

He’s wondering just how long the effects last when the she speaks up, her voice hoarse and taunt in her lungs. “How the hell is this not having any effect on you?” His fist clench one last time and he’s shifting in his chair, through the visor his eyes close momentairly, pondering of what to say.

“I never said it wasn’t.”

For all the wrong reasons heat pools within her core at the Mandalorians tender voice, smooth and rich its all she can do but imagine how he sounds next to her ear, telling her how good she feels around him, how wet and tight. “You feel this too?”

He doesn’t answer. He’s still blaming her, still wrapped in the idea she’s at fault. How could she have known? In turn, he was at fault as well, getting them lost and failing to recall the deadly flowers.

Then she’s saying something he’d never expect.

“I’m so sorry,” she’s muttering, rubbing the heals of her hands into her eyes, blurring her vision — childlike, innocent. “This is all my fault,” grimacing, she moves her legs to be more comfortable. “It hurts,”

An apology. In the moment the Mandalorian finds it amusing that it takes fucked up pollen fever to force her to apologize for something.

The Mandalorians chest is pinched, painful, and he sighs deeply, she sounds so wrecked, her voice soft, weak. He hears her shifting on the floor and his ears ring witht he rustle of clothing — everything is sensitive. “I know,” he says her name in the short sentence and she’s whimpering in reply.

They could be anywhere, planets away, flying past suns and stars, holed up in dingy towns or broken cities — no, they’re ten feet apart and both have managed to inhale sex pollen straight from the deadly plant itself.

“Mando,” she whimpers again, sliding her hands down her torso, her palms press over her nipples and her back arches; she’s forgetting her hatred for the Mandalorian, letting his annoyance to her everyday life slip from her mind — she’s opened her eyes and he’s there, standing, the shadows curved around him you can only see the outline of his form. Her eyes linger on his arms, his now bare hands and the warmth tugs somewhere deep inside her.

Eyes darkened and filled with a lingering prederatory hilt, she’s pulling herself to her feet, the Mandalorians watching her, a warrior, torn and wrecked, chapped pink parted lips and lashes fluttering over her bright eyes — unstoppable, seductive. He’d be lying if he said he’d never thought about her beyond the dealings of companionship, of partners in they crimes they commit.

“We gotta do something about this, Mando.” Its killing her, she’s sure of it. Her eyes break into his beskar, drag over his bulky body.

“There’s nothing... we just wait it out.”

“I can’t,”

“I don’t care.” He’s back to cruel words in the place of his longing rule the flood of things he wants to say, to bend close to your ear and whisper. Fuck me.

She’s stalking closer to him, wetting her lip with her tounge its only moments before something has to happen, its damp and rushed in the hazy red lights inside the ship, they’re furious and watching the Bounty Hunters below.

“I hate you, you know that?” Her words are dripping burning silk — she’s never hated him. And thats her immortal demise, a secret, tucked away in her heart.

“Feelings mutual.” He turns his head to stare into her eyes, her widened and starlike eyes. His own dark eyes trail down past her collarbone and land on her breasts nearly pushed from her tight covering, rising ad falling in time with her breaths. His hands ich to just touch.

She purrs. “We can hate eachother,” she’s stepped closer to him and he’s not moving, allowing her to invade all idea of personal space she’s so close he can smell her. She seems to forget where she was going with her sentence, looking up at him its like she sees right through him.

“Can we?” His voice breaks through the mask. She chews on the idea, wonders what kind of pretty words it would take to get him to fuck her. Her cunts soaked and throbbing, the push of the material of her pants aren’t helping.

“Have you ever been with anyone?”

There it is.

“Dont ask stupid questions.” He’s turning away but she’s got a hold of his arm, her warm hand in contact with his is taking ridiculous affect, lurching up and and through his chest the Mandalorians heart is in his throat. “We cant,”

He’s thinking it too.

“Its not wrong,” she’s sliding her hand down to slip her fingers through his, stiring up the growing fire. Its hot and heavy, weighs him down. “Mando, please,” she’s begging, caught on whimpers she’s breathing heavier and heavier. The Mandalorin pulls his hand from her grip, raises it and he’s brushing a forlorn tear from her cheek.

Please. “I can’t stop it,”

He’s slowly going insane, at the touch of her skin something within him snaps and he’s pulling her close, pushing her to the wall of the ships interior, his arms trapping her in. Their breaths match, and she’s so close to him, her eyes softening her mouth opens to beg, of pathetic desperation and drunk on the flowers bitter poison. The Mandalorian stops her, a bare hand agaisnt her mouth he’s silenced her. The touch of their burning skin nearly has her dropping to her knees. She looks into the visor of the hemlet and searches of emotion, a flicker of life behind the face of a machine.

The Mandalorians body is pressed to hers, compact, brimming with the poisonous affections, they’re drowning in the stuff. She shudders in his grasp, the mix of metal and weapons, of leather and the soft material of his shirt, its all too much, burning and keeping her of air its not enough.

He’s looking away from her, forcing himself to keep his cool. Its a rippling fire, lurching and spreading as if alive, the thick coils are heavy. Mando tempts a movement, his cock hard against her and it’s so good — she whines info his hand, her leg slinking up his own, trapping him closer.

“You really don’t know what you do to me, huh?” The Mandalorian’s rough, distracted, caught in grinding out as much friction against her as he can, chasing away the clouding thoughts, screaming at him that everything is wrong.

But those fade, sink into pure silence when her free hand slides up his wrist, nails dug into his skin, she’s pulling his hand away from her lips, her heavy lidded eyes dance with seduction. He’s watching her turn his hand, help him cup her jaw, half spread over the side of her throat, his thumb glides over her lip, she’s turning her head, leaning into his grasp she’s taking the digit between her wet pursed lips, sucking, biting down.

Fuck.

“Please Mando,” hoarse voice in his ears and shooting a pool of warmth straight through him. She’s sinking into the wall, dark eyes pouring into him. Desperate. Longing. “What, you want me to beg?”

Mando freezes. A growl pushes its way through his chest. “No,” she’s ruining him, breaking him apart by the seams. Her brows knitted, eyes wide, pleading. A selfish, dark part of the Mandalorian wants to force her to her knees, maybe turn her front to the wall, press deep into her and fuck the burning urges away.

Her tones smooth and sinking into his skin, drugging him. “Wanna watch me get off? Maybe that’s what you’d like, Mando?”

She pushes him back, forcing stumbling steps, using what’s left of her strength. It’s wickedly wrong, she needs him so bad it hurts. She wants to drop to her knees, taste his cock on her tongue, strip the beskar off, drag her nails down his skin, make him moan her name.

Her words are nearly fucking unbearable. The burning sexual tension hangs in the air, choking them. The ships inside is warm and sticky, her half bare body is covered in sweat, her skin flushed and eyes dark, she matches what earthquakes seem and what passion wishes it could be.

The last dregs of self control fade, his minds hazy with greed and the absence of her burning fever touch has him desperate.

“Get on the floor.”

Quiet. Commanding. She’s obeying instantly and sinks to the floor of his ship, grated metal digging into her flesh, the ground is filthy and gritty and she’s biting back harsh words, only for the moment, thick and heavy need is in place of hatred. Her poisoned gaze burns into him, watching him pull away weapons and leather, heavy cloak and chunks of beskar — not all all of it though.

He’s over her, burning touch that’s melting to her skin. She falls into a moan, her stomach tense with arousal, spreading through her body, following his hands. “Fuck you need to touch me,” everything is begging her to delve into him, rip apart from their restraining history, make amends and build up something new, something in which he can fuck her and hate her at the same time.

And maybe he is.

Through the visor of his helmet, glitching into view, her body spread and displayed, his core deepens, eating him from the inside. Mando pulls her to his lap, her cunt right over his centre, throbbing over his cock. A hot moan drips from the helmet, he closes he eyes, letting her move against him, spine arched beautifully; Mando slides an arm around the small of her back, keeping her close with a spread hand. The other gropes her chest, further pulling down the tight material covering her tits.

“I need—” a whimper slides over her lips, her hands settle over his broad shoulders, drag him closer. “I need something...your hands — fuck — your lips on me.”

“You’re not getting that.” He promises, his helmets not coming off, he’s barely taken any armour off — and she’s bare over him, albeit tight underclothes. His hand slides down her skin, past her navel and dip down past her underclothes, shoving them aside. She gasps loudly, releasing her breath in a shaking moan as his fingertips brush her softness.

That aching pull, it’s deepening and she’ll surely run out of breath before the Mandalorian can properly touch her. She’s forgotten it’s not affected him as much as her — not that it matters, he’s got his hand on her cunt and his dick is hard and thick under her. “Please, oh my god.”

The helmet tilts, the coolness brushing her skin. He’s watching her, arched into his grasp, silently begging for anything. Then he’s curled two fingers into her, gathered in slick and crooked just right and she shrieks, shatters over him. Blood red lips and wild eyes, she’s moving, urging him to fuck her through the drug, bring the heavyness to an end. Its not enough.

She’s falling back, legs untanged with his, she’s gripping him and pulling him close, collasping onto the floor, his hand leaves her for a moment, tugging an empty ache back into her gut. “No, no --” she’s whimpering, “please keep going.”

His hand pushes the mess of hair from her face, looking right into her wretched eyes. Through the rush and anger, he feels a bit of softness, a bit of longing mixed with a likeness, she must be well under the drug, for she’s never been one to beg just that much. His bare hands slide back over her body, dipping past her hipbones and blunt nails dragging down her thighs. Her cunt glistens, Mandos caught in wondering just how she’d taste on his tongue, his head between her thighs, tight around his ears.

“Mando,”

The helmet tilts again and she catches a glimpse of skin, tan under the material and beskar. It’s the column of his throat, leading down where his collarbone would be. The sight sends her into fresh, delicious delirium.

“You need me to fuck you.” He’s buying time, seeing how far she can stretch, the looks of her all soft and longing is turning him on a little too much. It’s not the girl she normally is.

Half a sob curls up, painfully pushing at her throat. She needs him so bad. “Isn’t that fucking obvious.”

There she is.

Without warning he’s over her and his hand on her cunt, two fingers sunk deep in her wetness, pulling her into a painful arch from the grated flooring. She shakes, her hand finds his shoulder and grips tight, nails nearly digging into the thick material of his shirt. Living vicariously through the feeling of his fingers in her cunt, he’s back to thinking just how she’s taste, how she’d writhe and shiver under his tongue. The thoughts are burning through him and his dick is painfully hard — her thigh brushes him and he nearly comes right there.

He’s fucking her slowly, roughly; thumb brushing her clit through the plush wetness of her cunt, she biting down on moans and quivering, lithe in his grasp. “Mando please, I need —” she’s got her eyes squeezed shut, rolling through another wave of wanton poison, it’s bleeding into every nerve.

“I know what you need,” he’s got her. His voice soothes her, his rough hands pull her thigh up, three fingers slathered in her dripping elixir, they’re flat to her clit and pushing in short circles. His touch is chasing away the heat in her skin, derived under influences of lust, she’s collapsing under thick waves of it. She needs his hands, his lips his dick — anything. What the Mandalorian is doing is not enough.

“Mando, just shut up, please —” the slip of his fingers on her clit is sloppy, pressing hard and soaked in her honey. “I need something.” It still hurts, the pollens clamped itself inside her system, taking ahold of her hot muscles, her running heart and flushed skin.

He’s got her pinned, ragged sounds tear from him, the helmets speakers crackle with his breath. Mandos hovered above her, ire trained on her face, down her chest to her breasts rising and falling, pert nipples and soft curves. She’s so damn soft, angelic in a ruined sort of way. Mando groans, her hands found his cock, palming through the fabric.

“Take of the mask,” she’s panting, her free hand leaves his shoulder and slides down the metal, right where she imagined his cheekbone would be. His movements slow. “Wanna have your fucking mouth on me.”

“Helmet stays on.” He’s pulled her closer, sinking down to cover her bare body with his metallic and leather clad one, his right hand digs under her thigh, raises it to his side, slim fingers gripping her pretty curves. She’s frustrated, all that hate and anger comes back in droves, her hand leaves his cock, much to her displeasure and leaves him chasing the feel of it, she’s temping him, fueling a spark of anger.

“I don’t care.” She hisses, eyes scathingly dark.

Smack! His hand slaps the outside of her thigh, burning the skin a deeper colour and bringing a cry of surprise to the edge of her breath. Fuck, the spank shot the air from her lungs, swollen lips parted but not a noise leaves them.

The sudden sting and roughness of it was painful — she wants it again. Her cunts tight around nothing and she’s pulled on an edge.

“Could blindfold you,” the voice through the helmet is deep, it sends her further into an intoxicating trance. “That what you want?”

Fuck no. She’s biting her lip and pushing herself up and onto him. Her tits press to his beskar and it’s cold to her skin, covered in goosebumps and sweat, chills run rampant over her form. She whimpers, his rough hands find her cunt, dip into the warmth once again.

“I’m not putting a blindfold on, fuck that.” She’s panting, arched up to him as his fingers leave her cunt, slicked and tasting of her sweetness. She’s mewling and its not enough, she needs the real thing. She’s begging him to fuck her properly between the sounds of metal clinking, the heavy rustle of fabrics — he’s not wasting a second before he’s half torn from the beskar.

The Mandalorian smooths his bare hand over her cunt, watching her shiver — wretched art, she’s beautifully twisted. She’s palming her own breast, arching info the feeling, her body calling him, a siren luring.

Fuck it. He could do no blindfold.

“Fine,” he’s growling and grips her hips, hands dug into her skin he’s flipped her over, her chest pressed onto the dirty floor of the ship, the Mandalorian runs a hand up her smooth back, his hand curves around the back of her neck and she’s pinned down.

His free hand rips the helmet off, it clatters fo the floor beside her, the empty metal visor staring, watching. Basked in fresh air and the smell of sex, Mando leans over her, a large hand slides up past her tits and circles her throat. She whines and bends to his will. Mandos rough and unforgiving, a newfound freedom without the helmet has him pulling her body right to his broad chest, teeth scraping her neck, damp moans and mutters of curses fall from his hungry lips.

“Gods, gods you’re so good,” his raw and ragged tone is thick in the air, finally free of his helmet, still mysterious to her, it’s the sinking reality of just how attracted she is to him, how pathetically desperate she is, letting a man fuck her and never let her see his face; but the feel of his hardness pressed against her along with leftover leather and beskar mixed with his lips on the lobe of her ear is enough.

She wants the Mandalorian to show her how good she is. All that blinds her is pure need, flower drunk and trapped in the world of fever dreams.

Sliding her ass against him, his cock hard as fucking marble between them, she moans, ripping through another wave of arousal, she’s growing wetter by the second its evident on the inseams of her thighs, shiny and coated. The Mandalorian shoves harshly her down again, his knee knocking hers to the side, spreading her apart, bending over her his lips and teeth find her shoulder blade and between her yearnful sounds, stuck in the darkness of the fever, she’s struggling, eyes squeezed shut.

Then sliding past all that, pushing through shuddering breaths, Mando grips her tight and sinks himself into her. Its instant relief, a fall into icy rushing water and the world becomes clear again, everything is felt differently. She’s warm and wet, every inch delved deep in her cunt is pure bliss.

“Oh-h stars—” curling, tense pressure mounts within her, she’s sensitive and trembling, he’s breaking her open, it’s everything she’d been desperate for and more. She’s writhing in his grasp, tangled in pleasure, her form caved to his touch.

The Mandalorian moans, exilariated he’s pulling back only to slam himself into her again, arms supporting him he’s leaned over her, pressing messy and wet kisses to her shoulder, sinking his teeth into her soft skin he’s forcing her to cry out, to bend at his will and crave him only more. She’s stretched, a sleek feline, muscled and curved, her knees are spread and the metal of the floor is digging into her skin, its painful but she doesnt feel it in the moment.

At a loss of words, her lips part and she’s stuck, caught in thick webs of flowing pleasure, running in hot waves through her bloodstream, her nerves and bones. The Mandalorians pace is off, deep and hard, he’s sloppy and rough.

Its a race to the edge and she finds herself taunt, her thighs tremble and she’s already close, taking it hard she covers her mouth with her hand, pushing forwards as the Mandalorians movements twist into something other than, something primal and urging on what the poison called them to do.

Her body half broken under fatigue, Mando’s strong arms grip hers and gather her up, spine curved again, her ass pressed to his hipsbones, the new angles deep and he stutters his movements, head falling tight to her shoulder, resting for only a moment.

He’s fucking her harder, messier. One arm wrapped around her chest, hand clasped with hers and the other winds around her throat, forearm pressed over her chest. Fingertips pressing to the sides of her neck, he knows just what he’s doing — right amount of pressure, the slight squeeze, it’s got her gasping and hungry for adrenaline. She curled an arm back, holding the back of his head, fingers threaded through his thick hair, soft under her palm.

“Mando, fuck you’re good,” maybe it’s the drug, maybe she’s sunk under the influence, thick with lust but each show, calculated fuck against her has her wondering why they’ve never done this sooner.

He squeezes once, a warning. “Quiet,” and that’s why, she remembers, slurring thoughts mix through her foggy mind, he’s controlling, he’s rough and merciless — but it doesn’t matter now, she’s halfway to orgasm and the calling relief is so much better than her hatred for him.

She’s trembling on the edge, the Mandalorian fucks her hard and fast, chasing after release and turning the lust into something wickedly beautiful. Each hit has her breathtaking moans, a little gift to his ears, furthering his seeping arousal. She’s tight and hot around him, fucked out at a perfect angle and lashing against his grip, then it’s all blinding and his release comes from nowhere, coating and warm inside her she’s gasping at the feel, triggering her own fall from grace.

Slow and gutteral moans, shaking breaths and molten energy, they’ve fallen on the same brink of time, waves of lighting crash through her, the heavy coil snapping, evolving into sparks of rabid pleasure. She muffes shrieks into her hand. Mando’s never come harder, so unexpectedly torturous, she’s impossibly wet around him and it’s hard to keep a grip, her thighs shake. Three more leisurely thrust, deep in her cunt has him tripping through the moment, head dropping to her shoulder, teeth gritted tight, he’s a mess and it’s wrecking him.

“Fuck,” he bites down on the swear, she shivers as he pulls away, hands releasing her throat and waist she’s shaky and not able to hold herself up. Mando doesn’t speak, his mind filled with one thing.

Through the darkness of the Crest, the thick taste of sex in the air and sounds of her intoxicating whimpers, he sinks down and helps her lie back, her form shifting under him, she’s facing him in the darkness, breathing through the aftershocks. “Holy... shit,”

“Don’t move,” chasing the trembles down her ruined form, he drops between her legs once again, dangerous hands pawing at her thighs, her knees had knocked together, tensed in the throes of pleasure but Mando’s splitting them open and burrowing his head between.

She jolts back into reality, haven drifting into some kind of post orgasmic dream. His velvet tongue slides up through her cunt, finally having a taste of her, drinking all she has to offer. Wet and heavy moans shift from his lips to her slicked cunt, his whole body is pressing forwards, rebuilding the release. She’s choking on moans, the sensitivity is on the verge of pain, tipping past pleasure. The sounds of her cunt to his lips, his nose ridged against her clit, churning out a new rush, white hot and bathed in carnality.

“Yes, oh-h my gods,” her hands fumble, her form is numb to feeling, every nerve is retracting, drowning in the new burning coals and blackened skyes. It’s ruined daylight and broken stars. It’s only been seconds after the release, and another ones building. Hot tears threaten to escape, renagade and borne by exhaustion, sensitivity; and the Mandalorians not slowing down, sinking into her begs on the edge of sin, his tongue delves deep, flicking and curling around her bud.

She’s split apart, the half on verge of passing out, the other riled up, curling her leg around his shoulder, pushing him further and fuck she’s so close, pooling warmth and the rushed feeling of tightness, the burning coil taunt. Through the darkness, she’s wretched — faces of flowers coat her vision, blinking in and out, she’s lost off the world. It builds, stacking and mounting and she can’t control it. Shuddering, her spines arched and she feels chills climb the ridges of her bones — her thighs close tight, stopped by his rough hands, pushing her open but it’s too much, the fires alit and burning through her.

His mouth slants over her cunt, closing around in a wet kiss paired with slurred words, close to her slick the Mandalorians telling her to come on his tongue, that he’s got her, he’ll work her through it and then she’s suddenly shaking — pleasure rips through her form, unbearably shocked.

“Fuck, fuck, Mando —” she’s gasping and he’s addicted to her taste, sweet and sharp on his tongue, he’s breathing deep, his tongue slip against her core and he’s fucking her slowly through her release; she’s close to sobbing, the pressures releasing ever so slowly, the motions of orgasms bend and fade, twisted in her mind and body. Her hips pressed to the ground, keeping her still, large hands gripping, tight to her scalding skin.

His lips leave her, the urges come back.

The poison — cursed pollen, exchanged sinfully through their bodies, it’s not been purged, still thick in her veins and fogging her mind, she’s gasping for air as it locks into chest.

The Mandalorian feels it, somewhere deep and dark.

They’re right back at the beginning, her thighs ache and her hands feel numb, lips bitten red and skin coloured with marks, she’s an art form of desperation and need. Through the musky darkness, his hands find her body again, she’s in a daze, staring up at the red lights above them, watching them fade and glow. She floats back to the planet, back to the ship as his lips graze her neck, fresh with anew urge of ecstasy and hands smooth over her breast.

They’re going to be there for awhile.

feedback is always appreciated!

[tags / some of these are from the previous list, please tell me if you’d like to be removed or added] @x-wingwarriorbbpoe8 @fantasticwizardnerd @flipping-fan-tastic @thatoneemosithlord @dontbetricked @bamfkurt @m-is-for-mischa @otherthingsinhead @christiandior @ccordiform @darlingbravebelle @aj-2187 @boogiebunnies @charlotte-solane-writes @allihave-arememories @pedro-pascal-online @iprettybirdi @toasterking @jedi-dreea @s-v-e-l-t-e @http-user-eraser @fxcastle @titahnics @captianstartights @banana-batman @biolo-tea @raveviolet @aroseamongthestars @bitchasaurus @imconfused28 @rebelwriter95 @nyashi-kaages @bigtoughswordboy @stonertokoyami @sailorflowermoon @sleepingdeath007 @gothtechie @skys-luce-stellare @missalyssx

#din djarin #the mandalorian #mando x reader #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian smut #pedro pascal #star wars #the mandalorian imagine #pedro pascal imagine #star wars smut #baby yoda #cara dune

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nataliedanovelist · 4 years

Text

GF - Amalia

For @artsymeeshee. Thank you for everything you do for us, for providing plenty of fluff, over-protective Ford content, and angst with a happy fluffy ending. Love you!

~~~~~~~~~~

The snow reflected the tiny amount of sunlight the capital of Iceland received. Spring was coming, though still a ways off, but the large island still welcomed the sun that was starting to rise earlier every day and stay longer as February was coming to a close.

She opened her eyes as the sunlight reflected on the Sea and sparkled like magical dust. She stood proudly on her beam, her favorite Nest, and stretched her back and paws, letting her claws escape her tiny little beans, and then hide again, a secret weapon for any enemies, though she had few. Really, apart from some rude Cubs shooting tiny metal balls at her, the world was fairly kind to her. Big Animals in thick coats gave her Pets and occasionally Food, coming in big Machines and soon left. Some of the Machines made dark clouds, some looked like they were controlled by fluffy white clouds. She liked them all, and was Happy to make sure no Bad Machines or Bad Animals in thick coats came on her Land.

Sometimes, when things were quiet by the sea, she would go Exploring. Cubs would play with her, maybe a Bad Animal or two would try to hit her with a collection of straw at the end of a stick, but she was fast and agile and was never hurt too much. Nothing she couldn’t handle. Today she thought she might go Explore her Land, but something caught her attention. An Animal was standing on a Machine.

The fur on the top of it’s head was fluffy. She wanted to play with it. It had glass in front of it’s eyes, for whatever reason, and had a coat like her’s: thick and blue, but a darker shade, not light like snow, like her’s. She blinked at the Animal and watched it. It took in a deep breath, smiling, and a Hole opened on the side of the Machine and a Path appeared, sliding down onto her Land. “Come on, Stanley, we have a lot to do today!”

“What’s your rush, Sixer?” Another voice could be heard as the Animal left it’s Machine and a second Animal appeared. This one had something red on it’s head, though it didn’t appear injured, and it also had glass in front of it’s eyes. She didn’t want to be seen right now, so she hopped down from her favorite sleeping spot and hid behind some boxes. “We’ve got all day, and if you really wanna sight-see we can stay here tomorrow, too.”

“Yes, I suppose so, but then we’ll have to wait another day for Mabel’s package for us in Ullapool, Scotland.”

“Good point. But we can always visit this place again on our way back to Oregon.”

“Fair enough. Well, how about a quick walk and then we’ll restock on supplies.”

“S’long as we can stop at that bar tonight.”

“Deal.”

The two Animals smelled similar, but not identical. They were a Pack. A Herd. A Family. She watched them venture further into her Land, but she let them. They were Good. She could tell. She emerged from her hiding spot a little after they passed her and watched them go. She wanted to go with them, but she didn’t want to be caught. She would have to be sneaky.

She carefully walked behind the Animals with glass in front of their eyes and watched them. The Animals were a wonderful Pack. They talked and laughed and played, pushing every so often, playing like she used to with her brothers and sisters, and she smiled at knowing they were having fun and learning how to be good fighters. When the Animals were joining other Animals on busy parts of her Land, she climbed up the stone Dens and walked on the tall place to watch them and be close to them. She was good at being sneaky; they did not know she was there.

Sometimes the Animals would go inside the Dens. When this happened she would sit and wait for them to come out. Sometimes they came out with nothing new, other times they would come out with Gain in their holds. When they walked, she walked with them, either behind them or above them. Too soon the Sun was setting again, and she found the Animals going back to their Machine. She was Sad, but walked behind them at a safe distance and watched them enter their Machine.

Behind the boxes, she laid on her belly, resting her face in her paws, Sad that the Animals were going away. She liked them. But then she heard something that made her lift her head and her ears stop being droopy. She looked up at the Machine and found the Animals coming back! They had no Gains with them; they must have left them in their Machine, and decided to go out Exploring again! She watched from behind the boxes as the Animals walked into a Den not too far from the Sea, and she made a Plan.

She had been Sad when she thought the Animals were going away forever, like all the other Animals did. Very Sad. She never wanted to be that Sad again. She carefully sniffed the Path and decided that it was Safe, so she trotted on it, through the Hole, and was on a Machine.

She was a little bit Scared. She had never been on a Machine before, but she could smell her favorite Animals everywhere and could feel the Sea beneath her. She loved the Animals and the Sea, and she knew she was Safe. She decided it was time to go Exploring! This Land was big, but not too big, so it wasn’t Scary. She walked around and could smell more of her favorite Animals’ scent from inside the Machine, inside the Den. There was a Hole with a small opening, leaking out the smell and light, so she pushed the Hole open a little more and entered the Den.

The den was Warm and Safe and smelled of her favorite Animals whom she loved. There were tiny Suns here and there inside the Den. There was something big and Cozy in the Den, away from the Hole. She hopped onto it and pawed at it and rolled around it. It smelled like the Animals the most and she almost fell asleep, but she wanted to Explore some more. And she was hungry. Maybe the animals had Food in this Den.

She stood and sniffed. Something smelled Good. Smelled of Food. She followed the smell to something tall that held weird rectangles with black scribbles on them. There was a small container Animals used to hold Food. This was wet and black, but she lapped at it anyhow, but it was not Good. Not Bad, but not Good. Oh, well. She would find Food later. She wanted to Explore some more.

She hopped down from the tall place and smelled as she Explored. The Land went down at the farthest part from the Hole. It looked a little Scary, but she could still smell her favorite Animals, so she hopped, hopped, hopped down carefully. She was surprised to find two fluffy Nests inside this deep part of the Den. This must be where the Animals slept. She could tell; it smelled the most like them. She smiled and hopped up onto one and rolled around and played with the fluffy stuff. It was Fun and Cozy and Warm and Safe and Good.

She stopped to stretch and yawn. She was Tired. She decided to sleep here, but where? She needed her own Nest. At the end of one Nest, there was a box. She loved boxes, and this one had a tee tiny Hole that could be made into a bigger Hole. She hopped down and stretched her front paws and head into the Hole, pushing through it. The whole box was filled with Warm fluff that smelled of her favorite Animals. She was excited. Her own Nest was Warm and smelled like her favorite Animals! She slipped in, circled, and tucked herself in to go to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

After some tasty food and warm beer, the brothers returned to their home on the water, tired and ready for bed. It was very cold and bitter out in the night hair, but that only made the warm boat more welcoming and more appreciated. However, Ford was a little annoyed at finding the door cracked open, letting in cold air. “Stanley, I thought I told you to close the door all the way.”

“Sorry, Ma, I was hungry.” Stan said sarcastically and shrugged as they went inside.

Ford sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed and locked the door tightly. “Good thing I’ve almost perfected our security system so we won’t have to worry about being robbed.”

Stan rolled his eyes and yawned into his hand. “Welp, I’m beat. You coming to bed or do I gotta drag you there myself?” He asked, shrugging his trenchcoat off and throwing it on the couch on his way to the stairs downward for the bedroom.

“No, no, I’m coming.” Ford said tiredly and followed his brother down into their bedroom. “I’ll be taking a shower so if you want one you’ll have to wait.”

“Nah, I’ll take one in the morning.” Stan answered, peeling off his beanie and yawing again, ready to collapse into his warm bed and not move again until sunrise.

Ford moved to the far end of the bedroom, where the bathroom was located, and turned on the shower so the water could warm up. Meanwhile Stan groaned, seeing how Ford had done laundry that morning and now his twin had to pull the warm extra blankets and quilts out from the chest at the foot of his bed.

Stan opened it groggily, not expecting to stare down at the context for a full minute until he was capable of speech, but here he was.

“Uh… Sixer?”

“Yes, Stanley.”

“We have an expected guest on board.”

Ford stopped unzipping his blue hoodie and joined his brother at the chest, who’s eyebrow was raised in unapproval. The aged scientist, however, was stuck with a blank facial expression while he tried to digest the fact that there was an animal curled up on top of the stack of blankets and quilts.

It looked like a cat, though it was unfair to call her a cat. Passersby may assume so without a second glance, but this creature appeared too abnormal to be a kitten. She had pointy ears coated in thick fur to keep out cold hair, light-blue fur that could blend into snow, a tiny button black nose between huge, round, baby-blue eyes, a small floof of fur on the top of her head, and a skinny tail with fluff for fur at the end. It appeared so small and helpless in the mess of blankets, looking up at the brothers with shiny eyes filled with wonder. After a moment of silence, Ford grinned and placed his hands on his knees to be closer to the anomaly without frightening it, and he spoke to her with a voice as quiet as a mouse and soft as silk.

“Hello. Where did you come from, my dear?”

“Dunno, don’t care.” Stan moved towards her and said, “I’ll put her back outside.”

Ford’s senses heightened and he gently grabbed his brother’s wrist to stop him. “Hold it, Stanley, there’s no reason to kick her out so quickly. She’s not doing any harm.” Ford returned his smile to the anomaly and cooed softly as he reached for her and let her sniff his six-fingered hand. “Come here, little one, it’s alright.”

The anomaly happily sniffed Ford’s hand and rubbed the side of her head onto his palm, begging for pets, which he happily gave. The eldest twin carefully scooped her up into his harms and scratched her, finding her favorite spot, until she was practically putty in his hold as he scratched her under her chin.

Stan stared in disbelief and snorted. “Are you kidding me? You spent most of your life around dangerous monsters and you’re gonna let one on our boat?”

“She’s not a monster.” He scolded lightly and smiled again as she purred against his chest. He held her out to him to see better and added cheerfully, “Look how cute she is, Stan!”

“Yeah, until it decides to eat our face!” Stan argued, a hand up in defense.

“She won’t hurt us.” Ford said firmly and held her close to his chest again, letting her lay on her back so her four little limbs were up and trying to catch his wiggling fingers. “I bet she was cold and hungry and was trying to find shelter. Isn’t that wight, wittle one?” He cooed in a low voice. “Who’s a hun-gy wittle anomaly? Are you, are you?”

“Don’t feed it!” Stan yelled after his brother as he went upstairs. “Then it’ll want to stay!”

“Great idea, we’ll feed her so she’ll want to stay!”

“That is NOT what I said!”

Ford rolled his eyes and laughed down at the anomaly when she caught his fingers and licked him with a rough tongue. She wasn’t even trying to hurt him. She was playing and happy to give his hand a little bath. “Don’t worry, my dear. Stanley is right about one thing: I’ve met many aliens and monsters and anomalies in my day, but I can tell when one has nefarious purposes and when one does not, and you don’t. You’re a good little girl; I can tell.”

One handed so he could still cradle her, Ford opened the freshly filled cabinets to hunt for something the strange animal would eat. “Hm, let’s take a look at your teeth.” He gently pulled down her mouth and as surprised how little she fidgeted and fought him. “Interesting. Only half of your teeth are carnivorous. You must be able to adapt to plants or berries if needed. Very well, let’s see… oh, here. You’re lucky Stan talked me into picking up tuna.”

At the time it seemed ridiculous to buy canned tuna when they could fish for dinner whenever they wanted, but Stan said they should still get it because canned goods never expired and fishing wasn’t always successful, so Ford opened the can and placed it on the table and sat the anomaly down while he tidied up a bit, stacking his notes and books and putting his cold coffee in the sink. From the sounds of it, Stan had hopped in the shower since Ford was apparently too busy playing host to bathe, which was fine by him. He sat in a chair, watching how the anomaly ate.

She was definitely not skin-and-bones, but she ate quickly, plunging her face into the can and eating happily. Ford chuckled and pet down her back. She was fairly clean, if not a little weather-beaten. Clearly she could take care of herself, but why should she when he could? Okay, sure, Stanley was a little apprehensive about taking in a strange anomaly as a pet, and perhaps Ford shouldn’t be so quick to take her in as a pet. She might not be happy cooped up in a boat with two old men. In fact, if she lived on this dock, she might do this often, visiting sailors for food and shelter and then leaving in the morning.

“Well, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you,” Ford said to her as he watched her eat. “But if you want to stay, you’re more than welcome to.”

The fluffy anomaly sat up and looked at him with kind eyes. Ford smiled at her, and could have sworn she returned with a tiny smile. He slowly reached for his journal, a green book with a golden six-fingered hand and a crescent on the cover, and opened it carefully so as to not scare her. The anomaly sat perfectly still, watching him, as he turned to a clean page and pulled out a pen to begin sketching her. He titled his head to the side to get a better angle of her, and he stared to find her doing the same, mirroring him.

Ford smiled and titled his head the other way, and sure enough the little one followed his lead. Chuckling, he decided to push his luck and he straightened his head and stuck his tongue out at her just a little bit. The anomaly stared at him, and sure enough, a tiny pink tongue poked out at him. Ford snorted, bit his lip, and continued sketching. He noticed her tail was wagging, like a dog’s might when happy, and he added that to his notes. He had no idea what to call this species, so he left the title blank for now, deciding he would come up with a species title once he had more information.

They must have been at that table for an hour or so, because soon Stan’s rough voice called from the bedroom sharply, “Sixer, if you’re not down here in two minutes…”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Ford called back and grinned as the little anomaly yawned, making the tiny tongue stretch out and curl inwards slightly. The old man carefully pick her up and carried her with him into his shared bedroom. Stan was in his undershirt and boxers, shaking his hair dry with a towel as he sat on his bed, and he growled when he saw the animal still in his twin’s arms.

“Please tell me you’re not taking it to bed.” He snarled.

“No, of course not.”

“Good.”

“She deserved her own space.” Ford said as he pulled a pink blanket out from the chest and placed it neatly, still folded, on the floor between the beds. “She can have her own bed.”

“What!?” Stan yelled as Ford got on his knees and let the anomaly climb down onto the blanket to give it a try. “I’m not letting that thing sleep in here! What if it turns into some blood-sucking monster in it’s sleep and kills us both?!”

“That won’t happen, don’t be so paranoid.”

“Oh ho! That’s a new one!” Stan laughed harshly, but quickly turned sour again. “Can’t believe you're not a bit more guarded with that thing? What makes you think you can trust it?!”

Ford shrugged. “A lot of people lately have proven to me that I can trust others. Besides, there’s good in her. I can tell.”

Stan blinked at his brother. It was like this was a completely different man than who had come out of the portal. Well, okay, Ford knew that before they had even started sailing that Ford wasn’t the same person he was when he punched Stan in the face, but still. Stanford Pines really had changed a lot.

“It’s just for one night, Stanley.” Ford eased as he took off his hoodie and slipped off his boots, preparing for bed. “She’ll leave in the morning and find some new friends to provide food and shelter from the next cold night, I’m sure of it.”

Stan rolled his eyes and laid down with his back to the fluffy pair. “Fine, whatever.”

Ford had to admit that he was a little chest-fallen that his brother was a little cold towards their temporary house-guest, but he can recall their niece telling Ford that Stanley appeared to have a burning hatred for a certain pig, but everyone knew he loved Waddles very much. Perhaps he was trying to prove he was still a tough guy, or perhaps Stanley didn’t want to get attached to the anomaly so he wouldn’t be disheartened when she was gone. Ford knew he could handle her leaving tomorrow if she wanted to, he would be happy to have met her and that she was happy, so with one final scratch between her ears, ruffling her little floof, Ford took off his glasses and turned off the lantern, letting darkness overtake the bedroom.

“Goodnight, Stanley.”

“G’night, Sixer.” The younger twin managed to grunt.

Ford smiled, relieved that at least his brother wasn’t angry at him, and he slept soundly as the warm boat kept the cold late-winter air away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ford was the first one to wake up. Or at least the first one to rise out of their bed. He slipped on his glasses and was happy to find the little anomaly where he had left her last night: curled up like a kitten on her folded blanket. He took the time to scratch her behind her ears before heading towards the shower.

The aged explorer could understand why Mabel was so attached to her pet pig, Waddles. There was immense satisfaction in caring for something or someone and having them care for you in return. While that is the fundamental basics of human relationships, homo sapiens tend to over complicate such relationships with intense emotions and lack of logic. Other species, like most animals on Earth, allowed this principle to be basic and easy, simple. Give love, get love.

Throughout the years, Ford had indeed come across hundreds of thousands of different creatures. True, a vast majority wanted to eat his face, but to be fair he had been in their climate and they were hungry. That was the beautiful circle of life. Some creatures were perfectly friendly and could even offer some companionship, but none of the creatures Ford had met would stay for long and he knew better than to get too attached; he was too busy trying to take care of himself to add a pet to his list of responsibilities. However, if an animal who enjoyed his company wanted to walk with him in the forest or up a mountain, he wouldn’t stop it or go out of his way to scare it off, knowing full well something else would capture it’s attention or Ford would have to hop through a hole in space-time and the animal would run off, less inclined to follow the kind stranger to an alien world.

Still, a small part of Ford had missed the idea of having a pet. He can remember enjoying Shanklin’s company as a child and being very sad when he had died, though not nearly as heartbroken as Stanley had been. When he had discovered the Shapeshifter as a hatchling, there was a reason he had quickly associated it as a pet, despite Fiddleford’s arguments against it. Perhaps if the encounter hadn’t ended so ugly or if he hadn't been so distracted with Bill and the portal, Ford might have taken in a pet to give him company when it was time for Fiddleford to return home. Maybe a low-maintenance cat or something unique and different. Maybe he would take in a plaidypus. He had enjoyed that anomaly’s company.

As the warm water made it easy for the old sailor to think, he seriously considered adopting the new anomaly as his pet. He knew that Stanley would warm up to her eventually, he just needed time to trust that she wouldn’t go savage on them. Really, there was no real issue or obstacle in his way. They were financially stable, so they could afford to take care of her, there were no other pets that might get jealous of her, they would always be around her so she would never be neglected or abandoned on the boat. Really, the only obstacle Ford could see was that the anomaly might not want to stay.

If Ford had learned anything about wildlife is that animals pick the humans just as much as humans pick the animals. There must be a mutual agreement to love and care for each other in their own unique way, but if one if not willing or incapable of returning the affection, then the arrangement wouldn’t work. There was a large possibility that the anomaly was perfectly happy being a peaceful stray and didn’t want to be tied down to one boat and one pair of sailors, which was perfectly fine. Like Ford had said last night, if she wanted to leave, that was okay. But if she wanted to stay Ford would be nothing short of delighted.

As Ford emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a towel in his hand, shaking his fluffy charcoal gray hair dry, he found the sweet anomaly on his bed, playing with his blankets, rolling around and pawing at the soft fabric. He smiled and hung up the towel in his hand as he approached the anomaly, who stopped playing to receive pets and lick his six fingers.

“Good morning, my dear. Sleep well?” He whispered, knowing full well she couldn’t respond, but she looked so happy and well rested, even her fur appeared to host some bed-head. Ford glanced over at his twin, who was still fast asleep, limbs sprawled everywhere and snoring peacefully with his mouth wide open. He grinned, having an idea, and he gently picked the anomaly up from his bed and placed her on Stan’s bed, just by his legs.

As Ford got dressed for the day, he watched as the anomaly pawed at the blankets and then walked up to Stan’s face, then sat and watched him for a moment. Ford had to bite his lip to keep from laughing when the anomaly lifted a soft beanie paw and gently smacked Stan’s nose, playing like she had found a ball. By the time Ford was fully dressed the anomaly had climbed up to Stan’s chest and sat close to his face, happy to only watch him sleep.

The sudden weight on his chest stirred him and Stan groggily opened his eyes and was shocked to find two large baby-blue eyes staring closely at him. “ARG!” He yelled and sat up quickly, making the anomaly jump down from the bed and hide under the bed.

Ford laughed good-naturedly while Stan growled in his throat and put on his glasses. “Ford!”

“Good morning, Stanley.”

“What is that thing still doing here, I thought she was only staying just for the night!”

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll leave once we leave.” Ford reasoned as the anomaly slowly crept out from under the bed and rubbed herself against Ford’s legs.

Stan grunted, not sure if he should believe his wishy-washy brother, but it was too early to fight this battle, so he yawned and popped his back and made his way upstairs to make coffee.

The anomaly followed Ford everywhere he went. When he went upstairs, so did she. When Ford sat at the table, she hopped onto it. He smiled and got up for a second, seeing how she turned her nose at his coffee, and he poured her a small plate of milk. She happily lapped it up while the twins sipped their coffee and went over their plans for the day, one purposely ignoring her and the other occasionally petting her or scratching her behind the ear.

About an hour later Stan and Ford were ready to leave for some sightseeing while at Iceland’s capital. The anomaly followed them out of the cabin of the boat and hopped on the wall of the Stan O’ War II and watched them walk away. Ford even waved her goodbye, not sure if this would be the last time he would ever see her or not. Again, it was totally fine if she decided to leave. But the fact remained that Ford would be immensely grateful if he found her still on their boat when they returned.

Stan privately decided that it was best to get his brother’s mind off that little menace, so hopefully when they left the dock and set sail tomorrow morning they could leave this whole ordeal behind them. The two brothers had a good time cracking jokes and laughing as they visited historical sights, museums, and other amazing things the capital had to offer about their culture and history. For lunch they sat at the park with warm sandwiches and listened to a street performer sing and beat a drum about a mountain troll wanting to get married.

Having seen everything they had wanted to see, Ford and Stan decided to head to the Stan O’ War early and leave the docks before dinner. Ford was a little disheartened to find the anomaly no longer on the wall of the Stan O’ War, which again, was fine. She was a wild animal and could do whatever she wanted. And no, Ford was not upset over the fact that she wanted to move on.

So why on Earth was he so jubilant, could feel his heart do a cartwheel of joy in his chest, why he grinned so happily, at the sight of her on one of the lounge chairs, bathing in the sunshine and only awoke because she sensed someone’s presence and she smiled up at him and went to rub against his legs again.

Ford picked her up and held her close to his chest, alone with her since Stan had gone inside to start on dinner and probably didn’t even know she was here. The old scientist sat in the lounge chair and petted his new pet softly, making her purr against his hold.

“You’ll need a proper name, my dear.” Ford thought out-loud. To help decide which best suited her, he listed some names out to see if they sounded right for her. “Luna? Ivy? Amber? Periwinkle? Maybe something more sophisticated, like Alessandra? Stella?” Ford tilted his head to the side as they looked at each other. She coped him curiously.

He chuckled and rubbed her head. “You are a strange anomaly. Hm… while Anomaly isn’t a suitable name, maybe something along those lines. Maybe… Molly? No, close, but you don’t quite look like a Molly, my dear. How about…” And then suddenly, he had it. Ford knew what to call her. It was perfect. It was unique, just like her. Ford smiled peacefully at her and settled with, “Amalia. I’ll call you Amalia from now on.”

“Alright, Sixer, we ready to set… oh, great.” Stan stopped when he saw who Ford was with and he glared at the strange anomaly.

“Say hello to Amalia, Stanley.” Ford said happily and held her up to him to see. She poked her little tongue out at him.

Stan glared at his brother. “Amalia? You named it?!”

“Yes. So? Is there a problem?” Ford asked with a raised eyebrow, bringing Amalia back to his lap, a little tired of Stan’s cold attitude.

“Stanford, you’re not supposed to name it.” He growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Once you name it, you start getting attached to it! Now get it off the boat, we’re leaving now.”

Ford looked down at Amalia, who was curled up in his arms, and then back up at his brother firmly. He hated to push him, but this was important to him and he genuinely felt like Stan was being unfair. “No.”

Stan blinked at his twin. “I’m sorry?”

“No,” Ford said calmly. “Stanley, please. I think she wants to stay, and I want her to stay. Yes, she is probably a wild animal and can take care of herself, but she shouldn’t have to. Why should she when she could have a loving family who takes care of her? I know you’re a little apprehensive that she’ll turn on us, but as my brother I’m asking that you trust me and let me keep her. Please.”

Stan stared, no longer visibly angry. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Ford. He did, more than anyone, and if someone who used to not trust anyone found this little ankle biter worthy of his hard-earned trust, then Stan had to give that little fur-ball some credit. Not to mention that Stan could remember a time when the tables were turned and someone had agreed to help keep a certain possum a secret. At the memory Stan couldn’t help but smile.

He sighed, rubbed the back of his neck, and admitted defeat. “Fine, she can stay. But she’s your pet, which means you feed her and clean up after her, you keep her out of my stuff, and if one day we wake up missing a finger or an eye, I’m blaming you.”

Ford grinned; he could see right through Stan’s tough-guy persona. “Thank you, Stanley. You won’t regret it.” He stood and hurried off the boat. “I’ll go buy some supplies for her before we leave! Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Stan muttered, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe how happy his brother had looked when given permission to keep that little gremlin. Stan hadn’t seen Sixer that happy since they first began their adventure.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ford couldn’t find a pet store within close range, but he did find a convenient store that might have the bare minimum he was looking for. Cans of meat, maybe a soft bed, toys, a brush, etc. Though there was no sign saying “No Pets Allowed,” Ford wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t allowed to bring Amalia inside with him, so he decided to play it safe and hide her in his hoodie.

At first she was tucked in by his chest, her tiny claws clinging to his sweater with no pain to his skin, but Amalia soon climbed up his neck and he had to put his hood up to hide her. She made her way up the right side of Ford’s neck, curling around the back of his head, and resting her front half by his left shoulder, giving Ford a small, furry scarf around the back of his neck, and curling up for another short nap.

And no, Ford was not crying next to the shelves of cat litter.

pt.2

#GF #gravity falls #fanfiction #gift #ford pines #stan pines #sea grunks #amalia #anomaly pet #CUTE!!!#fluff #mostly fluff #and a little fluff #more to come... probably #I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!#Thanks for reading!

181 notes · View notes

ey8508 · 4 years

Text

Rumors & Secrets LZ

Totally more contents about LZ : )

[Finally, we meet again]

Note:

R&S for this card (CG above)

Chapter SPOILERS up to chapter 37 (read with your own risk)

Contains 5 chapters

Translation isn’t 100% accurate (or grammar errors)

This is mostly in Li Zeyan’s POV before he meets MC (in the past original timeline) and ends with the iconic “Evolver?” question (where it all begins in chapter 1)

Do not repost to any other site (reblog is fine)

Chapter 1

Page 1

The sun is slowly setting...

At the horizon, a large rose color slowly fainted from the golden sunlight, soaking the low-hanging cloud curtain, allowing the color of the stratus clouds to burst out, reflecting the blue sea surface that meets the sky.

The extended Bentley drove away from the bustling part of the town and moved slowly along the winding road. It rained at noon, and the air was full of the smell of wet soil and raindrops soaking leaves. Li Zeyan lowered half of the car window and turned his gaze to the red-brick and white-walled building under his feet, unconsciously a little surprised.

Eze, one of the most beautiful towns on the Mediterranean coast, is also the former residence of Li Zeyan's grandfather and grandmother.

Page 2

Since he can remember, he has often come to Eze with his mother to stay for a while. The leisurely and beautiful memories of his youth are composed of the humid sea breeze here, the touch of the ankle being drawn by the low bushes, and the moment when the eyes are filled with bright and full bouquets.

Mother always likes to go to the market in the early morning to buy a few bunches of flowers, before he gets up. He then will put the flower branches in various containers or clay pots or glasses as the way he likes.

When grandpa and grandma were still alive, they would have a richer breakfast. Although they had settled in Eze early in the morning, they still had a Chinese stomach. They wanted to eat porridge and noodles. When they passed away, breakfast becomes a little simpler, only bread, omelette, or instant cereal...

Page 3

Of course, his mother is also studying cooking seriously and wants to cook some complicated dishes for him, but progress is slow.

Although these memories became more and more blurred with his busy life, as soon as he returned here, the images of sunlight, green trees, ocean, and flowers in his mind became particularly clear.

The corners of Li Zeyan's lips showed a faint smile.

The video conference is already being connected, and Li Zeyan withdraws his gaze and sets his sights on the laptop in front of him. Soon, several young people in suits and leather shoes appeared in the meeting room. Although their hair colors were different, their pupils were different, the confident and relaxed look on his face was particularly noticeable.

Page 4

They are several industry stars recently discovered by Li Zeyan. They have been successively arranged in several venture capital companies established by Huarui overseas. In Li Zeyan's view, the times have changed. It is no longer the person in the investment department holding a bunch of industry data. In financial statements, you can easily figure out whether a company really has the stage of commercial value. They need to work hard in a field, understand every link that a student can accomplish, understand the most innovative business models, and look at all new things with suspicion and surprise.

They can contact any field they are interested in on the platform of Huarui, accumulate experience, and become Li Zeyan's eyes for exploring new tracks.

Page 5

The car drove halfway through the mountain, and the cascading sunset cast a golden glow on Li Zeyan's face, covering his smiling eyes in a warm color.

[They're talking in EN]

"Li, looks like you've got a brilliant sunset."

"It sure is."

[Back to CN]

"Isn't it Eze? It's a place worth sitting on the balcony all day."

" Indeed. "

Page 6

[Now they're talking in French]

"Better to drink good wine and appreciate the scenery."

"D'accord."

Chapter 2

Page 1

The relaxed video conference ends when the vehicle reaches the top of the mountain.

Li Zeyan got out of the car, strode forward, and a gentle breeze came towards him, messing with the strands of hair on his forehead. He fastened the suit that was blown up by the wind, took the rose bouquet from the entourage, and walked to the corner he knew.

Only a little golden light remained in the setting sun, hooked in the dark blue of the starry sky, quietly spilling on the white marble tombstone.

"mother."

Page 2

Li Zeyan put down the flowers, took out a brown handkerchief from his pocket, and knelt down to wipe the floating dust on the monument. Although there are people taking care of it every day, the tombstone is never slender. Every few days someone will come to replace a bunch of flowers, they are all taken care of and was cleaned with moisturizing liquid in the crystal vase that was placed in front of the tomb.

"Father was originally going to come over, but something happened temporarily. He asked me to bring you this bouquet of roses to make amends."

Li Zeyan slowly stood up as he spoke, looking at the sun that had completely sunk at sea level, inadvertently folded his fingers slightly, and clenched into a fist.

Page 3

On this day of the year, he will definitely take time to return to Eze. Although the schedule is tight, sometimes he can only stand in front of the grave for a short while, and has to rush to the next meeting. However, he still insists on coming in person...

His mother's death day is of extraordinary significance to him.

Li Zeyan breathed the cool air at the top of the mountain and talked about trivial matters for no reason.

"The charity project I talked to you last time is fully operational. I have found a lot of professional teachers who are willing to teach music to disabled children. Many of them have experience in caring for disabled children. Some also have a background in music schools. It should not be an issue to send gifted children to regular schools in the future-"

Page 4

"By the way, I saw the Moments two days ago. Aunt Gu said that she wants Wenwen to accept the wedding, as she has a very good boyfriend. Given her previous battles with Wenwen to urge her to marry, I think they will be urged to get the certificate soon."

" Do you remember Ronan? He went to Italy two days ago and sent me a two-meter sculpture, the sculptured piece was me.

...It is really difficult for him to spend such a large cost to let the world's best sculptor accompany him to do such boring things."

After a moment of silence, he remembered another thing.

Page 5

"Father’s favorite program "Discovering Miracles", the ratings and profitability of the last year are not good, Huarui is preparing to divest. Although it is a pity to say that, in the process of fast-forwarding, many people have been left behind, and "Discovering Miracles" is just one of them."

The hands on the dial had reached the time when Li Zeyan planned to leave, but he was standing in the dark, looking deeply at his mother's silent gravestone.

A breath of wind was quickly blown away by the night wind, and his voice became lighter while he was talking.

"All leads are broken..."

"I still didn't find her."

Page 6

After that, Li Zeyan sighed slightly emotional. He retracted his gaze from the tombstone, raised his hand to shake off a leaf hanging on the neck of his suit, and then strode away.

As if responding to his lonely back when he left, a quiet meteor suddenly struck across the endless night.

Chapter 3

Page 1

On the tarmac, Li Zeyan's private jet had been waiting for a long time. The weather tonight was good and the field of vision was wide. When boarding the plane, the captain rarely suggested that he could take a look at the sea covered with white moonlight from the porthole.

As soon as he sat down, Wei Qian walked over with his tablet computer.

"President. Regarding today's schedule, there are some parts that need your confirmation."

"First of all, the equity investment plan of the SE network video platform has been formally established. The relevant meeting is scheduled at 2 pm, and the representatives of SE will land at 12 noon, and the airport pick-up personnel have been arranged."

Page 2

"But you have promised Mr. Chen to attend his cocktail reception at 7pm on time, so the dinner after the meeting with the SE representatives..."

"Just say that we understand their hard journey, postpone the meal for one day, let them rest for the night."

"Understood. Also, Yaoxing Circus has accepted our invitation and is willing to come to Lianyu City for performances. However, they still have some doubts about the performance venue and performance permits, and they want to determine the original schedule. Is it possible to successfully obtain the performance license? Regarding this point, I have asked the relevant person in charge to prepare the materials required to apply for the license. I apply in the name of Hua Rui. I believe that it is not a big problem to get this license. So please ask the president, can you give them a positive answer directly?"

Page 3

Li Zeyan nodded faintly, and turned his sight out towards one of the porthole. The plane was flying over the city, and the star lights were gathered in his eyes. In the darker glass, a pair of eyes were also as deep as night.

"President Mr. Bao's payment for this month has passed, but he replied to this email and asked me to convey it to you."

"He said that he has only found some useful clues in the first few years before. In the last year, almost nothing was collected. He loves money very much, but he does not want to take your money for nothing. None of these investigations have yielded much. He is willing to help you do some commercial work. Business. No additional fees will be charged to you. He has a wide range of knowledge and resources. If you can find some news, you can help your friends... "

Page 4

Lao Bao's original words were "commercial espionage," and Wei Qian thought about it repeatedly before coming up with this rhetoric.

Li Zeyan couldn't help but smile faintly when thinking of Lao Bao's joking expression.

"Tell him, we don't need it for now. Hua Rui's information channels may not be less than his. Let him take money at ease and do things seriously."

Wei Qian replied in a low voice and stopped talking. The silence in the cabin was comparable to that of the night. The plane traveled steadily in the quiet, clear night, repeating the journey it had traveled countless times without moving.

Chapter 4

Page 1

Half an hour later, Li Zeyan finished shower, changed into a white bathrobe and sat on the bedroom sofa.

The red wine in the decanter has reached its best taste. Li Zeyan poured himself a half glass and tasted it, his expression was neither salty nor light. He vaguely remember that this 85-year-old Romanee-Conti seems to be a gift specially given to him by a director of Yuelai Entertainment at the auction.

At Yuelai Entertainment, Li Zeyan was tasting the wine, and a few projects that could work with them flashed in his mind, but when then changed his mind, as he puts it down.

Can wait, they are not qualified now.

Page 2

Li Zeyan leaned on the sofa, turned on the computer, and casually browsed the letters in the mailbox and the approval process.

An e-mail with the subject "Facial Structure and Profit Prospect Analysis Report" was lying on the first line of his mailbox. He clicked it in and glanced at the conclusion part 1 hastily.

According to the final data analysis, the film company’s only variety show "Discovering Miracles" lost about 80% of its audience in the last year, and its ratings ranked thirteenth (that is, third from the bottom) among the programs at the same time. At the same time, the film and television company has changed the person in charge a few months ago. The investigation showed that the person in charge had no experience in program production, company management, business negotiation, etc. before officially taking over the company. Accordingly, the venture capital department requested the president and the board of directors to suspend the continued capital injection of the company.

Page 3

Li Zeyan replied to the email with one hand with little thought: Approval of the withdrawal.

It never takes him too much time to make such a decision.

In the last two weeks, Li Zeyan has divested five companies, and this film and television company is the sixth. At the same time, he also made a lot of investment transactions, such as SE.

Huarui's capital chain is operating at a high speed, quickly responding to the market.

Page 4

Many people think that there is a gamble in this. Li Zeyan never denies that Huarui's style of offensive and never procrastinating seems too "aggressive" in the entire industry. But it doesn't matter. He knows better than anyone that the steady fight of the so-called industry giants is just a strategy that has to be adopted without an efficient business promotion mechanism and redundant management structure.

In a few years, perhaps Huarui will do the same.

But it doesn't matter, before that, he will lay the best foundation for Huarui, so that Huarui can still maintain active and vigorous vitality in the continuous expansion.

Page 5

After drinking the red wine in the glass in one sip, Li Zeyan pressed the sleep mode on the remote control, the light-shielding plate slowly fell, and the surrounding lights dimmed a little bit. He walked into the bathroom again to brush his teeth and wash to end the busy day.

This night, Li Zeyan had a deep dream.

In the time of emptiness, countless spots of light flowed slowly between his fingers. He tried to hold one or two in the house, but every time he made a fist and opened it, his palm was empty. Someone was smiling in front of him, her long light brown hair was slightly curly, and the corners of her lips were slightly raised with a smile, that was his mother. She smiled at him, her eyes calm and gentle, as if looking at a unique treasure in the world. She seemed to be asking something, but she also seemed to be just smile quietly.

He couldn't keep up with her.

Page 6

He knew that he had been waiting for a long time in a strange vortex, but who was he waiting for?

The indicator light on the wing is not clear in the thick night, the whole continent under the clouds is sleeping, and the time is as quiet as stopping, freezing the whole world at this moment.

In the sky, the stars are shining, and the whole Milky Way witnesses him breathing while in a dream.

Page 7

In the same deep dream, a girl was holding a mobile phone with a flashing light in her arms, and she was talking indifferently in a drowsy sleep.

As the two ends of the world are finally connected, the trajectory that continues to move forward is quietly changed.

The smoothly moving plane passed the sunrise scenery on the horizon.

The light-shielding board was slowly raised in accordance with the program instructions, and the first ray of sunlight in the morning shone into the porthole, covering Li Zeyan's bed.

Chapter 5

Page 1

Li Zeyan originally planned to go directly to Hua Rui, but halfway through, he received a message that Mr. Cai said that he had committed rheumatism and wanted to ask him for two days off.

He was a little worried, and after hesitating a little, he decided to visit.

Coincidentally, it was close to the meal time when he went to visit. The elderly eat early, and the house is full of plants when he enters the door. Mrs. Cai said that it would keep her down for a casual meal. He couldn't refuse the meal, so she took over the dishes.

Li Zeyan held a bowl straight at his waist, eating, and asking about Mr. Cai's condition. He had already arranged for a doctor to follow up for Mr. Cai before he finished the meal.

Page 2

Mr. Cai was grateful, and remembered some gossip he had seen on the Internet before, "I saw a lot of people commenting about the restaurants on the Internet. You must have seen it, manager, don’t keep it to your heart."

Li Zeyan smiled, he did not expect Mr. Cai to comfort him in return, "Mr. Cai, I never care what they think, how the restaurant wants to operate, I have always been aware of this, please rest assured. You can rest in peace in these two days. According to what I just said, Souvenir will be out of business for a week. Firstly, see what the doctor says."

Mr. Cai pounded his long-painful knee with a smile on his face, "I am old and useless. You don't have to do it for me"

Li Zeyan remarks "It's nothing"

Page 3

Then Mrs. Cai silently took a thin blanket from the living room to cover her husband. The two couples looked at each other for a short time, and said nothing. They still followed the topic just now and started talking cheerfully. The restaurant diners praised the manager’s craftsmanship.

Li Zeyan took the scene in his eyes, and a faint smile flicked across his lips.

After finishing light meal with a cup of tea, Li Zeyan did not want to disturb the couple too much, and left after that.

When he came, the weather was fine, the sun was fragile, and there was a leisurely sunny day scenery. Unexpectedly, when Li Zeyan walked to the intersection across the street from Huarui, there was both the sun and rain.

Page 4

He thought of the evening reception, thinking about whether to let Wei Qian bring him a clean suit. At this moment, a petite girl suddenly stood in front of him.

The green light on the crosswalk turned red just after the countdown, the vehicles coming from a distance did not slow down at all, and the girl was still standing in the middle of the road slowly, not aware of the coming danger!

It happened too suddenly, and two rapid bangs rang out.

Page 5

Li Zeyan's expression between his eyebrows changed slightly, and all the noise around him stopped in the moment.

He took a step forward and held her in his arms.

The girl stared at him with stunned eyes.

"Evolver?"

When time stands still, raindrops hover in the air, he also stopped his gaze.

#rumors and secrets Victor #love and producer #love and producer li zeyan #mr love queen's choice #mr love queen's choice victor #mr love li zeyan

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wangxiangiftexchange · 3 years

Text

Winter Solstice Gift for bees0are0awesome

I really hope you enjoy this somehow, dear @bees0are0awesome! Just a heads up, it’s pretty dark and gory towards the end.

Read on AO3

*****

where we're from, there's no sun

The days after the bloodbath at Nightless City were a blur. Lan Wangji only recalled bits and pieces from the moment on in which Wei Ying's hand had slipped away from his and Wei Ying had fallen into the darkness at the bottom of the cliff, closing his eyes in breathless relief.

After that, the remembered staggering off the precipice, his brother's strong arms closing around the weak shell that his body had become. Waking up in his own bed after a period of blackness, with the brief hope that all of this had been a particularly terrible nightmare. The salty taste of tears when he realized it was not. Rags of sentences spoken in front of his door, the voices of his brother and uncle recognizable. He had stared at the ceiling and hoped for the ache in his heart to ease, but no release had come from the indescribable pain.

He had come back to his senses after, as Lan Xichen told him, six nights and seven days, his hands shivering, cold and clammy, his face deathly pale, his eyes glassy and his body shaking. Lan Xichen had insisted on taking him to the healers, and Lan Wangji had been too weak to refuse. But the healers were his subordinates, and so they could not refuse to let him go that night after the other Lans had all gone to sleep. Lan Wangji slipped out of Cloud Recesses like a pale white spectre, and he fully intended to never be seen again until he had righted all his wrongs.

That will to fix all his mistakes was what had brought him to the edge of the Burial Mounds.

Lan Wangji knew that Wei Ying was not dead. He did not refuse to believe, he knew. Wei Ying was too strong of a cultivator for his body to be crushed to death from the fall of a cliff. As far as he knew, none of his remains had been found. And that was proof enough.

The Burial Mounds looked... different.

He had been here before, exactly one time. Back then, the wards had protected a desolate place overgrown with withered, dead trees, the sky above it a leaden gray. But now... Lan Wangji shivered as he cast his eyes upon the path that led into the no man's land.

The trees were no longer trees, or at least so it seemed. Their branches were now longer, dark tendrils that stretched out like claws about to grasp and devour him. The ground was dried out and dead, thirsting for water, the small streams that occurred every now and then were puddles of black slime. The deeper Lan Wangji ventured into the Burial Mounds, the darker the sky became, up to a point where it was pitch black night around him, so dark he could barely see his hand an inch away from his face. A thick, stinking fog had begun to curl up by his feet and Lan Wangji strongly suspected it might be trying to pull him somewhere he did not want to go.

He must have looked like an idiot trying to cut through the fog's tendrils with Bichen; he was in no way hectic or frantic but it simply seemed a little stupid to try and stab mist with a blade.

However, Lan Wangji knew that this was no normal mist.

In the darkness he could not see it, only feel how damp it was. It was black mist, of that he was sure, tainted by the resentful energy that hovered in the air around here. It would carry deceased, restless souls of long gone days - and it was a sure indicator that Wei Ying and Chenqing were nearby.

It had to be almost nightfall by now, although of course Lan Wangji could not tell the time by looking at the perpetually pitch black sky. Nightfall was more of a feeling in the Burial Mounds, a feeling of dread and impending doom. As though the night would get even more horrid than the daytime hours.

Lan Wangji had to force himself to go on.

He would have given up already if it hadn't been for the sure knowledge of Wei Ying's presence, which gave him the strength and will to fight the overwhelming anxiety and carry on. He wanted Wei Ying more than anything else in life. He wanted him more than to turn back.

The black mist only seemed to get thicker the longer the path wound on. Only the feeling of smooth stone beneath his feet indicated that there even was a path, the lack of roots and plants on the ground guiding him until he, finally, reached a place where the air suddenly was less thick and suffocating.

Sucking in a greedy breath, Lan Wangji sank to his knees as his drained lungs inhaled oxygen again. He staggered as he got up again, and noticed that the blackness had lifted a little as he had stepped out onto a clearing which he immediately recognized.

Memories flashed through his mind, of Wen Qing and her family harvesting their crops here, of the way Wei Ying flashed him a smile before he bent over another turnip. And unwillingly, these pictures mingled and gradually were replaced with the memories of Wei Ying's countless other smiles, his mischievous grins, his soft chuckles, the way his lips curved upward just the slightest bit whenever he saw Lan Wangji just about anywhere, doing just about anything: writing, duelling, talking to his brother, even just standing there - it all was guaranteed to make Wei Ying smile the smile that seemed reserved for Lan Wangji only.

Lan Wangji realized he had dwelt in his memories for too long as his attention was caught by a loud noise which shattered the deafening silence of the Burial Mounds. Firmly gripping Bichen, he whirled around towards the direction from which it had come - and saw nothing but a flash of a shadow curling around a fallen branch on the ground before vanishing into the trees.

Upon closer inspection, the branch was broken.

A shiver ran down Lan Wangji's spine. He could feel Wei Ying's proximity now, a feeling that coursed through his veins like ichor, filled them with a crawling sensation that was burning hot and ice cold and comfortably warm at the same time.

The Demon Slaughtering Cave gaped wide, like a toothless mouth half buried in the earth so that only its upper jaw was visible. It appeared deserted, and since the slaughter of the Wen remnants no one had bothered to clean up their decaying bodies. The smell of death was omnipresent, but that was the case in the entirety of the Burial Mounds. No matter if the corpses were fresh or centuries old, the earth reeked all the same.

Lan Wangji stepped towards the large cave entrance, intending to enter it. He did not come far, though.

Sudden thunder rolled across the earth, a deafening sound that seemed to shake the earth to its very foundations. No lightning preceded it, and there was no second thunder following. Instead, deadly silence settled again as the little light the sun succeeded in casting through the clouds was dimmed more and more, gradually reduced to the blackness of the path up towards the clearing. The mist crept up the path Lan Wangji had walked, it curled around his feet and smelled of acid, poisonous, painful. He raised Bichen into the air while his confidence faltered. Was this Wei Ying's doing? Lan Wangji could not believe that he would send poisonous mists after him - but then really, had he known anything about Wei Ying during those last months of his life in the Burial Mounds?

"Wei Ying?" he whispered. There was no wind in the air, yet his voice was carried through the stillness until it seemed to have reached the utmost corners of Yiling. Even this whisper was so loud, it seemed amplified while in reality it was just too quiet. Lan Wangji was genuinely scared to speak at a normal volume, fearing to disturb something that should rather have been left resting...

...somewhere in the distance, another branch cracked. And then another. The sound of steps on stone echoed through the air, coming from the cave.

Lan Wangji feared turning around. His first instinct was to run, but he was afraid not to be fast enough to not be caught by whatever it was that came towards him. For it could not be a human or animal, no, in these darkened Burial Mounds no living thing could persist.

The steps were approaching quickly. Lan Wangji's hands balled themselves into fists so firm that his nails dug into his skin. Black mist was now creeping up his body, enveloping him in a nebula of chaos. A deep breath of foul air - and he turned around to face it.

As soon as his eyes fell upon the figure they fell shut, only to flutter open again seconds later to assure him that what he was seeing was no hallucination. He was still not too sure of that, though, for in the entrance of the cave stood Wei Ying in flesh and blood, Chenqing in one hand, black robes on his body, his hair tied back with a red ribbon and his expression something that could be interpreted as a wistful smile if one looked very closely.

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji whispered, unable to say anything else than this beloved name that he savoured on his tongue, for so much had happened since he had last uttered it. And now here he was, the man who had slipped out of his grip and fallen down a cliff, standing in front of him as though nothing had ever happened, as though his body was not supposed to lie shattered on the foot of a cliff at Nightless City.

"Lan Zhan," came the reply, but oh! Wei Ying's voice was so different from what it had once sounded like. The softness and the spark of mischief were lost, making room for a rough raspiness with which Wei Ying sounded like an old, broken man.

Still dumbfounded, Lan Wangji stepped closer towards Wei Ying, and as the other made no attempt to move away he closed the distance between them to view him from up close.

What he saw upon this closer inspection was shocking, to say the least.

Wei Ying's skin was unnaturally pale, almost chalk white, and looked as if somebody had stretched a piece of very thin leather too tightly over a skeleton. His bones protruded from his skin in an unnatural way that made him look as though he had... starved to death. But he was alive, and there was a trail of fresh blood running down his chin coming from... his mouth?

"Wei Ying, what happened to you?" Lan Wangji whispered. His hands sought Wei Ying's, grasping them in a desperate motion. If he had hoped to find signs of health in the warmth of his hands, he had been disappointed, for Wei Ying's fingers were ice cold.

"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying said, and the smile that would usually grace his lips when he talked to Lan Wangji was replaced by a look of bleakness; empty eyes gazing past Lan Wangji and into the distance.

"Talk to me, Wei Ying," Lan Wangji pleaded as his fingers wandered up Wei Ying's arms, traced his collarbone and his jawline to finally rest their tips on his sunken cheeks. Wei Ying looked at him from bloodshot eyes.

"I always knew you'd be the one to come for me," he said and tried his best to smile, but what he managed was only a twisted caricature of what his smile used to be. The fact that he kept his lips together as though they were sewn shut took away the radiance of his smile and made it look forced, almost as if it was painful for him to keep this smile up.

Lan Wangji could not say another word.

He sunk to his knees in front of Wei Ying, taking Wei Ying's hands into his. Down on the dusty, dark earth of the Burial Mounds he pressed his head to Wei Ying's stomach, where he had so often lain and felt the other's heartbeat, a sign that Wei Ying was alive and would never leave him.

Wei Ying had left him.

Wei Ying had no heartbeat now.

The realization drove a single tear into Lan Wangji's eyes as he pressed his teeth together.

"You're not real," he muttered.

"Of course you're not real. How could it be, when I saw you slipping from my hands?"

"I am here," Wei Ying replied and went down to his knees to face Lan Wangji at eye level.

"Trust me, I am real, too."

"Then what on earth happened to you?" Lan Wangji whispered desperately.

He could feel the tension building up in Wei Ying's body at the question, but he did not take it back.

"I cannot tell you. Lan Zhan, promise me you will never ask this again. Promise me-"

"And I cannot promise this. Please, Wei Ying, just talk to me. It pains me to see you like this."

"Like this?" Wei Ying laughed without any joy.

"You mean, looking like a corpse? I guess you'll have to get used to that. Weren't you the one who said crafty tricks harm the body and the spirit? Here I am now. Like this. Is this enough of an answer?"

"Wei Ying-" Lan Wangji stopped himself from talking any more. Truth to be told, he did not know how to continue this conversation. Instead of speaking, he now cupped Wei Ying's cheeks in his hands and pulled him closer.

The first thing he noticed was that Wei Ying's breath seemed to just... stop. It seemed that he was holding it up to a certain point, when their faces were inches apart. Then the breath became shallow, almost like a gasp or moan, and when Lan Wangji's lips touched Wei Ying's, the latter's hands grasped Lan Wangji's head so firmly that he thought he would smash it.

Wei Ying was gasping for air into the kiss, at the same time his entire body started trembling as if an earthquake rippled through it. Lan Wangji was desperate for Wei Ying, and so he kept kissing him, blending out everything but the taste of his lips, but it was so wrong, he tasted like dirt and mold and death and his lips were ice cold and pale white.

Finally he felt the pressure of Wei Ying's hands being lifted from his head, and before he knew it, Wei Ying had pushed him away so violently that he lay on his back in the dirt and gasped for the air that had been knocked out of his lungs.

When he looked back at Wei Ying, the other looked even more dreadful than earlier.

His mouth was pressed shut, drained of all remaining colour, his hands were balled into tight fists that must be agonizing to hold. His hair was messy, but the worst thing were his eyes, Wei Ying's beautiful, dark eyes that had assumed the colour of the bloodshot beneath them. They glimmered red, like an animal in wait for its prey, and Wei Ying was still breathing shallow and dared not move.

"Please... don't," Wei Ying pressed out from between gritted teeth. He was still kneeling on the ground and now lowered his head to stare onto the earth.

Lan Wangji was not about to let that stop him.

He got up, but as soon as he made the first step towards Wei Ying, the other's head went up again with an inhuman speed. His eyes were darker than before, they had lost the playfulness of an animal in wait and had assumed the stare of one gone wild.

"Don't!" Wei Ying repeated.

"Do you think you can stop me?" Lan Wangji asked, but his voice quivered.

"I think I could kill you!" Wei Ying exclaimed, himself shocked by speaking this out loud.

"If I am doomed to death," Lan Wangji recited, his eyes steadily fixed on Wei Ying's as he approached him, "at least I could be killed by you."

Wei Ying's terrible eyes widened as a howling wind picked up in the distance and swirled the fallen leaves in circles around his feet, almost swallowing Lan Wangji's final words.

"That would be worth it."

"If I am doomed to death by loving an illusion, then so be it," he added. Having reached Wei Ying, he kneeled back down, ignoring his aching back, and pressed his lips softly onto his.

At first, Wei Ying did nothing but wrap his arms around Lan Wangji like a drowning man. Lan Wangji pulled him into an even tighter embrace, deepening the kiss that Wei Ying finally gave back. For a fleeting moment, Lan Wangji could taste Wei Ying's taste of old, the liquor on his breath, the lotus on his lips, the berries on his tongue. He breathed it in, longing to fully engulf himself in it and forget, dedicate himself to Wei Ying and Wei Ying only, but in his mouth the taste fell to dust and turned foul, as though it was rotting like a corpse in the Burial Mounds. The last thing he felt of Wei Ying was how he gave in to the kiss, sucking in the taste of Lan Wangji.

Then, the only thing left was pain.

He felt something needle-sharp piercing the skin on his neck into the artery there, warm blood streamed over his collarbone and soaked into his pristine white robes. Something grasped his wrists, something sharp and cold that cut like the kiss of a blade and made pain explode there, too.

His body gave up resistance almost immediately, so overwhelmed by the action and the agony that he could barely think anymore. Fragments that may or may not have turned out as coherent thoughts swirled through his head but he could not put the pieces together. All that was was Wei Ying, and pain, but the two of them would not fit together, not after all the times Lan Wangji had awoken next to Wei Ying and felt nothing but peace that was too good to be true.

As his body went limp, he felt the blood flow decrease a little, but now blood dripped from the fully soaked collar of his robes into his lap. He still had his eyes closed, did not dare to open them because he was too scared to see the truth of what was hurting him. His hands tried to reach out for Wei Ying, but it was in vain, there was no strength left in them that was necessary to hold onto something. Lan Wangji felt himself going weaker second by second as his qi was leaving his body along with the blood.

Wait.

His qi was leaving his body along with the blood?

The panic that Lan Wangji felt was enough to shoot the adrenaline that it took for his hands to wake from their paralysis of weakness. He grasped the first best thing, a piece of robe that was not soaked with blood, and pulled it closer, always closer until it was close enough that his arms could push it away. With a disgusting, smacky sound something was pulled out of his neck and the pain and blood flow exploded.

His heart was pumping blood out of his body now, but it could not have concerned him less because the outflow or qi from his system had ceased. Still, its quantity had rapidly decreased and he felt the weakness seep through his body again, causing his hands to hang limply from his sides and his body to crash to the ground, no longer able to hold itself up.

However, his eyelids fluttered open now, finally finding the courage to behold what was out there. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for what he saw.

Wei Ying was crouched on the ground, as though he was lurking for something. His breaths were rapid and ragged, his hair a complete mess, even the red ribbon had been taken by the breeze somehow. His face was bloody, bloody over and over, a mess of wet redness, and so were his gritted teeth that he showed now, and Lan Wangji could see the sharp, pointy canines.

Wei Ying looked over and over like an animal, like somebody gone berserk, a fierce corpse or a puppet just a thousand times worse because he seemed conscious, conscious of it all, conscious of the fact that he had... done what exactly to Lan Wangji?

It was about to kill him.

There was not much qi left within him, by far not enough to heal the shredded wound that the laceration of the artery had left on him. Lan Wangji was still panting, but he felt his breaths go more and more shallow by the second. The adrenaline delivered for him by the urge to run kept the pain bearable, otherwise he was sure he would have passed out at the instant. But Wei Ying's wild, berserk gaze was enough to keep him awake solely by fear.

A noise came from Wei Ying's lips, something swallowed by the rising wind, the motion of which on his mouth looked through and through like a hiss. What Lan Wangji could hear as Wei Ying jumped to his feet and slowly approached him was a deep growling, something that should never, ever have come from a human being.

Lan Wangji lifted his hands, covered his eyes with his elbows and waited for death. He did not know what Wei Ying had become, what the fall, the death, the Burial Mounds had made of him. He feared he would never find it out.

He felt Wei Ying's icy fingers creep up on him, in stark contrast to the heat of the blood that kept flowing and staining his robes. Often had Wei Ying's fingers traveled underneath Lan Wangji's robes, often had they explored his body, but never in this way.

Never before had they felt like claws on his skin.

Never before had they slashed his abdomen.

And never before had Wei Ying sunk his canine teeth into the gaping wound of Lan Wangji's stomach and sucked on his blood and qi until his golden core was drained and weak and the world descended into darkness.

#bees0are0awesome #wangxiansolstice20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

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geekydane · 4 years

Text

Talk to me - Tommy Shelby x reader - chapter 1

You were exactly 3 steps behind Mrs. Adelia Langston at all times. As you followed her down the streets of London City with your head down, she barked out demands from her personal servant that tried to follow along with every demand and try to move around all the passerbyers on the sidewalk.

“Call home and tell miss Olivia that we will be late for tea this afternoon. I predict that Mr. Langston will be hard to drag out of his office i the middle of this… inconvenient inflation!” She howled up and one little look up and you saw how the people around you looked at the crazily right old hag that marched in front of you. The 3 steps were not her rule, but your own.

You had lived with Mr. and Mrs. Langston since your father died. More or less. If you didn’t count the months in hospital and afterward mental asylum in. You didn’t have any known family so you inherited all of your father's fortune. That made many of your fathers acquaintances curious to take you in, after the mental asylum made you legally incompetent like a child and you had to have someone there to take care of you. At least you could choose yourself and the lucky winner of dealing with you was Mr. and Mrs. Langston - your old neighbors at the summerhouse in England you went to almost every summer with your father. They were… okay. Very posh and you could feel their age. Mrs. Langston still wore a corsage even though it wasn’t fashionable to do so anymore. She said that if she ever took it off, her body would collapse. You didn't doubt her. Her grey hair was always up and her dress the proper length… If you go back to 1890s. She didn’t approve of your hair hanging loose, so to satisfy her, you always wore your hair in a long braid down your back. You didn’t much care about the clothing she bought for you - with your money - because the last thing you wanted was male attention on you. So you went along with the long dresses and skirts she got you.

What you hadn’t thought about was the fact that making them your legal guardians, you handed over your money to almost complete strangers, that - apparently - were in economic crisis during the war. It fit perfectly for them and all it took was for them to make sure you were dressed, fed and slept in one of the spare rooms. They never really talk much to you. You were just a broken girl. Everyone in the high society in your own country knew what happened to you and there wasn’t a man that wanted to even touch the damaged goods. The Langstons kept you a secret for a long time and never brought you anywhere. They hoped that people would forget about you and your situation before they let you out in the society again and at the moment when you stepped into the parliament building to meet with Mr. Langston, you knew that you might be kicked out soon. Not so much because you were ready, but because your father's money would slip up soon and there wasn’t any reason for them to keep you.

“Darling!” Mrs. Langston twittered out in the big hall. Many of the politicians and diplomats looked your way and as you did every other place, you ducked your head and walked after whatver direction Mrs. Langstons feet went. You could hear a heavy sigh from Mr. Langston when you entered his office. A very typical male office with dark walls and even darker furniture. Even though England was just at war, they all looked shiny new. There is always money for pretty things for the politicians, even in the middle of economic crisis. Very typical, you thought.

“Adelia, you are too early.” Mr. Langston said but stood up to kiss his wife on the cheek. That was one thing you liked about them. They did not always agree about everything, but they did really love each other.

“Or maybe you just don’t remember what time we agreed to. Now! I brought y/n as you said.” She waved you forward and Mr. Langston made a gestured for you to sit down in front of his desk. You could feel that it wasn’t going to be good, but you did as he said and sat down in the needly cushioned leather chair.

“Y/n. You have lived with us for… quite some time now. And.. it’s not that we don’t like having you around, but you are way past your twenties and it will soon be too late for you to… settle down. We know it has been a difficult time for you after your fathers death, but you can’t keep hiding away from the rest of the world. You have to get out there!” Mr. Langston said with such a enthusiasm in his voice, that you almost felt like it was true. he was good at faking, so it almost sounded like he cared. But the thing is, you didn't hide yourself away. They did it and you just went along with it, because you couldn’t imagine what the world could use you for. You were broken. You couldn’t really do anything? Not anything useful at least. What you could do, was keep yourself alive.

“What he is trying to say, dear, is that he have some contact that might have found a job for you and an apartment that would be entirely your own. Doesn’t that sound nice?” Mrs. Langston tried as she walk up next to you and laid a hand on your shoulder. As an reaction on the unsuspected touch you jumped out of the chair and Mrs. Langston flinched back from you with a small yelp.

“Please calm down, y/n! We are just trying to do what is best for you!” Mr. Langston stood up now too and approached you with his hands up in a defensive manner. Calm down? You weren’t even angry. You were just reacting to the sudden touch. You sat down again and twisted your hands around in your lap. You could get through this. This was nothing compared to…

“ I have some connections that could fetch you a job interview. Adelia will go with you of course. Speak on your behalf. And it will be good for you to get out amount other people and maybe in the future you will be confident enough to speak for yourself.” Mr. Langston looked a little worried but he tried his best to smile. You didn’t do anything but sit there. They didn’t care if you agreed or not. The money were almost gone and it was already arranged.

“You will be leaving for Birmingham already tomorrow. A whole now place to start up from scratch. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” He tried again and this time you gave him a small nod. Just a hint of a movement of your head and lit up like a christmas tree.

“Wonderful. Hurry home and pack your things. The rest will be send to your new apartment shortly after.” You left the room with Mrs. Langston. Or rather, 3 steps behind her.

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

You didn’t mind driving. There was something freeing about the thought that you could get far away really fast if you wanted to. But sitting in a car for 5 hours straight wasn’t your cup of tea. The roads between London and Birmingham were bumpy and Mrs. Langston wasn’t the best driver. When you finally reached Birmingham and left the countryside, it was like a dark cloud of ash and smoke rose above you. It was a city, just like London. The Langstons lived in the nicer part of London, but from your window in the spare room you could see the smoke from the south side of the thames. It was like Birmingham was nothing but smoke. You sat looking out on all the people passing by in their cars, on their horses. It was surly interesting to see this part of society that you knew once worked for someone like your father. Maybe it would be good to see something new, like Mr. Langston said.

“We are there in a minute, dear.” Mrs. Langston said as she tried to controls the shaking steering wheel and the hat on her head. You just glared at her for a moment and looked back out on the streets.

A few minutes later she slowed down and halted the car in front of a building that looked like it once was an old warehouse that was rebuilt as an office building. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and horses. It reminded you of a very faint memory of your father bringing you to a racetrack. You didn’t care about the race at all. But your father knew some of the owners of the horses, so he brought you to pet the horses before all the audience arrived. it was somehow a comforting smell, when you could link it to a memory of your father.

You got out of the car and followed a frustrated Mrs. Langston that absolutely did not like the smell that surrounded you and at some point her heel got stock in between the poorly laid cobblestones. ‘Shelby Company Limited’ you read on the side of building before you went inside. Inside it was the same dark colours that was classic for any kind of office that was rules my men. But compared to the parliament building, this looked a bit worn down. The atmosphere was much more cozy. It wasn’t big halls with high ceilings. You could feel the heat from a fireplace somewhere nearby as you stood in the receiving room. A moment later a woman walk out too greet you. She was nicely dressing in a well fitted tight dress and her curly hair looked elegant around her slim face.

“You must be Adelia Langston. I was expecting you half an hour ago.” The woman reached out her hand to Mrs. Langston who was now turning a little pale.

“I am sorry, Mrs Gray. The roads here were a little more… “ She didn’t get to finish her excuses before Mrs. Gray turned to you and reach out her hand.

“You must be Y/n Y/l/n. I’m Elizabeth Gray, but you can just call me Polly.” She said and smiled politely at you.

“I’m sorry to say this, but… She will not be calling you anything.” Mrs. Langston interrupted back before you could react in any way other than taking Polly’s hand.

“So i’ve heard. We will discuss this further in my office. Come along.” She nodded as a gesture for you to follow her. She continued down the hall and opened a set of double doors into a large office environment. People were buzzing and some were yelling. The threw around with paper and hurriedly wrote down numbers on lists. It was very chaotic. It reminded you a lot about how your father’s company was back when you were little. You didn’t understand what all those people were really doing, but it was full of life. You walked behind Polly into an office in the furthest end of the room. She closed the door as Mrs. Langston skipped in nervously.

“Sit down please.” Polly said and walked to the other side of her desk. You sat down on the wooden chair that was pulled up next to the cushioned one that you thought would be best for Mrs. Langston.

“So. Y/n. I have heard a thing or two about you. Have you ever work at an office before?” Polly asked with a smile and you looked at Mrs. Langston. She would tell the lady what she needed. The agreement was made without you anyway.

“She doesn’t speak. But she doesn’t have any experience at an office or alike. But i knew her father and he send her to one of the best schools in y/country. She understands english perfectly and has neat handwriting.” Mrs. Langston sounded almost apologetic towards Polly.

“I was talking to her. She didn’t have time to answer for herself.” Polly said a little harsh. You had never experienced anyone that told Mrs. Langston off like that. That made your hands sweaty. Who was that woman? Why was Mrs. Langston afraid of her? You shifted your eyes down to the floor and tried to stay calm. You could feel yourself start to shake a little and it pricked in your eyes. Who were you trying to fool? You couldn’t take care of yourself and this woman only asked you to talk once and you started to crumble. How were you supposed to take care of yourself?

“You can talk, it is okay. I know a little about what you have been through. That’s why we are here today. I got the opportunity to help you.” Polly leaned over the desk and reached out for you and like she was made of burning hot coal, you scooted the chair back in a rapidly manner. You were close to falling over with the chair but you rose to your feet and ran out. The loud bang of the door hitting the wall behind it made many of the office employees turn their heads and look at you. Just the moment before you hadn’t thought much about them. Only the buzzing of life happening around you. But now you only saw a huge crowd of men staring at you. It was too much. They were too much. You ran past them and aimed for the door that would lead to fresh air - as fresh as it could get in Birmingham.

You threw open the door and almost feel to the ground outside. You steadied yourself against the car you arrived in and breathed so fast that you could feel the prickling in your head. If you didn’t stop soon, you would pass out.

“Who are you?” A male voice sounded from behind you, when your breath was finally getting slower. Your heart skipped a beat when you looked up at the man standing in the doorway you just ran out of. A man with a grey pair of pressed suit pants and a matching waistcoat. on his head he was wearing a sixpence. It was tilted so far down that he had to lift his chin to make eye contact with you. It only made him seem more intimidating.

Even though he was frightening you, you couldn’t look away form his icy blue eyes. The shadow from his sixpence casted a shadow that made his cheekbones look as sharp as knives.

“You just ran out of my building. What were you doing in there?” He asked again. He didn’t sound harsh but you could hear that he was a man that were used to be taken serious and gets his answers. But just thinking about talking to him made your hand sweaty and your throat tight. He looked down at you and with a small sigh he grabbed a hold in your arm and dragged you inside again. The office room went dead silent as you entered with what you assumed was their boss. You didn’t fight against him, since you knew Mrs. Langston was inside and she wouldn’t let him do anything to you. Would she?

“Y/n!” Said the woman Polly you were talking with just before your minor breakdown. She came rushing to your aid and the man let go of your arm. Mrs. Langston came just after but stood back a little nervously.

“Who is she?” The man asked Polly that tried to lay a hand on your back and lead you back in the room but you stepped a little away, not wanting to be touch when you were just dragged by the arm by a strange man. Too much was happening around you and there were too many people staring at the whole scene.

“She’s here for a job interview. She might be your new secretary. Lizzie could use the help.” Polly said and gestured you to go into the office again.

“Then why were you running away? It wasn’t fitting for you?” The man looked straight at you again and waited for an answer but before you could choke on words that wouldn’t leave your mouth.

“I think you need to talk with Mrs. Langston about that, Tommy. I’m sure Y/n will be very useful for us in the future.” Polly said calmly and lead you into the office again. You were already exhausted. All the new impression, people and experiences. And those eyes! You had never seen so icy cold eyes in your life before. There went a shiver down your spine as you plumped down into the chair again. Polly closed the door behind you and left Mrs. Langston alone with the terrifying man.

“So. Mrs. Langston told me that you unable to speak. That the doctors and nurses never found out why that is? But your inability to speak is not an issue here, i can assure you. Sometimes it would be easier if all the employees couldn’t.” Polly said with a smile and looked to you as to see what kind of reaction you would come with. You tried to give her a half-hearted smile but she could see that it didn’t really reach your eyes. You leaned in over the table but didn’t try to reach out for you this time.

“Y/n. I know that you are aware why you are here. The Langstons are not very discreet. They are very much trying to get rid of you at this point because of the money. Mr. Langston have gone great lengths to contact us. But what they doesn’t know is that we might be understanding, but y/n. I’m here to help you.” Polly’s voice became lower and lower. You found yourself leaning closer to her as well even though you anxiety told you otherwise. This was not at all what you were prepared to hear from these people.

“I know a bit or two about how you feel and what you have been through. The Langstons haven’t been able to handle that the way they were supposed to when they agreed to be your legal guardians. The money is slipping of for them now. Your money. I can simply not allow them to use all of your money and then throw you away to the first that says yes to take you in.” Polly stood up slowly and rubbed her chin with her thumb and her index finger as if she was thinking really hard about something. The moment after she searched for something in a bookcase in the back of the room and came back to the desk with a block of paper and a pencil. She made it clear that it was for you to use by sliding it over the table towards you.

“If you give me permission, i will make sure that the rest of the money that is yours will be in your pockets as soon you aren’t legally bound to them anymore. The only thing i want in return, is that you come work for us in the office. Mrs. Langston said you are very skilled in both language and calculation. Both could be very useful for us now that we are expanding our company. What do you say?” She tapped a finger on the paper, indicating you to write your answer and leaned back in her chair again.

She was right. You already knew all of what she just told you. They had never been directly evil towards you. Yes they used your money, but they never raised their voice towards you. They never said anything cruel towards you. But they never acknowledged your presence. You were just there. In your room. They never really tried talking to you. You didn’t feel like getting revenge on them because you never really thought about your relationship with them. But should they get away with taking the rest of the money from your father for themselves as they now threw you out? What were they really to you anyway?

“If you think you can use me here, i will accept your offer.” You wrote on the paper and scooted it towards Polly again for her to read. She smiled at you before folding her hands in front of her on the table.

“I think my nephew will be very happy about this agreement.”

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Masterlist

Well. The response from the last chapter was beyond amazing so i hope you enjoyed this very long chapter too. Thank you so much for reading. This means the world to me!!!

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Tags: @imnotsomewhore

#Tommy Shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby fanfic #Peaky Blinders #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinder fanfic #tommy shelby fan fiction #cillian murphy #fanfiction #thomas shelby #thomas shelby fanfiction

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adorainetheria · 3 years

Text

youtube

I heard this remix and I got inspired so enjoy this dark alternate ending of Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

Phillip had finally escaped Maleficent's castle, he had gone through the large, thick thorn garden spawned by Maleficent with minimal damage, and now was facing his captor in her dragon form. Fire roared out of her mouth, setting the forest ablaze. She snapped her razor sharp teeth at Phillip, pushing him to the very edge of a very steep fall. He tipped back, flailing to center his balance. He felt a heavy, dark, and existential weight drop to the pit of his stomach as Maleficent blew her mighty flames at his shield.

Time slowed as Philip tipped back into the darkness. His vision blurred until all he could see was Auoras face among the flames and the dragon that towered above. Her voice echoed through his head, along with a deeper, more somber one.

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love at once, the way you did once

Upon a dream

He watched his sword and shield float away from his grasp. His field of vision grew darker as the voices continued.

Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah....

Flora, Fauna and Merryweather hurried in attempt to save him, but their little wings could only move so fast...

All the citizens of the kingdom fall into a deeper, dreadful sleep. They start to see colors, passing by like clouds.

Blue.

Pink.

Blue.

Pink.

Blue.

Pink.

Blue.

Pink.

Their ears fill with as slight pressure, as if there was a gentle wind around them. A hauntingly dreamy tune begins to play as a heavy realization collectively washes over them...

They are never going to wake up. Maleficent won. And no one is coming save them.

#im sorry this is so dark lmao #did i ruin your childhood #sorry not really sorry #disney #sleeping beauty #maleficent #classic disney #disney renaissance #nostalgia #disney music #music #music inspired #writing #alternate ending #dark disney #Youtube

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crowleyellestair · 4 years

Note

Can I request a Jaskier x depressed reader? I’m all for the angst and fluff lol, maybe Jaskier is comforting reader after they have a really bad day where they just don’t really feel capable of doing anything? Thank you

AN//// Thank you for requesting!!! I tried to keep it gender neutral as you didn’t specify, and since this was my first gender neutral fic, I hope it’s as good as my others! Feel free to ask for any gender in my requests and I hope you like it anon. If you’d like me to update it and change something, feel free to tell me

Gender Neutral! Mage! Reader x Jaskier

Warnings: Depression and dark reflections of life – No triggering actions

Masterlist

Also check out my other Jaskier stuff- I have a lot!

Y/n was a very skilled healer- they had to be. The chaos they had as a child was too much to contain without proper teachings. Y/n had left the brotherhood soon after being able to harness her powers, traveling from town to town, helping others.

It had worked for a while. The adrenaline they felt through an emergency had surged through them, making them feel their heartbeat. The thumping against their chest reminding them that they were alive. And people needed them to help them continue living like they were.

But it was a lonely life.

There were bright times as children would gather and watch as they had turned flowers into miracles, but the kids would always leave when their parents called.

In a way, they weren’t alone. They had become best friends with solitude. Of course, solitude was never really a great friend back to them. Anywhere solitude and Y/n went, darkness followed. Darkness was a bitch, twisting their good work into a morality trip. After a couple of years of doing good work, it started to make them question life. Why would destiny point all these people in the direction of pain? What did destiny have in store for them?

Of course, they didn’t have a disposition towards life that flowed on the darker side. They still loved when men would hug their wives after they had healed them from whatever ailment they had. Or patching up a scuffed knee a child would get after tripping from a game of tag.

And there was always Jaskier.

It was a day like any other when the two had met. Jaskier was suffering from a magical ailment that wouldn’t allow him to speak. He couldn’t move his mouth to form words. They had fixed him, recommending he speak to make sure he was fine. After hours of listening to him sing and story tell, they had become floored by the bard.

Jaskier was quick to recommend traveling with Geralt and him. Y/n had accepted, much to Geralt’s annoyance. After warming up to them, Geralt had been comfortable, and everything seemed perfect.

Y/n was being taken by two trusted companions to new adventures, sights and people. They had soon forgotten their old travel partners, but it wasn’t long before they made their presence known. Y/n was very good at hiding their feelings, but after months of galivanting, Jaskier could read them like sheet music.

Today had just been one of those days. A child with a sliver had wailed to them for minutes about how cruel life was, and they had kept the headspace throughout the day, reflecting. The child hadn’t really deserved the sliver. He was rolling bread and the pin gave him a large chunk of wood in return. He hadn’t had anyone at home to help as the adults of the home worked hard to keep up with the recent tax of the town.

And they had wanted to go back into the shared room they had with Jaskier and be held. If not, they’d gladly wait and get lost in his music, following the positive notes he would let flow from his mouth and lute. It wouldn’t completely help, but it made them feel like they were floating above everyone. The air would bring them to a neutral place, away from thought and emotion.

But he wasn’t in the room or playing for the people of the tavern, so they sat in the room alone. They peeled off their over coat, boots and plopped onto the bed. After a while, Y/n found themselves under the thin blanket and watched the clouds pass by the window. Nothing really passed through their mind, but the weight of the world still pressed down on their chest.

Y/n didn’t flinch when Jaskier let the door swing open and hit the wall. He dropped his bag and lute by his discarded shoes and walked to the nightstand, not having yet looked at his partner.

“I haven’t found a patch of these in a while, so I brought some. Did you know that my name actually means dandelion? You probably did, considering you work with plants, but you know I can’t refuse sharing a fun fact.” He placed the bundle of flowers in a cup on the vanity. He turned, smiling, but his brows quickly drew together when he notices Y/n wrapped up in the blanket. To most, nothing would seem wrong, but the set frown plastered on their face was an immediate indicator to Jaskier that something was wrong. This was not a new thing Jaskier had to face, but it would still hurt and worry him every time. “I’m not really up for playing tonight. I haven’t asked the owner for permission anyways, and we all remember how not asking went last time.” He laughed at his own memory as he pulled his doublet off. His statement had drawn Y/n’s face fully out from under the covers to look at him.

“Are you sure? There were quite a lot of people here when I got back.” They were right and it was still busy, but Jaskier just smiled and shook his head.

“There any room under there for me?” Y/n nodded, shifting towards the edge and releasing some blanket, allowing the bard to have some. They both laid facing each other, Y/n’s head resting on his bent arm. Their fingers absently played with the strings of his under shirt and he just watched. Jaskier had learned to not directly ask what was bugging them, as they never really had a definitive answer. Usually, he would wait, letting his presence sink in.

Letting them know that they weren’t alone. And if they wanted to talk, they had a set of amazing listening and eager ears.

Y/n curled up further into him, and his hand began brushing the hair that laid just above Y/n’s ear.

Jaskier wanted to give them an anchor to reality. To allow them to know that he was real and so were they. That they were two living beings, sharing a space that was bright and safe. After a while of laying in each other’s thoughts, he spoke.

“Did you meet anyone exciting today? Anything would be better then sitting in sand while watching Geralt talk to the wind.” A ghost of a smile crossed Y/n’s face at the image he painted.

“Two elderly women who thought I was a gardener and a boy with a sliver.” He hummed in acknowledgement, letting them continue if they felt like it. “He was so sad. His parents were gone for the day and he said it took a while to find me for help.” He paused again to make sure that’s all Y/n had wanted to say.

“In the end he did though. Find you, that is. And I’m sure he’s at home now, telling the tale of the selfless mage who had removed his pain. To his parents no doubt, who have safely made it home.” His gentle voice had its special tone that he always portrayed, slowing and starting again after speaking too fast as he often did.

Y/n had hoped he was right. That the boy was at home, laughing and smiling with his parents who had come home after a long, hard days work. And their mind traveled with the image of a table brimmed with food and people.

Before their thoughts could have time to go anywhere else, Jaskier slowly and gently brought Y/n to his chest, placing his chin on the top of their head.

They soon got lost in his heartbeat, letting the feeling of life wrap them entirely. Jaskier was alive and safe, and so were they. For today, at least. But like Jaskier would say, ‘That’s all that matters.’

And they stayed like that. Wrapped in each other’s arms, trying to float in neutral peace. Y/n was encased in the darkness of the pains life and destiny brought, but Jaskier brought something too. He brought a lantern, and he was prepared to do anything for his loved one. Whether it be in a fight, or try and bring peace by laying for hours, talking about nothing except the simple pleasures of life.

#jaskier imagine #jaskier x reader #witcher imagine #dandelion x reader

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nam-nam-joon · 4 years

Text

along the shore

Pairing: yukhei x reader

Genre: meet-cute, summer friendship

Wordcount: 10.3k

Warnings: proceed with caution if large bodies of water/rescue breathing makes you uncomfortable

Summary: the vacation you’ve been waiting for so long is finally here, but the sleepy town by the ocean is holding more secrets than you think

this was written for @kacchand ~! i’ve been thinking of dedicating a few fics to the people whose content i’ve been enjoying on here immensely, and you’re first! here is your well-deserved vacation. i hope you like it :)

It was so early that fog still obscured the tips of the cedars lining the shore.

Well, early was relative - 8 am would be late had it been any other day you’d have to get up and prepare for work. But here and now, on vacation, it was fairly early, especially considering you had, naturally, planned to sleep in every other morning. Theoretically at least.

And yet here you were, comfortably toasty in soft, fluffy clothes, stuffed into a big red wetsuit, head topped with a thick beanie and with excitement in your heart.

The little boat, driven by one of the guides knowing the area like their pocket, didn’t look too reassuring; it dipped and swayed in the little waves that licked at the pontons, shortly below the main tourhouse up half a flight of sun-bleached wooden steps.

Half a dozen other people milled around the waiting area as well, all without exception holding cameras.

You felt around one of the outer, non-waterproof pockets of the thick suit - yep, your phone was still there.

Not to think what would happen if you’d take the expensive digital camera out on a boat ride like this, only to have an unexpected little wave knock it out of your hands and plunge it into the bottomless depth…

Your phone was an acceptable substitute, especially considering how you hadn’t come here to take pictures, but to make memories.

“All aboard!” Came the hoarse cry from the driver. Anticipation washed over the group.

You would really do it. All these months of work and saving everything you could, for this vacation, for this boat ride - to drive out to the open ocean, to see wales.

The excitement made your hands quiver.

On your way out of the safe haven, a sound nestled into the embrace of the coast, you caught he guide throw a few questioning glances at the sky.

They only paused minimally in their telling about bald eagles sitting in the trees and how everyone was on watch-duty to spot them.

The fog stayed behind with the trees as soon as the driver turned towards the open ocean, past a formation of rocks that were covered in seals.

One of them lazily lifted one of its flippers and waved.

“Alright folks, so we might have to cut this tour short today - we’ve been getting reports there’s some heavy rain coming in, and we don’t wanna get hit with that on the open waters. But so far it’s looking good, so, eh, we’ll see.”

Someone asked about experiencing a storm in this boat, and the guide gave them a lopsided grin.

“In this old thing? You’d be lucky if you came out alive. Nah, you best sit out a storm safe on the shore. Better, in a warm cabin with someone to keep you company and a good drink in your hand!”

Cheers and laughter.

A little way further out the driver slowed the boat so everyone could take a good look at a sea otter that was just floating between the waves, disappearing now and then before coming back up and cleaning its little head. Not long after that, the walkie-talkie crackled and an almost not-understandable voice spoke something.

“Folks! We just got news of a whale sighting not too far from here. Hang in tight, we might end up seeing some today after all!”

The murmurs and approving words didn’t last too long, after the clouds started to look a little darker grey, hanging a little low. But then another tour-boat came into sight, and you caught a glance of a rounded back with a minimal fin and every doubt you’d had about anything else was swept away.

The salty breeze blew into your face, left a hint of the ocean on your lips as you followed the others and stood from the bench in the middle of the boat.

Two whales were gathering food, the driver narrated, explaining there wouldn’t be sights of a tail fin until one or both decided to dive deep.

For a while everyone took pictures and admired the parts they could catch of the large animals mostly hidden below water.

Then the other boat started to move, the crackling of an incoming message disrupting the otherwise very peaceful mood. Something like the sound of something big rushing over the water, still far away, reached your ears. Confused by its origin you turned in your seat.

In moments the wind picked up. The breeze from before, salty, suddenly smelled like rain, whipped the long hair of a fellow passenger next to you around and had the boat gently swaying from side to side.

“Everybody sit down and hold on to the boat, the rain might have come earlier than expected - if everybody holds on, we should get-”

You momentarily stopped listening as a boy, surely younger and nonetheless taller than you, rudely shoved his elbow into your back.

“Hey, watch it.” You grumbled, annoyed at how disinterested the other was concerning his surroundings. Another shove that brought you to the edge of your seat, literally, and you turned around, ready to raise your voice when a small wave hit the side of the boat, the top of it spraying water on the passengers. Some of it got into your eyes and you blinked at the sudden sting.

Raindrops began to fall, the water like a wall pushing itself over the ocean.

Mind focused on the primary problem at hand - not being able to see without mild irritation in your eyes - you didn’t see the second wave coming, larger and wilder than the first.

It hit, unexpected, and your butt slipped off the seat completely, forcing you to stand to hop back up. In the short moment in which you still tried to find your balance in the swaying, now moving, boat, a third wave collided with the vehicle.

The edge of the boat had seemed quite high.

And then suddenly it wasn’t, and you couldn’t muster as much as a noise of surprise before the sky and the ocean switched places and you plunged into the water.

Everything got very quiet suddenly.

And cold.

It was cold, so, so cold, and you dimly remembered the safety instruction, some hour ago, and how the person had mentioned that the suit would automatically fill with water. What had been the next step in securing your survival in the water…?

You opened your eyes.

The pain was all but forgotten as you looked out through the surprisingly clear water, saw the whales - three, not two - move under the surface.

They turned and twisted, and their songs reached your ears through the water.

Peaceful.

Something glinting on one of their flippers caught your attention. Narrowing your eyes at it, they almost immediately widened again at the sight.

Someone was swimming around the gigantic animal, their hands rubbing over its skin. A silver grey tail shimmering behind them.

The salt began to burn in your nose.

Nothing changed, and yet the person - was it a person? Were you seeing things? - let go of the whale and paused.

Your thoughts started to grow sluggish in the treacherous cold of the sea.

The person was incredibly fast in swimming around its larger friends. Within seconds large hands reached for you and intelligent, dark eyes, found yours.

“Humans…” Mused a voice, so clear in your ears as if they were speaking above water. “You always forget the most important parts when falling into the ocean.”

A broad smile brightened the boy’s - or was he a young man already?- brightened the face in front of you as quick, nimble fingers worked to tighten the loops around your arms and legs that would halt the flow of water into the suit.

You could do nothing but stare.

Short, dull brown hair flowed with every movement; pearls and other small stuff delicately woven into it, shimmering and glinting now and then.

You tried to speak but the boy was quick to press the pad of his finger to your lips.

“Hush, human. Your voices were made for the air, not the water. Save your breath.”

Breathing.

Only then did you realize your chest hurt.

“Hmm? Human, what’s the m-” His wide eyes travelled up to your own gaze after lingering on your lips, where his finger was still mushed against. Then he noticed your hand, weakly clutching at your chest.

“Oh. I see.”

His eyes seemed to search for something above before reconnecting with yours, and for the first time you thought to see something like mild worry in them.

The bewilderment reached through the haze that settled over your oxygen deprived brain as the boy moved forward, one of his hands on your jaw, the other holding you close, and then pressed his own lips to yours.

There was no leverage to hold on to, or to push away the stranger, and your fists weakly connected with his chest.

His hands only held you tighter, your heart beating faster in a rising panic.

With the shock it was easy for him to tilt his head and open both of your mouths together in what turned out to not be a kiss. Instead, he gave you air, and even though your head still swam, the pressure on your temples lessened.

“Let’s get you back up, you don’t belong here.” Were the last words you could hear before you felt the water pulling at you as the boy swam forward.

Shortly before you could break the surface you went limp in his hands.

You came to as the boat docked below the tourhouse, wet to the bones and shivering.

It took three mugs of steaming tea, an abundance of warm blankets and a donated hoodie and pants you were ushered into in favour of your soaked clothes, until you were somewhat clear in the head again and your hands weren’t shaking anymore.

After the head of tours had apologized, along with the rude boy from before that had definitely been a big part of the reason why you’d fallen, you sat on a bench above a heater, overlooking the haven and following the raindrops that raced down the glass.

Outside the storm was fully raging, and the opening through which the boats entered and left the haven was hidden in the rain.

The young man with the fishtail wouldn’t leave your mind.

Had you hallucinated him? The combination of the shock from the cold water, the salt, the lack of air…?

You had almost asked about it, after the guide had helped you ashore, the small team from the tourhouse already waiting to get you inside to dry and get warm as soon as possible.

There had been something like a silent exchange of words between the staff, at least it had seemed so. Or maybe the guide had just quietly accepted their fate of being beheaded later.

“How are you feeling, dear?”

As if sensing your thoughts were circling back to one topic and one topic only, the friendly woman from behind the counter slipped around it and towards you, hand already extended towards your mug in a questioning manner.

You nodded and smiled, politely declining the offer to get another refill.

“Better.” You sighed, then. “Can feel all my toes and fingers again.”

The woman pursed her lips but refrained from apologizing once more.

“You had the unfortunate luck to be our one-in-a-hundred case… Good thing you remembered the safety procedure.” She lifted an eyebrow, and you dipped your nose back into your mug to humm in agreement.

Except you hadn’t, hadn’t remembered, had been frozen in fear and if it hadn’t been for-

“Well, I guess, the kayaking tour this evening will have to be postponed to tomorrow… doesn’t look like the rain will stop anytime soon.”

As if on cue, thunder clapped in the distance. The woman frowned.

“Yikes. Stay as long as you’d like, okay? I threw your clothes into the wash, they should be good in an hour or so.”

You set the mug down on the windowsill quite suddenly as a thought fell into your head.

“The wetsuit… did you find a phone in it? I remember putting it in one of the outer pockets…”

The apologetic look on the woman’s face was saying it all.

“So sorry. There wasn’t anything in your suit after we helped you out of it. It must have slipped out when you fell.”

“Damn.” Your eyes fled outside the window, and resignation tugged at your heart.

This long awaited trip had, within only its first two days, gone from the dream of your dreams to a very unfortunate collection of mishaps.

“But there’s good news too; The weather’s supposed to get a lot better in the next days. It’s not much, I know, but it’s something, hm?”

After your clothes had come out of the drier, as fluffy and warm as they had been before, the friendly woman from the counter lend you a sturdy, bright yellow wax coat to keep you dry on your way to the hostel, and you took your leave.

On the way there you stopped by one of the many cozy, tiny restaurants.

The salmon soup and the freshly baked bread that came with it somewhat soothed the loss that your missing phone had left in you midst; replaced with food it was bearable for now.

It still sucked, but that was out of question.

The afternoon was spend in the common room of the hostel, overlooking part of the harbour and the sound.

There was a guitar sitting in a corner, and someone picked it up and began plucking calm tunes that mixed with the chatter of the two handful of people milling in the beautiful glass house addition to the main hostel.

Wrapped in a blanket with your book the time passed easily enough. The rain was still pouring and you decided against going out for dinner. Instead you raided the ‘up for grabs’ section of the hostel kitchen, and later slept in with a belly full of noodles and sauce you had cooked up from the bounty of the free shelve.

The next day dawned bright and early, warmer than the ones before and without a single cloud in the sky.

The sunscreen you had packed suddenly didn’t look as obsolete anymore, and you generously applied it before leaving the hostel to finally explore the small town.

It was already past noon when you stumbled through a patch of forest, the trees unkept and the barely there path overgrown. The tote over your shoulder held a sandwich of a respectable size and two cans of lemonade, and your belly had been loudly requesting them for a while.

You had been looking for a good place to sit down and rest for about the same time. As the trees thinned out and gave the view free on an old walkway that reached into the water, you felt relief washing over you.

The place for lunch had been found.

It felt awfully touristy but along with your food you had bought a simple straw hat. Sitting here on the edge of the walkway now, it made the burn of he sun bearable.

Your toes barely touched the water below as you dangled your legs over the edge, leaned back on your hands and just resting after wolving down the sandwich.

The sun was glistening on the surface of the waves. A few seagulls passed by overhead.

It was very quiet here, the trees in your back doing a great job at filtering the noise from the street beyond them and shielding the seclusive lagoon from prying eyes.

Sat here the awful events from yesterday were almost forgotten.

Almost.

Until…

“Hi.”

The voice startled you. There was noone on the wooden planks behind you, noone on the shore; it took your searching eyes a moment to move to the water.

“I’m- I’m down here.”

There was humour swinging in the words but you inched forward on your hastily pulled back legs, wary. You spied over the edge and sighed.

A head was bobbing shortly above the waves; the same wide, brown eyes staring up at you now that had so curiously taken in your face yesterday.

Here, in the sunlight, his skin had nothing of its ghostly paleness from below water anymore. Indeed he was quite tan, although his hair was still much darker. The pearls in it blinked.

“Hi?” You answered, not entirely sure if you had fallen asleep in the sun and were experiencing a very realistic dream.

“Hey. You’re the one from the tour yesterday, aren’t you? I found this after I brought you to the surface, it was just sort of… drifting. This morning it wouldn’t stop making noise, Yuta said it was probably yours?”

His words didn’t make much sense before he lifted a hand out of the water, droplets of the liquid running over the skin that blended into scales on one side of the appendix. Clutched in his fingers, looking almost entirely human, was your phone.

“My phone!” You repeated, hastily taking it from the boy and drying it with your shirt. The screen lit up after you pressed a button, and even though one edge of the display was of a slightly distorted colour, otherwise it seemed to be fine. You looked back at the boy, still floating in the same spot.

“Thank you so much!” You blinked, and lowered the device until it rested on your thigh. “Thank you. Not only for my phone but...you know. Saving my life.”

The previously rather passive expression on the merman’s morphed into a big grin. One hand ran through the wet locks, messed them up a bit. Already they were drying under the sunlight.

“You’re welcome. Taeil was worried when they saw you fall.”

“Taeil…?”

“My friend! One of the whales you saw yesterday.”

“Right.” You furrowed your eyebrows. “I-”

“Sorry,” He interrupted you, and you fell silent immediately. “Would you mind if I came up and sit with you? It gets super exhausting to keep talking up to you like that.”

“Um, sure.” You shuffled over to the left until there was more than enough room for one more to sit. After hastily stuffing the sandwich wrapper into your bag, you gave a thumbs-up to the guy below.

In the next breath he was already pulling himself up, arms flexing and tail splashing a fine mist of water over you before he settled down next to you.

You ran both your hands over your face and lifted your hat to brush back a few strands of hair. When you opened your eyes again you suddenly had to look up.

The guy was taller than you while sitting, his friendly face smiling down on you.

It was a fleeting thought in your head before your eyes travelled down and latched onto the same, glimmering, grey tail that had caught your attention yesterday already.

Up this close it was incredibly beautiful.

The scales overlapped, creating a shimmering slick surface that was able to follow every move the strong muscles did below.

It narrowed where it vanished in the water, the end concealed in the depths. The occasional single scale was brighter that the others wich, under a closer look, ranged from dark grey, almost charcoal, to a silverish concrete grey. The ones around the boy’s hips were overall lighter than the ones closer to the water, but the brighter scales dotting the whole tail were more noticeable there.

You realized you were staring and turned your head in the other direction, feeling a heat that had nothing to do with the clear sky entering your cheeks.

“First time seeing a mermaid, huh? I get it, we can be quite breathtaking.”

“Oh jesus christ.” You let out, glaring at the smug grin on the boy’s face. “At least introduce yourself before subjecting me to such horrible… horrible puns.”

The laughter, waiting to boil over beneath the cold surface, finally broke free after looking at the other’s face a little longer.

“You really think it was terrible, hmm?” He grinned, hands folded in his lap. “I’m Yukhei. What’s your name?”

“_______. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh please, the pleasure is all mine.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and you laughed again.

“Do you do that often?” You asked, after taking a sip from your drink.

Yukhei made a small noise of question and turned his head. Your eyes were trained on the horizon melting into the ocean in the heat.

“Save people who fall overboard.”

“Oh.” He huffed, following your gaze. “No, not usually. I mean, usually, people don’t fall in, and usually, on the rare occasion they do, they’re busy helping themselves.” He shrugged.

“Guess I owe you big time, then.” Your eyes dropped to where your legs dangled next to Yukhei’s tail.

The other watched you for a moment.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. Many people forget everything as soon as they join us in the water. It’s not your fault.”

Your eyes briefly met with his and got stuck on the empathy in them.

The fingers in your lap, circled around your phone, tightened.

“Still. If there’s something I could do for you - it’d make me feel better.”

Without asking, Yukhei’s hand stole behind you and grabbed the unopened can of lemonade.

“Well, if you put it like that…” He took a sip of the drink, paused, and looked at the label. “Ah, this one’s good. Um. Yeah, if you really want to, I’d love to get some licorice. The good, german one. Think you can get me a pack of those?”

He lifted his eyebrows over his drink, hopeful smile half hidden behind the metal.

“Sure.” You laughed, incredulous at his odd request. “I think I can manage that.”

Yukhei’s smile was a radiant as the sun above. “Great! Thanks.”

A moment of silence in which you both sipped your lemonades in silence. Then he spoke up again.

“So did you get a good photo of my friends? That’s why you were there, right? To take photos of the whales?”

You shook your head, eyes leaving the deep blue of the ocean for the brown of Yukhei’s gaze. “No. I have a good camera but I didn’t take it out to the tour - looking back it proved to be a really good decision because I was- Well I wasn’t anticipating taking a dive but the possibility was there. You know? I mostly went to see whales and make memories.”

“Huh.” The mermaid sipped his drink, lazily swishing his tail through the water below. “That doesn’t happen too often. Mostly it’s just ‘Oh I gotta take a picture of this! Oh I gotta take a picture of that!’.”

“Tell me about it…” You sighed into your can, eyes squinting at the glistening water once more. “This is a super beautiful tiny town, I’m just glad not more people are as crazed to ban everything they get in front of their lense on photos. It’s the worst when they stop in the middle of the walkway and if you don’t pay attention you just smack right into them!”

Exasperated you dropped the hand that had gesticulated wildly back on your leg. Yukhei watched you with interest, taking in every word.

“So you’re not a tourist-tourist?” He asked, tip of his finger running over the top of the can in his hand.

You shook your head.

“I mean, I do take pictures as well, but at least I try to… Not inconvenience anyone else while doing it. I wanna have keepsakes that I won’t just throw away after they gather dust on some shelve.”

“That’s a good approach.”

The time seemed to fly by the longer you sat on the walkway with Yukhei, even after you had both finished your drink. He was a great listener and soaked up everything you told him about the town you usually lived and worked in, about the town just behind the line of trees that the merman had obviously never seen.

Before long you glanced at your watch and had to hurry to excuse yourself because the kayaking tour you’d signed up for would depart soon.

“Kayaking?” Yukhei’s eyes glinted. “Maybe I’ll come.” His smile was mischievous, and you worried your eyebrows.

“But- That means people would see you.”

“You saw me just now?”

“Yeah but-”

“Relax, I won’t swim next to your boat or something.” He grinned, entertained by your exasperation at the prospect of having a mermaid trailing your boat. “But maybe you’ll catch glances of me in the distance - keep an eye out on the horizon, baby.”

He winked, with both eyes, and clicked his tongue suggestively. It had you breaking into a laugh before you shoved him back into the water. He went in with a great splash, hovering in one spot and beaming up at you.

“Meet you back here at sundown? With my licorice?” His eyebrows curved on his forehead in an adorable way, and you weren’t entirely immune to those round, hopeful eyes he gave you.

“Sure.” You laughed again, hoisting the tote higher up your shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

You waved with the hand still holding your phone, and then had to run to still make the kayaking trip.

In the evening you went into one of the shops and eventually had to ask one of the clerks there if they had what the mermaid had asked for.

With a small package of ‘Haribo Rotella’ in your sunburned hands you returned to the thick patch of forest you’d been wondering by noon. The store had had a select few packages of other Haribo sweets as well, smurves and something colourful, too, but you’d stuck with the ‘Rotella’ stuff since it was purely licorice.

Another two cans of the lemonade you’d bought before were in your bag now, and as you made your way down the hill to the walkway you could see something bobbing in the water next to it.

Yukhei was waiting already when your feet touched the wood on the construction, hair dripping water on his shoulders and droplets glistening all over him.

He waved enthusiastically as you approached, hopping in place and reminding you very much of an excited puppy.

“Did you get it?” He almost shouted, and wordless you held out the sweets. “Omg yass!”

He tore into the package and fished a coil of the black stuff out, munching on it excitedly.

“Did you just say ‘omg’?” You remarked with a smile as you smoothed down the fluttery fabric of your summer clothes to sit next to the merman. He grinned at you.

“So what if I did?”

“I didn’t know that was something merfolk - do you call it that?” Yukhei nodded patiently. “Didn’t know merfolk used such words.”

He shrugged. “You pick up a lot, you know? I mean, I do speak your language as well, so.”

“Oh yeah you’re right.” You looked at him with new interest. “Where did you learn it? Do merfolk have school as well?”

He was on his third of fourth coil now and not showing any signs of stopping.

“Your parents teach you, mostly. And the human children coming to the sea sometimes.”

At your astonishment he chuckled, plopping another piece into his mouth. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Mermaid’s a fairy tale right? Except for the natives living by the coast. They know they’re not. But you can’t really trust anyone else.”

Uncomfortably touched you looked away. The sky was a dusty orange dulling into greyish blue the lower the sun, just out of sight already, sunk. The breeze was still warm, but the freshness of summer nights began to circle on the area.

“But… That means… You trust me not to tell anyone I saw a mermaid.”

You looked back at Yukhei who, after more than half the pack, had seemed to finally slow down. The sweets were momentarily placed aside as he leaned forward, his elbows on his tail and holding your gaze with an unfamiliar intensity you hadn’t seen before.

“It’s less trusting and more desperately hoping. Of course, nobody would really believe you if you told them you’d seen someone like me… The locals who know will say you got a bad sunstroke and the glittering on the light on the water fooled your eyes. Nobody will carry word outside this town except you, maybe, but we hope you don’t. That wouldn’t be very nice. Not only because I saved your life.”

Stunned by the calm sincerity in his voice you just sat next to him for a moment. The bubbly, loud demeanor from before was entirely gone and there was something intense in his eyes the longer you looked into them.

“I won’t say anything. I promise.”

“Good.” He leaned back, smiled, and the tension dissipated.

His broad shoulders relaxed and he sporadically took out another piece of licorice, going back to the somewhat mindless chatter he’d filled your conversation before.

It felt a bit strange, to have the bubbly, open, happy version of himself back so suddenly, and it made you think twice when regarding him.

His looks were easygoing and borderline cheeky again, but now you could see something simmering beneath it.

When you had parted ways that evening, the night sky dotted with stars already, and finally lay in bed, your thoughts wouldn’t let go on how much he had risked in the gamble of not only saving you but also returning your phone.

It was currently charging at the port inside one of the small lockers that had come with the room. The discoloured corner would probably remain, but after a few hours stuck in rice you were positive the rest would work just fine.

Before you knew it, the first week of your vacation ended already.

Almost daily were the visits to the ocean, to the little, hidden walkway. More often than not you could see Yukhei already waiting, swimming between the wooden pollers keeping the walkway up, weaving in and out of them. After a few days he was laying with his arms and upper torso on the wood, baking in the sunlight.

As you approached your meeting space today you found him laying completely out of the water, with only his fluke hanging over the edge.

To see his tail in all its glory brushed all conscious thoughts from your head.

The boy seemed to sleep, his eyes closed and face relaxed as you crouched next to where his ankles would have been.

The glint of his scales was inviting you to reach out with a hand, to touch it, but you refrained and stuck to only watching how it slowly moved from side to side.

A sheen of moisture sparkled in the sunlight.

When a cloud pushed itself in front of the radiant orb in the sky the temperature went from scalding to bearable, waking Yukhei.

He scooted forward until he was on one height with you, at the edge of the walkway, yawning and pouting a bit.

“Why the long face?” You playfully jabbed an elbow into his side.

“You should have woken me up when you arrived! I don’t want to waste time I could spend in your company.”

It was difficult to suppress the fond smile spreading on your face.

“You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to disturb you. Sorry.”

He shook his head and placed it on your shoulder.

“You were looking at my tail again, weren’t you?”

Now it was your turn to pull a pout. “Don’t call me out like that. Yes I was. It’s a very pretty tail.”

“You can touch it if you want, you know?”

You lifted your head and turned it to look at him. “You sure?”

He hummed affirmatively, lashes fanning over his cheeks as he watched where his appendix sloshed in the water below.

Hesitation made your hands heavy. But curiosity won.

With a single finger you poked the skin, on the height of where his knee would have been.

He giggled at the way you leaned down to inspect it better. The scales where smooth and covered in a thin film of slick, and it was almost like petting koi. His smile was still wide and the twinkle in his eyes still glinting when you leaned back after your thorough inspection.

The slick rubbed off and stuck to the palm you had hesitantly stroked Yukhei’s tail with and you were a bit grossed out at how it coated your skin.

The water wasn’t too far down and so you switched your legs hanging over the edge for your torso, reaching down to wave your hand around the water, hoping the sheen would dissipate. It didn’t, at first, and you went on to rub the fingers of the hand against each other before outright wiping the palm on the wood of a pillar. Still hanging with around half your body over the edge you collected your strength to pull yourself back up, before-

“Watch out!” Yukhei suddenly called, his hands jerking to your sides as you startled at his voice.

“Wh-!”

The blue came a lot closer and the next moment you were sputtering and coughing, treading water to hold yourself up while attempting to blink the salt out of your eyes.

“Yukhei!”

The merman was cupping the lower half of his face in his palm, trying and obviously failing to hide his laughter.

“You idiot!”

He cackled at that, head tipped back and with an arm wrapped around his middle to hold himself together while you glowered at him from the wetness.

Grumbling you went to the rusted steps of an ancient ladder mounted to the wood meant for this exact occasion.

The water clung to your clothes, dragged you back, and you needed to strain your arms to heave yourself up - were almost out of the water when two strong hands clamped over your hips and pulled you back in.

His name got half swallowed by a mouth full of saltwater and again you were coughing and glaring at the face of one all too happy merman.

He was effortlessly floating by your side, staying out of reach of your moving legs.

“Hm?”

He was giving you the doe eyes again, the fake-i-am-so-sorry-pls-don’t-hurt?-ones, and you shoved water at him. It didn’t yield much result as all it accomplished was soaking his hair, but the smile on his lips widened a little.

“Aww come on!” He circled you once, coming closer and tugging you towards him afterwards. With his arms around your middle it was easier to stay up, and the immediate fear of being pulled underwater by something vanished.

“We always sit on that dumb pier and talk, how about we play a bit now? In the water? Pretty please?”

All by themselves did your arms come to rest on top of his shoulders, after wiping the strands of hair from your face.

“You could’ve just asked instead of shoving me in!”

He was pouting now.

“You were slipping in already! I meant to save you!”

“The hell you were… you’re a really fishy person, you know that?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.”

He released you as you made attempts to get to the ladder, his expression now a little dulled at you continued lack of excitement.

“Don’t pull a face, Mr. Fish, I’ll come back in, I just need to take off my shoes first.”

He was beaming up at you again as you came back from stowing away the shoes, bag and other valuables you’d brought in a shaded spot under a tree, where it was unlikely to be spotted or taken. This place was pretty reclusive as it was already, but better safe than sorry. You’d already lost your phone on this trip once, you weren’t keen on that or worse happening again.

That evening you slept in early, tired as can be.

It had been fun, playing with Yukhei where he was most at home. The shallow water in the hidden lagoon had been a lot warmer than that out on sea, but even with the hot temperatures that had settled in after the first days it was still taxing on your body. Not to mention the exhaustion the physical exercise brought.

The next evening you brought your polaroid camera down to the hidden beach.

Yukhei in the light of the dying sun was something you didn’t want to forget.

It lit up his skin in touches of caramell and gold, caught in the pearls and glittering stones woven into his hair and the droplets of water on his skin.

You made sure not to aim at anything of his lower body, so to anyone who didn’t know, he just looked like a boy fresh from the surf, shirtless and with salt-swept hair.

There were soft scales running along parts of his upper body too, but to anyone who didn’t know what they were, they would just look like a funny reflection.

Yukhei hovered over your shoulder, asking to see the selfies you’d taken on your phone, gasped in amazement as you handed him the polaroid one and told him he’d have to wait until the image showed.

You laughed a little at how he spend the next few minutes sitting hunched forward, the small picture cradled in his palms, eyes fixed on the developing image.

“Look! Look, it showed up! It’s us!”

“I know.” You smiled at him and stabilized the shaking piece of paper and plastic he held out to you. His fingers didn’t let go and together you watched on as the final details showed up.

“You look happy.” You commented, peeling your eyes away from the keepsake and looking up at the merman.

“You too.” He mirrored you, squinting against the last rays of sunlight falling from around your back into his eyes. The smile seemed glued to his face the past days.

“Can I keep one as well?” His voice was a bit smaller than usual, his hands gripping the other in his lap.

“Mhm- Yeah, I think I could print one of the selfies and laminate it, so the water wouldn’t soak it. I’ll see what I can do tomorrow, okay?”

Satisfied, he nodded, slinging an arm around your side and tugging you into a hug.

“Thank you. I’m so glad I pulled you from the water. You’re a great human.”

You smiled and leaned your cheek against his shoulder and hugged him back, but when the sun had vanished completely and the darkness pulled over the sky on your way back to the hostel you were reminded how your vacation would end soon.

It was still several days, and yet…

The end drew closer with each sunkissed day you spend in this sleepy town, with Yukhei by your side.

He picked up on the somewhat gloomy mood you’d fallen into, asked what was wrong with a concerned expression and his head ducking down to meet your line of sight.

You told him, throwing tiny pebbles you’d picked up by the waterline back into the small waves lapping at the wooden structure.

He grew silent after that, and it seemed you weren’t the only one who had temporarily forgotten there was a clock ticking down.

You hadn’t explored nearly as much of the town and the surrounding area as you’d originally planned, and that was okay because there was Yukhei, but part of you knew the people who knew about your trip would nag you endlessly if you came back and told them you’d only seen a fraction of the scenic area.

For a while both of you stewed in silence.

Eventually your thoughts cleared a little again and you were able to focus on nicer things, but when you turned to Yukhei and wanted to ask him something he was already squinting his eyes into the distance, hand shielding his face. Shortly afterwards he turned and met your eyes, an apologetic look on his face.

“-Sorry, whatever you wanted to say, do you think you can keep it ‘till tomorrow? I think I have to go back, I’ve kind of been neglecting my duties these past days to come hang out with you and I think they caught on to me.”

You nodded in understanding.

“Will you be here tomorrow?”

He shrugged, already slipping into the water.

“Don’t know.”

And without saying more, he was gone.

You came back the next day, finally with the laminated selfie he’d asked about. You’d taped off the edges to make it even less likely for water to get to the image safe between the sheets of plastic, had put it into an envelope, even.

But Yukhei wasn’t there.

You waited, more than an hour. The waves and the gulls overhead were the only things keeping you company.

Back up on the hill you looked down one more time; at the spot on the walkway you knew was the envelope with a stone on top so the wind wouldn’t blow it away. You hoped Yukhei would find it, if he came by later.

The rest of the day was spend walking the town and finally crossing some things off your checklist.

It was nice, to see so many other people, to hear different voices and laughs and bathe in the general, light-hearted mood, but the disappearance of Yukhei yesterday nagged at the back of your head and wouldn’t go away completely.

As the sun lowered and you came by the path through the small forest, familiar for your eyes already, there was a moment in which you hesitated. Should you go look, see if Yukhei had found the photo? -But he hadn’t been there in the morning, he’d said people had caught him slacking off, maybe he would be banished to work extra now.

Your feet hurt and your shoulders too; Forgoing to put on sunscreen just because you wore a light button down with short sleeves over a tank top. But the day had been warmer than expected and so you’d taken the shirt off eventually, forgetting about your unprotected shoulders.

A cool shower and a snack and then bed would be nice.

A bird flew past you, keckering and complaining in the still evening air, and brought you back from your thoughts. No. It’d be best to just head back for now. Tomorrow you could come by again. And the day after, and then another day, and the day after that… Maybe you could say goodbye before catching the bus back. Maybe. Hopefully.

The moon hung over the ocean, big and bright, casting silver light on your path and dipping everything in mystic touches.

There were light clouds coming in from the sea over the following morning. By noon they had thickened, rain beginning to fall.

The earth smelled rich, the scent of the water on hot stones surrounding you.

The hostel had provided an umbrella as you’d mentioned you had forgotten to bring your own, and now you were huddled below it, barefoot and in shorts to get as little of your clothes wet as possible.

The path down the hill was slippery and you had to focus on every step in order to not take a tumble over the rocky patches of grass.

Mud squelched between your toes as you stepped onto the sand finally. The pier was deserted.

Still you walked the length of it, the raindrops washing your feet clean while you moved.

There was the stone you had left behind.

A sigh escaped you as you crouched down, gently lifting the weight. The envelope had turned to off-white mush, the last, dry spot it had had under the cover of the stone quickly soaking.

Among the dissolving paper was the selfie.

“Well, at least I know it’s waterproof now.” You put the stone back, deciding against taking it with you. Maybe if Yukhei would come by, maybe he would find it. There was a lot of maybe and you weren’t ready to accept he might have just left like that.

The inside of the restaurant was warm and dry and nobody gave you dirty looks for coming in like you had.

The sky was still covered in clouds when you went to bed, afternoon spent exploring the local museum and art gallery, but the rain was that of a summer day, not pelting down too harshly.

It trickled down the window in the dorm room and whenever the wind came in just right you could hear the waves crashing in the distance.

It was still dark when you sat up.

Hands reached for the water bottle by themselves until your thirst was quenched and still you didn’t feel like lying back down.

Moonlight shone through the window and painted rectangles on the floor, patterned by the half-drawn blinds.

No sound came through the cracked window, and none came from the people sharing the room with you, either.

For a moment you froze in your place, not daring to breathe.

It was like the world was holding its breath alongside you, was waiting for something. Anything.

The breeze came back, gently carding through the long grass below the window.

Someone turned on their other side in their bed, the wood creaking.

You relaxed, shoulders dropping. Whatever it had been seemed to have passed.

The pillow settled around your face as you lay down, drawing the blanket up higher as a shiver in the still air crept down your back.

Even with eyes closed your ears remained wide open, sensitive to any sound.

Sleep began to reach out its hands towards you once more, until-

The world spun a bit, so fast had you sat up.

There it was again.

Whatever had woken you before, there it was again, and it was… Music?

A song?

On quiet feet you stole towards the window, opening it a little wider.

The wind turned and the singing voice couldn’t be heard anymore.

Your phone proclaimed the time to be one am as you plucked it from its charging place, shrugged into a cardigan and slipped into a pair of shoes.

All the clouds had left the sky and it stretched endless into every direction, littered with stars.

There were so many more than you were used to, empty spaces filled in by more glowing dots than you could count, and every time you had to pause, wait for the wind to carry the song to your ears again, you stared up at the dome with wide eyes and wonder.

The patch of trees came into view and your steps sped up.

You really hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be a dream as you pushed through the bushes, eager to get to the other side, stumbling once and only barely regaining your footing as the slope began to dip further.

Next to the walkway floated Yukhei.

With steps as quiet as you could muster you inched over the wood, towards the mermaid drifting close by the edge. A small rectangle on his chest was a ghostly white and you didn’t know what it was until you stood next to him, saw the tape around the edges.

But by then his singing had picked up a note, had won in intensity.

He didn’t need instruments to accompany his voice. It was so rich, so deep and yet so melodious that anything else would have only interferred with the story he wove with the words that you couldn’t understand.

There was an ache in your chest growing as Yukhei’s song went on, his notes becoming more desperate until there were tears in your eyes because you knew Yukhei was calling for something, something out of his reach, but you didn’t know what and it brought pain into your heart.

His voice grew hoarse on the next verse and he broke off, closing his lips and swallowing once.

The silence filled the air around you, made the cool summer night heavy. Breathing was difficult and you hoped, longed Yukhei would continue.

But his eyebrows furrowed, creasing the skin between them, and he stayed silent under the stars, only drawing a slow breath every once in a while.

“What were you singing about, Yukhei?” You asked, crouching on the wood, cardigan wrapped around your legs.

The merman startled so badly he caused a small wave that swept over him, got into the wrong pipe and made him cough.

Bobbing upright in the water his wide eyes stared up at you, as if you were the mythical creature bathed in the light of a million stars and not him.

As if the moonlight didn’t put silver between his strands, place a silver glow over his shoulders.

“You’re here.”

You nodded, still looking down on him in the water.

“You- You came.”

Again you moved your head.

Yukhei seemed at a loss for words.

“You weren’t here yesterday.” You picked at a loose thread on your knitwear, averting your eyes. “I see you found the photo.”

He stilled in fiddling with the rectangle, flattening it to his chest instead.

He remained silent.

It must have been the longest time you hadn’t heard any sound coming from him before he gently laid the photo on the wood and pulled himself up to sit beside you.

His tail was so close to your leg you could feel the coolness that clung to his scales so fresh out of the water.

“Your song,” You continued, as it seemed unlikely he would raise his voice sometime soon. “It was so… full of emotion. What were you singing about?”

His gaze, erratic, fled your face and focused on the water rippling around his tail.

“I lost a friend.” He answered eventually, and although he didn’t whisper, it almost felt like he had. “I was trying to call them, pleading for them to come back to me.”

“I’m sorry.” You held your gaze trained on him until the brown, in the moonlight grey, eyes met yours again. Under your attention he stilled. “You must have liked them a lot if you were this desperate to have them with you again.”

He nodded, not losing the contact. His tongue flicked over his lips and the crease between his eyebrows returned before he spoke again, slowly, like he was picking his words with great care.

“They’re in a place I can’t reach. We don’t sing often. Your kind have made tales and warning stories of those you call Sirens, who lure sea-faring folk to their death by bewitching them. But it’s not like that. We protect what is most dear to us with the only thing more powerful than any weapon your kind could craft. We sing. But we don’t sing for destruction. We sing to make peace, to calm waves and to save those too weak to defend themselves.” He paused, the interruption minimally. “We sing for our loved ones, to heal and to lighten the mood and when they leave for their safe return.”

His face was uncharacteristically somber as he spoke, and you listened intently.

“Your friend,” You looked out over the ocean, thinking about how incredibly it had looked to see him swimming with the whales. “I hope they’ll come back to you soon. Even though that song was so beautiful, if it speaks of loneliness and the wish to see them again, I hope you won’t have to sing it too many times.”

Yukhei had taken the hand that had been lying on the wood between your bodies away, holding it by its wrist with the fingers of the other hand.

His expression was unreadable as you looked up into it, tried to see anything.

“Where is your friend? How far have they gone?”

The tips of his fingers were dry but still cold to the touch when they met with the skin of your own hand. You felt them when he moved his hand up your arm, to your shoulder and then across your back.

Tears collected on the waterline of his eyes as he turned to fully face you, looking down and taking in every detail of your face.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, and you didn’t know what for exactly.

He closed his eyes before leaning forward, his chin on your shoulder and his arms holding your tightly.

With the weight of his arms over yours it wasn’t easy but you did your best to hug him back, waiting if he would explain.

His voice was husky when he drew a shaking breath through the hot liquid running over his cheeks and collecting in your cardigan.

“I don’t know where my friend went, but it was because I left them first, but they’ve come back now and I’m so happy but I’m so sorry.”

He tightened his hug and in the breathless moment in which he squeezed you as close as he could you realized he’d meant you.

He’d been singing about you.

With your hands cupping over his shoulders you pushed him back a little to be able to see his face properly.

He squinted his eyes at you through sniffling a little.

“You were singing for me? To come back to you?” He nodded, biting on his lower lip and covering the hand you’d put on his cheek to wipe away his tears. “You wanted me to come back? But- You were the one who didn’t show up. Who left without saying anything.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he knew exactly what you were saying was true.

“I know. It was rude of me and I hate myself for doing it and- That’s not true, I was there when you put the photo on the pier, but I didn’t show myself which makes it even worse and I’m so sorry but when you said you were going to leave soon I just- I didn’t know what to do. Of course I knew you’d be gone sooner or later, of course I knew it shouldn’t mean anything to save you from drowning, but I still hoped… We would have more time.”

The corners of his mouth drooped down alongside his shoulders.

“In a way, I- I didn’t want the time I could spend with you to end yet, and that’s why I didn’t show- And also you said you wanted to see lots of the village, and I thought I kept you long enough but-”

You sighed deeply. “I understand.”

He closed his mouth and looked up to you ruefully.

“I’m sorry too. For not telling you earlier.”

This time it was him sighing, taking your hand from his cheek to his lap and curling both his palms around yours.

“Can we watch the stars together tonight?” He asked after a bit of silence in which he’d tapped on your skin in what you were pretty sure was morse code for something but you didn’t know morse and so didn’t know what he was saying.

“Yeah.”

Lying side by side, with your pinkies linked, Yukhei pointed at brighter spots overhead with his free hand, telling you about formations and tales he’d been told as a child about those who swam among the stars.

He described a gigantic whale, swimming through the sky, and you told him how humans had been to the moon and how there was no air in space and eternal cold that would freeze anyone who didn’t wear a suit.

“I don’t believe that.” Yukhei said after a moment of consideration. “Your stories are a lot less fun than mine.”

You turned your head to look at him, watch him looking into the endless dark, and laughed at his defiant comment.

There was no point in disagreeing with him or trying to prove what you had said was right and the space-whale he was sung to about wasn’t.

There were many things he wouldn’t believe if you would have told him, but you figured the concept of space was one of the most harmless he could choose to disbelief.

In the grew hours of dawn the day of your departure you sat in front of Yukhei on the walkway again, legs crossed and hands folded.

He had dipped down into the water for a moment before setting himself next to you again, and now your eyes switched between his hands, which he held cupped close, and his face; holding barely contained excitement.

“Okay, close your eyes and open your hands.”

“If this is a fish you caught for me, I told you, I can’t eat raw-”

He rolled his eyes but failed to bite back his grin.

“I promise, it’s not. Not this time.”

Mouth falling open you stared at him. “Wh- Not this time? When did you plan to give me a live fish?!”

“Can you please close your eyes now I want to give you your present.” He pouted, and finally you complied. Closing your eyes against the pastel colours of the coming sunrise in the sky, holding open your hands.

Something was placed into them; thin, with a small roundness to it at one point.

The wetness of Yukhei’s fingers brushed the side of your palms as he retracted his hands and then made a small sound, signalling it was okay for you to look.

Blinking down on your hands you took in what he’d put there.

It was dark with water but it looked like yarn or some other string, twisted and knotted and braided into something that was barely large enough to be a necklace.

Three small pearls were woven into it, a bigger one the size of your pinky finger’s nail flanked by two smaller ones.

You looked up into Yukhei’s nervous face.

“We give pearls or other pretty things as gifts, but my kind doesn’t wear bracelets or anything like that because it can get caught on sharp edges and strangle us; We put everything we get gifted into our hair, because it’ll hold on to it for us, but for you I had to improvise because your hair is dead and won’t be able to hold them.”

Your fingers curled around the gift protectively, but faced with this new information you couldn’t help but wonder.

“Your hair is alive?”

The merman nodded, hands clasped in front of him. “Touch it! You’ll see what I mean.”

Even more careful than when you had first stroked over his tail you now reached out with a hand, two fingertips brushing the darkened strands.

To your bewilderment and elation the hairs pulled away from the skull and wrapped around your fingers for a moment.

Spurred on by the soft giggle of Yukhei and the positive first contact you extended the rest of your hand and ran it over the side of Yukhei’s head.

The strands parted easily for you, reached up and placed themselves around your hand, slipped into the creases on your palm and held you in place for a moment before giving you free again.

“That’s amazing!”

Yukhei’s grin was big and contagious as you gave him his space again.

“Pretty cool right?”

“Yeah!” You sat in front of him for a moment longer, marvelling at him, all of him.

“You want me to help you put the necklace on?” He offered, but you insisted on trying it on your own first before having to relent to his help after not being able to fit the small wooden pearl through the designated clasp.

The necklace sat against your throat like a choker, and even though Yukhei expressed worry at how tight it was you waved it off and told him it was fine.

“Thank you so much.” You held out your hand, waiting for him to put his own into yours.

He did, thumb rubbing over the skin around your wrist.

“Thank you.” He echoed, smile wide and warm. It simmered down a little the longer you held eye-contact, until he looked away and cleared his throat.

“You’ll come back soon, right? I want to introduce you to everyone.”

“I have free time during winter again, but maybe I’ll be able to come by for Autumn break.” Yukhei groaned a the prospect of having to wait that long, pouted at you shamelessly.

“That face won’t get me back to you faster, I still have to earn the money it’ll cost me to come and stay here, you pebble.”

The playful expression replaced the half-hearted sulking, and he nudged your knee.

“Don’t you have a bus to catch?”

You checked the time.

“I think I have enough time for one last hug.”

And even though the saltwater still covered him head to fin, you held on to the other until the sun had almost fully risen above the horizon. Unwilling to let go just yet.

Months later you sat on the bus, face so close to the window the glass fogged over. There was a lot less green outside, and the thick clouds didn’t let through much daylight, but you could make out the rocks in the distance, the roofs of the houses.

In your luggage, safely stored underneath your seat, were gifts for a certain someone, alongside a neoprene suit and diving goggles.

Soon you would check into the hostel, to get rid of the bag. But after that there’d be nothing holding you back from venturing through the path of trees, down the slope of the hill and onto the wooden planks above the water - you’d see how many stones Yukhei had been able to gather and put there, one for each day he’d waited for you. And then you’d put them all into a single heap, a pyramid maybe, and wait.

You had a feeling it wouldn’t be too long before the familiar blinking of the pearls and glittery things in his hair would break through the surface, and you smiled to yourself, looking forward to being able to hug him again.

Soon.

You settled back into your seat and watched the world outside, watched the town by the ocean grow closer every moment.

i hope you liked it! ♥

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yourdeepestfathoms · 4 years

Text

The Leviathan

[Breakaway]

TW: Drowning, blood

———————

The first time Maria encountered the thing was early one morning.

The sun had barely began to rise, but even its fresh golden rays couldn’t cut through the thick, impenetrable wall of grey that had settled over the ocean. The water below was roiling, waves crashing and clapping loudly against the ship. Something in the sea seemed agitated- Maria could feel it. Perhaps it was because of the oncoming storm.

She leaned against the railing at the very back of the boat, watching the water and taking in the serene silence of the early morning. And that’s when she had seen it.

It was a mere silhouette in the fog, an outline of a large head and a long neck that slid down into the depths of the ocean. Despite it being at least a hundred meters away, Maria could see it as clear as day.

There was something out there.

And it turned to her.

The pointed snout turned and looked in her direction.

Looked at her.

Maria couldn’t see its eyes, but something told her, deep down, that this thing was looking at her.

And it’s stare bore right into her very soul.

Then, it was gone. Maria blinked and the figure had disappeared. She only saw the fleeting flick of a tail before fog encompassed everything again.

———

The second time Maria saw the thing was when she was snorkeling.

The activity was offered on an island called Cozumel, which was probably Maria’s favorite stop so far, mainly due to her Spanish heritage. It was a nice change of pace from all the European stops, even if they were just as amazing.

She, the queens, and the other two ladies in waiting, along with a few other tourists, were taken out on a boat to the middle of the ocean, where they then got to snorkeling for several hours.

And it was absolutely magnificent. Maria ended up ditching her snorkel to dive into the water and swim alongside fish colors she’d never seen before. And, while she was doing so, she noticed that they were going somewhere, not just flitting around aimlessly. They were going deeper into the ocean, down a sandstone cliff face and into a dark crater carved into a sandy plateau several meters away.

Something compelled Maria to follow.

She paddled slowly along the surface, careful as to not get caught by any of the monitors on the boat. Then, she took a deep breath and dove. Down, down, down, she swam, brushing by the drop off. Her ears popped, but she could hardly care. She was too enamored by the petrified forest of rainbow coral and sparkling stalks curling out of the sand along the plateau.

Fish were gliding down into the crater- tiny fish, large fish, long fish, fish the color of ebony and fish that looked like the sunset. They were gathering down there for something. And Maria wanted to know what it was.

A blobby indigo octopus goggled at her from the brambles of a jagged reef. Maria does a double take- was it normal for octopus (octopi? octopuses?) to be in such shallow waters? Sure, it was probably twenty feet deep, but still...

The octopus gawked at her face in the diving mask before lazily stretching one of its slimy limbs and clambering across the coral thicket. It seemed to be going down to the crater, too. Along with an emerald green sea turtle that took Maria by surprise when it glided over her head and a small, soft grey shark that brushed right against her foot without a care in the world.

Maria quickly went back up for air, but went back as fast as she could. She returned to the paralyzed forest and grappled onto one of the pieces of coral. A washed out red lobster blinked at her from another cluster, bristling its whiskers and snapping its pincers, like it was judging her for touching such an ancient and fragile piece of aquatic flora with her oily human hands. She let go quickly and it skitters away.

She paddles closer to the crater, feeling the chill of the depths embrace her tightly. It isn’t long before she needs to get more air, but she returns just as fast, kicking and pulling herself through the water until she got to the perimeter of the crater. Her flippers gently touched the sand as she crouched awkwardly- it wasn’t the best position to be in, as she was slowly floating off of the ground, but she managed.

Intense water pressure pressed uncomfortably against Maria’s temples, practically forcing her eyes into a wince. It was slightly difficult to see, but she dealt with it and looked into the crater.

The hole was illuminated by bioluminescent pink and purple jellyfish and violet and maroon glowing plants that almost looked like mushrooms. Skeletons of multicolored reefs twisted from the incline that dipped to the bottom, along with sun-colored tentacles of kelp and plum-streaked ferns and waving green fans, which almost acted as seating for the abundance of aquatic creatures down there.

Fish of every color were peering out from sparking anemone- some had beaks like parrots or big ogling eyes or long tails or bristling spines along their backs. A few deep green and dark grey eels had their heads poked from holes in the crater side, gaping their jaws open like they were witnessing the meaning of life itself. Sea turtles bobbed patiently above the forest and sharks in various sizes moved slowly through the reaching limbs of coral. Crabs and lobsters scuttled through the sand, stingrays glided on their bellies around the sides of the crater, something large and yellow was lying flat against the seabed, and that blobby octopus from earlier was attached to a zigzagged piece of coral. And, among them, there something very big.

In the middle of the crater was a jagged pillar of limestone surrounded by orange clusters of coral. Atop it, stood the thing.

It was too dark to get a clear view of it, but some details stood out. Like the whiskers that waved lazily in water around what was very clearly its snout. And the long tail that curled around the spire like a jungle snake. And the glinting green talons gripping a knob of limestone. And the fins bristled on a body part that couldn’t be made out.

Whatever it was, it was big. Or, well, long. Very long.

What kind of creature was this?

A strange vibration filled the water. It was a deep, rumbling sort of coo that sends shockwaves and ripples through the ocean, shaking Maria to her very core...but not in a bad way. No, it almost felt...peaceful.

And then a sharp sting sears in her chest like a hot knife.

Maria springs off of the ground. The sand sinks in and sucks greedily for her feet, but she manages to get enough momentum to return to the surface on time.

She bobbed up with a gasp, sucking in deep breaths of air. Once she regained her bearings, she was about to go back down and try to get a closer look when one of the monitors on the boat yelled at her to come back, that she was too far out. The option to ignore him or pretend like she didn’t hear and go back under arose, but she gave in and began paddling back. But not without stealing one last glance down to the crater.

From the sunlight filtering down into the water and the faint glow of the jellyfish, she swore every fish, lobster, crab, turtle, eel, shark, and octopus were looking back at her.

A deep green stare branded itself in her mind.

———

The third time Maria saw the thing was on a paper.

The next day while waiting to perform, she doodled a few shapes on a piece of paper at her makeup table. These two shapes turned into orbs and these orbs turned into great big eyes.

That thing’s eyes.

Maria crumbled the paper and threw it away quickly.

———

The fourth time Maria saw the thing was when she was at the beach.

The cruise had docked on an island she couldn’t remember the name of for a few hours, allowing patrons to explore the land and do the regular tourist things. Maria had decided to go to the beautiful beaches on her own and was able to find a rather secluded strip of shore after a quick hike through some trees. It was perfect.

She swam for a long time, looking at all the shells and aquatic life and colorful fish. But then the amount fish started to get smaller and smaller. Sure, it was normal for them to swim away from people, but there has been dozens just half an hour ago.

Confused, Maria decided to swim out a little further. She was thinking back to how all the animals had gathered in one area when she was snorkeling and was hoping she would see something like that again. But, instead, she just got teeth in her leg.

Maria wasn’t exactly sure what was biting her, she just knew something was biting her. She could feel its razor sharp teeth sink into the delicate flesh on her right leg. Blood hazes the water to terrible hues of murky red. It mixes horribly with the tang of salt when she opens her mouth to scream.

She thrashes and struggles, clapping her arms against the surface of the water before she’s yanked back down. A scream is choked back by an overflow of water that rushes down her throat. She coughs and cries out at the same time as darkening clouds of crimson billow around her.

Was this how she died?

Would her body be found half eaten by something or would it never be found?

The ocean is getting darker, and not just because of her blood. Consciousness is slipping away with each pull on her leg. Faster and faster and faster and—

There’s a guttural roar that simmers the water. The sharp, unbearable pressure on Maria’s leg disappears and she hears something heavy slam into a rock formation, but her eyes are already rolling to the back of her head before she can swim to safety...

Maria awoke on the beach after an unknown amount of time passed. She shot up with a sharp gasp, expecting a waterfall of water to be pouring out of her mouth, but none came. She only spit lingering salt from her mouth a few times.

She looked down and saw that her right leg was wrapped tightly in several slimy pieces of seaweed. She doesn’t need to untie them to know the wound was still present- she could feel the ache it caused whenever she bent her knee. Somehow, though, the kelp was easing the discomfort, because surely she should be in much more pain than what she was feeling.

How did these makeshift bandages get on her leg, anyway? She may have blacked out, but there’s no way she could have done this. And how was she safe on shore? Did she coincidentally get washed up there?

After looking around, Maria noticed something. Footprints in the wet sand.

Footprints with five splayed, webbed toes and claws.

———

The fifth time Maria saw the thing was on paper once again.

She had decided to buy herself a proper sketchbook from one of the cruise shops, along with pencils (colored and regular), markers, and pens. What came out was a diagram of what she thought the creature she’s been encountering looked like.

It was long- that was its main trait. Its body in her drawing resembled that of a Chinese dragon. Two sets of whiskers flowed from the cheeks on its big head, which had large, finned ruffs on either sides with small ears right above them. Fins ran down the spine- she didn’t know what color but she went with green. The webbed talons were green, too, while the rest of the body was an iridescent silver color. The beautiful tail on the thing was perfect for propelling itself through the water. She wonders if that’s what it’s used for.

———

The sixth time Maria saw was late in the middle of the night after a terrible nightmare. She dreamt of a young girl from court, a maid in waiting, a mere child named Elizabeth Blount. Bessie for short.

Several people in the show said Bessie was going to be one of the four ladies in waiting that were reincarnated, but either they lied or something happened because Bessie never showed up.

All the happiness and joy that Maria had felt while waiting to see her precious girl again left her in a flash at this revelation. She was cold without it—just like how she had been cold after the exile.

If anyone deserved a second chance at life, it was Bessie.

So why wasn’t she here?

She just wanted to hold her again...

Maria couldn’t bear to go back to sleep after her horrible nightmare of watching that little girl get gruesomely executed for an affair she had no choice in. She wandered out to the deck and braced herself against the railing, watching the boat split the sea as it moved along.

She wasn’t stupid enough to actually ever do anything bad to herself, but sometimes she wondered what it would be like to jump off the ship- to let the front of the vessel pierce her body, to let it run her over, to let the propellers shred her into tiny, bloody pieces, to let the black water claim her. Would that be enough to make up for her not helping the abused child Henry had imprinted on as his mistress?

Would exchanging her life be enough to give Bessie a chance to live?

Maria yanked off the necklace around her neck- a pendant given to her by Aragon. She doesn’t know why she’s let it linger on her for so long. What gave her the right to wear such a thing? Especially when it had been given to her by the woman who took the greatest blessing in her life away from her.

She angrily threw it as far away from her as possible, hearing it splash distantly in the water. She hoped it could be taken as an offering of sorts as she began to pray- pray for her to have her girl back, pray for her to see her, pray for her to be alive and there.

This process was then interrupted by something hitting her forehead.

Maria tottered backwards with a yelp, rubbing her head and hoping a bruise wasn’t left. She looked around for the offending item and saw her necklace lying in a small by her feet.

She picked it up gingerly and found small claw marks on one side of the gold pendant. She gasped in fright and it slipped from her hands, falling back into the water below, this time getting tread on by the boat.

And yet it’s thrown back up to her in mere seconds.

Maria watches the necklace fly through the air and clink on the ground several feet away. She waits for a moment, then picks it back up and throws it in the water again.

This time, it’s only a second before the necklace is thrown back up, hitting her in the chest with a bit more force and aggression. She grips the cold golden chain tightly as she carefully crept over to the railing and looked down.

Big green eyes peer up at her from the black water. Something about those eyes was so familiar, like a person is staring out of them.

“Bessie...?”

———

The seventh time Maria saw the thing wasn’t really visual, rather audible.

She was laying in her bed after a long two show day when a beautiful noise hummed through the air. It sounded like a cross between a howl, a coo, and a purr.

She quickly got up and pushed open one of her windows, sticking her entire upper body out. She scans the water, noticing it rippling several hundred yards away. The noise sounds again, this time in a tune of sorts, pauses, then goes once more.

High, low, high, low. That was the pattern of the pitch.

Maria wasn’t much of a singer, but she tries to sing the tune anyway. The possibility of being heard by someone didn’t cross her mind at the moment.

Silence. Maria thinks she might have scared the creature off with her unpracticed singing when it replies with the its tuned cry again. Maria laughs and replies to it with her own. It was slightly altered: Low, high, low, high. The creature copies enthusiastically.

Maria smiles and gets on her knees, leaning against her window sill, singing with the creature.

She never wanted to stop.

———

The eighth time Maria saw the creature was on a stormy day.

She didn’t know why she ventured out into the rain- something was just compelling her to go out to the back of the boat and lean over the railing. She watched the water bubble and splash and roil relentlessly for a long time, then she looked up with a new fire in her eyes.

“Are you here?” She called out. Her voice was soft, but something told her that it could hear her.

She could hear her.

Maria swallowed a lump in her throat. She wasn’t realizing she was shaking until that moment, and not because of the chill from the rain.

Slowly, she reached her hand out over the edge of the boat.

Rain starts to fall harder, pattering loudly against the surface of the churning ocean. The water was bubbling below the ship. The waves were crashing violently thanks to the gales whipping through the cold air, riling them up into towering shapes before they end up crashing back down with piercing claps. Lightning ignites the dark grey sky, thunder cracks loud enough to make it seem like the boat was ripped in half, and up comes the Empress of the Sea to touch Maria’s hand with her nose before diving back down into her deep sea kingdom.

#the leviathan #may write more with this...may not...it’s purely self indulgent #six breakaway #six the musical fanfiction #six the musical fanfic #six the musical #breakaway maria on the drums #breakaway bessie on the bass #breakaway catherine of aragon #catherine of aragon #I know she was barely mentioned but I want people to read this so im gonna tag her and exploit the system lol #tw: drowning #tw: blood

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inmyownlaine · 4 years

Text

John Murphy x Reader Prompt: Falling For You

28. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

72. “Sometimes I feel like I wanna make out with you is that a friend thing to do?”

Word Count: 2351

Warnings: None

Mood Music

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You wondered how this day would be for Murphy. This time every year he was forced to be in a place where his father was floated. He had to fake his allegiance to a group of people that decided a boy should be fatherless rather than be forgiving. It was usually rough on Murphy, but since you were on the ground, you were interested to see if the distance would make it a little more bearable. At least here, he could voice his true opinions instead of being assimilated.

You took it upon yourself to cheer him up. Although you had done it annually since the incident, you could never reach Murphy. That certainly wouldn’t stop you from trying, though. He was your best friend, and even though you understood why he was so upset, you hated seeing him in such turmoil. It wasn’t fair and he didn’t deserve it despite what anyone else thought about him.

You threw back the flap on his tent, expecting to see him dressed and ready. Instead, he was laying in bed, his blanket completely covering him. You sighed and sat at the foot of his bed, gently placing your hand on what you suspected to be his leg.

“Murph,” you said lightly, shaking his leg simultaneously.

“What?” he screamed, sitting upright with crazed eyes. He brought his hands up as if wanting to fight you.

“Murphy, it’s me!” you exclaimed, backing away from him.

He stared at you as if trying to process who you were. After a few seconds, he lowered his hands and exhaled deeply. His eyelids fell lazily as he focused his attention on the ground.

“Sorry,” he murmured. He drug his hands over his sleep deprived face, stretching out his facial features. You felt bad as you caught a glimpse of the dark circles under his eyes. Of course it was hard for him to sleep. The only thing going through his mind was the murder of his father. Who could lay down peacefully after living through that?

“You’re fine. Really,” you assured him. “I just came in to see if you wanted to go for a walk.”

“I don’t know. I don’t really feel like running around today,” he replied.

“Come on, Murph. If we go fast enough we can catch the sunrise.”

He didn’t move an inch. But neither did you. You were going to drag him out of this tent if it killed him. He was allowed to be sad, but by God, he was going to be sad with you.

Murphy finally looked towards you, giving you the infamous frog face. You named that expression nearly five years ago. You couldn’t quite decide what it was trying to portray. He looked bored and unamused, his eyes nearly rolled in the back of his head. Yet his lips held the sass and recklessness of a thirteen year old girl. Whatever it was, he looked more frog than human, and you never failed to inform him.

“Frog face means yes,” you said with a smile.

“A very reluctant yes,” he made sure to add.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you hated me or something,” you teased.

“I wouldn’t say hate. Just strongly dislike,” he bantered back.

“Whatever, Murphy. Just get your clothes on and meet me outside the tent.”

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

“So where exactly are we going?” Murphy asked as you headed deep into the woods. Unknown to Murphy, you had found a new spot to watch the sky. Typically, you would go to a clearing not too far from the makeshift town. The branches were sparse, making it easy to see the different colors and patterns. It was also a safe bet instead Grounders decided to attack.

Leading up to this week, you spent a lot of your time searching for new areas to sight-see. There was a lot of uncertainty and fear in this part of your life. It seemed around every corner was war and death. Going to see the sunrise with Murphy loosened you up. It reminded you that there is always beauty in the world. If you couldn’t find any, you had to create your own.

You hoped Murphy would appreciate the gesture.

“You’ll see,” you practically sang back.

“I always knew it would come to this,” he said. You were confused, but decided not to say anything. The two of you took a couple more steps before he elaborated, “You’re going to murder me.”

You made a noise similar to an elephant, trying to keep your laugh trapped behind your lips. You glanced in his direction only to notice the smallest smirk appear on his face. It was a surprise to see. Typically it took Murphy over a week to get back to his normal self. Maybe he was finding better ways to cope as the years dragged past him.

“Murder me and then eat me. That’s it, right? I’m for breakfast,” he commented, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Oh yeah, Murph. You’re the main course.” You waggled your eyebrows at him as he shook his head softly. He was probably thinking something along the lines of how weird, but amazing, you were. That’s what you wanted to believe, anyway.

Finally, you came to a large rock overhanging a cliff. It sat high above the forest, dense fog covering the tops of the trees. It was colder here than you would have preferred, but Murphy didn’t seem to mind. His mouth dropped as he crept towards the edge, taking in his surroundings.

“What do you think?” you asked even though you already knew.

“How did you find this?”

“Lots of walking. And mapping. I didn’t exactly know how this week would hit you so-”

“You did this for me?” he interrupted, looking over his shoulder. His blue eyes bore into yours, misty and soft.

Your heart fell to your stomach. Murphy had a dark past. You tried to steer him from it and keep him on the right path. He made numerous slip-ups, he almost shattered your friendship, but you knew that deep down, he craved attention; someone to care for him and make him feel important. John Murphy was a fighter, through and through. He fought for his family, he fought for love, he fought to stay alive. But in this moment, he just needed someone to fight for him. Just once.

“Of course I did,” you told him. “I would do anything for you.”

Murphy licked his lips, trying to hold himself together. He turned away from you and sat down, dangling his legs over the cliff. Though he didn’t look back, he patted the rock beside him, signalling for you to sit.

You walked over and plopped down, crossing your legs. The view was gorgeous, but you weren’t here to play with death. You would have to live your wild streak through Murphy, who was brazen enough to be so careless with his life.

The two of you hardly spoke. It was times like these where words were too small. It was something the two of you would have to feel and never convey. And although that was sad, in a way it was comforting that he would understand this moment as strongly as you did. You wouldn’t have to say a thing.

“That doesn’t look too good,” Murphy commented, his finger pointing at a dark cloud.

“This can’t be happening,” you mumbled, the cloud making its way toward the sliver of sun peeking over the forest line. Thunder rumbled overhead as you felt tiny droplets splatter on your neck.

“I think that cloud is a much bigger threat,” Murphy said, now noticing that there was another larger, much darker cloud barreling in your direction. You got up from your spot, ready to make a run for Arkadia.

The clouds had other plans.

Torrential rain began to fall. You shrieked as you were bombarded, the brisk morning air combined with the chilling water made your body tense up. You shuffled over the branches of nearby trees, trying to take cover and warm up your body.

You wanted to cry. The scene in front of you was absolutely destroyed. The sun was trying its hardest to break through the cloud, but was barely lining them. The ground was now coated with mud and small puddles. This day that was supposed to be filled with hope now truly reflected how Murphy probably felt; depressed.

You lifted your head to talk to Murphy but realized that he wasn’t by you. Using your hand as a shield from the rain, you glanced back to the cliff, expecting to see Murphy slumped over, allowing the rain to batter him.

But he wasn’t.

Murphy was stood up,his arms stretched completely to either side. And he was laughing. Not the kind of laugh he would usually make in this situation. One that seemed to say Of course this would happen to me. No, it was a joyful laugh. As if he had just received the greatest news of his life.

He spun around a couple of times, stopping to face you. Suddenly, the brightest smile you had ever seen appeared. It was almost cheesy, all of his teeth showing and his lips pulled as far as they could go. You had known John Murphy most of your life. Never before had his smile brought such warmth to your heart. It was like he was really, truly happy.

“Why are you laughing?” you shouted.

He shrugged, his newfound smile plastered across his face. “Life is just so unfortunate, isn’t it?”

“And that’s funny?”

“You just try and try and try and nothing ever turns out the right way,” he continued, completely ignoring you. “Maybe it’s just time to let life do it’s own thing.”

You felt compelled to approach him. You didn’t know if it was what he said or the way he looked, but you left the shelter, regardless of the rain and mud. Every step closer to him was a reckoning. There was something festering inside that you couldn’t hold back. You only had a few seconds to come to terms with what was happening.

Steps one and two were coming to terms with the fact that his deep laugh lines and deep set eyes were making you melt. You loved the way that his nose looked like he was bested in a fist fight and his eyebrows were perfectly arched on his brow line.

All of the features that you grew up with, the ones that you saw every day for years, were now being reformed in your mind. You had never paid attention to the subtle creases in his face or the angle of his jaw but now, it was all you could see. All the small things that made John Murphy the person you loved were now magnified. You knew from this point on, it would be impossible to not pick out every beautiful detail on his body.

Steps three and four were spent admitting that Murphy was more than just a friend. You didn’t know if this had always been the case. You grew up with Murphy and saw him as your protector, your confidant, and your best friend. You trusted him with your life. You wanted to be with him forever.

This still held true.

Steps five and six gave you anxiety as you thought about what this meant for your friendship. You didn’t know if Murphy felt the same way. This could just be a chance for him to start over. There was no indication that he was interested in being with you. And if you did say something, would it ruin what you had? Could you ever go back? You didn’t know if you wanted to take this leap.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he suddenly asked, his wide set smile still in place.

The rain continued to fall as you shook your head incredulously. You couldn’t believe what you were going to say next. It was now or never, and you wanted Murphy as soon as you possibly could. “Sometimes I feel like I want to make out with you. Is that a friend thing to do?”

He sighed audibly, raindrops falling from the tip of his nose. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep the downpour out of his eyes. His hair was stuck to his forehead, uneven and crowded. Even as all of these things were happening, you knew you had never seen anything more amazing.

“If it’s not, we’re both in trouble.”

A wave of relief washed over you as Murphy inched towards you, replacing the stray hairs on your cheek with his hand. Your heart started to pound as his other hand found its place on your back, pulling you closer to him.

He pressed his lips against yours, kissing you gently. It was unlike anything you could have ever imagined. Murphy held you like you were delicate, like you were precious to him. Yet his lips spoke a different story, moving in sync with yours. It was full of passion and longing. It was as if he had been holding back on you this whole time. That he had dreamt of doing this before and was taking full advantage of the chance he was getting now. It was like he never saw you as his friend in the first place.

He gave you one last, soft kiss before pulling away. Almost instantly, you let out a disappointed moan. You had never kissed Murphy before, but you knew that you never wanted that moment to end. He belonged with you. Nothing else had ever felt so right.

Murphy couldn’t help but chuckle as he laid his forehead on yours. “Thank you.”

“For what?” you asked, taking hold of one of his hands and bringing it up to your lips.

“For sticking with me. Seeing the good in me. Fighting for me.”

“Always,” you began to say, staring into his eyes and finding strength and comfort and love where defeat and discomfort and disdain used to reside. “Always, John Murphy.”

**Sorry it’s been a little while! Hope this makes up for it!!

xx Lainey

GIF

#john murphy #john murphy fanfic #john murphy imagine #john murphy fanfiction #john murphy fic #The 100 #the100fic #the100 #the100fanfic #the 100 fic #the100fanfiction #love #writing #romance

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authorized-trash · 5 years

Text

Sentient Scales

Chapter One

Summary: Roman expected to end the day with another victory against the dragon witch. Instead, he ended it with a cursed dragon sleeping on his bed. Yikes.

Ships: Roceit, Logicality, Anxleep

Trigger Warnings: Blood, curses, witchcraft, fantasy violence, fire, sympathetic deceit, remus

Word count: 1933

Note: This idea popped into my head so y'all can have this stupid little chapter I wrote. You can bet in a second one BTW.

~~~

Roman always went into battle unaware of what would happen. However, it typically went the same way everytime. The dragon witch would appear, claim she could defeat him, but ultimately fail to do much damage.

It was a routine at this point, an exercise Roman took place in a few times a week. It kept the prince on his toes, alert.

With that in mind, you can see why this particular encounter ended with such a surprise.

"You cannot defeat me you pesky prince! Your kingdom will be mine, and I'll murder everyone you love!" The dragon witch shrieked from her place in the trees. Roman almost rolled his eyes, he'd heard that same sentence repeated a thousand times before.

"Why, my dear witch, I have defeated you but a thousand times before, and I shall again!" Roman shot back, just as confidently. He held his sword at his side, and crouched slightly, ready to fight.

"This time will be different, I have been preparing for something special, just for you," the witch narrowed her eyes evilly, "I have allowed my powers to grow, and now you shall see them at their most powerful!"

She cackled, and raised a clawed hand to the sky. The clouds thickened and darkened, a crack of lightning flashed against the low light. Roman took a few steps back, gritting his teeth.

"You are a fool," He said, glaring at the witch.

"No, Roman, you are," Her eyes flashed a bright neon green, the same color coming out of her hands in wisps of smoke.

"Now, behold! A dragon!" A thunderous roar shook the trees, and Roman gasped as a huge beast the size of a house crashed down to earth. It was a deep forest green, its scales dotted with yellow glitters, teeth a fierce white. It snarled, and Roman looked into its heterochromic eyes, blue and yellow.

He had fought dragons before, but never of this size, nor of this element. Earth dragons were quite the rarity, one of the strongest out there. They were one of the only types if winged beast that could breath fire.

Speaking of fire, it's chest began to glow as it breathed in, Roman just barely ducking out of the way. A blast of white hot fire traveled twenty feet in front of the beast, catching trees and brush on fire.

The dragon witch cackled once again, "You will not escape this time Prince Roman! You will meet your doom, cooked to ash at the hands of a lizard!"

The dragon seemed to bristle at the insult, but never the less stayed fixated on Roman. It shot forward, snapping at the prince.

Roman was uncharacteristically quite, not a single word fell from his mouth. Normally he'd taunt the witch all while valiantly fighting his way through her minions, but this was different. So, so different. Any wrong move and he'd easily be killed. He had a kingdom to protect, he couldn't die!

He grabbed his shield from his back, something he didn't use often. His sword was all he needed most the time, his royal mage would enchant the sword to never miss its target.

Roman thanked the gods for the mage, Logan had proved useful many times before, and the wizard's spells and potions always came through. Even still, Roman crossed his fingers and hoped the fire proofing spell was as good as it sounded.

With a barrier between him and the dragon, Roman found his confidence back, "Come at me, foul beast!" He shouted above the roaring of the fire.

The dragon didn't waste time, swinging its spike tail around to slam it full force into Roman's side. It happened so fast it took the prince off guard. So much for a shield.

Roman was thrown a couple dozen feet, slamming into a large oak tree. He groaned, sitting up fast to grab his shield and hold it in front of him, just as a blast of flame came his way.

The shield glowed, a dark blue magic flowing through the wood and steel into Roman's arms and around his body, effectively causing the fire to roll harmlessly off him.

When it was over, he stood, a grin on his face, "You'll have to do harder then that!" He ignored the blood trickling down his chin from biting his tongue on impact.

The dragon roared in frustration at the same time as the witch did. She swung her disgusting hand out yet again, pointing it at Roman.

"You! You will not get away with this! I. Will. Win!!" She stomped her feet like a child, "Dragon!! Kill him!"

The large green dragon lifted its wings, showing off its impressive wingspan. It roared with so much force Roman felt fear course into his body, cold and hard. His natural fight or flight kicked in, every bone in his body shouting at him to run. To get out as fast as possible.

He couldn't, though. He wouldn't.

He deflected yet another burst of flame, and with his shield in front of him, he ran forward and swung hard at the dragon's front leg. The swing was aimed well enough to pass between scales, and cute a deep, nasty cut into the creature's leg. It gave a howl of pain and fell, landing on the foot.

Roman leapt back as the dragon snapped at him from it's limping position, swinging again to hit the dragon's chin.

"Stop him! Stop him you useless lizard!!" The witch shrieked again, lighting crashing with more ferocity, the clouds getting darker, making the area around Roman glow with red light from the fires.

"No witch! You have lost again!" The prince shouted, climbing the hurt dragon as it clambered to get up, snapping at him pitifully. It cradled the hurt limb to it's body, blood pouring from the underside of it's snout. Roman stood at it's neck, raising his sword above his head, ready to slay the dragon that nearly killed him.

"No!!" The dragon witch shouted, raising both her hands. Her eyes turned a solid black as she called upon every ounce of magic in her body.

"TSOM EHT ETAH UOY GNIHT EHT EMOCEB, TSOH EHT ERA UOY YDOB EROUY NI ELIHW!" The witch screamed the spell at the top of her lungs, and immediately after a black mist shot at Roman, wrapping around his frame.

He gasped as it forced it's way into his mouth, his own eyes turning a dark black. His head swam as he felt his insides become blisteringly hot, as if he would melt from the inside out.

But as soon as the spell started to work, a counter spell began as well. The sapphire jewel on his ring flashed a brilliant light, and as soon as it started, it was over.

Roman fell to the ground, off the dragon, convulsing as the black magic left him. He made a mental note to thank Logan without ceasing when he got back to his castle, the mage had done quite the job at making sure Roman stayed safe.

The prince was just about to stand when something caught his eye. The large green dragon had begun to move again, it's jaw snapping open and shut as if it were gagging, attempting to choke out whatever was inside it. It shuddered and groaned as if in even more pain than before.

Roman crawled backwards against a tree, slipping his hand onto the hilt of his sword that lay beside him.

He ignored the dragon witch as she screamed, disappearing into the night, leaving the prince to deal with the dragon.

The beast staggered as it tried to stand, shaking it's head back and forth. It began to shrink, eyes clamped shut. The blackness from it's eyes and mouth wrapped around it like a blanket, strangling it in a cocoon of void.

Despite his best efforts to stay calm, Roman was once again stricken with terror. What was the spell? He didn't speak the language of magic well enough to know it.

One last crack of thunder sounded through the forest as the clouds departed, the trees quit their swaying as the howling winds died down. Sunlight shown though the clearing, as if the gods planned to have a spotlight on the dragon that now lay on the ground.

Except... It wasn't a dragon anymore, but a human male.

A very... Attractive human male.

Shit.

Roman scrambled forwards, where had the beast gone? It... It couldn't possibly be the male in front of him, right? He kneeled down to the unconscious body of the dra- human. The prince could now see how half of his body was covered in splotches of green scale, with the same yellow glitter it had a few minutes ago.

The male's hair was black, his skin a silky and incredibly pale. His face was shaped almost like an elf's, feline and exotic, ears slightly pointed.

Roman hated to admit it, but goddamn was the male in front of him remarkably attractive.

The prince unlatched his cape, wrapping it around the other's shoulders as delicately as possible, not wishing to hurt him further. He noticed the blood that still slowly trailed from the underside of his chin to the outline of his collarbone, where it pooled in crimson puddles. There was still a few large gashes on the other's pale arm as well, from where Roman had hacked it him.

The prince felt a twinge of guilt, this wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to slay the dragon and defeat the witch, not mame the poor thing and then attempt a sad rescue after it turned human. Well, humanoid.

Roman clasped the last button on the cape, letting it fall over the smaller male like a cloak. If he was going to take him back to the castle, he'd at least attempt to protect the creature's modesty.

Did that make any sense?

Then again, did any of this make any sense?

Roman slowly lifted the male from the ground, holding him in a secure princess's carry. He walked slowly to where his horse was tied up, three fourths of a mile away.

The horse lowered itself for easier access, and Roman secured himself into place, holding the other around the waist now, as if he was awake to be a passenger.

With a gulp to swallow his nerves, Roman was off, mulling over what he would tell everyone when he returned.

"Hello everyone, I was almost killed by one of the most fearsome dragons known to man, but I defeated it by pure luck. But then a witch tried to curse me and it backfired, turning the dragon into a incredibly handsome and incredibly naked young man. Surprise?"

Yeah no, he had a reputation.

The best option seemed to be sneaking into the castle, possibly through the secret passageways he pretended he didn't know about. Perhaps through the one connected to the stables. But that'd depend on whether or not the stable boy could keep a secret.

Oh well, he'd jump that hurdle when he got to it.

For now, he just needed to focus on the barely breathing form on his lap.

He didn't sign up for this.

#fantasy au #sanders sides #roceit #dragons #dragon witch #fantasy violence #sympathetic deceit #sentient scales #prince #roman sanders #deceit sanders #long

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elliebrie · 4 years

Text

The Prisoner

“It all looks well and good on paper, Commander,” he stated, as gently as he could muster so as not to anger the man further. “But you know that I must observe the prisoner with my own eyes, before I can make my report.”

The commander stared at Tempest for a heartbeat, two—then a scowl cracked his craggy face. “You know how dangerous that is,” he told him. “The last observer had his head removed before we could get him out of there.”

The commander scowled further. “Your duty will get you killed,” he told Tempest.

“It is a duty I must fulfil for our Empress. If you do not comply, I must inform her of your failure to comply.” Tempest settled his hands inside the overlarge sleeves of his deep blue robe, a frown on his face, watching the commander intently.

The commander looked as if he wanted to argue, but he reigned it in, waving his hand in a frustrated manner. “Fine. Fine, do whatever you want. If you die, that’s on you, though.”

Tempest inclined his head. “Thank you, Commander.” With that, he got to his feet, collected his papers, and made his way to the doorway. When he looked back, he saw that the commander hadn’t made a motion to move. “I would like to go now, Commander. It is a long ride back home.”

Preparations had to be made, and it wasn’t until later that afternoon that the Observer Leonhart and his two traveling companions were allowed into the chamber that held the prisoner.

“I still don’t like this,” Zephyr murmured under his breath. “This whole place just for him? There has to be a thousand elites here. Why not just kill him?”

Squall scowled at his brother. “One thousand three hundred and four. And because he can’t be killed. Did you even read the mission briefing?”

Zephyr scowled right back. “Can you get off my ass for five minutes?”

Tempest let out a long sigh. “Please stop arguing. Let us do our duty and get out of here. I don’t like being here just as much as you do, Zeph.”

The Pit had been created to hold the Prisoner years and years ago, and it was build like a maze that only a few actually knew how to get through. It wasn’t designed to keep things out, like a good fortress should, but to keep one very important prisoner in. It housed a thousand plus Elites year round, and as those sworn to the crown, it was Tempest and his brothers duty this month to check in on the Prisoner, and ensure that he was right where he needed to be. It was dangerous, but someone had to do it... and this month was Tempest’s turn.

“I don’t see why you can’t just take his word for it, and then report back to her Highness,” Zeph told him. “Do you really have to look him in the eye?”

Squall rolled his eyes at Zephyrs question, but Tempest answered seriously. “Yes, we have to make sure that he’s still here and still under the guards lock and key. You know what mayhem he brought to the kingdom during our parents time. It is our sacred duty to continue his sentence. He is to spend eternity in that hole for what he did.”

Zephyr frowned. “Doesn’t mean it had to be you to observe the fucker. You should have let that other scholar do it—what’s his name—“

“Sabeth?” Tempest asked. “Heavens no, the poor thing would have had a heart attack if he had been chosen. No, this is for the best. I have the two best protectors in the kingdom. I’ll be the longest living observer that there ever was.” Tempest didn’t have to look to know that Zephyr and Squall both looked pleased with the praise, though still worried about the impending visit.

If Tempest made it past three visits, he would be the longest lasting Observer. Three months. It was a terrifying prospect, but Tempest wasn’t going to think about that now. No real point in stressing himself out.

Down stairwells and long corridors and ladders they went, before they entered into the Pit proper. They crisscrossed bridges lit by glowing stones that gave off a cool light and past stone faced Elites in full battle armour, ready for a fight. Tempest paused on one of the bridges and peered over the edge to look down—down—down at the Prisoner at the bottom of the Pit.

He could just see him—small from his vantage point, pale. Arms were bound to immeasurably heavy stones, each chain held taught, keeping the prisoner on his knees. “Small, isn’t he?” he asked conversationally. “Somehow I thought he would be bigger.”

Zephyr snorted. “Don’t have to big to pack a punch.”

Tempest let out a breath as they entered the small, free hanging elevator, and a few large men lowered them slowly onto the platform that the prisoner was held. Squall and Zephyr both readied their weapons, and Tempest’s fingernails dug small crescents into his palms. This was it. Either Tempest would die in a less than a minute, or he would survive another day, so he could come back next month and do it all over again.

“Remember, if he attacks, you can’t let him get your weapons,” Tempest said, and his brothers were blissfully quiet except for a soft affirmative. It seemed as if they were just as nervous as he was.

The circular platform the prisoner was on was a hundred paces across, and the Prisoner knelt in the dead centre. There was no light here, just from what trickled down from the level above, but even then, the line where Zeph and Squall were to stop and go no further was visible. The second line, where Tempest had to get to, was significantly closer to the Prisoner.

Tempests footfalls slowed and then stopped at the first time, his eyes on first the line, then the unmoving figure before them. “We can still turn back,” said Squall’s voice, and Tempest didn’t need to look at him to know his brow was furrowed, clouded with anxiety.

“No. I’ll be fine,” Tempest stated, and before his brothers could argue with him, he stepped forward, purposely walking over the line that denoted safety, towards the line that he needed to get to.

Tempest stopped at the line and he eyed the Prisoner. He was small—emaciated from lack of exercise and feedings—withered away to almost nothing. Even still, the shackles dug into his wrists, immobilizing his fingers, his legs bent, his knees raw on the stone floor. A mask covered his mouth and nose, likely making it hard to breathe, definitely making it impossible to speak. Tempest knew that there was a bar that kept his feet apart, welded together and fixed to the floor. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was stuck to stone, but even still...

As Tempest came to a stop at the line, the prisoner opened his eyes, the golden glow bright in the darkness, prompting a cold shock of fear down his spine and into his gut. The man was so skinny, he looked as if he were dead—but he wasn’t.

Tempest ducked down slightly, to look to the collar that was in place, then he straightened, looking carefully to the shackles and the network of smaller bindings all over his form, keeping him immobilized. Everything was in place.

The Prisoner stared, and when Tempest finally met his gaze... the Prisoner smiled with his eyes.

Tempest took a step back to run, but even before his foot hit the floor behind him, those smiling eyes were in his face, having broken through the steel wrapped around his feet, dragging the chains taught, stretching them beyond what they should be able to reach. Tempest’s breath hitched, and he heard Zephyr and Squall gasp, and time seemed to slow. He could feel his heart beating hard and fast in his chest, he could hear his brothers screaming for him, he knew soldiers above would be letting loose their impossibly large bolts to pin the prisoner in place, knock him down and kill him for a very short time while they got him back in place—

Tempest knew he was going to die.

What he didn’t expect was a skeletal hand touching his cheek, gently caressing. What he didn’t expect was the eyes softening to hold... something. Some sort of emotion that the Prisoner couldn’t possibly hold towards him. What he didn’t expect with the Prisoner murmuring, “Tempest...” as the mask fell away...

And then a shot from Squall’s gunblade rang out, knocking the prisoner back a step, into range of the huge bolts from above. They hit him in the chest, pinning the prisoner to the ground, making the Prisoner cough blood and reach a hand towards Tempest—Hands grabbed at him, and pulled him back towards the line, and his brothers spirited him away into the elevator, and they were pulled up—up—up. Up to safety. Up away. Away from the eyes. Away from the creature that knew his name—

Tempest felt a sharp wave of pain as Zephyr slapped him, and he realized they were already halfway back to the surface. He blinked a bunch of times, put a hand to his cheek, and looked at Zephyr’s panicked face before him. And smacked him right back. “Ow, that hurt, don’t do that,” Tempest told him, and Zephyr went from shocked to grinning like a fool a moment.

“Sorry, you were kind of not responding, so—“

Tempest waved his apology away and he got to his feet, brushing his physician robes free of wrinkles. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

A hand touched him and he jumped a little, and Squall said softly, “Are you okay? Did that thing hurt you?”

Tempest looked confused for a moment. “No,” he said softly, licking his lips and looking incredibly disturbed. “But he knew my name.”

Squall scowled. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” For once, Zephyr didn’t argue.

As they stepped out into the warm summer afternoon, Tempest felt cold, as if he had never left those dark catacombs, or that darker pit. He had escaped today but... but he had to come back next month, and do it all over again. That thought terrified him but one thing stuck with him, one thing he couldn’t get out of his head.

How did the Prisoner know his name?

———

Photo by Rozemarijn van Kampen from Pexels

#writing #sorceress verse #squall #tempest #zephyr #dark!phoenix #the prisoner

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reddogf13 · 4 years

Text

Escape Ch: 20

Waylon X Eddie

Summery: Waylon has been re-submerged into Murkoffs horrible tests and tortures, but insanity can never be controlled and once again mount massive is in chaos. what happens though when Murkoff decides to start Walrider from the ground up? Waylon realizes his time is on the clock and must escape. in his condition he'll need help, and there's only one who mite give it.

status: complete

rated: M - fowl language, sensitive topics, and gore

previous chap: Escape Ch: 19

next chap: Escape: Aftermath CH: 1

_____________________________________

~Ch:20 Leap of faith~

The sound that echoed between the two fighters was a small, unsatisfying, click.

The recognizable sound of an empty gun. Eddie's look of surprise slowly turned into a look of anger, While Blaire's grin shrunk down in fear. Blaire pulled the trigger a few more times, hearing only small clicks from the empty gun.

Waylon watched as the air around them changed, turning darker as Eddie's position changed. He recalled all the times Blaire shot at him in the maze, all 6 bullets zooming by him. Only one bullet managed to actually hit him, the last one Blaire had.

A wide grin on Eddie grew, being so large it would make the Cheshire cat jealous. Blaire swung at him with his gun, missing when Eddie dodged it. Eddie smashed a fist into Blaire's chest, snaps and cracking being heard over the rain. Blaire fell to the ground, letting out a wheezing groan, coughing up blood after.

Waylon couldn’t watch anymore after that. Eddie was going to torture Blaire and he didn’t think he had the stomach to see it all. He turned his head to look in the opposite direction. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to get up, so he stayed on the ground, no matter how cold and wet it was. It would give his body a moment to recuperate from being shot twice, jumping out a 2 story window, and running bloody through a maze.

While laying there he went in and out of an exhausted haze. Hearing mixtures of screaming, yelling, cracks, punches, scuffles, and other sounds he couldn’t properly make out. He preferred focusing on trying to stay alive, focusing more on pain or blood flowing in the water around him. At one point he was sure he blacked out, opening his eyes when Eddie started picking him up.

Eddie held him up, hugging him close to warm him up. Waylon limply held back, trying to find where his numb legs were to plant them on the ground.

“Can you stand?” Eddie asked.

“I think so.” Waylon shivered out. When his feet were planted, he slowly stood. Wincing when the pain jumped in his shot leg. Eddie allowed him to stand, keeping his arms out to catch Waylon if he collapsed. After Waylon stood for a moment, Eddie lowered his arms in the trust that Waylon could stand.

Waylon quickly examined Eddie, looking at all the fresh blood on him wash away. The flowing blood revealed a slash in his side. Perfectly round cut that was made by a bullet going by. He also spotted 2 similar ones on his right arm. One near his shoulder and the other close to his wrist.

“You okay?” Waylon asked, shivering. Based on how the two looked it seemed like Waylon shouldn’t be the one asking that question. Eddie nodded to him with a smile.

“Are you?” Eddie asked.

“I've been through worse.” Waylon smiled. He wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not.

“ I don't know the way through the maze.” Waylon said, looking at the multiple entrances they were near.

“We can figure it out. We have made it this far.” Eddie said, looking at the entrances.

“I assume if we headed in one direction we could get to the river.” Waylon said, looking in the direction he knew the river was in.

“Got nothing else to go on.” Eddie said, walking next to Waylon as they passed through a entrance.

Waylon limped along the wall, one hand against it. His whole body was in pain, but his skin was numbed from the cold. The rain had lightened up, no longer being a drenching fall. At least the rain did one good thing by cleaning off the blood and mud on both of them.

A flash of lightning bolted over head through the sky. Eddie had to catch Waylon from falling down as the light hurt him. Waylon got back up to his feet, moving quicker after the flash.

“Don't push yourself now.�� Eddie said.

“I'm not, and I want to get as far away from this place as possible. We just need to reach the river, climb over the junk pile, and we'll be free from there.” Waylon said.

“We have to stop somewhere. Get dry and warm.” Eddie said, watching Waylon shiver in front of him.

“Yeah.” Waylon agreed.

“Maybe we'll have luck and a building will be nearby.” Waylon said.

The two jumped at a loud explosion, stopping when the maze lighted up. The two looked behind them, seeing bright fire appearing behind the large courtyard for a millisecond. The fire quickly died in the cold rain, turning the maze dark.

“What was that?” Waylon asked nervously.

Voices were soon heard, yelling and shouting. The beams of flash lights passing through the air. Murkoff security was coming, looking for who ever killed Blaire. Eddie gently pushed Waylon forward to make him move.

“We have to get out they're blowing up the maze. ” Waylon said, limping quickly down the pathways. Another explosion of fire destroyed more maze walls. Dirt and small pieces of concrete raining down over Waylon and Eddie as they hurried through.

Waylon felt overwhelming relief as they exited the maze. His relief was soon shattered at the river. The small pile of junk they were suppose to easily climb over, was anything but that. It was a massive dam of junk that was around 30 feet high. Blocking the only exit they had between the narrow space of mountains.

“How could I have made this mistake.” Waylon thought. When he first saw the blockage, about a thousand and eighty feet away, it was very clearly seen from a distance. He should have known it would have been bigger up close. He never thought of it though, he was too happy knowing there was an escape. The river, that was also seen from afar, was massive. having quick rapids that ended shortly with a waterfall to more lethal rapids.

“Still climb it?” Waylon said, looking at the unclimbable junk. He had no other ideas.

“Smells like chemicals over here.” Eddie said. Another explosion in the maze lit up the junk. Waylon noticed a thick sludge dripping from the barb wire that twisted along the wall. By the smell and recognizable thick oil look, Waylon knew it was that junk Andrew had when he stabbed his leg with a needle.

“We can't climb this.” Waylon said. he looked at the multiple dead body’s tangled up and shredded in the barb fire. The corpses seemed fresh in the uncut areas, while the rest were pus filled rot. “It's covered in that infecting slime oil.” Waylon said.

“How do we get by it?” Eddie asked.

“...I don't know. This was all I had.” Waylon said, fearing of being trapped clouding over him. Waylon looked around to try and spot an exit. The maze was behind him, the river was in front covered and surrounded by the toxic junk dam. The only escape available was the steep drop of the ice cold water fall. Who knew what could be at the bottom of that. more sharp junk or jagged rocks?

Another explosion in the maze, more yelling being heard, then it went abnormally quiet very fast. Waylon and Eddie paused, watching the maze, they knew something was wrong. Waylon heard an odd far off thudding or chopping noise.

“Do you hear that?” Waylon asked, looking at Eddie.

“It's a helicopter.” Eddie growled at the air, staring in the direction of a moving spot light. It was heading towards them, getting louder as it approached. “we need to run or hide. It will shoot us when it gets here.” Eddie said.

“I-I don’t have anything. We cant climb, the maze is a death trap!” Waylon said frantically.

“What if we jump?” Eddie said, bringing Waylon to the edge of the sheer drop next to the water fall.

“What?! No, no, no, no!” Waylon repeated, shaking his head.

“We can't make that. There could be sharp rocks at the bottom. If we manage to miss the rocks, the rapids would either drown us or smash us into other rocks down the line.” Waylon said, looking down the waterfall. Feeling sick at the site while thinking of jumping.

“Sounds better then getting shot by a helicopter.” Eddie said, jumping across large rocks in the river.

“What are you doing??!!” Waylon asked, looking quickly back at the enclosing helicopter.

“Better chance of surviving if we jump from the middle of the waterfall.” Eddie said, being half way there. Waylon looked back and forth from the raging river to the lethal helicopter. He cautiously jumped to the first rock, almost losing his footing on the sleek surface.

He took deep breaths, regaining him self to jump to the next rock. He avoided looking off the waterfall at all cost till he made it to the middle rock with Eddie. Waylon felt sick, going pale as he glanced at the jump they were to make.

“I don’t think I can do this.” Waylon said, sickness in his tone. He kept breathing deeply to avoid hyperventilating uncontrollably.

“You have to. Just close your eyes and jump.” Eddie said, his voice being hard to hear. The helicopter shined its bright spot light on the two, hovering over them. The blasting wind the helicopter caused was complicating things. It was becoming harder to stay on the rock.

Waylon stared at the crashing water below them. He sucked in a breath of air when Eddie grabbed his hand. Waylon glanced at him, both preparing to jump. The preparation being cut shorter then Waylon liked as bullets shot down onto there rock. Both jumped after the first bullet sparked against the rock.

The fall was the quickest thing to pass, the longest was trying to resurface. Waylon had released Eddie during the fall, losing all site of him. Waylon thrashed uncontrollably in the water, his body reminding him that he was unable to swim. He was suffocating till the rapids pushed him out of the water for just a small moment. He continued thrashing, managing to gain some time above water and take a quick glance.

He saw the helicopter hovering where they leaped, the site getting far very fast. He looked around for the time he could, desperate to find Eddie in the rapids. He was pulled under the surface, thrashing again to get up or grab a hold of something.

Underneath the water he slammed against the rocky riverbed. The sharp rocks repeatedly cut or scrapped his skin, blood passing by his vision in a cloud. His fear of dying sparked the engine alive. his body already being in so much pain and numbed from freezing water, the engine couldn’t add much. The swirling dark blurred world around him being hard for the engine to distort with nothing to focus on.

Waylon breached the surface again, gasping and hacking at the air. He searched around again, the white rapids he saw around him being red with blood. The engine took advantage of this focusing, turning the whole river to blood. Waylon didn’t care, being more focused on finding Eddie then swimming in blood.

“Eddie!” Waylon yelled, the last bit turning into a gargle when a flash of water pushed him under. He thrashed again to the surface, hacking out water he sucked in. he looked around, listening for a possible answer. He was pushed down again as the rapids dipped down along a slope.

The dips made Waylon hectically spin with the moving water. He could feel himself smashing into large rocks or scraping along the rocky floor. More blood stirring up in his view. He coughed up water when he made it back to the surface.

“Eddie!” Waylon barely coughed out before he was dragged under again. He thrashed again, his brain switching from finding Eddie to just surviving. He broke the surface again, thrashing to stay up this time. He hacked and wheezed in air, his mind wondering when this would ever end as this seemed like an eternity.

Fear was setting in as his energy depleted to the last drop. His arms were stiff from the cold and weak from thrashing so strongly to just break the surface. He slowly sank away from the surface, thrashing no longer being strong enough to get up. The world around him was still and black, the sound of rushing water muffled.

Waylon shut his eyes as he sank, feeling the cold air on his hand that just made it past the surface. His chest painfully constricted from lack of air, the next breath he would made would only contain water. Waylon was about to succumb when he felt something grab his hand.

His eyes shot open as he broke the surface. Gasping, hacking, and coughing up water as he was dragged onto a large rock. Past the rock he was laid down on the graveled shore of the river. He coughed a bit more, seeing Eddie sit down next to him. He looked at Eddies back, staring at the long gash that curved up along his spine and over.

After regaining some strength, he sat up and scooted close to Eddie. He leaned on him and hugged his arm. The two were silent, slowly gaining there breath and energy from fighting the river.

“…Still wanna get married?” Waylon asked. Both of them chuckled.

“If you want to.” Eddie said, hugging Waylon. Waylon looked around them, seeing thick forest behind. The river in front of them was calmly flowing, the rapids ending after the long slope that curved. Waylon's attention was grabbed by Eddie speaking.

“Lots of stars.” Eddie said, looking up. Waylon looked up at the sky, amazed by the thousands of stars he could see.

“We must be deep between the mountains.” Waylon said.

“One step closer to heaven.” Waylon thought. Remembering what Eddie had said so long ago. He looked across the sky. His gaze ended at a small amount of specked light on the dark horizon.

“Looks like a city.” Waylon said, causing Eddie to look in the direction he stared at.

“We'll each it around the next sunset if we start walking.” Eddie said, looking at the speckled area of light.

“A walk in the forest is nothing.” Waylon said, starting to stand. Eddie stood up with him, helping him stand and walk down the bank.

“Think you'll be okay for it?” Eddie asked.

“I think we both will.” Waylon smiled, hugging Eddie.

The end

#outlast whistleblower #eddie gluskin #waylon park #Waylon x Eddie

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