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yelena-bellova · 1 year

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Twenty Years Later: Joel Miller x F!Reader - Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen: Violent Innocence

Plot: A separated Joel and Y/n work different angles to try and best David and his men.

Word Count: 6.8k

Warnings: canon-typical violence, implied attempted SA, insinuated abuse, c*nnibalism, knives, guns, blood, wounds, language, loss of a child, ptsd, (16+)

A/N: This was a hard, hard chapter to get through, guys. If the quality of my writing isn’t up to its regular standard, it’s because it was truly emotionally taxing to write. I’ve also left out descriptions of certain events/discoveries/dialogue in an effort to keep the 16+ rating.

As always, this series is 16+ and I will not be adding anyone to the taglist who does not have their age/range in their bio. Gotta look out for younger eyes 👀

I advise everyone to take a breather, or just skip to the end of the chapter, if it’s too much to handle. Ep.8 was traumatizing and I don’t fault anyone for not wanting to put themselves through it again. I’m so looking forward to finishing out this series with y’all and the finale tonight. Thank you thank you thank you for your constant support and encouragement ☀️

——————

Unlike the movies, where the main character on the verge of death is miraculously returned to the living, Joel did not wake with a start. Still lost in the haze of blood loss, hunger and medicinal side effects, his eyes hurt to open. He registered the room, remembering being dragged down a flight of stairs and falling into a mattress.

One memory dripped down before the flood unleashed.

Ellie and Y/n.

Stay awake.

Men coming.

Leading them away.

Kill them.

The footsteps on the floor above startled Joel, the ticking clock and the realization that Ellie and Y/n were gone motivated him to roll off the bed. He stifled a groan, hurrying to his feet, clutching the knife that Ellie had placed in his palm. He wobbled his way to the rear of the room, falling against a water heater that could conceal him.

Joel listened for the footsteps over the blood pounding in his ears.

They crept through the room.

He waited…until the man finally passed the heater.

Joel couldn’t have possibly known that it was the same man who, five minutes before, had clubbed Y/n and ordered David’s men to shoot her and Ellie. But he slashed his knife through him as if he’d watched it happen.

After wrestling the man to the ground and assuring that he was dead, Joel rolled off him, wheezing for breath. He tried to gather his thoughts on his back. There were more men, all looking for him, Y/n and Ellie. They weren’t back yet, which meant they’d either been kidnapped or killed. Most likely kidnapped, so long as Ellie’s bite wound hadn’t been visible. Tortured, maybe, or worse.

Joel inhaled as deep as he could and began to drag his body across the floor towards the stairs. Towards his girls.

—————————

Y/n leaned her head back against the concrete wall, wondering why the fuck there was a cage inside a kitchen.

She’d carried Ellie into it, the butt of David’s follower’s rifles pressing into her back as they forced her in. They’d both been stripped of their winter coats and weapons. She had yet to get any answers as to why they wanted them there or what they were planning to do to them. Ellie hadn’t woken up, leaving Y/n on her own to try every conceivable possibility to escape. None had succeeded.

David entered then, finally gracing Y/n with his holy presence. He pulled up a seat across from the cage, smiling politely.

“How is she?”

Y/n turned her head, indignant at the fact that David’s men had shot at them, caused Ellie’s injuries, and yet he had the nerve to inquire about her wellbeing.

David tried a different approach, “I know this all must be a bit strange…”

Y/n bristled, “I lived in Texas, I’ve seen a lot weird shit, but, uh,” Y/n took a look at her surroundings, “Yeah, a jail cell next to a butcher’s block is an unusual feature.”

“We only use it when necessary,” David held up two innocent hands, “I’d love to explain our community more to you, but it’d be nice to know your name first.”

“Beyonce,” Y/n answered without hesitation.

The preacher chuckled under his breath, “You’re very quick. Stepping in to portect your daughter, your…what, your husband? Boyfriend?”

Y/n had been interrogated so many times, had sustained so many injuries in FEDRA lockup, that there weren’t many tactics that could work on her. David trying to get a feel for her and Joel’s relationship was a waste of breath.

He sighed, tapping his hands against his knees in wait. “You know we’re not here to hurt you,” he said softly.

“Gee, I wonder where I would have gotten that idea,” Y/n retorted, “What with my fucking head splitting and my kid unconscious on the floor.”

“An unfortunate turn of events, yes,” David corrected her, “But we’re protective of our own. You can understand that, can’t you?”

Y/n didn’t move a muscle, staring David down, “Oh, yeah. We’re one and the same there,” she cracked a smile, vengeance practically dripping from her lips, “And that should scare you.”

David, however, only found her threats mildly amusing. He exhaled with a small laugh, Y/n rather preferred being underestimated. It caused people to leave their weak spots exposed. She was sure if she looked hard enough, she could find David’s.

Beside her, Ellie finally began to stir, drawing Y/n’s attention. She scurried to place her hands on Ellie’s back, helping the girl to sit up.

“Me and your mother were starting to worry you wouldn’t wake up,” David said.

Ellie’s vision was blurry and her entire body hurt, her words didn’t carry their usual edge as she told David, “Let us out.”

“Well, that’s certainly the goal,” David nodded, “Hungry?”

“Why are we in a cage?” Ellie hazily took in their surroundings.

“Because I’m afraid of you,” David gave the same calm smile he’d given Y/n, “You’re a dangerous person. You’ve certainly proven that. The others want me to kill you two for what’s happened.”

Y/n held Ellie steady as she got to her knees, neither of them particularly alarmed by David’s words.

He leaned forward, “Did you hear me say the others wanna kill you?”

“Yeah,” Ellie breathed.

“But I stopped them.”

“Fuck you,” Ellie said on behalf of both her and Y/n.

“Why don’t we just start with your name?” David asked once more.

Ellie didn’t miss a beat, “Eat shit.”

“Hey,” David’s voice rose, “Listen to me!”

As he got to his feet, Y/n did as well, coming to meet him at the cage wall as Ellie scurried to the far end of their prison. Y/n wanted to rip into him purely for startling the girl.

“You can’t survive on your own,” David continued, his eyes looking past Y/n to land on Ellie, “No one can. But I can help you,” his gaze finally flicked up, “Let me protect you two.”

“We don’t need your help or your protection,” Y/n enunciated every word clearly.

“And we’re not on our own,” Ellie added from behind Y/n.

David nodded, “Right. Your friend,” his face changed to accommodate faux concern one might use on a child, “And how is he?”

Behind her eyes, Y/n’s mind flicked to Joel, beads of sweat around his temples, breathing so frighteningly shallow, his tan skin deathly pale. She couldn’t admit to the fear pooling in her belly that against David’s men, Joel might have lost the fight.

“I can see how much you care about him, so I know it hurts,” David continued, l having broken Y/n and Ellie’s first line of defense, “But even so…you gotta face reality.”

David turned and began to circle the cage. Ellie and Y/n moved as one, Ellie crawling in the opposite direction and Y/n standing in front of her as a shield.

“That part of your lives, it’s ending,” David went on, finally stopping on the other end of the cage, “And what I’m offering you is a beginning. But if you can’t find a way to trust me, then yes,” his eyes scanned Ellie, “You are alone.”

Without another word, David walked off through a door in the kitchen, leaving Y/n and Ellie to themselves.

Y/n was on her knees immediately, holding Ellie’s face in her hands and checking her head.

“Definitely got your bell rung,” Y/n lightly ran a finger over the pink bruise at Ellie’s hairline.

“What the fuck do we do?” Ellie asked, unconcerned about her injuries.

“I’m trying to figure that out,” Y/n replied, stroking a quick hand over Ellie’s hair, “I’ve already tried to window up there,” she pointed to a small pane of glass above them, “I can’t break it. Guns are over there in the corner,” she gestured to the edge of the room. And I can’t-“

Y/n was cut off by Ellie, throwing her arms around her body. The girl pressed the side of her face into Y/n’s chest, her short breaths warming Y/n’s skin through her layers.

Of all the horrible memories Y/n carried from September 26th, 2003, there was one in particular that lived in her chest every second of every day. As she had clutched Sarah in her arms, with Joel trying to assess her mortal injuries, Sarah had tried desperately to speak. Her lips pressed together, only able to make a humming sound. Y/n had shushed her, telling her that it was okay, she was okay, they’d all be okay…and that had been the last of it.

Whatever Sarah had needed to say died on her lips, but lived on in Y/n’s mind. She had spent so long, playing the memory back, watching the girl’s mouth, listening to the buzz in her throat, unable to rest until she knew what she’d wanted to say in her final minutes.

It took her one year to figure it out, and twenty to accept.

Mom.

Y/n had failed Sarah just as Joel felt he had failed. She’d spent the last two decades telling herself she could have jumped in front of them, she could have yanked Sarah out of Joel’s arms, she could have attacked the guard…all things her brain knew there hadn’t been enough time for, but guilt and logic never agreed on anything. Y/n had begged God, the skies, the earth, the universe, anyone, for a second chance. For some miraculous, mind-bending turn of events to send her back to that day and save her daughter.

And as she cradled Ellie in her arms, pressing a kiss to the girl’s head, she knew her second chance lay not in the past, but in the future.

“We’re gonna get out of this,” Y/n said, speaking with a strength she hadn’t in twenty years, “I promise.”

David was right about one thing, they had to face reality.

Joel wasn’t coming to save them.

They were on their own.

And Y/n would be damned if she failed to save someone she loved again.

————————————

Joel had tried to keep his violent side hidden from both Ellie and Y/n during their time together. He’d slipped with the FEDRA guard in Boston, remembering the terror in Y/n’s eyes as she’d watched him beat the young man to death. Whether or not he knew it, he’d tried from that moment on to be better.

But now, with their lives at stake, Joel didn’t care about better.

Every punch he drove into the raider’s face he had tied to the chair was pure rage, the only thing strong enough to keep him upright. The pleas of the bloody pulp of a man fell on deaf ears.

“Stop…stop, please…”

Joel rammed his fist against his cheek once more, silencing him.

“Leave him alone,” the raider who Joel had yet to touch urged from the other side of the room.

“You’re next,” Joel muttered, withdrawing the knife from his belt with a spine-tingling smirk.

“Please,” the man he’d been hitting begged, “I don’t know any girls.”

Joel was a human lie detector, having seen both the best and worst of humanity. He didn’t have to second guess whether it was the right decision to drive his knife into the man’s knee.

“Marco,” the guy tried to call, his voice strained from his screams of pain.

“No-no, no-no-no,” Joel cooed, his soft tone contrasting the roughness in which he pulled the man by his hair, “He can’t help you. You focus right here. Or I’ll pop your fuckin’ kneecap off.”

The man’s breath trembled as Joel gripped him, knowing that betraying David came at its own cost. “They’re alive,” he admitted.

The hope spread through Joel, but it couldn’t outmatch the anger that doubled at the thought of Y/n and Ellie being held and tortured. “Where?”

When Joel didn’t get his answer quick enough, he reached down and twisted the knife in the man’s leg.

“Ah! Fuck,” he squealed, “Fuck! Ah! The town!”

“WHAT TOWN?!” Joel screamed into his face.

“Silver Lake,” the man panted, wincing after.

Joel reached into his pocket, taking out his map and unfolding it.

“It’s not a real town name,” his victim said, his speech slow from the ache in his jaw, “It’s a resort.”

Now that was a word Joel hadn’t heard in a long time, “A resort?”

Feeling each precious second that Y/n and Ellie were still breathing slipping away, Joel removed his knife from the man’s leg and forced his mouth open, slipping the handle in. “You’re gonna point to where we are,” he held up the map towards the guy’s head, “And where your resort is. And it better be the exact same spot your buddy points to.”

Joel had a death grip on his hair, pressing their foreheads together and feeling his near-attacker’s body tremble with fear. Trying his best, the man aimed the blade at the map, pinpointing their location. Fear could always deliver results.

Joel sat back, examining the drip of blood that served as a marker. His body ached with exhaustion, but his chest felt the same pain it had for the last three months. The kind that was usually a precursor his panic attacks, except now, adrenaline was all that followed.

“That’s where we are,” the man whimpered, “I swear. Go ask him, he’ll tell you. I’m not lying.”

There had never been a question as to whether or not Joel would show mercy. These men had seen Ellie and Y/n, knew where they were being kept, they might have even laid hands on them.

Joel slid the blade into the man’s chest without a second thought.

Marco unleashed a string of expletives as Joel caught his breath.

“Why the fuck did you do that? He told you what you wanted,” Marco whined.

Joel took clumsy steps across the room, reaching for the lead pipe Marco had carried in with him that now lay across the couch.

“You motherfucker, fuck you,” Marco spat as Joel strode towards him, “I ain’t tellin’ you shit.”

“It’s okay,” Joel nodded empathetically, calling on the same disarming tactics he had in his days as a raider, “I believe him.”

In that moment, Joel wasn’t a monster.

He wasn’t the villain.

He was a father and a husband.

And he brought the pipe down with all the fury one could possess.

—————————

Ellie was relentless.

“El,” Y/n insisted as the girl continued to try and pick the lock, “I already tried that.”

“Well, maybe you didn’t try hard enough,” Ellie replied as she tugged on it.

“Yes, ‘cause this is just so pleasant,” Y/n spread her arms out to the cage, “Look, we’re not getting out of here like that. We’ve gotta wait for him to slip up.”

Ellie looked over her shoulder, “What do you mean?”

“He thinks we’re two little lost lambs or sheep or whatever, all alone without anyone to protect us,” Y/n explained, “We’ve gotta wait for the exact right moment when he fucks up and gives us an opportunity.”

“Okay,” Ellie nodded before quickly turning back to the lock.

Y/n slapped her hands against her legs, “I just gave you the plan.”

“I thought I felt it jiggle,” Ellie insisted, shaking the lock a few more times before coming to a sudden stop and stumbling backwards towards Y/n.

Y/n caught her in confusion, “What?”

She followed Ellie’s line of vision across the room to the chopping block, falling south to the floor. Y/n’s stomach turned at the sight…

An ear.

An actual fucking ear.

In all his perfect timing, David entered just then, carrying a tray and sliding it under the cage walls. Two bowls of soup and a cup of water.

David followed Ellie and Y/n’s eyes down to the butcher’s block, frowning when he realized what they were looking. “For what it’s worth,” he gestured to the bowls, “This is just deer meat, I swear.”

Ellie and Y/n were separately connecting all the dots of why they were being held where they were. They could have been trapped anywhere in the town, their weapons stripped from them and beaten into submission. This was a purposeful choice.

“You’re going to chop us into little pieces,” Ellie stated.

“I’d rather not,” David answered, “Please, just tell me your names.”

Y/n forced herself to exhale, wondering how the hell he could be so focused on a trivial detail.

“If you wanna judge me-“ David shrugged.

“Judge you?” Ellie raised her voice to a scream, surging forward to grab the metal bars, “You’re eating people, you sick fuck!”

She kicked the tray across the floor, it landed under the chopping block. David backed away from her anger.

“Yes,” David replied, “There are only a few of us who know. But I would’ve told you, sooner or later. I guess sooner.”

“You’re a fucking animal,” Y/n seethed, finally finding the strength to speak.

“Well, yes, we all are,” David said, his sociopathic calm tone beginning to worry both Y/n and Ellie, “That’s sorta of the point,” he took in Ellie’s disgust, “It was a last resort. You think it doesn’t shame me? But what was I supposed to do? Let them starve? These people who put their lives in my hands, w-who expect me to keep them save, who love me?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Ellie shot back.

“You don’t believe that,” David shook his head, “I don’t think your friend would either. Didn’t he take another man’s life to save yours?”

“Your men fucking attacked us,” Y/n added, her tone sharp.

“He was defending himself,” Ellie replied.

“He was defending you and your mother,” David corrected, even though he was calling on Y/n, his eyes were locked on Ellie’s, “But you knew that. You see a lot. So do I. And you know what I see when I look at you?”

Y/n watched the conversation in wait, it was beginning to alarm her that he was focusing all his attention on Ellie.

“Me,” he continued, “You remind me of me. You’re a natural leader, smart…loyal. Violent.”

Ellie froze at his words, while Y/n took a step forward.

“Keep going and you’ll see how violent I can be,” she threatened.

“Now, see, your mother,” David gestured to Y/n but never once looked at her, “She is deeply afraid, faking her confidence with threats. But that’s not who she actually is. I could unlock this door, hand her her gun, and she still might not be able to do what she needs to to protect you.”

Y/n’s nostrils flared at the assumption that she wouldn’t break his neck to save Ellie.

“But you, on the other hand…” David continued speaking to Ellie, “If I let you out of that cage right now, put that knife of yours in your hand, you’d stick me in a second. You have a violent heart. And I should know…” David took slow steps towards the cage, his eyes alight, “I’ve always had a violent heart. And I struggled with it for a long time. But then the world ended and I was shown the truth.”

“Right…” Ellie muttered, “By God.”

“No,” David breathed, “By Cordyceps. What does Cordyceps do? Is it evil? No. It’s fruitful. It multiplies. It feeds and protects its children, and it secures its future with violence, if it must. It loves.”

Y/n’s blood heated to a boil, her cheeks warming with rage. Cordyceps had taken everything and everyone she had ever loved. It was the purest form of evil nature had ever created. She wanted to cut through David, whispering the names of all her lost family into his ear as she did.

But this wasn’t her opportunity.

“Why are you telling us all this?” Ellie asked, she still believed it was a conversation between three people.

“Because you can handle it,” David said, Y/n may as well have not even been in the room, “The way the others can’t. They need God, they need Heaven,” David took another step towards the cage, “They need a father. You don’t. You’re beyond that. I’m a shepherd surrounded by sheep, and all I want…is an equal. A friend.”

Alarms rang in Y/n’s head so loud, she thought they were real. But Ellie was playing the game that Y/n had told her to, and she couldn’t stop her.

“What about our friend?”

“Like I said, loyal,” David nodded before taking another slow step towards them, “I can tell the others to stop looking for him. They’ll spare him.”

Ellie looked up to Y/n, convincingly filling her eyes with hope, before looking back to David. Y/n quickly adjusted her expression to match, pretending as if Joel’s safety was the only thing that mattered.

“Really?” Ellie took a step forward towards David, “They’ll just let him go?”

“Yes,” David answered confidently, “If he leaves us in peace, they will just let him go.”

It wasn’t hard for Y/n to whip up some tears, taking a choking breath in and following Ellie towards the metal bars.

“They do what I tell them to do. They follow me,” David was getting closer and closer, his gaze fixated, obsessed with Ellie, “And they would follow us. Lord knows, I could use the help. I-“ he chortled, gesturing to below the chopping block, “Look what’s happened.”

David extended his hand, gripping one of the horizontal metal bars between him from Ellie and Y/n. They stared down at it, considering their options.

“Think of what we could together,” David said, his voice alive with passion, “As strong as we are. We’d make this place perfect. We’d grow, spread out. And we’d do whatever we needed for our people.”

Ellie reached to grab the other side of the bar, her hand perilously close to David’s. Y/n had to fight every instinct to rip her body behind her own.

“Imagine the life we could give them,” David said wistfully, moving his hand to slide over Ellie’s, “Imagine the life we could build.”

David may not have been watching her, but Y/n made effort to drop two tears down her cheeks and sniffle as if it was the most beautiful idea in the world…

“Oh,” Ellie whispered, reaching a nearly shaking palm up to David’s hand, hoping that Y/n sensed that the moment was upon them.

Ellie pushed David’s finger back, a sickening crack erupting in his hand. As he cried out in pain, Y/n dropped down to her knees, pulling him in by his belt and grabbing the keys off their hook. Unfortunately, he wriggled out of Ellie’s grasp and reached through the bars, grabbing Y/n by the throat and squeezing. Y/n gagged and choked as his fingers tightened, but she still held onto the keys.

Ellie struck a blow to David’s abdomen, causing him to drop Y/n and stumble backwards. In the sudden movement, Y/n dropped the keys to the floor and nearly fell. David was quick to come back, grabbing Ellie’s hair and slamming her face into the bars twice before throwing her down.

“You little cunts,” he seethed, picking up the keys from the floor, “Let’s see what I go tell the others now.”

Y/n coughed violently, earning each and every breath back, but bent over Ellie to make sure she was alright. The girl’s blood painted the floor of their cell.

“Ellie,” she said, crawling past Y/n and towards David.

David turned, “What?”

“Tell them Ellie is the little girl,” the girl crawled to the bars, raising her voice, “Who broke your fucking finger!”

“How did you put it?” David asked, his tone mocking them now, “Hmm? ‘Tiny little pieces?’”

He stormed out of the room, slamming it behind him and leaving Ellie and Y/n to contemplate their impending doom.

“Fuck,” Y/n whispered, rubbing her already sore neck and forming a plan in her dizzy head. “Okay, when they come in, I’ll take them and you fucking run.”

“No,” Ellie replied quickly, stumbling to her feet, “No, we-“

“You’re going to get the fuck out of here,” Y/n continued, emphasizing each of the last words, “And you’re going to run.”

“I’m not fucking leaving you,” Ellie yelled, shoving Y/n’s arms.

“And I’m not asking,” Y/n yelled back, feeling her fate slowly approaching. If it bought Ellie time, it was all worth it.

She gripped Ellie’s shoulders, wrenching her closer and locking eyes with her. “You. Run.”

———————————

The snow outside had picked up, nearly blinding Joel as he trudged through the ice, clutching his abdomen the whole way.

He’d made it to Silver Lake, against all odds, but didn’t know the first place to look. He kept his good ear peeled, trying to listen for Y/n or Ellie’s cries, but the storm made that impossible. Leaned up against one of the resort’s buildings, trying to catch his breath, Joel tried to think clearly about his next move.

Then his eyes caught the trail of blood in the snow and logic went out the window.

Joel followed the crimson that led him to the building’s door. He broke the lock with the butt of his rifle and entered, clicking on his flashlight and drawing his pistol. He crept through the shed, bending down once to search under a table and finding only old clothes and useless supplies. Then, he spotted a nearly identical trail of blood leading into the next room.

All the while his heart thudded with fear, fear of failure.

Joel made no noise as he entered the room, shining his flashlight ahead to find what was left of one of their horses. They’d captured Y/n and Ellie while riding. The picture of their kidnapping was beginning to fill with color.

Joel shone his flashlight past the horse, finding tarps over equipment and…something…hanging on the other side. He moved around the animal’s body to get a closer look…

His stomach turned.

He had to fucking hurry.

—————————

David stormed through the door with James right behind him. Ellie and Y/n scurried away from the cage’s front. Y/n hadn’t expected a second set of hands, it made her entire plan impossible.

“No! No! No!” Ellie screamed, pressing herself into Y/n’s body in fear.

David and James wrenched the two of them apart.

“Don’t you fucking touch her,” Y/n screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping someone might hear them and come running, “No!”

“Get off of me!” Ellie shrieked, kicking at both of the men, “Get off of me!”

If Y/n had been on 10, Ellie’s pleas dialed her up to 12. She picked up her entire body weight and let herself drop to the floor, bringing James with her. He stumbled, but regained his footing and dragged Y/n out of the cell, kicking and screaming.

“No!” Ellie yelled, biting down on David’s all-too-close hand.

“Ow,” the preacher cried out, but stayed undeterred in his mission. He pulled Ellie out of the cell.

Y/n wrestled against Jame’s firm grip, flailing her arms as she tried to reach around and scratch him. She’d tear him to pieces with her hands, if the chance came.

“You motherfucker,” she cried, trying to catch her leg on anything that might slow them down, but he lifted her onto the chopping block as if she was nothing. James held her hands down at her sides, giving Y/n the opportunity to spit in his face.

“Wait, wait,” Ellie begged as David dragged her towards the block.

“Shut up,” James growled, narrowly dodging Y/n’s head butt.

David lifted Ellie up and dropped her harshly on Y/n, knocking the wind out of the woman with Ellie’s weight. He forced Ellie’s hands into Y/n’s, lining the two of them up.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Ellie begged, Y/n’s coughs sputtering in her ear, “Don’t! Don’t do it! Please, don’t do it!”

“You had your chance,” David spoke over Ellie as he raised the cleaver above his head.

In her struggle for oxygen, Y/n let out a final cry. For Ellie, for Joel, for her grand failure to save all of them.

This was how it ended.

“I’M INFECTED!”

Ellie’s words echoed off the walls, David simply scoffed at her.

“I’m infected,” Ellie said once more, her voice low, “And now so are you.”

David glanced down at the bite mark Ellie had put on his hand. Y/n caught it too, fighting the urge to smile. The girl was smarter and quicker than she or Joel had ever taught her.

“Roll up my sleeve, look at it,” Ellie insisted, “Look at it!”

Biting down on his lip in frustration, David slammed the cleaver down beside Y/n and Ellie’s heads, causing both of them to flinch away. He tugged Ellie’s right sleeve up, revealing the ever-present mark that Cordyceps had left on her.

“God’s will,” Y/n strained, smirking below Ellie.

James looked up at his leader in concern, “David…”

“No,” David shook his head, “No, she would’ve turned by now. This isn’t real.”

Unable to speak without them hearing her, but needing to signal Ellie that she was on board with the plan, Y/n squeezed the back of Ellie’s hand twice.

“It looks pretty fuckin’ real to me,” James continued.

Ellie pressed her hand back into Y/n’s.

This was their opportunity.

Ellie reached to her side, grabbing the cleaver and lodging it in Jame’s shoulder. Y/n threw the girl off and kicked both feet into David’s stomach, buying them a few precious seconds to escape. Bullets chased them as they flew through the door.

Y/n and Ellie ran through the rest of the kitchen, making it out into the dining room. They went from door to door, banging and pulling furiously. Nothing.

Hearing David’s footsteps down the hall, they rushed back into the kitchen to look for any weapons. Ellie reached into a wood burning stove, grabbing one of the crackling logs before Y/n shoved her out of the room and down behind a wall.

The kitchen door squeaked, announcing David’s presence. Without her gun, Y/n knew she didn’t stand a chance at going up against David, but she could buy time. She crawled away from Ellie, ignoring the girl’s frantic looks and moved behind a table, popping up once she heard David’s steps.

“You’re very determined,” David’s calm tone continued, even as he clutched the cleaver in his hand, “I’ll give you that.”

“What a parent won’t do for their kid,” Y/n shrugged, “Right, Father?”

As Y/n put a period on her sentence, Ellie stood up from her spot and threw the burning log at David, missing him and giving Y/n the chance to duck down and crawl away. Ellie had, however, succeeded in starting a fire that quickly began to eat through the drapes of the dining room. Ellie crawled back, spotting Y/n and hurrying in her direction.

“There’s no way out, Ellie,” David called, moving away from the rapid fire, “The doors are locked and I have the keys.”

While she couldn’t see the flames, Y/n could smell and hear them. They were spreading as if nature herself had started it.

“Ellie?” David called tauntingly, “Ellie.”

Y/n knew that if there was any chance for escape, it would only come for one of them. David would have to be preoccupied with something else to let anything slip through his fingers and that anything had to be Ellie. Reaching down into her boot, she remembered she still had her knife on her.

She drew a deep breath and begged for Joel, dead or alive, to forgive her.

It was the only option that ensured Ellie’s salvation.

————————

Joel couldn’t move fast in the snow, the winds threatening to shove his fragile frame down into the ice. With every step he fought, trying to see something, anything through the gust of snowflakes.

In his mind, he was begging and pleading with the universe to give him a sign, a direction..he felt more and more panicked with each passing moment that he was too late.

Joel walked a little quicker, ignoring the stabbing pain in his stomach.

He couldn’t lose them.

—————————

“Ellie…” David called again, “I know you’re not infected. No one infected fights this hard to stay alive.”

Y/n belly crawled on the floor of the restaurant, away from Ellie and closing in on David’s voice. She clutched the knife in her sweaty palm.

“So…how did you do it?” David asked the room, “What’s the secret? Or are you just that fucking special?”

Y/n was near enough to the bar that she could see the panels swing open and Ellie’s legs trailing in. She was smart enough to try and find a true weapon.

“No one likes being humiliated, Ellie,” David continued his tirade, forgetting Y/n’s presence entirely, “You don’t know how good I am! You don’t know what I could have given you! If you had just let me!”

Y/n continued her army crawl before crouching behind the wall nearest to David, waiting for her perfect chance.

“Well, I have news for you,” the “pastor’s” tone softened back to its pulpit pitch, “None of us are dying today. You see, I’ve changed my mind. I’ve decided you do need a father, and your mother needs a husband.”

Y/n tightened her grip on her knife, waiting, waiting, waiting…

“So I’m gonna keep you two,” David promised, “And I’m gonna teach you.”

In her years, Y/n had heard and witnessed truly disturbing events. Nothing could have terrified her more than the sick headlines about corrupt preachers, using the Word of God as a deflection, coming to life in front of her.

Y/n leapt to her feet, spininning around the wall’s end and stabbing David’s shoulder from behind. The man cried out in pain, but didn’t fall as Y/n had needed him to. He faced her, swinging the cleaver past her before gripping her throat with one hand and shoving her up against the wall. Y/n struggled ferociously, speed kicking his legs until he dropped her. He wrenched her back, throwing her to the floor, and let one of the heavy dining tables fall straight onto Y/n’s abdomen. The pressure crushed her, stealing all the air from her lungs, and left her sputtering and choking for breath.

David leaned down, his lips grazing Y/n’s ear in a way that had only ever been reserved for Joel. “I’ll deal with you in a moment,” he growled.

Y/n was too breathless to speak and the table was too heavy for her to lift. It was almost guaranteed that David had cracked at least one of her ribs. She flailed about under its weight like a bug being crushed, frantically trying to escape.

With a lack of oxygen, her ears began to ring and her eyesight began to blur. From across the room, she could see David and Ellie’s figures fighting, with Ellie’s being shoved to the floor.

Y/n’s lips tried to form the girl’s name.

The corners of her vision began to darken just as David pinned Ellie down.

Her screams poured the air right back into Y/n’s lungs.

With strength only a mother whose child was endangered could have, Y/n strained to push the table off of her. She raised it enough to shimmy her abdomen out, letting it fall on her legs with a pained groan. She pulled and pulled her body out from under the surface, Ellie’s cries of terror giving her all the power she needed to roll the rest of the way. She grabbed her knife, stained with David’s blood and crawled across the floor.

David’s back was blissfully turned.

Ellie couldn’t see Y/n.

The flames were consuming the restaurant.

Y/n inched her way closer.

David said something Y/n couldn’t hear over the fire.

Ellie screamed louder.

Y/n reached her hand out, ripping David back by the collar, stabbing him in the chest with her knife and wrenching him off of Ellie.

Ellie reached above her head for the cleaver.

The rest passed in a set of thirty blood soaked seconds.

When it was over, Y/n stumbled to her feet, reaching down to pull Ellie up with her. The room was filled with a gagging smoke, the fames mere seconds from bringing the whole building down.

Y/n rushed them out through the kitchen, the back end was their best chance at escape. Down the hall were two large black doors, the lack of lock allowing Y/n to shove her and Ellie’s trembling forms out.

The cold air greeted their heated skin, both of them struggling to catch their breath. Y/n clutched Ellie to her as she maneuvered them down the stone steps and into the snow.

They both screamed as a pair of strong arms grabbed their bodies, tugging them backwards.

“No! Get off of me!,” Ellie shrieked, the reality of David’s death ceasing to exist under the strange touch.

“No! You fucking-“ Y/n tried to shove Ellie behind her, turning around and fighting hard against the figure before she even looked up.

Adrenaline somehow granted Joel enough strength to turn Ellie around in his arms and restrain Y/n’s hands.

“It’s me,” Joel coaxed as Ellie slapped his chest.

Y/n eyes turned up at the sound of his voice, meeting his eyes finally. “Ellie,” she breathed, awestruck.

“It’s me,” Joel repeated to Ellie, her hits finally stopping as she finally returned to reality. Joel took her face into his hand, cupping her cheek and drawing her gaze to him, “Hey, look…it’s me. It’s me.”

Ellie let out little whimpers as she took in his presence, miraculously in front of her.

Y/n ran her hands over Joel’s arm, in utter disbelief that he was actually there. His hand that rested on her back slid half an inch, the movement giving her the assurance that he was real. He had come for them.

“It’s okay,” Joel told Ellie, the girl mumbling and stuttering in shock.

Ellie didn’t think twice before looping her arms around Joel’s neck and burrowing her face into his shoulder. Y/n did the same, keeping one arm firmly around Ellie.

“It’s okay,” he promised once more, taking the full force of their embrace as if it were the very air he breathed. “It’s okay, babygirl,” he said to Ellie, “I got you. I got you.”

Y/n sniffled into Joel’s shoulder, feeling his hurried kiss press against her temple. She had gone from her most vulnerable to her most safe in the course of a single minute.

After a few seconds, wishing it could last longer, Joel pulled back to look at them both. He took in the blood on both their faces, there were big bruise marks on Y/n’s neck and she was clutching her stomach. He felt ashamed that he hadn’t been there sooner to spare them the pain of whatever they’d gone through.

“Okay,” Joel said softly, taking off his coat and wrapping it around Ellie’s shoulders.

Y/n finally noticed that Joel was carrying both his rifle and all three of their backpacks. She hurried to grab hers and Ellie’s, slipping one on her shoulder and carrying the other.

Joel and Y/n got on each of Ellie’s sides, wrapping an arm around the girl and setting off into the snow. The adrenaline began to fade in Joel’s body, weakening him once again till he was limping. The searing pain in Y/n’s chest ached with every breath, she had to time each inhale in between her steps.

But it didn’t matter to either of them. They locked their hands around each other’s arm, tightening their hold around Ellie, and took slow, unsteady steps towards the river.

—————————

That night, they sought shelter in a different neighborhood, hiding in someone else’s former house.

Y/n and Joel sat upright against the freezing concrete wall, Ellie sleeping soundly between them. They each kept one hand on her as they had soothed her to sleep, but they kept their hold long after. They needed the physical reassurance that she was okay.

All day, Y/n had held it together as they journeyed as far from Silver Lake as they could. She was too determined to get the three of them the hell out of dodge to fall apart. It wasn’t until Ellie had fallen asleep, under the safety of Y/n and Joel’s protection, that the weight of what had almost happened to them fell onto her.

Joel felt the trembling from Y/n’s hand gently shake Ellie’s body. He peered across her into the dark, the moonlight catching on her face to perfectly illuminate the silent tears down her cheeks.

As she stifled her sobs, Y/n felt Joel’s fingers intertwine with hers over Ellie’s torso. She squeezed her eyes shut, his touch sending her emotions right over their edge.

Joel squeezed, trying to tell her that in the silence, in the pain, he was there. He was there for the first time in twenty years for her to lean on.

Y/n squeezed back, savoring the press of his calloused fingers into her palm. They had come so close to losing one another, but they were alive. They were alive, they were together and if that was the only thing they had to hold onto, they’d cling to it like life itself.

——————

TYL Taglist: @bachiracore @stolenxkissess @kayleezra @the-wistful-reader @allthesesonsofbitches @goth-detectives365 @trippovert @rh1nestonecowg1rl @emiliaserpe @khaleesihavilliard @frietiemeloen @gracie7209 @dorck26 @thegirlnextdoorssister @alanis-altair @mariwinns16 @whosscruffylooking @endofthexline @alexiaricciardo @eonnyx @pedrosmexicangf @scarlettequinn @ao-sleepy @toinfinityandbeyonce2 @deanlovescassie @turmoil-ash @sorrowjunky @kpopslur @xxlilyxx90 @midgetpottermills @presidential-facts @scoopsnini @tubble-wubble @jamesdeerest @burninggracesandbridges @star-wars-lover @lucyhotchner @cococola-cocaine @witheringhqarts @fall-writes @alwaysdjarin @xxmoonn @emilia-the-artist @wand-erer5 @boneyarrd @lizard-zombie @themultifandomofmadness @cassidylea123 @paleepeaches @mxltifxnd0m @kettlekatie @ultimate-cinephile @gloryekaterina @caramelkatsukis-bitch @whovianayesha @memeorydotcom @deadunicorn159 @get0ut0fmyr00m @siriuslymooned @emmyeed @superbreadsoul @hellu-people1 @ourautumn86 @inas-thing @noraapple05 @givemylovetoall @luvwanda (tags cont. in comments)

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller imagine #joel miller fanfic #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #the last of us imagine #the last of us fanfic #the last of us fic #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us spoilers #twenty years later

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king-crawler · 5 months

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The scene where Ralph meets King Candy for the first time is one of the most interesting ones on a rewatch because you already know who King Candy is pretending Not to be. The way Ralph behaves is interesting too. (I’m studying these little 1kb game characters under a microscope)

youtube

Below the cut is a LONG scene/character analysis (~6min read?)

First off. King Candy’s mere Entrance in this scene already characterizes him a ton and he hasn’t even said anything yet. He speeds obnoxiously around Ralph in his little go-kart BLARING HIS HORN. This immediately gives off the impression of: Very in your face. Very full of himself. And Very Annoying About It. (sir.. your Turbo is showing)

BUT THE DIALOGUE. JUST THIS SINGLE INTERACTION:

(Ralph Face Reveal While Screaming)

“Milk my duds! it’s Wreck-it Ralph??”

“Yeah...? And who are you, the guy who makes the donuts?”

“Hoohoo, please- No! I’m King Candy!”

I love this interaction because King Candy INSTANTLY knows who Ralph is. And from Ralph’s perspective that’s… weird.

Ralph is probably a little confused. Given how he answers “yeah?” He doesn’t just straight up ask “How do you know who I am” because he’s currently being interrogated (Probably Not a Good Time) Also that recognition is something he rarely receives in the first place, so why from this guy…? So instead he asks: Well who are you supposed to be?

WELL FIRST OF ALL. HE KNOWS WHO RALPH IS BECAUSE TURBO’S GAME CABINET SAT NEXT TO HIS FOR YEARS. Which is why King Candy is so surprised - he’s probably seeing him for the first time in decades.

“Hoohoo, please- No! I’m King Candy!”

I also love how he nervously laughs at first before responding with “No!” In that particular way- simply laughing it off before being Rather Quick to reject Ralph’s proposal that he could possibly be someone else. Interesting .

But it’s the way he says “I’m King Candy!” That carries so much implication. His pose and smile, the perfect inflection in his voice- it’s theatrical, it’s like he’s rehearsed it. It’s almost like he’s trying to convince Ralph that he’s really who he says he is with the best performance possible. He’s been doing that for years and by this point he’s totally mastered it. Nobody suspects a thing. (For now……)

—————————— Skipping forward a little, Ralph explains that he got a medal from Hero's Duty.

"Your medal? (giggles) Bad guys don't win medals!"

"Well, this one did. I earned it over in... Hero's Duty"

"You game-jumped?? Ralph... You're not going Turbo, are you?"

"What? No no no no no..."

"Because i-if you think you can come in here- (laughs nervously) to MY kingdom, and take over MY GAME, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!"

THERE IS A LOT TO UNPACK HERE.

First off we'll focus on Ralph. The way he admits it... He knows it sounds bad. He breaks eye contact and hesitates before saying "Hero's Duty." Probably because he knows what King Candy is gonna retort with. But he still says "I earned it" not only because he doesn't want to incriminate himself, but because he believes it. He did earn it... right? And then Ralph tries to brush off the suggestion that he's going Turbo before being interrupted by King candy's rampant tantrum. (WHICH I WILL GET TO.)

At this point, Ralph is becoming less confident that he earned his medal because he's in denial about “going Turbo.” His confidence wavers here especially because he's in the presence of this apparent authority figure whose trying to guilt and incriminate him. (And this is a situation he's already all too familiar with- think of how Surge Protector always halts him when going into games just because he's a bad guy.)

But there's still one major thing keeping this denial intact: He wants to hold onto the fact he deserves his medal so bad. Others have hurt him for so long, he thinks getting that medal alone means he'll finally be respected, praised, and loved.

"Is it Turbo to want a friend? Or a medal? Or a piece of pie every once in a while? Is it Turbo to want more out of life?"

(I know that’s literally the Conflict of the Movie. BUT ITS WORTH MENTIONING OKAY I LOVE RALPH’S CHARACTER LEAVE ME ALONE)

I think the fact you can gather all this info just from the way he's portrayed during this SINGLE INTERACTION- its amazing. Amazing character writing is when when nearly every action a character does reinforces their motivations or personality and you're able to SEE IT!!

——————————

Now to focus on King Candy again… this FUCKER‼️

First off, him mentioning Turbo Isn’t even that suspicious at this point in the film… well… at first glance at least.

At first it seems like everyone knows who Turbo is. Ralph is questioned at Bad-Anon, Q*bert tells Felix and the nicelanders freak out- everyone who’s been around for a while knows who this guy is. But if you think about it… isn’t Sugar Rush a newer game? Not as new as Hero’s Duty, but it’s still a little odd that King Candy would know who Turbo is ON TOP of knowing Ralph. Just a little.

"You game-jumped?? Ralph... You're not going Turbo, are you?"

Ok but Seriously. That Part. The pure irony of King candy saying THAT a threat against Ralph in an attempt to incriminate him. The way he says it too... He breaks eye contact and glances to the floor like it’s something forbidden to even mention. His accompanied hand movements too (and King Candy speaks with his hands A Lot) they move like he’s describing a ghost story. He’s obviously trying to scare Ralph… trying to scare him into admitting something.

This is... a lot. Maybe even some level of self projecting...? Cuz MAN. that is too deep for me to even start getting into

But the fact that his OWN NAME (a SECRET IDENTITY MIND YOU) has become so infamous that now HE’S WEAPONIZING IT?!? IS INSANE??? Can you Imagine his thought process. Like how far gone into the deep end is he.

(SORRY FOR NOT USING MY OWN WORDS. BUT I JUST ADORE HOW @simpingforcys PUT IT HERE. …..)

THIS. this is so good. And the way King Candy eludes to “Turbo” as some kind of monster. Could that be offering him like. A Brief moment of catharsis. Or fuel some twisted sense of pride. What the FUCK is going on in this SICKO’S HEAD !!!!! I NEED TO KNOW!!!!

"Because i-if you think you can come in here- (laughs nervously) to MY kingdom, and take over MY GAME, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!"

SECOND!!!!!! King Candy gets SO defensive SO FAST. That man jumps to conclusions IMMEDIATELY!!! He essentially throws a tantrum while stepping closer to Ralph, stumbling over his words and giggling nervously. The mere thought of there being ANY threat of someone else taking over "his game" riles him up SO BAD.

This is the same EXACT SAME TEMPER that made him storm into Roadblasters as Turbo years ago, because he saw Roadblasters as a direct threat to his own game's popularity - HIS popularity!!!! Because getting exposure- infamous or otherwise- is the ONLY thing that drives him. (Pun intended. Sorry.)

And the way he repeats “MY” kingdom “MY” game… mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine. Are you done with your tantrum old man.

——————————

Wow. Anyways I think that’s enough for now. And that was in response to only a minute of content. (Oh dear.)

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ppeonppeonhan · 5 months

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Top 10 2023 BL Kisses

If you've seen at least a couple BLs you know that some of these actors are either uncomfortable kissing another man or just didn't get enough practice kissing literally anyone. So when they get it right and genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves, it is worth noting. Soooo grab a pen and paper, and take some notes:

You Are Mine: This Taiwanese drama was problematique with the unbalanced workplace power dynamics, but this sweet upside down kiss was worth the wait.

Dangerous Romance: This may not have been their first kiss, but it felt like the most romantic. By this point, they'd shared many scenes filled with awkward sexual tension, but this one didn't have an ounce of humor, and Kanghan and Sailom just melted into each other's arms.

Kiseki: Dear to Me: The lighting for this kiss really emphasized their till-death-do-us-part themed dialogue where they vowed to die seconds apart.

Stay By My Side: Lackluster supernatural subplot aside, this Taiwanese drama delivered the most adorable kiss as the main lead was too nervous to give in to his desires without closing his eyes.

Be My Favorite: It took Kawi a frustratingly long time to pull his head out of his ass and realize he would be lucky to have Pisaeng even as a friend let alone a boyfriend. Thank goodness for Pisaeng's patience, cause ours was wearing thin.

Love Class 2: Very happy Ma Ru realized he had feelings for his bestie and wasted no time making that clear with an epic kiss that I have probably rewatched a dozen times.

Only Friends: Honestly, all of their kisses were incredible, because both of these actors went from supporting characters to lead roles, and did not skip a beat. There was no awkward beginner's kiss phase. Those intimacy workshops must've been lit.

Step by Step: Their kiss chemistry was on point, but the car scenes were the most memorable for how very possible they would've been caught in the act in the parking garage of their place of employment. Caution meet wind.

Wedding Plan: These two were about five seconds away from making a baby in that car, and if this were the omegaverse, they probably would've.

Hidden Agenda: There was hunger in that kiss on both sides, and it took every ounce of strength in Zo to shove Joke out the door once he made his intention clear.

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riaarivic · 6 months

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HIS - KNJ x F!reader: 1 Into you

💗Pairings idol!NamjoonxReader

💗 Genres idol!AU, Smut, Angst, Romance, Enemies to lovers

💗 Rating 18+ minors DNI

💗 Summary Four years have passed since the last time you saw Kim Namjoon. But now he was right in front of you, with the same stupid warm smile that made your good judgment (and underwear) disappear without a trace. You haven't seen him for four years. But now here you were working for BTS again. Having to see his insufferably attractive face every day of your life again.

But there's something Namjoon doesn't know. The little girl with almond eyes and dimples in her smile clinging to his ex-girlfriend's hip, not only looked too much like him. But she was… His.

💗 Warnings for the series: Unplanned pregnancy (I KNOW BUT HEAR ME OUT) Unprotected sex, foul language, angst, miscommunications, pinning, SO MUCH PINNING, Hurt/comfort. Will update as the series progress. 💗 Warnings for the chapter: reader has very conflictive emotions about the news of her pregnancy at the begining. This chapter will have some back and forth time skips

💗 A/N: ⚠️ dialogue in BOLD is intended to be in English if not, they are speaking in Korean. ⚠️

Love, Ria

💗 Chapter wordcount 3,4k

💗 Series Index 1 2

His 01: Into you

"And baby even on our worst nights. I'm into you" Into you - Paramore.

💗💗💗MARCH 2021💗💗💗

You have to admit, you've been glued to your computer screen for a solid twenty minutes, utterly motionless.

Hyung-Joon, once your boss and now your business partner, just forwarded an email confirming your company's involvement in BTS's upcoming Permission to Dance on Stage tour. The whole team was buzzing with excitement about the colossal job ahead.

It would be the biggest job in your company.

It really was the opportunity of a lifetime, the pay was enough to take Hana on a Disney cruise vacation.

For a whole year.

Three years in a row.

Heck, you could buy the damn boat.

That's how good it would be.

You should be basking in the joy of this achievement.

Yet, the smallest detail casts a shadow over the happiness—precisely, the leader of the band. The young, talented, millionaire, successful, infuriating asshole Kim Namjoon is your daughter's father.

For the tiniest detail, it must be emphasized that he had no intention of being a part of her life.

Fuck him.

He couldn't even summon the decency to meet your gaze when he sent his mother and manager to deliver an envelope full of money, effectively kicking you and your daughter out of Korea.

The memory of it turned your stomach.

💗💗💗JANUARY 2017💗💗💗

An alien.

That's how all the people saw you when you entered Big Hit as if you came from another planet entirely. An alien who spoke their language perfectly, who had not come as part of a tourist excursion, but to work.

They all regarded you as if you had a second head protruding from your back. The security, while registering your information for your access card; the staff, makeup artists, hair stylists—all whispered things as you walked by.

What the hell were you getting yourself into?

The chance of a lifetime, you reminded yourself. The pay might not be extravagant, but the perks of being part of a K-pop group's staff more than compensated for it.

You were going to travel all over the world, meet new people, eat delicious things and most of all… be as far away geographically as possible from where you came from.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime

After navigating several security checkpoints and maneuvering through what felt like a maze of boxes filled with the group's merchandise, materials, and clothing, you reached the office where they awaited you.

The global press department.

Though the term "department" sounded too grand for the small space—more like a converted broom closet with your boss's desk and yours side by side.

"Oh! Miss… um," you smiled as you saw him struggling with the pronunciation of your full name.

"Call me y/n. You must be Manager Hyung-Joon," the man let out a sigh of relief. Despite his imposing stature, dominating the tiny office, a friendly smile adorned his face.

"Miss y/n, you're just in time. They are about to finish a rehearsal, and we are going to start the first practice interviews for the US tour. Did you bring everything you need?" You nodded, and he motioned for you to follow him.

Probably, nothing you had read about this group could prepare you for what lay ahead. As Manager Hyung-Joon swung open the door, the first thing that struck you was the noise.

That room was pure Chaos.

What you'd expect if you left seven practically teenage men to their own devices. They chatted and laughed, appearing at first glance like a bunch of ordinary kids.

Not like the young men who would become the biggest musical act in history.

"Bangtan, can you please be quiet?" the manager shouted, capturing everyone's attention. "This is y/n; she will be your translator from now on." All seven pairs of eyes turned to you simultaneously, and once again, there it was.

That look that made you feel utterly out of place.

According to what you'd been told, it wasn't common for the company to hire young, let alone single, women to work with BTS. Yet, you excelled at your job, armed with a glowing recommendation letter from one of your college professors.

Fast and precise with translations, you also brought experience as a journalist before accepting this position.

And that you accepted the joke of a salary they offered.

The company deemed you useful enough to overlook the fact that you would be the only woman among these men most of the time.

But your integration into the staff didn't happen before their main manager warned them that any attempt at inappropriate behavior towards you would result in drastic consequences.

Not to mention the uncomfortably awkward conversation you had in the president's office, where terms like contraceptives, confidentiality agreements, and the ominous "If you have any kind of relationship with one of the members, we will sue you for everything you have" echoed.

Though you were sure the suitcase you brought to Korea wouldn't be much help to a music company at the time.

The message was clear:

Mess with one of them.

You're out.

It's not like you were interested in a workplace romance; true, they were all attractive, but you needed this job more than anything else in the world.

At that time, Bangtan was gearing up for their promotions in the United States, and they required someone to assist them in English communication.

So they wouldn't be overly dependent on him.

"Do you even speak Korean?" that was the very first words he spoke to you. He wore an expression somewhere between puzzled and annoyed for a moment before turning to speak to Hyung-Joon as if you weren't there. "Are you sure she's not a stalker?"

"I'm a communications major from Busan National University. I also speak Japanese, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. But my first language is English. I suppose that answers your question," you retorted, meeting his gaze challengingly, and he rolled his eyes as if your response bored him.

At the far end of the room, you heard an amused snort; you recognized him from the dossier—his name was Suga.

"Did that lady just shut up Namjoon-hyung?" the youngest among them stared at you as if you were a unicorn, a mythical creature, the weirdest thing he has ever seen, and the older one nudged him to stop staring.

"Nice to meet you all; my name is y/n. I will be your translator, and I hope you can take care of me." You bowed, and when you straightened, you smiled at everyone. He kept his stare locked at you, irritated and unimpressed by your initial response.

That was the beginning of it all.

💗💗💗DECEMBER 2018💗💗💗

Fool.

A complete fool is how you felt, your heart pounding in your chest as you found yourself on your bathroom floor holding a positive pregnancy test. Four years ago, your heart held a different kind of weight, the weight of a secret growing within you.

Two weeks after he had returned to Seoul.

Exactly two weeks after you had told him to get the fuck out of your life.

No. That's not true.

You know better now. He was already gone before you found the strength to let him go. You just hadn't realized it.

So, here you were sitting on your bathroom floor. The weight of your shared history hanging heavily between you. Looking at the abstract pattern on the tiles feeling like a complete idiot.

Feeling guilty for a child who will grow up without a father.

Because...

You thought you were strong enough to handle it. You believed you could navigate motherhood alone, but...

Should you tell him?

Would it be too selfish to unveil this reality now?

How could you shatter his world, now that his career soared to unprecedented heights?

And the company…

You knew The company would go to great lengths to erase you and this secret from existence if necessary..

Kim Namjoon the leader of BTS.

Korea's pride.

Fathering an unplanned child out of wedlock with a foreigner?

It could dismantle everything he had worked for.

And his group. It will destroy them and he will never forgive you for it.

Besides, did you even have the right to reenter his life?

After what you have said to him? After the wounds you carved upon each other?

You wanted to cry, but the tears remained trapped within your eyes.

Kim Namjoon, the man known as RM, the leader of BTS, was your adversary, your lover, the man who once held your heart, and the one who shattered it into irreparable pieces—

All within a year.

💗💗💗NOVEMBER 2019💗💗💗

This is a terrible idea

It took you too long to work up the courage to tell him that you had had a daughter. But you couldn't tell him by phone call or mail.

You mustered all the courage you had and took a plane from Los Angeles to Korea. You definitely did not imagine how extremely difficult 16 hours on a flight with a one year old baby would be.

You had to bribe Jungkook with buying him 10 cartons of banana milk to get his new number.

Calling him was much harder.

"Hello?" His voice, after a year, stirred emotions you believed buried deep within.

You had no idea what to say.

Hi Namjoon, remember me? I'm y/n, your ex-girlfriend, ex-enemy, ex-translator? Oh, by the way, we have a daughter. I'm in Korea. Sorry for not telling you earlier; I panicked, thinking the company might erase us if they found out. Congratulations on the new album.

Definitely not that.

"Hey, Joonie," you blurted, and somehow felt like worse alternative, "I'm in Korea, and I'd like to talk…"

"Yes," he interrupted, his voice as desperate as yours, "I'm sending a driver for you. Where are you staying?"

Two hours later, a black company van awaited you in front of your hotel. It transported you to a far more luxurious apartment complex than their previous dormitory.

They are doing so well.

That made you proud, they deserved every drop of success they had.

But he wasn't in the apartment.

Waiting for you in the living room was a face you'd only seen once—Namjoon's mother, Mrs. Kim Seolmi. Accompanied by bodyguards and a staff member, her gaze held the same mix of disappointment and anger as the first meeting. Her eyes shifted sourly when they landed on Hana, in your arms.

Hana was the vivid image of her father, every feature, dimples, almond eyes, pouty lips, and even her expressions. Seeing Namjoon in her.

It took Mrs. Kim mere seconds to deduce the baby in your arms was her granddaughter.

"He doesn't want to see you, neither you nor the bastard child you're carrying. Did you think you could pass off just anyone's daughter as my son's?" She pulled an envelope from her bag. You knew it contained money. "Take it and leave. A gold-digger like you, using men for money. How disgusting."

"Madam, I don't need your money. If Namjoon doesn't want to see me, he should tell me himself." You clutched your crying daughter, scared by the woman's shouts.

From a corridor emerged Sejin, BangTan's main manager. He always knew everything about them. And his presence here meant The company was already aware that Namjoon had a daughter.

Shit.

"I'm sorry, Miss y/n, but it's true. He asked us to give this to you," Sejin handed you a sealed letter with your name on it, "and this you must sign. It's the only way to prevent the company from taking legal action against you for involving yourself with a member."

"Ha! As if the half-breed was really my Namjoon's daughter."

Oh you were going to kill that woman.

Before you could unleash your thoughts, Sejin spoke again. "y/n, you know what it means to be in a relationship with an idol, let alone having a daughter out of wedlock. This could destroy him and Bangtan. I'm sure you don't want that." His voice carried pity.

"You don't want to go trough this, and we know you don't want to put your daughter through it." He took a breath and sat in front of you. "The company is willing to compensate you for your silence. It's your only option—"

"I don't want your fucking money, Sejin"

"Miss, if you go against the company, we'll have to fight in court, and you could lose custody of your daughter. I'm sorry, but it's true. He didn't want to come when he found out you were coming with your child."

He didn't want to come

When he found out

That you were coming with a child.

Your child.

That phrase echoed in your mind for years. You could still close your eyes and see Sejin's pitiful face—the same one he wore when informing an employee they could no longer work for them.

Because they spoke a second too long with one of them.

Because they smiled at them a little too much.

Because feelings started to emerge.

All were fired and forced to sign mountains of legal documents preventing them from ever speaking about what transpired.

Some were even offered positions at other agencies.

"You're fortunate Bang PDnim decided to compensate you. But it's your decision," he concluded.

Three hours later, you were repacking to return to Los Angeles, vowing never to set foot in Seoul again.

This should never have happened.

As you wiped away tears, your phone buzzed with several notifications.

Message from unknown number: Doll, it's Yoongi. Jungkook told me you were here and you were staying at a hotel in Myeongdon. Message from unknown number: I'm coming to see you.

Message from Cookie 🍪: Y/n Noona, Yoongi Hyung asked me to give him your number. Thanks for the banana milk, you should stop by the dorm and let's drink soju like old times!!!!

Message from NJ: I am so sorry. I hope you can understand.

The last message made you want to throw up.

The phone started vibrating with an incoming call…..

💗💗💗MARCH 2021💗💗💗

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Hyun-Joon regarded you with the same concerned eyes he had five years ago when you first met. He had transitioned from being your boss to your business partner and, eventually, one of your dearest friends. A few months after your departure from Korea, he called to share the news of starting their own management agency with a friend.

The startup funds came from the envelope Sejin handed you as compensation for never disclosing the identity of your daughter's father.

At least something good came from shattering your heart into a thousand pieces.

Today, you were the CEO of a flourishing company offering diverse services to music companies in Korea—translators, managers, staff, security; you had it all, and your agency ranked as the best in the market.

It was only a matter of time before you appeared on HYBE's radar.

It was only a matter of time before you found yourself back in the same room as him.

"Of course, this is the best contract the agency has had since we started. We are professionals, and your CEO is no exception," you reassured yourself more than Hyun-Joon.

He scrutinized you, trying to believe your conviction. "Well, let's get ready; they are about to come in."

The sight before you differed vastly from the first time you saw them in the modest conference room at what was then Big Hit. Through the glass door leading to your meeting room, the bodyguards entered first, followed by the new individual managers.

You knew much had changed since your last encounter. Initially, it was just you and a handful of staff members.

Now, it felt as if the President of the United States or Beyoncé were about to make an entrance.

Scratch that, the president's secret service probably had fewer people.

The room was nearly full, yet they hadn't arrived.

Jungkook walked in first. The last time you saw him, he still wore his school uniform. Now, he appeared as if he had stepped out of a novel, exuding a bad-boy aura with tattoos and all-black attire.

Behind him, Taehyung, the shy boy with the innocent smile, wore a designer suit, exuding timeless elegance like the protagonist of an old Hollywood film. You couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

Jimin seemed unchanged yet transformed simultaneously—beautiful, elegant, with a hint of mischief in his eyes. When he saw you, he smiled discreetly, as if holding back many unspoken words.

Following him, J-Hope entered. His off-stage personality always intimidated you, yet he remained the kindest and most focused among them. That hadn't changed.

Yoongi walked in behind him, smiling genuinely upon seeing you. Among all of them, he was the only one you still maintained contact with. Nonetheless, seeing him in person brought a sense of relief.

Jin came in almost last, and you couldn't help but be amused. Despite not having seen him in person for four years, he hadn't aged a day. Serene as ever, he entered with a respectful bow.

A chill ran down your spine.

They entered in the official order.

From youngest to oldest.

And last.

Him.

Kim Namjoon, always entering last, responsible for introducing them all. Front and center, as always. His now-blond hair caught your attention first. Even beneath his clothes, you could see that he had grown. His arms filled his shirt just like his chest and legs.

Your mind instinctively wandered into territory you almost slapped yourself for entertaining.

You looked up, and he was looking at you. Whether he was surprised or not, his face revealed nothing. With almost a decade in the business, Kim Namjoon knew how to conceal his emotions.

Assuming he had any.

He obviously doesn't care to see you. And who were you to him?—just some woman he was fucking four years ago.

Just

The mother of his daughter.

Your ears buzzed, and you were so deeply lost in your thoughts that you didn't notice when he began talking.

"...it's a pleasure for us to work again with you and your agency," that damn voice, it could still stir emotions in you. "Miss Y/LN, it's also nice to see you again."

Oh, is he going to call you by your last name?

"It's Lee now," your voice sounded cooler than you thought it would, perfect.

"Congratulations, in that case," he stiffened his jaw, and you smiled at him. Simultaneously, several people in the room tensed up.

Ah yes, that was another detail Kim Namjoon obviously didn't know about you.

Eric Lee was your other business partner and your best friend. You had married three years ago so that he could obtain a visa and stay in the US with you.

Eric gave his last name to Hana and had practically raised her with you.

And also.

Eric was completely, totally, and utterly gay.

Your marriage was only on paper.

But that was a detail you weren't going to explain to Kim Namjoon.

By the way… where the hell was he?

Namjoon cleared his throat, snapping you out of your thoughts. "In that case, I think we can start—"

"Mommy!" a little voice interrupted, entering the room. With so many people there, you could only see the top of her dark brown hair. "Uncle said to play hide and seek; can I hide with you?"

Almond eyes.

Dimples in the smile.

The same pouty lips.

Kim Namjoon who was almost 10 years in the industry and knew perfectly well how to hide his emotions, but he looked at the little girl in front of him as if he had just seen an alien.

His face showed a thousand questions.

How old was that little girl?

Why did she have the same eyes as him?

Why had she called you mom?

Did you have a daughter?

The whole room tensed up.

Oh shit, I knew this was a bad idea.

But things happened so fast.

For the first time in her life, Kim Namjoon looked at his daughter's face.

And you were looking at the consecuence of what once was a stolen kiss behind a closed door.

And then evolved to so much more.

A snarky remark.

An irritated snort after others spoke.

A heated argument in a press room.

A few stolen kisses behind the staff room door.

A night in a hotel room.

And despite your reluctance to admit it,

Despite everything.

You would always be

His.

💗💗💗💗💗💗

I KNOOOOOWWWW! Another fic and I haven't finished translating/editing/rewriting/posting Hate!. But Yes, I had to, I had a writers block and decided to pull this one out of the vault of prompts.

Pregnancy troupe? while I'm writing a dark mafia romance? I KNOW But hear me out with this one, it is A RIDE.

I REALLY wanted to write a short agnsty BUT filled with heart clenching romance and.. other things clenching smuttines.

Yes, I'll continue updating Hate! but i would love you a bit if you give this baby a chance... literal baby. AND KIM NAMJOON AS A GIRL DAD!!?? IM NOT GOING TO DEPRIVE MYSELF OF THAT

Ps. If you want to be on the tag list drop a comment below!! 👩🏼‍💻✨

As always love you guys,

Ria 💗

#bts fanfic #bts smut #bts suga #bts #bts imagines #bts au #bts rm #bts romance #bts idol #namjoon #run bts #bts fic #bts scenarios

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mun-2996 · 6 months

Text

OKAY OKAY IMAGINE THIS.

(sunshine x grumpy kinda fluff btw !!!)

**red text is for miguel dialogue

So Miguel, big grumpy n kinda scary. Then you're this adorable little thing full of love and you're absolutely ADORABLE.

Oh how he loves how you come into his office with that cheerful smile. That sweet smell of your perfume. The way your hair's all nice and flowy.

But what he hates? The fact that he can't get out of this cold demeanor of his. How he'll try and get you out of his office as soon as possible to make sure he doesn't get attached! (Which was failing MISERABLY)

And you poor thing :( you took every ounce of slight irritation in his voice so seriously. It was like your goal to cheer this big ball of grumpiness up!

Miguel, grumpy as usual. Stressing over this stupid little anomaly popping up, taking things from one universe and putting them in another!

You, being you. Happily skipped into his office, with a little container full of homebaked chocolate chip cookies :3

"Get out."

"I made you cookies!"

"I said get out."

"They're chocolate chip."

"I don't want your stupid cookies! Okay!?"

Your smile immediately dropped, your lips already trembling. "O-okay" you mumbled, whimpering a little. Miguel saw your tears and immediately felt like the biggest asshole in the multiverse. "Hey, wait." He got off his little floaty platform lab and hopped down in front of you. "I didn't mean any of that, okay? Just a little stressed." He let out a sigh, feeling like an absolute idiot. "Can I try some of your cookies?" He pulled a chair from behind you with his webs, offering you a seat. You sat down and he kneeled in front of you, placing a hand on your arm and rubbing gently. "M' sorry okay? I shouldn't have lashed out on you, yeah? So can I please try a cookie?" And for the first time, he cracked a tiny little smile, which looked a little forced but you could tell it was genuine. You sniffled before wiping your tears away on your sleeve, you open the cookie container and held it out for him. The cookies were decorated with bits of red frosting to resemble the red streaks on his mask.

"Mhm."

"Did you make em yourself?"

He opened his mouth and you placed a cookie on his tongue. He closed his mouth, chewing on the cookie. It was the perfect mix of gooeyness and crunchiness. Immediately making Miguel's day better.

"Can you feed me one?"

"Might have to ask you to bake s'more, yeah?"

You let out an adorable little giggle that completely lifted all the stress away from Miguel. And let's just say you two had many more cookie breaks from then on <3

#miguel o'hara #atsv #atsv miguel #miguel o’hara headcanon #across the spiderverse #marvel #miguel spiderman #miguel spiderverse #miguel x reader #atsv headcanons #atsv fluff #miguel o'hara fluff #miguel fluff #fluff #writing #tooth rotting fluff #miguel ohara fanfiction #miguel ohara #q

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joels-shitty-puns · 8 months

Text

The Key To Your Heart - Track 2

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Musician!Reader

Series Summary: After writing your feelings for Pedro into a song, it gains a lot more popularity than expected. Ultimately it brings both criticism and support, with new possibilities around the corner.

Series Warnings: 18+ only (MDNI). Potential for puns/dad jokes (name of my blog, and the fic) should give that away. This is my first fic which should be its own warning, lol. Also some cursing. Mentions of masturbation (f) maybe more smut later idk. Sadness, reader is pretty depressed. Poor body image. Rude people. Bullying-ish and just lack of support? Anxiety. Age gap! Reader is in her mid 20's, Pedro is current age (48).

Other stuff: Reader is plus sized. AFAB. Inexperienced. Also has a dog, but you can pretend it is another creature probably. Further, in case it isn't clear, italics almost always are the reader's inner thoughts!

Word Count: 2.8K

Series List: Here!

Miss last chapter? Here!

I had a real rough time figuring out the proper voice for Pedro's dialogue and I hope I did him justice. Either way, the support I received for part 1 is astounding and completely unexpected! Thank you all for reading and let me know what you think :) I plan to continue until the story wraps up, but I don't know how many parts that will be. I hope to post every couple days, but with my work schedule it may be less speedy. Here we go!

You walk in the door, unclipping Skip's leash, slipping off your shoes, and dropping your keys on the countertop before flopping onto the couch and unlocking your phone. No. Fucking. Way.

Pedro Pascal (pascalispunk) replied to your message.

You dissected each letter of the username, assuming it couldn't possibly be THE Pedro Pascal… but it was. It really, really was. You clicked the message, holding your breath.

Pedro Pascal replied to you: "Hey, you don't need to thank me. I didn't say anything that wasn't true. That guy was out of line. You deserve happiness and I'm sorry for the harsh words you've been hearing. I appreciate you sharing your vulnerability with the world and hope that you will continue to be your genuine self and ignore the comments trying to make you be someone else. Don't listen to those people."

You stared in disbelief at his words, once again wondering why he would ever be so kind to someone he doesn't even know. Someone so childish and stupid to write a song about a man she doesn't know. I can't imagine he'd think these things if he knew it was about him…

You: "Thank you Mr. Pascal. I'm a big fan of yours and hearing that you're in my corner has me completely at a loss. I can't imagine why you would risk damaging your image by defending a girl…" No… don't say girl, it makes you sound like a child. You want this guy to like you! You backspace with a slight feeling of ridiculousness over the whole scenario. Ugh it's all wrong… calm down... calm down… it's just a conversation. He doesn't know you. He doesn't like you. Don't make it weird like you always do.

You try again.

You: "Thank you Mr. Pascal. I really admire your work and for you to say such kind things to me… to think that you're in my corner, has me completely at a loss for words. I don't know what I did to deserve this treatment when you don't even know me, especially when coming to my defense could potentially harm your image… but thank you."

He read it almost immediately. Your heart was beating out of your chest and you felt like you could throw up from the anxiety and adrenaline. After a few seconds, those stress-inducing dot-dot-dots appeared to show you he was typing.

He's actually replying to me?? Again? Doesn't he have better things to do?

Your mind wandered to what he might be doing while he's messaging you. Sitting at his home, relaxing, taking the time to reply to you? Why? Maybe he's on a plane or waiting for something and killing time. Maybe he's- *ping*

Pedro Pascal replied to your message:

"Please, you can call me Pedro.. and as far as defending you, it doesn't matter to me that we don't know each other personally. You seem like a woman with a good heart, and all you did was share your true self. Nobody deserves to be talked poorly about for something harmless that they feel. If something like that hurts my image… then my true self wasn't being represented. I think we all just want to be seen, and I hope that you will feel comfortable to be yourself and show yourself more."

You don't know when you started crying, but you hiccupped with the overwhelming wave of emotions. He sees me.. you had just scrolled to the bottom of the long reply, when you noticed the "..." of typing again. He has more to say?!

Pedro Pascal: "As far as the subject of your song.. whether you choose to reveal that to him, or the world, you deserve love and respect. Being vulnerable and putting yourself out there is a terrifying thing to do, and I myself tend to close myself off from relationships to avoid that potential for getting hurt. But if that's what you want, you've already taken a big step and you should go for it. I hope that whoever he is gives you the respect and love you deserve."

Holy crap…

He doesn't… he doesn't know it's him right?? No. There's no way. He's just being nice… he's too nice. He's too genuine..??

Your thumbs hover over the keyboard, doing a little dance in the air, pondering what to say. How much can I share with this man? Between this crush and his kind words, it's feeling tricky to hold back from spilling too much information.

You: "Thank you Pedro. You're too kind and I can't properly explain how much I really appreciate it. I'm having trouble coming to terms with all the sudden attention, and finding it hard to ground myself. But your words are helping me a lot. I - "

You hesitated over your next words, wondering if you should open up or just leave it. Don't be weird… don't scare him away like you always have with everyone else. As much as you think of disclosing your hesitation and lack of experience with relationships, as well as your reasons for trepidation, you decide to spare him of your self-hatred. Instead, you delete that last letter and hit send.

Then you send another message, like he did. "And as far as the guy… I know I don't know him personally, we've never met, but I can already tell he would treat me right. I just hope maybe someday he will love me back."

Immediately after sending it you regretted it. That felt way too open and vulnerable. What are you thinking!?! Shit… what if he sees through you!?

You hold your finger down on the message, ready to hit unsend before he sees it. But it's too late. He's already replying.

Pedro: "He would be stupid not to love you back."

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck

You: "Thank you, Pedro. 🥺" Play it cool… Play it cool…

Pedro: "Of course, sweetheart. Feel free to message me if anyone else gives you trouble or you just want to chat. I enjoyed talking with you."

???!!!!!?????!!!!! SweetheartSweetheartSweetheart

You grabbed your nearest pillow and screamed into it. "SKIPPPPPEERRRRRRR!!!!!! I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH PEDRO AND IT WAS MAGICAL AND AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" You squealed.

Skipper lifted his head at you and sighed before setting his head back down. He was no stranger to your shenanigans. Napping after a good walk was a better use of his energy than to deal with your drama. He closed his little brown eyes again.

You lay back on the couch, kicking your feet and squeezing your pillow to your body.

Fuck, this is going to hit me like a truck if it goes sour. If he even realizes it's about him, probably. Crap… what am I going to do?

The next day, you woke up and checked your emails before work. Thankfully nobody at your workplace has seemed to place your singing voice to your speaking voice, or pieced together the fact that several people know you have a crush on a certain celebrity and are a musician. Thank goodness. That’s the last thing you need.

You closed your eyes for a few minutes, trying to calm your breathing, your nerves, and your heart rate, before relaxing and shaking out your body. Finally, you decided to get ready for bed and see what tomorrow brings.

Your emails come in, one by one, with one intriguing email at the top, from a well known pop-culture show called The Jazz & Ally-Kat Show. They want to do an interview with you, live, as soon as possible.

Great. They probably just want to see what I look like or have me spill my guts about my crush. You roll your eyes, and you can’t help but feel like the Mandalorian with his lack of face reveals. If only you had a cute little space baby to accompany you. I guess Skip is my own precious cargo in a way, you think, while looking at your still sleeping pup. You're being silly… Not everything needs to relate back to Pedro, you think with a sigh to yourself.

Yet despite your anxiety, you agreed to their interview, with the exception that it was done as a podcast style interview, where simply your voices are featured. Surprisingly, they agreed. I guess everyone likes some drama, and what better way to get views than by having a little mystery.

The interview was scheduled for three days from then, and in the meantime you focused on work and your album, which was mostly finished after years of writing songs. All it needed was some editing.

As the days went by, you wanted desperately to message Pedro again. You wanted to tell him your feelings. Have him confess that he loves you too. Ask him about his family, his friends, his favorite things. Meet him, kiss him, fall in love, and finally be happy. But ultimately you knew that was silly. You had one little conversation, and although it was nice, you still didn't know each other. There was no way he loved you back. Yet…? you asked yourself, hopeful, almost asking for permission to let yourself try and earn his love.

Despite Instagram drawing you in like a magnet, you held back from messaging him. You didn't want to come on too strong. You messaged him first last time. He doesn't know you. Literally… he doesn't even know your real name, or what you look like. But maybe that's a good thing…

_____The day of the interview:_____

You woke up around 9:30 in the morning; nervous, slightly nauseated, restless, and jittery. Why did I agree to this??!

You decided to pass on the coffee this morning, figuring it would make things worse, and instead decided to take Skipper for a walk. After some fresh air followed by a refreshing shower, you looked at the clock. 11:30 AM. With the interview at 1PM, you still had some time to kill and sat down at the piano, letting your mind wander to Pedro while you plunked chords out with nimble fingers. I wonder if Pedro has ever wanted to learn any instruments… I could teach him, you daydream.

Your hands dance across the piano while he reads through a script in the other room, eyebrows furrowed as he highlights another line. You look up over the grand piano and see his soft brown curls blowing under the fan haphazardly. The sun is shining in through the window, which Skip bathes under, and reflects a golden brown undertone with gray streaks in Pedro's hair. He really is beautiful, you think. His tongue swipes across his lips as he makes notes and erases, before finally feeling your eyes on him. He glances up from the script, giving you a soft smile and a wink; with those chocolate brown eyes that frequently cause you to lose your train of thought. Your eyes drift down to the keys again, feeling a soft blush creep over your cheeks.

"That music sounds beautiful, baby.." he says softly while padding up to you behind the piano. He places his large hands on your shoulders, sweeping them down over both your arms before settling on your hands, still resting over the black and white keys. You look over your shoulder and he leans in, closing his eyes as he presses a gentle kiss to your lips. Just like that scene in Narcos… you think. Yikes, I really am obsessed… anyway… you think back to your daydream…

He sits down at the chair next to your piano bench, kissing your lips again gently, then the corner of your mouth, your cheek, and your jaw. Your stomach gives a wave of butterflies and you lean in more to kiss him deeper, tugging on his hair while his hands find the small of your back, gently running his palms up your spine. A chill overcomes you and he-

~Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.~

Fuck. You snap out of your fantasy and turn off the alarm you set to go off ten minutes before the interview. At least I gave myself time to use the restroom and wash my face, you think, hoping to clear your head a bit now that you're slightly frazzled.

Unfortunately the feeling that replaced it was nerves as you sat down at your desk, typing into your keyboard, turning on your mic, and hoping that Skipper doesn't throw a fit over the wind or something while you're on this call.

Jazz: "Hi there listeners! We're joined by the artist of the moment, our favorite lovesick lady, the singer responsible for "Imaginary Love!"

Both women on the other end of the call applaud.

Well… not sure I like being called a lovesick lady but what else did I expect, really?

You: "Thank you guys for having me, I appreciate you wanting to get to know me better."

Despite the rough start, the ladies turned out to be really respectful and fun. You think that if the circumstances were different, you could actually be friends with them. You discuss casual things like your dog, your favorite activities and favorite pop culture topics (careful to avoid mentioning Pedro or any other actor that could be perceived as your lyrical subject), and they even mention celebrity crushes they've had growing up.

At the mention of their celebrity crushes, you can feel the interview funnel into a dangerous alley with little to no escape. Jazz was the first to broach the subject. "So… we've just discussed our celebrity crushes, and I think I speak for all of us here when I say we're all very curious to know who-"

-an air horn blares-

What the hell is that? You wonder, both thankful for the interruption, yet startled by the disruption.

They both chime in: "Viewers!!! Do you all know what that sound is!?! We have reached 1 million listeners!!!!"

To say you were astounded is an understatement.

You: "You're kidding!? 1 million people are listening to us right now?"

Ally: "You bet they are! And listeners… I don't know about you guys… but I can't help but wonder if our celebrity heartthrob is one of those million?"

They turn their attention to you again. "What do you think? Think he's listening?"

You're thankful for the lack of a camera, because you can't help but blush at the thought. You'd be lying if you hadn't already considered (hoped) that he was listening too.

Jazz: "So as we were saying… I think we all are in agreement that we want to know who he is. You sound like a nice enough girl, so what's holding you back? You've made it. You can contact him now and he'll probably reply."

I already have… you thought with a smirk.

Jazz continues: "Which brings me to the next point... I know you've had a lot of attention lately. You were signed to a record company, you were contacted by us, you've been mentioned by a few talk shows and celebrities. Pedro Pascal even publicly defended you. The radio has been playing your song nonstop and people can't get enough. What do you think of all this attention?"

You: "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit surprised and maybe a little scared," you answered with a nervous laugh. "But I am so thankful for the kind words that I receive and I love hearing from people who can relate to my music."

Ally: "You've certainly received your fair share of criticism too. It sounds like you received that before your song was ever published as well."

You: "I have, and it's been challenging to try and not let it get me down. But I'm trying my best, and the positives seem to be greatly outweighing the negatives," you state, your mind thinking of Pedro and how his messages were really the only positive you needed to get you through the dark storm of criticism.

Ally: "I guess what I'm wondering is.. among all these people contacting you.. has he?"

You try to play dumb: "Has who?"

Both interviewers laugh before Ally continues. "Nice try. You know who we're trying to find out about. Has he, the man of your dreams and star of your lyrics, contacted you at all? Will we see a romance blooming?"

Your stomach flipped. You were not expecting this question. Should you tell the truth??? It's not like they could know who has contacted you, short of hacking your account. You have had a lot of people contact you, after all.

You take a deep breath before answering. "I uh… I have received a lot of messages, some of them from celebrities."

They reply, and you can practically feel them leaning in. "Yeeeeaaaah?????"

You consider your next move, your heart really working overtime since this whole thing started. Finally you decide your answer.

"Yes. We've talked."

Looking for Track 1? Read it here!

Next chapter: Here!

~Thanks for reading! Stay ~tuned~ for more!

Taglist: Let me know if you want in :)

@pedrotonin @starcrossed02

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal x afab!reader #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal x musician!reader #pedro pascal fluff #pedro pascal x plus sized! reader #pedro pascal fic #A! wrote a fic #rpf #pedro pascal rpf #key to your heart

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band--psycho · 10 months

Text

Chibs Telford x Reader - Perspective

For @munsinner who requested this story so long ago for my dialogue prompt writing challenge!

Dialogue Prompt 380 - I'm breaking every rule in the book by being here

Everything was going to shit.

And what’s one thing that came when things went to shit, other than more shit?

Perspective.

That’s why Chibs was here; at Y/n Tellers front door, working out how to tell her he loved her.

Because he’d had enough; enough of sticking to the rules, enough of trying to be the good guy, enough of denying himself the one person he craved more than anything.

Y/n Teller.

The princess of Charming, his best friend's younger sister, the one woman he swore he’d never fall for…

He’d tried.

He’d tried so fucking hard to not fall for her, and even when he did fall, he tried so hard to push those feelings aside and act like they didn’t exist.

But there was no one else for him.

No one else could magically make him smile on the dark days, no one could make him laugh as loudly nor could anyone calm the storm that tore through his mind late at night when he couldn’t sleep.

Y/n Teller was the only woman who could.

And selfishly, he wanted more.

Even though he knew he shouldn’t.

He wanted more than late night chats at 3am, more than stolen glances when no one else was paying either of them any attention, more than a possibility of love.

He wanted her, completely.

He wanted to tell her how he truly felt.

No more secrets.

No more ‘almost’ moments.

He wanted her to be his; and to be hers in return.

He wasn’t a saint, by any stretch of the imagination, he’d done things he’d regretted or wished he could’ve changed.

The last thing he wanted was for Y/n to become another regret, another ‘what if moment’ in his life.

He could work out the consequences later, but he needed her to know how he truly felt.

He knocked at her door, a small chuckle slipping past his lips when he heard her swearing about who was waking her up at this ridiculous hour.

Her swearing continued when she opened the door, wearing a fluffy dressing gown and matching fluffy slippers. Even in the middle of the night, when she wasn’t even trying to look good she was still the most perfect woman he’d ever seen.

Her anger soon diminished when she saw who was standing there.

“Chibs?” She questioned, her eyebrows narrowed in confusion as to what he was going here in the middle of the night.

He didn’t answer; silence descended upon both of them, as his mind tried to work out what he was going to say to her now that he was here.

“Filip?” She asked again; softer this time as she placed her hand on his shoulder; her confusion shifting into worry.

A million thoughts raced through her head about why he was here; had something else happened with the club…

“I’m breaking every rule in the book by being here,” he muttered, as he took a step towards her.

Those words brought her back to reality.

A small gasp fell from her lips as she processed the words he said; she knew what he was talking about.

There was only one rule she knew of that he could be referring to, and it made her heart skip a beat.

“I need ye, lass, and I’m done pretending I don’t,” he continued; his eyes meeting Y/ns as he took another step closer towards her, she didn’t move, she just stood still letting him almost close the distance between them completely.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she breathed shakily as her arms wrapped around the back of his neck.

“I know,” he agreed quietly, glancing down at her lips before meeting her eyes again.

“We should stop,” she whispered, her lips now inches away from Chibs’.

“Is that what ye want, love?”

That’s not what she wanted at all.

But she knew that if they did this, if they broke the rules they’d both been sticking too for so long, she could never go back.

“No,” she answered simply.

That was the only answer Chibs needed before he closed the small distance between them.

The world melted away.

For a moment, nothing else existed; it was just the two of them, losing themselves in one another.

Without a word, they moved together, back into her flat, where Chibs kicked the door shut.

They kissed with a desperation that spoke of a need that had been building for far too long.

Chibs pulled her in close, his breath hot against her ear. “Yer mine now,” he mumbled, in between kisses, “and I’m not letting ye go.”

And with that, he picked her up, carried her to the bedroom, both of them knowing that after tonight, things would never be the same again, but both of them being too lost in each other to care about the consequences.

#chibs telford x reader #chibs telford imagine #chibs telford imagines #chibs telford #soa x reader #soa imagines #soa imaigne #sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy x reader #sons of anarchy imagines #soa chibs telford #sons of anarchy chibs #sons of anarchy imagine

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ivy-and-ivory · 10 months

Note

I absolutely adore your Batman and Jason Todd fics!!! I was wondering if you had any fic recs? ♥️

Thank you Anon!! I’m so glad you enjoy my writing :D

There’s so much incredible Jason & Bruce fic out there and I’m more than happy to share some recs! I’m unfortunately not the best about remembering to keep track of fics I enjoy, so this is by no means a definitive/comprehensive list of my favorites, but I scrolled through my bookmarks and found a few fics that will hopefully satisfy your Jason & Bruce cravings :)

Stargazer by LemonadeGarden @lemonadegarden (47,656 words, Multi-chap, Complete)

Author’s Summary:

“Jason Todd is seriously injured during patrol one night, and is forced to stay at the manor to recuperate until his injuries are healed. To pass the time, he makes a list of things he never got to do before he died. Except there's one small problem: most of them involve Bruce, and Jason doesn't really think Bruce cares all that much about him anymore. This is a story about how wrong he is, but I made it sad anyway.”

Truly what can I even say about this fic. This is the story that made me fall in love with Jason Todd, and Bruce & Jason reconciliation fics, and Bruce & Jason destination/road trip fics, and basically everything I care most about in this fandom. I’d been a Superbat fan for a while before I started getting into the Batfam side of things, and around the time I read this I was only just starting to read stories about the Robins. This was the gateway fic. This was the one that caught me and made it stick. Formative, definitive, one of my all time faves.

this kind of weather by r_astra @heyy-its-skip (46,456 words, Multi-chap, WIP)

Author’s Summary:

“Jason’s at school when his mom dies, and that’s the only reason any of it happens. If he’d been home, if he’d been with her, he would’ve been in the wind before anyone else even knew. Even if they looked, no one ever would’ve found him. He’d have taken to the sewers if that’s what it took, man-eating crocodile guy and all.”

Ohhhhh this fic. Bio-parent Bruce AUs don’t always do it for me, but the fics that get it right get it RIGHT, and this is one of them. Possibly my favorite Jason joins the batfam late fic ever. I’m obsessed with the Jason characterization in this one. Like actually obsessed. Like he is rotating in my brain like a rotisserie chicken at all times constantly 24/7 obsessed. Cannot recommend enough.

Growing Like A Breeze by whaleofatime @cetaceans-pls (6,114 words, Oneshot, Complete)

Author’s Summary:

“April 27th isn't anyone's favourite date, but it's somehow worse than usual today when Bruce gets his car stolen. It's nice of Red Hood to come to his rescue. Nicer even that Jason keeps him company afterwards.”

If you’ve read my fics I think it should be a given that any Jason & Bruce fic tagged “Inexplicable Road Trip” is absolutely going to do it for me. But god, Bruce’s psyche in this one. The man has twisted himself up in more tangles than the Gordian knot. Really fantastic exploration of Bruce & Jason’s relationship and trying to move forward past the destructiveness of grief and blame. I will be thinking about the bumper stickers on Bruce's Hyundai Elantra forever.

through space and time by sparkycap @sparkysomething (6,334 words, Oneshot, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"When an Outlaws mission gets Jason sent back twelve years in the past, he finds himself in a familiar position: stealing something stupid and getting caught by a Batman who wants to give him a second chance. It’s a refreshing change from how encounters with his present-day Batman usually go."

I am a simple woman. Give me a fic where Bruce interacts with Jason without really knowing the significance of who he's interacting with and I will go feral, every time. Absolutely brutal interaction between a well-meaning Bruce and a hurting Jason in this one. Don't want to spoil anything, but there's one line of dialogue in particular that just. Ugh. Fuck me all the way up.

Clearly Calm and Keeping Terrorized by Batbirdies @batbirdies (258,290 words, Multi-Chap, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"Jason made a deal with Bruce, no killing, and there would be no more conflict between them. At least on patrol. Jason reasoned it would be easier to accomplish his goals without constantly fighting Batman along the way. It didn’t change anything, not really. Not until he found an old gift he never knew about and Bruce asked him to dogsit Titus while he and Damian were out of town. Not until the Lazarus Pit started bothering him again. AKA: My take on a Jason rejoins the family fic."

I am once again reccing a Bruce & Jason reconciliation fic (are you perhaps noticing a trend?) This one will break your heart and put it back together again. It's part of a series but can stand alone (though I've read the two works that precede it and highly recommend them as well). 250k+ words about a father and son and the rest of their family trying to figure out how to heal. Genuinely there is so much love in this fic. And trauma! Can't forget the trauma. But also so much love.

Code of Silence by JHSC @jhscdood (9,376 words, Multi-Chap, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"Willis Todd doesn’t die in prison. That doesn’t change much, until it does."

This one is less Jason & Bruce-centric than the others on this list (though Bruce still features, especially in the other works in the series) but it absolutely fits the bill for Jason & his dad content so I'm reccing it anyway. This fic utterly transformed the way I view Willis Todd. Incredibly thoughtful, emotional exploration of trauma and recovery and trying to heal. The whole series is gold.

Good Intentions and the Highest Hopes by rotasha (16,863 words, Multi-Chap, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"Bruce offers each of his children the chance to go on vacation with him, and they get to choose the destination. Jason chooses the one place he thinks Bruce will enjoy the least, out of spite. That’s how the two of them end up going to Disney World."

Another one that perfectly checks all my favorite Bruce & Jason fic boxes. Reconciliation fic? Check. Set in highly specific non-Gotham destination? Check. Bruce not quite knowing how to connect to Jason but trying his best anyway and Jason finally deciding to let him? Check, check, check. Jason's kind of an asshole in this one; I adore him eternally. And I love Bruce so so much in this.

There are so many more I could add but I'm going to leave it at that for now! Hope some of these are new to you & that you enjoy them! And thanks again for reading my work :D

#thanks for the ask!#reminder to self to go back and leave comments on the ones I haven't yet #batman #bruce wayne #jason todd #fic recs #batman fic recs #ivy rambles #ivy answers

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tetrakys · 3 months

Note

Hey Tetra, so how is the beta? What do you think of the game so far?

Sorry anon, I know I've been silent here, every time I think I want to make a post I never have enough time to make it as detailed as I used to, but never mind I'm going to give my quick opinion and then write something more in depth later.

So, first of all, I agree with everyone that the way the AP system is at the moment is too expensive. We pay 2AP for line of dialogue and many APs for choices. We get more free APs than in the past with the daily login, so that's a plus, but the choices are way too costly, especially the very basic ones (here called neutral choices), I shouldn't have to spend 40 APs to say I want a cup of tea! All that being said, I'm not too worried about it because I know that Chino has already reported this issue to management, and while these decisions are not up to her I know she sees the player's perspective and will do everything she can to make our voices heard.

Now, AP system aside, there are some things I really love!

Firstly, the website looks amazing, in the end it was worth the wait. It works super smoothly, and it's very pretty to look at.

And the closet/shop part is really easy to navigate, it's pretty much like the Sims so I'm used to it.

Also, the millennial in me who can't afford to buy her own home is really into the room decoration feature

I also enjoy the minigames. One is just like the explorations in Eldarya, but with no pet to feed, so it's a win to me. The other is outfit contests, we receive a theme and we can dress up our Candy and enrol in it. I am TERRIBLE at it, but even if you don't make it top3 you still win some APs and diamonds just for participating. You can also win stuff just by voting in the contest.

Now, to the story. The first episode was mostly an introduction so nothing much really happens, we just meet 4 of the LIs. It was cute, the mechanic is a bit tricky because we can't see immediately if the LoM increases or not, we find out at the end of the episode, but it's not nearly as bad as in ML, so I can deal with it. It's also possible to understand if the LI liked the interaction from their reactions. I think I'm starting to understand their personalities so I hope I'll get the hang of it when the game releases. I'm going to make a separate post about my impressions on the LIs, but I'm quite happy so far.

Something else I want to mention before ending this is a final pro and cons.

Cons, I don't like the "fairy". It's MC's godfather which is a cool character, apparently he is Agatha's cousin, that's nice. But he only brings gifts to Taki which I really don't care about, my duck will remain naked as nature intended. Or, anyway, I won't spend APs on it. I'm gonna try hard to avoid this guy, also because we have a choice to make with him and we can't skip it once we run into him.

The pro is instead the VIP system. From what I've seen, it looks very convenient. We get extra APs and diamonds every day, especially the diamonds it's a really good amount, which we can then exchange for more APs or cumulate to buy extra scenes (which are longer scenes with the LI). We also get some extra perks like an outfit, skip button for the replays, and extra jokers, which are little useful features that can be used in game. We don't know yet how much the VIP subscription costs, but if they stuck to the same prices as other game companies, it shouldn't be more than 10-15$.

And you anon, did you play the beta? Let me guys know what you think. People seem to be happy about most things except the AP system.

#it ended up being a long post anyway but there's so much to say!#mcl #my candy love #mcl new gen

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kckt88 · 5 months

Text

Drowning Inside You VI

Summary:

Aemond and Valaera set boundaries, and live a fruitful life on Driftmark.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

Warning(s): 5 Year Time Skip, Inner thoughts, Language, Kissing, Smut, P in V, Breeding Kink, Knotting, Mild Angst, Possessive Behaviour, Child Birth. Epilogue

Word Count: 7850

Author Note: An Alpha/Omega Story.

P.S - Some Scenes/Dialogue from Dynasty has been reused.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated.

“So, as it stands the potential agreement is when the children reach the appropriate age, they will enter a period of courtship and if at the end they do not wish to marry for whatever reason then the betrothal will be broken and Vaella will be free to pursue her own match,” said Valaera.

“Not to mention we have their presentations to consider, it’s not going to work if both Jaehaerys and Vaella present as Alpha’s or Omega’s” replied Aemond.

“As for Vhalarr, the same conditions apply” muttered Valaera.

“I’m fairly certain he will be an Alpha” said Aemond.

“How can you be sure?” asked Valaera.

“It’s very subtle but he already has a scent, similar to that of my own. Vaella smells sweet, like you” exclaimed Aemond.

“So, your saying she might be an Omega?”

“It’s possible but we would have to wait until presentation age to be sure” said Aemond.

Valaera knew in part that Aemond was right, Vhalarr did smell similar to his Alpha father and Vaella sometimes smelled like freshly baked cakes.

“Are we doing the right thing?” mused Valaera.

“Politically a match between Jaehaerys and Vaella makes sense. Our daughter would be the Queen and our grandchild would be heir, but I must admit that I wish to wait until our pups are older. Let them be children first” muttered Aemond.

“Then we wait” replied Valaera firmly.

“Are you sure about that?” asked Aemond.

“Our pups, our choice. My mother might not like it, but your right. Our pups should grow free of expectations”.

“So, it’s decided then” said Aemond.

“Yes, we are declining the betrothal until the children are older” replied Valaera sternly.

When they first moved to Driftmark, Valaera was shy and unsure of her abilities as future Lady of the Tides, but now she was really coming into her own. When she wasn’t looking after the children she was pouring over documents and checking trade routes, she would accompany Lord Corlys to Spice Town and oversee the ships and she even managed to broker a deal with silk merchants in Lys.

Aemond was insanely proud of his Omega.

That day she sat on the Driftwood Throne in the Hall of Nine called out the Queen for her poor decision making was something Aemond would never forget.

Despite all the ‘Strong’ jokes, Valaera was where she truly belonged and if truth be told, Aemond thoroughly enjoyed it when his Omega would become stern and serious. It made him incredibly hard, and he loved fucking Valaera on every available surface.

When he was younger, Aemond admittedly never had an interest in sex. He would often think that there was something wrong with him. He had that one experience on the street of silk on his thirteenth name day and wasn’t keen to repeat it.

But when it came to Valaera, it was all she could think about. Never had he known such desire before; his cock would get hard at the mere thought of his sweet Omega.

Every night he would lay with Valaera, sometimes more than once. His hunger for his mate was insatiable.

Just this morning, Aemond had thoroughly enjoyed himself as Valaera climbed on top of him and rode him like an unclaimed dragon.

“There. Finished” declared Valaera proudly breaking Aemond about of his reverie.

“W-What?” asked Aemond trying to ignore his cock growing hard in his breeches.

“Our official response to the Queen regarding the betrothal,” said Valaera.

“Y-You’ve included me” muttered Aemond as he quickly scanned the letter.

“Of course, your my future consort Lord and the father of our pups. Your opinion matters”

Was it possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again?

Aemond leaned towards his Omega and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Yes. Yes, it was.

“I guess she didn’t take it well?” asked Aemond.

“No, she thinks you’re to blame” replied Aegon.

“I thought as much” muttered Aemond.

“Apparently you have too much influence over Valaera”

“Oh, piss off. Valaera is more than capable of making her own decisions” retorted Aemond.

“Of course, she is, but you know what our sister’s like. There’s always someone else to blame for her failings” exclaimed Aegon.

“I just want my pups to have a better upbringing than I did. Is that so wrong?”

“Not at all brother. Nothing will ever change unless we’re the ones that make those changes, I’m just glad someone finally has the balls to stand up and do it” said Aegon.

“How’s things with you and your Lord Strong?” asked Aemond.

“Good actually, he agreed with your reasons for refusing the betrothal” admitted Aegon.

“That is surprising. I assumed he would have agreed with his mother”.

“You’re not the only one. Should have seen Rhaenyra’s face when Jace told her that he accepted your reasons for declining” laughed Aegon.

“Maybe next time she’ll think before she opens her mouth”.

“Oh, she definitely knows she made a mistake. Jace has only just started talking to her again” said Aegon smiling.

“Did she apologise?”

“Yes, she did. It was glorious” said Aegon laughing.

“What about Daemon?” mused Aemond.

“Nothing to tell. The cuntstruck dog doesn’t really do much, which I must admit does disappoint me. There was everyone thinking that he’d be a second Maegor and yet he’s so boring. No drama, nothing” said Aegon shrugging.

“How’s mother?”

“As well as expected, she’s currently visiting Daeron in Old Town” replied Aegon.

“I keep meaning to invite him for a visit, but he’s spent so long in Old Town that he feels like a stranger” muttered Aemond.

“He’s our brother and yet it’s almost like he doesn’t exist”.

“So, are you going to tell me why you made an unannounced visit, or shall I guess?” asked Aemond.

“I just fancied seeing my little brother” replied Aegon sheepishly.

“Now I know that’s a lie” muttered Aemond.

“Actually, it isn’t. I just wanted to talk to someone other than Jace” admitted Aegon.

“Is he really that bad?” laughed Aemond.

“No, but since you and Helaena left the Red Keep there isn’t really anyone to keep me company. Joffrey is a total bore. Aegon and Viserys are too young, and my own children are not exactly great at conversation. I just miss you brother” muttered Aegon quietly.

“You know you’re welcome here anytime, right?”

“I appreciate that. Now can I see Valaera sitting on the Driftwood Throne?” asked Aegon.

“Why?”

“I want to see what Rhaenyra meant when she said Valaera looked like a totally different person sitting on her throne with her loyal consort by her side” said Aegon brightly.

“Now I see what Rhaenyra meant. She does look different” said Aegon as he stared at Valaera sitting on the Driftwood Throne.

“Not that different surely?” muttered Aemond feeling absolutely ridiculous at fulfilling Aegon’s request.

“Trust me brother, she looks positively delicious. I can see why your so obsessed with her”.

“You’re not serious?” gasped Aemond.

“Those Strong genes are really something aren’t they”.

“Don’t you dare” growled Aemond.

“I mean we could always figure something out; I could always lend you Jace granted he’s an Alpha but there are other pleasures to be had”.

That lecher. That vile fiend. Lusting after my Omega. I’m going to kill him.

“I bet you’ve fucked her on it haven’t you?”

“Halt your vulgarity” snarled Aemond.

“Oh, you have. You really are a whore” laughed Aegon as he turned on his heel and ran out of the Hall of Nine.

“I’m going to kill you” shouted Aemond as he ran after his older brother, leaving Valaera sitting on the Driftwood Throne looking utterly confused at what had just happened.

-Five Years Later-

“A son my Prince”

“I-Is he ok?” asked Valaera as Maester Selkin placed the crying pup in her arms.

“Perfectly healthy” replied the Maester smiling.

“A-Aemond look at him, he’s perfect” cooed Valaera.

“He is beautiful. Well done Issa dōna” replied Aemond proudly. (My sweet)

My pup has his mother’s face. But he has my silver hair.

“W-What shall we call him?” asked Valaera.

“Aerion” replied Aemond the tears streaming down his face.

I am so proud of my Omega. Our pup. Our beautiful little boy.

“Oh, Alpha it’s a wonderful name for our pup” gasped Valaera.

“Aerion Targaryen” exclaimed Aemond happily.

“S-Should you like to hold him?

“I would love to” muttered Aemond as his newborn pup was placed in his arms.

Valaera would never get tired of the look on her Alpha’s face as he cradled their tiny pup in his arms.

Such love and devotion.

As Aemond held their newly born son, Valaera was cleaned up and checked over by the Maester who declared her healthy, and once she was settled back into bed the Omega requested their other pups be brought so they could meet their new brother.

After a few moments, the door slowly opened, and four small faces peered in.

“Children, come and meet Aerion” urged Valaera softly.

Vhalarr was the first to approach, his amethyst eyes wide with wonder.

“He looks like Mother” whispered Vhalarr.

“But has father’s hair” gasped Vaella.

“Aemon my Issa byka zaldrīzes. Have a look” offered Aemond as he crouched down (My little dragon).

Aemon stared at his baby brother for a moment, and then he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Aerion’s head.

“Ryn, be careful” urged Aemond as his three-year-old pup began clambering up the bed.

“She’s ok, aren’t you Dōna hāedar” muttered Valaera as she drew their daughter into her embrace and held her tight (Sweet girl).

It must be overwhelming for Ryn; she is no longer the youngest of our pups. We must make sure she does not feel pushed out.

As the older pups surrounded Aemond and their new brother. Valaera thought back to when Ryn was born and how stubborn she was.

I was in labour for hours, far longer than any of the other pups. As worried as he was, Aemond had remained steadfast at his side, holding his hand the entire time. But she came, all pink and healthy.

They had named her Saeryna, but when Aemon had first met her, he could not properly say her name, so he kept calling her Ryn and the nickname eventually stuck. Admittedly at first Aemond did not like it, but he eventually gave in when he realised that Ryn was all she responded too.

Their second daughter looked a lot like Vhalarr, dark hair and amethyst eyes. She was so beautiful as was Vaella and Aemond was already sharpening his swords in preparation for any attention they would receive. The Alpha was weak for both of his daughters, and he was not ashamed to admit it either, which made Valaera smile.

“Muña. Avy jorrāelan” whispered Ryn (Mother, I love you).

“I love you too my darling” replied Valaera pressing a kiss to her daughters curly hair.

“I think someone wants feeding” exclaimed Aemond as he passed Aerion to Valaera.

“W-What is Aerion doing?” asked Ryn.

“He’s having his milk” replied Aemond.

“From Muña?”

“Yes, my sweet girl, all of you had milk from your mother” muttered Aemond.

“Do you have milk Kepa?”

“No, I do not, only those who birth pups have milk” said Aemond.

“How do mother’s even get pups?” asked Aemon.

This conversation is not happening. No. I refuse to acknowledge its existence.

“Do they just appear one day?”

“An Alpha puts them there” exclaimed Vhalarr.

“Wait. How did you know that?” asked Valaera.

“I heard you ask father to give you a pup and then one day you had Aerion in your tummy.”

Oh my god. I cannot believe he just said that.

“Yes, well mayhaps this conversation should take place when your older” muttered Aemond.

“Why?” asked Vaella tilting her head to the side.

“Because you’re a little young at the moment” said Aemond closing his eye and taking a deep breath.

“But I am almost seven name days old” retorted Vaella.

“Add another fifty million name days onto that and then I might think about telling you.”

“Oh, Kepa your being very silly” laughed Vaella (Father).

“You know what else is silly?” asked Aemond smiling.

“No what?”

“The tickle monster” exclaimed Aemond as he grabbed hold of Vaella and began tickling her.

Vaella’s delighted squeals of laughter echoed around the chamber and soon all of the children were set upon by the dangerous tickle monster.

Valaera loved watching her Alpha with their pups. The Alpha’s love for their family was boundless, and every day Valaera was thankful to have been blessed in such a manner.

Suddenly a knock at the door broke the tickle monsters reign of terror and Aegon appeared.

“UNCLE AEGON”

“Oh, my so many children at once” gasped Aegon as he was set upon by Vhalarr, Vaella, Aemon and Ryn.

“Good to see you brother” said Aemond as he resumed his seat on the bed next to Valaera.

“Looks like I arrived just in time” replied Aegon.

“Come, meet your nephew Aerion” said Valaera proudly.

“I thought you was naming him Aegon.”

“Since when was that ever an option” groused Aemond.

“Well, I am your favourite brother” replied Aegon.

“Your my only-“

Wait, hang on that isn’t right. Oh, yeah Daeron. I forgot about him.

“Is Jace here?” asked Valaera.

“Yeah, he’s with Baela and Helaena. There’s lots of children there too” said Aegon.

“Some of those children are yours” exclaimed Valaera.

“I know but don’t tell anyone” joked Aegon.

Aemond shook his head slightly and then sent for Tarla to collect the children.

The children’s nanny soon appeared and took the excited pups to see their cousins.

“Do you want to hold Aerion?”

“Oh, go on then, been a while since I’ve held a babe” replied Aegon happily as he took hold of Aerion and rocked him gently.

“Jace has brought an egg for your pup. Rhaenar chose it. I hope that’s ok?”

“It’s fine we’ll have it placed with Aerion later” said Aemond.

“Are you ok Aegon?” asked Valaera.

“I’m fine, just things can be a bit full on at times” muttered Aegon.

“You know your more than welcome to stay here whenever you like” offered Aemond.

“I know, thank you brother” replied Aegon.

Aemond knew that his brother was easily overwhelmed by the demands of being a mother and whilst he knew that Aegon loved his pups, he also knew that his brother sometimes needed a break.

“Word of warning though brother. If any of my pups start asking where pups come from, don’t you dare tell them” warned Aemond.

“Would I?” laughed Aegon.

Aemond and Valaera exchanged a knowing glance before quickly changing the subject.

A few days later, Valaera was back on her feet after the birth of Aerion and happily celebrating with her family.

“Welcome to the world, Prince Aerion Targaryen” declared Lord Corlys proudly.

Valaera smiled as cups were raised to her grandsire’s toast.

“Is the Queen not joining us?” asked Rhaenys curiously.

“No, important matters at court, but she did invite us to Kings Landing to celebrate when I’m capable of travel” replied Valaera.

“Just make sure you give yourself sufficient time to heal” said Rhaenys.

Valaera smiled and spied Aemond out of the corner of her eye nodding in agreement.

After their quarrel with her mother regarding the betrothal of Jaehaerys to Vaella, her Alpha mostly avoided having contact with the Queen unless he absolutely had to speak to her.

Valaera usually did most of the talking anyway, but even her relationship with his mother had noticeable cooled, especially when she dared to make a back hand request that both him and Aemond should apologise for openly disrespecting her in front of the noble lords.

Valaera outright refused and Aemond promptly told the Queen to stuff her request where the sun doesn’t shine and never in his life will he apologise for defending his own rights as a parent.

It had taken almost five years for Aemond to stop growling every time the Queen was mentioned.

“I just want to say thank you to Rhaenar for choosing Aerion’s dragon egg, I’m sure it will hatch into a fine dragon” said Valaera brightly.

“Your welcome Auntie Valaera” muttered Rhaenar shyly.

“Jaehaerys, will you stop winding your sister up” chided Jace sternly.

“Sorry father” exclaimed Jaehaerys as Maela stuck her tongue out.

“Speaking of dragon’s have your pups named theirs yet?” asked Jace.

“Yes, they have. But I’ll let them tell you" replied Valaera.

“My dragon is called Sapphyre” said Vaella proudly.

“Unusual name for a dragon” muttered Baela.

“Says the one who called her dragon Moondancer” retorted Aemond smirking.

“Oh, shut up” exclaimed Baela.

“I called my dragon Melarx, in honour of Meleys and Arrax” said Vhalarr.

"Silver" declared Ryn proudly.

“Vhagon, in honour of my father’s dragon,” said Aemon.

“Shocking, not one of you in the bunch thought to honour my Sunfyre, the most beautiful dragon to ever grace the skies” gasped Aegon.

“My father rides the largest dragon in the world. Vhagar is the Queen of the sky she flew alongside Balerion and Meraxes” said Aemon proudly.

“Why am I not surprised that your son knows that” said Aegon.

“My pups education is important, as is their knowledge of our family history” replied Aemond.

“Is Aerion named after Aegon the conquerors father?” asked Vhalarr.

“Yes, he is” exclaimed Aemond.

“The next pup better be named after me” declared Aegon.

“Who says were having anymore? We already have five” asked Valaera.

“Piss off, I’m betting you’ll have more. My brother can’t keep his knot out of your cunny”

“AEGON” shouted Valaera.

“Mother what’s a cunny?” asked Vaella.

Valaera didn’t have the chance to respond as Aemond had launched himself out of his chair and chased Aegon out of the dining room.

“You want to what?” asked Valaera.

“Renew our wedding vows” replied Aemond.

“A-Aemond. Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Ao issi se jorrāelagon hen issa glaeson, and it would please me greatly to marry you all over again with our pups by our side” said Aemond (You are the love of my life).

“C-Could we have the ceremony here on Driftmark?”

“We can have it wherever you like my love” said Aemond as he wrapped his arms around his Omega and held him close.

“I would like to have Valyrian ceremony on the beach” whispered Valaera.

“Sounds perfect” muttered Aemond.

My Alpha. My love. He wants to marry me again. I am truly blessed to have him by my side.

“Shall we arrange for it to take place in two moons time, that way people have plenty of notice” suggested Valaera.

“Good idea. I’m fairly certain Helaena will help you with any arrangements and formalities, we’ll obviously need the traditional Valyrian robes, I might ask Rhaenys to acquire those”.

“We can ask the cooks to prepare the same food we had at our first wedding” exclaimed Valaera positively gleeful.

“As long as we have decent wine this time, not that piss we had before” retorted Aemond.

“I didn’t take you for much of a wine drinker” mused Valaera.

“I’m not, but if I’m going to have to deal with Aegon and your mother there’s no way I’m doing that totally sober” muttered Aemond.

Valaera let out a little giggle and buried her face in her Alpha’s chest.

“Come let us tell the pups,” said Valaera.

“I thought you were already married?” asked Vhalarr.

“We are, but sometimes when two people love one another they can get married again”.

“-And this time, you’ll be there with us,” said Valaera.

“You pups mean everything to us and we want to share this with you” said Aemond.

“Can we help you to plan it mother?” asked Vaella.

“Of course, you can, I’m counting on my sweet girls to walk with me on the day,” said Valaera.

“What about us?” asked Aemon.

“I’d like you to stand with your father if that’s ok, we might have to get Aunt Helaena to hold Aerion, but I want all my pups close” replied Valaera.

“Help mama” said Ryn in a sing song voice.

“That’s my girl” said Valaera as he gently stroked Ryn’s hair.

“Let’s get started on the list of people to invite. I wonder if there’s anyone around here that can help” mused Aemond as he pretended to look around the room.

“We can help” shrieked Vaella.

“Oh, I don’t know are you sure?” replied Aemond smiling as he tapped his chin.

“Yes” yelled Vaella.

“Well, I guess I’ve found all of my helpers” said Aemond brightly.

As Valaera fed Aerion, she happily watched as their remaining pups crowded around their Alpha father and began reeling off a list of names.

“Uncle Aegon” bellowed Ryn.

“Are you sure?” asked Aemond.

“Yes, love Uncle Aegon” said Ryn brightly.

As much as Aemond loathed his brother’s lack of morals and decency, he had a very close relationship with his children, particularly Ryn. She adored Aegon and would always seek his company when he came to visit Driftmark.

“Don’t forget my mother” muttered Valaera.

“Are you sure?” asked Aemond.

“We have to invite her; I don’t wish for any more arguments” said Valaera quietly.

“There’s also my mother and Daeron” replied Aemond.

“Don’t forget about my brothers and Rhaena” mused Valaera.

“Hm”

After almost an hour the list was finished, it also included the names of all the pups dragons at the insistence of Ryn who smiled with delight when Aemond gave into her request.

Aemond wrapped his arms around Ryn and lifted her into his arms, her tiny fingers fiddled with the straps of his eyepatch before she slipped it off his head.

“Gevie” whispered Ryn as she placed a gentle kiss on the scared cheek of her father.

Aemond had previously been reluctant to show any of his pups what lurked under the eyepatch, but after Vaella had accidently pulled it off when she was a babe, there was no hiding the sapphire. Aemond had always believed people were terrified of his scar and he waited for his pups to react in terror but neither Vhalarr nor Vaella turned away. Sure, they were curious, but they never looked at their Alpha father with anything but love.

So, with every pup that was born after, Aemond made sure to keep the eyepatch off as much as he could, and he was beyond touched the day Vaella had announced that she was naming her dragon Sapphyre in his honour.

When he was younger Aemond never envisioned himself as a father. The thought of having pups terrified him. But now as he was surrounded by his pups, he knew there was no other place he’d rather be.

“Issa dōna hāedar” whispered Aemond (My sweet girl).

“Avy jorrāelan kepa” muttered Ryn as she snuggled into Aemond and closed her eyes (I love you father).

“I think it’s the pups bedtime” said Valaera as she placed Aerion in his crib.

“But mother I’m not tired” moaned Aemon.

“Right, come on. Bedtime” said Aemond sternly.

“Yes father” muttered Aemon quietly.

Tarla soon appeared to help see the children to bed and rather than disturb Ryn, Aemond insisted on putting her to bed himself.

Valaera called for bath to be prepared and by the time Aemond returned to their chambers, she was already sinking into the hot lavender water.

“Care to join me, Alpha?”

Aemond didn’t need asking twice as he quickly pulled off his breeches and tunic and slid into the water behind Valaera.

Valaera relaxed against Aemond and closed her eyes.

“Do you know how much I love you” whispered Aemond.

“I’m not sure. Perhaps you should remind me” giggled Valaera as her Alpha lathered soap on her body.

“My sweet mate. My Laera” muttered Aemond as he began peppering kisses on the back of Valaera’s neck whilst he continued to run his soapy hands all over his mates body.

“My Alpha. My love” gasped Valaera.

“Your mine. Forever” said Aemond.

Valaera lifted her hips and reached behind him to take hold of Aemond’s already hard cock.

My perfect mate. My one love. My Everything.

After teasing her Alpha with a few slow strokes, Valaera lowered herself onto his cock.

Aemond groaned loudly when Valaera was fully seated in his lap, his hands grasping his Omega’s hips tightly as she began to move.

My mate is beautiful. All wet and slick.

Valaera gripped the sides of the bathtub for support as Aemond began thrusting into her.

That’s it my sweet, take me. Take all of me.

The water splashed over the edge as the force of Aemond’s thrusts increased.

I love fucking my Omega from behind. So perfect.

Valaera rocked her hips backwards in time with Aemond’s thrusts.

Gods, I will never tire of feeling my Omega’s tight wet heat wrapped around me.

Valaera’s loud moans echoed around their bed chambers as she felt Aemond’s knot tugging on her.

“A-Aemond. Yes. Yes. A-Alpha” whined Valaera as Aemond shifted slightly and began thrusting deeper inside her.

“I want to stuff my knot deep inside your cunny and never leave” moaned Aemond.

“Aemond. P-Please” cried Valaera as she felt his Alpha sucking on her mating mark.

“Take it. Take all of me” groaned Aemond.

Valaera began convulsing around him, making the sweetest noises as Aemond began fucking her harder.

Aemond held Valaera tight to him as he stuffed his knot inside his Omega.

That’s it. Take my knot.

Valaera shuddered and sagged against Aemond as they were locked together by his knot.

“My love. My sweet” exclaimed Aemond as Valaera began to purr softly.

Valaera felt like he’d barely blinked, and their second wedding was upon them.

Aemond and Rhaenys had successfully acquired the traditional Valyrian robes, the invitations had been sent out and now Driftmark was packed with people and dragons alike.

True to his word, Aemon and Vhalarr were with Aemond.

Aerion was with Helaena and Baela.

Her sweet girls Vaella and Ryn were with her, wearing pretty cream and red dresses, with decorative flowers fastened in their hair.

“You look very beautiful mother” exclaimed Vaella.

“Thank you, my sweet girl,” replied Valaera blushing slightly.

A soft knock sounded on the door and then Rhaenyra appeared clutching something covered by a thin cloth.

“Your Grace” whispered Valaera as she bowed respectfully.

“I might be the Queen, but I am still your mother” replied Rhaenyra.

“Apologise mother,” said Valaera.

“Grandma. Mother pretty” cooed Ryn.

“I agree, your mother is very pretty” said Rhaenyra smiling brightly.

“W-What do you have there?” asked Valaera.

“It’s the traditional headdress for a Valyrian ceremony, I wore it on my wedding to Daemon and now you shall wear it” said Rhaenyra as she removed the cloth and began placing the ornate circlet on Valaera’s head.

“I remember you looked so beautiful that day” whispered Valaera.

“Thank you my sweet one, and you look just as beautiful today” exclaimed Rhaenyra.

After her mother had finished attaching the headdress, Valaera turned to the looking glass and gasped. Shee truly looked like a vision of old Valyria.

I wonder what Aemond looks like in his traditional robes.

“I-I wish to apologise Valaera”.

“Mother?” questioned Valaera.

“It was wrong of me to betroth Vaella and Jaehaerys without talking to you and Aemond first. I did not wish for this rift to grow between us. I love you my darling and I just want you to be happy, I want my grandchildren to be happy,” said Rhaenyra.

“I am happy mother. Immeasurably so” replied Valaera.

“I know that me and my brother will not always get on. But I am thankful that he loves you as fiercely as he does. He is a devoted husband and a loving father” muttered Rhaenyra.

“Aemond means the world to me mother. He is my twin flame-“

“-And you were always meant to burn together” said Rhaenyra smiling.

“I love you mother. Never forget that”.

“I love you too sweet girl. Now, let’s get you married. Again” replied Rhaenyra.

Valaera took a deep shuddering breath and then held both of her daughters hands.

“I-I’m ready” said Valaera firmly.

This time there was no fear.

There was only love.

Valaera’s heart leaped with joy at the sight of Aemond and their sons standing at the altar.

“īlon jorrāelan muña” whispered Vaella (We love you mother).

“Avy jorrāelan tolī issa dōna hāedari” replied Valaera (I love you too my sweet girls).

“Kepa iksos gevie” said Ryn (Father is beautiful).

“I agree my darling he truly is” exclaimed Valaera happily.

Aemond of course was dressed in the matching traditional robes, but his long silver hair was unbound and hung loosely around his shoulders. He’d also removed his eyepatch, his sapphire on full display, twinkling in the sunlight.

Vhalarr and Aemon were standing proud next to their father wearing matching outfits of red, cream and gold, their hair braided and tidy.

“Y-You look beautiful” whispered Aemond as Valaera approached.

“As do you my love” replied Valaera.

“Are you ready?” asked Lord Corlys.

“Yes. Yes, we are” said Valaera as she took Aemond’s hand in hers.

Lord Corlys smiled and after a few moments of silence, the ceremony began.

“Hen lanoti ānogar, Va sȳndroti vaedroma, Mēro perzot gīhoti, Elēdroma āirza sīr, Izulī amapā perzi, Prumī lanti sēteksi, Hen jenȳ māzīlarion, Qēlossa ozundesi, Syndroro ono jēdo, Rȳ kīvia mazvestraksi”

(Blood of two, Joined as one, Ghostly flame and song of shadows, Two hearts as embers, Forged in fourteen fires, A future promised in glass, The stars stand witness, The vow spoken through time, Of darkness and light)

Aemond and Valaera each took turns in cutting the other’s lip with a dragon glass blade and marking each other’s forehead with the symbols of fire and blood.

Aemond cuts his hand and then offers the blade to Valaera who does the same.

As they face each other once more, both Alpha and Omega join hands allowing their blood to flow into one another.

Once the vows are complete, they allow their blood to mix with a kiss.

A loud booming roar echoes across the sky as Vhagar and Arrax fly overhead, the other dragons soon join in and Driftmark is alight with sounds of a dragons song, unlike anybody has ever heard before.

As they part, Valaera and Aemond gaze upon one another.

“Will you love me Aemond, until the day I die?” asked Valaera.

“No. Much longer than that Valaera. Much longer” replied Aemond as he took his Omega’s face in his hands and kissed him once more.

-Epilogue -

“You won’t let me fall, will you?”

“Never” replied Aemond as he held his daughter’s hand tight.

Today was the day that his little girl was getting married.

He must admit it came as quite a surprise when Ryn presented as an Alpha. He felt for sure that she would either be an Omega or Beta.

But nothing was more of a shock than his son Aemon presenting as an Omega.

Valaera of course was delighted, another Omega in the family.

Aemon however found it difficult, he had spent years training with the sword, dedicating himself to his education and becoming the best dragon rider he could in order to emulate his Alpha father. Only to present as an Omega.

Aemon was convinced that the gods were playing a cruel joke on him. Omega’s were supposed to be soft and delicate; he was sharp and lean. His presentation had changed his entire future and he hated it.

He didn’t want to think of being married or mated to an Alpha. The thought of taking a knot sounded so foreign to him.

He was meant to be an Alpha not an Omega. Nothing his mother or father could say would ever make him feel any better.

The only thing that gave him any kind of reprieve was his dragon Vhagon.

Until his younger sister Ryn presented as an Alpha.

It was a strange feeling; sure, they’d always been close when they were children. But now it was like there was something else. A voice inside him, calling out for her.

He tried to ignore it first, but the more time he spent around his Alpha sister, the louder the voice became.

He started to touch himself at the thought of her, which made him ashamed.

Aemon wasn’t even sure that his sister felt the same way, until one day she’d cornered him after he’d been trying to avoid her, and she kissed him.

It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

The voice inside him was singing.

Whilst he was initially worried what his sister expected of him, he soon realised that he had nothing to worry about.

Ryn accepted him for who he was. She never once tried to change him.

Omega’s were supposed to be submissive, yet Aemon was defiant and strong willed.

Ryn seemed to like that about him.

She was his Alpha, and he was her Omega.

Revealing their relationship to their family had actually been easy. As their parents exchanged knowing glances, it seemed as though their relationship wasn’t much of a surprise after all and as soon as Ryn turned six and ten, they were to be married.

When Aemond placed his daughters hand into Aemon’s he smiled.

“Now I know I don’t have to threaten you like I did Jaehaerys” muttered Aemond.

“I’m fully aware of my duties father and I’m well aware of what will happen should I hurt Ryn”.

“Good lad. Just got to be sure of these things” whispered Aemond as he turned on his heel and took a seat next to Valaera.

“That wasn’t you threatening our son, was it?” asked Valaera smiling.

“No, I was just giving him a friendly warning that’s all” replied Aemond.

“That better be all it was. Jaehaerys is still terrified of you”.

“Good” said Aemond proudly.

I did what any father would do. I regret nothing. Jaehaerys will remember to take care of Vaella or they’ll never find his body.

The wedding between Ryn and Aemon went off without a hitch, despite Aegon trying his best to stir things up a bit by coughing loudly during the vows. But a glare from Valaera put a stop to any other shenanigans.

“I still can’t believe it. Our children are married” exclaimed Valaera.

“We still have others that are not yet married my sweet” replied Aemond.

“Aerion is nearing his presentation age-” said Valaera.

“- And there’s still Aegar, and Corla to keep us occupied” exclaimed Aemond.

Valaera smiled at the mention of their younger pups.

Aegar who was named after his uncle, was an energetic little boy who loved to draw and train with his father.

Corla was the pup that took them by surprise. Both Aemond and Valaera thought that they were done having children, especially after Aegar’s difficult birth which nearly killed Valaera.

But after a late-night dragon flight and incredible sex on the beach, Valaera forgot to drink moontea and nine moons later Corla was born, she had of course been named in honour of Lord Corlys who had passed away some months before her birth.

Not to mention they had recently become grandparents, Vhalarr and his wife Daena had been blessed with a son who they named Lucerys.

Jaehaerys and Vaella had twins named Aerys and Aeraea.

After the wedding was complete, it was time for the celebration, which due to the amount of guests had to be held outside.

Aemond watched silently as Ryn danced with Aemon. He was so proud of all his pups, but Ryn definitely had a special place in his heart, due to her acceptance of Aemon after his surprise presentation as an Omega and her declaration that she loved him exactly as he is.

“A wonderful day” said Aegon smiling.

“If you’re going to cause trouble you can bog off” replied Aemond.

“Would I ever do such a thing?” laughed Aegon as he took a sip of wine.

“Is that a trick question?” asked Aemond.

“He’s so much like you isn’t he, especially with the hair and the weird fixation with every item of clothing needing to be black or leather” mused Aegon smirking.

“Indeed” muttered Aemond choosing to ignore his brother's sarcastic dig.

“How’s he coping with being an Omega”.

“It took some adjustment, but he’s getting there. Ryn really helped” said Aemond.

“She’s a good girl. Reminds me a lot of Valaera”.

“I know you hoped that Aemon would be for Maela but-“

“-They weren’t compatible and I’m not talking about their presentations” said Aegon.

“I don’t think there was anyone else for Aemon if I’m honest. I can say with absolute certainty that if he didn’t marry Ryn then he wouldn’t have married anyone” replied Aemond.

“Is he prepared for the consummation?”

“I hope so, considering they’ve already bedded one another” whispered Aemond.

“What! When?” asked Aegon quietly.

“A few weeks before Ryn’s name day. Aemon confessed when I caught them both harassing the maester for moontea” said Aemond.

“Does Valaera know?”

“Of course, she does. I think Aemon had been asking questions about male Omega’s coupling with Alpha’s” mumbled Aemond.

“I’m surprised your so calm about it”.

“Initially I wasn’t very happy but there was not a lot I could do once the deed had already been done and they were due to marry anyway” replied Aemond.

“Well, you had sex before marriage” said Aegon.

“Only because you dragged me to the street of silk on my thirteenth name day and claimed it was your duty to ensure that I was as educated as you were” snapped Aemond.

“You learnt much and more from that did you not?” asked Aegon.

“From one visit? All I learnt that day was not to listen to my wastrel of a brother”.

“You seem to please your Omega enough, all the children you have” retorted Aegon.

“That’s because I devoted myself to worshipping Valaera and learning through our bond how we could please one another”

“You sure it’s got nothing to do with her sweet tasting cunny?” laughed Aegon.

“This is neither the time nor the place for your vulgarity” growled Aemond.

“Not denying it though are you. Say what you want brother but your cuntstruck for your ‘strong’ bastard” giggled Aegon.

“You have ten seconds to leave my presence otherwise I’m going to slam your head into the fucking table and then I will beat you death with that cup your holding” snarled Aemond.

“Ooooo, so violent and you kiss Valaera with that mouth” laughed Aegon.

“Piss off” groused Aemond.

Aegon refilled his cup and then returned to his seat next to Jacaerys who immediately began questioning the Omega.

“When are you going to learn not to let him get to you?”

“Mother” whispered Aemond.

“How are you doing?”

“Honestly. I think I’m still in shock that Ryn is actually married” replied Aemond.

“I felt the same on your wedding day” said Alicent.

“I’ve missed you” muttered Aemond as he wrapped his arms around his mother.

“Oh, my love, I’ve missed you too” replied Alicent.

“A-Are you proud of me?” asked Aemond.

“Of course, I am. You are the consort Lord to Driftmark, you’re an honourable husband and a loving father. I’m so proud that I get to call you my son” said Alicent smiling.

Aemond smiled and breathed in his mother’s flowery scent.

Valaera meanwhile had managed to snatch a few moments alone with Aemon.

“Does the bite hurt?” asked Aemon.

“For a moment, but it’s best to do it during the act” replied Valaera.

“I overheard some lords talking about a bedding ceremony-“

“You don’t have to worry; I will not subject you or Ryn to that” replied Valaera.

“Do we need to present the sheets”.

“Yes, but all you need to do is cut yourself in a place that no one will notice and a few drops on the sheets will do” whispered Valaera.

“I-I-“ stuttered Aemon nervously.

Valaera observed her son and she knew there was something bothering him. He had the same look on his face that Aemond always had when he was nervous.

“What is it my sweet boy?”

“I’m already with child mother” confessed Aemon lowering his head.

“Are you sure?” asked Valaera quietly.

“Yes. I missed my monthly bleeding and I feel sick” replied Aemon.

“It sounds as though you’re not very far into the pregnancy as your scent hasn’t changed yet, so just a few drops of blood on the sheets and we can say you got with child on your wedding night,” said Valaera.

“I’m sorry for getting with child before marrying Ryn”.

“I can’t exactly judge my darling” muttered Valaera.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on sweet boy, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours,” said Valaera.

“A-About Harwin Strong and Grandma” asked Aemon looking over at Rhaenyra who was deep in conversation with Daemon.

“Yes. I’m a Velaryon in name only” whispered Valaera.

“B-But your Lady of the Tides”

“Your great grandsire once told me that history remembers names not blood,” said Valaera.

“He was a good man,” said Aemon.

“That he was” replied Valaera.

“I hope you’re not disappointed in me mother” exclaimed Aemon solemnly.

“I know presenting as an Omega was difficult for you, but I will never be disappointed in you. All of my pups are my greatest joy. But you are the one most like your father and you are something special”.

“Mother” gasped Aemon blushing.

“When you were born. The cord was wrapped around your neck and for the briefest of moments we thought that we had lost you”.

“Father said that was the reason why he’s so protective over us” replied Aemon.

“Your father has always that protective streak in him, but yes almost losing you caused him to become rather more focused on the safety of his pups” smiled Valaera.

“I love you mama” whispered Aemon.

“Y-You haven’t called me that since you were a small boy” uttered Valaera.

“I just want you to know that you will always be my mama,” said Aemon.

“Is everything ok?” asked Ryn curiously.

“Everything is fine my darling” replied Valaera as she wiped away her tears.

“Are you sure?”

Valaera nodded and placed a quick kiss on Ryn’s cheek.

“Take care of him sweet girl” whispered Valaera.

“I will. I promise” replied Ryn.

“That’s my girl”.

“Do you think we could slip away?” asked Aemon as he took Ryn’s hand.

“You can leave whenever you like, the celebrations will continue in your absence”.

Aemon looked at Ryn who nodded her head, and soon the newly married couple left the party in favour of a more private venue.

“Do you think he’s really ok?” asked Vhalarr.

“He will be, you worry too much”.

“He’s my little brother. Of course, I worry” replied Vhalarr.

“Where’s my grandson?” asked Valaera.

“He’s with Rhaena, something about seahorses” said Vhalarr.

“How are you doing anyway?”

“I’m good, the trade deal with Pentos is proving difficult but I don’t really want to talk business today” muttered Vhalarr.

“It’ll work out, try not to stress too much,” said Valaera.

“He can’t help it” laughed Vaella.

“Oh, shut it you” retorted Vhalarr.

“Why don’t you make me”.

“Honestly you two” exclaimed Valaera.

“What’s wrong with my good brother?” asked Vhalarr.

“The twins were awake most of the night”.

“I don’t miss those days” said Valaera smiling.

“Mother. Corla is eating sand again” shouted Aegar.

“Oh for the love of-“ exclaimed Valaera as she snatched her youngest daughter from the ground and began scooping the sand from her mouth.

“I’ll get her cleaned up my Lady” offered Tarla.

“Thank you, Tarla. I’m sure I’ll find a seashell in there one day” replied Valaera.

“I’m sure it could be much worse” laughed Tarla as she took Corla.

“Ahh how’s my namesake doing?” asked Aegon loudly.

“You stink uncle Aegon” said Aegar wrinkling his nose.

“Of what?”

“Piss wine” retorted Aegar.

“AEGAR” exclaimed Valaera as Vhalarr and Vaella began laughing.

“That’s what father calls it” muttered Aegar.

“Well, I will be having words with your father” said Valaera sternly.

“About what?” asked Aemond.

“Me saying piss wine, when that’s what you called it” replied Aegar.

“I never meant for you to repeat it boy” gasped Aemond.

“Well he did and now-“ gasped Valaera as Aemond surged forward and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Ewww gross” exclaimed Aegar.

“You won’t be saying that when your older” yelled Aegon.

“Aegon that’s enough” warned Jace.

“Oh, come on love, it’s just a bit of fun”.

“Yeah, and you’ve had too much wine. Now come and sit down” said Jace as he pulled his Omega back to his seat.

“I best go and rescue Jaehaerys” said Vaella.

“I’ll come and help” offered Vhalarr.

“Don’t think that gets you off the hook, Alpha” whispered Valaera feeling dazed.

“Maybe later when I stuff my knot into your cunny?”

“I-I think that will be sufficient” mumbled Valaera blushing.

“If you’re a good girl, I might even use my tongue first” whispered Aemond.

Valaera shook her head in disbelief at her Alpha before she pressed another kiss to his lips.

“Where’s Aerion?” asked Valaera.

“Speaking to Rhaenar” replied Aemond as he nuzzled Valaera’s mating mark.

“Is that such a good idea, considering he’s so close to his presentation?”

“You have a point” replied Aemond as he nodded his head at one of the guards, who understood the wordless command and went to stand next to Aerion who rolled his eyes.

“Everything ok with your mother?” asked Valaera.

“It’s fine, now can we retire for the night or is it too early?

“We can’t leave just yet. But soon” whispered Valaera.

“Don’t make me wait too much longer, I’ve been dying to get you alone all day”.

“Well, I need to see to the children first and judging from the state of your brother, he’s going to need escorting to his room” said Valaera nodding towards Aegon who was slumped in his seat.

“Let Jacaerys see to that, he’s my brother’s Alpha. Meanwhile we have people that can help with the children”.

“But Alpha” whined Valaera.

“No Valaera. You’ve been on your feet practically all day. Let us retire for the night”.

Valaera wanted to disobey on principle, but she loved it when her Alpha asserted his natural authority and dominance.

“Ok. Let me just ask the guards and Tarla to watch out for the children”.

“Hurry up my Omega, otherwise I will ravish you right here” muttered Aemond.

“You promise” challenged Valaera.

“Hm”

After leaving instructions with the guards and Tarla. Valaera found herself being whisked away from the celebrations and dragged back to the chambers she shared with her husband.

“Now my sweet. Take off your clothes” ordered Aemond.

“A-Aemond” gasped Valaera.

“I won’t ask you again” growled Aemond as he pulled off his own clothes and then sat on a chaise lounge.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Valaera began pulling off her clothes quickly, and soon she was standing in front of her Alpha as naked as her name day.

“Good girl. Now come here” said Aemond as he patted his naked thigh.

Valaera took a deep breath and sat on her Alpha’s lap; her legs spread open.

“I hope you have the energy my sweet, because I plan to have you many times this night”.

#house of the dragon #aemond targaryen #hotd aemond #aemond x oc #hotd fanfic #aemond fanfiction #aemond fic #aemond x original female character #aegon ii targaryen #hotd fic #hotd smut #prince aemond #aemond #aemond smut #aemond one eye #alicent hightower

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bbangsuns · 1 year

Text

savior | k.b

requested?: yes, by a lovely mutual of mine <3

pairing: kaz brekker x fem!reader (established relationship)

summary: after a traumatic run-in with a demon from your past, you go to the one person you would always feel safe with.

warnings: mentions of past abuse, hurt/comfort, angst, mention of blood, murder, kaz might be slightly ooc as i learn to write for him, haphephobia, i think that's it? i wasn’t specific with the attack in the alleyway apart from the guy being killed. also, am i proud of this? not 100% so i might change things in the future and repost it but for now this will have to do.

a/n: some things might be wrong in terms of the location of kaz's room and stuff so i apologize. also i suck at writing dialogue but we move!

taglist: @eaudenana @hydrngea

word count: 2.106

panic. it was the only thing you could feel, washing over like a tide, but you kept running down the dark alleyways, the frantic steps echoing off the walls of Ketterdam. as you fled, the feeling that someone was still following you persisted and you couldn’t help but look over your shoulder, terrified that you’d see him. this was impossible considering his dead body was currently laying on the floor of a random alley. continuing the path back to the slat, you ignored the burning in your lungs and the aching muscles in your legs, not daring to stop until you were within those walls, with kaz.

after what felt like an eternity you finally arrived to the slat, slamming the doors open and letting them strike harshly behind you, not caring for the people who were likely asleep. once inside you allowed yourself to breathe properly, finally feeling a little bit safer knowing your people were near you, but it wasn’t enough. after taking a minute to let your body rest, you made your way up to kaz’s room, deliberately skipping the part that creaked. as soon as his door was in sight, you pushed the door open and closed it behind you, leaning your head back against the cool surface.

kaz, clearly, had not been expecting the sudden intrusion, and was ready to yell at whoever had decided to interrupt him. when he looked up, however, the words that were on the tip of his tongue died--there you stood, the front of your clothes completely covered in blood and your entire body trembling. he stood up immediately, walking over until he was standing mere inches away from you. all kaz could do was stare at the petrified girl in front of him, his hands twitching at his sides with the desire to reach out and wipe the tears away, or comfort you in any way possible; just as he was reaching for your hand, images of jordie and his bloated, cold body flashed through his mind, along with the dreadful feeling of freezing water trying to drag him down, drown him.

the boy let his hand fall back to his side, clenching his fist and internally chastising himself for not being able to get past his trauma to comfort the one woman who meant the world to him. you stared back at him through teary eyes, the silence in the room suffocating. your own hands were trembling, the blood on them having dried long ago but every time it cracked with the flex of your hands, it brought back the events of the alleyway and the demons that haunt you in dreams. having grown anxious in the silence, kaz is the first to break it.

“what happened, my darling?”

he asked it with such a soft voice, it was enough for the dam to finally break. dropping to the floor almost painfully, sobs racked your body as the weight of the nights events came crashing down, physically pulling you down. kaz was never one to be left speechless or shocked, but this managed to do so. normally, you are amongst the strongest in the crows mentally and emotionally, having only cried in front of them twice; once when you got shot on a heist and thought you were going to die, and once when you came to his office in the middle of the night after a nightmare. yet here you were, completely broken in front of him, and he can’t even comfort you because of his own trauma.

you hadn’t been paying attention to the internal battle your lover was going through, trying to calm your breathing so you didn’t pass out. taking a few deep breaths in, you dug your nails into the palms of your hands, nearly breaking the skin but oddly enough it seemed to be one of the only things that was managing to calm you down. you knew that kaz would never be able to provide the physical comfort you wanted and you had come to be okay with that. all that was needed was his mere presence, the knowledge that he was in the room and that was enough to immediately make you feel safer. so when you felt cold, shaky hands wiping the tears away from your face, it startled you and had you snapping out of your zoned out state, the sight in front of you making your heart swell and tears spring to your eyes once again.

kaz was sitting on the floor in front of you, his entire body tense. his eyes were piercing into yours, trying to focus on them instead of the water that threatened to pull him under. you found herself leaning into his touch, and just when kaz thought the water was going to drown him, it receded along with the haunting sight of jordie's pale face and dead, pale eyes staring at him; instead, all he could see was your face, eyes closed and seemingly at peace with the feeling of his hand on your soft, warm cheek. realizing that the waves were merely lapping at his feet and not rising, he moved his other hand and intertwined his fingers with your own, his thumb slowly drawing circles on the skin. after a few more minutes of silence, you finally spoke up, voice still shaky and coated in fear.

"he attacked me out of nowhere and he wouldn't let me go. i didn't know what to do, kaz."

you had barely managed to finish your sentence before the anxiety and panic washed over you again, flashes of his face twisted in anger and disgust passing through her mind, seemingly taunting you.

kaz didn't need to ask who you were talking about, thinking back on the story you had told him months ago about your tortured past; before you found yourself joining the crows, you had been forced to work in the menagerie alongside inej. after a year of being trapped there, you had long since grown accustomed to the mistreatment of your clients, the bruises and scars no longer bothering you. however, an unknown man had strolled in one day, seating himself at the bar and raking his eyes over each girl until they landed on you. something about this man felt different, more dangerous than the usual scum of Ketterdam. as soon as he had you locked away in a private room, the nightmare began; every time he came in, the beatings would be like nothing you had ever experienced before, and he had even gone so far as to carve his initials into the skin of your inner thigh in one instance when he came in furious. this went on for 8 months until one day, he stopped coming in and you were informed he went out for business in east ravka and likely wouldn't return, and he hadn't--until tonight.

with this knowledge in mind, kaz automatically knew you meant that retched man, and he felt his blood begin to boil and he was ready to storm out of the slat, wanting nothing more than to beat him bloody with his bare hands. he would have done so in that instant if it weren't for what you said next.

"i killed him. if i didn't, he would have finally killed me. so i took the dagger inej gave me and i stabbed him in the neck, and i watched him bleed out before i ran."

as soon as the words left your mouth, you felt a weight lifting from your chest and the realization that you were finally free of him made a small, relieved laugh leave your mouth.

upon seeing that you were finally calm, kaz stood up and held his hand out to you and you gladly took it, tugging yourself back up to your feet. you looked down at your hands and grimaced, the dried blood making you feel uncomfortable. kaz noticed you staring at your hands and squeezed it, gaining your attention.

"right love, let's get you cleaned up" he murmured, already tugging you towards the bathroom. he lightly pushed you inside, letting go of your hand and going back out to the room to grab you a clean change of clothes. he was only gone a few minutes but in that time, you had already stripped off your clothes and climbed into the bath, washing off the blood from your arms and face, no longer being able to stand the way it made your skin feel.

kaz simply watched you, moving to hand you the towel once he was certain you were finished. climbing out of the bath, you turned to look at the man behind you who seemed more nervous than you’d ever seen him.

you smiled at him, the mischievous glint in your eyes that kaz had come to adore finally returning.

“can you turn around please? i need to get dressed, unless you’d like to watch that too” you teased, your smile growing at the sight of kaz actually blushing, something he only ever did with you.

he quickly turned around, clumsily hitting his hip on the doorknob, pulling a soft laugh out of you.

you changed quickly, wanting to lay down and sleep to hopefully forget about tonight’s events.

“i’m done, darling. you can turn around now, or you can continue staring at the door if you’d like” the joking tone in your voice was enough to dissolve the remaining tension in kaz’s body, finally turning back around to look at you. when he did so, he felt the breath get caught in his throat at the sight of you wearing an old dress shirt of his. sure, you had done it a few times before but it never ceases to amaze him at the effect it has on him, and he’d always find himself fighting back the urge to hold you, terrified that the physical touch would suffocate him.

tonight, though, he felt something change in him; jordie came to mind once again, but this time it wasn’t of his slimy, rubbery skin. instead, it was jordie telling kaz to not be afraid, to allow himself to properly love the woman in front of him, and kaz couldn’t find it in him to disagree this time.

taking note of the way he was staring at you, you felt your face heat up and what felt like butterflies to erupt in your belly, causing you to lower your head slightly.

glancing at him through your lashes, you couldn’t help but babble out, “why are you staring at me like that?”

this seemed to snap him out of his head, his lips curling up into a smile. before you could ask him what was going on, he was in front of you, his hand caressing your cheek once again, the words dying in your throat.

“can i kiss you?” he blurted out, causing your eyes to widen. you were shocked because in all the time you had been together, not once had kaz been so open with physical contact like tonight, much less had he asked to kiss you. he noticed your silence and it worried him, causing him to start pulling away. before he could, though, you had placed your hand on top of his, ceasing his movements.

peering up at him, your eyes were flickering between his lips and his eyes, before you finally stammered out a response.

“please kiss me.”

for the first time, he didn’t hesitate and placed his lips on yours, his thumb rubbing your cheek softly as your lips moved together, his being surprisingly soft. you pulled away after a minute, not wanting to overwhelm him too much and also needing to take a moment to breathe. he leaned his forehead on yours, his breathing having gotten slightly heavier.

"are you okay, love?" you asked, wanting to make sure all of the touching was okay with him.

all he could do was let out a pleasant hum, taking another moment to bask in the feeling of you. a few minutes later, he lifted his head and placed one more kiss to your lips before pulling away, the small smile on his face still present.

"i love you, my little crow. nobody will ever hurt you again" he declared, the absolute certainty in his voice making your heart flutter.

"i love you, kaz brekker. nothing will ever change that." you admired, your voice airy but determined.

that night, you both recognized the underlying meaning of your words--if someone ever dared to hurt one of you, the other would burn the city to the ground, so long as vengeance was exacted.

#( aria’s version 🕸️)#shadow and bone #six of crows #grishaverse #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #kaz brekker imagine #shadow and bone imagine #six of crows imagine #freddy carter #kaz brekker fic #kaz brekker x reader

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astarionfixation · 1 month

Text

Chapter 8: "Show me, and I’ll follow you"

Part of "Am I Fu**ing Insane !?!" A multi chapter adventure in Astarion’s mind

Rating: Mature for mentions of sex and blood

CW: mentions of parental abuse, childhood abuse, forced prostitution, implied rape

Word count count: 2.5k

Pairings: Astarion X OFC Tav

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54356776/chapters/139337191

I have a quite serious praise kink. Which also means compliments in the forms of tags and/or comments might very well spur me to write and post more

** Thoughts "" Dialogue - - Remarks ++ Quotes / Memories

The mornings after he feeds on her he has taken the habit to sneak out of bed as she’s about to wake up. Not for any nefarious reason other than finding sustenance to bring back to her, so she can replenish her strength as soon as she awakes.

*She lets me feed off of her in bed, seems only fair I extend the same courtesy*

This time his loot features a freshly baked cheese scone, still warm, and even a cup of coffee. Much like a small feline bringing food gifts to his human who clearly cannot be trusted to hunt and feed themselves properly.

His elegant movements devoid of any sound allow him to keep everything quiet enough so that hopefully they won’t be disturbed by anyone waking up at this ungodsly hour and with any luck, he will still have time to look forward to that morning, time he can just keep her all to himself.

His back pushes into the door of their chamber so he doesn’t immediately see, until he turns around and the cup of coffee almost falls through his long, delicate fingers.

She’s fully awake *disappointedly fully dressed* sitting against the headboard of their bed, her long luscious hair falling inordinately over her shoulders, the neck of her shirt falling down her arm leaving one of her shoulders temporarily naked. Though what makes him swallow in a panic has nothing to do with her tempting looks and everything to do with a shiny little tome, open, in her lap, as she is intently taking notes on it.

The same little shiny book he first thought held the secret to freedom, maybe a clever way to control rather than destroy the wriggling worms in their heads and that would have let him keep his renewed free will and sunbathing inclination, along with his own life.

The same insignificant little book that, once purloined by his deftly fingers, revealed her eye had been set upon him in ways he could have never suspected from her demeanour.

The same precious little book that he perused over hours, that night that feels so long ago now, after leaving her, intoxicated, in her bed, despite her plea for him to stay, which in hindsight revealed to him for the first time the way she felt about him.

The same vexing little book that revealed something through the way she skipped around words. Something eerily akin to his own tragic loss of ownership over his very own body that must have happened to her as well.

Despite the naive way she smiled, denying she had anything but a comfortable and happy life thus far to justify her longing for eternity.

Despite the smile never reaching her eyes.

She knew he had read it. At least that latter part, because in that one moment of anger, when for a brief instant he thought she would have denied him her body, her blood, he had to use something, anything to hurt her. And her trauma and abuse seemed the perfect place to hit because he knew how it would have felt if anyone reminded him of every time he had to bend his will and his body, sinuously, to every request of his master, and every desire of the simpletons he had to convince, one way or another, to walk happily towards their demise by following him back to Cazador’s Palace.

His mind is running faster through scenarios and considering the very real possibility of just sneaking away the way he came, disappearing until she goes to find him and hopefully, enough time will have passed by then that they can both ignore this uncomfortable moment. He’s about to swiftly move the heel of his foot through the door to slink away when her voice, still deep from her sleep, announces ineluctably that it’s too late for an escape

“Good morning Astarion”

She sounds… sweet? As always…

*Is she not mad? Is she not going to bring up my theft? Is she going to pretend nothing ever happened?*

He might be lost examining possible outcomes for a moment too long because when he doesn’t reply she continues

“What? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before anyway”

*Ouch!*

He can try to ignore what she clearly refers to, he can try to focus on his concern for her health which is true anyway…

“I see you’re full of energy this morning darling, maybe I can persuade you to come with me, have a full plate then to break your fast? I’ve got you these meanwhile…”

He resigns himself and closes the door behind him, while circling around the bed and leaving the coffee and scone on the bedside table next to her. He keeps his eyes on the food until she pats the edge of the bed in a silent invitation for him to sit down next to her. And the darn little book is still open on her lap.

“Thank you”

He can feel her eyes on him following her sweet voice, even as he’s trying to avoid her gaze but when the tips of her tapered fingers reach for his cheek he can’t evade it any longer

“Astarion? Is everything alright?”

Her tone is starting to sound almost concerned and so…

*Fine, there’s no need to make things sound worse than they are. If she isn’t mad yet there is nothing to worry about, nothing to fear… right?*

He’s never going to have as good a chance as this one to finally ask, to understand how her mind actually works

“You never wrote a single line about who I… what I really was… why?”

In truth what he wants to ask is why could she wax lyrical about him -as if she was almost in love!- in her book, while she’d never let anyone suspect -not even him as he holds her every night!- anything of the sorts. But that is as good a start as any to get there…

“Exactly because someone could have gotten hold of it”

*Touché*

But it doesn’t sound like the accusation it should be, and it leaves the door open for more of his prying

“Yet there's so much of your vulnerabilities there, perfectly mapped to strike best. Wasn’t that something to avoid putting down too if you ever thought someone could have…”

He can’t spell it out, of course he’d done it, he stole the book, but the shame catches in his throat. The fear still lingering, ready to have him spring the moment this vulnerable conversation becomes the rightful attack on him it should be.

“That was my hit to take, not yours. I wouldn't put you in jeopardy just because I understood. I can afford a hit myself, but not you.”

She was protecting him way before he ever thought he needed her to be on his side. Even whilst pouring out her mind she had put up enough premunitions just in case his own secrets needed safeguarding.

“That was incredibly… kind of you, sweet thing… I hope I can… somehow return your kindness, some day…”

His gaze finally rises to meet hers and she is just softly smiling at him, her head giving a slight nod towards the food he went to find for her before she replies:

“You already do”

And then it’s like even without the tadpole powers she can read his mind because the reassurance is confirmed by her words as well and she continues:

“Is there anything else you'd like to ask me about it?”

This time his own hand reaches for hers, both resting on the open page she was writing on just before this surreal conversation started.

*What if we could finally talk? Actually talk and learn, truly learn how similar our stories might just be?*

He had those glimpses from her diary to suggest so after all. A part of his mind is already screaming at him to turn it all around in a joke and get as far away as possible from that dangerous subject, but his concern, his need to understand and possibly finding slivers of himself in her is impossible to push away.

“What happened to you… before?”

She lets his words linger for a moment, and he’s left wondering if there was any other way, any clearer yet kind way to ask about something he knows will be painful if remotely akin to his own experience. Her voice comes out calmly as her hand holds his so that the other one can close the book and set it aside.

“You mean the men I had to sleep with?”

He can feel the grimace that’s taking hold of his own features, while she seems as calm and ethereal as always, no different from when she bid him good morning just moments before. But he knows, or he thinks he does? He must! It must be close to what he has gone through! And that is a way as good as any to begin tracing this sad parallel of theirs

“Would it help if I said I certainly had to sleep with more?”

She shakes her head, a sad smile taking hold of her delicate features

“I am sorry you had to go through that too… for me it was my mother. I don’t remember when it started… but every time she’d let one of them stay in my room… the farm got better equipment, I was getting small knick knacks and little gifts, so it was as good a way as any to think it was bearable.”

His other hand had come to reach out for hers, now both covering, cradling hers. Every fibre in his body wants to hug her, to hold her, to promise her nothing even remotely similar will ever happen to her again. To either of them. At the back of his mind a part of him is tearing and devouring innards and flesh of the horrible excuse for a parent that did this to her, distracted by the idea of how many minuscule pieces he could mince her into, until absolutely nothing resembling a living thing would remain of her so called mother. He knows he has to weight his words so everything gets pushed back while he only allows himself to share:

“I am so sorry my sweet”

He’s not used to hearing his voice being that strained, as if something is threatening to strangle his throat from the inside. When she speaks her next words he realises the corners of his eyes are getting weirdly moist

“Truly, don’t worry Astarion, it was a long time ago… and I ran away as soon as I could manage anyway. It’s in the past. I am as far from that as you are from your mortal life, trust me.”

*The irony of being two broken pieces accidentally fitting against each other.*

His silence and traitor expression must give away more than he meant to because she continues her explanation of her own volition

“That’s why I asked you… I told you we couldn’t kiss. I needed a boundary that was… mine. I know it sounds silly to you but because you didn’t push that… I know I am safe with you.”

Suddenly the pieces are beginning to form a meaningful picture in his head and her behaviour, her rules, her need for him she seemed to deny herself, they all make perfect sense, coming together in a mix of conflicting feelings and desires she never had a chance to explore safely.

“I am not that naive, I know what we do… what we share… it’s more… and believe me, I want more… still you never tried to break that one rule and… well… no one ever showed me such consideration before…”

His mind has gone blank

*What did she just confess to!? What is this???*

His mouth must have fallen open because he finds himself in need of swallowing, yet no words, no ideas as to how to reply to that revelation come through. His hands are still resting over hers and suddenly he realises her fingers are pressing harder against his own, interlacing them with his. Her gaze falls to their intertwined fingers, her voice is low and barely a whisper now

“They always just took from me”

*They always just wanted me to give more*

His eyes are transfixed on their hands, holding onto each other so intensely he's worried she will bruise. Her voice comes out more hesitant and trembling now

“I was never asked… I don’t think I know what I actually… want… like”

*I was always demanded to do… and I don’t think I know how to give up that control, that’s all I latched onto…*

Her heartbeat resonates like a drum in her chest and he can see the blood blossoming in her cheeks, her voice trembles and she stumbles upon words but her thoughts coming out of her lips persistently, as if she has kept so much behind that she needs to get out now

“The way you look at me at times makes me feel like I can walk a little bit taller, head a little bit higher. I was trained to accept them… taking from me… as the only compliment… but with you…”

He can see the effort it’s taking for her eyes to raise again to look into his, the warmth emanating from her rosy skin just another herald of her determination despite the toll this seems to be taking on her

“I see something going on behind your eyes, I know you wouldn't do anything I did not ask you to, and that is more than I've ever been tamed to accept…”

*I want to kill everyone who ever laid a finger on you… my poor, sweet, precious love*

Her words seem to catch in her throat, she keeps taking breaths and then releasing them without words until finally the silence he holds for her seems to be enough for her to fill

“I have never been given the chance to… explore… I don’t know how to… ask… how I want… what I want… but I do know I want… you.”

He thought rushes of emotions were exclusive to the moments he could sink his fangs into her but he was sorely unprepared for… this.

*Did I actually hear her say that she wants me?!?*

All of a sudden all his centuries of expertise and understanding as a consummate lover come rushing to the front of his mind to show their silver lining.

Because he cannot relinquish control, even to his own pleasure, but maybe the saving grace of two centuries going through the motions is that he can do this for her? With her…

“You have me my sweet… If I could show you how… would you want me to?”

It feels so bittersweet to think of centuries servicing others being what built his professional knowledge of physical pleasure. That might be where his teeth clenching comes from for a second, but what about hers?

*Is that… fear??? Why?*

It lasts until the moment she nods

“Please Astarion…. show me, and I’ll follow you”

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