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starlight-eclipsed · 1 year

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DP X Pokémon Crossover AU

Because I lack restraint. (Dark version + AU details under cut)

1. Drs. Fenton are still very anti-ghost, only in this world they argue that as dead people they should not count as Pokémon. They are especially vocal about children having Ghost-types (comparing it to grooming/they want to steal your kids away, which is not helped by certain Pokédex descriptions), which is a perspective that gains traction in some areas. 2. As you can imagine, this does not make them liked in most circles.

3. Despite that, they travel all over the globe to spread their message and research sites with a particularly dense Ghost-type population.

4. The GIW are similar to Team Galactic in this AU. They're more intense than the Fentons and automatically class all Ghost-types as threats. Everyone knows they're bad news, but they're a well established organization and nobody can really go against them legally.

5. The Fentons are invited to the Alola region by the Aether Foundation, as they're currently invested in portals-ghosts-ultra beasts-ultra space and those fields are suspected to have a lot of overlap.

6. Jazz had spilt from the family when she was younger to go on her Pokémon journey when she was 13, having originally stayed back to look after Danny. She encountered a hurt Munna when they were in the Unova region, who would become her starter Pokémon.

7. She starts to realize just how wrong her parents were when she starts fighting Team Plasma alongside two kids her brother's age, but that's a different story. A part of her wishes she'd insisted on Danny starting his journey with her--she thinks he would've liked Sam and Tucker.

8. Danny is pretty disillusioned to the thought of a Pokémon journey by the time he's 14 and his parents still haven't let him strike out alone.

9. He does have a Staryu he befriended a couple regions ago. But considering his family's affinity for Psychic-types he was essentially told he couldn't go off alone until Staryu evolved into Starmie (a Water and Psychic-type). However he can't really train with his parents' supervision when they're always busy, so he's effectively stuck.

10. One day in Alola, he spots a wild Minior. His brain essentially goes 'hey look another star-themed little space guy', and he sneaks away from his parents to go see if he can catch it.

11. Water-type Staryu is super effective against Rock and Flying-type Minior, and he gets his second Pokémon!

12. He stops by his parents' lab to tell them the news, but is quickly distracted by a strange Pokémon being kept in a ring-like passage in the wall. He enters when he hears its cries.

13. No matter the dimension, the Fentons have a tendency to put switches on the inside.

14. Young Danny Fenton woke up on the shore of one of Alola's main islands, clutching a little Cosmog in his arms. The little space guy roster has expanded.

15. With some assistance from the local professor, Danny returns to the apartment, electing to hide Cosmog as he tries to figure out what to do. And then Ultra Wormholes start opening all over the region.

16. Good news! Thanks to whatever happened with Ozzy (He can't exactly call them Cosmog in fear of being overheard), he can now sense when a wormhole opens. Ozzy can even teleport them there and back.

17. Bad news! His parents and every researcher in the area wants to catch and study the beings that get dragged through and start causing havoc.

18. Which would be bad enough without the revelation that Danny can now understand what certain Pokémon are saying (Ghost-types or otherwise space-related).

19. On the plus side, his parents were insistent that he start his journey as a Pokémon trainer so that he can defend himself should these 'Ultra Beasts' attack. Due to some confusion in which they ask the local Pokémon Professor to help him start his journey, he also gets to pick a starter Pokémon despite already having some.

20. He initially goes for Rowlet because they're nocturnal, stealthy, can fly, and he could use a Grass-type on his team. The professor is hesitant to let the son of two very anti-ghost scientists to have a starter that gains a Ghost-type in its final evolution (especially right after the debacle in which he gave them a Rotom Dex and they proceeded to chase it out of the device and into the wild), and warns Danny.

21. Danny is thrilled. One day he'll be able to fully talk with his new buddy! It isn't until he's already gone home that he realizes what the professor was trying to warn him of. Thankfully his parents aren't native to the area, so when they scan Rowlet and hear 'Grass-Flying', they don't expect that to change.

22. He meets Rotom shortly afterwards--the one that was in the Alolan Pokédex given to his parents. It was emotionally attached to its old shell, but is scared of being seen taking it back.

23. Danny switches out the Rotom Dex for a standard regional one, which his parents are more than happy to use knowing it hasn't been 'possessed'. The Rotom in question decides to stay with him, randomly taking over various electronics to help Danny out and occasionally battling alonside him.

24. (Danny is both happy to have a new partner and upset that a Pokémon normally characterized by being a trickster is so insistent on proving it's useful and staying out of the way. Cue him and the others helping Rotom play pranks and showing that it's okay to act out sometimes.)

25. Insert brief adventure involving falling into a wormhole, crashing into Hisui, accidentally befriending a weird looking Zorua, and meeting the masters of time (Dialga/Clockwork) and space (he instantly recognizes Palkia--it's the embodiment of space!) to catch a ride back home.

26. The Zorua sneaks back home with him, joining as the sixth member of his team. Danny does some research on the history of Zorua, and discovers that there was a half-Normal half-Ghost strain of them that lived in ancient Sinnoh.

27. By the time he's fifteen, he realizes that with half his team being Ghost-type (that is, when Rowlet fully evolves) and having to hide both Ozzy and his own powers all the time, it's really not a good idea to stick around his parents anymore. What if he loses track of one of his friends, and his parents find them first? And that's completely ignoring the distance that's formed as Danny started helping out the local Ghost-types and hearing all the awful things the Fentons have done.

28. So he packs his stuff, takes a Fenton Thermos (a version of the mobile box storage used in the Galar region, invented by his parents and actually made functional when he and Rotom messed with it. Danny isn't risking catching a seventh Pokémon and them being sent directly to his parents, so he sets up his own account and isolates it to the Thermos), and leaves five years late for his Pokémon while his parents are visiting Aether Foundation's main research base.

29. Cue various shenanigans as Danny and his team travel through dimensions to keep the peace between Ultra Beasts and the rest of reality. Somewhere along the line he starts literally fighting alongside his Pokémon, possibly unlocking more powers. This teenager has no hesitation and will punch a god if given the chance.

30. (His Pokémon were thrilled, thinking it was about time their trainer starts learning some moves. Rotom is the only one distressed by the implications when Danny uses Shadow Ball.)

31. Jazz hears from her parents for the first time in years when they call her panicking about Danny disappearing. She connects some dots from her last call with him and figures he must've finally snapped and ran away to journey with his Pokémon.

32. Danny proceeds to get the most confusing message in his life from Jazz as he's restocking on supplies in a Pokémart somewhere in Kalos. Why was she congratulating him and offering him a couch in a Unovan professor's lab if he's ever in the area?

33. In completely unrelated news, people start recognizing a mysterious trainer that commits acts of vigilantism and speaks in favor of Ghost-types and Ultra Beasts all over the world, resolving conflict both peacefully and through battle. Some rumors say he's a Pokémon himself, a ghost with unfinished business. Others think he's an undercover ranger, finally losing patience with trying to stop bad people the legal way and resorting to direct action.

34. They're calling him Phantom, and his interference is attracting all kinds of attention.

35. Danny just wants everyone to be safe, and is more than happy to be traveling through space with his Pokémon by his side. Maybe one day he'll try a gym challenge or whatever trainers normally do, but for the time being he's more than happy to keep getting stronger while throwing down with various Pokémon across dimensions.

#danny phantom #pokemon crossover #my art

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kitashousewife · 2 years

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6:55 pm

authors note: for the past couple hours i have not stopped thinking about coworker!armin. i thought i would write this to get it out of my head, let’s see if that works!

pairing: co-worker!armin x fem!reader

warnings: slightly suggestive, mild sexual tension but nothing crazy, one swear word (fuck), lowercase intentional. that’s all, if you see something though let me know!

4 hours and 55 minutes.

that’s the length of time you have been at the first day of your new job. a cute, local grocery store that was almost too good to be true. it has been just what you needed: perfect hours, incredible co-workers, decent pay, and an overall easy job. the environment is amazing, it’s even about a 5-minute walk to your place. you only have about 5-minutes left of your shift! it’s been a great first day. however, you are very ready to leave. the one downside in your otherwise perfect job outweighing every positive one:

your manager.

the minute you arrived this afternoon, you knew he was going to be a problem. he’s incredibly kind, patient, understanding, respectful, and immensely welcoming. the problem?

he’s so pretty.

armin had the most beautiful eyes, and you would know, considering two times in this shift alone you’ve been caught admiring them. you had been entranced, staring into the ocean that was his eyes. both times, you were so lost in them that you missed what he said, awkwardly needing to stumble over your words to ask him if he could repeat himself, which he always did with smile. his soft blonde bangs, falling perfectly against his forehead, looked so soft and fluffy. the urge to touch it was so strong, you had to remind yourself that you’re at work, he’s your manager, you barely know him! but his cute nose, soft pink lips, and the warmest, most inviting smile and laugh you have ever encountered made you feel as if you have known him your entire life.

“...and then after we put the registers away, we make sure the refrigerator and freezer doors are shut tight, then we are good to lock the doors and head out. i think that’s all on our checklist, do you have any questions at all?” armin looks up from the laminated sheet to check for any signs of confusion on your face. he doesn’t find any confusion, but he can tell you are distracted. was that was too much information?

“u-um, i know that is a lot of to take in at one time, i can totally go over it again if-”

“o-oh, i’m so sorry armin! no, everything makes perfect sense,” you quickly snap out of your trance, cheeks slightly heating up as you realize this is the third time now in only a few hours that you have completely stopped listening to him. this time though, his eyes were not the culprit. this time you were entranced by many things at once. his pretty, pale fingers pointing to the checklist was what started things off, followed by just how good he smelled. by the time you realized just how close you were standing, you were quickly brought back to reality.

“would it be okay if i watch you do everything though? s-sorry if that’s weird, you can say no, i just like to see how it’s done first,” you stumble out the words, followed by a small laugh. why am i so nervous?

“of course! let’s put these in the safe and then we can check the fridge and freezer,” armin beams at you, quickly showing you how to open the safe, and then turns to guide you to the fridge and freezer.

neither of you speak as you walk down the hallway. the soft shut of a door causes you to turn around, a reminder that you and armin are now the only people left in the store. the air suddenly feels thicker. you open your mouth to say something, anything to break the tension between you two. unfortunately, you don’t turn around quick enough, causing you to bump into armin as he stops.

“i’m so sorry armin! i guess i wasn’t paying attention, i’m really sorry, are you okay?” you look up at him with big eyes, face painted with worry as you search for any signs of how armin is feeling.

oh god.

armin thinks you look adorable. big eyes, slight pout, looking at him with worry and care. he just wants to give you a hug, cup your cheek with his hand to comfort you, swipe his thumb across your cheek, dragging it down to your lip, tugging your bottom lip down slowly-

“oh! i’m okay! seriously, it’s no big deal! come on, i’ll show you the doors and then we can clock out and head home! you had a pretty big day today, after all.”

nice save. armin is almost embarrassed at how quick his thoughts changed when he looked at you. all day he hasn’t been able to focus. your pretty hair, cute laugh, the kindness you showed customers; armin was in deep.

walking into the fridge to turn on the lights, armin turns to explain the last step to you. he sees you looking around, familiarizing yourself with the area.

“basically, all we need to do is-wait look out!” while you were trying to get the thought of armin staring down at you from above out of your head by staring at the various boxes, drinks, and other items, his voice broke through your thoughts and startled you. in your slight panic, you backed into a shelf causing a small box to fall off the top. eyes wide, fear washes over you as you step back, bracing for impact.

nothing hits you, but you do hit something. a cold, hard surface meets your back. your hands reach up, touching something warm and dense. you look up and are met with wide, blue eyes staring down at you.

a small gasp leaves your lips, and only then do you realize your situation. your back against a wall, hands on armin’s chest, armin’s hands on either side of your head caging you in, faces inches apart, noses almost touching.

an electric feeling runs through you from the top of your chest, through your stomach, and down through your legs. despite the chill of the fridge, you feel impossibly warm. not trusting yourself to look into armin’s eyes again, you look at your hands that rest on his chest. your hands suddenly feel so small. his heart is racing. your breath quickens, and you decide to look up.

big mistake.

armin’s eyes are blown, the bright blue swallowed up by darkness. his cheeks are dusted with a pretty pink, lips slightly parted. you release a shaky breath as you feel a warm breath of his own on your face.

“are you okay? i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean to scare you back there,” armin mumbles out, not trusting his voice enough to speak up. armin is very much aware about the situation you two have gotten in. all he is thinking about right now is leaning forward, just a bit, until your lips touch. seeing you under him is stirring something inside of his stomach, and his pants are starting to feel a little tight.

“y-yeah, i’m okay armin,” you whisper, eyes moving from your hands, to his lips, up to his eyes.

say that again.

he notices the eye shift right away. almost on instinct, armin moves in a hair, brushing his nose against yours. you feel his chest tighten under your palms.

“w-we should probably clock out, you’ve had a long day,” armin whispers back, breath fanning against your lips. you open your mouth to say something, but the shake of a handle causes you both to step away from each other in a hurry.

guess you’re not alone.

armin runs a hand through his hair, attempting to calm himself down. reaching his hand out to open the door, he turns around and flashes you a small smile, causing your cheeks to flush once more.

fuck.

#armin x reader #armin arlert x reader #armin arlert #armin drabble #aot x reader #attack on titan x reader #armin x you #armin arlert x you

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veilspun · 2 years

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wow arceus looks different than i thought it would

#flight rising #frfanart #submas #personal art tag #hi hello hi more of these guys #been thinking about them for a while so i am going to talk about them #instead of my standard fandragon treatment of 'everythings pretty much the same but theyre dragons' its more of a whole au #sometime after ingo gets back from hisui (because he DOES shut up) they both get thrown through a portal into sorneith #and turned into pearlcatchers because haha lizard cool or whatever #they have all of their memories and their pokemon on them still because i think its funny #theyre dropped somewhere in lightning because something about the desert resort being next to nimbasa and also #i think lightning would have trains #at first they think they got turned into some kind of pokemon theyve never seen before. bc people turning into pokemon is not unheard of #but after a couple of very confusing encounters with locals they realize that is not the case #they get directed towards the arcanist because i feel like out of the 11 he'd be the most likely to actually be able to help #so they have to go on a journey to arcane to try and get an audience with him

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masterofmunson · 3 years

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look after you (1)

TFATWS Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Sam asks you to join him and Bucky on a mission in Madripoor. When you get injured, Bucky feels the need to remind you more than once that he’s supposed to look after you now that Steve’s gone.

Warnings: tfatws spoilers, language, violence, blood, grief, angst, major pining

Word Count: 6k+

Author’s Note: Here she is!! I’m really excited to see what you guys think! This is my first Bucky fic in AGES! I decided to make this into a mini series since this fic is so long haha. Please let me know what you think. Comments, reblogs, and asks are highly encouraged and appreciated! Enjoy!

You hadn’t seen Sam or Bucky in several weeks. You were still adjusting to life post-blip. It had been a long five years for you and just seconds for them. You were no longer the bright-eyed and bushy tailed recruit. You’d grown into your position amongst the established and experienced Avengers. Now, it meant nothing.

Tony’s gone. Steve’s dead, Natasha too. The Avengers had officially disbanded. You felt lost and confused, still blinded by your grief over losing them. You had nowhere to go, so you just floated from place to place as needed.

You were laying low and a shell of the person you once were. You had no one to look towards anymore. Bucky went his separate ways and got some sort of footing in New York City with the pardon he was given by the government since his return to the states. You checked in every now and then with him, but you didn’t want to slow down his progress so you distanced yourself from him.

You know he feels some sort of responsibility towards you. Steve did too, and you suppose now that he’s gone, Bucky feels the need to take his place. It doesn’t matter that you’re no longer the naive 23 year old he met in Berlin all those years ago. It doesn’t matter that there was something lingering between the two of you before he turned to ash. You’re a grown woman now and war and politics has hardened your soul.

He needs to move on from you. The version he has of you in his head is gone, dead. He wants a fresh start, and you can’t give it to him.

Sam checks in with you once in a while. He asks you how you’re doing and you respond the same each time. “Same shit, different day,” you laughed lightly.

He knows better than to ask you to join him on his missions with the military. You’re not in the right headspace to return to the field, least of all if it meant that you were representing the US government wherever the fight was.

Now that John Walker has the shield and has been branded the new Captain America, it gives you all the more reason to stay away. If he had so much as just breathed in your direction, you’d kill him and rip the shield from his grasp and return it to Sam.

You ignored all emails and phone calls that had to do with John Walker. He wanted your blessing on live television, as if that meant anything. Yes, you were close with Steve, but you’re not an original Avenger. You just caught his eye during training one day and he took you under his wing. John Walker just wanted to create a bridge between the two of you since Sam and Bucky were obviously out of the question.

You were the first person Sam called when he told you he was giving up the shield. You didn’t ask why. You knew he had his reasons and you respected him to accept that whatever the reasons were, they were good enough.

So, when Sam called in the middle of the night, you picked up the phone without a second thought. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you sit up and fumble for the light on the nightstand beside you.

“Sam? You do realize it’s three in the morning, right?” you asked, yawning into your phone.

Sam curses in your ear and apologizes quietly. “Sorry. You would think with all this traveling, I’d remember time zones are a thing,” he laughed softly.

“What is it, Sam?”

“We’re in a bit of a tight spot. We could use your help.”

Your brows pinch together. “Who’s we, Sam?”

“Me and Barnes.”

Your heart jumps inside your throat. How the hell did Sam manage to rope Bucky into whatever he’s doing? The last you heard, Bucky wasn’t allowed to go on government missions until his therapist thought he made enough progress to do so. You know he’s nowhere near the progress he wants to be, so how is he with Sam?

“Jesus, Sam. You know he’s not in the right headspace to go on missions!” There’s a heavy pause between the two of you before you relent. “Where am I meeting you?”

“Latvia. I’ll fill you in when you get here.”

You hang up quickly and hurry out of bed. After so many years of getting up at odd hours for emergency missions and the like, you’re not surprised that Sam asked you to meet him in the middle of the night. You grab your duffle bag and stuff all your belongings back inside. You travel lightly, and now it definitely seemed to work out in your favor.

You’ve spent the last couple of weeks in a small town just outside of Helena, Montana. It’s nice and quiet and you’ve really taken the time to reflect on your life since things started going back to normal post-blip. The locals are nice and hospitable, and no one asks you about Steve, Tony, or what you thought of John Walker. You hope it had something to do with the fact that they didn’t know who you were. You certainly hoped that was the case. You’ve kept your head down and tried your best to blend in.

You go hiking quite frequently and take drives through the mountains. It’s nice and relaxing, a far cry from what you’re used to. You’ll definitely miss it, and you have second thoughts about meeting up with Sam, but you push them away. Steve abandoned you both, and you wouldn’t do that to him.

It takes you several hours to get to the closest international airport and by the time you arrive, the sun begins to rise in the distance. You hurry through the airport security and send Sam a quick update that you’re about to board your flight before you settle in your seat and fall back asleep.

....

You sleep through the entire flight. You blame it on your ability to sleep anywhere due to the number of missions you have under your belt. You’re wide awake when the plane lands and you’re quick to pull out your phone and send a message to Sam that you’ve made it safe and sound to Latvia.

Your legs are stiff and sore when you stand up for the first time when it’s time to leave. You pull your duffle bag from the overhead compartment and slowly make your way to the front. It takes you nearly an hour to get through customs and now you’re just anxiously waiting to see Sam.

When you see him waiting for you at the baggage claim area, you grin as your eyes meet. You hurry over to him and drop your duffle bag to the floor as he pulls you in for a hug. It’s warm and tight and it’s exactly what you need. Sam pulls away first and reaches for your bag, throwing an arm over your shoulder as you walk out of the airport to his car.

You stop walking when you notice two figures near a very fancy yellow car as you and Sam near them. Sam keeps walking and you take slow, tentative steps. You know one of the figures has to be Bucky, but Sam never mentioned a third person.

“Sam, I thought you said that it was just you and Bucky,” you said cautiously.

Sam stops in his tracks and lets out a nervous chuckle and scratches the back of his head. It makes your heart race and you swallow the lump in your throat as they begin to come into focus as they near the two of you. “Y/n, before you get angry, I just need you to know that this wasn’t my idea. Believe me when I tell you that he is the last person we would ask for help,” Sam replied as his eyes went from you to the two people approaching.

“Who is he?” you asked through gritted teeth.

“Ah! Y/n, good to know that your flight went rather smoothly. It is good to see you again.”

No. There’s no way. You must be dreaming. Hemlut Zemo is not standing right in front of you. He is in prison. He is behind bars for the crimes he committed. The two men that you're closest to wouldn’t jailbreak someone as atrocious as Zemo. There has to be an explanation. It doesn’t make sense.

“What the fuck is Zemo doing out of prison?!” you hissed, looking between Bucky and Sam, demanding an explanation.

“Y/n, honey, I can explain, just please get in the car,” Bucky pleaded, reaching out to touch your hand.

You glare at him and take a step back. “Are you out of your mind, Bucky? You break him out of jail because you need him, is that it? Do you remember what he did to you, because I certainly do!”

Bucky frowns and lets out a deep and heavy sigh. He looks over at Sam. “Did you fill her in at all?”

“No!” you shouted. “I can speak for myself, James! Someone better start talking and tell me what the hell is going on!”

“We don’t really have time for this right now,” Zemo interrupts, “we really must be going. I’m sure Sam and James can fill you in in the car.”

You glare at the Sokovian terrorist and snap at him. “Shut your mouth, Zemo.”

He raises his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. Bucky towers over you and this time you let him take your hand. He squeezes it gently and pulls you into his chest, hugging you tightly. You’re tense and fuming as he holds you.

His mouth finds the shell of your ear and despite the wave of anger flowing through your body, it sends a shiver down your spine. Bucky whispers, “I hate to say it, but Zemo’s right. We have to go. I’ll explain on the way, I promise.”

You huff childishly and turn your head away from him as he kisses your temple. “Fine. If he steps out of line, I’ll kill him.”

Bucky laughs and takes your hand and walks you to the car. “Get in line, honey. Sam and I have first dibs.”

You resist the urge to smile and Bucky opens the door for you as Sam tosses your bag in the trunk and climbs into the front seat. Bucky slides in beside you and he tells you everything.

He tells you about their first encounter with the Flag Smashers. He tells you about how the leader and a few of her followers have taken a newer version of the serum that runs through his veins. He tells you that she plans on giving the serum to more people to build an army and that you have to stop her.

It makes your heart stop. You hadn’t really been keeping tabs on the Flag Smashers. Now, looking back, you probably should have. There’s still a lot of unknown variables to account for and it looks like the boys are taking it one step at a time, and apparently it starts with a trip to Madripoor. Zemo chimes in every now and then as he drives and it makes your blood boil that you’re forced to listen to what he has to say. You hate that he has the upper hand and is keeping valuable information hostage. You want to strangle him.

After a while, Zemo pulls into a private airport. Bucky helps you out of the car and grabs your bag from the trunk as the four of you walk towards the jet just off the runway. You had no idea just how rich Zemo was. Now that he’s out of prison, for now at least, his arrogance returned back in full force in addition to his pompous attitude.

You board the plane in silence, ignoring every word coming out of the Baron’s mouth. You settle in the back of the plane and ignore Bucky’s stares as you look out the window. You’re too angry to engage in conversation. You don’t care that Zemo insults Steve’s legacy. He’s gone, dead, what do you care? Yes, you wanted Steve to be happy, but he abandoned you. He abandoned Sam and Bucky.

Zemo rambles on and on. “People like Steve become symbols, icons. Then we start to forget about their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought,” he turns to address Bucky directly. “You remember that, right? As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?”

Silence fills the space and for a moment, you feel a reprieve. That was until Zemo mentioned the Winter Soldier.

“We can’t go into Madripoor as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.”

You immediately stand up and protest, storming to the front of the plane. “No. Absolutely not. I won’t let you use Bucky, not again. There has to be another way.”

Zemo clicks his tongue at you and shakes his head. A smug graces his features and you lung at him, wrapping your hands around his throat. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

Bucky leaps to his feet and tears you off of Zemo, dragging you to the back of the plane behind the curtains to give the two of you an illusion of privacy. Your shoulders shake with rage and Bucky’s hands caress your face.

“You can’t be him. He’s not you anymore. You don’t have to do this, Bucky. Please,” you begged, clinging to his hands. “I can’t let Zemo control you again.”

Bucky’s touched with how protective you are over him. He pulls you closer and hugs you tightly against him. Your fingers grip the back of his shirt and he presses a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

“Honey,” he whispered. “I have to. I have to do this so we can stop the Flag Smashers from getting the serum. It’s for the mission.”

You huffed against his chest. Now you’re really regretting your decision to help Sam. You would’ve said no if you had known that it meant watching Bucky turn into the Winter Soldier again, even if it wasn’t real.

You don’t know what to say. He won’t change his mind. Bucky’s just as stubborn as you are and he’ll do anything for the success of the mission, just like Steve did.

You pull away and return back to your seat, crossing your arms over your chest as you stare into the back of Zemo’s plush leather seat. Bucky trails behind you and squeezes your shoulder. You shrug off his touch as he takes the empty seat next to yours.

“And, I’m afraid that where we’re going doesn’t take too kindly to women who are…. how do I put this…. strong willed,” Zemo said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Bucky barked, jumping to your defense just moments after you did the same for him.

“Selby will see Y/n as competition. We can’t have that happen. She’ll have to stay behind.”

“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m just going to just sit here and do nothing,” you snapped. “I’m coming with. I don’t care if I have to pretend to be meek.”

Zemo turns to look at you. He’s challenging you. You both know it. He’s pushing your buttons and it’s working. He smirks and leans against the armchair. His eyebrows raise and he asks, “Even if it means pretending to be a prostitute?”

Your gaze doesn’t falter and you ignore both Sam’s and Bucky’s protests. It falls on deaf ears. You don’t care, as long as you’re with Sam and Bucky and they’re safe. “Yes,” you answered without a second thought. You’ve done worse things than pretend to be a sex worker. It would be a piece of cake.

Zemo grins, letting out a soft laugh. “It looks like you’ll be joining us after all then, Y/n.”

You scoff at him and look out the window. Bucky drags you from your seat once more and pulls you behind the curtain. You look away from him and he reaches to squeeze your hand.

“You don’t have to do this. You have nothing to prove,” he whispered, brushing the top of your palm with his warm and calloused fingers.

“You don’t either,” you mumbled back.

He smiles softly at your retort and pulls you into his arms. He holds you gently and cards his fingers through your hair. You hum quietly as he holds you.

“Touché, honey.”

There’s a beat of silence between the two of you before you lean back to meet his gaze. His blue eyes pierce through yours and it makes your heart race. You pull away and rub your palms against your thighs.

You disappear behind the curtain once more, leaving Bucky behind.

…

When you arrive in Madripoor, you’re dressed in an outfit that leaves little to the imagination. The dress has a plunging neckline that settles just below your naval. Your chest is barely covered and your boobs threaten to slip over the fabric. You’re dressed for the part, that’s for sure.

Zemo is the first one to look at you when you return from behind the curtain. He whistles at you and it makes your skin crawl.

Bucky shoves Zemo harshly and grips his chest tightly, snarling in his face. “Watch your mouth,” Bucky hissed, shoving him into one of the chairs.

He turns to look at you and you reach to squeeze his hand. You pull him away from Zemo and whisper softly, “It’s alright, Buck. Take a deep breath.”

He grits his teeth and shakes his head, and does what you ask. “I’ll kill him. If he does that again, I’ll kill him.”

You laugh softly and press a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I don’t doubt you will, Buck.”

The two of you trail behind Sam and Zemo as you leave the plane. A sleek black car is waiting just off the runway and you follow behind to the vehicle. When you settle into your spot in between Buck and Sam in the back, Zemo turns to look at the three of you.

“It’s imperative that we don’t break character, no matter what. If you do, we’re good as dead, understand?”

You scoff and roll your eyes as he looks towards you. “Crystal,” you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest.

He turns to face the front of the vehicle and silence fills the car.

Suddenly, a number of motorcycles surround the car as you drive into Low Town. you make sure to keep your eyes forward and Bucky reaches for the hand on your knee. He squeezes it tightly and you do the same.

Reality is now just setting in for you. This is the first mission that you’ve been on since Steve went back to the 40s, and since Tony died. It had been three long months since Tony saved the world and brought everyone back that was taken five years earlier. You know that three months isn’t long, but it still makes you nervous. You haven’t been training to keep things from going rusty. You had no desire to.

Bucky leans into you, his mouth near the shell of your ear. “You okay?”

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Yeah, just a bit nervous. I’m a little out of practice. This is my first mission since Steve left,” you mumbled back, squeezing his hand again to keep you grounded. He does the same in return.

“It’s alright. I have your back. I’ll protect you, promise.”

A small smile finds its way onto your face and you shake your head at him. “You know better than anyone else than to promise something like that before a mission, Buck. It’s bad luck,” you teased.

He laughs too and the car stops in what you guess is the downtown area of Low Town. You take a deep breath and Bucky does the same. You squeeze his hand one last time before his hand falls from your grasp. He opens the door and climbs out. You follow close behind and find your spot next to Sam. He gingerly wraps his arm around your waist as you walk into the Princess Bar.

Electronic music blasts through the speakers and the bass vibrates through your chest. You press against Sam as you push through people to get to the bar. The smell of drugs and alcohol is suffocating as you walk and ignore the stares sent your way. They’re not staring at you, but Bucky, who walks just a step behind you like a looming shadow.

“Ready to comply, Winter Soldier?” Zemo asked Bucky in Russian.

It makes your blood boil and Sam squeezes your waist tightly, a reminder that you must not break character. You hate it. You hate that Bucky has to pretend to be the person he’s worked so hard to distance himself from. Bucky is not him. The Winter Soldier doesn’t exist anymore. That part of him is gone, dead. You only hope that Bucky reminds himself that the Winter Soldier isn’t him anymore as he pretends just feet behind you.

You stand in front of the bar counter as the bartender approaches. You keep your mouth shut as Zemo exchanges words with the man, briefly bringing Sam, the Smiling Tiger, into the conversation. Your eyes find Bucky’s and your heart jumps inside your throat. His eyes are cold and void of any emotion. He’s stoic and brooding. He’s fallen into character perfectly and it scares you to think that all the progress he’s made over the years has been destroyed in this moment. For his sake, you hope not.

You tear your eyes away from Bucky at the feeling of Sam’s hand on the curve of your ass. You watch him carefully as he takes a shot. The bartender moves on and you let out a careful breath.

A man grasps at Zemo’s shoulder and sneers at him. He looks over at Bucky as Zemo asks to see Selby before he walks away. Another man approaches Zemo from behind and he speaks in Russian once more. “Winter Soldier, attack.”

You hold your breath in anticipation as the unsuspecting man rests his hand on Zemo’s shoulder. You want to reach out and touch Bucky, tell him that he doesn’t have to, that the two of you still have time to make a run for it, but you don’t. You can’t. Zemo would probably try and kill you if you interfere and it’s the last thing you need.

Bucky stalks over to him with two long strides, and rips the man’s hand from Zemo’s shoulder. He twists his wrist back and throws him to the ground. Another man swings at Bucky and he stops it with ease. He punches his back and kicks him against another crowny. As another man attempts to punch and kick at Bucky. He uses his metal arm and momentum to take each of them out.

“It doesn’t take much for him to fall back into form,” Zemo smirked, leaning over to look at you and Sam.

“Shut your mouth,” you hissed between your teeth as you watched Bucky.

Bucky grabs one of the men by the throat and slams him into the counter. Guns cock all around you as you look around the room. Your heart is inside your throat and there’s ringing in your ears. You reach to grab Bucky’s arm, but Sam beats you to it.

“Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us,” Zemo whispered. “Well done, soldier.”

Sam lets go of his arm and takes a step back, pulling you with him. He squeezes your hip tightly as you watch Bucky’s grip fall from the man’s throat.

“Selby will see you now,” the bartender said.

Zemo moves to follow him and you resist the urge to reach out and touch Bucky. Sam pulls you along and you walk in silence down a number of hallways. The music fades into the background and you’re squeezing Sam’s hand like your life depends on it.

A number of men on Selby’s security detail whistle as you walk by. You bite your tongue and resist the urge to snap their necks. The four of you wait at the door at the end of the hall for several seconds before it opens. You walk inside and Zemo takes you from Sam’s side. Your jaw ticks as he guides you to the empty sofa. His hand settles on your thigh and you tense under his touch.

Zemo and Selby negotiate for information. All you need to know is who created the serum and where they are. That’s it. Zemo needs to stick to the plan.

Zemo stands up from his spot next to you. “Tell us what you know about the super soldier serum, and I give you him…. along with the code words to control him,” Zemo stands behind Bucky, his hand resting on his shoulder. He’s silent and obedient, the perfect encapsulation of who he had been for the last 80 years.

There wasn’t a discussion over what the offer would be when you were on the plane from Latvia. You just assumed Zemo would figure a way out of it, he was clever enough to do it before. You hadn’t thought that he would actually use the Winter Soldier to his benefit outside of protection. How naive of you.

Bucky’s eyes are dark and he stares straight ahead as Zemo caresses his chin. He doesn’t flinch or react. He’s playing the Winter Soldier perfectly and you hate every second. You bite the inside of your cheek so hard that you start to taste blood.

“He will do anything you want.”

Selby grins, leaning back in her spot on the couch opposite of you. She tells him what you need to know. She nears Sam and then the worst happens, his phone begins to ring.

She tells him to answer it and your fingers squeeze into the leather couch. Your heart races and for the first time since you walked into the bar, Bucky’s eyes find yours. You know he can see your panic.

Things are fine momentarily. Sam’s trying his best to stay in character and you know it’s not working as well as he’d like. You hold your breath and your panic settles in at the mention of Sam’s name coming from Sarah.

“Kill them—”

Your eyes widen in horror as a bullet pierces through the glass window in front of you and lodges into Selby’s throat, killing her instantly. The act is over.

You leap to your feet and pull the tactical knife that you hid in your dress out from underneath you. You slice the knife across your attacker’s arm. Bucky kicks him into the wall and grabs you by the arm.

You run as fast as you can out the bar and through the streets of Madripoor. You dodge bullets and fight off others that attack you with knives.

You do well, all things considered with what you’re dressed in. You dig your heel into the boot of your attacker, throwing them off balance. You kick their leg out from underneath them and Sam knocks them unconscious.

Bucky, of course, is doing just fine on his own. You run over to help. You disarm the man closer to you and use the butt of the gun to knock him out.

You barely have time to register the man creeping up behind Bucky. His arm is outstretched with a gun in his hand. Bucky has no clue.

“Bucky!” you screamed at the top of your lungs, running as fast as you can towards him.

He turns to look at you as you use your whole body to shove him aside as the gun goes off.

Time stands still.

You fall to the ground in a daze as the bullet rips through your shoulder. Your eyes stare up into the night sky as it takes you a moment to realize that you’d just been shot.

You try to sit up and get back on your feet. You don’t have time to worry about your wound. You need to get the hell out of Low Town.

Bucky nearly drags you off the ground and you run. You run as fast as you can despite the bullet in your shoulder.

“We need to get out of here!” Bucky shouted, inspecting your wound.

A shadowy figure approaches and Bucky blocks you from view. The hood drops and you peer over Bucky’s shoulder. You don’t have time to be surprised that Sharon is the one standing in front of you.

“Sharon? What are you doing here?” Sam asked.

“We don’t have time for that!” Bucky snapped. “Sharon, please. You gotta help us. Y/n’s been shot.”

She nods and motions for you to follow her. She stops in front of a beautiful blue car and Bucky guides you into the car, pressing his metal hand against your shoulder to stop the bleeding. You ignore Sam and Bucky’s bickering as they yell at you for getting shot. You don’t have the energy to respond.

Sharon races across town and pulls up to a very fancy building. Sharon jumps out and opens the door for Bucky. His arm holds your torso and your uninjured arm is thrown over his shoulder as you walk inside. You gather into the elevator as it takes you to the top floor.

Your entire body goes numb and Bucky guides you to the kitchen counter. Sharon briefly disappears before returning with a heavy duty first aid kit.

“Do you have tequila?” you asked her as Bucky rummaged through the bag for the correct supplies. Sharon laughs softly before grabbing a bottle of tequila from her liquor cabinet. You take a generous sip and the liquid burns your throat.

Bucky inspects the bullet wound carefully. Thankfully it was a through and through. He doesn’t have to fish the bullet out. He works quickly and you grit your teeth as he stitches the wound close on both sides of your shoulder.

The pain lessened to a dull throb now that he’s finished. He cleans the excess blood off your skin before gently placing your arm in a sling.

“Why did you do that, Y/n?” Bucky chastised you, shaking his head in disappointment. “I could’ve taken care of him.”

You scoff and roll your eyes at him. “I don’t even get a thank you for saving your ass? You were vulnerable, I did the right thing.”

He sighs and you look away. Your eyes find Sharon’s. “Can I borrow some clothes?”

She nods and disappears down the hall to her bedroom. Silence fills the room and Sam takes his turn to reprimand you. You ignore him entirely and take another large swig of tequila.

Sharon returns moments later with a pair of clean clothes. You thank her quietly and she points you in the direction of one of the guest bedrooms. You hop off the counter and ignore Bucky’s protests and calls of your name.

You huffed in frustration as you limped towards one of Sharon’s guest bedrooms. You had enough of Sam and Bucky yelling at you for your recklessness, especially Bucky. You’re exhausted and all you want to do is sleep.

You did what you thought was right. You did what Steve would’ve done. You had Bucky’s back. Isn’t that what mattered? Sure, you got shot in the shoulder, but it isn’t something you haven’t done before. You have the scars to prove it.

“Stop running away from me! We’re not done talking about this!” Bucky yelled after you, hot on your heels into the bedroom. “What were you thinking?”

You’re sick of Bucky questioning you. You’re not a child and you’re not the bright eyed recruit he thinks you still are. You did what was right in the heat of the moment. You don’t regret it. You’d do it all over again if it meant that he was safe.

“Stop treating me like a child, James! I’m not Steve’s recruit anymore! I’m a grown woman,” you shouted back at him. Your shoulders shake and you glare at him. “I know you still think I’m that naive 25 year old, but that’s not me anymore. The last five years may have been five seconds to you, but they weren’t to me. Accept the fact that I did what I thought was right.”

“It was reckless!”

“Steve would’ve done it!” you bit back.

“This isn’t about Steve!” he argued.

You laugh bitterly and shake your head. He doesn’t see it. He doesn’t see what you see. You know he sees you as his responsibility now that Steve’s gone. He feels an obligation to look after you because Steve did. You have a part of Steve with you. Bucky’s clinging to any last remains of Steve, and that includes you.

“Isn’t it though? You feel like you have a responsibility to protect me, to look after me. Why? It’s because Steve did and now that he’s gone, you feel like you have to replace him!”

The silence that fills the room suffocates you. Your heart races with anger. You want Bucky to leave you alone. You didn’t ask for this. Sam needed your help, and when you provided it, you got yelled at for it. Now you just want to go home.

You turn your back to Bucky and pull the pants that Sharon gave you up your legs before discarding the dress in the corner of the room. You don’t care if Bucky sees all the scars that litter your backside. Maybe then he would understand that you’ve always done what’s best for the mission, even if that meant getting hurt. You throw the sweatshirt over your head and turn to look at Bucky again.

“Do you have anything else to say to me? Are you going to try and deny it?”

Bucky sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You’re one of the only people I have left that have a connection to Steve.”

Another bitter laugh escapes your mouth. He doesn’t understand. “He abandoned me, James! He abandoned us. Steve’s gone. You can’t hold on to him anymore. You don’t have to do anything Steve did. You have nothing to prove to me, I promise. I don’t need you to replace Steve. I need you, Buck. You’re the one that’s here with me, not Steve.”

Tears threaten to spill over your cheeks and you look away from him. The silence is deafening and Bucky moves to take you in his arms. He holds you against his chest and cards his fingers through your hair. You cry against his chest and cling to his henley. He gently guides you to the bed and sits down with you in his lap.

“I’m sorry, honey,” he whispered, rubbing your back. “You’re right. It just scared me. I don’t think I can handle losing you too. I’m sorry.”

You pull away to look at him with your tear stained cheeks and he carefully wipes away your tears with the pad of his thumb. You blink away the remaining tears and lean into his touch. “It’s okay, Buck. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

You rest your forehead against his and breathe him in. His metal hand rubs circles against your back and it sends shivers down your spine. He holds you carefully and no words are exchanged. Your eyes flicker to his lips and your heart thunders against your chest.

There’s a soft knock at the door and you pull your body off of Bucky’s. You sit beside him as Sam pokes his head inside the room. “Is everything okay?” he asked, looking between the two of you.

You look over at Bucky and then back to Sam. You smile and nod slowly. “Everything’s perfect, Sam.”

#bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes imagine #Bucky Barnes imagines #bucky x reader #bucky imagine #Bucky imagines #tfatws #tfatws x reader #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan imagine #Sebastian stan imagines #sebastian x reader #sebastian imagine #my writing

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asweetprologue · 3 years

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Prompt: Date Night Relationships: Geralt/Jaskier Rating: Gen Content Warnings: None Summary: Geralt ask Jaskier to go to the Yule festival with him. Jaskier misunderstands his intentions. ao3

“There’s a festival happening tonight.”

Jaskier looked up from where he was working on his latest composition. Geralt was leaning against the doorway to his bedchambers, which Jaskier tended to use as a study as well so that he could reserve the main space for entertaining. He took a moment to set down his quill and wipe his sweaty palm on his trousers. It was almost overly warm in the room, the fire blazing at full height to fight back against the chill of his outward facing chambers. The single, tiny window above his desk ran with moisture, the frost melted away by the heat of the room.

“Yes,” he answered, turning in his plush chair to face Geralt fully, one ankle coming up to cross over his knee. “There’ll be a procession at sunset starting at the main gate, to light the lanterns. And then dancing and such in the main square. Typical Yuletide celebrations.” As he spoke, Jaskier allowed himself to observe Geralt in full, briefly sweeping a glance over his companion. It was exceptionally rare for them to spend winters together; Geralt almost always chose to spend the colder months in Kaer Morhen with his brothers, while Jaskier returned to civilization. This year they had been deep in southern Sodden when the first snows unexpectedly hit, and by the time they’d made it back to Redania they’d received word from Vesemir that the pass to Kaer Morhen was closed. Jaskier had been offered a position teaching for the winter semester, along with a fairly lucrative retainer with a local lordling, so he’d offered Geralt a place to crash while they waited for the witchering season to start up again.

The downtime suited Jaskier’s companion nicely. Geralt’s hair was pulled back into a customary knot behind his head, but it was clean and soft looking, free of dirt and monster guts. His skin shone in the firelight, and the dark circles that always seemed smudged beneath his eyes were faded after weeks of consistent rest and food. He’d taken to walking around without his armor on, content after a few days with the knowledge that Oxenfurt was populated by nothing more threatening than overenthusiastic academics. At the moment he was wearing a pair of old black trousers and a dark blue shirt that stood out against his white skin like a splash of wine on a silk tablecloth. It had cost Jaskier a small fortune, but it was worthwhile to see it clinging to Geralt’s shoulders.

He looked good. Jaskier felt his cheeks heat up as he realised he’d been staring. Snapping back to the conversation at hand, he realized that Geralt had been speaking.

“- if you wanted to.”

“Sorry, what?” Jaskier asked, blinking. Geralt rolled his eyes, used to Jaskier’s lapses in attention. The motion carried annoyance, but when his eyes fell on Jaskier again there was fondness in them.

“I asked if you’d planned on attending. Seems like the kind of thing you’d be working.” Strong arms crossed over a broad chest, stretching the dark fabric across thick biceps. Jaskier swallowed.

“Ah, well, typically I would indeed be regaling the crowds with my sonorous melodies. But considering I had company, I thought it might be better to leave myself, uh.” He cut himself off, feeling suddenly exposed in the admission. While he had taken the time off initially hoping he might be doing something with Geralt, he hadn’t truly expected the witcher to want to do more than maybe get drunk on overpriced Redanian wine. “Well. You’re here, after all,” he finished lamely.

Geralt blinked at that, something odd crossing his face before he looked away. Staring at the fire across from Jaskier, he said, “You could still go.”

Something was off about his tone - overly flat, which he only did when he was trying to muffle some kind of emotion. What it could be, Jaskier had no earthly idea. Confused, he said, “Well, I wouldn’t want to leave you all by yourself on Yule, Geralt. That wouldn’t make me a very gracious host! I’m entirely content to spend the evening with you here, if that’s what you would prefer.” And he was, truly. While he typically spent Yuletide amongst the people, dancing and singing and visiting with friends, he imagined it would be just as rewarding to spend the evening with Geralt, in the cramped comfort of his quarters. The two of them tipsy on ale and spirits, sitting before the fire, trading stories back and forth like they usually did on the road. Cuddled beneath a blanket, pressed up against each other despite the warmth of the hearth, drink making Geralt’s face flush as it almost never did…

Yes, Jaskier imagined he would be perfectly content to spend the evening right here.

Geralt let out a frustrated huff. “I mean, we could go. If you want. I - We should go. Together.”

It was choppy work, even for Geralt. He still refused to meet Jaskier’s gaze, staring with absolute focus at the fire. His shoulders were braced, tense as if waiting for a blow. It was baffling.

“Well, of course, if you’d like to go I’m amenable to that,” Jaskier agreed. “More than, actually. It’s great fun, you’ll see.”

Geralt finally turned to look Jaskier in the eye. A shiver traveled down his spine at the intensity there, but then again, that was how he often felt under that golden gaze. “Together,” Geralt said again.

“I wouldn’t want to go with anyone else,” Jaskier said with a dismissive wave, laughing a little. It was typical to attend the festivities with a spouse or sweetheart, but he’d not taken a paramour of any kind in several months, and nothing serious in years, if he was honest. His attention was unfortunately captured elsewhere. He spared a single moment to mourn the private evening he’d envisioned with Geralt, but he was already warming to the idea of attending the festivities. He’d already shown the witcher around Oxenfurt, but it was exciting to think of showing the city off again in a new light. Geralt had probably not attended many Yule festivals, he realized, having always spent the winters in the mountains. Something released in his chest even as his stomach dropped in disappointment as he realized Geralt probably didn’t even recognize the romantic implications of his offer.

Geralt, at least, looked relieved. The tension dropped from his shoulders, and he gave Jaskier a soft smile. Jaskier’s traitorous heart skipped in his chest, and Geralt’s grin suggested that it may have been audible. Jaskier wasn’t sure what to do with himself, hands fluttering across his desk to meaninglessly straighten papers and notes. “Good,” Geralt said, the grin softening back into that disorienting smile. “I’m assuming you’ll want to change.”

“Ah, yes, can’t very well go out in this,” Jaskier agreed, still feeling slightly unmoored.

“Of course,” Geralt said seriously, but his eyes danced with mirth. “I’ve got some things to do in the market before the stalls close. Meet you at the gate at sunset?”

“Perfection,” Jaskier said, and Geralt nodded before peeling himself off of the doorframe and disappearing into the other room. A moment later Jaskier heard the telltale sound of the exterior door opening and closing, the rusty hinges creaking. He sat for a moment in the empty room, going over the encounter in his mind and trying to determine what had made it feel so off.

“Strange,” he said to himself, and began packing up his things. He had a festival to prepare for.

***

Dressed appropriately in his finest woolen tunic and the thick fur lined cloak Geralt had gifted him the previous year, Jaskier set out from his abode to meet Geralt. An hour or so had passed since their conversation, and the sun was lying low and languorous on the edge of the horizon. Its dying light rippled across the Pontar where it split around the island, the light layer of snow that covered the landscape transformed into gold dust. Already he could see the crowd gathering on the far side of the bridge, led by the priestess of Melitele, returning from the temple outside of the city. Jaskier stood inside the city gates, scanning the faces around him for familiar features.

After a few moments he saw him - highlighted against the backdrop of the setting sun, his hair turned to fiery gold in the dying light. Geralt smiled when they made eye contact, and immediately began to push his way through the crowd towards Jaskier. He too had dressed for the weather, his own wool cloak muffling his form. As he stepped into Jaskier’s space, he said, “You ready?”

Jaskier had the feeling that he didn’t know exactly what he should be ready for, but he nodded anyway. “They’re just beginning,” he said, waving towards the group approaching on the bridge. It was slow going, the procession stopping every few meters to wait while the priestess lit the lanterns lined up along the walls. They would be at it for the next hour at least, making their way around the circumference of the city to light the protective lanterns and then returning to the bridge, where the large crowd would release their own floating lanterns to carry their prayers for the new year to Melitele.

“There’s music in the square,” Geralt said, and Jaskier could just barely hear it as well. Normally he would be amongst the performers, but tonight he was there as the audience.

“The flutist is off key, I can tell already,” he said with a grin, though he could hear no such thing from this distance. Geralt huffed out a laugh and took Jaskier’s arm, just above the end of his glove. Geralt’s fingers were bare, his witcher metabolism keeping him warm enough without them, and they were a cold shock against the skin of Jaskier’s wrist. He let himself be led into the square, which was packed with people. Tables had been set up with food and drink around the edges, while the far side was dominated by a low stage. In the center, couples and groups danced, circling each other in common folk movements. The tune was jaunty and fun, a lively song to help fight back against the dark that threatened the edges of the gathering. Defiant in the best of ways.

“I don’t suppose you know any of the local dances?” Jaskier asked, already knowing the answer. Geralt confirmed it with a shake of his head. “Well then be a dear and get us some ales, hmm? We can still watch.”

Geralt, for once, did as he was bid without comment, probably just as interested in the alcohol as Jaskier was. He found them a spot to stand near the mouth of an alley, where he hoped the noise of the crowd would be a bit reduced. Geralt was sometimes bothered by the bustle and murmur of a large group of people.

Geralt rejoined him shortly, offering him a mug of mulled wine. Jaskier took a grateful sip, feeling the hot liquid settle in his gut and warm him from the inside out. It was very good - spicy and strong, just how he liked it. Geralt hummed appreciatively when he took his own drink.

They stood watching for a while, Jaskier making the occasional snide comment about a bad dancer or an overplayed tune if he thought it would make Geralt laugh. And it did, more often than not; Geralt was open and affectionate this evening, leaning down to whisper conspiratorially in Jaskier’s ear as they watched a couple sneak away from the dancefloor. Jaskier laughed into his glove, quickly beginning to feel light and soupy from the drink.

“I know this one,” Geralt said suddenly, drawing his attention back to the band. It was a slightly slower song, a couple’s dance. Bright gold eyes turned in Jaskier’s direction. “Want to dance?”

Jaskier gaped. “With you?”

Geralt’s eyebrow quirked upwards, betraying only exasperation. “Don’t see anyone else here making an offer.”

“Well, you - I - Alright,” he said, finally, swallowing his confusion. Geralt offered a hand, and Jaskier accepted.

They moved out towards the dancers, Jaskier feeling his heart rise in his throat. When they reached the edge of the pack, Geralt turned and gave Jaskier a short bow, overly formal for the setting. With an incredulous laugh, Jaskier returned the motion, and when he raised his head again Geralt was in his space, hands coming up to rest lightly on his waist.

It shouldn’t have been able to take his breath away so easily, but it did.

The motions of the dance were simple, basic circular pathways as they stepped out and back in together. Their hands never parted, but every time the steps pulled them apart Jaskier found himself missing Geralt’s warmth beside him. Slowly, the tempo picked up speed, until they were twisting and whirling around without pause. When the song ended, Jaskier was panting for breath. Geralt looked winded himself, though his chest rose and fell at the same rate it always did.

They made their way off the dance floor once again, ceding their spot to another couple. Geralt’s arm curled around Jaskier’s waist and he leaned into the touch, feeling more drunk than he should be. “You’re good at that, witcher,” he said, accusatorily. “I could have been taking you dancing all this time! How many balls have we been to?”

Geralt flushed faintly, the color staining his ears a fetching red. “The Wolf witchers use techniques that are similar to some dances,” he said. “The pacing, some of the moves, are familiar.”

“I’m never going to let this go,” Jaskier warned as they shuffled back towards the mouth of their alleyway. “You’re going to have to dance with me at every festival, ball, and banquet we ever attend from now on.”

Geralt smirked at him. “I don’t know that I mind.”

And what was that supposed to mean? Jaskier felt a flush spread down his cheeks, his throat, even his chest felt warm. Geralt didn’t mind dancing? Or didn’t mind dancing with Jaskier? Panicked, he said, “I’m going to get us more drinks!”

By the time he returned with more warm wine, he had managed to wrestle his emotions back into place. He passed Geralt one of the mugs, giving him a wide grin that he hoped would cover for his accelerated heartbeat.

As they drank, Jaskier found himself at a loss for words. He was happy to be here, truly. It was always enjoyable to spend time with the object of his affections, but at the same time, he felt something cold settling in his stomach that the wine could not touch. He glanced at Geralt out of the corner of his eye, watching the other man observe the dancers. His hair was in slight disarray from the dancing, his cheeks still slightly flushed, and Jaskier wanted him so badly it felt like a wound. He wished he could lace their fingers together as other couples around the square were. Wished he could sit in Geralt’s lap and feed him sweetmeats and honey cakes as the festivities melted away around them. It was difficult to be so close, and yet so far from what he actually desired.

Geralt glanced over at him, and something in Jaskier’s face must have betrayed his sudden turn into maudlin, because he didn’t look away. “Should we go?” Geralt asked, concern drawing his brow together.

Jaskier cursed himself, plastering on another smile. “No, no, dear heart, I’m enjoying myself plenty. The lanterns will probably be lit soon, don’t you think? Maybe we should go find ourselves a spot before the crowd arrives.”

Geralt nodded, still looking a bit worried. It was flattering, that he was clearly concerned about whether Jaskier was having a good time, but it only made him feel more wistful. Not looking to see if his friend was following, Jaskier began to pick his way out of the square, doing his best not to jostle any of the other partygoers. Geralt dogged him like a shadow, and they both emerged some minutes later in the silvery moonlight of the river walk.

Already Jaskier could see the bridge, some ways away to their left, dotted with lantern lights. The procession had made its way back. He stepped up to the edge of the river, leaning against the low wall that held the city back from its edge. Geralt stayed a step or two behind him, arms crossed against the chill. “This will be a good spot,” Jaskier said, leaning over the railing to point. “They’ll release them there, so we should be able to see them as they go up.”

“They do this every year?” Geralt asked, voice a low rumble. Now away from the noise of the crowd, it shook Jaskier’s bones.

He nodded. “For the last, hmm, thirty years, I think? The lanterns carry wishes, you see, requests for Melitele. They go up into the heavens, and when they come down they carry her blessing. So they say.”

“Hmm,” Geralt replied. They stood together in silence as the little pinpricks on the bridge became a sea of candlelight, and slowly, one by one, began lifting up into the air. Soon the sky was awash with golden sparks, hovering above them.

Jaskier leaned against the wall, watching the lanterns make their way skyward. “Wish I’d thought to make one ahead of time,” he said wistfully, watching their lights twinkle in the darkness. “I didn’t know we’d be -” He turned to look at Geralt, who was rummaging around in his bag. “What are you doing?”

With a triumphant huff, Geralt found what he was looking for. He presented it to Jaskier with a sheepish looking grin, an unusually bashful look for the witcher. In his palm was a small square of paper and wood, maybe half the size of the other lanterns being set loose from the bridge. “I found someone selling them earlier,” he said, setting the little thing on the ledge of the wall in front of them. “Thought you might want to join in.”

Jaskier clapped his gloved hands together, delighted. “Oh, it’s just adorable,” he said, feeling his grin pull at his cold cheeks. He picked the thing up, cradling it delicately in his cupped hands. The paper sides were decorated with a floral pattern - tulips, or maybe buttercups. Jaskier reached forward towards Geralt. “Would you light it for me?”

Geralt reached out and snapped, the clean sound cutting through the still air. Immediately the paper in Jaskier’s hands began to warm, the little lantern glowing merrily. Carefully, Jaskier made his way to the edge of the river wall and leaned over the side, letting the lantern rest on his flat hands as it grew lighter. After a moment, it lifted gently off of his palms and started to drift skywards.

Geralt stepped up to join him, their shoulders pressing together as they leaned against the railing, watching their little lantern float up to join the sea of others. A wave of golden light blanketed the city, giving the river an otherworldly glow as it reflected the sky. Jaskier sighed happily, allowing Geralt’s constant warmth to wash over him. He turned to comment on the spectacle, but his words died on his lips as he found Geralt already looking at him. The warmth of the lanterns reflected in his eyes as well, making them glow with their own light in the darkness. Jaskier’s breath caught in his throat, his cheeks warming.

“This was nice,” Geralt said, his voice pitched low. The rumble of it sent a shiver up Jaskier’s spine. They were so close together, and Jaskier found himself turning into Geralt’s heat like a flower to the sun.

“Y-yes,” he stuttered, a beat too late. “It’s always a pleasure to spend an evening with you, my friend.”

Geralt hummed, a distracted noise, and lifted his bare hand up to Jaskier’s jaw. “Oh,” Jaskier said, surprise and confusion and clamouring hope blossoming in his chest, and then Geralt was kissing him.

It was a chaste little thing, but Jaskier felt himself light up at the touch. His own hands came up to grasp Geralt’s hips, the gloves or the shock making him clumsy. Geralt hummed again, a wickedly satisfied sound that made Jaskier shudder embarrassingly. He tasted like mulled wine and cinnamon, the taste lingering on Jaskier’s lips as they pulled away.

He stared at Geralt for a moment before clearing his throat. “What, erm. What was that for?”

Geralt gazed at him fondly, a thumb skating over Jaskier’s cheekbone. He knew it must be warm to the touch. “I wanted to,” he said, shrugging. “And it’s the customary way to end a romantic outing, I’m told.”

Jaskier blinked at him. “Romantic outing?”

Geralt’s head tilted to the side, giving Jaskier a confused look. “What did you think this was?”

“Oh,” Jaskier said again. “Oh!” He pulled a hand away from Geralt’s side to slap over his own forehead, feeling both extraordinarily foolish and giddy. “God’s above, this was a date?”

Geralt’s expression shuttered slightly, and his fingers slipped from Jaskier’s cheek to his shoulder. “You didn’t realize.”

Jaskier leaned forward, desperate to wipe the nervous look from Geralt’s face. He wrapped his own hands around Geralt’s neck, squeezing the base of his skull slightly. “I’m sorry, dearest, I didn’t, but I am delighted. Ecstatic, overjoyed, elated, euphoric, exultant -”

Geralt laughed, cutting him off. “Alright, I get it. You’re happy.”

“More assuredly so,” Jaskier agreed, grinning. He felt lighter than he had in years, floating on a bubble of joy. “Though I will say, we will probably need to go on another ‘romantic outing’ to be sure we do it right. I won’t have our first real date be one I wasn’t even aware of.”

Geralt leaned back in, his lips ghosting over Jaskier’s. The bard shivered, anticipation making his breath come faster. “I don’t know that I would mind that either,” he said, and then his lips found Jaskier’s once again. Jaskier laughed into the kiss, and knew that there would be many more chances for the perfect date to come.

#geraskier #the witcher #witcher #geraltxjaskier #geralt/jaskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #geralt #fan fiction #fanfiction #fic #my work #witcher fic #sugar-and-spice-witcher-bingo #sugar and spice #s&s

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deadlymodern · 3 years

Text

*taps mic*

Umm, hello. Welcome to my presentation.

Hi! ✨

Since I'm rebranding and starting a new "volume" of my story, I decided to create a master recap for you lads. I think this was also a good moment to post this because I've received some new followers/readers that might be confused on what the fuck is happening.

Honestly, this was the only way I could make it work hfudihhiudf. Hope it was useful.

Obviously this recap doesn't have half the lore or depth you'd get from reading the whole story, but it should be enough to refresh your memory and/or for you to get into Where the Waves Crash without being clueless!

I'll place some links here, anyways, just in case someone is interested:

STORY'S MAIN PAGE | FULL STORY CHRONO | CHARACTER'S PAGE

✨ I'll also place a more complete written version of this recap with links to key chapters under the cut ✨

Thank you all for the support on the "rebrand", it really has made me feel even more inspired and motivated to continue with this hobby 🥺💙

BETHANY

Beth was born to a family of farmers in Brindleton, a coastal village in rural England.

She’d help around the farm and care for her two younger brothers, Edward and Matthew, while also attending school, by her mother's request.

At school, she became very close to her friend, Mary.

Her mother passed away during the birth of her youngest brother, Phillip. For that reason, her father, Edgar, pulled her out of school.

Mary would visit and sleep over often to keep her company.

As time passed, Beth realized she had romantic feelings for her friend. Even though they were reciprocated, Mary’d always push her away.

Before leaving to Finishing School, Mary accepted her feelings. The two girls began a romantic relationship.

While the girls were apart, Beth got to know William - a young man she met previously - better. They became good friends. She also developed a smoking habit through him.

Without her father’s approval, Beth attempted to get into the local College for a literature course, but failed her exam.

After a heated argument, Beth made a deal with her father to get married in exchange of permission to retake the exam and get a higher education.

While Mary was in Bridleton for the holidays, Beth officially proposed to her by giving her her later mother’s ring.

Beth kept writing weekly letters, but got confused and hurt when Mary suddenly stopped writing back.

Her father told her the truth about his nervousness in allowing her to pursue higher education, which made her feel even more emotionally trapped.

Adding up to it, her dear friend William asked for her hand in marriage, leaving her lonely and lost

Finally, she learnt about Mary’s engagement and reached a breaking point. Not enough to make her cry, but a breaking point nonetheless.

Beth is left unsure of what she will do with her life. She knows she has a choice to make, but she’d rather not have to make any decisions ever again.

MARY

Mary met Beth when they were 6 years old, on their way to school.

She was the one who instigated their first kiss. And their second. But also pushed her away once or twice due to fear.

She came to terms with her feelings before she left to Finishing School in Germany.

And kept in touch with Beth weekly through letters.

During her Winter break, Mary travelled back home. She then promised to leave everything behind and be with Beth once finished.

For that reason, Mary denied her suitor’s proposal.

Her father, Charles, became suspicious and found her exchanged letters, which led to him blackmailing Mary into becoming engaged.

Mary wrote a last letter to Beth explaining the situation, but it was intercepted by the School’s headmistress, by Charles’ request.

Believing that Beth is informed, Mary goes on with her parent’s preparations for her wedding and gets ready for her School graduation.

TIMOTHY

Tim had been a close acquaintance of Mary for years and was expected to become her husband one day.

He was told to propose to her. She denied him at first, but said yes the second time.

Tim mentioned a family holiday to Normouth in July, and Mary’s father took the opportunity to set a date and location to their wedding.

During his last month in town, Tim went to an exhibit where he saw Will and Beth. He, then, bought a Kodak from William’s father.

Tim is currently on his way to his family’s estate in Normouth for their holidays. Mary’s family is expected to join them in a couple of weeks.

WILLIAM

William met Beth during Mary’s 16th birthday ball.

He was the one who instigated her to pursue an higher education.

He is currently in a Business major at Battlemere College as a request from his father, but is truly passionate about film. Here & here.

Started to fall in love with Beth as their friendship grew. Here and here.

Which eventually led to him proposing to Beth.

William is yet to receive Beth’s answer, but is patiently waiting for it.

EDWARD

In childhood, Ned had a good relationship with his older sister.

They had a fall back once he announced he didn’t want a higher education.

Ned began noticing his sister’s suspicious behaviours, but always failed in an attempt to reconnect/get her to speak to him about it.

And, as time went by, the contrast between his and his siblings’ beliefs became more apparent.

Already suspicious of his sister’s relationship with Mary, Ned attempted to get on her good side by comforting her. Yet, it only pushed her away even more.

SUSANNA

Sue was a good friend of Beth’s, even though they’ve always had different opinions. It was through this friendship that Sue met Ned.

Sue and Ned weren’t very close in childhood. But they developed good communication and, eventually, fell in love.

They got engaged but were told to wait until Beth was wedded to be able to marry.

Even though the wedding was on stand-by, preparations were still being made.

After the Norman family’s horse passed away, Edward’s father decided to reconsider his decision and allowed Ned and Sue to set a date for the wedding so they could use Sue’s dowry to afford a new horse.

Sue is eagerly waiting for her dream Autumn wedding and her life alongside Ned and his family.

MATTHEW

Matt always felt different and distant from his family. He’s an introverted person, which made him very observant.

He started to notice how his sister was treated differently from their brothers.

Matt backed Beth up in every situation against their father’s conservative views and helped her keep herself educated, in case she’d retake her exam. Here and here

He had a brief relationship with a local girl named Charlotte.

But, a couple of years later, was spotted kissing a man by lake Battlemere - though people couldn’t identify him.

He kept pretending nothing happened, in an attempt to get things to normal, and eventually got accepted into the local College.

Finally, he told Beth the truth about his sexuality.

Matt is very excited to introduce his boyfriend to Beth and to finally move out of their farm.

PHILLIP & DOROTHY

Phillip’s mother died giving birth to him.

He found comfort getting involved with music from an early age. He later learnt it was a shared interest with his late mother.

In the music group, he met Dorothy, a young girl from Willow Creek, USA.

Beth helped him bake biscuits to Dottie in an attempt to make her feel a bit better after the pub incident.

Dorothy became friends with Phillip due to their common interest in music.

She Helped Phillip start getting some closure on the guilt he feels for his mothers death.

During a night out, Dottie was harassed by a man. Phillip tried defending her, but things couldn’t be fixed so simply. They talked about it as the encounter scared them both - on different levels.

At the moment, Flip and Dottie are very good friends. Flip is infatuated by her, but is trying to suppress it because he knows she is still overwhelmed by the pub incident. Dottie is concerned with her reputation around the village.

#wtwc #wtwc; recap #death tw #harrasment tw #smoking tw #long post tw

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arcane-apathy · 3 years

Text

Part 1

AN: Part 1 of 3 for this Male Naga X Female Reader. I’m hoping to get better at writing short stories, but it’ll take some practice. I hope y’all enjoy!

Warning(s): N/A

You didn’t know why you decided to leave home but your mind was already made up and the U-Haul was already packed. There was no going back now. You didn’t want to be a big city nurse anymore, and you also didn’t want to move back to your hometown. So, this year you decided to move to New Mexico, specifically Peralta. A town of a little over three thousand people. The eastern half of town right on the border of the Isleta Pueblo Reservation, and the Rio Grande River to the west. You could even see the Manzano Mountain Range in the distance.

The drive to Peralta was taxing, but unbelievably beautiful. No wonder why New Mexico is called The Land of Enchantment. You made it to your new home in the middle of the day, and the sun was high above you. Of course you decided to move in the middle of summer, the dry heat smacking you in the face as you got out of the rental truck. You shielded your eyes from the sun as you stared at your new home.

The property was near the end of a dirt road, about a city block away from the local cemetery. But you didn’t mind, in fact it made the house even cheaper. You’d just have to remember to cleanse the house whenever you got a chance. The house was a simple one-story pueblo style house, the faux-adobe outside was an ivory color, and the windows were painted pear green. It lacked the wooden vigas, making it obvious that it wasn’t an actual pueblo home. The house was small, the yard was huge, it had a detached stainless-steel garage, and a dirt driveway. All surrounded by a chain link fence with a gate.

It didn’t take you long to unload the U-Haul, considering you sold most of your things before you moved. You lay your mattress on the bedroom floor and the majority of boxes stay in your living room. You look at the time on your phone, there was still two hours until the U-Haul’s scheduled return time. Un-packing wasn’t the first item on the agenda, some serious cleaning needed to be done before you thought about anything else.

Granted the house wasn’t in horrible shape, but it was obvious that it’s been a few months since anyone has lived in it. The air was stuffy, there was dust on everything, and there was dirt all over the floors. You search for your bag of cleaning supplies that you bought at a Wal-Mart in Albuquerque, well prepared to clean. With the house being so small, it didn’t take you long to clean, so you took your time admiring your new home. The house was made in the seventies, the Spanish-style linoleum tiles in the kitchen being the proof. Yet it didn’t look like it came out of a home magazine that your grandmother would've read. There were some obvious updates throughout the years. Thankfully central air was one of them.

You returned the U-Haul and the towing dolly on time, driving your car back home. You stopped at a Domino’s on the way home, not yet ready to try the local food. Unpacking was the only thing on your mind. And no surprise to you, it took all night. Packing wasn’t easy, because you had to take things from their place and sort them into boxes. Unpacking was another challenge, the amount of times you switched which cabinet your plates went in was frustrating. By two in the morning you had everything put away, there were sheets on your bed, and your eyelids were heavy.

~~***~~

It’s been a month since you’ve moved, and you’ve loved it more that you’d ever thought. Living in your one bedroom house was a dream compared to any other apartment you’ve had before. You’ve gotten over the linoleum in the kitchen, and you couldn’t even imagine the house without it. The yard was easy to maintain, considering it was primarily dirt. You didn’t see much of your neighbors but they were nice from what you could tell. And the quiet was refreshing.

You spent most of your days at work, a health center in the middle of the Isleta Pueblo Reservation. The work was tough, and didn’t pay much, but it was obvious that they needed you there. According to your co-workers everyone wanted to work in the big cities and that smaller health centers, especially ones for the native populations, were constantly understaffed. You became a licensed practical nurse because you wanted to help people, and working in an at risk community fulfilled that goal.

To say you were surprised when your co-worker invited you to her birthday party in Albuquerque was an understatement. Although you didn’t know her that well, you still went. You needed socialization outside of the workplace and the occasional video calls with your family back home. So, you put on your best outfit and did your best to look presentable. The night started off at a restaurant, the food was amazing, and the company was actually enjoyable. After dinner you all went to a bar, so far it was a typical birthday party for a bunch of girls in their twenties.

You stood against the wall, nursing a drink as everyone else in your group dance. Normally you weren’t such a party pooper, but these girls weren’t much of your crown. It was too early in the night to go home, and they all knew that you didn’t work tomorrow so you couldn’t use that excuse. Hence why you resorted to people watching. The bar was packed with humans and non-humans alike, all dancing with each other. There were already a few couples sharing face in the darker corners.

“You look bored,” a blunt voice shook you from your daze. You look to the side, noticing as a tall man slithered up to you. Not metaphorically. Your eyes instantly gravitated to his tail, the bulk of muscle trailing closely behind him as he moved. You couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the pattern of his scales. The base was beige and was decorated in an assortment of splotches all in varying shades of brown, and at the very end of it all was a black rattle. He laughs at your reaction, “have you never seen a Naga before?”

“Not up close, there weren’t that many back home,” you flush a little as you are caught staring. Which wasn’t a lie, you didn’t see many growing up, nor did you encounter a lot at work either. A surprising statistic you’ve learned since you moved is that New Mexico has the highest population of Naga in the United States, with Texas as a close second. You have seen a few as you wandered around Peralta and the neighboring towns, but you have yet to talk to them.

“Oh, you’re from out of town. How exciting,” he smiles and extends a hand, “Santiago Rosales.” You shake his hand and introduce yourself. His smile grows and the rainbow lights from the dance floor reflect off his fangs. You couldn’t deny that he was an attractive man, tan skin, curly raven hair, a triangular face with a strong jawline, and golden serpentine eyes. You look back at the dance floor and notice one of your co-workers giving you a thumbs up. “So, not to sound cheesy… But why is a pretty chica like you, not out there?”

You flush a little at his definitely cheesy comment, “I’ve already done my socializing for the evening, but if I leave now I’ll never hear the end of it at work. What about you, why aren’t you out there?”

He motions to his tail, “I’m in no mood to get stomped on.”

“Oh… I didn’t even think of that. Does it happen often?”

“It happened a lot when I was a kid, but I was kinda a wimpy kid too,”

You raise a brow as you look at how snugly his button up fits to his arms and chest, “wimpy?”

“Hey I wasn’t always like this, I was a string bean growing up. It took years for this to happen,” he motions to himself proudly. You laugh and finish your drink, Santiago looks at the empty glass, “may I offer to buy you another drink?”

You contemplate it for a second then shake your head, “no thank you, I have to drive home tonight. And I don’t live in Albuquerque.”

“Is it too weird to ask where you live then?”

“Peralta,” you shrug.

“Really? My mom lives in Peralta… Maybe I’ll see you around?”

~~***~~

And you did, the first time you saw Santiago was at the grocery store. You were trying to figure out what brand of refried beans to buy when he came down the aisle, slithering alongside an older Naga woman. He didn’t acknowledge you, which made you question whether he recognized you at all. The second time you saw him was at the post office, and he immediately smiled when he saw you. Your heart couldn’t help to flutter at the sight of him. The third time was at the bank, both of you waiting in line at the tellers.

The fourth time was when everything changed. You were standing in the bathroom aisle at Target in Albuquerque, looking through the wide array of shower curtain options. You heard your name being called and you looked up, expecting to see someone from work, possibly even a regular patient. But, instead your eyes were graced with the sight of a familiar Naga in a taut shirt and a leather jacket, “oh, hi Santiago.”

“Hola, looking for a shower curtain I see,” he smiles as he sidles up beside you.

You fluster a little, realizing you were still wearing your baggy maroon scrubs. “Indeed I am, it’s been two months and my house still looks like no one lives in there.”

He looks you up and down, his eyes stopping at the embroidered patch above your breast, “you work at Isleta Health Center?”

Your brows knit in confusion and you look down at the patch, resisting the urge to face palm, “yes, yes I do. Sorry, I just got off my shift and I kinda forgot I was still wearing this monstrosity.”

“You don’t look bad at all if I’m being honest…”

Damn he was slick, “it’s not the worst, but I hate how plain it is. I sold all my fun scrubs when I moved, so I’m stuck with the standard issues until I buy more.” He nods and looks at the shower curtains in your hands curiously. “So, what are you here for?”

"Uhh… Honestly I don't even know anymore. They didn't have what I needed, so I just started to aimlessly slither around the store. And then I found you."

"Aimlessly wandering around Target can be dangerous," you chuckle.

"I haven't learned my lesson apparently," he gives you a lopsided smile, "last time it happened I came home with a pillow that had some motivational quote.”

“Yikes,” you laugh and put one of the curtains back onto it’s metal hook.

“Yikes indeed,” he crosses his arms over his chest as he looks at the options before him. “So, do you have any style in mind.”

“Santiago, you don’t need to help me.”

“I fear if I don’t help you, you’ll be stuck in the store until it closes,” he teases with a wink.

You feel the heat rising to your cheeks, “alright fine. My house is pueblo style, built in the seventies. The bathroom was recently remodeled before they sold it, so the walls are plain, it has normal wood, and laminate tiles that look like travertine. It’s very boring.”

“So you need something to spice it up?”

“Exactly,” you pick up a geometric patterned one, looking at the picture on the cardboard.

Santiago shakes his head, "nope", he takes it out of your hand and puts it back. You look at him dumbfounded by how brash he was. He puts another one in your hands, “this one looks like you.”

You look down at the curtains, it was a simple floral. But with the way the bright flowers were stylized like they were from an Alfredo Ramos Martinez painting. “This is cute.”

“You look like a floral person.”

“How does one look like a floral person, without being an actual nymph?” He shrugs and you simply roll your eyes, “you’re lucky I tolerate you.”

He winces, “just tolerate?”

“Well, I don’t know you that well…”

“Then let's get to know each other,” his posture straightens. “Why don’t we go out for a coffee someday, as a date?” You must’ve stared at him like he grew another head because he immediately fell back on his statement, “or not a date?”

“No… A date is fine.”

“Is it?”

“Definitely.”

“Then why are you still looking at me like that?”

Your face instantly turns a scarlet color, “I… It's been awhile since I’ve been on a date. So, the fact that you are asking me on a date, in a Target, is mind boggling.”

“Do you want me to ask you outside the Target?”

“That’s not the point,” you sigh, trying to steady your breathing. “So, a date?”

Santiago smirks, “give me your phone.” You scowl and he shrinks at your stern gaze, “por favor?” Reluctantly you unlock and hand him your phone, watching as he makes himself a contact. “Text me when you get home, I should have a fantastic plan by then.”

“No coffee?”

“Nope, you deserve more than a coffee.” You flush again as he smiles victoriously, “I’ll let you get back to shopping so you can get home at a decent hour. Talk to you soon, cariño.” You watch as he slithers out of the aisle with a wave over his shoulder. You can’t help but stare, looking at the end of the aisle then back at the curtains in your hand. For some reason, the bright flowers just felt right. So, you put the package into your basket and head off to find the next item on your list. And you couldn’t wait until you got home.

#Naga X Reader #X Reader Miniseries #M Naga x F Reader #Exophilia #Terato #My Works #My Writing #Original Content #Monster X Reader

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clatterbane · 3 years

Text

Buying my first apartment in Sweden: How we won the bidding war - The Local

Beautifully lit photos of apartments, all staged with the same furniture and art, tell you only so much. So, for weeks on Sundays we found ourselves shuffling on wet socks through, admittedly often very charming apartments, the purchase of which we were apparently going to be deciding on based on a ten-minute viewing.

If that was not stressful enough, the bidding per SMS would start right after. I quickly found out that the apartment you were already decorating in your mind, could easily be sold for a million and a half more than the asking price which was about, well, a million and a half more than you were able to afford. Being outbid at an auction, I was assured, is a quintessential Swedish experience. Think of it as part of your integration.

You can therefore imagine the surprise when one Monday night, after some listless bidding on a place we liked but seemed way too nice for us to win, our latest bid was top of the list. Never mind that we only saw the apartment once and together with 70 others: What if we put the sofa there?

Kinda wishing I had run across this piece before going through a very similar confusing whirlwind process recently, tbqh. For possibly a little better idea of what to expect!

Because the main things that experience had in common with any real estate purchasing procedures I had encountered before elsewhere were that (a) there were agent listings involved, and (b) we went to physically look at some places.

I really, really was NOT expecting the bidding blitzkrieg which immediately followed, basically as soon as we saw a place that we both thought we could live in, with a vaguely affordable anticipated selling price. Some back and forth with the bank and the agent, and within about a week and a half in that case? Bing bang BOOM!

We now kinda-sorta own* an apartment! Which we did only look at once for maybe 10 minutes, as the second showing straight in a row. When I was seriously overloaded and also soaking wet from the pouring rain--trying to carefully wheel and peer around the place, without venturing too far into most of the rooms to avoid dripping dirty wheelchair water all över the current residents' previously spotless floors! 🙃 Padding around in wet socks would have been WAY less stressful, and I was working pretty hard on avoiding an obvious meltdown. At least we were the only potential buyers there, until another couple came in as we were about to leave.

I really wasn't taking in more info in that effectively by that point, and didn't even manage to get my own photos/video of the place to process later. Just too brainfried, and didn't realize that was the only real chance we were going to get to evaluate the options before making any final decisions.

But, we have a final handover meeting set for the beginning of December. Yay? 🥴

I knew the real estate market was supposed to be pretty wild, with a bit of a housing shortage ongoing in Malmö too. (Cities in general, AFAICT--and getting out beyond the suburbs unfortunately wasn't looking like a practical option right now, for various reasons.) But, I really was not expecting the process to move that fast! 😰 Figured there would be more time to consider the options.

Another case where I was SO GLAD to have the Household Swede handling pretty much the whole adulting shebang there including the money, really. He did seem to know what was going on, and what he was doing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Even though that did also leave me feeling even more discombobulated, and without much control over important things happening in my life!

Bit of a continuing theme lately, but hey. Too autistic for this shit, but trying to deal! 😬 Not much else you can do, beyond staying aware of the problem--and focusing on whatever you can manage to hopefully avoid too serious a burnout. (Which is of course another story of its own. 😑)

_________

* It's complicated, since the default here seems to be condo type setups where you also pay a monthly fee to the housing cooperative association? 🤔 Unless it's a freestanding house, but the standard in more urban areas does seem to be housing cooperative apartments. (More on how things work: The road home – buying a residence in Sweden)

Glad to be in a better position than many to move straight from a temporary rental that his New Work helped set up, and into buying a place. Especially with the crazy rental situation. But, it's all A Lot to take in!

#personal #gif #adulting #too autistic for this shit #welcome to sweden #real estate #joys of home ownership #getting settled #everything happens so much #overload #burnout

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yuu-the-pokemon-trainer-of-nrc · 3 years

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Consider supporting me on Ko-fi.

(Click for better quality)

I caught the Pokémon fever and I felt the urge to draw Yuu as a Pokémon trainer!

I kinda want to make a new AU where Yuu actually comes from the Pokémon world as well as update her BIO. Also I’m thinking of changing the color her school uniform’s vest.

Also, in this AU I think with her Pokémon by her side, she’s a lot more confident enough to think she would have no need to disguise herself as a boy. So this is what her uniform would look like:

Backgrounds I used:

Name: Yuu

Gender: Female

Age: 18 (I know I said she was 16 before, but now I want to change it 😖)

BIO: (It got a bit long, so I hid it under cut)

In the world of Pokémon, Yuu was originally from Opelucid City in Unova with her single mother. They were a poor family and her mother stressed day after day, trying to make ends meet while also putting up with the other responsibilities that came with being a parent. What set her over the edge was when Team Plasma attacked the city and froze it in ice along with their home. This made Yuu’s mother decide to put her in foster care in Castelia City in hopes another family would come and take better care of her daughter. That’s what she said, but when Yuu looked at her mother’s face she couldn’t help but see a bit of relief in her eyes. After that, Yuu mostly kept to herself, not really interacting with the other kids, blindly hoping that her mother would return once she’s more financially stable, but she never did...

One day, when she and the other foster kids were out and about the city (with adult supervision of course), enjoying their Casteliacones, a Patrat swiftly took Yuu’s remaining cone! She chased after it down in one of the alley’s, and hid around the corner and made a big discovery! The Patrat was actually a disguised Zorua! After hearing his stomach growl even after he scoffed the cone down, Yuu felt sorry for the illusion Pokémon and approached it. Zorua growled as Yuu settled down her backpack to take out her lunch bag and revealed it’s contents to him. “You need it more than I do. Take it.” She got up and left to return to her group, leaving behind a very confused Zorua. Oddly enough, Yuu met Zorua again shortly on the same day. After finishing most of her lunch Zorua saved an apple and followed her home to return it. (Disguised of course) But even with the disguise, she recognized the apple immediately and could see right through Zorua. Since then the two would meet when Yuu had the time and bring Zorua some food and she would chat and play with him. Sometimes she would talk about something funny she saw on TV, or go ranting about how annoyed she gets with grown ups pestering her about playing with the other kids when she wasn’t even interested. The only game she was interested in was Hide n Seek, but was then banned from playing it by the adults for being too good at it. And couldn’t even talk about Pokémon with the other kids without talking like a “stuck up know-it-all”. As well as talk about her dream of finally becoming a Pokémon trainer and go wherever she wanted without any kids or adults telling her what she can or can’t do. Zorua would then bark at her like he understood what she meant, and for the first time, she felt she finally has a friend/ally.

Then one day, one of the other kids leading a group traced back to where she had been meeting Zorua and found him, and by the time Yuu got there, she was horrified to find the kids circling and ganging up on a distressed Zorua - wanting to touch his ears and tail. At first, Yuu froze in fear, fear that now the kids know where her special meeting place with Zorua was, fear that Zorua might think she betrayed his trust by telling them about this place, but as Zorua cried out - Yuu snapped. Pushing all the other kids away, shielding Zorua, Yuu yelled at them to leave Zorua alone. It did not sit well with the biggest kid, who shoved Yuu to the ground, which angered Zorua! Zorua then used scratch on the kid and used his power of illusions to change into a Hydreigon! Not realizing it was an illusion, the kids ran away, crying and screaming. This greatly relieved Yuu, believing this event would make the kids think twice before messing with them again. However, that sense of security was short-lived ‘cuz shortly after it, she was confronted by the adults who run the foster home as well as a policeman, who was holding a struggling Zorua by the fur collar. Yuu was scolded for attacking the other kids while also making contact with a dangerous wild Pokémon that had a history of stealing food from tourists and local alike and now has attacked a defenseless child. Yuu tried to explain that Zorua was starving and how those kids were scaring him and the only reason he attacked was because she was shoved. But her explanations fell on deaf ears as the policeman said he’ll take Zorua somewhere far away from Castelia City. All Yuu could think of was that she was about to lose her only friend and will be left alone with kids who hate her. Not wanting to bear with that reality, she charged for the Policeman, kicking his shin which was enough to make him to lose his grip enough for Zorua to wriggle away free. And the two both charged out into the alleyways of Castelia City.

Since then, Yuu was a small child with a Zorua on the run. The police were frantic about searching for them, but thanks to Yuu’s cleverness when it comes to Hide n Seek and Zorua’s illusions, it made it all too easy to give them the slip. They were together, but unfortunately they had to steal food in order to get by. One of these thefts lead to a fateful encounter with a certain mad scientist by the name of... Colress.

While he was enjoying his newfound freedom from police custody at a café, Yuu swiped one of his pastries. And of course, it had to take one misstep to alert Colress that he was being stolen from which prompt Yuu to run as if her life depended on it. But as she regrouped with Zorua, they were suddenly surrounded by Colress’ Klingklang, Magnezone, and Porygon-2. With KlingKlang using protect from Zorua’s attacks, they had no way of getting out of it. But even then, Yuu refused to give up if it meant that she and Zorua will be separated. Seeing her bond with Zorua as well as her ability to give Zorua commands despite not even old enough to become a trainer, Colress’ interest was piqued and the gears of his mind started to turn. He held off his Pokémon’s attack, and met with Yuu at eye-level to ask her about her story with Zorua. At first, Yuu refused saying he’s just another adult who would never listen to her or give her the time of day, only for him to respond that it’s quite the contrary. Something about his eyes told Yuu that this isn’t something he would lie about and she reluctantly told him about her situation.

And Yuu didn’t know how (and was too afraid to ask), but somehow Colress was able to convince the people at her foster care to let him take custody of her as her guardian as well as convince the Police to let Zorua off. But one thing she did ask is why he decided to help her and Zorua out in the first place, his response was, “Because I firmly believe that someone should never be separated from a Pokémon they have a clear bond with. No matter what age they may be.”

And since then, Yuu and Zorua were always together. And though Colress was her guardian, he was never a father-figure for Yuu. Yes, he did provide Yuu and Zorua food and shelter, as well as Yuu’s education. But he never hid the fact that he saw the bond between Yuu and Zorua as a fascinating research subject. Sometime even testing how in-sync their brainwaves were. Yuu didn’t really mind either as long as no one dares to take away Zorua again and at the time she saw Colress as the only adult that was ever straight with her.. Zorua himself didn’t trust Colress and would always keep a sharp eye on him while sticking close to Yuu.

Hearing about the close community of people and Pokémon in Alola, Colress moved his lab there thinking it would be the ideal place for his research and took Yuu and Zorua along with him. At first Yuu didn't know how to feel about the change, but was surprised that compared to the kids she knew in Unova, she actually thought decently about her classmates at the Pokémon school that she was enrolled in. For one thing, they actually respected Zorua's space and hers which was a huge breath of fresh air. And her teacher, Professor Kukui, just let her take her time before getting to know them instead of pushing her to do things that made her uncomfortable. Later on, Yuu hears about how close the other students are with their parents, which made Yuu more aware of how different she is from them considering she doesn't exactly have a typical father/daughter relationship with Colress. Seeing her newfound sense of loneliness, Professor Kukui invited her to his lab to spend time with the Pokémon while also meeting his wife, Professor Burnet. It wasn't long before Yuu started having dinners with the married couple and started seeing them as parental figures.

(Now this has been going on for a little while now, so I’ll just sum up the next part shortly as the next part should be stories for another day)

When she became a trainer at the age of 11, Yuu decided to take on the Island challenge. Along the way she became partners with Primarina, Toucannon, Raichu, Mudsdale, Lurantis, and among others with those 5 plus Zoroark being her main 6 for Alola. And after becoming Alola’s first champion, Yuu decided she wanted to travel to experience everything the world has to offer, not only to perfect her battle-style further, but also to meet the Pokémon of every region as well as to grow deeper bonds with her Pokémon.

#trainer!mc #trainer!yuu #pokemon #twst yuu #twst mc #zoroark #primarina #corviknight #goodra #lopunny #shiny lopunny #luxray #twst x pokemon

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zeroth-writes · 3 years

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Can u write Fluff separate scenarios of a cheerful and sweet reader who is a fan of gladio, ignis, and prompto and spots them and introduces herself as a fan and how much they admire them and asks for a hug and can u state their reactions and the type of hug they give? Oh and if u can, can u not list the ages of the character and not make the scenarios not too short? Thx! <3

masterlist | request

Prompt: ‘ Can u write Fluff separate scenarios of a cheerful and sweet reader who is a fan of gladio, ignis, and prompto and spots them and introduces herself as a fan and how much they admire them and asks for a hug and can u state their reactions and the type of hug they give? Oh and if u can, can u not list the ages of the character and not make the scenarios not too short? Thx! <3 ‘

Pairing: Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader, Ignis Scientia x Reader, Prompto Argentum x Reader

Summary:

Gladiolus

Walking down the street, you almost scream the moment you see him. It wasn't difficult to spot him. At over 6'0, he stood well above everyone around him. Shaking off the little nerves you have you went over to him. "Excuse me?" You ask from behind him. Quickly Gladiolus turns around to face you. Staring up at him you could feel your neck strain due to the height difference. "Um, Hi." Looking at him and standing so close to him you could feel nerves start to show up. After giving you a smile Gladio replies with the same words. As the smile forms on your face the nervous you previously had starts to dissipate. "I know you're busy but I just wanted to say how much I look up to you and admire everything you do." His eyes widen as hints of a shocked expression graze his face.

That expression quickly disappear and was replaced by a natural smirk. “Well, Thank you. I’m surprised you know about me.” Tilting your head to the side you give him a curious look before speaking yourself. "Why wouldn't I? You are the kings shield after all, no?" A booming laugh came from the man in front of you. "I suppose you're right."

The two of you continued your conversation. Talking, laughing, Until Gladio said he should get going. Glancing down you spoke a soft “oh, Um.” You stood still for some time opening and closing your mouth several time while glancing up at the muscular man still standing in front of you. On the last time you looked up at him, you notice him looking down at you with an eyebrow raised. Letting out an encouraging sigh you finally speak up. “Can i have a hug?” Gladio smirked at your question “ Of course.” When he hugged you, you expected it to be a bear hug. Tensing up in anticipation you were surprised when the pressure never came. Instead he gently placed his arms around your shoulder and back, creating a gently yet protective feeling hug.

The two of you stayed like that for what you hoped was hours, just standing basking in the warmth radiating from Gladiolus. Pulling away you look up at him with a smile on your face. "Thank you. I'm glad I was able to meet you." Gladio returned your smile and with a nod simply replied "I am too." Turning away from him you carry on with the walk you started on. As your day went on you couldn't stop a smile from occasionally gracing your face as the memory of your encounter continues to enter your mind.

Ignis

As soon as you spotted Ignis at the local market, you tried to play it cool. Casually walked to besides him in a attempt to strike a conversation with him. It started off with a comment about him getting both oranges and pepper. The next thing you knew the two of you were sharing ‘weird’ food combinations or hacks you’ve each learned.

Once he finished shopping at that booth he casually left the conversation and you watched as he drifted from stand to stand. After some minutes you lost him in the ever growing crowd of people.

While looking down at some tomatoes you hear a voice from behind you. “Wonderful seeing you again.” Turning around you see Ignis moving from behind you to stand beside you while looking down at the ingredients. Just as quickly as before, your conversation started back up again.

Holding out a hand for you to shake he introduced himself. “My name is Ignis. Pleasure to meet you.” Reaching out with a laugh, your hand meets his. “Y//N, Though I must tell you that I already knew who you were.” You could feel his grip significantly loosen as the words left your mouth. “Oh, I see.” Your eyes wide in shock as your scramble out an apology. “Oh no no. I..” Realizing your fast talking you take a deep breath “I’m a fan of your and I didn’t want to come over here and completely gush about you. So I wanted to just have a conversation with you, Even if it was simply over peppers and how to get someone to eat greens.” A small chuckle came from the glasses wearing man standing in front of you.

"Would it be okay if I ask for a hug?" For a moment, Ignis widened his eyes in shock. “I suppose that would be alright.” Keeping his bag of produce in one hand, he gingerly wrapped the other around the middle of your back. You do the same, expect place your free arm around his shoulder.

Almost instantly you could feel yourself nearly melt into the hug. Warm, welcoming, and comforting. The hug ended to soon for your liking. After saying your goodbye Ignis started to walk in the opposite direction. After taking a couple of steps Ignis stops and turns around. Giving you a subtle smile he speaks up. "Thank you for the kind words."

Prompto

Walking home one day, you almost didn't see him. Standing off to the side, taking picture of whatever caught his eye. Weather it was people, trees, or even birds sitting on a tree limb.

Walking over to him, you must have caught his attention because he suddenly drops his view from the camera and focuses on you walking up to him. “Can I help you?” He asked, confusion gracing his face and voice. “I’m Y/N, You’re Prompto right?” Still with the confused look on his face he slowly nodded his head. A wide smile appears as your hunch was confirmed. “I glad, I follow your work and I’m a really big fan of yours.” Suddenly the confusion was swept away and was replaced with a smile matching yours. “ Really? You are?” You nodded quickly at him. “Wow, I didn’t think anyone knew about me. Thank you.” The blond in front of you glances down at his camera. Holding it up so it was in your view “Do you want to see some of my pictures?” Your face lit up at the offering.

For the next few minutes the two of you stood looking at photographs. You shared opinions, compliments, and suggestions. It wasn’t until you notice an orange hue surrounding you that your realized what time it was. “Oh wow.” You said out loud as you looked at the time. “I didn’t realize how late it is, I should-” You cut him off with a sentence of your own. “Before you go I can I get a quick hug?”

You could tell Prompto was nervous. After stuttering out a ‘yes’ your excitement bubbled up. Jumping a couple times while softly clapping your hands. Once you were settled on the ground your arms went around his neck. The hug at first was very timid, His hand barely touched you before he pulled it away. Your grip loosens and you expect him the pull away completely. Your eyes widen as you feel both his arms reach around you and pull you into a friendly hug. Once the shock subsides you fully lean into the hug, resting your head on his shoulder. As a couple of seconds pass you feel him do the same.

The two of you pulled away at the same time. Giving each other a friendly smile you thank him for the hug as you turn to walk away. You couldn’t see him glance back at you and take a quick picture.

taglist: @ravusnfleuret

#Final Fantasy #final fantasy imagine #final fantasy x reader #final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv imagine #final fantasy xv x reader #gladiolus amicitia #gladiolus amicitia imaine #gladiolus amicitia x reader #ignis scientia #ignis scientia imagine #ignis scientia x reader #prompto argentum #prompto argentum imagine #prompto argentum x reader #requested #sparklycupcake56

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indefinitely-in-fandom-hell · 4 years

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It’s Gaara Week! - just kidding, Gaara Week is in January - this is Gaara Weekly. So I heard the topic this time is:

“what Gaara would do together with Shinki if he had some time off”

now that’s just wholesome, how could I not at least *attempt to* provide some headcanons?

*side note: I have no idea how I ended up with this mess of a post but here you go*

So we know their hobbies: Gaara likes “battling” according to the second databook and by the time the third came around, he added “cultivating cacti” to the mix. Shinki likes both “gardening” and “embroidery” according to character trivia from Boruto. Makes sense that they would bond over tending to plants right? In fact, most would probably assume that Shinki adopted this hobby from his father. And while I do believe they get some rare father-son time tending to Gaara's cacti together - I don't know if that's what they would actually choose to do if they had a significant amount of free time.

If I was being realistic: They would probably spend their days off training.

_________________________ Yeah I hear you people in the back screaming “booo” - but this seems to be the most realistic scenario - to me at least. So let me explain:

His people and village always seem to be the priority for Gaara and Shinki is the future of Suna, not only as the Kazekage's heir but simply as part of the next generation who will take on leadership positions after the current decision-makers retire. There is not a single doubt in my mind that Gaara views mentoring future generations as one of his top priorities. Shinki wants to make his father proud and properly represent his family and village. He is hugely appreciative of any training time his busy father can spare for him - such an opportunity doesn't come every day. Both of them have very no-nonsense, goal-oriented personalities.

- So if Gaara had a couple of hours to spend however he wanted, he would invest them in the future of his village: Shinki. If Shinki had the chance to get some in-depth one-on-one training with his father, he would jump at the opportunity.

We know that Gaara, unlike Naruto with his son, has at least somewhat regularly been training Shinki in person. He has mentioned how he taught his son 'everything he knows' and Shinki actually training directly with his (very busy) father just makes sense: The two of them are the only people we know of with their kekkei genkai - and Gaara is the only one with abilities almost identical to Shinki's. It’s true that Gaara only knows the basics when it comes to iron sand - or rather, that was confirmed to be the case until at least the early blank period. But he would know next to every use of regular sand and that’s still more than any other jonin in suna. Of course, as the Kazekage, Gaara simply doesn't have the time to do the majority of Shinki's training - but I wouldn’t question that he's the one giving the crucial advice, reviewing his training progress and telling his son what abilities need more work.

So if he has a little bit of time to spare - I have no doubt he would (and does) put most of it into training Shinki. And that includes days off.

_________________________

But y'all didn't come for that - don't lie.

*enter Part 2: “But what if we talk about cats instead?”

We love these two (and the entire Sand-family for that matter) so naturally, we want to see them use their time off for anything BUT work or training. Gaara and Shinki are definitely the worst offenders here, they always seem like those people who would rather work on their duties than cut cake on their birthdays - Gaara more so because he seems very focused on always putting his own pleasure behind doing 'something useful to others' and Shinki because he's just beginning to realize the value of friendship. *Insert mlp meme here*

So for the sake of fun, we will just assume SOMETIMES Gaara decides that his son should do “normal activities” instead of training and ends up going somewhere with him. But where? If for some reason, Shinki were to accompany his father to another village for a diplomatic meeting, I think they would definitely walk around that village a bit and just take in the local culture: food, sights, and the like. Imagine the way Lee and Tenten showed Gaara and Kankuro around Konoha in episode 497 and had them try ramen for the first time - kind of like that. But this example also shows just how rarely Gaara seems to get time off during official visits: it took him being Kazekage for 4 years until he ate his first Ramen - but ok, if the war hadn’t been in the way I guess Naruto would have made him try it sooner. Now, if we are talking about “regular” time off, the place would definitely need to be in Suna - Gaara is important for the protection of his village so he can’t just leave whenever he wants.

I’m also going to assume that Gaara can walk around relatively freely without being bothered by crowds - if simply for the fact that we have seen him do so before, at least in other villages. Gaara strikes me as a character who could very much enjoy new experiences - there was once a time when most things “normal” people did were foreign to him and he had to go through a very steep learning curve after his first encounter with Naruto. I can see him trying new things when he gets the chance and also wanting to encourage Shinki to do the same - so long something falls not too far outside both of their comfort zones.

We established all the little details but no one has gone anywhere yet. So if we are going for something interesting: > how about we bring cats into this?

Gaara and Shinki strike me as having a lot of, for the lack of a better word, “cat-people energy” - were they aware of this before this fateful day? Probably not. Were they aware of it afterward? - you bet!

Gaara felt a bit confused when he heard that Suna would be hosting a big pet show for the first time in a few years *he had to sign the paperwork after all* - what was that again? People bring their cats and dogs to show them to visitors and a jury?

“Must be another unique way humans manage to be vain about their property” - the concept of placing much importance in the things one owns and how they reflect on you was something Gaara understood as a concept but never fancied.

He didn’t understand very well why visitors would want to see such a spectacle until Kankuro said something along the lines of “sometimes people just want to see animals do cute stuff I guess? You know how girls and kids are - show them a dog rolling over and they will go crazy - don’t worry too much about it, I’m also not much of a fan.”

On a second thought: “Oh but maybe Shinki likes that stuff? I mean he’s a kid - ..... although he doesn’t behave like one most of the time.”

- and with that comment, the deal was settled: there would be father-son bonding time scheduled and they would go observe cute animals!!

Shinki wasn’t very thrilled but what can you do - he wanted to train but was too well behaved and respected his father too much to object any of his decisions - no matter how strange some of them sounded.

In the end, none of them had high expectations for this trip but they went anyway because “At worst we have made a valuable experience” - Gaara

*Shinki didn’t dare question what could be “valuable” about this*

As it turned out, the date they picked for their visit was designated for cats of all breeds --

Of course, both Gaara and Shinki had seen cats before - from afar. No one in their family owned any animals - if you didn’t factor in the deer raised on the property of the Nara-clan.

But they had also HEARD about cats before

--------- mostly because Shukaku never seemed to miss an opportunity to insult them: “cats are the most useless creatures, it goes to show how stupid humans are for domesticating them” - “and you are sure you aren’t just saying this because kids always seem to mistake you for one?” -Kankuro would add

*Needless to say: Kankuro still enjoyed provoking people he really shouldn’t.* -------------

Well now the two shinobi were in front of one - their first close encounter with a feline - a big sand-colored persian with her owner, a friendly-looking old lady, standing next to her.

“Well I suppose they are quite endearing with their big eyes” -Gaara noted

Old lady: “Oh dear would you like to come closer? She really enjoys being pet behind her ears - she’s even calm with most strangers”

Gaara was a bit hesitant

When you’ve only ever heard bad things about cats and their temper you might think twice about petting them when you get the chance - at least until you take the courage to hold out your hand and they start purring like you are their best friend and they will love you forever.

Now, if anything gets Gaara - it’s being shown unconditional love and acceptance in unexpected places

yes apparently this does not exclude kitties

*holding out his hand while the cat is purring and meowing* Gaara : O.O Shinki, next to him: O.O Both of them internally: "ohhhh so THAT'S what all the fuss is about"

- Instant non-verbal agreement that cats are awesome

After that encounter, both might or might not have been extremely tempted to adopt a cat.

But since Gaara knew no one in this family had much time to spend at home - *and because he had this lingering sense that the cat might develop a taste for his succulents* - he had to resist.

This however wouldn’t mean that their next “family day” wasn’t already planned to be a trip to the local animal shelter. _________________________ Bonus:

eventually, Shukaku finds out about their trips and is NOT amused that they considered bringing one of “those things” home.

Yes- he’s still fuming from that one time he was carried by Shinki in his more “compact” form and a toddler pointed at them saying “oh your cat is so chubby! can I pet it? Pleeeeese!!” (*needless to say both Shinki and Gaara were mortified back then and hurried to get Shukaku away from the little girl before any casualties were to occur*)

He continues to sulk for at least a full month about this “betrayal”.

#Gaara #shinki #naruto #boruto #justgaaraweekly #gaara headcanons

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mepheesto · 3 years

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small thoughts on M’s route book 3 demo

ok so, me and @silverletters are waaaay too invested in this shit and just spent the last half an hour thinking about that damn breakfast scene in M's route book 3 demo and I'm just let's take a couple of steps together please - mind the spoilers, goes without saying, I'm just gonna cut this for extra carefulness:

We know M is so shielded from their feelings it's appalling, but they also have a very strong, bursting emotional response to things, and are extremely aware on a subconscious/background level of the emotional responses of those around them. I like to think it's somewhat linked to their sensitivity, but I digress. We also know all of their teammates (except F to a degree, but still not in an invasive way) have this wonderful habit of letting their companions be themselves and respecting boundaries and personal histories - they're a family, and UB has a special chemistry and understanding of each other to a silent, perfect level. However much I would love to see especially N just screaming in M's face, we all know this is not going to happen. F would most likely make some snappy comment to try and trigger some deeper thinking, to just nudge M's point of view towards a light they themselves can't see. A is tricky - part of me can see them going "ok, well, that was it, you're done playing games, can we move on" but luckily they're not that much of an ass at this point - and will probably be very grounding and practical as usual, but still conscious of the higher value of respecting one's wishes and wanting to see them happy; thus probably moving more towards something along the lines of "I did tell you this would complicate stuff, what is your plan now". But all of this would probably not work on M, let's be honest. If that's the case, the answer would be "I don't know", some sneers, some stuttered aggressive response, and mostly confusion. Our good ol' local grumpy sack of garbage and obliviousness would just be even more confused. Noticing everyone's sadness (small digression to N being especially in pain cause it's their people, move to me crying in a corner cause N is too precious for coherent words) and being more and more alienated, both by their internal turmoil and what's in the eyes of those around them.

Add that to the possibility the detective has brushed off the comment in the bakery, and seems perfectly fine with continuing their relationship as a mainly physical one, no strings attached. Of course M doesn't realize yet to what extent, but what they said there in a moment of denial and panic, in Hailey's face, is obviously not true to them. Now, let's add that to how Mishka (I 'd gather) keeps all options at pretty much the same pace, trying to guarantee the same depth and exploration of the relationship to all "flavours" of a route we may take.

So, either the detective went crying and ran or they were embarrassed, or rolls with it, doesn't matter. Something in M still clicked, and they don't like it. M likes it easy. They love to be lucky and be left alone in their functional little world with no further stimulation that would just irritate them. But this, this comes from inside them. This can't just be shut down. They'll try regardless. I can perfectly see M trying to make it simple again, acting as if nothing happened, trying again to move to a comfortable known area of this relationship, and ground it to their usual physical interactions. But of course, now that something has changed, it's not enough. Whether the detective complies or not, something will be missing. Be it just that sex is no longer enough, or that being denied now hurts even more and stirs the waters of that internal turmoil more. They're more and more confused, skittish, easy to enrage and constantly annoyed and dissatisfied. Snappy, avoidant, and maybe even reaching a point where they themselves refuse the sexual encounter - or make it cold, shallow, frustrated, awkward. And, obviously, feel like shit right after.

M so far has not been so fast at understanding any of the rules of this new game, and I don't expect them to be suddenly struck by lightning on the way to Damascus. Oh, no. We're probably gonna fight with this through the whole third book. That, added to maybe some softness slipping here and there, just seeping through the cracks, at the worst times. A soft eye, a cuddle, an attentive, natural, intimate gesture that causes yet more boiling to the surface and more pain.

Idk about you but I am not ready for this ride and I am screaming - and still OH BOY CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL OF THAT aaaand I'm out of coherent thoughts and words, time to go back to my cave, if you need me just follow the pained sighs

#twc #the wayhaven chronicles #twc book 3 spoilers #twc spoilers #twc book 3 demo #twc m #my brain going brrrrrrrrr #I'm so invested I can't #I'm not ready send help #just me speculating #oh god I wrote so much #eeeeeeeeee #I just wanna slap this bitch ok

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arshipweek · 3 years

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AR Ship Week - Fanwork Recs

Banner credit

This is the fourth and last weekly post in the lead up to Alex Rider Ship Week. Only 1 week to go!

This week we’ve got a selection of shippy fanwork recs submitted by members of the AR fandom. Enjoy and hope to see you next week!

**Please note that I haven’t listed all the details for the fics so take care to read the tags on AO3 before diving in!

Yassen/Alex

Our Endless Numbered Days by Galimau Just your run of the mill heartwarming look at the quiet beats of Alex and Yassen's relationship...after the apocalypse. Soft and sweet this fic focuses on the very still and quiet moments of two men at the end times trying to hold onto the things that bring them joy. It's an intimate view of what Alex and Yassen's life could be like of all their cares were quite literally wiped away - excellent world building and writing make this a must read.

Yalex art by Ireliss Alex and Yassen in a lake! Everything about this picture is perfect - the light, the colours, the feeling of stillness... Probably the most beautiful picture of Alex and Yassen I've ever seen.

Sun Poisoning by fElBiTeR Angsty, beautiful, slowburn soulmate fic with a twist on the usual tropes and gorgeous imagery

Twisting, Turning, Tumbling by ShiruyTheSecond A glacially slow burn, road trip au, and sick fic all mashed into one fic, in non-chronological order based on 100 themes. I'd say this was one of the gateway fics into Yalex for me; there's nothing like reading a longfic you thought was gen and wishing it were slash, only for the realization to hit you in the face like a brick 50 something chapters later. Alex is on the run for a variety of reasons after a mission for MI6 goes spectacularly wrong, so he surprisingly finds himself leaning on Yassen for help, experincing whumpage along the way. Absolutely delicious.

Specific Performance by BurntWhisper Alex is a good spy, good enough that SCORPIA has tasked Yassen with killing him. Yassen can't do that but he can give Alex a very...enthusiastic going away present even Alex hasn't been a very good boy. It's a fun look at Alex and Yassen's first fling with callbacks to the original gen fic. That hits every perfect note and hits a few other things too.

Interlude by Suzie_Shooter Incredibly soft and fluffly Yalex that ends with an unexpected top!Alex and bath sex. Will absolutely warm your heart the way it does mine every time I read this fic.

Medicine by Suzie_Shooter The other fic in response to the prompt of "Alex is given a serum that makes him feel good when he tells the truth" except this one is praise kink while the other is humiliation kink! Specifically focused on a smoking hot blowjob and Alex's reluctance turned enthusiam, plus, there's a second chapter, just in case one dose of the antidote isn't enough.

One Year by BurntWhisper The slowest of slow burns featuring Alex and Yassen on the run from MI6, SCORPIA and their own feelings. Covering 3 months of their life on the run this fic features action as well as the slow, quiet moments where the budding relationship can truly shine through and behind it all the intelligence world continues to grind on threatening to take their happiness with it. It's a beautiful fic with strong, detailed writing and the emotional weight that it deserves.

Midnight Smoke by Hijja If you're in the mood for darker fics with plenty of Yassen hurting Alex complete with violence and heavy dubcon, Hijja has you covered. This particular fic features a mission-type premise with Alex being sent to investigate a spate of teen abductions only to be captured. Yassen is there, and he has his own goals...

Hello Alex by anonymous Fanart: a reunion hug between Yassen and Alex.

Face The Truth by capeofstorm Alex is given a serum that makes him feel good when he tells the truth. Yassen is absolutely a man to take advantage. Recced by Suzie_Shooter

Lights Out by Suzie_Shooter Yassen and Alex left tradecraft behind for a new life in the Greek islands. Ten years on, their relationship is still going strong and they've become island locals, the proprietors of a sailing club and a windsurfing business. Their idyllic life is disrupted by a new threat that wants them dead. I just love the premise of Yalex riding off into the sunset and not looking back. This fic not only has suspense, action, hot sex, and the intimacy borne of ten years...but once you're done, there are two excellent sequels and a prequel to lap up!

Villa in the Sun by BoldAsBrass A multi-chapter story within a story as Yassen and Alex keep in touch over the phone through a tale of a Russian bodyguard's encounters with a young English man. This is so cleverly done and beautifully written; I could re-read it and re-read it (in fact, that's exactly what I've done).

Sting in the Tail by Suzie_Shooter With the world hanging in the balance, MI6 presses an imprisoned Yassen into service. They use Alex to convince him, but also a nasty "sting in the tail" incentive to guarantee results. A thrilling Yalex mission!fic where Yassen and Alex forge their trust in each other by facing mortal danger and saving the world together. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, eating up the slow burn and wondering how on earth they were going to succeed with all the obstacles Scorpia and MI6 threw in their way.

Rarely Pure And Never Simple by fElBiTeR Non-con > dub-con > fuck-yes-con speedrun. Recced by Suzie_Shooter

Just Say I Do by Nanimok I'm possibly biased because this was written for me, but 'woke up married' is a great trope and this is both snarky and adorable. Recced by Suzie_Shooter

Open Invitation by Suzie_Shooter After Ian's death in TV 'verse, fifteen-year-old Alex is living alone in a depressive, self-destructive spiral. He realizes someone is watching him at home...and decides to give them something more compelling to watch. I am squicked out by creepers, but the characterizations tackle the thorny elements head-on: Yassen's mixed feelings and understated pursuit tactics are 100% believable, as is Alex's volatility; he's alternately confused, provocative, and defiant. Exhibit A:“Does that make you a victim, or a slut?” The question came casually, but it had the unexpected sting of a slap. Alex blinked. “What, I can’t be both?” he countered after a second. Plot ensues, because how can a relationship possibly form from such a premise? Mind the tags (you might trip into your next kink because the sex is mind-blowingly hot).

Flirting with Danger by BoldAsBrass Basically THE gateway fic into Yalex for me - short and sweet, snappy narration and dialogue, a sleekly dangerous Yassen and Alex who might be a skilled, pragmatic adult but quickly realises he's in over his head. Sprinkle in a bit of dubcon and scorching hot writing and you get this perfect fic.

Burning a Dead Man's Fingertips by GreenQueenofClubs Multichapter slow burn, MI6!Yassen AU - an excellent premise done extremely well and feels fresh and new, balancing mission-style fic with character development! The dynamic between Yassen and Alex is somewhat different here compared to most Yalex fics as they don't meet until Alex is an adult; a really intriguing glimpse into what could have been...

A Little Pat Down by Nanimok Airport security can be frustrating at the best of times but couple it with being edged like none other by an assassin turned security guard and it can really be a pain in the ass. A filthy but extremely well written premise. Crack taken seriously is this author's strong suit so not a single one of their works will steer you wrong.

Yalex Ballet AU by anonymous Yalex ballet AU with absolutely gorgeous imagery and slow burn. Fluid prose and in the background, the shadows of past histories and things unsaid.

Gentleman's Agreement by Valaks Yassen and Alex have a "gentleman's agreement" for handling their business in the field. No one ever said anything about parent-teacher conferences. Claims to be gen, but deserves a place on this list for subtle genius alone, because with lines like "Like a fine wine, Alex Rider was improving with age" and "How interesting that Alex Rider would be that interested in his hands", what are we supposed to think....? UST in all caps is the best description.

Salty the Sweat on my Fingertips by Galimau A fun little romp of Alex visiting Tom and having to call his overly protective boyfriend? because he's pregnant and everything hurts. Beautifully written, this fic explores the ending of Oceanbreeze7's Moonfish and follows the extremely creative monster biology to its logical conclusion of Alex getting knocked up.

Slipping Through My Fingers by Nanimok This kink meme fill hits in all the right places as we watch through the eyes of a very jealous Julius as Yassen gives Alex all the attention he needs. The writing is, as always, on point and the characterization of Julius gets absolutely nailed (almost as much as Alex). Julius/Alex, Yassen/Alex

Other

Miss Julia by DantesThird Very creepy and traumatic noncon but really believable with Julia Rothman's obsession with John Rider. Alex/Julia Rothman

gone loose inside the shell by cyanides Fantastic messed-up fic where Julius keeps fantasising about killing Alex, but then the fantasies take a different turn. The possessive 'If I can't have you no-one can' dynamic really encapsulates the ship for me, and the fic stuck in my mind afterwards. Alex/Julius

smoke haze by Ireliss Dubcon, gun kink. A really intriguing and quite dark exploration of a young Yassen's situation with Scorpia and his very complex relationship with Hunter. John/Yassen

Our Settling Bones by Galimau A multi-chapter slow burn focused on a former assassin who has lost everything...and Yassen Gregorovich. The tension is off the charts and the characerization is on point. Everything you could want from the rarest of pairs. John Wick/Yassen

Lemniscate by Ireliss A look at what awaits Yassen when he arrives back at Scorpia after killing Vladimir Sharkovsky. This is deliciously dark as well as being entirely plausible. The sensory descriptions are fantastic. Yassen/Julia Rothman

#alex rider #ARshipweek #yalex #....#.....#mod posts #recs

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stillbandofbrothersthirsty · 3 years

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How Do You Feel

George Luz x OC (Part 2)

Rated T+ (Part 1; Part 3)

“Okay, so we’re doing this.” George stood awkwardly in front of Julia in his PT shirt, his suspenders hanging down by his thighs.

“Yep,” Julia said as seriously as she could before bursting into a fit of nervous giggles.

“Julia!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! You just-,” she pressed a hand over her mouth as she took him in, “I’m sorry,” she giggled.

“This is not going to work if you can’t keep it together.”

“I know, you’re right. I just have never seen you so…” she gestured up and down his body.

“I’m not even undressed yet.”

“No but it’s clear it’s going in that direction,” Julia blushed and giggled nervously.

“Well, yeah, it is.” George was not nearly as amused as her.

“Okay,” Julia composed her face, “I’m ready.” She began unbuttoning the top of her dress.

“Here let me,” George said, his hands out stretched. She smacked them away.

“Julia!”

“Sorry! Wouldn’t you say that’s kinda intimate though?”

“Well, we are about to be naked!”

“Yeah, but-,”

“It would feel transactional if you just stood and stripped. Look, we’re good friends right?” George’s voice dropped into a low, comforting tone, “As your friend, I think you’re beautiful. And, we’ve hugged and kissed and touched each other before. This doesn’t have to be weird, we just need to trust each other.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked.

“Yeah, you’re a red hot tomato, kid.”

Julia stuck her tongue out at him. But, George’s words reassured her. He was right; it wasn’t like this was their first time ever touching each other. How many times had he planted a kiss on her after a rowdy darts game victory. How many times had they stumbled back to their beds with their arms wrapped around each other. They were dance partners, they knew each others movements almost better than anyone else. Theirs was a different kind of intimacy founded on confidence in the other. Julia needed to get out of her head and simply trust her friend.

“Okay,” she said in a low voice. She was calm. The previous giddiness had evaporated as she surrendered her trust to George. He moved toward her, slipping his fingers behind the button at the very bottom of her bodice. He worked steadily, efficiently sliding each plastic button through its hole so that slowly her light pink satin slip was revealed. George pulled the dress off of her shoulders, letting it drop to the ground. Then Julia took her turn. She ran her hands into the waistband of his pants and under his shirt, helping him to lift it over his head.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said.

“Okay.”

 The kiss was sweet but some carried the same weirdness as their last kiss.

Julia pushed him away, “I think it’s when we plan it.” George looked confused. “Just kiss me!”

“So you don’t want a heads up?”  

“No, I think I think about it too much when I get a warning ya know?” George nodded and leaned in. His hand came up to cup her jaw as he deepened the kiss.

“George,” Julia squeaked. He pulled away.

“What now?” he said exasperated.

“Don’t be so sweet! It’s weird! Just be you!”

“I am just being me! This is how I kiss! I’m sweet!”

“Well don’t kiss me like one of your girlfriends, kiss me like one of your friends!”

“Oh my god, fine,” George rolled his eyes. He grabbed her around the waist, kissing her hard. The kiss was relentless; Julia barely had time to think as his lips and tongue explored her mouth, her neck and her collarbones. She could barely keep pace as he slipped her shift off and expertly released her garters. Her hands fumbled with his pants. He took that opportunity to come up for air. He released her from their kiss, leaning back to give her room to work. As soon as she had his pants unbuttoned he belly flopped onto the bed, pulling her down with him. Julia squealed in involuntary delight, giggling as they landed on the quilt.

“Shh!” George grinned and began kissing her again. They roamed each other’s bodies with a familiarity that was innate to people who had spent so much time with each other. The only pause in their rhythm occurred at the moment of penetration.

 “Are you sure about this?” George was braced above her, his chocolate eyes searching hers for any indication of uncertainty.

“I’m sure!” Julia said confidently pulling him to her.

“So, thoughts?” George wrangled his arms through his shirt sleeves.

“Yeah, good,” Julia said as she reattached her garters.

“Good? That’s it?”   “What do you want me to say? You’re a god in the sack, George?” Julia teased.

“Actually, yeah, that would be great to hear.”

“Ha ha!”

They had spent only a few moments in each others arms after they finished. But after coming down from the haze of their orgasms they realized no cuddling should be a rule. Their friendship could handle a bar booth cuddle with clothes on; naked and in bed was not conducive to their goal of platonic sex.

“So when’s the next time?” George said, tying up his boots.

“Ready to go again already?”

  “As a red-blooded man I am always ready to go.”

“Debatable.”

“You need me to prove it?” George tackled her onto the bed and the two dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“No!” Julia playfully swatted him off of her, “we don’t have time anyways, get out of here.”

George stood up and smiled warmly down on her. “See you tomorrow, Jules.”

“Be quiet!” Julia reminded him as he slipped out the door, his jacket in hand.

They were overly cautious at first which meant their liaisons were few and far between. But as their confidence grew they became greedier, and more reckless. On more than one occasion George was nearly spotted exiting Julia's bedroom.

“None of the guys know right?” Julia asked one night as she dressed.

“Not that I’m aware of,” George replied. “Why?”

“Only wondering, I want to make sure things stay private.”

“You embarrassed of me?” George stuck out his bottom lip jokingly.

“No, not of you, but at the same time I don’t want every guy in the Company thinking I’m easy.”

 “Don’t worry about that, they’re Easy too!”

“Bad joke, George.”

“Mm yeah, that one kinda fell flat huh?”  

“I just don’t want to get a reputation ya know?”  

“I understand,” George sat down beside her on the twin bed, “don’t worry, kid, our secret’s safe.” He kissed her sweetly on the cheek. “Okay, I’m off.”

As the summer wrapped up so did the men’s training at Toccoa. Julia and George discussed the possibility that Julia may not be moving on with the men. There was nothing they could do about it if that were the case so promises of letters were made.

Fortunately, however, Julia continued on with the 101st airborne to Fort Mackall. Life was good, all things considering. The dynamic between George and Julia was comfortable. For all intents and purposes, nothing had changed between the two of them. They played darts and cards and drank with the other airborne staff and soldiers just as they had before. They ended the evenings laughing into each other’s shoulders. But instead of walking back from the bar together or George escorting Julia back to her quarters, they would sneak off to find a private moment.

They were still careful. One had to know the difference in order to spot it. If the evening ended with just the two of them they would find a place to kiss - or if they could, go back to Julia’s room. Their rules hadn’t ever prohibited fooling around or kissing outside of Julia’s bedroom. So, especially when the alcohol was flowing, they found themselves taking liberties with their intimacy in dark alleyways and behind barracks.

Had this been a rule, it would’ve been the hardest to respect. But it wasn’t, so instead the couple found themselves struggling with the “sleep with other people” rule. Neither of them would admit this; as much as they each wanted to support the other (and keep up appearances) it was easy to feel lonely if one of them was occupied elsewhere. Considering the male to female ratio at the bars, it was surprising that George was usually the one with a new partner.

The bars were always filled with the airborne men, along with the army and marines. Relatively few women were brave enough to infiltrate the packed bars. Yet, somehow, George was often found charming a beautiful local.

It bothered Julia quite a bit at first. Not for the obvious reasons, but because she missed her friend. They had never been glued together at the hip, but at Toccoa they almost always ended the evenings together. Julia couldn’t help but wonder if George was getting tired of her since they spent so much time together. But Julia found solace in her other Easy Company friends. Frank Perconte was always up for a chat. Joe Toye was a more melancholy friend when he drank and they spent plenty of evening’s lost in deep conversation.

It was on nights like these, when George was absent, that Julia found herself interacting more and more with Chuck Grant. On a regular week-day evening Julia was honoring an invitation to play cards with Frank and Bull when Chuck invited her out on a date.

He had run into her as she was about to enter the building where Frank was bunked. It was late evening. The sun hung just above the horizon, struggling to say goodbye to the late summer world. The warm, fading light had Chuck’s skin glowing when he approached her. Julia had always found him very handsome, but never entertained the idea that he may be interested in her. Before their social encounters out in town she wouldn’t have expected him to know her name.

  “Hi Julia,” he said politely. He looked like he had just showered. His hair was freshly combed back and she could smell his aftershave.

“Hi Chuck,” she smiled. Her palms were a little sweaty, although she wasn’t sure if it was out of nervousness or due to the last beams of the day’s heat.

“Who ya visting this evening?”

“Frank. Well a few guys actually, but Frank invited me to play cards with them.”

“You any good?” Chuck asked.

Julia shrugged, “not as good as I’d like to think I am.”

“Ah, I bet you’re better than you think!” Chuck said.

Julia smiled at him, then at the ground, trying to think of something to say next. “Well, I ought to get going…” she trailed off.

“Yeah, well hey, I was wondering, would you like to see a movie with me?”  

Julia looked at him in surprise, “like watch one of the ones they screen here?” 

“Well I was thinking somewhere in town? Like a date.”

“Oh!” Julia didn’t know what to say, she was totally taken aback.

“If you’re up for it?” Chuck asked sheepishly. He was usually a confident guy but standing there in front of her Julia finally saw a more vulnerable side of him. His shoulders were slightly hunched and his lips were pressed together in nervous anticipation for her answer.

“I would love to!” she said honestly.

“Great!” he straightened with renewed confidence. “We can work out the details later, I’ll let you get to your game.”

“Okay, see you later Chuck.”

He smiled a little half smile at her as she turned toward the barrack. Before entering, she stole another look at him over her shoulder and he smiled warmly at her. A little swarm of butterflies somersaulted in her stomach and Julia had to press down a wide smile.

#hbo war #band of brothers #fanfiction #fwb #george luz #chuck grant #part 2 #hbo band of brothers #love triangle #George Luz x OC

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