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dindjarindiaries · 1 year

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Takes One to Know One

summary: Bounty hunters aren’t supposed to fall in love and you were okay with that. So was the Mandalorian.

pairing: din djarin (the mandalorian) x reader

contains: light angst, fluff, alcohol

rating: T

word count: 2.082k

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“I’ll have whatever they’re having.” Mando’s helmet gestures to you out of the corner of your eye.

You set your cup upon the bar and chuckle as the chemist goes to work. The cantina that had been bursting with conversation has since quieted down, though the volume starts to rise once again when Mando’s relaxed posture upon the bar allows the wave of caution to pass through. Your gaze remains on your half-gloved fingers as they tap the side of your cup. “Will you even drink it?”

Mando drums his gloved fingers against the bar as he rests upon his elbow. “Take a guess.”

You turn your head to look at him with an eyebrow raised. “No.”

Mando tilts his helmet and gives the chemist a nod of thanks when they slide his drink over. He offers them the necessary credits and focuses back on you. “‘No as in you won’t guess, or no as in I won’t drink this?”

You shrug and draw a sip from your cup. “Both.”

Mando huffs and holds the cup in his gloved grasp. “Well played.”

“It’s Gamorrean ale, by the way.” You swish the liquid around the inside of your cup and keep your gaze fixed upon it. “So,” you gesture to his drink with your own, “what’s the point?”

Mando glances around the bar. “You have to earn your place here.”

You set down your drink and cross your arms, leaning your hip against the edge of the bar. “So that you could torment me about taking yet another job from underneath my nose?”

Mando sets his free hand upon his hip. “Last I checked, you were the one taking all the good work.”

You fight the urge to smile. “Then everything’s as it should be.” You look around the rest of the cantina that’s filled with the hunters you’re in constant competition with. “Though no one really wins with the fuel prices these days.”

Mando tilts his helmet at that. “Maybe if the New Republic actually decided on a currency…”

“It’s the Outer Rim, Mando.” You flash him a dubious look. “Whatever the New Republic decides yesterday, today, or tomorrow doesn’t matter out here.”

Mando heaves a sigh. “Fair enough.”

You reach for your cup and lift it up to your lips once again, using it to conceal your growing smile. “It also doesn’t help when you pilot a massive gunship that eats up fuel like a Hutt.”

Mando’s gloved thumb tucks inside his belt. “How many bounties can you fit in your ship?” When you remain silent, Mando nods at you. “That’s what I thought.”

“It's primitive.” You raise your glass to Mando in a fake toast. “I’ll give you that.”

“It’s effective.”

“And primitive.”

Mando doesn’t respond for a long moment. He considers the cup in his hand while you watch his armored shoulders rise and fall in a steady breath. “It keeps me off the grid.”

You raise your brow at him, impressed. “So, you’re admitting it?”

Mando’s visor gives you a warning look. “I’m telling you why it’s useful.”

“Because it’s so old that it stays off New Republic and Imperial radars.”

Before Mando has a chance to retaliate, someone jumps up onto a stool and yells to the entire cantina. “Hey!” The man manages to gain everyone’s attention, including yours. He keeps his drink held in one hand and wraps the other around the shoulders of a woman at his side. “I just asked her to marry me!” He lifts his cup in a joyous toast. “And she said yes!”

The cantina completes his toast and erupts into drunken cheers and applause. You shake your head despite the fact you’re smiling. You draw a sip from your drink and face Mando at the bar once again. Your cup stays between your hands as your gaze falls to the small amount that’s left inside it. “Can I pick your brain for a minute, Mando?”

Mando straightens himself and nods. “Sure.”

You glance back at the couple that’s now sharing a kiss. Your lips struggle not to form a scowl at the sight. “Do you believe in love?”

Mando’s armored chest inflates with a breath he holds there. “That’s… not what I was expecting.” His visor watches his fingers tap against his cup before he speaks again. “Do you?”

You shake your head. “No. I don’t.” Your words win Mando’s full attention back as his visor meets your gaze. “Everything is temporary, even feelings. Anger, sadness, joy, they’re all temporary.” You gesture to the couple behind you. “So is love. One day you love them, the next day you don’t.” You shrug. “It’s all the same to me. I just don’t buy into it.”

Mando nods, his visor falling to the full drink in his hand once again. He waits a beat before he responds. “Love is trust, and this isn’t a trustworthy galaxy.”

You widen your eyes as you lower your cup from your lips. “You agree with me, then?”

Mando’s helmet tilts at you as he shrugs. “It’s just not for me.”

“In that case…” you lift your cup in your hand and raise it towards him, “to being smarter than love.”

Mando huffs and lifts his cup. He toasts it against your own before you finish off your ale. With a dramatic sigh, you set your empty cup upon the bar and slap down a few extra credits.

“Well, Mando, it’s always a pleasure. Thanks for entertaining my curiosities.” You gesture towards Greef Karga’s seat across the room. “But I’ve got to take yet another good job from you.”

Mando shakes his helmet at you as you start to walk off. “Have fun with that.”

You answer him without looking back. “I will!”

Mando’s thoughts on love had only further reassured you that your own outlook was right. Love was a fallacy, something that was only dealt to earn something else in return. It could never last forever.

But maybe, just maybe, you had been wrong for once in your life.

The thought makes you smile as you force yourself to escape the arm draped over your waist. It remains motionless even as you maneuver yourself to sit upon the edge of the bed, your legs hanging off the side as you glance back to investigate. Thankfully, he’s still asleep, his mass of brown hair spread across the pillow in a way that only makes your smile grow. Your foot accidentally knocks against one of his boots beneath the bed as you stand and stretch. You take one of his shirts for both warmth and comfort on your way out of the room.

The rest of the cabin is starting to glow with the radiance of Nevarro’s dawn. With both the boys still asleep, the cabin is as peaceful as ever, giving you the space and time to dwell on your early morning thoughts and memories. It’s easy to make the usual two cups of caf without any distractions. It’s somewhat like the life you used to have, not that you would ever miss it.

You take one of the cups between your hands and walk towards the window near the front of the cabin. The sun is slow in its rising above the plains of the Nevarro lava flats and fields. You’re becoming used to this routine, waking up at a decent hour in a place you get to call your own. It’s much different from the year or two spent on a primitive ship, as well as the following years spent staying wherever they would take your credits. But those years had still been some of the best.

And that’s what love truly is.

It’s also the skip in your heart when you hear footsteps approaching from your room. He never stays asleep for long, not without you at his side. His touch is delicate upon your back as he makes his presence known. You look up at him and beam at the way the dawn’s warmth casts his face in a warm glow and illuminates the golden flecks within his brown gaze.

“Good morning,” you greet, your voice as soft as the look you share. You lift your steaming cup to show him. “I made some caf for you.”

“I saw.” Din’s lips remain tugged up in a small smile as he lifts his hand to your chin. “Thank you.” He kisses you in a show of affection so sweet it nearly makes your knees buckle beneath you. Din holds you as if he’s aware of this, his grasp secure even as he pulls away and walks back towards the kitchen. “You left me alone.”

You turn away from the window to face him from across the room. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”

Din lifts his brow as he raises his cup to his lips. “I always wake up when you leave.”

You smile despite his words, watching as he enjoys his first cup of caf. You start to make your approach as your thoughts from this morning return. “Remember when you used to buy drinks at the bar and never actually drink them?”

Din leans his hips against the counter and tilts his head at you. “It was decorum.”

You stand across the counter from him, setting your caf down and resting upon your elbows. “Or was it just an excuse to talk to me?”

Din glances away from you, his face reddening as he shrugs. “Both.”

You grin at the warmth in your chest. “Well played.”

Din’s gaze returns to you, an eyebrow lifted in suspicion. “This seems familiar.” He stands up taller and crosses his arms. “What’s on your mind?”

You start to stare at the caf that sits between your hands. “Remember when we told each other we didn’t believe in love?”

Din softens, his hands resting upon the counter as he fights to regain your attention. “I do.” He takes a deep breath and sips from his caf before continuing. “I know that I said whatever I said because of my fear of losing the connection we had.” Din huffs to himself. “I didn’t know what it was at that point, but…” he lifts his cup and toasts it towards you, “I sure as hell do now.”

You smile and reach for one of his hands, holding it upon the countertop. “I just didn’t want to get hurt. I was afraid of vulnerability.” You give his hand a squeeze. “But I think you’d already vowed to protect me even before I said those words to you.”

“I had.” Din runs his thumb over your knuckles. “But you were the one who agreed to go against the Guild to help me.”

You gesture with your head to another room inside the cabin. “I mean, Grogu was pretty convincing, too.”

Din chuckles and nods in agreement. “Yeah, you have a point.”

You give his hand a squeeze before you let it go, walking around the counter to meet Din where he stands. Your free hand presses upon his chest as you look up at him. “I guess I just want to say thank you.” You tap his chest. “For proving me wrong.”

Din lifts his hand to the side of your face. “Thank you for giving me the chance to.” He kisses you again, bringing you to a galaxy of your own for a moment that you wish you could suspend in time.

When you both pull away, you rest your head against his chest and close your eyes in content. Your voice is hushed as you speak. “I love you.” You take a deep breath. “I mean it.”

“I know you do.” Din’s hand secures your head in place against him. “I love you, too.” His chin rests upon the top of your head. “And I also love how much better you look in my clothes than I do.”

You laugh at that, the warmth of his sweetness and affection rivaling that of the caf you still keep clutched in your free hand. Life may not be what you once expected, but for once in your life, it’s for the better. All it took was trusting someone who used to seem just as untrustworthy as yourself.

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#you're a (space) cowboy like me.#din djarin #the mandalorian #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin fanfiction #the mandalorian fanfiction #dindjarindiaries

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pandorxxx · 1 year

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Let’s enjoy this moment

Jake x omatikayan fem reader

Warnings: just fluff, mentions of nudity.

You are walking back to your shared tent with your mate. You were done early with your tsahik duties, so you decided to surprise Jake. You walk to the entrance of the tent, as you notice jakes back turned, writing things down on the dry erase board he borrowed from the lab. You chuckle silently to yourself as you watch your hard working mate make sure that the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed. You loved how attentive to detail he was, because any wrong move, and people could die.

You tiptoe behind him slowly, not making a sound until you reach his back. His broad shoulders, and his small waist. You go to wrap your arms around his waist, and he jumps. You laugh out loud.

“Calm down, my love. Tis just me.” You say as you rub his hard abs.

“I’m sorry, you scared me alittle.” He laughs as he realizes the familiar touch. He is still writing on his board as he squeezes your hand.

“What is this , ma Jake?” You ask as you sneak your head between his arm and his waist. He laughs at the new position.

“These are the new war plans. I need to get these out to the war party soon. I just had to tighten some things up, Insure everyone’s safety.” He says as he continues to write on his board. He quickly noticed the lack of attention he was showing you at the moment. He puts the market down and turns to you slowly, looking you in your eyes before wrapping his arms around your tiny waist. You melt into his touch with a loud sigh. You shut your eyes tightly as you breath in his familiar scent. Without trying, you lean all your weight into him, making him stumble alittle as he wasn’t prepared for that.

“Woah woah y/n, you ok?” He asks concerned as he pulls you back to look into your eyes. With your eyes still closed, you nod your head with a slight grin. You reach out for him again, as he obliged.

“I’m just happy to see you, ma Jake. I can’t seem to let you go.” She purrs into his chest. He chuckles as he rubs your head.

“I’m here, I’m here, you don’t have to worry. I will always be here.” He whispers in your ear. A moment goes by, and he decides to let you go. You look up at him with desperate eyes.

“I know,baby, I know… but let’s get you out of this armor, ok?” He lightly grabs your neck, as you nod your head. He picks you up, and places you on the wooden table he made a while back. He starts to take all of your cloths off. You are now completely naked, as he just takes in all of your beauty. He swiftly picks you up again, and lays you on the ground of the tent. He slowly lays down next to you, not breaking eye contact.

“So, babygirl, what is really going on?” He says as he interlocks his fingers with yours. You look into his eyes, trying to hold back tears.

“I’m glad you are here, safe. I just missed you. You have a great responsibility to the people, and you handle it so well, but I don’t know what I would do if we couldn’t have these moments together anymore. If you left me….” You say as tears fall down your face onto the ground.

He pulls you in closer, skin to skin. He wraps his arms tighter around you, as he starts to rub your back gently.

“I took on this responsibility because I wanted to, not because I had to. I don’t want you to worry your pretty little head about a thing. I will always be here for you, be here with you. I love you so much y/n. You are my reason for fighting to come home every night. For making sure that these plans are locked and loaded so that I can see you another day. Nothing can keep me from you, not even death.” He says in your ear, as he continues to draw circles on your back.

You loved when he reassured you that everything was going to be fine. As long as you two were together, you would be content.

“So let’s not worry about the future ok? Let’s enjoy the moment we are having right now. I wouldn’t trade this moment for the world” he says as he kisses your ear.

“I love you, ma Jake” you say as you kiss his cheek.

“I love you too, y/n” he says in between yawns as he drifts off to sleep.

Ok so I actually underestimate myself a lot, and I really didn’t think I would finish this story that quickly, but here it is. I enjoyed writing this story so much❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. Send me more suggestions!!!!!! See you soon.

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hellhound5925 · 6 months

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Alrighty, so as I have mentioned before, I am switching gears to write a Mandalorian fic. I have finished what I’m calling the Prologue for now (idk if I really like that) but its a little story from a time before the actual fic itself takes place. I hope you enjoy! There will be plenty more Din/Raven where this came from and don’t worry I’ll still write for Hunter from time to time!

Welcome to,

Cyare Verd *Beloved Warrior* The Mandalorian Edition (I know, I know, I’m not original but I suck at titles)

Prologue - The Encounter

Summary:

This is setting up a little backstory for the beginning of my new fic. There will be fun mood boards for each chapter created my both myself and my wonder friend @lune-de-miel-au-paradis who is hella talented! (Thanks girl 💖) I hope you enjoy and be on the look out for Chapters going forward! If this is something you would like to be tagged in please drop a comment, send me an ask, send a message, whatever fits your fancy 😊 I promise I’ll shut up and we get right to it!

Warnings:

Always gunna put 18+, violence and thats bout it for now. Smut will be in the actually fic itself but I’ll post the warning accordingly. Also, If I miss something I’m sorry, I’m not very good at warnings 😅 There will be Mando’a but ya girl always provides a translation so have no fear.

————

The entire time I've been looking for this bounty, someone else is a few steps behind me. How do I know? Well I backtracked and paid a bar keep to get ahold of me with any information about someone asking about the individual I had. The Twi-Lek contacted me only hours later with a description. She sounded worried but not for me when she said "All I know is he looked just like you." Two Mandalorians hunting the same bounty? Strange but not completely out of the ordinary. I mean a lot of our people resorted to bounty hunting, with our skill sets and love for getting into fights makes us the best at the job. I decided I would make my way back and tail him for a bit, seeing if he took the bait. Thanks to my cunning wit he did.

This must be the one the barkeep was talking about - I think to myself. A Mandalorian man walks a few paces ahead of me covered in mismatched pieces of armor topped off with a shiny chrome helmet. I chuckle to myself, knowing that because of my cloak he won't know who or what I am. He stops momentarily like he's aware of my presence but little does he know, I'm a master of hiding in the shadows. Spinning around on his heel he walks my direction, hand hovering over his side arm. I take the opportunity to slip further into the dark, down an alley. He stops in almost the exact spot I was only moments ago. Now that he's closer I can now get a good look at his stature, he's taller than me and definitely more muscular.

His shiny helmeted head slowly looks my way down the alley - so he's smart...I'll give him that. Taking a few cautious steps, he makes his way towards me. I climb up onto the rooftop of the short building next to me. He should paint that armor, he sticks out like a Bantha in the ocean of sand on Tatooine. Smirking to myself I wait until he is directly below me before clearing my throat. He immediately looks up, drawing his blaster taking a shot at me. Crossing both vambraces in front of me, the bolt pings off my armor, breaking the cold dark silence of the night with a loud crack.

As if time stood still, I jump down in front of him and one hand connects with the elbow of his outstretched arm causing it to bend, pointing his blaster away from me. Using my other hand, I free the blaster from his grip sending it somewhere into the shadows. He counters with a left hook which passes over my head as I duck, rolling back into the shadows. He loses track of me and frantically spins around preparing for my next move.

I slink around him in the darkness just out of his view, like a predator circling its prey. He reaches up in a slow careful movement, for his vambrace likely to change the setting on his HUD - I would do the same. To stop him, I crouch and in one swift movement of my foot I catch his ankle, pulling hard, and sending him to the ground face first with a grunt. Standing to my full height, I can't help the chuckle that escapes watching the large man hit the ground by my hand...or foot.

His head snaps in my direction and I'm immediately full of regret. Using his whip cord, he grabs my leg pulling me flat on my back into the light. I hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of me. Next thing I know, he's standing over me staring down at me through his visor. His body language shifts and I realize why, my hood fell while I was being pulled to the ground exposing my helmeted head. Slamming my fist and throwing my head back on the ground, a string of curses in Mando'a leave my lips. When I pick my head back up, he is still standing there staring down at me, the T-snapped visor is almost menacing at this angle.

"You could at least help a girl up" my sassy tone, exaggerated by my helmets modulator.

He offers me a hand, I take it and he pulls me to my feet.

"I'm sorry if I had known—"

"You weren't supposed to" I cut him off, my tone annoyed "Kinda the point of the hood." I'm not sure what annoys me more, his reaction or the fact he actually got one over on me. I brush myself off and straighten out my Kama. Looking up, I realize he is watching my every move.

I break the silence, getting right to the point "So you've been tracking me? Or my bounty at least. Why?"

"Quite honestly, I didn't know I was tracking you. You cover your tracks well." He compliments me and for a moment my pride swells. I didn't work this hard to become the expert I am just to have some di'kut (fool) ruin it. He pulls out a bounty puck from his pocket, showing it to me. It displays the face of the same man I'm hunting.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but I was here first." I say, poking him square in the chest plate. Now with how close we are and standing still, I can see how worn his armor is. It probably belonged to a family member of his or something. Although with the shiny shoulder pauldron and helmet, it makes me wonder if he's a foundling. They often use whatever armor they can find or are given until they can make their own. These days however, beskar is quite difficult to come by.

His voice pulls me from my thoughts, "How about we work together. Share the profits?"

I immediately scoff, crossing my arms over my chest and shifting my weight to one leg. "I don't think so. I work alone. Plus I'd be taking a pay cut."

"Your loss" He says monotone before turning to pick his blaster up before walking away.

I'm taken aback by his comment. Does he really think he's better than me? One of my biggest downfalls is people doubting me just because I'm a woman.

"You know...the last man to doubt me ended up with a broken nose and stitches."

He continues walking as if he didn't hear me, but I know he did. "Te jatne beroya kelir parjir (may the best bounty hunter win)" I whisper under my breath. Flipping my hood back over my head, I storm off in the opposite direction he went.

Cursing to myself in my native tongue, I take a few moments to collect myself from the encounter and get back to work. Before the Twi-lek had gotten a hold of me about my tail, I had tracked the bounty to a small village a few kicks due north. It's quite a distance to walk but I really don't feel the need to take my ship there. Thankfully I've stashed my speeder bike on board, it makes for tight living quarters but it works I guess.

Once I reach my ship, I give the bike a quick once over before dragging it down the ramp. Giving it a quick start, it seems to be running fine. I hop on and speed off towards the small down, in hopes my counterpart hasn't already caught on. Luckily for me, I paid the Twi-lek a little extra to send him astray.

———

By the time I make it to the village, the early morning sun is beginning to brighten the sky. The village also appears to be waking up which is perfect. A few people are milling around giving me strange looks and at first they are stand offish - which really is not a surprise to me...people seem to be afraid of Mandalorians. I approach an older woman who doesn't seem to be bothered by my presence.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you but I'm looking for someone and was wondering if you might help me?"

She doesn't stop what she's doing and speaks quietly, "Not here...follow me." She turns and heads between two of the small huts.

Leading me into a small hut that appears to be some kind of storage shed, she stops. "I figured it was better we talk here."

I cock my head at her. "The locals around here are uneasy about people asking questions. I think I know exactly who you are looking for. You see there have been mercenaries lurking around."

I don't move or say anything and she continues, "You look like a capable warrior....get rid of them." She must sense that I'm eyeing her.

"You must be wondering why I would trust some stranger...I've heard the stories about Mandalorians...it will be easy work for you and solve our problem."

I offer her a curt nod, "Where can I find them?"

———

Having followed the exact directions the old woman gave me which lead me to a camp just east of the village. I find a good scouting spot and perch myself at the top of a hill near some brush. Using my HUD's thermal scan, I get a read on how many are down there - 12...I've taken out worse...Leaving my perch, I walk towards their camp and they do exactly as I had expected. A group of 2 meet me at the road while 2 others stand guard.

"You lost?" One of them asks. I tilt my visor between the four of them, calculating my move depending on how this conversation goes.

"I asked you a question."

"I heard you" I sass.

Scoffing the man turns to the others laughing.

"Did I say something funny?" I snap, starting to lose my patience.

"This one seems to be a little slow" another one says, his tone mocking me.

"You've got quite the mouth on you, young lady" The first man says walking a circle around me checking out my armor.

I'd take him out right there but there's always a bigger fish. Not only that, he'll get what he deserves,

"No. I'm not lost. I'd like to speak to the one in charge, since it's clearly not you."

After he finishes his circle he stops in front of me with a disgusted look on his face, "Follow me." He leads me into the camp with the others trailing behind.

Stopping at the fire, and the man turns to me "Wait here." He disappears into their ship.

Looking over my shoulder, I make a mental note of where the other 3 are standing behind me. As I look around more come out of the woodwork, coming to a grand total of 10 - someone's paranoid and rightfully so. Just then the man from earlier appears followed by 2 more - one wearing the face of the man on my puck.

"I hear you asked to speak with me" he says, voice booming through the camp.

"There's a bounty out for you. I'm here to collect" my tone is flat, this group seems like one that would get spurred on by irritation.

The bounty takes out a blade and starts walking towards me laughing "Darling..." He starts and drags the flat side of the blade across my chest, to my shoulder, and around my back.

"Wonder how much we could get for armor like that? What'd ya think boys?" There's a series of whoops and hollers.

He stops dragging the blade and leans in to whisper, "or maybe I'll just keep it as a trophy."

I smirk to myself, "Be careful what you wish for" venom dripping from my words.

Sliding my hands down towards my blasters, I get ready to draw them. Just as I'm about to, their leader takes the knife and puts it to my throat, getting in close, "I don't think so."

Kneeing him in the crotch he drops to the ground in pain. Seconds after blaster fire begins to ping off my armor. I let out a low growl that sounded quite feral through my modulator. A few of the mercs begin to drop but not by my hand, blaster fire from an unknown source rings out through the air. The men in front of me look around in confusion and I take the opportunity to quickly restrain my bounty and knock him out. I then draw my blaster firing at the 3 closest to me and their bodies slump to the ground. Bending over I grab the blade - that was previously dragged across my armor - and send it flying through the air before burying itself into the chest of the man taunting me earlier.

Getting both myself and my bounty to cover, I make mental note of the direction the blaster fire comes from. Once I figure out where they are, I pick the bounty up - who thankfully is a small human man - throwing him over my shoulder, and racing to my speeder. Putting as much distance between me and the sound of the fight behind me as fast as I can.

Once I get there, I quickly throw him on before starting it up and jumping on myself. A blaster bolt flys over my head and a familiar modulated voice yells something that I can't quite hear over the speeder's engine. Annoyed, I whip my helmeted head around, to see the Mandalorian from last night running in my direction. With a smirk plastered on my face, I speed off towards my ship. Getting away with the bounty we both wanted.

"I guess we know who the better bounty hunter is."

Tags: @cloneloverrrrr @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @idoubleswearimawriter

@savebytheodore @savebytheodoresnonjosestuff @jediknightjana @techs-goggles9902 @clonethirstingisreal

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babiemunson · 1 year

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i'll protect you

steve finds eddie regressed for the first time.

pairing: regressor!eddie munson x cg!steve harrington

cws: mention of the upside down (& demodogs and vecna)

words: 766

i was thinking - "age regression" wasn't really a well known term in the eighties. so i wanted to try and write how steve would realistically respond to coming over to eddie's trailer and finding him regressed.

—

the government is taking longer than expected to clear eddie's name. figures - they're useless.

as a result, eddie has been ordered to stay in the munsons' new trailer until everything can get figured out. he's in hiding, basically.

fun.

steve pities the guy, of course he does. so mid-may, after eddie's wounds have finally healed and he's resigned himself to being bored to death in his trailer 24/7, steve decides to surprise him with a movie.

there's no answer to steve's knock. but he and eddie have grown comfortable enough around each other by now so that he can just let himself in. he opens the door and slips inside.

"eddie?" he calls.

again, no answer. but steve's hearing isn't too good nowadays. he'll just have to wander the house until he finds eddie.

"eddie," he calls again, sing-song. "it's steve. i've got a movie and popcorn."

there's still no answer, but steve catches the faint sound of humming. he pinpoints it as coming from eddie's bedroom.

"eddie, you can't hide forever, man. i miss you - there's no way i'm leaving without at least seeing your face."

steve knocks on eddie's bedroom door. when there's still no answer, he lets himself in.

"....eddie?"

eddie looks up from where he's sitting criss cross applesauce on the floor. he's got his shirt collar in his mouth and he's chewing on it. "'teve?"

steve inches closer. when no demodogs or tentacles jump out at him, he gets down on his knees. "whaaat are you doing? what is this?" he tucks one of eddie's curls behind his ear. "are you okay? is this- is this an upside down thing?"

at the mention of the upside down, fear flashes across eddie's face. he throws himself backwards and shakes his head vehemently. his collar slips from his mouth. "no up-ide down," he cries, tears springing to his eyes. "safe? 'teve safe?"

"i'm safe, buddy." steve's eyebrows knit together. "the upside down's all gone, right? we're all safe. i just- i don't know what's up with you. are you good?"

eddie swallows hard. he shoves his thumb into his mouth and nods after a few seconds. "safe," he mumbles. "'m small."

"small," steve repeats. he looks down at what eddie had been coloring when he walked in - a bright red dragon, breathing fire at a forest. "okay. well, this certainly isn't, like, the weirdest thing i've ever seen, so. hey, you drew this?"

eddie nods again, scooting a bit closer. he takes his thumb out of his mouth. "'s you," he says. "look. 'teve."

steve follows where eddie's pointing. at the bottom of the page, there's a doodle of a knight in shining armor. he has great hair. "that's me?"

"uh huh." eddie grabs steve's hand and holds it tight. "fighting the dragon. gonna save everyone, like a hero."

"a hero," steve muses. his throat closes up; he clears it. "that's really sweet, eds."

he doesn't know where the nickname came from, but eddie lights up, and lets out the warmest giggle. "you saved me, 'teve."

well, if steve had any hopes of keeping from crying, they've just been dashed. he feels tears prick at his eyes and decides to just let them fall. eddie's in no space to judge right now. "course i saved you," he says softly. "i'll always save you."

small, he thinks again, giving eddie a once over. the guy isn't physically small, but... he's definitely not acting 20 years old.

"are you... small... a lot, eds?" steve squeezes eddie's hand.

"mhm," eddie says, and starts chewing on his shirt collar again. "have bad dreams. they make my head fuzzy and i go small." he picks up a green crayon and draws spiky grass beneath the knight's feet.

"okay. that's okay." steve slips the hair tie off of eddie's wrist and uses it to pull his hair back into a low ponytail. "hey, nothing's gonna hurt you. i'm- i'm the knight, remember? i won't let any scary dreams hurt you. i promise."

eddie looks up at him, doe eyes shiny. "you do?"

"yeah." steve gives him a misty smile. he's suddenly overcome with the urge to shield eddie from whatever dangers this world has to offer. "i'll protect you."

eddie surges forward and wraps steve in a bear hug. "tank you, 'teve," he murmurs against steve's chest.

steve feels tears trickle down his cheeks. he brings a hand up and pets the back of eddie's curls. "you're welcome, eds."

and he knows deep in his heart it's true. he won't let anything hurt eddie, ever again.

#agere #age regression #stranger things agere #fandom agere #regressor eddie munson #caregiver steve harrington #eddie munson #steve harrington #fandom regression #indigo's posts #agere fic #agere fanfic

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doodlegraveyard · 1 year

Text

3/5 specialist designs (riven and sky can be a set because they’re both pissing me off)

[Image description: Specialist redesigns. The Red Fountain uniform is restyled as something like a cross between a fencing uniform and futuristic flight suit, a white and grey cropped military jacket with high boots and gloves with pointed, dragon-like flairs. A red crest in the shape of a dragon is over their heart. All the Specialists wear the uniform a little differently: Tim, slim with shaggy brown hair, wears his jacket open, as it’s a bit too large; his weapon is styled as a laser crossbow rifle. Brandon, broad and confident, wears some additional armor and heavy duty gloves, wielding his oversized halberd phantoblade. Helia wears a monk-like red sash draped over her shoulder, with three pleats signifying she is their upperclassmen; her hair is pulled up with a pin in the shape of a dragon’s head. End description.]

long winded mess of thoughts under the cut

my rage and confusion @ why the red fountain uniforms are BLUE...(didnt make them all-red bc i know the paladins who show up later are also red... anyway i like the white) i also got rid of their unnecessary color coding and just let each boy wear the uniform a little differently. There are red capes for the standard uniform most students just don’t wear them on missions for practicality’s sake. I was trying to balance sci fi and fantasy and im really partial to it tbh.

Red fountain thoughts: there are courses for Specialists and sorcerers, but the sorcerer core is much smaller, exclusive and specialized and is mostly for older students/basically the equivalent of extended education (all the sorcerers at red fountain have to go thru basic specialist/combat training, its one of the things that are specific to this ‘order’ of sorcerer.) In my quest to differentiate witches/fairies/the male magic users (i’m using ‘sorcerer’ over wizard bc i like it better that's all) i decided that sorcerers have an almost dnd cleric/warlock pact with a Magic Entity who they draw power from. This power can be revoked hence theres developed an almost a monk or knight-like code of honor and ethics in most larger sorcerers orders. In the case of Red Fountain they are, of course, Dragon sorcerers. I’m making Dragons a bit rarer and more revered (what with them being associated with basically the creator deity of this world) so those skinny things the specialists ride are....draconic animals but not Dragons. i’ll call them drakes or make them wyverns maybe?

Anyway the RF Sorcerers all swear fealty to The Dragon of Red Fountain who i imagine is mostly dormant in a secret treasure room lair at the center of their school-fortress. MAYBE this is where Helia was for that hot second where she ‘dropped out’ of being a specialist (YET HELIA IS A SPECIALIST AGAIN LATER WITH NO EXPLANATION......i want the show to know theres a difference between ‘ougjhgutj mysterious’ and ‘literally we know nothing about what this person has going on’)

Also. I made Helia a girl. I know he’s already a bishonen but i wanted to co-ed-ify both RF and Alfea and while background male faries works i REALLY wanted an on screen female specialist. Figured it was easier to just trans one of the existing known characters than ingratiate ppl to a new one and tbh helia is the one this affects least. if anything it makes her more interesting. also that agonizingly shy non-courtship between helia and flora where they like barely talked but are obsessed w each other IS lesbian behavior.

Helia in my version has a Reason to be there, which is, ‘this underclassmen squad is STILL not meshing and they keep Causing Problems, also maybe one of them is under watch bc he mutinied/got mind controlled, here is an upperclassman to be In Charge. She then proceeds to NOT be helpful in solving their problems.

Bran’s weapon got switched out. a polearm feels appropriate for a royal guard while also feeling Stately enough to lend to him making a convincing fake prince? he’s definitely the tanky guy here

I love Timmys little mullet. I feel like he’s from a colony planet for some reason. some backwater moon, smartest guy in town who got into a really prestigious school, u know? Also I am a “Timmy is the leader” truther

#winx #winx club #winx helia #winx brandon #winx timmy #winx specialists

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moonlight-presence · 2 years

Text

The suit stays on

(Marc Spector x Reader)

Category: F/M

Fandom: Moon Knight (2022)

Relationship: Marc Spector X reader

Words: 4378

Summary: You always found Marc´s suit really appealing so you ask him if you could try something new...

Warnings: Dom Marc, Sub reader, Smut, Some fluff too, Aftercare, Missionary, Cunnilingus, Handjobs, Body worship, Role-playing, Basically Marc being dominant, kind of a religious kink (?)

MATURE CONTENT 18+

🌘🌗🌖🌕🌔🌓🌒

You drum your fingers to the beat of the song you were currently blasting in your ears. Your headphones were resting just around your head as you swung your legs with the melody. You mouth the words and then open your eyes to stare at the ceiling of your living room.

You were lying on the couch, your head on Marc's lap and the rest of your body nearly falling to the floor. You didn't care that much, Marc was warm and his thighs were pretty comfortable so you remained there.

The music starts fading off and you take off the headphones before pausing the next song on your phone. Marc doesn't notice this as his attention was focused on the show he was watching.

You glance at the TV and see a man in full armor battling another person. You weren't sure what was happening but suddenly your attention was drawn to the show as you observed how the man in armor removed his helmet and spat some blood on the floor. Your cheeks turned a bit pink as an inappropriate thought crossed your mind.

You remove your eyes from the TV and try to catch Marc's attention. He doesn't notice as you widen your eyes at him so you start moving your head in his lap, your hair tangling itself with his pants. You give him a slight rub against his crotch and this seems to finally catch his attention. Marc looks down at you with an arched eyebrow.

"What's your plan, beautiful?", he asks with humor and you laugh at him before biting your lip in thought. You stop moving your head and stare at his gorgeous eyes.

"I am bored... Give me attention.", you whine with a childish voice. He lets out a deep chuckle and shakes his head in humor before looking at the TV again.

"Just let this episode end and I will give you all the attention you want, baby, okay?", he says and you groan in frustration. You secretly always liked to annoy him a little bit and you were extremely bored so you decided to push it a little.

"Is the episode more important than your girlfriend?", you ask with an arched eyebrow. Marc's lips curl into a cheeky smirk and you already know he is going to say something to annoy you.

"At the moment? Yeah.", he answers making your mouth drop open. You see him smirking without looking at you and you hit his leg softly in protest.

"Okay, rude...", you joke, clearly playing along with his banter. He chuckles but doesn't say anything, his eyes still on the show.

You glance back at the screen and see the same man from earlier taking off his shiny white armor. You notice how his body is now covered in blood and bruises and his hair sweaty from the fight... You can't help but admit how hot he looks in that fucking armor.

You blush deeper as you finally realize how the armor he is wearing is very similar to Marc's suit. It doesn't have that many details but it does the trick. A thought crosses your mind and you lick your lip before looking up at him again.

"Marc?", you say and he hums, his eyes still on the TV.

You inhale in annoyance and then raise your torso so you are now sitting next to him. You put your phone and headphones down and move closer to him, your head resting on his shoulder. He leans back against your touch and grabs your cheek before giving it a small brush. You admire his profile for a bit before you finally speak again.

"Marc, baby, I wanna talk to you about something...", you whisper slowly and that seems to draw him in again. He looks at you and brushes a strand of hair behind your ear.

"About what?", he whispers back with a gentle smile. You bite your lip softly and then grab the remote before pausing the TV. Marc frowns but doesn't say anything.

"Well... I was thinking... Hum...", you struggle to find words for what you really want to say and Marc presses a small kiss on your forehead.

"Hey, is everything okay? You know you can talk to me about everything, right?", he reassures with worry and you nod before groaning with frustration and leaning back into his neck. You bury your face on his shoulder and rest your hands on his chest.

You always loved how muscular he is so you gently massage his torso as you try to find words. You really want to tell Marc what you want, but you are afraid of how he will react... What if he hates it? What if he finds it weird? Fuckkkkkkk.

"Y/N, what is it? You are scaring me.", he confesses as you massage his abdomen gently. You can't really feel his skin because of his t-shirt but it does the job.

"Okay, okay, sorry... I wanted to try something new with you.", you feel your cheeks heat up but you raise your head and look at his eyes again. His breath smells like mint and you stare at his lips.

"Okay... What?"

"I want to do it while...Hum...", your heart quickens and you actually laugh a bit because of how nervous you are. Marc can't help but smile at your reaction and pull you closer.

"Baby, come on, while what? Tell me.", he pushes further as his fingers brush your arms up and down.

"Fuck, okay... I want to do it while you are wearing the suit."

Silence.

You study his face but he doesn't show any facial expressions, his eyes looking back at you with an unreadable gaze. You panic and start to regret ever saying anything in the first place.

"Shit, sorry, look never mind. It's stupid, I-"

"Okay.", he interrupts and you frown at him.

"Okay? That's it, that's your answer?", you ask with curiosity and he nods. You see him look at your lips and then lick his own, the action waking up things inside of you.

"I want to try that, too, baby... Honestly, the thought has crossed my mind before."

"It has?!", you ask with shock and he laughs and nods again. Marc pulls you closer to him and you slowly part your legs until you are sitting on his lap.

"Yup... The thought of fucking you while wearing a suit made by an Egyptian God is like top 3 best sexual fantasies of all time. Right?", he jokes making you giggle and shake your head.

"You are unbelievable..."

"You love it, don't lie.", he smugly says making you roll your eyes. You feel him push your belly against his chest and you open your mouth before pressing a small kiss on his lips.

"Are you really okay with this?", you whisper against his lips and he pulls away and then rocks his crotch against your core. You feel his unexpected boner poke you and your lips curl into a smirk.

"Does that give you an answer?", he teases and you roll your hips again making him suck in a breath.

"It definitely does... Fuck, I want you so badly.", you confess against his lips, your breaths mixing as you inhale his scent.

You tangle your fingers with the curls on the back of his head and slightly massage his scalp with your fingernails. Marc simply moans into your open lips, your mouths just gently pressing against each other, and you part your lips wider. You love it when he makes little sounds when you are touching him.

"Do you think Khonsu is gonna be mad you are summoning the suit for something like this?", you ask with a soft giggle as Marc lowers his hand down your spine. He slightly lifts his thigh making you bump into him again and a little whine escapes your lips.

"I don't care what that pigeon thinks, baby... I am his avatar, I will use the suit for whatever I want." before you can answer, he captures your lips into a strong kiss.

You kiss him back and slowly start rocking your hips again, each swing making you tremble on top of his body. Marc moves his hand towards your ass and squeezes it, the harsh grip sending waves of arousal right to your core.

You gently nibble his bottom lip and then lick the area, your saliva mixing with his as you kiss.

"I want to fuck you in the bed, baby.", he says making you nod and break the sloppy kiss. You catch your breath for a moment and then feel Marc grab your waist and lift you making you squeal a bit.

You quickly wrap your thighs around his waist and tangle your arms around his neck as Marc guides you towards the bed. You put your mouth on the side of his neck and start slowly applying small kisses and bites. You know how much he loves when you do that.

"Fuck... I am gonna fuck you so good, baby. Gonna make you scream my name.", he says with filthy words making you moan against his skin.

He groans and then lowers you on the bed, your back hits the mattress and you don't let go of him. Marc goes down with you until he is completely towering over your body, his messy curls just softly touching his eyes.

You buck your hips and feel how hard his cock is against you, the action making another moan leave your mouth.

"I want to feel you, baby... Come on, give it to me.", you tease making Marc curse under his breath and then lift his body from off of you.

You catch your breath and watch as he looks at you- the moonlight that pours from the window behind illuminates him beautifully, as he scans you.

"How much do you want me to fuck you in my Moon Knight suit?", he asks with genuine curiosity and you lick your lips and stare right at him.

Instead of answering, your hands travel down your body until you reach your pants. You open the buttons and then manage to slide your hand towards your panties. Marc parts his lips in wonder and observes as you start circling your flushed clit slowly, soft moans escaping your mouth as you make direct eye contact with him.

"Fuck, baby... That's the hottest shit I have ever seen in my fucking life.", he says with curses that make your arousal drip from your entrance. You give your clit one last rub before removing your fingers.

"You want to know how much I want the Moon Knight to fuck me?", you use the name on purpose and watch as Marc's eyes glow with the words. You never imagined how much this whole role-playing thing would turn you both on.

"Fuck, yeah.", he answers and you lift your back from the mattress before putting your wet fingers against his mouth.

Marc immediately takes the digits and starts sucking on them, his tongue circling your arousal as he makes sure to taste everything you gave him. You have no words to explain how hot that is, your entire body is on fire as you watch him.

"Holy fuck... I never wanted you to fuck me so badly before.", you confess and he gives your digits one last lick before removing them from your mouth. He wipes his lips and then smirks at you, mischief in his eyes.

"Do you want the Moon Knight to fuck you? Do you want this cock?", he teases and you suddenly begin seeing his eyes turning white.

You suck in a breath at the sight and nod rapidly. Marc smirks wider and you start seeing his suit transforming around his body. His face gets covered in his mask and hood and you just watch, your clit throbbing at the sight. Fuck, he always looked so good in his suit but now he looks absolutely irresistible.

"Are you gonna fuck me, Moon Knight?", you play along with a big smirk making Marc nod. You put your hands on his body and trace the half-moon blade that is stuck to his chest.

"Lay down.", he orders and you immediately drop behind.

Marc grabs your knees and then slides his hands down your thighs until his fingers find the hem of your pants. He begins undressing you and you lift your ass to make the task easier for him. You just want him inside of you as soon as possible.

Marc throws the pants to the ground and then grabs your soaked panties before sliding them off your legs. The sudden exposure makes you blush a bit but Marc simply rubs your inner thighs in reassurance.

You quickly start undoing your blouse and soon enough, you are completely naked below him. His glowing eyes look at you up and down and you can't help but part your thighs wider to give him a better view.

"You are unbelievable...", he whispers making you laugh a bit.

"You love it, don't lie.", you tease him back for earlier making Marc shake his head a bit. You kind of wish you could see his face but you don't say anything.

Marc continues massaging your inner thighs with his gloves and you throw your head back and feel how nice this feels. You wait for him to reach where you want him to touch but he, instead, goes up to your belly.

He uses both hands to massage your belly and waist, each stroke as heavenly as the previous. Marc moves to your ribcage and then he cups your breasts with your palms. You arch your back and moan softly with an exhale as he starts squeezing and pinching, very gently, your nipples.

"Fuck... Just like that.", you praise and he continues massaging your breasts until he gives them one last squeeze.

Marc's hands go up to your neck and he slides his fingers up and down your throat. You can't feel his skin on you but the gloves are as equally good.

You let out a loud groan as he traces your jawline and then you look up at him. You meet his hooded face and his white eyes, the sight making you whine.

"You look so hot... Fuck.", you say out loud making Marc slide his right hand down your body again. His left-hand stays on your cheek as he finally meets your dripping core.

"Does this feel good?", he asks and then starts circling your clit making you moan and buck your hips.

"Hum, hum.", you say and he moves his digits more rapidly.

"Words. Use them.", he orders and you swallow and try to catch your breath. He moves his fingers towards your wet entrance and starts teasing it.

"Y-yes...", you breathe out and he gently inserts one gloved finger inside of you.

"Yes, what?", he asks and you arch an eyebrow. You feel him go deeper into you and you groan before finally understanding what he means.

"Yes, Moon Knight.", you say and that makes Marc curl his finger inside of your walls. The pressure makes you whine and look at him.

You see Marc, no, the Moon Knight, looking back at you- the moonlight behind him making him look like an Egyptian God. You nearly cum at the sight as he slowly teases your entrance with his middle finger.

"Shit... Holy fuck.", you curse as he inserts another finger. The pressure builds and you rock back against his hand as you try to take him deeper.

"You are so tight, fuck. You are gonna feel so good around my cock.", he murmurs and you nod and moan.

"Y-yes, so tight, just for you. Only for your cock.", you reassure and that makes him curl his fingers deeper into you, his digits hitting your g-spot suddenly.

You moan more loudly and he does it again, your clitoris throbbing as you feel pleasure increasing inside of you. Marc puts his hand just below your belly button and starts pushing his fingers up. You realize he is trying to feel his actions inside of you with the palm of his other hand.

"Does that feel good?", he asks with a whisper and you moan again and nod. He thrusts up again and you nearly scream as a wave of pleasure overwhelms you. You are going to cum soon, you are sure of it.

"I am close... Fuck...", you warn and he gives you another thrust before slowly taking out his fingers. You breathe out and curse under your breath as Marc circles your clit with his wet fingers.

"I am going to fuck you so good, baby. You want to get fucked by a God?", the sudden question makes your heart skip a beat and you meet his glowing eyes. Fuck, you really wish you could see his beautiful face.

"Y-yes... Fuck me, please.", you ask him and Marc releases the touch on your clit and starts pulling his pants down. You weren´t sure if the suit could be taken off like this but apparently, it can. Thank you, Khonsu, for the extra help.

"Marc..", you whisper as he takes out his flushed cock. You look at how his head is a bit shiny from his pre-cum, it's so fucking pretty.

"Yes, baby?", he asks as he strokes himself with one hand. You look up at his mask.

"I want to see your face... Hum, while we do it.", you confess and Marc stops stroking himself. You wait a few seconds for an answer but, instead, his mask starts retracting from his face until his beautiful eyes meet yours.

"Like this, beautiful girl?", he asks with a smile you missed deeply. You bite your lip and nod with a blush making him chuckle slightly.

"You have no idea how fucking hot you look right now... That fucking suit does things to me.", you confess while he resumes his stroking. You slightly lift your torso until you are close to him.

Your hands go up to his chest and the golden blade, your fingers begin tracing the sharp edge as Marc groans. You sneak one hand towards his cock and remove his hand before putting yours around his member.

"W-what things?", he asks with a slight stutter as your thumb traces his leaking slit. You move your hand all the down and gently squeeze his base making Marc bite down a moan.

"I want you to fuck me until I am praying to every God on Earth... I want you to make me pray to you. Can you do that, Moon Knight? Can you fuck me like a God?", you tease with a mischievous smirk making Marc lick his lips.

"You are quite filthy today, aren´t you?", he asks with a teasing voice, and you stroke him faster. Marc puts his hands on your shoulders and pushes you down suddenly making you lose balance, "If you want to get fucked by a God, then I will fuck you like one."

Marc grabs your wrists and pins them down, his whole body towering over you. You almost squeal in anticipation, your whole body begging him to enter you. You can feel his hot breath against your mouth and the head of his cock hitting your entrance.

You try to free yourself to touch him but he gives you a sadistic smirk before holding you tighter. You are completely trapped under him- you have no choice but to obey his orders... A God´s orders.

He lowers his mouth to your ear and then you shiver as he says, "Now take it like the good girl you are."

He doesn´t give you time to react as his hard cock enters you. The stretch makes you moan loudly and buck your hips but Marc is faster, his thrusts begin and soon he is pounding you at a fast pace.

You have no choice but to take it, your whole body held by him. You manage to wrap your thighs around his waist and he groans at the action, the new angle making him go deeper inside of you.

"F-fuck... Holy fuck...", you moan with a breathless voice as he moves faster and faster. Marc groans against your lips and you try to kiss him but he pulls away from his face.

"Uh-uh...", he says with another smug smirk making you whine. He slows down his thrusts a bit, "Who do you belong to? Who is fucking you this good? Tell me."

"Y-You... Oh fuck, it´s you.", you tell him as your clit throbs with every slow thrust. He slightly redirects his cock and soon his head is hitting your g-spot again, the area is already swollen and sensitive enough to make you whine.

"I want you to spell it. Spell my name.", he commands and you try to process his order. He starts moving faster again and you nearly cum just from that.

"M... A-"

"Nope, try again, baby.", he interrupts and you frown a bit. Marc´s right-hand moves your wrist above your head and his left does the same. Soon, both of your arms are trapped under his left hand.

You aren´t sure how he managed to do that so smoothly but you don´t try to understand as his right-hand moves to your jawline. He grabs your face and pulls it closer to his, your neck lifting from the bed.

"Spell my name.", he growls against your lips and you suck in a breath at how hot he looks when he is acting like this. You always loved to see him dominate you.

You try to think of what he wants as Marc continues fucking you at a relentless pace. You are almost seeing stars, your whole body dripping sweat as his heavy suit touches your breasts slightly.

"FUCKING SPELL IT!", he says again with a loud voice making you moan. You feel his grip on your jawline get a bit looser and you look at his eyes, even though he is acting angry you see so much love behind them.

You take a deep breath in and try to focus. You start to think of what he means and then you look at his suit again. Suddenly realization hits you and you swallow dryly before answering.

"M...O...O....N....", you begin spelling and he smirks and drops your face. He fastens his pace and you stop spelling, your mind too fucked up to think anymore.

"You weren't done, carry on.", he orders and you bite down a moan and try to think of the next letters.

You can feel the knot in your stomach beginning to unfold, the pressure on your body increasing, threatening to explode. You are sure he is close by the way his thrusts are becoming more and more violent.

"K...N...Oh, fuck....I...Argh....", you are nearly there. Marc doesn´t stop his pace as he fucks you into nothing, "G...H...Shit...T."

"Good girl... Now, tell me, who is fucking you this good, baby?"

"The Moon Knight... Y-You... I am close. I am close. Oh, fuck...", you warn with deep moans. Marc groans against your neck and then tries to go deeper.

You are going to explode but he hasn´t really given you permission to orgasm so you just lay there and try to focus on not cumming. It´s getting hard so you speak again.

"I am gonna cum... May I come? Fuck... Let me cum."

"Who do you belong to?", he asks again with a moan. You can sense his cock twitching inside of you and you contract your walls around him. He nearly cums just from that and you smirk a bit.

"To you... I belong to the Moon Knight... I am gonna-", and your orgasm rips through you. Marc just groans your name and starts cumming as well, his seed bursting inside of you as your whole back arches.

You close your eyes and feel wave after wave of pleasure overwhelm your body. Your clitoris throbs violently as your walls pulse around his cock. It´s absolute chaos...

"Fuck...", he whispers against your lips and then kisses you again.

He slows down his thrusts and you whine a bit at how sensitive you feel. You feel the grip on your wrists get looser and soon he sets you free, your hands going straight to his sweaty curly hair. You kiss his cheek, his forehead, his nose, his lips, everything and he smiles before slowly pulling himself off of you.

He drops next to you and you see as his suit starts disappearing rapidly. You realize he never actually took off his clothes and the thought makes you giggle a bit.

"What?", he asks with a smile as he looks at you. You shake your head and move towards him, your head now resting on his shoulder.

"You must have been boiling inside of that suit...", you joke making Marc chuckle and hold you tighter.

"A bit, yeah... It was worth it, though."

"Was it?", you tease him and he smirks before kissing the top of your head.

"Yeah, definitely....", he answers with a suggestive voice making you blush a bit. You start closing your eyes for a little bit, "So, how was it?"

"How was what?", you try to clarify as you open your eyes again. Marc´s teeth are showing as he grins cheekily at you.

"How was your first time getting fucked by a God?"

"Oh fuck off...", you mumble with a blush making him laugh. You roll your eyes playfully and bite your lip before adding, "It was fucking amazing, actually... The suit definitely will stay on during sex."

"Are you trying to boil me alive?", he asks with a chuckle and you laugh a bit.

"How dramatic...Come here.", you pull him closer and kiss his lips again.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Moon Knight.", you whisper making Marc actually blush a bit. You give him another kiss before closing your eyes and feeling his heartbeat against your head.

This was definitely something to try again...

#moon knight fic #moon knight smut #moon knight #marc spector smut #marc spector x you #marc spector #marc spector x y/n #marc spector x reader #marvel #mcu moon knight #mcu #marvel fanfiction #mcu phase four #oscar isaac #dom marc spector #mcu fanfiction #mcu fanfic rec #marvel fanfic rec

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phantomwarrior12 · 9 months

Text

Forgotten Wounds

It's a rare thing to have a wound the Light cannot mend - to rise from the tingling whirlwind of a rez and still see a mar along one's form.

There are scars Guardians choose to bear as reminders…and there are these. Wounds bound so firmly in trauma, they linger because the body decides it should. That guilt, that agony? Carved into their skin for all eternity.

Lord Shaxx does not bear many like that.

But in the cool glass before him, there is a mark; a jagged, angular, oddly clean divet along his left pectoral just over his heart that has lingered through countless revives. His fingertips trace reverently along the edges, as if the gesture itself will spark a memory. But even as he trails over that distinct softness that all new scars bear, he realizes nothing comes to mind. He feels he should remember its source vividly - surely it was important?

It was his heart after all.

Perhaps a failure during the Dark Ages? The death of what he'd called a friend? Perhaps at Twilight Gap? They lost a great many Guardians then. But the placement feels wrong.

When had he been wounded through the chest?

"Shaxx?"

The Warlord draws his focus from the reflection in the mirror, recalling exactly where he is and who enters their room a moment later merely by the sound of her voice.

The Young Wolf breaks into a smile as she crosses the threshold. Her eyes immediately drifting over the Titan's half-naked form appraisingly as she makes her way up to him.

Shaxx always enjoys her gaze and it's enough to unfurl him from his deliberating hunch. His arms extend, drawing her close once she's within reach as he does so often. It's second nature for them. Her return requires immediate contact and a delay in whatever task.

In this case, the task is menial and he's more than happy to redirect his focus to his partner.

"Guardian. I didn't know you'd returned."

"I just got in." She hugs him then, arms stretched up to bind around his neck and her head settles exactly atop the scar Shaxx had been inspecting.

…could it have come from her? One of her nightmares?

No. She's held blades to his throat in her panic but she's never struck. If she had, she wouldn't be nearly as…open. She'd withdraw like a scared animal, terrified of harming him again.

He knows his partner too well for anything less of an observation.

But when she draws back, the Guardian presses a sweet kiss to the scar before looking up at him warmly. She must see his intrigue because her head tilts as her brow furrows.

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid this question comes as an embarrassment, but do you remember the source of that scar? It seems…I've forgotten and it troubles me."

The Warlord watches as she straightens, resting a hand just shy of the scar as her eyes soften. Her thumb traces the edge, a distant look overpowers her usually sharp gaze.

"I don't know precisely how it happened…but it was there when I returned from the Dreaming City after Petra and I hunted down Uldren Sov. You were…a bit distracted. I came home, you helped me remove my armor and you weren't wearing a shirt."

Yes, he remembers that part. He'd been worried about her - that she'd come home in someone's arms as she had carried Cayde home the same way.

He'd been so relieved, as if–

His eyes fall to the scar, gazing steadily at it in the mirror beside them.

No. We can't…manifest wounds, can we?

"You never told me how it happened and when I tried to press? You told me not to worry, that I was home and that was all that mattered." She finishes softly.

He can feel her gaze on him; the quiet, curious, searching gaze she bears so often. Her touch is warm and tender as she continues her trace over the mark in his skin.

Lord Shaxx does not recall that portion of the conversation nor his dismissal of her concern. He remembers a great pain in his chest subsiding then but he'd always thought it was just…emotional. That he'd been relieved she has home.

He is rarely out of armor. When he is, he's in bed with her, the lights are off and it is not his own body he memorizes.

Could it have been more?

Is such a thing possible?

"Shaxx?" She says his name so softly, so tentatively, it surprises him. His eyes find hers in the mirror - patient, warm, and perhaps a twinge of sympathy.

"Do you…not remember how it happened, my Titan?"

There is no other plausible explanation.

"I think, perhaps, I know the answer." He returns thoughtfully, "But it is…something unprecedented."

The Young Wolf smiles, her head turning away from the mirror. He watches her fingers hook along his chin and guide his focus to her beyond the mirror.

"When have we ever been anything but unprecedented?" She asks with a teasing smile yet there is a degree of solemness in her gaze. As if she understands what he hasn't uttered.

Her absence had harmed him. Her self-destructive spiral that avenged Cayde nearly broke her Warlord.

But instead of pulling away, the Guardian steps up to him. She kisses the mark again; a slow, tender gesture that flutters Shaxx's heartbeat.

When her head lifts, there is something like adoration in her eyes.

"I'll make sure you never endure one of these again. That you'll look in that mirror and see only what you recognize." She assures him firmly.

He registers the twinge of Solar against his skin, her palm flush against his pectoral. His own hand lifts, cupping hers with a familiar tenderness only the two of them share.

"You will be as you are. The Guardian. The City's Last Hope. Our Savior." His head lowers, resting his forehead against hers as they both relax into the moment, into Shaxx's words.

"Let me worry about the matters of my heart. You act as you always have - as the Young Wolf. As our protector."

"I will."

—

Forevers: @halo-2 @reaped-winnower @forgotten-by-the-stars @sugarcoated44 @cayde-6 @aetosavros @niemands-bibliothek @paracausal-hunter @silverhandsamurais @orbdotexe

Shaxx's Guardians: @ataraxia101 @squirrel-stars @scattershotmind

#lord shaxx #shaxx x guardian #shaxx #lord shaxx x guardian #the young wolf #destiny 2 #destiny #destiny 2 fanfiction #destiny 2 fic #fic request #phantom writes

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mousegard · 5 months

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Aria of the Black Eagle - Season 1 Masterpost

For the better part of the past year, fifteen-year-old Tachibana Hibiki has been the one and only wielder of the magical armor Gungnir—until she crosses paths with an imperious young woman willing to make the entire world her enemy in the pursuit of justice... Adrestian emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg and her Black Eagle Strike Force!

Wait, that's not how Symphogear G went down...

With the Church of Seiros repelled from Garreg Mach by the Black Eagle Strike Force, Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg's war for the liberation of Fódlan reaches its turning point. But just as she begins to plan her next move to attack Arianrhod, she and several of her closest comrades find themselves whisked away by a mysterious force to a world like nothing they've seen before: mid-21st century Tokyo!

SYMPHOGEAR G''' Episode List:

Episode 1: Three Relics

Hibiki comes to the rescue of the Black Eagles when they inexplicably find themselves in the middle of Tokyo. Byleth wins a new job in an arm-wrestling competition.

Episode 2: Of Course You Have White Hair and Trauma

Byleth pits students against teachers in a relic-versus-relic mock battle. Chris gets roped into hosting an impromptu movie night. Edelgard finds a mentorship opportunity.

Episode 3: Singer, Sacrist, Sentinel, Spy

With an exciting development in Tsubasa's career drawing nearer, mystery swirls around her soon-to-be fellow performer, Maria Cadenzavna Eve. The Black Eagles assist in transporting a dangerous relic.

Episode 4: Parabellum

The world reels from Maria's shocking announcement while Tsubasa is held hostage onstage over her secret identity. Backstage, Bernadetta gets to know her captors.

Episode 5: The Second Coming of Finé

Maria's declaration of war leaves the Black Eagles and their new students shaken. Byleth decides to teach Hibiki a new subject. On her way to Tokyo, Petra flirts with the Illuminati's top brass.

Episode 6: Pride of the Crimson Flower

Those Who Slither in the Dark reveal themselves, putting Hibiki and Miku in grave danger. Bernadetta accidentally gets caught up in a fake gay marriage after her captors buy a house.

Episode 7: Crossbows in the Firelight

A third Gungnir wielder reveals herself in the Black Eagles' moment of need. While organizing an exchange with Maria and Doctor Ver, Vanessa must act as an impromptu bodyguard for her new neighbors.

Episode 8: Die Hand Die Verletzt

While she adjusts to her new life and identity, Heidrun begins Miku's dark magic training. When Doctor Ver pushes Maria past her moral breaking point, Dorothea offers her a shoulder to cry on.

Episode 9: Heart of Stone

After receiving devastating news from her boss, Vanessa vanishes. Doctor Ver exchanges his frail human collaborators for the cruel perfection of the Nephilim. Lysithea reunites Bernadetta with the Black Eagles.

Episode 10: A Long-Awaited Reunion

While the Black Eagle Strike Force reunites, Bernadetta gives Vanessa something new to live for. Lysithea and Edelgard discover a new scientific perspective on Crests. Kirika figures something terrifying about herself.

Episode 11: Where Silence Has Lease

Stinging from past defeats, Maria throws herself into her villainous role. Hibiki and Shirabe end up unlikely allies against Kronya and Shez. Hibiki's mother begins to worry about her daughter's mysterious extracurricular activities.

Episode 12: Across the Curl Unmarked By Borders

Fearing she may not have much time before Finé seizes control of her body, Kirika hunts Ingrid down and challenges her to a rematch—to the death. Maria breaks down under the weight of her mounting losses.

Episode 13: G'''

Doctor Ver reveals his new partner in crime—and it will take more than the combined might of all three Gungnir wielders to put a stop to them.

Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3

#fanfiction #crossover #fire emblem three houses #symphogear

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weixuldo · 2 years

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Bounty// Din Djarin X GN!Reader

(A/N: i’ve never written for anyone but Vader, but I wanted to try my hand at Din!! sorry if it’s not the best LOLLL. also ngl, idek what this story is for)

you cross paths with a bounty hunter as you are attempting to rid your nation of a corrupt politician

Wc: 2502

Warnings: cannon typical violence, blasters, mentions of choking, strange ling, mercenaries, kidnapping?, knives, sexual harassment, mentions of murder __________________________________________

The corridor was long and dark as you silently made your way to the room at the end. You surveyed the area and snuck in the luxurious room where you found your target.

You were just a normal citizen who happened to work in the government building of your system. You worked under many officials carrying out mundane tasks. Most of your higher ups were reasonable but there was one in particular who was unnecessarily troublesome, a congressman who was in charge of civil affairs.

He took a particular liking to you when you first started the job but his demeanor soon changed when he found you didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Not only was he not your type, he was an awful person. The laws he signed off on were often only in the favor of the rich, his decisions directly impacted the people, yet he chose to be selfish.

It became too much when he decided to take away rights form the citizens. One of his new policies had citizens actively killed in the streets if they did not follow his laws and no one doing anything to stop him.

You confronted him in his office. But to your surprise he had another trick up his sleeve, he cornered you in the office and tried to force himself on you, telling you he would punish your loved ones if you did not comply. He continued his advances while he promised he would harshen his laws if you tried to get in his way. You knew he wasn’t joking, he had the power to do that, and for some reason the council still entertained his schemes.

Thankfully you were interrupted by his secretary and you escaped without any physical damage, but you weren’t about to let him get away with his corruption any longer. There was a banquet tonight, you played nice while you were in attendance, but you slipped him a particularly strong drink which made him quite drowsy. He excused himself for the night and groggily staggered back to his room. _________________________________________So here you were, sneaking into his room in the middle of the night with a dagger, classic. You sneaked up to the side of his bed and snapped your fingers in front of his face.

Nothing. He was out cold, only his annoyingly loud shores coming from him. You began to take a pillow and cover his face before taking the dagger out.

Before you could finish what you came to do someone else barged into the room. It was a man covered head to toe in quality beskar armor, a Mandalorian.

You shot him a look before continuing your plan. You heard him power his blaster and he shook his helmet.

“If I were you, I would stop what you’re doing” his modulated voice cold and stern.

You turned to him annoyed, “You seriously want this pig alive?!”

He shifted his gaze from you to the congressman, “No, but my employer does.”

Oh great, a bounty hunter.

“And I intend to collect my bounty. So I need him alive” the man spoke, inching his way closer to you. You quickly placed the dagger to the congressman’s throat, applying just enough pressure to draw blood.

“Come any closer and I’ll slice his throat and you won't get your money.” you hissed.

“I don’t think you’re quicker than my blaster” he said

“Try me” you dared.

He sighed and stepped back. “Fine, but I need him alive.”

You wanted to kill the man on the bed but you also didn’t really want to die in the process, so you also lowered your weapon.

“I need to kill this man, you don’t understand what he has done to our system. He is a tyrant who has been slaying citizens left and right for no other reason than boredom. And If I let you take him in alive, one of his fellow officials will just bail him out. So I can’t let you leave with him.” You spoke.

He huffed, “Look, we both know I have an advantage here, so what exactly are you going to do if I take him?”.

You glared at him before straightening your form, “Well…He is an important government official and I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate it if a scary Mandalorian took him hostage. I mean you barged in here and took him. And as far as we know, you’re gonna kill him. I’m simply a worker who got lost coming from the banquet.”

He groaned before saying something under his breath. You went to turn around and finish your task when you felt a pinch on your neck. You pulled off a small dart before you got lightheaded.

“Shit”

__________________________________________

You woke up with a jolt, you were restrained in a chair on some sort of ship. You began to pull at the restraints when the chair in front of you swiveled around to reveal the Mandalorian.

Maker, why were you with him.

“Why did you tie me up?! Where are we? Why am I here?!” You spat at him.

“Well, since you insisted on being a nuisance and threatened to report me, I had to take you too. This all could have been avoided if you weren’t such a brat”

Brat?! Who does this guy think he is?!

“Excuse me?! Last I checked you were the selfish asshole who was bringing the congressman in for money instead of trying to help his subjects get out of his abusive rule. I don’t think I’m a brat here.” You said

He huffed and turned his attention back to the front of the ship.

Great. You try to help your System and this is what you get, damn you were unlucky.

You closed your eyes once more and tried to relax. You were interrupted by an uncomfortable poking sensation in your side, there was a jagged edge on the chair. You glanced at the Mandalorian in front of you and then back to the chair. You slyly twisted your body so your hands were near the point. You began to saw the rope bonding your wrists and then started to untangle the rope around the rest of your body.

You were about to get out of the chair when the cockpit door slid open and the Mandalorian turned around. You held the ropes in place and pretended you were still tied, hopefully you looked convincing.

Looking over your shoulder you saw a tiny green figure wearing beige robes waddled into the area, it looked like a child of some sort.

The small creature stopped and tilted its head towards you and reached out a hand. Was this thing about to explode your brains? Spit acid on you? Or was his head going to open to reveal a large set of fangs? Maker, just let it be quick.

The creature blinked slowly at you before making a weird noise, “Patu”.

Before you could respond the Mandalorian spoke up, “No, we’re just gonna drop them off when we take the bounty in.”

“Um, “drop me off”? I have a job, you know, I need to go back home.” you protested.

“Well you can just find your way back” the armored man spoke.

“I’ve never been off planet, I don't even know how I would go about that” you said, annoyance in your voice.

He sighed, you swear if he didn’t have that helmet on he’d be rolling his eyes at you.

You were cut short by the small green… thing, hopping into your lap. You screamed and held your hands over your face. The child looked at you, confused, “Patoo?”.

“I see you got out of your restraints” the Mandalorian said coldly.

Shit.

You couldn’t really care about that right now though. “IS THIS THING GONNA EAT ME?!” you shouted.

The man paused for a moment, looked at the child, then back at you before laughing. His laugh was husky and unexpected.

“WHAT?!” you said still frightened.

“No, no. He’s not gonna eat you. That's just his seat.”

You peeked through your fingers and saw the thing settle down in your lap. He got comfy and leaned against you.

“Uhhh… w-what is this thing” you asked.

“He’s a child,” the man said, turning back around.

You rolled your eyes, “well duh, but what species is he?.

“I don't know,” the Mandalorian responded.

“You just allowed a random creature onto your ship?” you said surprised.

“It’s a long story, but he won't harm you. You can relax”.

You looked back down at the child, he was sleeping soundly against you. Ok, at this angle he’s kinda cute. You remembered you were out of your restraints and looked back at the man, “Aren't you gonna tie me up again or something?”.

He turned once more to look at you then the child, then back to you.

“No. He seems to trusts you. Plus he’s comfortable”.

__________________________________________

A few hours later you woke to the Mandalorian shaking your shoulders. You looked around confused, “What? What is it?”.

“We’re here. Get up” the masked man said.

You didn’t know when you fell asleep but you looked down to see the green child staring up at you curiously. He was actually quite adorable, you lightly patted his head and smiled when he leaned in.

On the other side of the cockpit the armored man halted his movements and watched you interact with the kid.

Why did that make his chest feel weird? He shook it of fand tried not to stare.

“Let’s go,” he said blankly, waiting for you to follow him.

You rolled your eyes and got up, exiting the ship you spotted some rope. You stashed it under your shirt, you were going to get what you wanted.

The Mandalorian had the congressman in handcuffs and kept you close to him. He was gripping your arm with a sturdy hand.

“you know, you can loosen your grip, mister” you said.

He turned to face you, “Can’t risk you running off, you’re lucky I didn’t cuff you too”.

“Aww, i’m honored, I’m touched you care that much about me” you sarcastically taunted as you batted your lashes at him. He ignored you and continued walking.

The three of you entered a generously sized building, equipped with cameras and guards. Someone really wanted this guy, but so did you.

The Mandalorian stopped walking and shoved the congressman onto his knees in front of, who seemed to be the masked man’s employer. The congressman looked frightened. Good.

“I acquired the bounty, now tell me what I want to know”

The man in the throne smiled, “Ahh, hello to you too, Mando. I see you brought him in alive, very well”.

Before he could make his way down the stairs you wiggled out of the Mandalorian’s hold and pulled the rope form your shirt and wrapped it around the congressman's throat.

It is what needed to be done.

You saw him struggling and observed as his eyes widened when he recognized you. You spat on him and pulled harder.

You heard blasters powering up around you, the man on the throne shouting commands, “STOP THEM”.

“WAIT! DON’T SHOOT THEM!” the Mandalorian shouted.

Instead, he shot through the rope, breaking your hold on the congressman. You landed on your back and scrambled to get back to the man on the ground when the armored man wrapped his arms around you, holding you down.

You thrashed in his arms trying to break free as tears were streaming down your face, “PLEASE! JUST LET ME, LET ME GO! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT HE’S DONE, PLEASE!”.

The mandalorian felt a pang of guilt in his chest, he felt bad for you. The man on the throne already had his men assisting the congressman to the next room over.

“You almost ruined my negotiations! I suggest you get out of here while you still have the chance.” the employer sneered as he stomped out of the room.

It was over. You had your shot and you blew it.

You blew it.

Still in the armored man’s grasp you allowed yourself to fall apart. You couldn’t get justice, for your nation, your citizens, or even yourself. You failed.

The arms around you began hauling you off the ground, “come on, we gotta go. Now.” he said hurriedly, but you couldn’t find the motivation.

“We need to move, you can be upset later, but now's not the time” he said as he herded you outside.

Once you were out in the open he told you to hold onto him as he powered on his jet pack. Soon you were up in the air, not realizing how high you were, you made the mistake of looking down. You gripped the armored man harder and wrapped your legs around him. Why was that funny feeling in his chest again?

He landed softly right beside his ship and let you down gently. “You ok?”

Looking at him with wide eyes you nodded and went inside the ship after him. He guided you to the seat you had previously occupied and grabbed you a drink. You sat there, defeated, when you remembered his plans. “Why are you being nice to me? Weren’t you just gonna drop me off somewhere?”.

He paused for a moment before hesitantly answering, “...yes.”

“Then go ahead, why don’t you. You collected your bounty. Why not just leave me on this planet?” you looked away from the helmeted man.

He sighed and kneeled down to your level, “I…I might have made a mistake”.

Your ears pricked up and you gazed upon his silver helmet. “I want to help you. Whatever that man did must be serious to elicit such a response from a pretty thing like you”.

You blushed at his words. He thought you were pretty?

No, you had a chance and he took it from you, twice.

“How am I supposed to trust you? First off you want to help all of a sudden, where was that energy when I needed it? Secondly, I haven't been the nicest to you, so why help me? And lastly, I don’t even know your name.” you said, slightly annoyed.

He straightened his form, “I’ll admit, I was set on the bounty, but I truly want to help. And I haven’t been the friendliest either, so let's call that one even.”

Under his helmet he felt his cheeks heat up, he did want to help, but he also liked the odd feeling you gave him. He wanted to explore his emotions for you, plus you were easy on the eyes and the kid liked you. Sounded like a win win to him.

He extended a gloved hand, “Hey, I’m Din Djarin, what’s your name”.

This guy had an odd charm about him, you didn’t know why but you felt like he could be trusted. You reluctantly took his hand and shook it, “Hi Din, I’m F/N L/N”.

He nodded at you before swiftly turning to take his place at the head of the vessel.

“Where are we going?” you asked.

“We need some supplies and a plan. You didn’t think we were just gonna go back in there right now, did you?”.

You crossed your arms and pouted, “Of course not, pfft”.

He let out a small laugh, he was gonna love teasing you.

***

(a/n: lolll this was so bad omg but it was kinda fun to write ;)

#din djarin x reader #din dijarn #din darjin #din djarin #din dijarin fanfiction #din dijarin x reader #the mandolorian #mando x reader #the mandalorian #mando fanfiction #star wars grogu #star wars fic #star wars fanfiction #star wars x reader #sw mandalorian #sw mando #sw din djarin

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sageshadowed · 7 months

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(hey @light-imperfected—careful. you'll leave cracks for the shadows to crawl in.)

There's a stranger in Gabriel's room and he's petting Curry.

It's evening. The angel's had a vaguely annoying day at work. Some churchgoer had lingered to argue with the suit of armor about his belief in their twin gods. He had not wanted to talk about it. So now, without thinking, he draws a sword and demands, "who are you?"

The stranger looks up.

For a moment Gabriel thinks, Monkey King?, and heat (embarrassingly) floods his face, but that's not right. Gabriel hadn't heard of any other weird talking monkeys on the island. This guy has a very strong resemblance, though, if Monkey King had abruptly swerved into having an emo stage.

"The name's Macaque, angel."

This last word drenched in sarcastic venom, nothing like the way Monkey King says it. Gabriel does not want to deal with this right now. "Get out."

Macaque laughs. "Yeah, I'll be out of your"—his mouth quirks—"metaphorical hair in a moment."

"Do not break into my house just to mock me, monkey." He's tired. Curry untangles herself from Macaque and comes to greet him, so Gabriel sheathes his sword with a sigh, shakes his head, and picks her up, touching the jut of his helmet to the top of her head. He decides, with some effort, that he doesn't want to clean blood off his floor today. "It's a quick way to get yourself killed. Especially among those of us who aren't native here."

Been there, done that, Macaque doesn't quip, oblivious to Gabriel's own familiarity with dying. Ignoring the warning, he stands. (Same height as Monkey King, Gabriel thinks.) "I hear you've captured Sun Wukong's heart."

…is that Monkey King? It's not hard to make the connection. Gabriel hadn't thought to poke further, fully prepared to believe that he was just called that. In retrospect, it does sound like a title rather than a proper name.

"You're the right guy, yeah? Sometimes he goes by Monkey King?" Macaque tilts his head at Gabriel's silence. "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven? Y'know, the monkey demon freak? Depends on what language you speak."

"He's not a d—" Well, the thought's crossed his mind before, but Gabriel's never met a demon as—mmm. Mhm. Yeah, he's not finishing that sentence. Also, equal to heaven? Half of him thinks it's funny that Monkey King would commit light blasphemy (seems pretty in character, honestly). The other half is a bit horrified.

Macaque raises his eyebrows. Damn, Wukong hadn't told him anything at all. Not unlike him, but still, you'd think.

"We aren't dating," Gabriel finishes instead, blushing more furiously.

"I see how often you come around, angel," Macaque says, scowling. 天啊，this guy's such a mess. "Thing is, Wukong's taken. You may be a celestial, but you're new to whatever's going on here. Stay out of it."

"What're you going to do? Make me?" His face doesn't show emotion, but his voice betrays his annoyance.

The shadows shift very slightly, uncannily. Curry squirms out of his arms to leap under the bed. Macaque grins, blind eye pale and gleaming.

"You may have been here for longer than me," he says. "But I don't choose fights I can't win."

Gabriel scoffs. "We'll see about that."

"What, and then I'll be just another monster for you to cut down?—If that's the case, get away from Monkey King. He doesn't need another celestial to mess with him." With us, he almost says. Himself, Wukong, Flower Fruit Mountain, MK, Mei, their various allies. Macaque wishes Wukong would stop fraternizing with people like this, although the politics of the celestial are (he's assuming) much different here—it's still uncanny how he can be so buddy-buddy with people who'd put them in god prison (again!!) the moment they stepped out of line.

"Why would you be anything but, demon? You're the one who broke in here."

And of course Gabriel's no exception—someone else determined to write the same stories over and over. Can't escape it even here. Macaque scoffs. "We've known each other forever. I know him better than anyone." He lets the silence hang for a beat before continuing,

"Don't get too cozy with him, Gabriel. You don't know what he's like—not even a fraction of what he's done. He won't love you. And even if he does it'll only get you hurt."

Something between jealousy and bitterness in his voice. What did he even mean to Wukong if he could be replaced by the weirdest loser of an angel Macaque's ever met? He likes to imagine Wukong's got better taste than that.

Gabriel puts his hands on his hips. "It's none of your business what happens between us, and I'll consort with whoever I please. Now get out of my house."

Macaque sighs. A portal opens below his feet, and he falls into the darkness, vanishing.

Gabriel exhales sharply, unclipping his swords from his belt and flopping onto the bed. He opens his phone to text Monkey King (Wukong?) before hesitating and closing it again. How do you tell someone that their ex (?) showed up uninvited to tell you how much they suck? Curry jumps up to demand more attention, and Gabriel acquiesces.

"Next time you're supposed to bite the strangers who break into the house," he chides her gently. Curry, who doesn't care, purrs. He scritches her head and tries not to think about what the macaque told him. About how he doesn't know Monkey King (the Great Sage?) at all, really. Is he supposed to care? Does Monkey King want that? He doesn't seem really forthcoming about any of it. Can he ask? Angels weren't made for this kind of thing. How could he imagine he could— do it?

It takes a while for Gabriel to notice that the origami monkey he'd kept on his desk (from that whole dessert shop fiasco) is gone. Across the city, Macaque thinks about crushing it, hesitates, tucks it into a shadowy corner of a shelf. And maybe he can imagine it was for him.

#light-imperfected #<- who the fuck is this #drabble #closed #for anyone eagerly awaiting the horrible love triangle i've set up for myself: tadaa #sorry im posting this on macaque's blog but it starts gabe pov lol

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wonderland-productions-blog · 1 month

Text

Knight in Dulled Armor: Ch. 11

Chapter 11: Unearthed

Word Count: ~6,000 words (~20 min read)

The middle of the night. Darkness fills my vision as my body adjusts to a new heat that wasn’t present when I’d gone to sleep. I widen my eyes, attempting to wake myself up to no avail. I let out a yawn, my now heavier blankets pressing their weight onto my body.

Morning light fills my room, I catch scattered light dancing on my walls before I turn over. I shimmy out from under my hefty blankets to feel something still pressing against me. A hefty, trunk-like arm is set on my waist, tucked against my sternum. I stare down at a large forest-tinted hand for a moment, piecing together what had happened. My heart was racing, my hands trembling as they brushed his. I set my hands on either side of his, preparing to move it without disturbing him and drawing attention to the situation. His fingers gently curl around my hand beneath his. At this moment, I could tell something was unearthed within me, shaken loose after being jammed into a crevice for far too long.

I weigh my options of giving in and falling asleep once more, hoping he would pull away when he soon realizes. This option is forcibly removed after a series of noise registers. I attempt to pry his hand off of me, growing impatient as I hear the tavern begin its morning. Several sets of footsteps made their way past the door, the sounds of music, banter, and clinking glass filling the building.

An impatient knock at the door serves as a warning of imminent entry rather than asking for permission. I shoot up, feeling the entire weight on the bed shift. I look beside me to see Val with an expression just as shocked as mine before a pillow quickly covers it. He stands up, now in only a thin set of short undergarments and bandages wrapping around his waist. Hidorah continues in, setting down a tray of food with a loud, “Good morning! Take it that you both slept well,” before leaving. The same smirk from last night plastered on his face.

I cross my arms, seeing the pillow over Val’s face lower as the door clicks shut. “How did I end up in your bed, Elaine?” He asks, apparently neither of us knowing.

I glare at him, finding his response unbelievable.

His eyes widen, and he seems to panic as he explains. “I’m serious, I don't remember! I only got up last night for…” He stalls. “For a drink. Hidorah was out there still, we chatted a bit, and he just kept pouring me more. Said it would help with the pain from the injury.” My anger fades to a look of confusion to press for more detail.

“I think he might have even helped me into the room. I must have just crashed…” Val says sheepishly.

Of course, I shake my head. I’m not surprised by Hidorah’s strange attempts to create drama in the workplace. Luckily I don’t think anyone who would care even without context saw or heard anything. I set the standing tray down on the floor near Val’s messy cot, who is already behind me making up the bed. Even with his injury, he’s still putting in the effort to help me clean up.

“Before we have breakfast, let's check your wound,” I say to him. He nods.

I cut away the bandages with an extra knife from the breakfast set, using what was available to me. “Any pain or changes in feeling?” I ask as I tear through the thin fabric.

“No, no pain at all since last night, actually.” He specifies, shrugging.

I unearth his wound, now a pale smooth scar sitting on his waist. It had healed almost completely overnight, wonderful news! Though it had scarred over, he stares at it with me, and he makes an effort to prod at it, stating there was no lasting pain even with contact.

We take turns leaving the room to allow each other to get dressed. Val still chose not to wear his full armor, opting for just his boots and helm with a new tunic and the same pants from yesterday. I throw on a simple dress, not having to work today, though I’ll be heading out to the main hall anyway. I decide against breakfast at the moment, but Val chooses to eat his while I take care of some important things.

It takes me a moment to find Marietta, and even longer to find a moment when she is available. I catch up to her at a table she is wiping down after a group had left. “Marietta!” I say, coming out giddier than expected. She turns to me with a withered expression, apparently the day had already taken enough out of her. I flash her a smile as she usually does for me on tough days at work to no avail.

I clear my throat, trying to punctuate a change in the mood. “Val’s wound is completely scarred over, you'll be happy to know. He even says there’s no pain.” I tell her, excited to share the news. I pull my hands down to the side, which had made their way around one another at my chest.

Marietta lets out a sigh as she speaks, “That’s great, Elaine. I’m glad to hear it.” her tone is dry and flat. This conversation isn’t going how I’d imagined it would in the slightest. Despite the hiccup, I press on. “As you know, I’ll be needing to discuss family issues soon with this… magic situation. I have no interest in being taken for ransom if I were to be caught unaccompanied in town, so I was wondering if you knew of any way to escort me.” I say to her.

“And how would you propose I do that?” She asks, beginning to attend to other chores after finishing the table.

“Well, I just figured with your ties we could maybe work something out…” I persist, following her through the dining hall.

“What ties are you referring to again exactly?” she asks, shooting me a confused expression.

“Familial ties, of course, I understand that your family has access to carriages and more than enough guards to keep us safe on the journey. It would certainly aid relations between Asteria and Aramoor and I could pay you personally afterwards.” I tell her, hoping that any of the mouthfuls I’d just said would revive our talk. Having my family’s support in political relations wasn’t life-changing by any means, but provided very solid ground when you needed a good word in for practically anything from exporting and trade to event invitations to legislation bias in Asteria.

“As much as I’d love to help you, Elaine, I cut ties with my family for a reason. There’s nothing I can do.” Marietta says, her tone crossing from flat to exasperated. She walks away from me, grabbing drinks from a table across the tavern.

I follow close behind, helping with what she couldn’t carry and taking a set of dirty plates from a vacant table. I work closely beside her, doing what I can to speed up the process of waiting for her to have another moment. “Okay, but you understand that this isn’t exactly low priority, right Marietta?” I ask, growing a bit weary of her shoving me off. She doesn’t respond to me, walking away once more.

“Marietta, Val said that ignoring this could put the tavern in danger.” I reason with her, unsure of why she is so upset with me.

I see her face scrunch for a moment while she buries herself in work, “We’ll just have to bet on it being fine since there’s nothing I can do.” She says through clenched teeth. She lowers her voice to a hush while walking away, “Or, if you’re so worried about it you could just leave.”

I let out a gasp, shocked that she would say something so hurtful toward me. A flood of emotions wash over me; surprise, sadness, then anger. I force a smile and cheery tone still trailing behind her, “It’s alright, I understand. I could always go with a plan that Val suggested. You were right about him being so caring when we first met and were discussing him.” It spews from my mouth, and I am shocked at my instinctual response.

I am no stranger to snide remarks. From an ‘accidental’ slip of my aunt's second husband’s name instead of her now fourth’s when she brings up my marital status, to when my sister mentions I am filling my dresses better and I mention how much better she’s gotten at finally matching her foundation to her neck’s color, I know how to walk a tightrope in conversation.

But this I am unfamiliar with. Marietta is not being passive-aggressive, nor curt, nor snide. She is livid. I see her eyes widen and her jaw drop as she grabs a broom. She speaks through gritted teeth once more, this time turning to make eye contact with me. “Listen, Elaine. You don’t deserve a free ride into Asteria. I thought we were friends but everything I’ve been hearing about last night has left me shaken.” Marietta says coldly.

I interrupt her at the first pause before hearing myself get chewed out, “Everything you’ve been hearing from where? Hidorah?” I wait a moment for a rhetorical answer. “Exactly. Everything you’ve heard was to stir you up, you know exactly how he is.”

“Not everything.” She growls at me, “I know exactly what Val’s plan was. Why would you say that? Was it not to stir me up?” She hisses out.

“I knew you were eavesdropping! Val suggested that plan while bleeding out, you know neither of us were genuinely considering it.” I scoff back.

“Just knowing that he thinks of you in such a way is aggravating, Elaine.” She snaps at me.

“So you’re not mad at me! You’re mad at him! I talked to Val about you, I never had any intentions of making you jealous, I’m sorry if I ended up doing so regardless.” I tell her, a hint of snarkiness presenting itself.

“I am upset with both of you, Elaine. It wasn’t your place to ask him about that. So many things that you’ve made decisions on weren’t yours to make. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that about you.” Marietta says in a cracked voice through budding tears. She sniffles, shooting me a glare, “And I am not jealous. I will never be jealous of you, Elaine.”.

Unbelievable. My perception of Marietta had changed drastically through one conversation. I felt so sick knowing she felt comfortable placing the blame on me; I didn’t drag Val onto my bed last night, nor did I even engage with his proposal. What I found out about Val and Marietta cleared the air for them in the future. She was risking the lives of everyone in the tavern out of her own petty jealousy, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Val and I are nothing more than friends, if she can’t see that it’s her own problem. I’m not interested in Val, right?

My mind is pulled from the topic when Hidorah approaches me in the corner. I take a step toward the bar, bringing myself out of the dimly lit corner I’d drawn out dusting.

I unclench my fists and pull my lips to a smile with a muted huff.

“Nah, it's alright; that corner is the best for brooding anyway,” Hidorah says while hopping onto a seat at the bar.

I roll my eyes, taking a seat beside him regardless. “Can you believe that?” I sigh.

“Hm?” He raises his brows, a small smile on his face. I can’t tell if he’s playing dumb or not.

“She’s making this difficult on purpose, you see that,”

“I mean, dramatic maybe. But difficult, no.” “It’s just as difficult for you to ask her as it is for her to ask her family,”

“Honestly takes a while for me to get tired of talking, but I guess a few words is too much effort for either of you.” He chuckles and takes a drink. He stares down as his glass clinks on the countertop.

I scoff, once again reminded why I don’t approach Hidorah with certain matters. My nose crunches up, and I stare at him. I say nothing, folding my arms beneath my chest. He glances over, and I see him swallow.

“You have no sense of humor I swear,” he sighs.

“Look, things aren’t as simple as they seem. I’ll leave it at this. You ran away, essentially missing overnight. Marietta broke away. Tumultuous and drawn out over days, weeks. Before she left, her family knew every reason they failed her. They knew she ran away, they were looking for accomplices and to bring her back home. Not find out what happened, like your parents are wondering now. Asking her to reconcile for a favor isn’t a small ask,”

“But what other option do I have, Hidorah?” I plead, my voice strained and wispy.

“We’re going to figure something out, it just might be harder than expected.” He reasons.

“I could find a trustworthy carriage after work tonight if I scour enough, or look into bodyguards for hire, or other methods of transportation.”

“But when though?” I ask.

“That’s the thing, if you want it to be soon we’d have to leave tomorrow since I don’t get much time off this week.” He shrugs.

“We’d arrive in two days, early morning though. First day of this weekend.”

“Wait, the first day. Of this weekend? Is there any way we could delay it? Even a little?” I ask, trying to suppress the panic in my voice.

“I’m afraid not, I can’t miss an extra day of work. My schedule is pretty tight, it's a miracle I’m able to have these few days off anyway.” Hidorah says with a shrug. He pauses for a moment, furrowing his brow. “Why would you want to delay it anyway? You have a date with Val or something?” He says in a snarky tone.

“Hidorah, would you be offended if I told you that half of everything you say annoys me?” I sigh.

“I’d be offended if it were only half, Elaine. I’ll consider that a challenge.” He laughs.

“Please don’t.” I groan, getting up from the bar. I let out a sigh, my breath already rattling, “Since it’s urgent, I suppose I’ll have to take the soonest trip. Let me know when you’re ready to leave and I’ll pack a few things and let people know.” I tell him, my face now twisted into an obviously stressed expression regardless of any attempt to hide it.

“Okay, okay. You’re making that face again. What’s going on with you now?” Hidorah asks.

A small sigh escapes me, “I-I…” a breath escapes my lungs, “I just don’t know if I’m ready to go back to Asteria just yet.” My heart aches for a moment just thinking of the possibilities that come with returning, “I understand that it is urgent, but it feels…” I look up and blink away the hot tears blurring my vision.

“Okay, alright, I’ll take a couple of days off in a week or so,” Hidorah says, pressing a sturdy bony hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be fine, I’m not going to rush you. We should be fine for now, it’ll be a while until they’re able to find the tavern. I mean, look around, We’re in the middle of the desert.”

My tears slowly drain, coming to a stop after hearing this. I let out a chuckle, “Hidorah, I love how much I don’t have to explain because you eavesdrop so much.”

Hidorah nods, “That’s great, but you have to stop ducking me about Val. What’s going on with you two? I mean, it's not often that friends spend the night in the same bed, you know.”

“Hidorah, I think you know why Val woke up in my bed. You shouldn’t have let him drink, especially because of his wounds. You know there’s nothing going on between us and I’m growing tired of you trying to make something out of it. Val isn’t exactly my type of man, I’d prefer someone who is sophisticated and, well, not socially inept.” I say in a hushed tone toward the end of my rant.

“Well, I mean, you two make quite a pair. Your ‘social expertise’ and ‘eloquent nature’ don’t exactly shine through the first time either of you speak to strangers.”

I feel my face instantly scrunch up. I try to subdue my taken offense, managing to pull my face to a less grotesque expression only after the fact.

Hidorah belts out a roar of a laugh, “Wow. You two are just… so awkward. This is great.” he stands up and begins walking back to the kitchen to resume work. He turns back to me before fully exiting the room, “I bet he likes you.” he mouths, his eyes darting over to the side of the room.

I glance in that direction to see Val standing in the corner beside my open door. His forearm was braced level with his head against the wall he leaned on. His helm tilts slightly down as he looks at me. The black helm contrasted with his fresh white bandages wrapped around his waist. The white shirt he’d put on had been tied above the waist, and he’d managed to put on some pants clinging low on his hips cropped at his mid-calf. For a moment they looked familiar, creme-colored, and with a smooth satin-like texture. Those were mine, though they didn’t fit remotely similarly on us.

He gives me a little wave, wiggling his fingers independently at me, almost excited. I take a few steps over to him, dusting my dress off and fixing my hair a bit out of instinct. “Um, hello. What brings you out here?” I ask him, attempting to keep my eyes above his shoulders. My eyes seemed to want to wander to his wound, though I deemed it impolite.

“I heard Hidorah laughing loudly, I came to make sure he wasn’t about to get himself into a fight,” Val explained.

“Good instincts; maybe if I’d had a broom or bottle in my hands at the time it would have been a different story.” I chuckle. “Why would Hidorah ever laugh at you?” Val says with a tone too serious for the conversation.

I begin to fidget with my fingers and look away for a moment, “I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s just aggravating sometimes.”

“I can understand that, believe me,” he says, pushing an imaginary lock of hair behind his shoulder before placing his hand on the back of his helm. Val glances back toward the kitchen for a moment before bending over a bit to meet my gaze. With a wall sconce just behind me, I could see his eyes peek through his helm. “I’m sure I could still take him, even with my injury,” Val whispers to me lightheartedly, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

I shake away a set of nervousness that came from the lack of space between us,

“I was trying to make plans with Marietta to leave for Asteria, but things… fell through,” a breath escapes me. “Anyway, because I need to speak to my parents about this, Hidorah offered a backup plan. It’s just sudden and-” I tell Val, trying to maintain eye contact.

“Oh, Elaine. You don’t need to do that, I would take you in a heartbeat,” he says, his eyes drifting down for a moment.

“Val, I wouldn’t want to put you through that in your condition I-”

Val cuts me off with a swift motion, grabbing my hand from my side, “Elaine, I don’t care about my condition, I’m fine. If you need a ride into Asteria I feel like I would be the perfect candidate, am I wr-”

I stop him, putting a bit of pressure on his wound beneath his bandages with the palm of my hand. A shallow, wispy breath escapes his mouth. He places his hand over mine on his waist. “I see you’ve… made your point,” Val says, then clearing his throat.

I cock my head, giving him a small smile, “I’m sorry. Just give yourself a little more time to heal, Val.”

A small part of me didn’t want to tell him I wouldn’t be leaving yet, though it was a part of me that was quickly growing.

I slip my hand out from beneath his, pulling away to head back to my room. He follows me in, taking a spot by the window. I look back at the pants Val had taken from me, a bit tight in the back on him, I now noticed.

He turns back toward me as if he felt my eyes on him. He takes off his helmet, placing it at his side underneath his arm. “You’re not getting these back, you know. I’ve grown to like them too much. Separating us would be a… a travesty.” Val laughs, tugging at the waistband and letting it snap back into place. Every time he smiled all my eyes could focus on was the small glint of light on his jutted canines.

“I would offer you a trade but I don’t think my blood-stained clothes would be very appealing.” Val continues.

“You know laundry is a large part of my job, it wouldn’t take much to wash them,” I say without questioning if I actually wanted them.

He grabs his gray shirt tucked away in the corner of the room, offering it to me. “Here, I doubt my pants would fit you but you could wear this as a tunic once it’s washed and sewn,” Val explains.

I take it, feeling it in my hands. My fingers graze a stiff spot, some of the dried blood now thickly crusted on. A shaky breath emerges from me with a look of disgust on my face for a brief moment before I wipe it away. “Thank you,” I tell him, glancing up in his direction. “I’d better wash this before I head out,” I continue, ready to leave the room. I say this with ‘ out’ being the room to me, rather than away from the tavern itself. A shady feeling eased its way into me, bringing a smirk to my lips.

“Um, Elaine?” breaks the silence of the room. Val grabs my hand once more, his leather gloves now on the bedside table. I look at my hand in his. Long, thick fingers enveloped mine in a cloud of warmth despite their rough, callused feel. Scars dotted his knuckles and his nails were rounded and short. I look up to realize his eyes were ready to meet mine. Something about this drew me in, froze me. Something prevents me from even looking away, let alone pulling away from him entirely.

Every time Val comes close to me I am plagued with an overwhelming feeling that I cannot name. At first, I thought it was terror. Something almost primordial deep in my core causing me to tremble under his gaze. Something that made the air in my lungs thin and my hair stand on end the closer he grows. Now, I’m sure that isn’t it. To be instinctively afraid of the person who plucked me from death was a shameful burden to bear all this time here. But this instead could be so much more.

I’d given myself more time to think than I'd preferred, finally breaking the silence we hadn’t realized we held. “What do you need, Val?” I ask sincerely.

He runs his fingers through his hair with the hand not intertwined with mine, “Um,” he stalls, turning his attention back to my hand. “How… did you hurt your finger?” he finishes.

My brows furrow, and I take a look at my hand now fully visible resting on his palm. There was a small goldish bruise on one of my knuckles of an unknown origin. “I don’t know, actually. I must have nicked it on something without realizing.” I explain, giving him a shrug.

“Oh, well, be careful. Don’t go getting yourself hurt.” He said, his low voice rippling through me.

“Ironic of you to be saying that,” I chuckle, settling at the door. I take Val’s shirt with me, deciding to wash it before I busy myself with anything else. I step out of the room, stopping at a small shelf a little down the wall to pick up laundry necessities. I hear a door click shut as I pick up a cleaner to take with me. I start to make my way outside, hoping for any part of my day to be easy. Sadly, I am met with Hidorah approaching me once more and am stopped just outside my room.

Hidorah goes to speak, that mocking grin of his practically ingrained behind my eyelids. A deep sigh is heard just beyond my door. I gesture a finger to my lips, though Hidorah is the first to inch closer to my door, each of us desperate to remember which floorboards creaked.

The voice continued, “Will you sp-” Val cuts himself off with a sigh, “Come on, it’s not hard. Will. you.” He says, enunciating each word before taking a pause.

Hidorah begins to lean on me while trying to get closer. I shove him off, deciding not to eavesdrop any longer. He grabs me by my collar, whispering in a shocked tone, “Don’t you want to hear what he’s talking about?”

“Not really. It’s none of my business.” I hiss at him in a hushed tone.

“What if it really isn’t any of your business though?” He asks.

“What do you mean, you absolute jester?” I scoff at him, prying his hands off my shirt.

“You just left! I heard the door shut! I haven’t seen Marietta in a while!” He whispers, panicking enough to scatter what was left of his brain.

“Well, then it’s still none of my business. I need to go! I will talk to you later,” I say, getting up to leave. I see Hidorah inch his way further to the door, nearly pressing his ear to it. I scoff, rolling my eyes.

I will admit that my disinterest in the topic was largely based on a fear of being caught, with a slightly smaller portion being dedicated to not wanting to invade Val’s privacy. However, a thought lay buried just beneath these feelings; the thought that maybe I didn’t want to know.

I finally head outside and begin washing the blood-soaked shirt, quickly realizing there would be a permanent set stain on the side. I let out a groan, deciding to let it sit in the tub for a bit. I begrudgingly head back into the tavern, slamming my hands down onto the bar counter, seeing Kenrik turn toward me. “Do you have anything that will dye clothes?” I ask, trying my best to prolong the lifespan of this shirt.

Kenrik ducks down beneath the counter for only a second before carefully retrieving a small wooden bowl. It contained a fine, dark-pigmented powder piled up to the center of the bowl. “What else do you have under that table, old man?” I question, having never seen that every time I’d gotten something out from under the counter before.

“A pay cut if you keep up that attitude,” Kenrik says.

I apologize and take the powder outside with me. I sift a bit of it into the shallow water and begin churning the shirt with a small, sanded wooden rod I’d grabbed inside. The color quickly saturates the wood, staining it with a dark tint. Once fully incorporated, I hang the shirt up on the porch in the dry, sunny heat. I dump my wash bucket water and place the bucket back at the side of the building.

Honestly, a gathering stitch wouldn’t take long to do and this task wasn’t proving to be as difficult as anticipated. I’ve simply felt a bit overwhelmed lately is all. It’s not as if I were expecting to stay here indefinitely, but I wish the callback home wasn't this urgent.

If everything goes as well as it possibly could, my family would understand my choice to aid political factions in other ways than marriage. In terms of education alone I’m far from incompetent in the subject.

I step back onto the porch of the tavern, picking at and gradually smoothing over the shirt I’d left out to dry. I feel myself slip back into my train of thought, though I didn’t enjoy doing this when my hands weren’t occupied. I lay my chest on the porch fencing, feeling a sigh escape me.

In my family, the aspects I outshine others in are those that are boiled away, leaving nothing but a smoldering, blackened clump of what remains to showcase to others. The most I can hope for is the chance to return when I’m ready and maintain the relationships I’ve made here. I push my mind away from the worst scenario after I arrive in Asteria.

I head back inside, trying to find things to do while waiting for the shirt to dry, still desperately hoping I wasn’t forgetting something important. I take a few steps toward my room, noticing Hidorah coming toward me a bit fast. I attempt to take a step to his side to no avail, his attention had been diverted toward something else. We’d bumped into one another, something spilling out of his hands before quickly scooping it back up. From the glance I’d gotten, it seemed to be a gauze or bandage of some kind. He hurries off and I continue to my room.

I step inside, still prolonging my return to work. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to work, but rather that I didn’t want to see Marietta again. It was a bad idea to continue rocking the boat with her, and I wanted to fix this, just not now. A jarring voice pulls my chin up.

“Hello, Elaine,” I hadn’t noticed Val still in my room, tucked away in the corner of my bed with the book in his lap. He hadn’t looked up from the book to greet me, and I could see that he was immersed. I decide to sit down, feeling as though I could use the time to sit and check on him one more time. I sit down beside him, ready to ask how his wounds were feeling. To my surprise, Val breaks the silence first, sharing a few notable facts I’d mostly already known about elven nations that he’d picked up from reading so far.

The thought of Val traveling around every city and community for miles aside from Braiewood was bizarre, though I wasn’t going to pry into why he hadn’t been. My memory grazes the comment a cook had made while I was in the city.

“So… are you leaving soon, Elaine?” Val asks, noticing how quiet I’d been.

Quickly finding myself in a bind, I decide to tell him; “Actually, I don’t think I’m ready to leave for Asteria just yet…” I say, trailing off before finishing my next thought.

“Do you not have your bags packed yet? It shouldn’t take long to pack them, you know. I could help if you’d like.” Val offers. Despite having the best intentions, it was awkward to see that he didn’t fully understand what I meant.

“I could have my bags packed by now, it’s just that I’m…” I’m forced to a stop. Scared? Was I scared to return to my family, or was I mistaking this feeling for something else? Perhaps I could be misconstruing my anxious feelings as fear. With no better option, I decide on this.

I let out a sigh, abandoning the idea completely. “You don’t think my family will track down the tavern within the next week or so, do you?”

“No, no. The tavern is a difficult place to find unless you know where you’re going. You should be okay here for a while.” Val responds. We are silent for a moment before he decides to speak once more, “Elaine, why don’t you want to return home?”

A series of stutters escape me, though nothing is said. “I’m going to go check on my laundry,” I tell him, getting up. I give him a smile and a small wave before I try to step away.

Val grabs my hand, heat still managing to radiate from beneath his thin leather glove. He stands up, taking a slow step toward me. It was both jarring and relieving to see movement that didn’t cause him pain. “You can’t keep avoiding this, Elaine.”

A shudder ripples through my body as he says my name. A clatter along the wooden plank floorboards draws my attention away for a moment. His helm now sat between our feet.

“Especially when all it takes to keep you around is this,” he continues, gesturing with my hand still in his. If I hadn’t felt him move our hands, I wouldn’t have known. Nothing could tear my gaze from his. My face flushes as I realize he was entirely right. This was all it took to keep me in his grasp. I could break free at any moment, but wouldn’t.

“I know you want to talk about it, you wouldn’t stay if you didn’t want to,” he says, setting my hand down at my side.

My fingers slowly slide down his palm, not wanting to separate from the warmth he provides. Far too soon, our hands are divided once more.

I let out a sigh, a pained expression slowly invading my countenance. Regardless of how much I wanted to be able to look away, I couldn’t. Every aspect of his being captivated me entirely.

“I’ll ask you again; do you want to talk about it?” His cerulean eyes sunk into me and permeated my mind. He brushes a stray lock of hair behind his pointed ear and moves his hand onto my shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Where do I even begin?” I sigh, allowing my eyes to carry the heaviness I’d been suppressing.

“Well, let’s start with why you want to wait to leave.” He says.

“It’s… A lot of reasons, I suppose.” I say, my breath ragged between words. “But I think I’m mainly concerned that if I were to leave now, I’d never be able to return here again. And you see, in two days, which is when I’d be arriving back in Asteria, it is Eliza’s birthday.” I explain. My arms cross, suddenly feeling an intense need for warmth.

“Eliza?” Val asks.

“Mhm, my sister,” I reply.

“The one who’s going to be married in your place if you don’t go back?” He tries to confirm.

“Oh, you remember. Well, yes.”

“I see, that would cause quite a few issues, wouldn’t it?” Val asks.

“So many issues,” I sigh, “If I return before the wedding, then I’ll be forced back into marriage. And there is going to be a celebration for her birthday as well, there would be crowds of people to push through and I would surely draw attention to myself.”

“And if you were to return on Eliza’s birthday it would probably worsen your relationship with her, right? It could ruin the celebration and your return could overshadow everything.”

“I hadn’t even thought about that aspect, but you’re right. I knew that things would be worse between Eliza and me when I left because I’d be leaving her to be married.”

“So, you said you might leave in about a week?” Val asks.

“Or so, yes. I figured I could stay until both Eliza’s birthday is over and she was wed, then I would return home.”

“What’s next for you afterward?” he asks, pressing for more details, though I didn’t mind.

“After I return home? Well, I… I’ve only ever planned to be a wife and homemaker after I was set to be wed. Now that I know I’ve escaped that life, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“What would you like to do?”

I bite at the inside of my cheek, letting out an, “mmm,” that I didn’t mean to.

“Not sure yet?” Val asks.

“It’s just been a while since I’ve actually pursued my interests is all. When I was arranged into marriage I scrapped all my other plans for a future.” I tell him, a bit embarrassed.

“You don’t need to know at this very moment, you can continue working at the tavern until you leave and once you return,” Val explains, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I glance back up at him, giving a small nod. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders, it felt wonderful to know that I still had time to figure things out. I’d just been thrown into a new life, I shouldn’t have expected things to be easy. A ragged sigh escapes me, and I throw my arms around Val. I lay my head on his chest, feeling a couple of tears escape.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” I tell him. I wasn’t often a touchy person or someone who showed much affection in general, but when I decided to show it, it felt good.

Slowly, I feel a pair of hands wrap around my back and pull me into a closer embrace. A hand reaches higher, gently stroking my hair. I pull away, looking up at Val. I expected his smile to mirror mine, but to my surprise there was none. Instead, his eyes were wide. His cheeks now held a dark green coloration, just barely deeper than his normal skin’s hue.

“I better get back to work,” I tell him, feeling much better than I had been before.

Val swallows, and seems to snap back into the moment. “Have fun, do you mind if I keep reading in here?” Val asks.

“Of course, stay as long as you’d like. I’ll check up on how your wound is healing soon as well,” I tell him. I stare at an apron of mine across the room hanging by its drawstring. While I’m not scheduled, things are falling behind in the tavern today so I feel compelled to help set things back in order.

“Goodbye, Elaine. I’ll see you later,” He says.

And with that, I leave. I emerge from the safety of my room into my bustling work life with my apron clenched in my fist.

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