#daughter!OC

[zepskies]

Calculated Risks

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x F. Reader

Summary: You and Ben argue about your commitment to being a working mom. When a rogue supe gets loose at Supe Affairs, mayhem ensues, putting not only your life at risk, but your daughter’s as well.

AN: Welcome back to the BMD-verse, friends! Did you miss these two as much as I did? Plus, get ready for a heavy dose of fan-favorite Frank. (And Lila, of course!)

Word Count: 7K

Tags/Warnings: Familiar bickering, a mission gone awry, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff.

Catch up on the BMD-verse. ⤵️

💚 Break Me Down Masterlist

In four years of marriage, one thing that had never changed between you and Ben was this.

“All right, you’re being a little too much right now,” you said in irritation. “Of course I’m not sitting this one out. I’m the one who found us the damn lead in the first place.”

The man was following you from the adjoining bathroom and back into your shared bedroom, where you began getting dressed for work in the blouse and pencil skirt you’d laid out for yourself.

Your husband had already donned his supe suit, sans helmet. He stood just behind you with his arms crossed, a familiar surly frown on his face. When you turned around, he hadn’t moved an inch.

“I’m being too much? You’re the one who’s not being fucking reasonable,” he said.

You rolled your eyes and moved past him to find your shoes. For this skirt, you really needed heels. Your most comfortable black pumps would do. You grabbed the closet doorknob for balance as you slipped them on, giving him a look of exasperation.

Ben held firm on his stance, but inside, he had a feeling you’d chosen this outfit on purpose. You knew he liked this whole sexcretary look on you, with your hair let down around your shoulders. The skirt and heels just brought his eyes to the delectable curve of your ass.

But again, he was holding firm.

He’d been called in on this case partly because Annie was on maternity leave. She was due in just a few weeks. Which meant “Soldier Boy” was definitely needed to help out Butcher and his merry band of assholes. By now, Ben had gotten used to them.  

“Look,” you said, “Slingshot has been causing a lot of havoc, and the police haven’t been able to catch him. You heard Grace. This is an ‘all hands on deck’ situation.”

“She always says that shit. Doesn’t make it true,” Ben retorted.

“This time it is,” you said. “I’ve already put in tons of man hours on surveillance for this guy. I want to get him off the street.”

Ben held you by your arms. “That’s exactly my point. You’ve been putting in way too many hours.”

You shook your head. He just didn’t get it.

“If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t have this opening now,” you said. You gave him a smile to try and lighten him. “Now he’s all teed up for you and the guys. This should be in and out. Practically a milk run for you.”

“Yeah, but not for you,” he pointed out. “And not for Lila. You’re stretching yourself too damn thin. It’s not like we need the money.”

Ahh, now we get to it, you thought. Yet again, he was bringing this up. In his mind, you should’ve cut your hours at Supe Affairs after Lila was born.

You did take an extended maternity leave of an entire year and a half, which was much more than women usually got from their jobs. However, because of your relationship with Grace and the entire team, you’d been allowed to come back whenever you felt ready. 

Ben had often felt it necessary to point out that with his money, you didn’t have to work at all. 

He knew very well that for you, this work was more than a job. 

“I’m not the first working mom in existence, Ben,” you said, pushing out of his hold. “And I’ll remind you that Supe Affairs has a great daycare program. Lila’s very happy there.”

Plus, she was almost three and a half years old. In less than a year, Lila would be off to preschool.

“And look, it’s not about the money,” you added. “I told you before Lila was born. I am a mother, and I’m your wife. But I’m still me.”

Ben processed that for a moment, meeting your gaze.

“The situation’s changed,” he replied. He grasped your hips this time. His thumb gently brushed over your belly, which had a small bump under your high-waisted skirt. 

You were finally pregnant again. Three months, in fact, and you were having a boy. You knew that Ben had several reasons to be more protective than usual…but still. You thought you were already taking every precaution to keep you and your children safe, even with the occasionally extensive hours of your job.

“These cases can be long and difficult, not to mention dangerous,” said Ben. His green eyes met yours as he looked down at you through furrowed brows. “You’re putting yourself at risk.”

You blew out a breath and tried to placate him, soothing a hand over his chest. 

“I’ve stopped doing field missions,” you pointed out. “And Supe Affairs is the most secure building in the city. Do you think I would bring Lila there if it wasn’t?”

The security team at the S.A. was bar none, not only because Loco was a part of that team. Frank was also your personal bodyguard; Ben hired him back when you found out you were pregnant with Lila.

In fact, Frank was coming to the house in a few minutes to pick you all up.

Ben frowned. “I think you’re being stubborn just to be fucking stubborn.”

That sparked at your temper. Again, you withdrew from his arms and crossed yours.

“I think you need to face the fact that I’m protected as well as I can be,” you said. “I also think that you’re trying to use this as a way to shoehorn me into some antiquated idea of what you still think a wife should be. I’m gonna tell you right now. That’s not me! It’s never been me. And you know that.”

He opened his mouth to give an angry retort, but you beat him to it.

“It’s like you don’t even care about what I want,” you snapped. “Just what you think is right—for me to be here waiting for you to come home, quite literally barefoot and pregnant, ready to rub your balls!”

Cliché as it might’ve been to say, if the shoe fit, then you were certainly not going to be the one to wear it.

“You know what, you can accuse me of being stuck in the fucking past all you want,” Ben said, raising a finger, as well as his voice. “But the problem here isn’t me. It’s that what you want is goddamn idiotic!”

Your mouth fell agape. “Excuse me?! I can’t even believe you right now!”

Ben fairly loomed above you when he shouted back.

“Well, that makes fucking two of us!”

His voice was loud enough to reverberate on the walls. You even flinched, but you held your ground with a glare…

Until you heard a whimper.

You and Ben paused, and turned to find Lila. The three-year-old was cowering a bit in the doorway to your bedroom. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to cry.

Your heart broke.

“Oh, honey,” you breathed. You were both apologetic and mortified as you quickly went to her.

Ben was close behind you, but while Lila was quick to melt into your arms when you picked her up, she shied away from his attempt to reach out to her. What would’ve been a placating hand on her head, turned into him pausing in surprise when she ducked.

“Lila?” he prodded.

He tried to mask how put out he was by his daughter hiding her face from him, burrowing into your neck instead. She was usually a daddy’s girl, through and through.

You shot him a knowing frown, while rubbing her back in comfort.

“It’s okay, baby,” you told her. “Your dad and I were just…talking. He didn’t mean to shout.”

When Lila only whimpered in response, Ben’s gaze dimmed in understanding. His lips pursed.

You saw that look on his face, and you wanted to sigh. Part of you felt bad for him, at the way Lila had flinched away from her father. In a way though, maybe it was a lesson he needed to learn.

Frank arrived a few minutes later in a black SUV, like he did every weekday morning to bring you all to work. Ben was quiet and taciturn climbing into the backseat on one side, and you clipped Lila into her car seat from the other side. He still made sure that she was strapped in correctly, and even tried to earn his daughter’s gaze.

She snuck a glance at him a couple of times, but quickly lowered it to play with one of her favorite stuffed animal toys (a little German shepherd that he had gotten for her).

Ben let out a long breath through his nose. He gave Frank a nod through the rearview mirror, and the other man peeled away from the house.

The four of you rode in silence away from your house in Scarsdale, towards New York City.

Ben’s mood remained grim, even when you all got to Supe Affairs. Frank held back while you and Ben stopped in the hallway with Lila. You were carrying her, and she was holding onto you and her stuffed animal like a lifeline instead of looking anywhere else—namely at Ben.

You sighed and tried to pull her back enough to see her face.

“Daddy’s gotta go to work now. Want to say goodbye?” you encouraged.

All Lila could manage was a shy look in his direction. Ben laid a gentle hand on her head, over her dark hair.

“Bye, sweetheart,” he said.

Lila didn’t answer him. She just bit her lip and stayed withdrawn.

You and Ben shared a glance. He was hiding it well behind his usual stoicism, but this was hurting him. There wasn’t much either of you could do about it now, however. You both had work to do, and the mission would have to come first.

“I’ll be online in a bit,” you told him. 

First, you needed to take Lila up to daycare before Frank accompanied you to your office. There you’d be able to join the mission from your computer and put your headset on. Aside from surveillance, you were their virtual eyes on missions. 

So Ben tacitly agreed, and the two of you parted ways.

You went up to the second floor to drop Lila off at daycare, where you set her onto her feet. You could see that she was quiet and almost sad, not as bright and talkative as usual. And she was clinging to your hand. You bent down the best you could in your skirt, so you could meet her eyes.

“Are you still upset with your dad?” you asked. 

After a moment, Lila replied, “Daddy’s loud.”

You couldn’t help a rueful smile. 

“Yeah, he can be,” you nodded. “But he’s gonna work on that, okay? He loves you very much.”

She finally smiled a little when you pressed a few sweet kisses to her cheeks. You felt a little better about leaving her with Sarah, the woman who ran the daycare center. She was kind, but well-organized, and good at her job of wrangling fifteen or so toddlers on a daily basis.

And she was hovering off to the side with a smile, waiting to shepherd Lila over to where the rest of the group were starting at the arts and crafts table.

“Okay, baby. I love you. I’m just downstairs if you need me,” you said, caressing Lila’s cheeks, brushing her hair away from her face.

She nodded and waved goodbye. Sarah then stepped in and guided the girl over to the crafts table. The other kids were already drawing and coloring with crayons and markers.

With a sigh, you knew you had to get to work. You joined Frank out in the hall.

“Did something happen this morning?” he asked. You gave him a weary look.

“Something always happens. I’ll fill you in when we hit the elevator,” you said.

“Kids are resilient. She’ll bounce back,” said Frank, when you two got off the elevator down to the basement, under the first floor. This was where the “heavy stuff” happened at the S.A.

“That’s not the point, Frank. He hasn’t snapped at me like that in a long time, and he really scared her. That’s not fucking okay,” you said. “He needs to learn to control his goddamn temper.”

He sent you a knowing glance. You rolled your eyes.

“Okay, I know I don’t always help. But in this case, I was justified,” you said. “Ben was being an ass.”

“Right,” Frank nodded. “It’s not at all that he’s worried about you.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Whose side are you on?”

The man remained silent, but his stoic face wasn’t fooling you. He’d been your friend for much too long, and he knew Ben just as well…which was why you found yourself reconsidering what happened this morning.

“You really think he has a point?” you asked. “Am I working too much?”

Frank shook his head and opened the door for you into the Surveillance Department. The two of you ventured to your office, where your quadruple monitor setup was waiting for you. He also had a desk for himself, since he often spent the long hours of your day with you.

“When you were pregnant with Lila, you were on maternity leave by now,” he pointed out.

“Because we had no idea what was going to happen,” you countered. You went to your desk and started up your computer. “I had to meet with Tonya once a week, ultrasounds and blood tests all the time, making sure Lila was healthy, that I was healthy. This time around, we have a better idea of what to expect.”

For example, you were experiencing bouts of super strength once again, but it was still intermittent. Although, you pretty much never needed coffee. Maybe the supe genes coursing through your system, thanks to your unborn son, was part of the reason why you’d been able to go such long hours for these cases.

He's already brightening up my life, you thought with a little smile, holding a hand over your lower belly.

“It’s your choice,” Frank said at last. “But it is possible that Ben cares about more than just making you a suburban housewife.”

At that, you sighed. There was nothing wrong with being a housewife, you knew. It just wasn’t…you.

Once your computer and monitors were booted up, you connected to the right channels and put on your headset.

Already you could hear M.M. bitching about keeping the weapons trunk organized, not just tossing things in haphazardly. 

“It’s a simple fucking system, Frenchie. You can at least abide by it,” M.M. said. “We don’t have time to be scratching our asses while you try to find a—”

“Hey, Bert and Ernie. Would you shut the fuck up already?” Ben groused.

Your mouth twitched at his grumpiness.

“A little testy this morning, ey guv?” Butcher remarked.

“Gargle my ball sack,” Ben replied, with an even grouchier deadpan than usual.

“Do you kiss your child with that mouth?” Frenchie teased. 

“Nah, just your mother’s French hole,” Ben slung back. You rolled your eyes. 

“All right, all right. Put the measuring tapes away,” you interrupted. “I’m online, locked on your GPS.”

“Well, if it ain’t Mrs. America herself,” Butcher drawled. “Got a lock on Slingshot’s location for us?” 

“You know it,” you replied. “Sending to the group chat now. Slingshot’s been spotted entering a strip club in Chinatown.” 

“Jeez. A little early for tits and booze. It’s 10:00 a.m. on a Tuesday,” said Hughie.

You heard Ben huff in amusement. “It’s never too early.”

You snorted at that.

“Right. I’ll remember that next time you fall asleep watching Family Feud,” you clipped back.

You heard the other guys trying not to laugh as they got into Butcher’s van. Part of you felt bad for teasing Ben, knowing he was already in a bad mood, but you were feeling a bit petty about what happened this morning.

You had to bite your lip against a smile, as you could picture the ill-tempered face your man was likely sporting.

And we’re off.

Lila wasn’t having a good day. 

She didn’t feel like coloring, and the toys just weren’t fun today.

She just didn’t want to be here. The other kids smelled like old Cheetos and feet (especially the boys).

She missed you. And though she hadn’t wanted to admit it to you, she missed Daddy too.

Lila wanted to go home…she wanted her mom. 

“I’m just downstairs if you need me,” you’d said.

Lila had a kind of plan percolating in her mind, all through the morning, and even through lunch time. She didn’t want to get in trouble, but when she’d asked Miss Sarah if she could go see you, she’d said you were at work and couldn’t come get Lila until later. 

But that’s not what Mommy said, Lila thought.  

After lunch, she laid on the napping mat with her pillow and blanket, even though she was wide awake. She didn’t want to nap with the other kids, even though Miss Sarah told her it was time to sleep. 

Again, Lila didn’t want to be bad. She didn’t want to get in trouble either, but she really, really just wanted to see you.

And you’d said it was okay to go downstairs if she needed you, right?

Lila closed her eyes while Miss Sarah was looking, but she waited until the teacher went into her office to answer a call. Then, Lila carefully put Charlie, her stuffed dog, against her pillow, tucking the blanket up to his neck. 

She crawled off her mat and snuck over to the door while Miss Sarah was distracted on her phone. Lila reached up and was just tall enough to twist the doorknob. It led her out of the room, and out into the empty hall. She then looked both ways for a clue on where to go. 

She heard a ding, and looked over at a nearby pair of elevators.

The mission went more or less according to plan. Slingshot’s abilities allowed him to stretch every part of his body like elastic. It not only made him hard to catch, but even harder to maim without collateral damage. 

A whole block in Chinatown was wrecked in the takedown, but your idea of ripping the cables from a nearby utility pole to electrocute him let Ben finally subdue the elastic supe. Kimiko knocked him out, and Butcher slapped some tight-ass cuffs on him and dragged him into the van. They returned with the rogue supe in custody. 

You were mentally exhausted from helping them track down routes to pin down Slingshot, but you were relieved to be done. You were also satisfied that another danger to society was neutralized, for now.

You took pride in your work, and you didn’t think Ben saw that, or thought it was important. You supposed that was what upset you the most about that fight with him.

Sometimes, you wondered if he would ever truly change.

You grabbed your purse and made sure to slip in your gun and taser. You left your office and greeted Frank, who had just finished making his rounds in the building with Loco’s team. Frank joined you on the way to the elevator.

“I meant to ask you, how’s Alana doing?” you asked. Alana was his daughter, who was now in college.

“She’s changed her major yet again,” he said wryly. “This time to philosophy.”

“Philosophy? That’s interesting. What does she want to do with that?” you asked.

“No fucking clue,” he replied, hitting the button for the first floor. “I just hope she gets bored and picks something practical. Like…teaching, or dentistry.”

You shot him a bemused look. “Dentistry?”

“As much money as I put into that girl’s braces, it’d be good for her to pay it forward,” Frank said, in a surly tone that reminded you of Ben. You had to laugh.

You and Frank exited the elevator and started down the hall.

You planned to touch base with Grace Mallory on the safety measures of Slingshot’s containment before he was put into custody. The idea was to house him in a prison cell that could actually hold him until he went through the legal process. 

But you’d only gotten halfway down the hall before the supe in question literally stretched past you on unnaturally long legs—in a blur of his white and blue supe suit. Your eyes widened on a gasp as you watched him head toward the elevator you’d just come off of. 

“Fuckin’ hell, we’ve got a runner!” Butcher shouted from down the hall. He along with Ben, M.M., Frenchie, Hughie, and Kimiko were rushing your way. 

It all happened so fast. 

You registered Frank shooting out a protective arm in front of you. You turned back to see the elevator doors had opened back up, and Slingshot rushed inside. He made eye contact with you.

Then his arms shot out like rubber bands. One of them knocked Frank into the far wall. You gasped and froze on reflex. 

Ben shouted your name; he was running towards you, getting closer. You were able to meet his wide eyes for a brief moment. He reached out for you, but those stretching arms closed around you first. You gasped when they slung you backwards.

You cried out in shock when your back met a surprisingly solid chest.

Meanwhile, Ben barreled the rest of the way down the hall as the elevators closed just short of his angrily furrowed face.

The stretched arms holding you were tight around your torso, making your grit your teeth as you tried to pull away. They twisted you around so you could face your captor. Or so he could see you.

His natural height was around Butcher’s—dark hair, blue eyes, angular features. He gave you what was probably meant to be a suave smile as those baby blues dragged down your body.

“Hey, baby. Nice heels,” he said. You rolled your eyes.

“So that’s why they call you Slingshot,” you said, still a bit breathless. The elevator started to move. He’d chosen the top floor. “Where do you think you’re gonna go?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he snarked. “Anywhere but here. And you’re gonna help me.”

“How? Being a human shield?”

“For a start,” he smirked down at you. He backed up a step just to take another proper look at you, and he whistled lowly. He took your chin between his sweaty fingers, making you grimace when he stroked your cheek. 

“Down boy,” you said warily. “Trust me, you really don’t want to do this.”

This jackass hadn’t even realized you had a small, but noticeable baby bump.

“Why not, babe?” he grinned. “You’ve got the whole sexy librarian thing going on.” 

You heard a loud creaking sound outside the elevator doors. The compartment itself came to an abrupt stop, making the lights flicker. 

“What the fuck?” Slingshot muttered. His hold around you loosened. 

You had an idea of what just happened, with grim satisfaction. You also took advantage of his distraction and managed to slip a hand into your purse.

You pulled out your taser. Slingshot noticed and tried to grab you again, but the elevator somehow started to move in reverse, about a foot a time. It made both of you lose your balance and utter sounds of surprise.  

As soon as you regained your footing, you aimed the taser at the most sensitive place you could think of—the supe’s dick and balls.

His howls of pain were loud enough to reach Ben, Frank, and the rest of the team on the third floor. Ben’s face became edged with a smirk. 

He kept pulling the elevator cables down until the compartment’s doors were in reach. There he grabbed the doors and pulled them open with his bare hands, crunching metal under his fingers. The moment he saw you, the relief in your eyes, he grabbed your hand and pulled you out, into his arms. 

Slingshot was angry, though he managed to recover, rip off the taser’s metal prongs and wires, and evade Kimiko, M.M., and even Butcher when he slithered his way out of the elevator and around their guns. The bullets ricocheted off the walls, and off his body as they followed him down the hall.

Ben focused on you. He brushed his half-gloved hands over your shoulders and sides while he quickly looked you over. There was worry in his eyes, disguised as anger. You caught your breath and held a protective hand over your lower belly out of reflex. 

“You okay?” he said, but you were already nodding before he asked.

“I’m fine,” you replied. “Just get him. I’ll get Lila.” 

Ben nodded. He shot one last firm look at Frank, who was back at your side. Frank laid a hand on your shoulder as Ben took off down the hall to find Slingshot. 

“The stairs are safer at this point,” Frank said. 

“I would have to agree,” you said, steeling yourself with a breath. 

While you and Frank went downstairs to the second floor, you didn’t see the second elevator ding, its doors opening to your daughter, who ambled out alone. She looked one way down the hall, but hearing her father’s voice carrying down the opposite way, she started venturing in that direction.

If she couldn’t find you, then she’d find her dad. 

“What the hell do you mean you lost her?” you shouted at Sarah, the woman who was supposed to be looking after your daughter. “How do you lose a three-year-old at nap time? What kind of incompetent fuck are you?”

Yes, Ben had unfortunately rubbed off on you. 

Sarah was in tears by the time you were not even halfway done, but Frank calmed you down with another touch to your shoulder. You had tears of panic stinging in your eyes when you met his gaze, your mouth trembling.

“I just radioed in and put Loco and the rest of the security team on looking for Lila. She can’t have gotten far,” he said. 

“Come on! Keep up with me, old man,” Slingshot taunted at Ben. His super flexibility allowed him to keep several steps ahead, dodging any attempts to grab him and any weapons fired with easy dips and playful deflection. 

“When I get my hands on you, you flaccid fuck, you won’t know your ass from your ball sack,” Ben growled. 

But he crashed into the wall when he took a corner too hard trying to tackle the other supe. He picked himself up from the debris of crumbled wall and plaster, ignoring Kimiko’s offer of a helping hand. 

“Big fucking talk from the walking AARP commercial,” Slingshot snorted. He turned around and once again prepared to run. “Try not to shatter a hip, asshole!”

He took off down another bend in the hallway. Meanwhile, Ben shook himself off and joined the others in running after this cocksucker. Ben looked over at Butcher.

“What’s your fucking plan?” he grated out. 

Butcher seemed to have an idea growing in his mind. “What’d she do to him in that elevator?”

“Tased his dick, by the sound of it,” Ben replied. He knew what weapons you kept in your purse, and that you'd know better than to fire a gun in an enclosed elevator. Butcher snapped his fingers.

“Electricity. Bloody brilliant,” he said. He pointed at Hughie and grabbed Frenchie by the collar. “You, with me. I’ve got an idea. The rest of ya, get him pinned down.”

“Easier said than done, motherfucker,” M.M. grumbled. But he followed Ben and Kimiko to find their errant supe. 

Slingshot played a cocky game, but inside, there was fear. 

They’d caught him once, and now, this building was crawling with security, let alone the assholes chasing him.

He was panting for breath when he nearly ran straight into…a kid? 

She was wandering around, trying to open a locked door. He skidded to a stop in front of her, and she looked up at him wide-eyed. He tilted his head. She was a cute little thing with brown hair and green eyes. She wore a blouse with cartoon ducks on it over her jeans and sunshine-yellow shoes. 

“Hey, cutie. Where you going?” asked Slingshot. “Are you lost?”

“Looking for my mom,” she answered, a bit timidly. The supe gave her an easy smile; inside, he knew he’d just found his collateral, and his ticket out of here. 

“Okay. What’s your name?” he asked. 

“L…Lila,” she said. 

“Pretty name for a pretty girl,” he said, with all due charm. He struck a pose, with his fists held up to his waist. “I can help you, Lila. I’m a superhero.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? Like Daddy?”

“Oh, yeah. Your dad and I are friends.” Never mind that he had no fucking clue who her daddy was. He offered her his hand. 

Now, Lila knew not to talk to strangers, but if he knew her dad… 

After a moment of reluctant indecision, she took his hand. Slingshot tapered a smirk into a more friendly smile. 

“Let’s go find him.”  

Ben was ahead of the pack, but he soon came to an abrupt stop with wider eyes. He finally found Slingshot, except he had Ben’s daughter by the hand. Slingshot wore a cocky grin as he took the child up into his arms. 

“Hey, guys. Who’s this little peanut belong to?” he asked. “Said she was looking for her daddy.” 

Ben’s breath turned to lead in his lungs. Lila’s eyes lit up with recognition when she saw him. 

“Daddy!”

Ben’s softer gaze shifted from her, hardening once it reached the other supe. 

“Let her go,” he growled lowly. 

Slingshot’s grin deepened incredulously as he laughed.

“Oh shit, she’s yours?” he exclaimed. “This’s just too fucking perfect.”

“Lila!” your shout came from behind Ben, and you stepped around M.M. and Kimiko.

Ben held out a hand to keep you at bay. He kept his eyes on Slingshot, but Ben heard your gasp. His stomach dipped, knowing your worry had to be reaching new heights as you took in the situation.

“Ben,” you uttered. 

“I’ve got this,” he said to you.

“You don’t got shit, old man,” Slingshot snapped. He shot you a smirk next. “She’s your bitch? Figures.”

“Just let her go,” you implored. You had tears brimming in your eyes. “We can negotiate your release if you promise to be more responsible.”

Ben shot you a glance then. He didn’t intend for this fucker to live, let alone walk the streets of New York again. But he supposed any bluff was worth it at this point.

Meanwhile, seeing the distress on her parents’ faces made Lila begin to break down into tears. She whined, pushing against the supe holding her, wanting to be let go. 

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Slingshot cooed. “You’re just gonna take a little trip with me.”

“No!” a ragged shout tore from your throat when he took a few backward steps down the hall. 

Ben held you back from following him, all while he tensed with rage. M.M. and Kimiko were also poised to try and stop the supe. But Slingshot tightened his hold on Lila in warning.

“Back the fuck off,” he demanded. “Once I get to JFK and get my ass on a plane, maybe, maybe you see your daughter aga—”

He had to stop short, as he sensed something just outside of his peripheral vision.

It was Butcher, coming at him to swing a baseball bat at the supe’s head.

You screamed in protest, but Butcher was relying on the supe’s reflexes to dodge the bat. He wasn’t disappointed. Slingshot dodged. Though in his distraction, it gave Ben the opening he needed to step into his orbit and land a solid punch across Slingshot’s face.

It not only cracked his jaw, but also caught him off guard enough for his grip on the child to loosen. Ben grabbed his daughter and turned her away in a protective embrace.

Then Frenchie brought Slingshot down with the prongs of a massive taser clipping onto his nipples. He jolted and screamed—and went down hard on the tile floor. 

While Hughie and M.M. ushered in the rest of the security team to swarm in and take the supe into custody, you raced forward to Ben and Lila in tears.

Lila was also crying and clinging to Ben’s neck, shaking like a leaf.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ve got you,” he said quietly, so only she could hear. Lila whimpered and burrowed tighter against his neck.

Tears streamed down your face, but you tried to breathe through it. You rubbed her back and checked her over, making sure she wasn’t hurt. 

For Ben, the force of his relief was pounding in his ears. He briefly closed his eyes as he held his daughter closer. 

When he opened them again, he met your gaze. You couldn’t speak. All you could do was grab onto his wrist for support. He gave that to you, wrapping his free arm around your waist and pulling you into his side. 

“Frank,” he said. His voice was a sharp command. The other man was ready to carry out whatever Ben asked. He also looked relieved to see that Lila was all right.

“Pull the car around,” said Ben. Frank nodded, and went to do just that.

Ben turned to watch in satisfaction when Frenchie and M.M. hauled up a still twitching Slingshot. Butcher slapped a pair of electroshock handcuffs on him that would keep him better contained this time—courtesy of the S.A. armory. He nodded over at Ben, and the latter returned the gesture. 

You missed it all, as you were preoccupied with comforting your daughter.

“It’s okay, honey. We’re going home,” you gently whispered to Lila, who was still hiding her face in Ben’s neck. You shared a look with him, and he gave you a short nod. His hand moved to the small of your back, both protective and possessive as the three of you moved towards the garage exit. 

There Frank waited with the car that would take your family home.

You watched Ben with the beginning of tears brimming in your eyes. You managed to hold them at bay while he set Lila down in her bed. You’d just finished giving her a bath and helping her get into her pajamas after a quiet, somewhat tense dinner. 

Lila still seemed upset in her unusually quiet mood, which you knew was understandable. Ben sat at her bedside and soothed a hand over her head, brushing her cheek with his thumb. 

“You’ve had a crazy friggin’ day, huh?” he asked. Lila didn’t want to look at him, but he encouraged it with gentle fingers brushing her chin, teasing the tip of her nose. She hinted at a smile and finally met his eyes. He smiled back at her, if more reserved. But his expression turned serious again.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He could see it. She had been more or less fine throughout dinner, but now she’d turned quiet and withdrawn again. She only got like that when she was upset about something.

Lila toyed with the ear of her stuffed animal, Charlie. Frank had retrieved it for her from the daycare.

“Sorry I talked to strangers,” Lila mumbled.

You had to bite the inside of your lip so you wouldn’t cry. You came over to sit on the other side of her bed. You sniffed and shook your head, but Ben beat you to what you wanted to say. 

“You’re not in trouble, all right? We’re not mad,” he said. 

Lila’s lower lip wobbled. Ben sighed and picked her up, plopping her down in his lap. She hugged him as tight as she could and he held her back, warm and secure.  

“You know I’m always gonna be there to keep you safe. You never have to worry or be afraid,” he said. 

You carded your fingers through Lila’s hair so she knew you were there too. Usually, the roles were reversed, where you were doing the comforting and Ben was the solid support. Right now though, you just didn’t have the words. Not when guilt was eating you from the inside out.

Fortunately, your husband did have the words, after he heaved a sigh. 

“I might raise my voice, sometimes, but uh…you never have to be afraid of me either. Okay?” he said.

"Mhmm," Lila agreed.

You laid hand on Ben's arm, gently squeezing. He met your gaze, and knew what you were prodding with just that look in your eyes.

Briefly, he hesitated before he looked back down at his daughter.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said.

Lila nodded against his chest. “It's okay.”

“Good,” he said, laying a kiss on her forehead. “All right, you ready to go to bed?”

She clung to him and made a sound of refusal. 

You were finally able to crack a smile. You leaned down by her ear. 

“You want Daddy to read you a story first?” you asked. 

Ben shot you a look at the way you volunteered him for that. He was tired and drained. 

But one hopeful, shiny look from his daughter, and he folded like a deck of cards.

Later, when Lila was asleep, you tucked her in one last time and Ben turned out the light. He kept the door cracked open, just in case she called for either one of you tonight.

Then, somehow, you and Ben ended up in the kitchen instead of the bedroom. As exhausted as both of you were, you needed this moment to decompress, with one of your old favorite pastimes…

He broke out the whiskey while you found an appropriate midnight snack, and then a seat with him at the breakfast bar. The two of you shared a companionable silence, as well as a large bag of sea salt and vinegar chips. 

That was sort of how you felt inside.

“Today can’t happen again,” Ben said, breaking the silence. 

You looked over at him, but he was looking beyond you. Maybe so he didn’t have to show you how deeply he’d been rattled. You knew him far too well for that. 

“Of course not,” you replied. And you released a sigh. “So here’s what I’m thinking. From now on I’ll work from home, so I can watch Lila until she goes to preschool.”

Ben got ready to argue, but you held up a hand. The other went to rest over your belly. You had scheduled an ultrasound with Dr. Tonya Baker tomorrow, just to make sure all was well after this ordeal.

“I already plan to take my maternity leave when this guy rolls into town,” you said with a smile. “Then, when I’m ready, and if it’s feasible, I can continue to work from home until all the kids are in school.”

Ben’s lips twitched humorlessly. He should’ve known you’d continue making this a negotiation. He set down his glass, and he reached out to slide a hand over yours, across your belly. He took in a deep breath. But when he let it go, you sensed you still hadn’t convinced him.

“Listen, I know you don’t want me to work—” you began.

“It’s not that,” he said. He made sure you looked him in the eyes when he said it. “It’s not.”

Despite yourself, you read the sincerity in his words. It had you pausing, waiting for him to continue.

“You know damn well…that just being around me is dangerous,” he said. “To you, and to Lila. But you being connected with Supe Affairs, working these missions, even from behind a desk, it’s a fucking risk. It’ll always be a risk.”

You considered that with new understanding. You took his hand with both of yours.

“Ben, this life, this work…it’s the same for me as it is for you. It’s all I know how to do. It’s what I’m wired for. So that’s why it’s hard for me to turn down that dial,” you explained. “But look, I understand what you’re saying. Believe me, I do. And today…today was…”

Your breath hitched as tears stung in your eyes. Ben shook his head and tugged you closer.

“Come ‘ere,” he said.

You left your chair to go to him. You stood between his long legs while he pulled you into a warm embrace. Logically, you knew that what happened today wasn’t your fault. However, part of you still felt like a failure of a mother for underestimating the risks of having your daughter at the S.A.  

You should’ve known better, you berated yourself. And yet, it was Ben’s words that stopped your train of thought.

“Today wasn't on you,” he said. "Get that thought outta your head."

He knew you well too, and this was one of those times. You wept harder against him, pressing your face into the crook of his neck. He held you, comforted you until you began to calm down.

“Take your maternity leave early,” he said. His deep voice was a rumble. “You’re going to have your hands full with Lila when I’m not here. Unless we hire someone to help you.”

It was an idea you could consider, but who could you trust? That was the question. 

Maybe your mother? you thought. You knew she was thinking of retiring from her job in a couple of years anyway.

You sighed and slipped your fingers through Ben’s hair. Your hand came to rest on the back of his neck as you leaned against him.

When Lila came into your lives, you had been so excited to start a family that you hadn’t considered the non-physical side effects. Namely, the sacrifices you would have to make in order to keep your family safe. 

Before you met Ben, your job was your life. But today reminded you that your daughter…and your unborn son, were more important to you than your job. No matter how important that job might be for the rest of the world. 

“Let’s talk about this more tomorrow,” you said, shaking your head. “I can’t think anymore.”

After a beat of hesitation, he agreed with a nod. Like so many battles before, whatever compromise you and Ben finally reached would be hard won. His hand found your cheek and caressed your skin.

“You still try my fucking patience, you know that?” he muttered.

You smiled tiredly. “Did you really expect that to change?”

He scoffed. Even so, he guided you off his shoulder so that he could claim your lips. His kiss tasted like the burn of whiskey. You met his demanding lips in kind, though you were the first one to part from him slowly. 

“I love you,” you whispered a reminder. 

Ben nodded and pressed a kiss to your forehead. He lingered there for a moment, as if he could pause the world for a while. 

He eventually let out a breath through his nose and allowed himself to be honest.

“I love you too,” he said.

With that shared understanding, he stood from his seat. He drained the last of his glass before he bent to gather you up into his arms. You yelped in surprise, clinging to his shoulders.

“Time for some rest,” Ben said. There was a certain smile on his face, gentler than usual.

He forged a path towards the bedroom. You sighed and laid your head against his chest. 

For once, you didn’t argue with him.  

AN: I've been wanting to put this one out for a while now. 💚💚 I so hope you enjoyed this chapter of the BMD verse! Do you like how their little family is evolving? 😘

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Break Me Down Masterlist

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series Tag List (Part 1):

@deans-spinster-witch @this-is-me19 @waynes-multiverse @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @spalady26

@spnwoman @syrma-sensei @wirdbeimaufhebengebunden @muhahaha303 @123passwort

@mrsjenniferwinchester @lyarr24 @xoxovienna @lollag0w0 @globetrotter28

@nancymcl @ashbatz @secretdreamlandmentality @kristophalis @wonderland2022

@emily-winchester @shelh93 @sl33pylilbunny @spoonmynoodle @chernayawidow

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@kimberleymjw @is-this-a-febreze-commercial @iamsapphine @sanscas @se-fucking-hun

@lassie-bird @jessjad @yepimthatperson @fromcaintodean @stoneyggirl

@spnfamily-j2 @im-a-slut-for-fluff @lacilou @venicesem @mimaria420

@tearsfortheyouth @agalliasi @chriszgirl92 @kazsrm67 @deansbbyx

#Calculated Risks #Break Me Down #BMD-verse #soldier boy #soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x you #soldier boy x female reader #Soldier Boy/Ben #daughter!OC #the boys #the boys AU #the boys season 3 #the boys amazon #soldier boy fanfiction #billy butcher #mother's milk #hughie campbell #jensen ackles characters #jensen ackles #soldier boy/ben #zepskies writes

[cas-kingdom]

Omg omg omg I'm excited.

Can I request a Owen x daughter reader (or your OC) where she gets in trouble at school and has to get picked up and go to the firehouse? Obviously switch whatever you want but something like that!

A/N: Due to her age, I kept Owen's daughter as my OC!

"Mr. Strand, you don't seem surprised."

Owen tapped his fingers against the armrests of the uncomfortable chair he'd been forced to sit in and pressed his lips together in a thin line. Yeah. This was exactly why Gwyn usually attended these meetings with him.

"I'm not," he said, smiling tightly at the woman sat on the other side of the desk. "Maybe a bit. I mean, Connie's a little spitfire, I'm sure you know that. If someone was mean to her..." He shrugged and shifted in the chair. "Yeah, no, I'm not surprised."

As expected, the woman sat across the desk, Mrs. Winslow, the principle of his eight-year-old's school, was unamused. Lacing her fingers together on her lap, she rose a delicate eyebrow and leaned slightly forward, as though not quite having processed his answer yet. "Mr. Strand, your daughter punched a boy in the face."

Owen pursed his lips. "Because he told her girls couldn't be firefighters," he said matter-of-factly. "Just cause, if I may say so." Mrs. Winslow's frown darkened. "I may not," he corrected. Clearing his throat a little awkwardly, and once again wishing Gwyn hadn't been caught up in a meeting when the school had called, Owen sat up straighter in his chair. He grimaced at the discomfort of his backside. Did they make the chairs hard as nail on purpose?

"Yeah," he said, "I'm sorry. Rest assured, her mother and I will come up with some sort of punishment for her."

Mrs. Winslow stared at him a while longer before sighing and turning to her computer. She clicked a few things. "We're suspending Connie for four days, I'm afraid."

Owen exhaled. "Right," he said. Figures. "And is the boy being suspended?"

"There was no physicality involved on his side."

He failed to see the point, and his face made that clear. "So...is he being punished at all?"

"That will be up to his parents." The roles had been reversed now, with Owen not exactly finding her response agreeable. When his lack of an immediate response caused Mrs. Winslow to return her gaze back to him, she turned in her seat to face him. "Mr. Strand—"

"Bullying is bullying, Mrs. Winslow. Physical or not, works both ways. If teachers aren't punishing kids for being little crap bags then no wonder the kids are acting on it themselves. Food for thought."

Mrs. Winslow looked all but shocked, and Owen couldn't restrain from chuckling softly. He stood to his feet, considered a handshake, decided against it. "I'll leave now. Four days?"

"Four days."

Connie had been waiting outside Mrs. Winslow's office for however long Owen had been in there, swinging her little legs back and forth. She didn't often get in trouble, and she'd certainly never punched anyone before, so Owen couldn't say he wasn't slightly surprised...but still. She was her father's daughter. Had to count for something.

He shut the door and gave Connie a smile, holding out his hand for her to take. "Hey, Sunshine," he said, "heard you got into some trouble."

Connie scrunched her face up as they walked down the corridor. "Sam said girls couldn't be firefighters so I hit him hard, just like you told me to."

Had he? A brief memory of something involving alcohol and a little family get-together at his house swirled around his head.

He winced. He had.

"Yeah," he said hesitantly. "Daddy may have been a little...inebriated when he said that." He paused and turned to pick Connie up, swinging her around so she could hang onto his back. "Really, Con, sweetie, that was a bad call. We don't punch people."

Her little voice came by his ear, confused and noticeably disappointed. "Ever?"

"Not until you're older." He pat her knee. "Bad news is, Mom's gonna want to ground you. That means no TV for at least a week. Good news is you don't have to go to school for four whole days, and you're gonna spend twenty-four hours of those with me at the Firehouse. ‘Cause girls make the best firefighters.”

"Hell yeah!”

Another wince and a quick glance around to ensure Mrs. Winslow wasn't sneaking after them. “Ooh, okay, Daddy was a little inebriated when he said that word also, so let’s pretend it doesn’t exist from now on. 'Specially around Mom. Okay? Okay. That's my girl.”

Lone Star Masterpost

#911 lone star #911: lone star #Owen strand #Owen x oc #Owen strand x oc #Owen x reader #Owen strand x reader #reader fic #oc fic #daughter reader #daughter!reader #daughter oc #daughter!oc #mine

[ggeveryone99]

Mutxip’s Begining: Part 6

hA/N:Well howdy, very sorry for such a logn period between chapters. prolly going to be the same but the next part(s) that I have ideas for are kinda intricit so it’ll take a bit, but enjoy this little snipbit lol. (Also i am so sorry to the people whos tags didn’t work, I dont know what happened)

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

The only thing Jake could effectively make out is her glowing yellow eyes, always unchanging and never moving from her target (Which most of the time is him). He smiles at her curiosity, her natural camouflage hiding any true vision from him of her. Her footsteps are practiced but clumsy from her young age. Her feet lit up whenever she shifts her position. He watches her study him, and he can't help but smile fondly at her curiosity. 

She studies the man that has been coming here every night, and her tail swishes behind her showcasing her curiosity about his approach. 

His natural stripes and dark blue complexion allowed him to be camouflaged in the night to regular eyes, but her honed eyesight allowed her to see him clearly. The moss on the ground glowed where he sat, creating a halo around his legs. Every time his tail brushed back and forth gently on the ground, it was like a comet tail following his movements. His large body almost gave the moss shadow, his hair slightly covering his face and darkening his expression. But what confused her the most was the thick strands of hair coming out of his head. She subconsciously reached to touch her own dark hair, feeling the matted, stringy strands. Strange, her hair isn’t like his; why is it different. She also noted his hands, laid on his knees, and spread out, but there are extra pieces on him. One hand clenches shut, feeling all the appendages. She will have to get close to get a better look at the strange man. 

Slowly she moves from her crouched position to get a better look at him. Leaning her body this way and that to see if she could get a better angle on him. 

Eventually, her curiosity takes over, and she slowly approaches Jake, circling his body and inspecting him and their differences. Jake, on the other hand, was afraid to even breathe. Not even a twitch in his muscles was allowed in case her skittish nature returned. This is the closest he has been to her; he wants it to count and last. And now that he can see her closer, he is allowed to take in her scrabby clothes and matted hair. Take in the amount of dirt on her body and the scratch marks on her arms and legs. The urge to take her into his arms and hold her almost takes over. The urge to hide her away from the world, to be able to protect her from the harsh environment she currently lives in. She has no idea she has an entire clan waiting to welcome her with open arms and celebrations. For her to be loved and protected by those around her. All they wait for is her. Neytiri has already been scrounging for items to put onto the little girl's songcord, ready to welcome another daughter home.   

Cautiously she creeps closer to him, clutching the bracelet given to her. His ears pointed her way, tail twitching with excitement. With a tentative hand, she grabs one of the ‘strands’ of hair. Jake’s’ breath stills at the feel of her hand, but he doesn’t react. He doesn’t move an inch for fear of scaring her to leave and not come back. 

As time continued, she got more and more confident. Moves his hair this way and that, grunting and squealing softly when she sees something new. Inspecting his scalp and touching his queue very gently because she knows how sensitive hers is, so it must be the same for him. She then moved from his hair to his ears, giggling when they flicked around when she touched them. Once she finishes poking and prodding his ear, she takes a hold of his hand and brings it up to her face, surprise filling her childish features.  She tilts her head seeing the extra fingers on his hand confusedly. Jake smiles to himself and allows her to inspect the most obvious difference between them. She brings her hand up and compares the two, confused about their differences. She meets his eyes and juts his hand closer to his face. 

“Hand.” She states, shaking his hand a little to show the urgency. He nods, 

“They are different.” He tells her, her brow muscles tense together in obvious confusion. 

“Why?” A very simple question but a not-so-easy answer, so he tries his best. But he is happy she can understand him. So, as gently as possible, he closes his hand around her hand. “You see the lights?” He points up, and she cranes to look at the sky before nodding. “The shiny’s.” She answers with childlike wonder, always contemplating why they are so far away. 

Jake chuckles, “Yes, the shiny’s. I am different because I am from one of them.” She gasps and snaps her head towards him, gripping his arm with her other hand. She seems like she can barely contain her surprise and excitement. With utter awe in her eyes, she pokes his chest with a finger, “From Eywa.”

It is now his turn to be surprised. He hadn’t thought of it like that in a long time. Slowly, his face turns to a smile, and he nods. “Sure, from Eywa.” He confirms.

 She looks down when she feels his tail gently brush against her leg and decides to investigate. It moves from her grasp when she tries to grab it, and she squeals in delight. For maybe a minute, she chased after his tail while he swished it back and forth, almost taunting her. 

She hisses, then jumps onto his tail, making him laugh. She chases his tail, a common game played with her mother whenever she is feeling feisty before bed. Suddenly she stops, remembering the fruit she brought, and dashes across the small clearing and into the brush leaving Jake confused and startled. But he isn't allowed to feel like that for long as she runs back into the clearing with something wrapped in a leaf held in her mouth, and she runs back as fast as possible on all fours. Jake is slightly taken aback, but he quickly schools himself and watches her with a smile. Watched her skid to a stop and crouch right in front of him to unravel the leaves with a smile. She removes the same fruits as last time before shoving one into his face. 

“Eat,” she demands

He grabs the fruit and methodically peels it while trying to watch the little girl simultaneously. She pays him no mind and stands to eat the fruit without peeling the skin. Absentmindedly leaning on his arm with one hand and eating with the other. He notices that even though she is standing, she is still the same height as him when he sits. He feels a warmth surround him as he watches the girl eat her food messily and look at her surroundings. He feels a crawling urge to protect her. To bring her back, no matter her anger, and keep her safe where she should be. With a real family- he stops his thought. The long run is what he is playing. He already knows his end goal. Neytiri has threatened to come herself if he doesn't try quicker methods. He melts at the thought of his wife. She so desperately wants to come help this little girl in front of him and give her a mother's warmth and love. But Jake knows he has to be slow or else drastic change in her will happen, and nothing for the good. He would never force her to come with him. 

He looks back at the girl to find her staring at him unblinking, pupils blown, and tail swaying with a sense of urgency. Slowly she reaches out to him, and he braces for her to play with his hair again, but instead, he sees her gently urge an atokirina from off his head that he didn’t even realize was there. She slowly brings it to her face and closes her eyes in contentment at the feeling of the pure spirit against her cheek. Jake then watches as another flows down and tickles her ears, making her giggle before cupping that one too. He watches the exchange happen, awestruck at the sign Eywa has given him. It is almost time. 

He watches her sit on the mossy land, resting her back against his leg to allow her full attention toward the two. He freezes, not wanting the moment to end. He was finally at peace for a little bit. Watching her play with the two atokirina, they stayed like that for a while. Her head now rests on his leg, and she is becoming increasingly tired. Eventually, falling asleep, and the two atokirina caress her cheeks one last time before floating away. He watches them dance across the sky before disappearing into the trees. Redirecting his gaze back at the little girl, he smiles softly, feeling the urge to caress her hair, but he holds back. Content with the fact she felt safe enough to fall asleep on him. 

They stayed like that for a while before Jake realizes how late it is, creeping closer to morning as time passes. But there is no way he can leave her here, alone and in the cold with no protection. He would never leave this little girl alone like this. So he waits, keeping watch of his surroundings while highly aware of the weight against his leg. He would snap his eyes towards her every twitch she makes, every time she moved or mumbled. Worry makes his heart clench when he spins his head towards her before having to calm his heart. 

It wasn’t till a later that he heard the slightest movement in the foliage behind him. He doesn’t move, keeping his head forward, but he quietly sniffs the air, and his ears twitch to try and get a better angle toward the noise. Before he could covertly grab his knife, he feels a hot gust of wind against his neck that makes his hair stand on end. A low growl emanates from the creature as it rounds him and the little girl. Protective instincts take over as he swiftly angles his body to cover hers. Baring teeth and growling low to give warning, he cuts himself off at the dark figure stalking them. 

He is face-to-face with familiar cat-like features and iridescent eyes. She doesn't attack, but watches with rapt attention, imperceptibly showing aggression. 

Quickly Jake puts two and two together and realizes the thanator is the same one as before. The one who rode off with the little girl on her back. The mother is covered in scars and battle wounds. Numerous bullet wounds surrounded her chest and legs.

 Jake takes a low breath at the familiar beast and reluctantly bows his head. Strangely the palulukan bows her head in return. They stare at each other for a while before the little girl whines in her sleep, catching the attention of both the Oloeyktan and the palulukan. Jake sighs in discontent, seeing he has to let the mother take back her child. Slowly he moves his hand under her head and the other under her knees to pick her up gently. If she is anything like his boys, she would be sleeping like the dead. Cautiously he approaches the palulukan, and she willingly crouches down to let him put the child on her back. Once situated, Jake steps back and looks out at the girl longingly, toy clutched in her hand and bracelet now around her own wrist. The palulukan gives Jake one last look before returning to the jungle's depths. Jake stands there for a while, watching them walk away, feeling disconcertion before resigning himself and returning home, picking up the leftover fruits as he leaves.

My lovely tag list T^T

@heart-an0n  @sparks0918  @wheezy223  @jackierose902109  @ms5m1th

@keylimepxe  @jaymum

@brisbriskett

#Jake Sully #jake sully x daughter!reader #dad!jake sully x reader #myOC #daughter!oc #daughter!reader #atwow #avatar character #avatar!oc #dad!jake sully #child!reader #na’vi oc #na’vi reader #na’vi!reader #jake sully x na'vi reader #na’vi!oc #jake sully x reader

[bensonsbobblehead]

Dance Party - Spencer Reid x Mom!Reader

Pairings; Spencer Reid X Mom!Reader ft Daughter!OC

summary; Walking into Spencer entertaining your 10 month old baby.

cw; fluff

wc; 500 {short}

[ masterlist ]

The shift into parenthood had no book, movie, or podcast to prepare you. From the moment you seen the positive test to the birth to now so much has changed. Of course, in true Spencer fashion he told you about the changes and then some. Even for him it was things that surprised him about being a dad. First, changing diapers, it was harder than getting his PHD in mathematics.

Even though Sabrina just laughed and giggled as her father struggled it was the worse thing for him. Secondly, was how silly and free he felt. Now, not all parents would feel this but Sabrina brought out a side in him you hadn’t seen. He sang so much now and danced, boy did he dance.

When you went back to work Spencer decide to work part time at the BAU and at a college near by. Just so he could be with Sabrina more. You both not really ready to trust a stranger to take care of her.

You had just got off from a long day at work. Walking in, kicking your shoes off and sitting your bag down. The living room was dark along with the rest of the house.

The only thing is the very loud song about apples and bananas coming from Sabrina room. Not even processing the song because of Spencer’s dancing.

Watching by silently as he sang along, swaying hips back and fourth. Honestly impressed caused you never seen him move that way.

Sabrina watching, laughing, and clapping her hands. Spencer picked her up lifting her to the sky as she laughed harder.

“I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas!” Spencer said dragging the s out in bananas.

“Dada!” Sabrina babbled pointing at Spencer,

“Did you just call me—

“DaDa! Dada!” you also shocked at your daughters first words, no surprise that she saying dad before mom.

You walked in, “What are you two doing?” both their big eyes turning toward the door. You walked over to give Sabrina a kiss on the cheek attempting to take her from her father. Of course she resisted wanting to stay in his arms as long as she could.

“Stubborn just like your daddy.” You said kissing Spencer on the lips,

“I’ve missed you” he said giving you another kiss this just a little bit longer. You and Spencer hated being apart even if it was just at work. The both of you were a team and so in tuned with each other.

“Dada” Sabrina said putting a hand over his mouth and pointing toward the tv,

“One more okay, and mommy is joining us!” He told Sabrina causing her to be even more excited. You, of course, not even knowing before you knew it the song was back on.

Apparently Spencer had an entire routine you just followed along too.

“Sing! I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays!” you both sung and danced with your daughter. Seeing your two favorite people happy always made you happy.

#Spencer Reid X mom!reader #Spencer Reid dad #dad Spencer Reid #daughter!oc #Spencer Reid X daughter!oc #Spencer Reid X wife!reader #criminal minds daughters #Spencer Reid fluff #Spencer Reid X Reid!reader #Spencer Reid X mom #Spencer Reid X daughter #Spencer Reid #spencer reid drabble

[pearlsinmyhair]

༄ breath of venus ༄

chapter six ~ eye of the storm

summary: venus bullies lopez a little. she and mansk have another moment. quaritch and venus find a little bit of calm. quaritch and lyle start to coparent. venus speaks spanish.

word count: 5.4k

warnings: cursing en español

authors note: ok guys, i’m so sorry if this spanish is not up to par. i cross referenced so many different sources, especially about the use of ‘chocha.’ remember how venus patted lyle’s head when she was a baby?

glossary

¿hablás español? - (do) you speak spanish?

Sí, lo estudié durante muchos años. Sin embargo, mi acento está fuera de práctica. - yes, i studied it for many years. however, my accent is out of practice.

Tu acento está bien. Sólo un poco rígido. - your accent is fine. just a little stiff.

Tus tatuajes son un farol, ¿verdad? - your tattoos are a bluff, right?

¿Qúe? - what?

chocha - pussy

eres terrible, niña - you are terrible, girl

Y eres crédulo. - and you are gullible

“all sins are attempts to fill voids.” - simone weil

“I don’t believe you.” said Ja from the bank of the spring they had stopped at. Venus was knee deep in said spring cooling off, and she laughed softly at his words.

“You can refuse to believe it. That doesn’t mean that it is not true.” she replied as she waded to the sand. “I swear to you, on all that I hold dear, that they are like my siblings.”

They had been traveling non-stop for nearly two weeks now, and their bodies ached with cramps and knots that never seemed to ease. It was Venus’s suggestion that they stop.

She knew the area by description, not experience. The Omatikaya had close connections with the Tawkami due to the latter clan’s trading outposts and routes. As tsakarem, Venus was given the responsibility of diplomacy and hospitality and was charged with greeting the visitors. Neteyam occasionally accompanied her, but his age made him quick to annoyance and uneasy with the tentative nature of alliance. She had not seen a trader since before the war, and she personally believed that they had hidden, at least from the Omatikaya and other clans of close proximity to Bridgehead.

Many of the marines had taken the opportunity to empty their packs and wash clothes. Venus even showed them some plants they could use to clean, not wanting to pollute the stream with the harsh soap they carried.

Quaritch notably did not participate, instead keeping watch whilst leaning against a nearby tree. He seemed determined to disassociate from anything Venus involved herself in, and it was beginning to irk her.

“What are their names, then?” Zdog butt in, and Venus waved a dismissive hand at her.

“It’s my turn now. You’ll have to save your question.”

It took three days for someone to break the silence of the group as they traveled. Quaritch had given Venus a throat comm and ear piece, but there hadn’t been much talking besides orders and directions. It was Lopez who had snapped whatever invisible tension that rested between her and the recombinants when he suggested a game.

It was simple: Venus and the squad would each have five questions that they would ask a day. Ten questions total over the span of twenty-four hours. He called it ‘trade’. Quaritch called it a waste of time. But they had tried it anyway, and it was working so far.

The squad had already asked her two questions: the one at which Ja showed disbelief of was if she had animal mounts besides her ikran. She had explained Pali, and then added that she had a close familial bond with a few thanators.

Venus pulled her songcord from beside her ear as she asked her question.

“Can I see your tattoos?”

She figured that it wasn’t too much to ask.

That was another rule: no deep questions. None that would entail revealing secrets, at least, both personal and war related. Said rule had been instilled by none other than the grumpy Colonel not twenty feet from where she stood.

Most of the squad had removed their tops to rinse off, so she got a pretty good view of most of their tattoos. The few that hadn’t stripped were Ja, Mansk, and Quaritch.

Zdog went first. The female recombinant hadn’t exactly minded taking off her shirt and standing in a sports bra. Next to Venus you look like a nun, Brown had joked. Venus whacked him with her tail and Z whipped his shoulder with her rolled up tank.

Unlike most of the others, Zdog’s tattoos were colored, and she even allowed the girl to trace the honeycomb-like structures across her arm. When her finger wandered to the snake with the inscription of ‘deathless’ on its scales, she met Z’s eyes and raised a brow.

The woman just chuckled, and Venus moved to the others. She deliberately saved Quaritch and Wainfleet for last. She lingered at Mansk, whose tattoo was covered by his shirt. He had flipped his sunglasses atop his head, showing his different colored irises.

“Eventually.” she said to him, referring to his covered tattoo. He nodded. “Eventually.”

When she moved on to Lopez, she had to bite back a grin. She had been waiting for this moment for some time now.

There was a human woman that had stayed after the war. She was beautiful, with dark curly hair and bronze skin, and her voice tilted with an accent that sounded delightful to young Venus’s ears.

The woman’s name was Lilliana, and she was one of the first avatars who interacted with her without fearing Neytiri’s wrath. Venus grew attracted to her and often went with her to the avatar tent, something that Neytiri greatly appreciated when she had Neteyam and Kiri, with Lo’ak on the way.

It was there that she got introduced to Reggaeton. She could still remember the moment that she heard the strings of a guitar and the bump of electronic bass when she was seven.

Long story short, she demanded that Lilliana teach her spanish, mostly so she could sing it, and partially so she could understand. Norm was able to procure language books and work pages while Lilliana helped instruct her and fill the gaps.

And it was for that reason that she easily translated the tattoo inked across Lopez’s chest.

Sepulturero.

She had nearly curled her lip in disgust when she first saw it, but then she decided that the irony of it was amusing.

“Gravedigger.” she uttered as she stood in front of Lopez, studying the way the word arched under his collarbones.

He raised a brow, eyes widening in slight shock. “¿Hablas español?” he asked softly.

“Sí, lo estudié durante muchos años. Sin embargo, mi acento está fuera de práctica.” she said as she shifted her attention to the tatted brass knuckles on his hand.

“Tu acento está bien. Sólo un poco rígido.”

She nodded at his words. As much as she’d love to sit and talk with him, she had much more pressing matters to attend to.

“Tus tatuajes son un farol, ¿verdad?” she said, allowing her voice to rise slightly in volume. The marines conversations had died down, now attuned to the way that Lopez’s expression shifted from surprise to anger at her words.

“¿Qué?” he questioned, his eyes hardening as her face shifted towards amusement.

“Your tattoos, they must be a bluff. There is a saying from a human book: any man who says ‘I am king’ is no king. I believe it to be the same with these markings. Why would you need to write it on your skin if your actions did not already prove them true?”

Lopez practically snarled at her, but this was not the first time that a man taller and older than her had shown such hubris. Having brothers honed her skills at humbling others, and she applied them when needed.

She smiled up at Lopez mockingly, cocking her head to the side in a silent challenge.

This was a common occurance between them. Lopez was the only one who truly entertained her antics, so she pestered him when she needed to let off steam. Be that through ikran chases or arm wrestling or death diving.

She knew she had touched a nerve, but she had learned Lopez’s emotions well. He was pissed, yes, but he wouldnt hurt her. He frequently insulted her back, so this verbal repertoire was relatively tame.

It was Quaritch’s insistence upon her stopping that angered her. And now was no different.

“Venus, Lopez, knock it off.” he called from the shade. Venus’s tail lashed as she glared over her shoulder at the Colonel. Every time she had any semblance of relaxation or fun, he was breathing down the back of her neck, treating her like she was some spoiled brat that he’d been stuck with.

Lopez followed his orders, though he shoulder checked Venus as he passed. It was that action that made her realize that she may have bruised his ego a bit more than intended, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

These were her captors, after all. She had no need to feel sorry for them.

At least, not about immature insults about tattoos.

She carefully removed the woven jewelry from around her waist as she stepped to the water once more. She set the strands and her armbands down on her bag before she reached up and untied her chocker from her neck.

She passed the piece to Ja, explaining how each little dark point was a claw or a tooth from one of her siblings when they were babies, and his eyebrows shifted up as he handled it with care, studying the necklace.

Venus walked over to a ledge that wasn’t far from where Lopez and Brown were now conversing good naturedly. Lopez’s shoulders still knit from her insults, and she smiled to herself. She checked to make sure that the water was deep enough as she stood on the edge of the rock.

She turned to them and took a deep breathe, recalling what Lilliana had always said.

‘If a boy or a man every gets a big head, you set him right. you plant your feet in the ground, turn to him, and call him una-‘

“chocha.”

Lopez turned to her so quick that she barely had time to squeak before he leapt at her, tackling her right into the water below.

For a moment there was nothing but splashing and churning white, and the recombinants watched in amusement as a blue foot appeared before slipping below the surface. When the water calmed and neither Venus nor Lopez rose to the surface, that amusement turned to slight panic.

“They’re gonna drown each other.” said Brown, who leaned over the edge to gaze into the deep water below. Due to their blue skin, he couldn’t pick out any figures. “They won’t drown each other. Venus will drown Lopez.” said Z confidently.

The soldiers turned to the woman, and she simply raised an eyebrow. “She’s really very strong, and she’s lived here for longer than we have. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t underestimate her.”

Quaritch walked up to look over the ledge, standing next to Brown.

“Ten seconds and we’re going in to get them.” he said, brow knitting as he too searched to no avail.

“We? Who’s we?” called Lyle, who stepped towards the bank of the river. “I’m not going to get Lopez’s sorry ass if he drowns. He tackled her, so he’s going to face the consequences.”

“Since when is everyone so confident in the kids skills at drowning people?” Quaritch asked, smirking at Lyle. His corporal looked to him with his head cocked to the side.

“If you paid attention to her, you’d not-“

Before he could finish his sentence, Lopez burst from the water, coughing and sputtering like a drowned cat. He looked like one, too, wet and pissed off. For a moment, the squad waited with baited breath for Venus to emerge.

“Im right here.” came a voice from one of the pools behind them.

And there she was, squeezing water from her hair like she had gone for a nice swim rather than wrestling a marine a foot taller than her.

Zdog was the first to break the silence.

“Who won?”

Venus flashed her canines in a quirked smile.

“Who do you think?”

Zdog fist bumped her, and Quaritch scowled. Z’s ears folded back, backing down, but Venus seemed to rise under his glower.

“He tackled me.” she said as she walked past him, making sure to sling some water from her hair onto his back.

She stepped to Lopez, who was catching his breath on his back on the sand. She reached out a hand.

“Eres terrible, niña.” he said as he took it. Venus pulled him up with a smile. “Y eres crédulo.” she replied.

As he walked away to his pack to get a clean shirt, Venus turned back to the Colonel and Wainfleet.

She wasn’t surprised by Quaritch’s tight jaw or tense posture, no. It was Wainfleet’s look of disappointment that seemed to cool her blood, but she became irritated just as quickly. What right did he have to be disappointed at her?

She simply scoffed and moved to a patch of sun to dry off and comb through her hair, refusing to acknowledge anyone for the rest of their time at the spring.

༄

Venus shifted against the bark of the tree, thinking that when she got the chance, she was going to hibernate on her mat at home.

While she never had qualms about sleeping in trees, constantly doing so was taking a toll on her spine. She practically had to wring herself out every morning to stretch, and the cracking that ensued made her cringe.

But being a hostage wasn’t a luxury, so she took it in stride. There were worse things.

Mansk had taken first watch, sitting a few feet from where she was. His sunglasses sat in his lap, so she was able to study his face. The way that his ears flicked told her that he knew she was looking.

“What are their names?” he asked, voice quiet as to not disturb some of the sleeping soldiers.

Of course he had remembered. Mansk paid close attention to things around him, and he must have mentally saved Z-dog’s question for later.

His eyes shifted to meet hers, and this time she didn’t shy away. He had grown comfortable with her over the past days, peeling back the layers that he concealed himself with as a defense mechanism.

Under all the stoicism was uncertainty and some insecurity. While they hid it well, the recombinants were not happy with their body switch. Venus could empathize: if she woke up in a human body tomorrow, she’d be devastated. So she didn’t push them to talk too much about the change.

She tilted her chin in question, and he gestured for her to come closer. She did, scooting her butt until she sat beside him, listening to his breathing as she thought of her answer.

She registered that Quaritch was awake and listening, though he tried to pretend otherwise. His ears pricked up, swerving to listen to their conversation as his eyes remained closed.

“There were five in the litter.” she said softly. “But only three live. A boy, Armua, died when the sky people returned, burned up in the fire of the ships thrusters. And a girl, Wa’su, died giving birth to her first litter.”

Mansk hummed, looking down at her without fully turning. She was thankful for it. While the wound of Wa’sus death had healed, Armua was still fresh. She remembered searching for him for weeks. He had been the one that was closest to her, having territory not far from the villiage.

She had found nothing but ash.

Some of the marines had risen now, woken by their voices. Lyle yawned widely as he shifted to look at them. Quaritch had given up his little ruse and took a sip of water before handing the flask to Lyle.

“The three are Tamar, Salínu, and Ke’muntxa.” she said, turning to address them as well.

Brown’s ears pricked up. “No mate.” he translated, and Venus’s brows raised in surprise. So they had been listening to her language lessons.

“Yes. She’s a female thanator who lives not too far from here. We flew over part of her territory. She’s the eldest of the group, though not by much. She is my favorite.”

“And she has no mate?” asked Mansk.

“Nope. She rejects every male that tries, fighting them and chasing them off her territory.” Venus answered, smiling fondly at the memory of her sister chasing her brothers away from her, viciously protective from a young age.

Lyle smirked. “Remind you of yourself?”

Venus’s smile sharpened. “Piss off.”

He raised his hands in a ‘I surrender’ gesture, laughing softly. “Just saying. I don’t see you with a mate either, V.”

Something about him smiling made her soften, like the grip around her chest loosened slightly. Lyle had all but ignored her this whole time, outright refusing to talk about the first three years of her life and the last three of his.

She couldn’t exactly blame him. It wasn’t the conversation to have lightly over their comms, but still. The way he looked at her, with his brow furrowed and words behind his eyes, hadn’t exactly helped the tension.

This was the first time that he really spoke to her, looking directly at her and smiling. He joked easily with the others, even the Colonel. But with her, he was distant and cold, only acknowledging her when necessary.

But just as quickly as the mask slipped off, he put it back on, and the warmth of his eyes vanished. Her smiled dropped as well, and she retreated back to lean against the tree. She settled back, and Mansk’s arm brushed hers softly.

She looked to Quaritch, meeting eyes with him. “I meant to tell you earlier, but we’ll be traveling straight through Tamar’s territory. He’s highly aggressive and very protective, so we may want to remain above ground for as long as we can.”

Quaritch nodded, laying back down on his back, stiff as a board. He didn’t like taking advice from Venus, but he was learning that her knowledge was useful when it came to protecting his squad. It was a silent truce of giving him morsels of information and him taking it like a child forced to swallow medicine herbs.

She watched him for a while, and after a few moments his eyes turned to meet hers. The shift in his face was barely visible, but his ears dropped, jaw relaxing as his eyes softened. It was odd to see his inner turmoil, and if Venus had been any less aware of others emotions she would have missed it entirely.

He broke the staring contest first, and she looked away.

The rest of the soldiers settled down, burying themselves in their packs to try and get some sleep before their own watch shift came.

She turned back to Mansk, opening her mouth when-

“Lights out, Venus.” came Quaritch’s low but stern voice, and her tail flicked irritatedly as she turned to look at him.

“You’re not my father.” she uttered, so low that only he and Mansk heard. Mansk inhaled sharply, pointedly turning his face away from whatever father-daughter confrontation was happening.

Quaritch leaned up once more to look squarely at her. “Fine, kid. I’m not, but I am the person in charge of keeping you in line. So get in your pack before I make you.” he practically hissed. Venus barred her teeth, ready to bite back when Lyle’s sleepy voice interrupted.

“Quaritch, let her do her thing. She’ll be fine.”

Venus turned to him, surprised at the casual ignorance of authority. Lyle was feircely loyal to Quaritch, following and respecting his orders always. But now he interviened on her bahalf?

Lyle’s eyes shifted to meet hers before glancing at Mansk, then back once more.

He winked.

Oh, Great Mother.

Her ears burned viciously and heat prickled the back of her neck.

Quaritch glared at the corporal before sighing and rolling over so that his back faced them.

She glanced around to see if anyone else had witnessed what just transpired, but everyone seemed asleep.

Seemed.

She leaned back against the truck of the tree, giving Mansk a disbeliving look. His shoulders shifted in a silent laugh, and she bumped her elbow against his in mock annoyance.

Mansk was…easy. Quiet. Now that she knew him, she hesitated to call him shy. He was more contemplative, not as brazen or cocky as the others. He could be when he got loose enough, but most of the time he was wound tighter than a bow string.

And she had made it her mission to loosen it. She didn’t know why.

Well, maybe she did.

“Your turn.” came his opening.

She reached up and rolled the beads of her song cord thoughtfully as she debated. She had two more questions to ask per Lopez’s rules.

“How old are you, really?”

Mansk leaned his head back to look up at the stars just peaking through the leaves. The stretch moved his shirt slightly, and Venus took a moment to admire the peek of his chest tattoo that poked through.

“Well, I was sent to Pandora when I was sixteen.”

Her eyes snapped up to look at his face. “That hardly sounds ethical.” she replied tentatively.

He hummed thoughtfully, putting the memories together in his mind. “I had an aunt who was pretty high up in the RDA, and she personally recommended me to the Colonel. I needed the money, so I took the offer. When I got to Hellsgate, I was technically twenty-one, but no one ages in cryo sleep. I was on there for four years before I died.”

“Twenty.” she murmured, thinking it over. How it would feel to have lost all that time but at the same time having no repercussions for it.

“Is it the same feeling now, having been gone for sixteen years?” she asked.

Mansk’s ears lowered, and she immediately regretted asking. But as soon as she opened her mouth to apologize, Mansk lifted a hand, silencing her.

“Kind of. I know that it should feel like a gap, but it feels like i was asleep. But then…that man isn’t me. I just house his memories.” he replied, and Venus had to fight the urge again to reach to him.

So that was how they felt? Like corpses, carrying on someone else’s lives.

She supposed that was what an avatar was. A vessel.

But they were not avatars. There was no body in the distance piloting them.

Words sat on the tip of her tongue, begging to fill the quiet between them. But she clenched her jaw and held them in.

Instead, she gently took Mansk’s raised hand.

He flinched, the touch unexpected, but she just cradled his hand in the palms of hers, spreading the fingers and studying them.

A beat of silence, only filled by the soft breathing of the soldiers around them, all asleep.

Mansk’s question filled the air without him having to say it.

What are you doing?

She didn’t answer it, instead tracing the lines that flowed down to his wrist. He shivered as her fingertips traced his veins. She pressed her thumb against the center of his hand, and his fingers curled reflexively.

“You are not him.” was all she said before she let the hand go. He retracted it slowly to his lap. Only then did she notice that he had fully turned to her and that their knees were brushing.

“I used my last two questions. You have two to ask.”

She didn’t look up into his eyes, she was afraid of what she might see in them.

It is much harder to kill something when you see it, granddaughter.

But sometimes it needs to be killed, regardless of its thoughts.

You have much to learn.

“How do you know english so well?”

Ah.

“My father always suspected, at least a little, that the war was not over. It was for that reason that he kept his english sharp. And as the eldest, I learned it as well. I understood it could be useful diplomatically.” she murmured, gesturing between them as if to say ‘see?’.

“And my vocabulary comes from reading and speaking to the scientists that stayed back. I love books, but I had to use a magnifying glass to see the letters without holding the pages up to my face.” she chuckled, swallowing awkwardly as silence filled the space between them again.

The thing about Mansk was that when he thought, you could feel it. Like a cloud of static enveloping you if you were close enough. And with his breath teasing the hairs on her forehead, she was easily close enough.

She studied the camo of his pants, tracing the designs with her eyes as he put the words together in his head.

“Why are you doing this?”

She looked up at that, only to be met with Mansk’s heterochromic irises.

The intensity of the stare made her swallow, and she was once again hit with the same feeling of being seen that she had tried to ignore weeks before.

“Doing what?” she asked, trying to play innocent.

“Talking to us, teaching us, warning us.” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

It was a question that had haunted her many sleepless nights. A fight of her heart and her morals. They are the enemy, they are people. They are redeemable, they will never be uncorrupt. She had not yet solved it.

So she answered honestly.

“I don’t know.”

His eyebrows knit at her response, and she could tell that he was unsatisfied with that answer. But he didn’t push it. Instead, he reached forward and gently traced his thumb along the veins at her wrist.

“Let me know when you do.” he said, with a note of finality that let her know that the conversation was over.

She let out a breath of air as she stood, unsettled with it. But she went to Quaritch’s bag, where he kept a spare bed roll for her.

“No complaining, you hear me?” he had said as he handed it to her.

She was grateful for it, but she decided to mess with him a bit. “Does Ardmore know that you took an additional roll for the savage girl?”

His eyes hardened, and he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, mumbling something about “taking the high ground” as he stalked away.

The only available space around was next to Wainfleet. Otherwise, she’d have to climb, but the her head swam with exhaustion in a way that suggested certain death if she even tried to get higher up.

So she unrolled her pack along one of the intertwined branches and laid down, determined to get as much shut eye before sunrise.

As she stared up at the sky, Lyle rolled over, wide awake and bright eyed.

“That was a fucking train wreck.” he said, and she had to fight the urge to slap him. “You talk to everyone you’re interested like that?”

“Oh and i’m sure you were a real lady killer back in your day, huh. It’s not like that, anyway.” she responded, voice low as she turned to face him.

His smile was sharp. “Oh sure. And i’m still spry enough to kick you off that branch.”

“You won’t. You like me too much.” she said, chuckling.

The weight of her words thudded in her chest, too late to take them back.

He looked…frozen. Like he had been caught by a predator in the forest, deciding if he should run or fight.

She didn’t know exactly how long they stared at each other, but it was long enough for her stress to turn into frustration.

Now or never.

She reached her hand forward and set it on top of his head.

It was ludicrous, borderline comical as she sat up on her elbow with her hand on top of a killer marines bald head.

When he didn’t slap her palm away, or bite an insult, or kick her off the branch, she opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m her, Lyle. She’s still here.” she murmured, watching his expression carefully.

The moisture pooling in his eyes must have been a trick of her eyesight and the light of the bioluminescence around them.

She swallowed, pulled her hand away, and rolled so that her back faced him, begging the Great Mother to give her the sweet mercy of sleep.

༄

She awoke to the soft cooing of an ikran.

Her eyes fluttered as she took in her surroundings, checking each bed roll to see who was here.

The only one missing was Quaritch.

Go figure. He had taken the last watch, pressured by the others to get some rest. Now, as the sun began to rise over the horizon, she found herself searching for the man she was so determined to avoid.

The cooing sound rose through the branches again, and Venus stood to follow it to one of the branches on the opposite side of the tree.

She had instructed the recombinants on what branches to sleep on, and she had deliberately made sure that they slept on the side opposite the rising sun.

She rounded the tree trunk to find Quaritch trying to give Cupcake a tumpasuk.

She let out a soft whistle to alert them of her presence, and their heads both snapped to her. Cupcake let out a low hiss as she took a step forward, and Quaritch turned to the ikran and tutted her.

She watched as his ears suddenly shot forward, and he reached a hand to her.

Ah, so he had been paying attention to her and Mansk at Bridgehead.

She carefully grabbed his forearm, allowing him to pull her to Cupcake. The ikran hissed again before sniffing at her. She let out a snort of approval, and Venus raised her hand.

Cupcake snapped at her halfheartedly, but Venus had dealt with temperamental banshees all her life. She carefully slid her hand past the orange comb at the base of her jaw, finding the dip of skin along the underside of her head and itching.

Cupcake’s head dropped against her chest with a soft squeal, nudging her in a silent demand for more. She looked at Quaritch to find him staring at her wide eyed.

“How come she acts like a hardass to me, but shes all sweet with you?” he said softly, the question mostly rhetorical.

“Because i’m listening to her.” she responded anyway, rubbing her hands along the various divots that were hard for the ikran to scratch. She carefully grabbed the banshee by her chin and turned her to Quaritch, gesturing for him to continue her actions. When he did so, the banshee cooed gratefully.

“I was trying to feed her.” he told her as she settled down next to him, and she studied the fruit that he showed her.

She smiled. “Ikran do not eat tumpasuk. They prefer meat, always.” The colonel rolled his eyes.

She watched him try to bond with Cupcake, but there was something wrong.

“You’re hesitating to fully become one with her. It is why you struggle when you fly.” she said, resting a hand to his bicep to get him to stop. He turned to her in surprise at the touch, but she was already sliding under Cupcake’s neck to stand by her side.

She gestured for Quaritch to follow, pressing her ear to the banshee’s ribs. “Feel her breath, and then breathe with her. Start to become one with her before you even make tsaheylu.”

Quaritch did as she instructed hesitantly, pressing his own cheek to Cupcakes skin, feeling the pattern of her breath before trying to match it.

In and out.

She felt the coils of the ikran’s muscles loosen, and she gradually relaxed against her rider. Quaritch himself seemed less tense. Or, as less tense as he could possibly get.

“When you are ready, make the bond gently. Allow yourself to really feel her thoughts, her lungs, her strength.” she whispered as Cupcake lowered her queue to Quaritch.

The colonel brought his braid over his shoulder and carefully made tsaheylu. The ikran shuddered, and he whispered little reassurances. Venus watched as Quaritch slowly unfurled, allowing his mind to fuse with his ikran’s.

She had instructed many before him, but the change in him was the most drastic of all. His shoulders dipped, and she watched as the pairs breathing became simultaneous and connected.

She wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, but after what seemed like a century Quaritch opened his eyes.

“I’m still not letting you indoctrinate me into your little insurgency, kid.” he grunted, still pressing his face against Cupcake.

She sighed in mock disappointment. “I know.” she said, taking a step around the ikran back to the trunk. “But it was worth a shot.”

As she began to round the corner, Quaritch called out to her.

She turned, wondering if he was going to insult her.

“Thank you.” was all he said, and Venus nodded, retreating to the rest of the squad to wake them up.

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taglist:

@xstarsmvxz @lisedanie @avatar4eva

#avatar the way of water #avatar #recombinant #avatar x oc #oc #recom lyle wainfleet #recom mansk #the way of water #recom quaritch #jake sully #miles quaritch back in blue #miles quaritch #colonel quaritch #avatar quaritch #dad!quaritch #daughter!oc

[velinxi]

Mourning yourself again?

[Characters from DOTF]

#ocs #webcomic #vel draws #daughter of a thousand faces #dotf

[eurodynamic]

BALDUR'S GATE 3 (2023) dev. Larian Studios

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #lae'zel #oc: calix #vlaakith #bg3 spoilers #dailygaming #gamingedit #bg3edit #userwolfkissed #userbamf #mikaeled #aartyom #userfaarkas #mistress-light #necroticpetals #apocalypsekid #* #dpmo daughter vs ijbol son #*ocs

[joyjoy-ahoy]

Angel papa..

#artists on tumblr #original art #original character #character design #oc #angel #art #mine #alto loves his daughter very much :)) #he also had a bit of a glowup since his last reference done in 2021! how far he's come :D

[iuciferic]

#sol invictus #adramelekh #original characters #original character #OC #OC's #OCs #he took daughter shopping because she had good grades

[beebeedibapbeediboop]

The unholy

#artists on tumblr #art #original #oc #mancielle #my ocs #illustration #digital drawing #digital art #I missed my daughter... #Is it still praying if it's not your hands? #dumb question for the praying mantis does not care #tw gore #tw cannibalism #praying mantis #praying mantis oc

[zepskies]

I just saw a video of Jensen trying to eat because his daughter was jumping behind him on the chair, and it made me think of Ben.

LOL Ok @flory-alexandra I love you for sharing this with me, because truth time. 😂💗

When I was working on "Green," I saw this video of Jensen with his daughters JJ and Arrow (below).

They're all over him, covering his eyes and mouth and generally being adorable menaces, and it very much influenced how I wrote SB/Ben's daughter Lila in that BMD story. 💚

#ask me stuff #jensen ackles #JJ ackles #arrow ackles #lovely lil family #soldier boy #soldier boy/ben #Green #dad!Ben #daughter!OC #BMD verse #soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x you #the boys #fathers and daughters #art imitates life #zepskies answers

[demigoddaughterofhermes]

percy jackson, who after having his memories stolen, lives in fear of forgetting things.

he never has- he always remembers birthdays and anniversaries. he knows the activity schedule at camp like the back of his hand. he always sees annabeth's favorite color and thinks of her.

but he's always afraid that it could happen. or that someone will take them away again. so he has sticky notes everywhere. he always has little scribbles on his arms and hands. he keeps a little notebook handy.

annabeth never teases him when he asks her to confirm that he remembers.

#demigod daughter of hermes #percy jackson #percy jackson and the heroes of olympus #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson headcanon #percy jackson oc #percy jackson and the olympians tv #percy jackson tv show #pjo series #percy and annabeth #percabeth #percy jackson show #pjotv #pjo thoughts #pjo headcanon

[ggeveryone99]

Part 3

Hi! I am so glad so many have read this. This story is really just meant to get my ideas onto a surface. Hope you like this next part, and feel free to interact with me if you want. It would be fun lol<3

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

She didn’t know what to make of the man across from her. He looked like her, but nothing like her mother. His tail flicked with an air of ease like he wasn’t being stalked by predators, confident it seemed. Or maybe he is too confident in his skills that he doesn't think he needs to be careful? 

  His hands suddenly stop their movements, making her stop breathing and crouch lower. She watches as his ears tip reflexively to the side in her general direction. 

Being so young she cannot tell that she is still making noise, alerting Jake to her presence. 

She waits for him to do something;  to let out a warning growl, perhaps a hiss, and to start prowling toward her. The rock she sharpened during the day while laying against her mother, digging into her hand from her unyielding grip. She does not have claws like her mother, or as large of teeth as her, but by golly was her will unlike any other. 

Ever since the night she encountered the man, she has been fascinated. Who is he? Why does he only have a rock? (Logic isn’t one she is familiar with) Is he alone? Is he hungry? That has to be it, there is only one reason he keeps coming back to her favorite play spot. But there is something about him that allows her to feel calm, to feel at ease. Allows her chest to feel warm again, to feel almost whole as it once was during a time she can’t quite remember. He reminds her of someone but she is unsure who it is. Reminds her of a time when there was warmth all the time no matter what. All she understands is that the necklace around her neck gives her the same calm as the man in front of her. Next time, she will bring food. Yes, that will allow him to feel at ease around her too! The same way her protector was when she found her. 

To Jake's dismay, he listens to her scurry away into the night. Tonight is not the night it seems.

#jake sully x daughter!reader #dad!jake sully x reader #dad!jake sully #jake sully x na'vi reader #daughter!reader #jake sully x daughter!oc #daughter!oc #platonic!reader #jake sully

[chalkrub]

more svanhildr - trying new things, like a brave boy

#my art #anthro #furry #illustration #oc #svanhildr #dysterel #i have so many great brushes i never use for no reason so i'm expanding my horizons and using like 10 brushes instead of 3 #and i used the pencil tool for the first time so i could make a sprite of svanhildr #btw don't do pixel art without looking at multiple tutorials first. worst mistake of my life #i think my blobby indeterminate sprite daughter looks great though #also has anyone seen brass eye and if so have you seen when the posh reporter lady is walking to the prison #and she turns to the camera and says something like “i'm going going inside now. like a BAD boy” #anyway it gets me every time and writing brave boy made me remember it

[pearlsinmyhair]

༄ breath of venus ༄

chapter seven • flame

summary: a girl is born from nothing, and her whole life she’s spent trying to become everything her family and clan need her to be. what happens when she’s abducted by long dead soldiers and old ghosts.

synopsis: venus finally gets to hunt. quaritch reveals some things about paz. a story is shared. confessions are whispered.

warnings: a lot of talk about food in this chapter, specifically that venus isn’t eating enough. brief mention of periods. descriptions of cutting animal meat and cooking it. consumption of animal meat. hunting.

an: guys the next chapter is crazy. this is your warning.

word count: 3.7k

“you touch me and suddenly i feel a little less war torn. i’m not sure what peace is supposed to feel like but i think it may feel a lot like you.”

They had been traveling for a month, and Venus could feel herself growing weaker every day.

It wasn’t for lack of exercise, that was for sure. Rather, it was her diet.

Fruit couldn’t sustain her forever, no matter what minerals she got from various plant fibers and select bark. She needed meat, and soon.

And it wasn’t just her belly aching or the headaches that tipped her off to this problem.

Her period was late. By nearly two weeks. A sign that the stress of being a teacher/hostage/guide was taking a toll on her health, along with her lack of iron intake.

She was too stubborn to drink the grey mush that the recombinants ate from their plastic packages, so she was stuck with foraging. She had no knife and no bow. and even if she had a weapon to hunt with, she had no freedom.

So instead, she and quaritch were at a draw, both too stubborn to relent.

“You have to eat, kid.” Quaritch tried, though his tone was not pleading. Instead, he sounded irritated with her little fast, adopting the same voice he used when he called her ‘princess’ or ‘spoiled brat.’

She supposed she was being childish, staring at the tube that quaritch held out to her, but she had morals. That…thing did not come from Eywa, and it disgusted her to consume it when the forest around them was so plentiful.

She couldn’t blame them for eating it though. She had threatened to fight them if they tried to hunt. Life needed to be appreciated before it was taken, and these soldiers had not shown any feelings of appreciation thus far. Not enough for her to allow them a kill, at least.

So here she was, leaned against a tree as her head panged, looking down at a plastic tube of bland grey mush. The promise of a full stomach, right before her.

She sniffed at it, and turned her head away.

Quaritch scoffed, apparently done with her stubborn show, and pocketed the tube. Light was fading in the forest, and Venus could hear the tittering of animals, prey aplenty, rising in the night.

They were in an uninhabited part of the forest today, devoid of human and na’vi. Every day the squad drew closer to Tamar’s territory, and with it the promise of hours of constant flying.

“Let me hunt.” Venus murmured, and Quaritch turned to her from where he was discussing camp with Wainfleet.

“Absolutely not. I know better than to put a knife in your hand, kid. If you don’t want what we have, then you won’t eat at all.”

She wrinkled her nose, dejected and frustrated. Did he not understand that the price of killing him now far outweighed the benefits? No, he didn’t. He just denied her on principle.

Her head throbbed again, and her belly growled terrible. Mansk looked over at her in concern, and she gave him a weak smile.

He had already offered her his portions many times before, but she refused politely. Venus had learned that one of the ways that Mansk showed his care was through food, and he always found her favorite fruit or plant to chew on, even if she had only shown him once.

She tried to convince herself that it was not a unique gesture. He had gathered fruit for the squad many times. It wasn’t like she was special.

Wainfleet and Zdog told her otherwise, and their little sideways glances at her and Mansk were becoming unbearable.

But no matter how far he’d come, she wouldn’t even send Mansk out to kill. He was attentive when she explained the forest, the most empathetic out of all of them. But there was still some hesitancy when he touched a leaf or stepped around a lizard.

They felt the forest. They felt Eywa. But they didn’t listen to either.

They did not see.

Not yet.

As her body ached once more, she conceded.

“Please.” she said, earnest.

Quaritch whipped his head to her with a look of mock-surprise. He arched an eyebrow.

“What was that, princess? I didn’t hear you.” he said, even going so far as to press a hand to his ear.

Her jaw clenched. “Old man.” she whispered, before raising her voice. “Can I please hunt? It won’t take me long, and i’ll only need a knife. You have a tracker on me, it’s not like I can reasonably go very far or sneak up on you.”

Quaritch’s eyes narrowed, and his mouth opened to deny her again. But then Wainfleet brushed his fingertips against his forearm, a near imperceptible touch that Venus just barely caught.

Quaritch’s ears dropped back, caught, and he glanced at Wainfleet.

His corporal tilted his head slightly, silently asking him to weigh his options.

He hated to admit it, but he and his squad had grown to somewhat trust Venus. Vice-versa, Venus didn’t seem outright malicious to them. She was pissed, for many reasons that he couldn’t blame her for. But she wasn’t going to kill them.

So he went for logic instead.

“Where are we going to cook it?” he asked, looking back to his daughter Venus.

That stumped her, and he took a moment to relish in the way her expression dropped. His satisfaction quickly disappeared when her face fell into a grimace.

The rule of txep’ke was established by Venus very early on. Literally translated to ‘no fire’, it meant that at night they would only use the bioluminescence for light. Any alien illumination would attract curious creatures, some brave enough to attack if they were willing to risk it.

“We find a cave, with some kind of hole in it. That way it can filter smoke out and we can be away from the ground.” Venus said softly. Her will was being eaten away by hunger now that Quaritch looked open to the idea.

“Are you sure that you’re even well enough? You look like you’re gonna pass out.” came the Colonel’s response. It was reasonable, but she knew that if she had the chance to go out into the forest that her head would clear.

“I’ll be fine. Does this mean i can go?” she asked, and she was well aware that her eyes must look pleading. If she wasn’t starving then she’d be more concerned with how easily she was giving in.

Quaritch sighed, looking around at his team. She knew that the promise of meat was tempting to them too.

He looked back down at her. “When we find a cave, i’ll consider it.”

She nearly cried in joy.

༄

With the help of Brown’s and Lopez’s scouting, they found an acceptable cave within the hour, the light of the sun peaking over the horizon as they landed.

When they flew, she typically stayed close to Mansk. This was mostly due to the fact that their mounts were mated, which made for some rather…interesting times.

Like how, as they landed, Rutxïryo almost immediately tackled Sìlpey, cooing at her as he searched her for injury.

Sìlpey. Hope. The name that Mansk had given his ikran and told Venus of a few days ago. It suited her. Venus hadn’t asked why he had named his ikran it. Naming had always been personal to both rider and mount.

She and Mansk watched as their ikran’s curled up and around each other, hunkering down for the night. They made eye contact, and Mansk gave her one of his rare amused smiles. She outright laughed.

They walked into the cave, unrolling mats and assembling packs for the night. Quaritch looked down at his feet, contemplating.

He looked up at Venus, who stood at the entrance, waiting for his verdict. Then, his gaze shifted to Ja, and he nodded.

Ja bent down and unzipped his rifle bag. As Venus opened her mouth to protest giving her a gun, he pulled out something that silenced her completely.

Her bow.

Completely intact and just as beautiful as when she had last seen it. Carved from the wood of the fallen Home Tree, strong but flexible.

“You saved it?” she whispered as she took it from Ja. The man nodded. “Figured if nothing else the scientists could use it for study.” he murmured, his tone light in teasing.

He then pulled her knife from his pocket. She slid it into the sheath at her waist.

Without thinking, she raised her fingers to her head.

“Oel ngati kameie.”

The marine stood still, processing her words. She had taught them the gesture while they were flying, but very few of them captured the full meaning of it.

Ja was one of the few that understood. He lifted his fingers to his own forehead. “I see you.” he said, quiet.

She turned to Quaritch, giving him a nod of thanks. He watched her for a moment before dipping his own chin in acknowledgment.

She turned back to Mansk. “I need you to make a slow fire, mostly coals. I’ll be back in about an hour.”

Mansk nodded, and Venus took one last look behind her at the squad before she bounded down the cliff side to the forest.

༄

As promised, Venus returned not one hour later with a small yerik hoisted on her back.

It was nearly euphoric seeing the faces of the Recombinants as she walked in to the cave, watching them search for the puncture wound of her arrow.

“It’s the eye.” she said, laying the dead animal down on a rock to skin it. “I always shoot them in the eye. It doesn’t always strike their brain, but it does make them drop easier, which allows me to end their suffering faster.”

She murmured a quick prayer over her knife before she sliced the skin of the yerik down.

At some point, Lopez walked over to help her, and they fed the parts of the beast they wouldn’t be eating to their banshee’s, who waited patiently at the entrance for their fill.

When the meat was sectioned, they brought it to the fire that Mansk had prepared, and for a good thirty minutes they huddled in a group and discussed different ways to cook and season it.

It was comforting to her, watching Lopez and Mansk argue over how to cook it. It reminded Venus of home, of the way her mother and father bickered playfully. Of how her siblings had as well.

She felt her smile leave her face as her thoughts dipped down to her family, so far away.

At least, she hoped.

But she recovered right as Mansk glanced at her for guidance, and she showed him how to properly shuck the herbs she had collected for their flavor. She placed her hands over his and demonstrated, and he perfectly replicated the movement on his own.

The rest of the recombinant’s spirits had noticably risen. Now that she was paying attention, there was laughter and chatter, and Wainfleet had even put on some music on his tablet. Even Quaritch seemed more relaxed, chuckling at something Z and Wainfleet were arguing about.

When the food was ready, she went to pass it out. It was something she was used to, bringing food from home to her siblings or teylu from the communal pot to elders.

But Mansk brushed her shoulder, putting enough pressure on it that she backed down.

“You eat first. You hunted it, and you need it the most out of all of us.” he said, passing her a portion.

She looked up and around, finding that the soldiers were already watching her, nodding with Mansk’s words. Her eyes darted to Quaritch, who she could always rely on to take offense at her existence. But he too nodded.

So she found a spot against the wall, curling her tail around her ankles, and ate.

༄

“And I had to watch Lopez book it from a viperwolf, howling and screaming all the way to the chopper.” Brown recounted, brows knit as he recalled the story from when he had first arrived on Hellsgate.

“Cut me some slack, she was small but fast as a fucking demon.” came Lopez’s reply, whose tail curled around his leg in a defensive gesture.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have poked her when she was sleeping.” was Brown’s chuckled answer, and Venus laughed along with the others.

The atmosphere of the group had lightened substantially now that they were eating. They traded stories, teasing each other about memories from their past lives. The game of Trade had been long forgotten, as the conversation now flowed easily between each member.

Venus had largely remained silent, watching and listening with concealed happiness as she dug into her food. She kept herself restrained majority of the time, still wary around the squad during moments of weakness.

Wainfleet and Lopez were currently trying to get Quaritch to open up about his relationship with Paz, and Venus could tell by the Colonel’s expression that he wasn’t willing to disclose much.

Quaritch didn’t sit far from her, so she swatted her tail to get his attention. When he looked at her, she inclined her head. She knew little about her mother, and she was curious.

He was hesitant, but he looked down in contemplation as the group quieted. Wainfleet have her an impressed look.

“It was for convenience. Only physical. We didn’t exactly expect to get pregnant.” Quaritch said, not looking at anyone in particular. It seemed that that was all he had to say on the topic, so the rest of the squad quickly started new conversations to ease the tension.

“What was she like?” Venus asked quietly, and Quaritch turned his face to her. A muscle feathered in his jaw.

“Kind. Real confident in her skills. I didn’t see many pilots that actually had the technique to back up their bragging, but she was one of the few.” He studied. “You look like her. Your nose crinkles the same was that hers did.”

Venus stayed silent, nodding at his answer. She knew better than to push things like this. She learned from how Jake talked about his fallen friends. Trudy. Grace. Tsu’tey. As much as Venus enjoyed making Quaritch suffer, she would not pick at his grief. The relaxing of his shoulders told her that she had made the right choice.

She looked down at the food in her lap, taking the final bite as she tuned back in to the squads conversations.

“What about you, Venus? Got any stories of romance?”

She looked up, shocked at Brown’s sudden question. He looked at her with a grin, already reading her expertly.

Damn him.

“That’s a long story.” she replied, trying to deflect as the tips of her ears warmed.

“We got a long time. Might as well tell it.” replied Wainfleet, his eyes glinting. The rest of the squad looked at her eagerly. Even Quaritch tilted his head at her, mirroring her behavior towards him.

She sighed. What was she worried about? These soldiers had no right to judge her, and they had no control over the events that transpired years ago.

Her gaze flicked to Mansk, and her chest tightened.

She took a breath and began.

༄

She had known Ku’altu for years. He was the olo’ekte of the Tawkami clan, and she the tsakarem of the Omatikaya. They were bound to meet eventually.

The first time they met, his mother Suna brought him with her to the Omatikaya. It was a diplomatic mission, meant to encourage alliance and friendship between the two clans.

Venus was eleven, Ku’altu thirteen.

His mother had gestured for him to greet her, pushing him by the shoulder. He walked and stood before her, already a foot taller. He was handsome even then, all lithe muscle and confidence, a boy growing into a man. Venus was smitten.

Until he clicked his tongue and said loudly “I will not greet a worm-faced demon.”

And that was just the beginning. He relentlessly tormented her, calling her names and teasing her appearance. She hated him, and he loved riling her. His handsome face was wasted on him, she thought.

It was a shame, for she loved his mother. Suna was the tsahík of the Tawkami, beautiful and tall, with gentle eyes and a sweet voice. She hated how her son treated Venus, but it just made Ku’altu more calculated with his jabs.

They stayed for three weeks, and at the end Venus had cursed Ku’altu, proclaiming that she hoped she never saw him again.

And she didn’t for five more years. Suna came many times alone, bringing gifts to the Sully children. She would always make sure to bring Venus a rose bud from the Tawkami harvest, and she had saved many of them over the years.

The celebration of Venus’s sixteenth birthday was huge. It was her coming of age ceremony, announcing her as a woman to the entire clan. And as it was a celebration of a tsakarem, many clans came baring gifts.

Venus had rushed to the outskirts of the villiage when she had heard that the Tawkami ambassadors had arrived, expecting to find Suna and her ikran Twal.

She instead ran straight into a hard chest.

The owner of it caught her by the waist when she stumbled back, pulling her up so that she was steady. She rested a hand on their skin.

“I’m sorry, are you alright?”

She remembered clearly how her heart thumped against her ribs as her mind zeroed in on his voice. It was much deeper now, the voice of a man rather than a boy. And his tone was sincere.

“Ku’altu?”

Eighteen and strong, he looked down at her with no trace of the disgust that he once had. His face had sharpened with age, cheekbones high, yet his eyes were softer, like his mothers.

“Hello, Venus.”

The next days were a mess of preparation and flutters in her stomach. Wherever she went, it felt like Ku’altu was always there, speaking to her brothers or her father, or carving something for the children of the village.

She remembered how her face felt hot for days, even as her mother painted ceremonial markings onto her skin the night of her birthday.

She remembered how his eyes had followed her through the dancing, how his fingers barely touched her waist when he finally joined her.

It was the first time she had truly felt the fire that her mother had described to her when she asked about how she met her father.

She and a group of teens ran off to the warm pools in the mountains, flying their ikrans away from the party to have their own celebration. Tu’la had stolen some sweet wine, and they were all giggling and warm in the blue water.

She hadn’t touched a drop, and neither had Ku’altu. Even as they spoke to the others, she felt his eyes on her, watching her move and shift in the water.

She had been the one to take him to a different pool, away from the others.

Her confidence disappeared as soon as they got in the water. There was no buffer now, no wall preventing whatever feelings they were experiencing. Yet the boy across from her made no moves, simply leaned against the edge of the pool, body half in the water as he watched her.

She couldn’t remember what they were talking about before his hands rested against her waist. Or before his breath fanned against her cheek.

All she knew is that in one moment he asked if he could kiss her, and the next she was pressing her mouth to his.

They had stopped when his hand brushed the skin under her top. He would leave tomorrow, and she knew better than to continue past kissing. He knew too, but he was more insistent.

“Come back with me.” he whispered, eyes soft as he asked that she become his tsahík.

༄

“I told him no.” she ended simply, and the recombinants looked at her with gaping mouths.

“Why?” Ja asked, and Venus had to remember that they didn’t understand her politics.

“Because if I left with him, then i’d be leaving my own position as tsakarem of the Omatikaya. It would be shameful to myself and my clan. In the Omatikaya, I am tsakarem in my own right. If I went to the Tawkami, i’d only be tsakarem because I was Ku’altu’s mate.” she explained, though she could tell that they still didn’t quite understand.

The group was quiet after she had finished. She expected that they would all retreat to their packs, but then Mansk broke the silence.

“We’re going to the Tawkami clan.” he said, and she knew he had figured it out.

Soon she would be face to face with a boy that she had fallen in love with, now a hostage to the enemy. What would he think of her? They had not seen each other for many years.

“Old flames, reunited.” Wainfleet said, his tone teasing. Venus tossed a bone at his head, and he hissed at her half-heartedly.

She scoffed. He was one to talk about old flames.

༄

Venus curled into her sleeping bag, belly full and muscles stinging pleasantly from the workout of the hunt.

Mansk turned to her from his own pack, only a few feet from her.

“Do you still love him?” he whispered, soft.

She took a second to look at his tanhí, studying the way they freckled his skin. They were more scattered, a bit less patterned than most. She wanted to touch them, to find a pattern to follow.

When the trail led down to the one right above his lip, she glanced back up to his eyes.

“No.” she answered. “No, I do not.”

Yes, Ku’altu had felt like fire. Like something burning that had never been lit before. But fire, if not cared for and fueled, dies with the smallest change of wind.

The low heat in her gut was familiar. But it was nothing like what she had felt all those years ago.

She rolled to face away from Mansk in an effort to smother it.

masterlists. | next

next chapter is traumatic for venus. we are in fact nearing the middle of this fanfic. not quite there, but we’re getting towards it.

taglist:

@lisedanie @xstarsmvxz @avatar4eva @xylianasblog

#breath of venus #venus sully #avatar the way of water #avatar #recombinant #avatar x oc #oc #recom lyle wainfleet #recom mansk #the way of water #jake sully #recom quaritch #miles quaritch #quaritch fanfic #daughter!oc #avatar 2022

[ddeck]

recently ive been doing nothing but sketches of my jedi oc. yes her lightsaber is gatorade green

#look at my daughter boy #i just love her a whole lot #isnt it evil that if you want to see pictures of your oc you have to make them yourself </3 #star wars #jedi oc #oc mohliko #deckdraws