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pb1138 · 5 years

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Beautiful Beyond Words

Zevran x my warden Missella Surana.

Fluff, mostly. Has an injury depiction. And a tango. Missella thinks about how beautiful Zevran is, and how that beauty has been to his advantage. (This story was WHOLLY inspired by this post. I mean, just look at it. Look at how fucking beautiful this is.)

He’s just so… pretty. Even when they’re meant to be focusing on something, even in the middle of battle, she’ll catch a glance of him and just… melt.

If you were to ask her why she’d spared his life, Missella might’ve said something like, “He’s a trained assassin. He fights well.” But no. For not the first time, she suspects, Zevran Arainai lives because of his beauty.

She looked down upon the last of her attackers and sighed. “What a mess,” she grumbled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few specks of brilliant red settled starkly in her white hair and groaned. “Great!” Spinning on her heel to return to her companions, she threw her hands up in exasperation. “I’m going to need another bath.”

Alistair looked as if he were going to make some witty or semi-flirtatious joke, but with a quick glower from her, he thought better of it.

“Hey, their leader’s still kickin’.”

Missella and Alistair moved towards Oghren’s voice and were joined by Leliana, her purse noticeably fatter against her hip. Alistair stepped protectively by Missella’s side, his hand upon his sword. “What should we do with him?”

It would make sense to kill him. Obviously, this hadn’t been just a robbery gone wrong. This had been intentional, directed specifically at them, but… Looking down at him, down at his face, she had to swallow and suppress the urge to shiver. The way the sun was shining down through the trees, it illuminated his strong jawline, made his hair glow like sunlight against the waves of Lake Calenhad on a warm summer day. Clearing her throat, she shook her head and gestured vaguely down at him. “Just uh. Just tie him up.” Silently, she prayed the others could not hear the way her voice wavered just the tiniest bit, but she did not let it do so again. “We need answers. This wasn’t a chance meeting, I just know it.”

And as Oghren and Leliana set about taking rope from the nearby carts, she avoided the confused and almost accusatory look that Alistair was giving her. He had obviously not totally bought her semi-lie, but if he suspected the reason she stayed her hand was simply because the attacker was inordinately beautiful, she could not say. “Call for me when he wakes,” she muttered before setting off to find water to clean herself up.

Everything about him exudes beauty and sex. His hands, calloused through years of fighting and hard work, still move with the fluid ease and gentility of a painter, his long fingers nimble and gentle. His shoulders, scarred from endless fights, flexes and rolls and bends in such a prominent way that it is as though he’d been chiseled from a block of marble, strong and steady and stunning. His thighs, thick with a lifetime of muscle, still carry him as though he were a dancer, fast and fleeting and fluid. Even his voice in the most stressful of situations is still as beautiful as if Andraste were speaking through him.

It had been hard to keep her hands away from him at first, the offer having of course been made. Zevran is nothing if not a flirt, but she’d not trusted him, not then. Though the touch of a man had long since become a memory for her, and though she could think of having met no more singularly attractive person in her entire life, Missella would not submit to his charms only to be murdered as she slept naked beside him. But Maker did he make it difficult to say no.

It had been the most hellish of days when Missella learned she could trust this Antivan god, the most hard-hitting and devastating of any of their trials.

The day weighed heavily upon her shoulders. She was tired to the bone, every inch of her aching, but what hurt the worst was her heart. So many of her friends, her family, nearly every person she’d known for over 10 years of her life. Dead. Or worse.

She thought back to Cullen’s broken cries, the crazed way he looked at them, the spiteful way he spoke to her. Though they’d not been lovers, his crush upon her had been flattering (and a source of great amusement to both her and her friend Alena.) Given time, though, Missella could’ve considered it, could’ve seen him as someone she might carry a relationship with. But now? The look in his eye, the pure and utter fear… Even if he were to somehow recover from this ordeal, he would forever be changed, and her heart ached for that. He’d been such a sweet thing, so fresh in the world that just a glance from her could bring a blush to his cheeks. That man was gone, now. Gone, too, all but about 20 mages, many of them children.

She stared down at her hands, could still see the blood upon them, and for not the first time that day, she felt the tears stinging at her eyes. She’d killed so many of them herself. Her friends, people she’d spoke to every day, people she shared her life with. And she’d killed them.

So lost was she in her lamentations that she did not hear the footsteps softly approaching. She jumped as a weight settled over her shoulder, and as she turned to look, a lump rose in her throat. Zevran was settling beside her upon the log, his honey eyes focused on the flames. The blanket he had set upon her shoulders was soft and warm, and only when she pulled it tighter about her did she realize she’d been shivering. They said nothing for a long while, just sitting in companionable silence, and she thought back to the Fade, to their dreams. Alistair’s sister, his pure happiness to be with her, it made her heart ache knowing that he’d never be able to have that now that they know the type of person Goldanna was. Wynne’s nightmare, weeping over the corpses of her students, her friends, and it was one Missella suspected she will share in the future. And Zevran’s. Casting a glance at him, at his supple skin glowing like amber in the firelight, at his honey eyes half hidden by his wheat-colored hair, she had to wonder how much he has endured, how much worse the reality was from what she’d seen in his dreams.

Alistair walked past and dropped a log in the fire, startling her out of her thoughts, but thankfully he left as quickly as he’d come. She could feel Zevran’s warmth against her thigh, and without thinking, she scooted a little closer to him so that they were almost touching. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, smooth like velvet, and filled with concern. “What happened was…” He shook his head slightly and looked down at his hands. “I am sorry, Warden. I… I cannot imagine how you must feel.”

“Missella,” she whispered.

His head turned towards her, his eyes searching her face. “Perdón?”

She cleared her throat, the tears trapped in her eyes finally spilling out. “Please. Missella. It’s… It’s all I have left.” Her voice cracked with the final word, and her fists clenched tight enough that she could feel her nails cut her palm.

After a long moment, he slowly and carefully reached over and placed his hand over both of hers. “Missella,” he repeated gently.

And his touch that burns like fire was the final straw, the last drop of water against the dam, and her tears came hot and thick. Without thinking, she turned into him, pushed her way into his arms. Once his surprise had passed, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his cheek resting upon her head.

And it was there, wrapped in his arms so strong and warm, that somewhere betwixt her sobs, Missella decided that this man is one whom she can trust unconditionally.

Still, even with her acceptance that Zevran would not harm her, she put him off, denied his advances. Wynne had spoken with her, tried to make her see that she is a Warden now, one of the only two remaining Wardens in all of Ferelden, and that her duties should come first. It is painful advice, but advice that Missella took to heart, thankfully before anything had formed between Zevran and her. Though Missella is good at keeping emotional distances when necessary, she had had a feeling that Zevran was… different from her former lovers. No, that’s not right. She’s different now. The Missella from the Circle was just a child, young and stupid and impressionable. The three people whom she’d bedded before in her life had been purely out of physical urgency, just means to a pleasurable end, and the day after it was done, everyone was back to business as usual. Only one of the three had been a repeated instance, but even then it was still just sex, nothing more. She’d not even really liked the girl, not on any personal sort of level, just thought her pretty and skilled.

But Zevran. Missella can feel it, can feel her impending doom. She looks at him too often, sighs too frequently to herself when he does something particularly endearing or attractive. She does not look at him and think only about how good it must feel to have him between her thighs, how many uses he can find for his nimble fingers, how delicious his ethereal face must look in the thralls of ecstasy, how his silky smooth voice must sound as he whispers her name into her ear from behind. No, these are not the only things she ponders. She also wonders what it must feel like to fall asleep nested in his arms, to hold his hand on a leisurely stroll through the marketplace, feel his soft tresses slip between her fingers as she braids his hair back out of his face.

These are the thoughts that frighten her, that make her want to keep her distance. But Maker is it difficult. He’s so charming and lovely in all that he does. The other day, she observed as he poured himself tea and realized a smile had taken hold of her face. Everything he does, from lacing up his boots to cutting his food to striking down enemies, he does it with so much grace and beauty that it distracts her. Like a moth to a flame, she is drawn to him at camp every night, just to talk and nothing more. She likes to hear of his life, of everything he has accomplished. His stories make her wonder how her life might’ve been different if she’d not been born a mage, if she’d perhaps been born Dalish or even just into an alienage. Would she have flourished without the restraints of the Circle walls? Or would she have fallen prey to the inherent racism that runs rampant throughout the world?

So enchanting are his tales that she recalls them in the village of Haven, when she finds a pair of unusually pungent leather boots, she recalls his fondness of the smell of leather and offers them to him. He is pleased, and she blushes when he immediately drops to the ground to strip his current boots off and replace them with her gift. Even in the depths of the forest, his tales echo strongly enough that when she comes across a pair of gloves with strange embroidery upon them, she offers them to him. Dalish, she thinks, and he’s nearly overtaken with emotion. At these, he pulls her into a tight hug and kisses her cheek in thanks, and it’s all she can think about for the next three days, the softness of his lips against her skin.

It is not until a month later, nearly six months to the day that Zevran had joined their merry band of misfits, that she finally says yes to him.

Injured. Of all the stupid, asinine, completely avoidable states of being to be in, she finds herself injured. To make it more insulting, it’s not even a bad injury, just a persistent one. In all her years at the Circle, she’d been lauded for her healing abilities, but even with her spells and poultices and even with Wynne’s attempt at help, the wound would not close. They both of them decided it must have been made with some sort of enchantment they could not perceive, but Wynne suggested that their abilities may have prevented it from spreading.

Whatever the rate, Missella could not make the trip back to Redcliffe from Haven at anything even close to an acceptable rate. With no wagons traveling upon this road and no wayward adventurers with horses to bargain for, Missella had come to a decision: Alistair would travel ahead with the ashes and everyone except Shale and Zevran. At his refusal, she’d glowered at him, put on her sternest voice, and hissed, “Alistair Theirin you put me in charge here so you will do as I say. Arl Eamon’s health is far more important than this stupid leg. Now do as I say and hop to it.”

Grumbling, he listened, and their company set off ahead of them, ashes in hand, and Missella and her own smaller group trudged along at a snail’s pace. It took them nearly an entire extra week, even after Shale had gotten frustrated and insisted on carrying her when she could not continue. Though, in truth, she did not mind the company. She and Shale had become good friends these past few weeks, and of course Zevran’s company is and always has been far from unpleasant. In the three weeks it took to return to Redcliffe, Missella was hesitant to say their friendship had grown. Every night he helped tend her wound, washed her leg and bound it with fresh bandages, always with delicate, sweeping touches and dashing smiles that made her heart flutter. Several times upon this journey he suggested “sharing” a tent, “Purely to save the trouble of setting both up, of course. Practicality is key, my dear Warden,” he’d purr at her.

Saying no to these (very respectful) advances was growing increasingly difficult. The final time, she’d nearly given up, might’ve if Shale hadn’t come clambering through the underbrush, two large water foul in hand and a rather proud and triumphant grin plastered on their stony face.

Their return to Redcliffe was met rather unexpectedly. There was a carriage sat just outside the city along the road, a bored looking human slumped against it, looking to be dozed off. As he heard their approach, he tipped his broad hat up then clambered to his feet. “It’s you! The Warden! Oh, I’d just about given up.”

Zevran moved to stand in front of her, his arm stretched protectively across her. “And who might you be, my friend?” Missella tried not to let this gesture make her heart flutter, but it most definitely did.

The man blinked in surprise then smiled genuinely and took his hat off. “Errol, ser. Lord Eamon has sent me to wait by the roadside every day for your arrival at Ser Alistair’s behest.”

Missella chuckled slightly and gently set her hand against Zevran’s arm. “It’s one man, Zev. I dare say we’ll survive if it’s a trap.”

He looked as though he wanted to give some witty retort, but it was washed away with a sweeping and concerned glance over her body, his eyes lingering upon her leg which had bled through the wrappings. He seemed to be weighing the risks in his mind, and she understood. A kidnapping would not be without the realm of possibilities, and given her inability to run away, perhaps his caution was beneficial. He turned his gaze to the hills of the city, back to her, then back at the human. He relented, dropping his arm. “You’re the boss, Boss.”

She chuckled and hobbled her way over to the cart and let Zevran help her up. Errol looked at Shale, opened his mouth a few times, nervously wrung his hat in his hands. “Oh, relax,” Shale grumbled. “I’ll walk.”

Missella smiled gently at her friend reached over to pat their shoulder. “Sorry, Shale.”

Shale’s gaze softened as they looked back upon her, but they tuttered and just pushed on ahead. Errol scrambled to take his seat at the head of the wagon. Missella, for the millionth time that day, reached her hand over her wound and tried once again to heal it in vain. She could feel Zevran’s eyes upon her, could almost sense his concern though he kept it to himself. If she were to look at him now, she might cave, let him see her exhaustion and pain and melt into his arms. So, she stared at the road drifting away as the cart moved and forced herself to think of anything but the way Zevran’s eyes kept flicking over to her.

Alistair and Wynne were waiting in the courtyard of Redcliffe Castle when the cart pulled up, and Missella couldn’t help but smile at their concern. Zevran was quick to hop out of the cart, and he and Alistair came to help her down to the ground. Wynne moved over and put her hand on her shoulder, a healing spell flooding through her body but doing nothing except slightly alleviating her pain. “We were beginning to worry,” she said.

Missella gave a playful scoff and put her hand to her chest. “What, that I’d come to my senses and run off? Nah, you lot won’t be rid of me that easily,” she teased.

Wynne rolled her eyes but Alistair beamed from ear to ear as he took Missella’s packs from her and settled them upon his back. “See, Wynne, what’d I tell you? Like a barnacle, she is.”

Missella snorted and gently patted Wynne’s hand away. Her mood turning serious, she gestured towards the castle and started limping towards the stairs, using her staff as a walking stick. “How fairs Eamon?”

Alistair beamed brilliantly, and Missella couldn’t help the warm tickle of affection that pulled her lips into a gentle smile. “He’s fully recovered. The ravens have been flying in and out of here like crazy taking the news with them. He’s anxious to meet you,” he adds with a teasing smile.

Missella nodded more to herself than anything. “Good. I’m glad the ashes helped.” She began climbing the stairs, but it was evident to them all how deeply painful it was, her leg unwilling to hold her weight after the fifth. Just when she was about to growl in frustration, her legs were swept out from under her and, with a squeal, she was lifted easily into a pair of strong arms and held against a warm chest. Blushing furiously, she looked up at Zevran and stammered. “I-Hey! L-Let me down!”

Zevran just tuttered and adjusted her weight before he began climbing the stairs. “So I can let you injure yourself further and spend the next three hours trying to climb these stairs? I think not.” Though his tone was exasperated, he held a soft smile on his lips.

With a huff, Missella looked over his shoulder towards Alistair for help, but the blasted man was just smirking at her. Thankfully—and a little ruefully—her discomfort did not have to last long before Zevran had reached the top of the stairs and gently lowered her back to the ground. Leaning against her staff, she righted her skirts and glowered at him before mumbling a quiet, “Thanks.”

Zevran gave her a smirk that made her heart flutter and a warmth stir in the pit of her stomach before he ever so gently brushed his hand along her arm, leaving electricity in his wake. “It is always a pleasure to hold such a lovely woman in my arms,” he purred, his accent purposefully thick.

Maker’s breath. She swallowed hard and pushed on, hoping she wasn’t blushing as deeply as she thought (she was.) Zevran moved to hold the doors for her, and Alistair moved to take lead. A gaggle of servants stood ready to take their packs from them, and she thanked each of them with a warm smile. Alistair escorted her to the main hall where the Lady Isolde stood beside an older man with a grey beard, and standing in front of them was—“First Enchanter?” Missella’s face broke out in an almost painful grin, and in her excitement she moved to rush to his side but hissed as her leg denied her. Zevran was beside her side in an instant, offering her his arm to lean against, which she reluctantly took.

First Enchanter Irving turned at her voice and smiled gently. “I wish I could say you are looking well, my child, but it is not in my nature to lie.”

Zevran helped her over towards the humans as Alistair moved towards the man now standing near Isolde. Irving took her into his arms in a warm hug before pulling back at arm’s length to look her over. “It pleases me endlessly to see you mostly still in one piece, my dear.”

She smiled up at him, her ears lifting in response to his affection. Irving had ever been like a father to her, as much as he could’ve been in the Circle. She’d been worried about him since they’d liberated the Circle, worried what the Templars might’ve done to him for ‘letting’ the uprising happen, but he seemed well enough. Older, worn down by the loss of so many of his charges, but well enough. “Me, too, ser,” she breathed.

Alistair cleared his throat and gestured from the other man towards her. “My Lord Eamon, may I present my fellow Grey Warden, Missella Surana.”

Missella stepped back from Irving and pressed her fist to her chest, bowing her head in greeting. “Lord Eamon, I’m pleased to see you’ve recovered.”

“No thanks to you, I’ve heard.” As she lifted her head to look back up at him, she found herself taken into a firm hug, and she squeaked in response. His voice wavered a little as he said, “Thank you. If not for you, my son would still be… Thank you.”

She smiled awkwardly and tucked her hair behind her ear as he stepped back from her, his hands resting upon her shoulders affectionately. “It was my pleasure, my lord,” she said nervously.

Lord Eamon beamed down at her. With a gentle squeeze, he looked over at Zevran who was hovering nearby. “You two must be exhausted. Please, rest. I’ll order food and drink to be delivered to your rooms immediately.” With that, he nodded pointily at a servant who scurried off to do his bidding and released Missella. “If you’re feeling up to it later, we intend to host a feast here in the castle, to thank you for all you’ve done for my family and my city.”

She blushed slightly but nodded. “I look forward to it, ser.”

Irving put his hand upon her arm and smiled down at her in a paternal way that crinkled at his eyes. “I will be with you shortly to see what we can do about your leg, hmm?”

Missella nearly sighed at the prospect of being patched up at last. She nodded eagerly. “Maker, yes, please.”

He chuckled gently and dropped his hand from her arm. Alistair moved to show them the way to their chambers. He paused nervously outside a door and rubbed the back of his neck. “The rooms are… er… Well, they’re on the second floor.”

Missella pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in exasperation. “Of course they are.” She shoved her staff into Alistair’s hands and looked pointedly at Zevran who was grinning far too smugly for her liking. “Shall we, then?”

With the same ease as before, he swept her into his arms, but this time she didn’t squeak. Rather, she put her arm about his shoulders to help leverage her weight against him, and Alistair pushed on ahead. Rather than set her down at the head of the stairs like she’d expected, he just hefted her higher in his arms and gave her a dazzling smile that her breath hitch, and for a moment she forgot why she was irked. Alistair opened the door to one room and gestured inside. “This is you, Missella. Zevran, you’re across the hall.”

Zevran grinned lazily as he carried Missella over towards the bed. “I do so love being near the lovelier of the two wardens.”

Missella rolled her eyes to hide her blush as he set her ever so gently upon her bed, and it did not escape her notice how his fingers drew along her arm. Alistair cleared his throat and leaned her staff against the bed, giving Zevran a look as he did. “There’s um, there’s a water basin just over there if you want to wash up. I’ll come by later, see how you’re feeling, alright?”

She smiled up at Alistair and patted his arm. “Alright. Thank you, Alistair.”

After a blush dusted his cheeks, he cleared his throat and stepped out of the room. Zevran gave her a sly grin and purred, “You don’t want help washing up, do you?”

Missella snorted and waved him off. “No, I don’t. Go on now, leave me be.”

He pouted as he walked backwards out of the room. “The beautiful ones are always the cruelest.”

Once she was alone, she let out a deep sigh and patted her cheeks willing her blush away. She washed herself and put on a clean dress she found in the dresser, then laid down to get in a nap. There was a knock on her door not much later, but she got enough sleep to feel a little refreshed. Calling out a quick, “Come in,” she pushed herself to her feet and leaned against a bedpost, smoothing out her dress.

Irving stepped into the room then and cast a cursory glance about. With a gentle smile, he nodded at her. “You’re looking much better, my child.”

She chuckled and gestured for him to come in further. “If this looks better, I shudder to think how bad I looked before.”

He just gave her a smile and dragged a chair over to the bed. “Let’s take a look at that leg, hmm?” With a nod, she settled on the edge of the bed as he sat down, and she placed her leg in his lap. He tsked as he observed the wound. “You always did like to go above and beyond, didn’t you?” he grumbled.

“Well, how else was I supposed to keep you on your toes?”

He chuckled at that as magic began to flow from his hands, the familiarity of it bringing a touch of nostalgia to her, comforted her like when she’d fallen down the stairs and broken her ankle, like when she’d taken seriously ill after eating a piece of shellfish, like the hug he gave her just before she was taken away by Duncan. She thought back to her life in the Circle, to how relatively happy she’d been. To think, if she’d never told Irving about Jowan’s plan, she wouldn’t have been made to help him, wouldn’t have been sent away. Maybe, if she’d been there, she might’ve been able to stop Uldred… If Alena and Anders hadn’t taken their chance to escape the same time Jowan was, Alena’s penchant for sniffing out secrets and gossip might’ve given them the advantage they needed, might’ve prevented so much unnecessary death, might’ve saved her home.

Irving looked up at her and sighed gently, halting in his movements. “It does not do well to dwell on the past, my dear.” He reached up and brushed away a tear she didn’t know had fallen. “Our paths in life are as rivers. We can alter the way, but eventually they all lead to sea.”

Missella sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “I know, I know.” She took his hand in hers and sighed. “Things were much simpler a year ago, weren’t they?”

Irving nodded in agreement and gently eased his hand back so he could get back to healing her. “It does seem like only yesterday you were brought to my office for the first time.” Though he kept his face free of emotions, his voice wavered just the tiniest bit. He shook his head, indicating the end of the conversation, and sighed. “This is one stubborn enchantment, my dear,” he grumbled.

“Mm,” she hummed. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him and tilted her head. “Why are you here, Irving? In Redcliffe, I mean.”

“Oh, Eamon asked me to come. He’ll be assisting in the repairs at Kinloch. And that boy, Alistair, he said you would need a healer.” He smiled gently. “I’m glad that he’s still taking care of you.”

“Me, too. I don’t know where I’d be without him. Without any of them, really.”

His wise eyes searched hers for a minute. “And that elf? The one upon whose arm you were leaning?”

She must’ve blushed because he grew a smirk. “I—I have no idea to what you are referring, First Enchanter,” she mumbled weakly.

His shoulders shook with gentle laughter, and the upswing in his mood made his magic tickle a little. “My dear girl, I am nearly 100 years old. I know infatuation when I see it. And you always have been and still remain a terrible liar.”

She swallowed thickly, turned her head to avoid the risk of her blush deepening. “Nothing can happen anyways. Even Wynne agrees.”

At that, Irving’s smirk melted off his face and his brows knit together. “And why ever not?”

“Because my duty is to end this Blight by whatever means necessary. If I were to become involved with Zevran, if feelings were to form…” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “If it came down to it, Irving, if I had to choose between saving a man I love and ending the Blight… No.” She shook her head, her conviction renewed. “I cannot allow it.”

The magic from Irving’s hands receded, and he lightly slapped the freshly healed skin of her leg, making her hiss and draw it back. “Have I taught you nothing, child?”

“Ser?”

“In all our time together, did I never once import upon you the strength of love and affection?” He was huffy, now, leaning back in his chair to look at her. “Love is not nor has it ever been a weakness, child. Quite the contrary, out in the real world, love can be a great source of strength. Denying yourself happiness won’t make you any more or less strong when it comes to the end, and when your own life hangs in such precarious balance, are you really satisfied not taking every chance you have at joy?”

Missella blinked then and looked down at her hands as she pondered his words. “But… Wynne—”

Irving sighed. “Wynne and I are dear friends, and I admire her a great deal, but ever has she been staunch and rigid in her beliefs that we mages have duties beyond ourselves. And though there can be some truth to that idea, but it is not for everyone.” He reached over and clasped her hand between both of his, his tired eyes crinkling with a smile. “My dear Missella. Now that you’re no longer under my care, I can admit that I’ve considered you a daughter for many years now.” Ever so gently, he patted her hand and looked down at it. “And like any father, I want to see you happy. This path you’ve been sent down is a difficult one. You should take any chance you can to find joy.”

The tears that had been building in her eyes as he spoke spilled over. “I… Thank you, Irving.” She clasped her hand over his and squeezed it earnestly.

He stood, then, and sighed. “It is time for me to leave you, my child.”

With a trembling sigh of her own, she nodded and rose to her feet as well. The pain in her leg had almost entirely gone, just a dull ache left in its place. “I understand. Have a safe journey back, and thank you again. For everything.”

He left her then, and with another sigh, she plopped back down on her bed and rolled over Irving’s words in her mind. At some point, she drifted off back to sleep, and when the knock on the door woke her up again, the sun was beginning to set through the window. Alistair stepped into the room and knocked once more on the door. “Missella, are you awake?”

She lifted her hand and yawned. “Mm.”

He chuckled slightly and stepped closer but stopped a respectful distance away. “How’s your leg?”

“Much better. Oh, and, thank you, Al. For sending for Irving. It… It was nice to see him again.”

“Of course, Missella. Hey, the feast is about to begin. Are you feeling up to coming down?”

“Mm. Give me a minute to get presentable.” She heaved herself off the bed and limped about the room, washing her face and maneuvering her hair into a passable braid. Once she was done, she turned to Alistair and gestured at herself. “Is this good enough? I don’t know how fancy to be.”

He gave her a warm, eye-twinkling smile and nodded. “You’re always a vision, Missella.”

She snorted and pulled her staff to her side to lean on it. “And you’re full of shit, Alistair.” With a softer smile, she nodded towards the door. “Let’s go, then. I’m starving.”

They made their way down to the first floor carefully. Though Missella’s leg was healed on the surface, the pain had begun to creep back a bit. She insisted on taking the stairs on her own, grumbling something about being an “independent woman,” and she nearly cheered when she hit the bottom. As they pushed through the door into the hallway, they were met with the sound of music drifting lazily through the air, and a ball of excitement began to grow in Missella’s gut. She’d never been to a feast before, and from the sounds of laughter, she dared to say it sounded rather like a party. Not far down the hall, Shale stood, staring at a potted plant as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Missella grinned and hobbled a little faster over to her friend. “Shale! You’re here!”

Shale looked indignantly down at her. “As if I had anywhere better to be?”

Missella just smiled and patted their forearm. “I’m glad to see you, too. Are you going to come into the feast?”

“To what end? To watch 50 flesh sacks stuff their holes? No, thank you.”

Missella rolled her eyes and patted their arm again before turning back to join Alistair who was paused just outside the doors. He gently took her arm and lowered his voice. “Um. I suppose I should warn you. Eamon is probably going to uh… make quite a few toasts to you.”

She blinked. “Me? Why?”

He just stared at her a moment and shook his head. “Maker, Missella. Because of all you’ve done, not just for him but for Ferelden.”

She snorted. “But that wasn’t just me. It was all of us.”

“Oh, please. We’d be nothing without you. You know that.” He silenced her with an upheld hand. “Just. Be prepared, alright? It might get a little embarrassing.”

“After the past few months, embarrassing sounds like a fresh breath of air.”

Alistair just sighed, nodded, and opened the door for her.

As soon as she stepped into the grand room—which had been decked from head to toe with decorations and candles, each table filled with townspeople, many of whom she recognized—the band stopped playing and all eyes were on her. She faltered a moment but straightened up and smiled graciously around the room. Eamon rose from his seat and crossed around the table to greet her in the middle of the room, both his hands clasped over hers. “You are feeling better, I hope?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, ser.”

He beamed from ear to ear. “Wonderful, wonderful.” Glancing around the room, he cleared his throat and announced, “Friends, may I present our guest of honor, the woman who saved not just my own life, but the lives of my family, and the lives of nearly everyone in this room.”

Applause exploded around the room, and a servant appeared at Eamon’s side, carrying a serving plate with wine goblets upon it. Eamon handed one to Missella, then Alistair, then turned on his heel in one rotation about the room. The whole room rose to its feet, and quieted down enough for Eamon to call, “For the Warden!”

The townsfolk echoed his call, bringing a blush to Missella’s cheeks, but she met the raised glass with her own and drank deeply from it. Eamon ushered her over to the long table where many of her friends were seated. She nodded towards Isolde and Bann Teagan before smiling at her friends. She reached her chair, and just as she moved to reach for it, a hand brushed hers aside, and Zevran’s grinning face tilted into her view. “Please, my dear, allow me,” he purred.

She had to remember how to breathe, he looked so dashing. He was dressed in a puffy white shirt tucked into tight black pants. Through the fabric of his shirt, she could see the outline of his tattoos, and she had to force herself not to stare, but his face was washed clean and refreshed with sleep, and he’d washed his hair and pulled it back into a soft ponytail. Clearing her throat, she mumbled a soft, “Thank you,” and settled into the chair, and the hall sat down with her. The music began again, and conversation began to flow freely as Zevran settled into the chair on the other side of Alistair.

The food was incredible and plentiful. She felt a bit guilty that she ate as little as she did, but the past few weeks on the road hadn’t afforded her the opportunity to stretch her stomach much. Though, by the time she finished, the doors to the great hall had been opened, and the band had moved out there for people to stand and talk. Some, she’d noticed, had taken this as an opportunity to dance. Wynne had eventually asked Alistair to “indulge an old woman” and practically hauled him off by his ear to join her upon the dance floor, which left the chair between Missella and Zevran empty. To make matters worse, Eamon and Teagan were engaged in some fairly intense discussion concerning topics about which Missella knew nothing, so she tried to distract herself by people watching. She recognized some of these people from the last time she was in Redcliffe, during the attack. The blacksmith and his daughter sat at a far table, and once they locked eyes, they raised a glass to her which rose a blush along her cheeks, and she smiled in recognition. Murdock and Tomas were sat at another table, their own heads butted together in what looked like a rather frustrating discussion, and here and there she’d recognize someone else. Idly, she wondered about her friend Alena, if she would know anyone here tonight, and the thought of her and her unknown demise drew a shadow over Missella’s heart. It must have shown upon her face, too, because there was a heavy sigh as a body settled into the seat next to hers, and a familiar tan hand moved to refill her wine glass. “You know,” Zevran drawled, “For attending a banquet in your honor, you certainly do not seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Missella swallowed hard and brought the glass to her lips for an excuse to think of something to say. Unfortunately, this was her fourth glass of wine since coming downstairs, and her mind was beginning to swim. “I’m just, uh… Tired.” Maker, Missella, really? Tired? That’s the best you can do? she hissed to herself.

Zevran chuckled, and she could feel his amber eyes searching her face. “Come now, my dear warden, of all the lies you’ve ever told, that is by far the worst.”

She sighed and rested her elbow upon the table, her chin in her hand as she looked over to him. Thankfully for the wine, her cheeks were not able to darken anymore, because he looked otherworldly beautiful. He sat mirrored her, his chin in his hand as well, and he was looking upon her with what was at first a sly expression, but upon second glance she could see the softness of his eyes, the wide, open expression in his brow that did not exactly match the smirk he wore. She must’ve been staring too long because his smirk only grew wider, and she forced herself to avert her eyes. “Fine, fine. Honestly, I’m just…” She sighed again. “Seeing Irving brought back a lot of feelings.”

“Oh.” His voice was reservedly surprised, the tone of it bringing her to look back at him. The smirk had fallen from his lips, and his brow had knit together just a smidge in concern. A soft hand touched her shoulder, the thumb brushing a piece of hair back. “Are you alright?”

For all her efforts, she could not hide the way tears welled in her eyes, but just as he opened his mouth to say something else, she nodded, pushing the sudden rush of emotions back down. “I will be.” It was the truth, at least. Whatever was causing this bout of emotion would soon pass, replaced with the impending severity of the Blight. But, for now, she hesitated to speak anymore of the present beyond the faintest of truths: “Between seeing Irving and being here in Redcliffe, I’m mostly worried about my friend Alena.”

“The one who you helped escape?”

She nodded in affirmation, mildly touched he’d remembered. It had been months now since she’d told him the tale of how she’d been made to help Jowan escape and as a consequence helped Anders and their friend Alena escape. The girl was spunky and sly, but she had never been an overly talented mage, and even with Anders to protect her, Missella doubted her ability to survive in this harsh world. But, Missella could feel Zevran’s eyes upon her, so she shook thoughts of her naïve friend from her mind and turned a gentle smile towards her dashing rogue companion. “I apologize. I hardly doubt the shadows of my mind weigh heavily upon you.”

Zevran quirked a brow at that and frowned. His hand slipped from her shoulder to grip hers, the moment his skin touching hers sending a shock through her arm though she kept her face from showing it. “My dear Warden,” he started, his words careful and formulated. “In these past few months, I have felt a connection form between us, no? I consider you a dear and beloved friend. And all that weighs heavily on your mind also weighs on me.”

She had to turn her head to hide the quick misting of tears that once again crossed her eyes. She disguised the movement by taking a sip of wine, but when she looked back at him, she knew he wasn’t fooled. Clearing her throat, she squeezed his hand and smiled. “Thank you, Zevran. That means… It means a lot.”

The grin he sent her way was nothing short of dazzling. His teeth even glinted in the light, for Andraste’s sake. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss to her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers before his ear twitched. “Ahh, listen! That is an Antivan dance! Please, my friend, won’t you join me?”

Missella blinked owlishly and stammered for a reply, struggling to think of even a single reason to say no when Irving’s words drifted back to mind. “I… Yes. Yes, Zevran, I think that sounds marvelous.”

Any surprise that Zevran felt, he kept coolly under wraps as he stood, her hand in his. She could feel more than a few pairs of eyes on them as he swept her into the next room, letting her lean on him in place of her staff. A handful of dancers saw them enter and scooted off to the side to watch as Zevran guided Missella to the center of the room, and the band stopped playing when Zevran waved a hand to them. He swung her easily into his arm, her hand clasped in his which he held up and out. Though Missella had had no occasion to learn to dance either in the Circle or out in the real world, the faith she had in Zevran’s worldly abilities allowed her to keep an easy smile on her face, not even a hint of fear for what was to come in her mind. Zevran nodded over her head to the band and flashed her another brilliant grin as the music started up again and he took his place offset to her right a bit.

Missella has always been able to pride herself on at least one fact: she is a fast learner. Particularly fast, if the material is something of interest and the teacher attractive. Another fact about Missella is that she has often been described as “graceful.” These are her two saving graces in this moment.

The dance began slowly. Zevran helps her, not just with his hand firm against the small of her back which helped steady her and hold her off her bad leg, but in that he muttered a soft, “One, two, three, one two three,” to help her catch the time signature of the dance as he guided her back for two measures, his feet bouncing instead of moving on the second beat of each measure, and her limp was all but forgotten in the way he moved her. Then, he dragged her easily into a turn on the third three, the movement catching Missella by surprise. He chuckled at her soft squeak. Casually, he leaned them to the side for a beat before spinning them to face the opposite direction. With perhaps more drama than necessary, he toed them three steps down, in time with the beat, his golden eyes never leaving hers. She squealed when, on the second three, his leg found its way under her knee and knocked it from under her while he pressed forward on the hand holding hers. She was caught easily by the hand on her back, not actually having dropped far at all, and she couldn’t help but giggle. He let her dangle there for half a beat before languidly pulling her back up to him, his leg still between hers. He used this new position to walk around her, pivoting her on one foot so that she was spinning, his face close enough that she could feel his heat.

“Zevran,” she breathed.

“Yes, mi amor?” he whispered back, pivoting on his own foot to step across her and back again.

She wanted to tell him how she felt, to let him know that his flirtations had not gone unnoticed, that she wanted desperately to reciprocate them, to ask him to kiss her, but her courage was not strong enough. She cast her eyes about the room for something else to say instead, and only managed a weak, “Everyone is staring.” And it was true, at least. They were now the only couple still dancing, everyone else moving to the side to watch. Even a few people from the dining room had come to watch from the doorway.

It was evident from the tone of his chuckle that he did not believe that was what she wanted to say, but he did not ask her true intentions. Instead, he just leaned his head closer, enough that his breath tickled her ear when he whispered, “Then let us give them something to look at, no?”

Before she could ask him what he meant, she was thrust away from him, held only by his hand as he stretched away from her. In her daze, she caught sight of Alistair whose face was set hard with jealousy. As quickly as she’d been spun away, Zevran tugged her hand and pulled her back into him, his arm held around her possessively as he cast a pointed look in Alistair’s direction, one that admittedly send a warm shiver down Missella’s spine. Over the next measure, Zevran dragged Missella away from Zevran and raised their hands over her head to spin her in place, slowly, walking around her as if to show her off to the room and claim her as his all at once. The song was coming to an end; she could hear it in the cadences with which the phrases were ending. Zevran stopped her on a third beat and stepped in to hold her, repeating the very first set of steps he made when the song began, the music following his steps to slow until, like before, he swept her leg from under her and caught her in a dip, this one far lower, and she could feel his breath ghosting across her chest.

Applause broke out across the room, and Zevran pulled her back to standing, a breathless, knee-wobbling grin stretched across his face. Perhaps she was light-headed, the wine and the dancing making her dizzy, or perhaps it was the thrill of the moment, but she could take it no longer. In one smooth movement, her arm hooked behind his neck, and she stretched on her toes to press her lips against his. In the blink of an eye, Zevran tensed in surprise, untensed, and pulled her closer to him, his hand moving to hold her cheek delicately, as if she were made of glass. As she breathed in the smell of him, tasted him, felt him in her arms, she knew she’d been a fool to deny him as long as she had. She broke the kiss and laid her forehead against his shoulder, panting. “Ask me again, Zevran.”

It took him a moment, but once he did, he placed a teasing nip to the point of her ear and moved his mouth to whisper just loud enough for her to hear, “Would you like to come to bed with me?”

She nearly moaned, her entire resolve dashed out the window. “Yes. Maker, Zevran, yes,” she whined, and to pontificate her impatience, she nipped the open skin beneath his collar.

With a flourish befitting only Zevran Arainai, he swept her up into his arms and beamed down at her, undoubtedly flexing around her. “My wish is your command, mi amor.” And Missella could not bring herself to be embarrassed when she realized the entire castle was still watching as Zevran carried her to the stairs to the second floor.

“Mi amor?”

Missella blinks, startled out of her reverie. “Mm?” she says, rubbing her face as if to brush her exhaustion away.

“Where did you go?”

The teasing tone in his voice piques her curiosity. She turns to look at him, and for hardly the first time, she is stricken breathless at the sight of him. He rests against a log, a leg drawn up towards his chest, his elbow rested upon that, a hand resting in his hair. His shirt hangs open and loose about his arms, the hint of a tattoo visible along his ribs. His hair is braided back on one side, so she can see the piercings in his ears, and his entire silhouette is illuminated by the warmth of the fire, the glow reflected in his inviting and contemplative eyes. Swallowing, she mirrors his pose and throws a lazy grin his way.

And for hardly the first time, Missella finds herself too lost in admiration to think of what to say. He’s just so… pretty. One might almost say that Zevran Arainai is beautiful beyond words.

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balescio · 5 years

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“--You wouldn’t happen to have Eden’s Vertigo album, would you? New or used?” She’d been walking through the shop for a few minutes now, a few vinyl albums already in her arms, having gathered everything she could find by Balmorhea that they had in stock. Just recently, Bianca had decided to invest in a record player, wanting to have it for her living room. She was not one to really ever listen to anything on the radio, especially when she was working, but she always did like being able to listen to something that wouldn’t distract her, but was pleasant enough that she wouldn’t fall asleep. The vinyl she was searching for now, though, was more of a niche artist-- not too well known in her opinion. But he was a favourite all the same. “I can wait, if you’re busy.” // @missella-peters

#missella-peters #xx. closed starter #if i should change this to something else let me know!

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missellaneousworks · 9 months

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Excerpt from "Sundae Jack" - Fluff n' Smut SDJ Fic

Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack is a +18 ONLY community. Therefore, the content of this fic is NOT APPROPRIATE for anyone under 18+ and should not be engaging with it.

Very self-indulgent Ella (OC) x Sunny Day Jack fic. The full version can be found on AO3 HERE.

Below is just a taste before things get spicy~

Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack is a +18 ONLY series. MINORS DNI.

Oh yeah. It had been that kind of a week for Ella.

The tub of ice cream landed on the counter with an unceremonious clunk, followed by the rest of the ice cream fixings. Strawberries, bananas, chocolate fudge syrup, and whipped cream. After a whole week of work, paying bills, having her hot water shut off for two days due to a water main breaking…. She needed to treat herself. So after a horrible week, Ella went to the store with a little extra cash she had left over and got herself the full sundae spread!

Jack’s head poked out of the bedroom as he was finishing up folding laundry. “Welcome back, Sunshine! Whatcha got there?”

“My salvation,” Ella remarked with satisfaction. “I decided to take some of your advice about treating myself after a rough week.”

In the not-too-far past, Ella would usually turn to a nice bottle of wine and a bubble bath to relax and unwind. But while walking down the frozen dessert section in the grocery store earlier, she found a brand of ice cream she hadn’t seen in years. Normally, she would sadly pass by before she could change her mind, but today of all days she figured why not? Besides, Jack would probably appreciate a little sweet treat, too!

“Anything I can do to help?” Jack’s ever-cheerful voice inquired helpfully.

“Actually, yeah! Can you slice up the strawberries and a banana?”

After retrieving the cutting board and knife, Jack began to cut the fruit into thin, even pieces, humming a melody that Ella didn’t quite recognize, but was sure she heard it before. “You know, most people get cherries with their sundaes. I like the fact that you bought strawberries, though!”

“Eh heh, yeah… cherries remind me too much like cough syrup. I know they’re already cherry flavored, but still… I like strawberries more.”

“Blueberries are also great!”

“No kidding, Mr. Blue-Haired-Clown-Sir.” Ella teased back.

“Pfft, okay, okay, that one was obvious.”

“A little,” Ella giggled. As she removed the ice cream tub’s lid and began to scoop the into the bowl. “You know, I’m also a fan of peaches and nectarines.”

“Those sound tasty! Maybe we can buy some next time. Can never have to much fruit for your diet.”

“Not unless they go bad because I don’t eat them in time.”

“That's what you have me, here for, Sunshine,” Jack said triumphantly as he finished cutting the fruit, quickly washing the knife and setting it into the sink drainer.

“…to eat the fruits I don’t like?” Ella innocently blinked up a Jack, leaning into his side slightly.

Jack chuckled and shook his head. “No, silly. To make sure you stay happy and healthy! So we can keep having ice cream dates together~”

“Hmmm! A fine point, Mr. Sunny Day.”

“You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! So it’s important to keep you in pear-fect health!”

The silence was incredibly loud as Ella slowly, deliberately turned towards Jack. “…honey. May I remind I am armed? With an ice cream scooper?!”

Jack didn’t even attempt to hold back his laughter. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I just think you’re one in a melon.”

“I know where you sleep.”

“I should hope so,” now the clown was turning the tables again on Ella, his voice lowering an octave as he came up behind Ella and wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s right next to you, after all.”

A pleasurable shiver ran up Ella’s spine as she felt Jack’s breath across the back of her neck and shoulder. Subconsciously leaning back onto Jack’s body, Ella almost forgot about the ice cream sundae, at least until she accidently knocked over the open jar of chocolate syrup and got all over the counter.

“Ah, shit!”

“Whoops!” Jack blinked at the mess, a slightly disappointed grimace across his face. However, it didn’t stop him from getting a moist paper towel and dabbing the mess. “I got it, Sunshine, don’t worry!”

“Guess your flirt was too hot for this hot fudge to handle.”

That earned her another chuckle from her lover. “Want to cool down with this sundae?”

“I thought you’d never ask~”

Within moments, Ella and Jack were nestled on her couch with a blanket, and a sizable bowel of the sundae, with two spoons so they could share.

“Um, is this okay? That we’re eating out of the same bowl? I thought about getting one for each of us, but I kind of thought it would be cute to share…”

“I don’t mind, this is perfect, Ella.” Jack reassured with that ever-comforting smile of his.

“I thought it was pear-fect.”

“Ooooh! My own pun thrown back in my face.”

“You’re very handsome face,” Ella shimmied closer to Jack’s side and wasn’t blind to the slight blush on Jack’s face. It was nice to know even he could get bashful at times. Adorable. “Anyways, let’s dig in—”

The abrupt pause in his Sunshine’s delight caused Jack to raise his eyebrow in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“…I feel like… we’re missing something.” Ella thoughtfully tapped the spoon against her lower lip before her head snapped up. “The whipped cream! Oh my god, hang on.”

Her sudden departure to retrieve the forgotten condiment was amusing to Jack. Ella’s strive to get something just right might have been considered a setback to others, but not Sunny Day Jack. He took a lot of time and dedication to improve Ella’s quality of life, and even more important, her happiness.

Which was one thing they had in common. His sunshine worked so hard to make people around her happy, it just showed how kind, creative, and amazing she truly was. Sadly, there were times when Ella overdid it—with the best of intentions, but it was a small secret Jack kept to himself; he felt that most other people didn’t deserve the time of day with Ella. She worked so hard at work, maintaining her home, and her writing, and finding new inspiration to keep her going. As the matter of fact was that Ella persisted despite all of the trouble and heartache she’d been through in the past. And that fact alone made her… special.

It felt good being in her light. Incredibly, warm, light, and loving light. It was only right that her attention shouldn’t be wasted on others who would otherwise dim that precious light.

He’d make sure it would stay that way. Forever, if he had to.

“Got it!” Ella triumphantly scampered back to the living room with the whipped cream. She plopped right next to Jack again, shaking the can before placing a sizable dollop on top of the sundae. “Now, it’s perfect!”

Jack couldn’t help the mischievous smile. “You mean pear—”

“Don’t,” Ella pointed the can directly at Jack’s face in an attempt to look intimidating. Though the scrunch of her noise proved to be cuter than anything. “I am armed and dangerous. Don’t you dare, Jack.”

Jack bit his lip in an attempt to stifle the chuckle building in his chest, but he couldn’t resist teasing her… just a little. He jokingly lifted both of his hands up in mock defeat. “Oh-ho! What do you intend to do now that I’m at your mercy, Sunshine?”

The glimmer in Ella’s eye was unmistakable. Her finger pressed on the tip of the can’s spout, intending to spray just a little on his nose, to make good on her threat, and to be a little coy.

However.

After a moment, nothing came out, and Ella added a little more pressure.

Jack stiffened as a flurry of whipped cream erupted all over his face, covering his left eye, cheek, part of his lip, but most of it did land on his red nose. Jack squeezed his eyes shut when he was met with a barrage of sweetness, not fully registering what exactly happened at first. After one mortifying moment, Jack’s right eye blinked open. Ella’s face blanched from utter embarrassment.

“Pffffft!” Jack’s shoulders began to shake. Then a giggle slipped, followed by a snort.

Ella could only blink back as the silliness of her nerves and the situation itself sunk in. Jack hunched over in an attempt to turn and hide his face, but Ella could clearly see his eyes squeezed shut, and the corners of his mouth failing to suppress a smile.

“Oh my God,” Ella released the beginning of her own breathless laugh before she finally quipped, “Sorry honey,” she genitively wiped the cream from his eye. “Guess I was the one who blew their load prematurely, huh?”

Jack guffawed and doubled over with a shocked laugh. “ELLA!”

It broke the damn that held back Ella’s jovial laughter as she hunched over while cupping Jack’s face. “Hey, first time for everything, am I right?”

“You’re t-too much for me, sunspot!” Jack managed to eke out through his laughter.

Ella giggled back, “Too bad! You’re stuck with me, innuendoes and all.”

“I’d hardly call that a bad thing, you know.” Jack’s laughter began to subside into breathless chuckles. Most of the cream had slid down his face and landed on his chest and lap.

“O-oh,” Ella tried to remain focus, but Jack was so close to her. “Let me help, honey.” Quickly, she grabbed a napkin that was sitting on the coffee table blotted parts of his face to remove the sweet confectionary cream from his face. Jack was perfectly still and let her work, seemingly content to let Ella touch him, even if it was just for the sake of cleanliness. She could feel his warm breath against her skin. He wasn’t even doing anything other than just sitting there, messed up by her own hand. Yet something about it made it feel… oddly intimate. Especially the way Ella was studying the sharp features of his face.

“I think that’s all of it—oh, wait,” Ella cupped the side of Jack’s cheek and guided it to the side. “You’ve got something on your face…”

“Ella--?” Jack was cut off at the feel of Ella’s soft lips against his cheek.

The dusting of pink across her face as she pulled back was impossible to ignore, as was a small, coy smile. “Never mind, it was just me.”

Jack’s smile widened, positively smitten. “Have I told you recently that I love it when you get spontaneous?”

The compliment hit its mark perfectly as Ella’s blush deepened before an idea began to form in her mind.

Spontaneous, huh…?

Read more at the link on top. Thank you for reading~!

#Sunny Day Jack #Something Is Wong With Sunny Day Jack #SDJ #SDJ OC #SUnny Day Jack Fanfic #MissElla's Works #please don't bully me for the title too much #puns are my bread and butter

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missellaneousworks · 6 months

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Sunny Day Jack Reincarnation AU/Theory - Ella/Meli [Part 1]

I may be a little late on the Reincarnation Theory/AU train, but better late than never, am I right?

This is going to be a little bit different compared to most of my writings. Half of it is going to simply be me explaining my headcannons for the back story, and then there will be some actual story and dialogue for scenes that popped into my head from a dream I had about this. I apologize for the odd skips in the narrative or plot holes, as I'm mostly writing what I remember from a dream I had about this AU. Bear with me and enjoy the ride!

CW: Mentions of unhealthy parental figures, troubingling childhoods, emotional abuse.

____

Melissa Murphy.

"Meli" to her friends. Only her parents called her by her full name. She hated it.

Physically, she has the same face and body type as Ella, however, in adulthood, Meli dyes her hair dirty blonde and styles it differently from Ella.

Personality-wise, Melissa (aka) Meli is more outspoken than Ella but is just as sweet and creative. But is still a little shy. Surprisingly, she shows less hesitancy when standing up for herself. Ella does have that same fire inside of her, but it’s deeply suppressed.

Another main difference between the two are their parents. Ella’s parents were very loving but imperfect. Because Ella was their only child, they were a little protective of her, so they were strict during her childhood and early adolescence. Melissa had several siblings that all moved out of the house before she could finish school, her parents were more… authoritarian, but we’ll get into that soon.

Joseph and Melissa were schoolmates who eventually became friends. Meli had both parents living in a dysfunctional home, with her often getting in the middle of their fights. Her mom wanted her to go to college, as she had to drop out after she got pregnant with Melissa, and her father, who originally wanted a son, pushed Melissa with her studies and image in order to create the perfect child. “Might as well look good so you can hook a rich boy once you get into college.” Yeah, he kind of a pig. Her mother would stand up for Melissa, but the older she got, the more she lost her fire to defend her daughter. It wasn’t a very healthy environment.

Despite that, Melissa still had plenty of friends but tried to hide how dysfunctional her home life truly was, including her unhappiness. It was easy to conceal since her parents were good at putting on “masks” to uphold their reputation within the community.

Joseph came from a broken home, too, and had a reputation for getting into fights. One day Melissa snuck out of school for a quick smoke behind the gym where Joseph was nursing a wound from a recent scuffle. He’s suspicious when Melissa asks if he’s all right, and brushes her off at first, then asks for a smoke. Melissa gives him one, on the condition he doesn’t blab that she uses this location to sneak out of her third-period class sometimes. He agrees and they more or less continue to smoke in silence. Every once and a while, they’ll both appear at their hiding spot at the same time, and each time, Joseph will ask for a cigarette.

Eventually… they start talking. First, it was about music. Melissa would sometimes bring her favorite cassette tapes for Joseph to borrow, and vice versa. Eventually, they’d talk about school, mostly what they didn’t like about it. But other stuff, too. Things they liked. Meli tells Joseph she wants to own her own five-star restaurant, he jokes he could taste test her food. When she does make something yummy, she’ll save a little for Joseph to try. He gobbles it up every time.

---

"Do you always cook, Melissa?"

"Meli," she corrected him, taking a brush from her bag and fixing her bangs. "I feel like my Dad'll materialize out of nowhere when I hear my full name."

"...right." He glanced back to the homemade chicken pot pie in the ceramic bowl. "Did you really sneak this into school?"

"Nnnnot exactly," Meli flipped her ponytail. "I'm on good terms with the home-ec teacher, Mrs. Billows. Used to stay behind glass to help clean up. Before she cooks something with her class, she shows them a sample. And when she's too lazy to cook it in advance, I make it for her in her classroom since it has a full kitchen."

Joseph wrinkled his nose at that. "And you get free food out of it?"

"If I happen to make a little too much," she winked with a knowing twinkle.

"Heh, I'm not complaining." Joseph shoveled another mouthful, trying to savor every bite, but it was hard on an empty stomach.

"Hey, slow down! You're going to give yourself a stomach ache!"

"Hrmph, yer naht dah bosth ov meh," replied with a full mouth.

"Gross! Swallow your food first, Joey!" Meli wrinkles her nose in mock disgust.

Joseph did so, but then paused a moment. "Joey?" He asked incredulous. "Do I look like a Joey to you?"

Tilting her head ro the side, she thought for a moment before nodding. "I think so, yeah. Joseph sounds a little too serious."

For a long moment, Joseph stared at Meli, as if trying to decide how to react. Looked away, his brows pinched together. "Just don't go spreading it around, sheesh..."

Satisfied, Meli smiled at the stubborn boy as he continued to eat. Joseph partially turned away to hide the blush that started to creep on his face.

---

As the two got closer, Meli formed secret a crush on Joseph. There was… more to him than just a scary troublemaker like she originally thought. She liked it when he talked about music and wanting to become a musician. The few times he actually laughed at her sarcastic quips, or when he got his guitar out to play on the few occasions they met outside of school. Joseph was surprised that Melissa Murphy of all people had more spark in her than most others saw. It was a rebellious ember, just smoldering under the surface but you could feel the warmth of it if you stood close enough. It was… kinda cute. Meli was cute. And the two of them secretly pinned for one another.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be this time.

At some point, Joseph ran away from home. The reason is currently unknown, whether it was one big factor or several events that corresponded in Joseph making the decision. However, after he has a particularly bad fight on school grounds (again), Melissa tries to find Joseph since he’s been cagier than usual. She has some idea that his home life wasn’t great, but, there were certain details she didn’t know about. Meli tries and fails to get Joseph to open up to her, to make him understand that he’s her friend and she’ll help in any way she can, but… while the sentiment came from a very good place, it misses the mark ever so slightly. Joseph retorts back at Meli, saying it’s not like she could understand, that just because they share smokes sometimes doesn’t mean they’re good friends. That he didn't need her or anyone else and she should just get lost.

That was the last time Melissa saw Joseph Cullman.

The heartbreak doesn’t end for Melissa there. When she got home, she was met with a scorned look from her father, and her mother wouldn’t even look her in the eyes. The principal had called to tell them that Melissa’s grades were slipping in a few of her classes and that one of the faculty members had seen her smoking outside with another student. Her father threw one horrendous accusation at her after another. Her mother just… sat there, looking away. In the past, her mom would to stay in Melissa’s corner, but now she was a shell of the woman she used to be. No matter what Meli said or pleaded, her father wouldn’t have it.

She is shipped off to a ‘prestigious all-girls boarding school’ that night. Not being able to say goodbye to any of her friends, including Joseph.

The next day, Joseph waited at their usual hang-out spot, he brought a mix tape he spent the night pouring over, trying to find all of Meli's favorite songs that he knew of. But Melissa wasn’t there. He didn’t really talk with any of Melissa’s friends, but one of them did say that Melissa didn’t show up to school that day. He skipped the rest of the day altogether and went straight to her house, trying to climb up to her window, but… she was gone. And there were no signs of life in her room at all. He heard shouting from a neighbor who caught him peeking in the window and he ran off.

He left town shortly after that, never getting to apologize to one of the few friends he had in that god forsaken town.

But they’d meet again years later when Joseph just got started in his new role as Sunny Day Jack.

After receiving her high school diploma, Melissa decided to get into culinary school, much to her parents' continued disapproval, and promptly cut her off from any financial support, quoting that ‘if she wanted to make it, she’d have to pay her own way.’ Being isolated, she eventually met a young man who became her boyfriend. He was a senior at the school who was going into restaurant management and tended to get his way with his charms and charisma. And with how isolated and lonely Melissa had grown over the last couple of years, the two started dating just after a few weeks of knowing each other.

Unfortunately, Melissa was forced to drop out of culinary school just after a year when her finances ran dry and the scholarship money just couldn’t cut it. Around this time, her boyfriend made the surprising move and… proposed to her out of the blue. It was a shock to Melissa because they hadn’t even vocally entertained the idea of marriage yet, but boyfriend’s pitch made it sound like it would solve most of their problems. He’d get a good-paying job managing several restaurants, and help pay for Melissa to get back into culinary school so she could pursue her dream. As surprising as it was, it sounded… perfect at the time.

With seemingly no other options or support, Melissa accepted his proposal and moved in with her now fiance. Finally, things would be okay in the end, she just had to keep working to save up money for the wedding and school, and her fiance would help with the rest! Sadly, it slowly became evident that it was too good to be true.

The first year was relatively blissful until tragedy befell them as her fiance ‘lost his job’ managing his first restaurant due to ‘office politics bullshit.’ Melissa and her fiance traveled a few states, with his lackluster hold on keeping a stable job putting more strain on their relationship. Eventually, they ended up in El Paso, and Melisa landed a job as a secretary assistant for the LambsWork Studios. She worked closely with the director and producer on their newest children’s program: The Sunny Time Show.

___

A tentative knock at the door brought Jospeph out of his dozing. Grumbling, he called out he’d be there in a second, scrubbing the sleep from his face as he opened the door to see a woman around his age, with wavey chestnut hair. Sleep still plagued him, but there was something about he curve of her face that seemed so familiar to him...

A pan of deja vu washed over him when he heard her voice. Even if it was just his name. An odd sense of nostalgia that tugged at the strings of his memories.

“Joseph Haberdae?”

“Yeah?” Confusion swept his face when he heard her voice. ‘It couldn’t be…’

“Hi! The director said you needed a copy of the revised script?” She shuffled the stack of papers in her arms before pulling out one that was bound by a massive paper clip. “I’ve also highlighted the portions that were changed, you’ll find them in Scene 6 and Scene 11–”

“...Meli?”

“Huh?” Her eyes flicked to his face as she handed him the script, and now the woman got a good look at the famous host of the Sunnytime Show. “Yeah, that’s what my friends call me. Have we–?”

The words died on her lips as she came to face with the boy whom Meli had once known. Except, he wasn’t a boy anymore. His short hair was now full mullet that swept to the side and a piercing adorned his left brow, just above his beauty mark. No longer was he the tall, scrappy kid who picked fights, but a man who held a very imposing silhouette adorned with partially covered tattoos across his hard muscles.

And yet, his eyes still remained the same. That warm, yet cool brown that held back that fire in his soul. They saw right into her with shock and recognition.

Her friend. The one who used to bum smokes off of her. The one who had the most breathtaking smile when he finally allowed himself to laugh. The boy who traded mixtapes of his favorite songs with her. The boy who wore his heart on his sleeve, and all the anger and passion that came with it.

Her old friend.

Her…

TO BE CONTINUED...

#Sunny Day Jack #something is wrong with sunny day jack #SDJ Joseph #SDJ Jacktor #SDJ OC #Sunny Day Jack OC #Sunny Day Jack AU #Sunny Day Jack Theory #missella's works #got tired so had to stop there but there IS more

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missellaneousworks · 8 months

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Enough - A SDJ Shaun x OC Drabble

I missed that it was Shaun's birthday a couple of weeks ago. And it's a crime how little I've written about our favorite cat-man since he's one of my fav boys. Let's change that.

Context: Takes place shortly after Ian moves away, but before the break-up. Contains some one-sided pining.

Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack is a +18 ONLY series. MINORS DNI.

"How 'bout this one?" Shaun flipped yet another horror DVD in front of Ella's face. The title was one that she heard of before, but not one she had seen yet.

"Sure, if you want to," she attempted to smile cooly, attempting to mask the anxiety in her voice. Shaun took her a moment to study here before he placed it back down with an unconvinced sigh.

"C'mon, Els, that's the third time you've agreed to a movie without really meaning it," Shaun gave a long, exasperated sigh at his dear friend.

"It's your Birthday, ya goober," Ella playfully shoved his arm. "You should pick out the movie!"

"Pfft, my birthday was two weeks ago, Els. Though, I appreciate you trying to make it up to me." That earned her a flippant wave of his hand. "I've already watched all of these. Unlike you, my little scardey cat."

"Heeeeey," Ella protested. "I can handle scary movies--"

"Uh-huh."

"--I can handle scary movies a lot better now than at the beginning of college!!"

"Suuuuure you can, Els."

"Heeeey!" Ella gripped the small, panda-printed couch pillow and proceeded to thwack Shaun in the arm.

"What, I'm just agreeing with you~!" Shaun snickered, blocking Ella's blows from her plushy blunt trauma weapon. "The mighty Ella has conquered her fears and now thirsts for blood! Nooooo!"

Ella gave one final, soft smack with her weapon of choice before Shaun dramatically collapsed on the ground, defeated and unmoving. Ella gave a long sigh before she finally made her decision. "Okay, okay! Let's waaaaatch... this one!" Ella chose a movie that piqued her interest. She had heard good things about the film's special effects and main monster, and according to Shaun, it would be a good watch.

Like the proverbial Dracula rising from his coffin, Shaun sat up with a toothy triumphant grin. "See? Was that so hard?"

Ella gave a half-hearted shrug, turning to check the connection of the tiny digital camera and setting up the waiting room on their streaming platform. "It's our last movie stream together, so... I sort of got stuck on trying to pick a good one. Thought it'd be more meaningful if it were up to you."

That caused Shaun to pause for a moment after he inserted the DVD. He had wondered why Ella had been a little more quiet than usual. He thought it was because she was missing her boyfriend, Ian, but then it occurred to him...

With Ian leaving for school to become an actor just a few months ago and Shaun leaving in a few days to start shooting his new film, Ella would be all alone. It didn't take a mind reader to tell Shaun that she was sad over it. To be honest, despite the new opportunity he was about to receive, Shaun was going to miss Ella. A lot. Ever since college, she was a huge supporter of his work and often volunteered to give feedback on his scripts, including bits and pieces of his newest flick. She often half-joked that Shaun made her a little more brave by exposing her to horror films.

But Ella? Ella gave Shaun more than she could possibly ever know. She gave him advice when he needed it, support when he was stuck on writing a script, and unconditional kindness. It showed when she invited him to stay at her folks' place during Thanksgiving after he... separated from his only remaining family. Ella's folks had invited him in with open arms, showing the same warmth Ella had given him countless times. She gave Shaun boundless inspiration -- it was a crime how unaware Ella remained regarding her infectious creativity. Shaun would shout it to the rooftops if he could. But the most important thing Ella had given Shaun throughout the years... was her friendship.

And that... was enough for Shaun. More than enough, but he didn't want to say it out loud, worried that it would make it weird for some reason. Ella was very dear to him. In truth, he was attracted to her nearly from the get-go. And that affection grew over time. But this was enough, their friendship was enough. And as long as Ella was happy with Ian, Shaun was happy for her. She deserved it.

Shaun reached out in an attempt to offer Ella some small comfort, he wanted to touch her face and tell her it was going to be okay but... he hesitated. That wouldn't be appropriate, would it? Even if they were both physically affectionate with one another. Pausing, his hand landed on her shoulder, which caused Ella's chocolate-brown eyes to meet his.

'C'mon, Shaun... say something to make her feel better!'

"Els, you know we can still do our weekly movie streams even though we'll be apart, right?" Shaun kept a light smirk on his face but cringed cringed internally. That wasn't as emotionally impactful as he was going for. But before he could reiterate, Ella gave him a confused look.

"Yes, it is? I mean, we only have one camera and one mic. We can't exactly do this again until you come back."

"Sure we can!" Shaun's lips quirked into a knowing smile. "You can keep the camera and the mic, and I'll buy a new one when I'm moved into my apartment."

Ella guffawed at Shaun's suggestion. "Shaun, sweetie, I can't do that! That will be expensive!"

"I've got some money leftover from purchasing the new place," he stated nonchalantly. "I'm good for it, Els!"

"B-but you're going to be busy filming and script writing, and directing and--"

"We'll drop the movie streams to once every two weeks! Just because I'm working doesn't mean I shouldn't take breaks."

"That's a lie and you know it," Ella challenged him. "I remember you cramming during finals. You were awake for a solid twenty-four hours!"

"Twenty-six, but who's counting?" He joked as Ella rolled her eyes.

Ella was running out of ammo, causing her to stutter over her words. "I-I can't just accept this, Shaun. It's sweet, b-b-but--"

"Then think of it as an early birthday present!" Shaun kneeled next to where Ella sat on the worn couch. "C'mon, Ella...! Ella-ella-ella. Ella-Banana. Ella-Banano-Fo-Fana-Fe-Fi Bananza-Ellllllllaaaaaaaaa~!"

"You're not going to take 'no' for an answer, are you?" She resided.

"Nope! Except your faaaate~! MWA HA HA HA HA--!" Shaun sinisterly laughed before he began coughing in his over-exuberance. Luckily, Ella wholeheartedly laughed at his antics, causing her to lurch over, clutching her stomach in a joyous fit of giggles.

"All right, all right! You have bested me this time, Kitty-man. But I'll get you back one day!"

Shaun rose to his feet and bent over in a regal bow before his friend. "I look forward to the day, but until then," he unceremoniously flopped on the couch next to her. "MOVIE TIME!"

"HELL YEAH, MOVIE TIME!" Ella cheered as she set the laptop down and began to run the stream for their beloved audience, the mood lifted, and happy once more, just as Shaun wanted it.

As long as he could make Ella happy in some small way, to see her innocently sweet smile, to hear her laugh around him... it was enough.

#Sunny Day Jack #something is wrong with sunny day jack #sdj #sdj oc #sunny day jack oc #sdj shaun #MissElla's Works

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missellaneousworks · 2 years

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Blanket - SDJ Hurt/Comfort Drabble

CW: Night terrors, angst, fluff, comfort

Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack is a +18 ONLY series. MINORS DNI.

You knew Jack kept things from you.

It wasn't necessarily out of malicious intent. Everyone had little secrets. Everyone had the right to their own privacy. It was unusual in Jack's case because he was so open with you. But even he had his secrets, and you discovered one of them.

Sunny Day Jack had nightmares whenever you two didn't share the same bed.

The first time you discovered this was a complete accident. It was before you two had become intimate or even shared the same bed. You had gotten up to up to use the bathroom, and on your way back to bed, you heard whimpering coming from his spot on the pull out couch in the living room. Unsure whether to wake him up or try to comfort him, you found the blanket he kicked off in his sleep and gently placed it back on top of him, rubbing his arm until his breathing returned to normal.

He didn't stir after that and claimed he had no memory of any bad dreams the following morning. More so he redirected the conversation about having omelets or sunny-side-up eggs for breakfast.

The second time was when you two had begun to [platonically] share a bed. You got up to get a cup of water and came back to Jack's body shaking and fisting the sheets. This time you heard him more clearly.

"Don't make me... go... please..."

His harsh whispers were broken and strained. Yet you couldn't tell what he was talking about. But like last time, you pulled the blanket up like a safety net and stroked his back with gentle brushes. He didn't fully wake up, but you saw the worry lines smooth from his face after a few minutes.

The next morning you tried to push a little more and asked if he had any bad dreams last night. There was a split second where he looked as if he had been caught in a lie, but just smiled and said he had no reason to have bad dreams when he was with his best friend.

The third time was the worst, it was a little while after you told him you loved him. This time you had trouble sleeping, but didn't have the heart to wake Jack up. He looked so peaceful, almost innocent. Your heart swelled at how nearly adorable he looked when he curled himself around you. Very quietly, you slipped from his grasp and went to make yourself a cup of Sleepy-Time tea, hoping to soothe your mind back to sleep.

As you dip your bag in the hot water you heard Jack's voice cry out, "No, no, no, don't leave me here!" Forgetting your beverage, you rushed back to the bedroom and found Jack's whole body shaking, face contorted and in pain.

"Jack?!" You rushed over to his side, his eyes were still shut, his skin covered in sweat. This time you tried shaking him awake. You tried to control your own voice in an attempt to quell your panic. "Jack, sweetie, please wake up! It's me, it's Sunshine! You're okay, you're okay..."

Jack's body stopped shivering so much, but a visible sheen of sweat clung to his skin. About a minute later, his eyes blinked open, bewildered and still frightened. "...Sunshine?"

"Hey," you tried to sound comforting but you were too relieved he was awake. "You were shouting in your sleep, honey. Are you ok--?"

You were cut off when you felt two powerful arms ensnare your waist and pull you to his body. It almost felt like you were being caged. Jack's body trembled around you, his face burying in the crook of your neck as if he was afraid you'd disappear into thin air. You didn't try to pull away, but you wriggled a little to get a better look at his face.

"Don't leave me in there again," his grip taught against your waist. His voice a hushed and shaky against your skin. "Please don't leave me in there again, please don't ever leave me again, please, please please..."

Concerned didn't even cover how worried you were at this moment. Was he still asleep? Your mind rattled around trying to decipher what he meant. Leave him where? The only place you knew for sure he had been was a place called Cloudy Town. He had told you after he came out of the--

...

...out of the VHS tape.

Who knows how long he had been in there when you found him. Decades probably, if his lack of knowledge of current technology was anything to go by when you first met him.

Pushing that aside, you refocused on comforting the trembling, primary-colored man in your arms. You securely wrapped your own arms around him, rubbing circles on his back with one hand, and placing the other on the back of his head, lightly massaging his neck. Whatever nightmare he had before, he seemed to think he was still in it. Maybe you could pull him out of it.

"You're okay, Jack. It's all going to be okay." You could feel his body relax a fraction. Trying to keep your voice low and clear, you kept whispering into his ear. "You're with me. You're safe. I'm not going anywhere."

"Y-you promise?" It was so uncharacteristic to hear his voice sound so broken. But the only thing you were focused on was trying to erase any fears that still clung to his heart.

"I promise. I love you, Jack. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, I promise."

You meant it, too, as you kissed his forehead. A shaky breath left Jack as you felt all the tension leave his body. Within a few more minutes his jagged breathing became more stable, and you deduced he was asleep once again. Slowly, you loosened from his grip to pull up your comforter, his face looking worried as he slumbered until you nuzzled back into his arms. You probably would need to have a conversation about this in the morning, but that hardly mattered right now.

Tonight, you would shield him from all the nightmares that plagued his mind. Like a blanket.

#Sunny Day Jack #Something Is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack #SDJ Fanfic #SDJ Jack #SDJ MC #MissElla's Works

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missellaneousworks · 8 months

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Apple from Tree - SDJ OC Drabble

Started off as a warm-up while I got back into the swing of things and then it turned into a whole thing. This came from me musing how having a relationship with a ghost could affect my OC, Ella, and her relationship with her parents.

EDIT: For some context, Ella grew up as an only child to loving but strict parents, who constantly worked in her early childhood due to unsuspected hardships. As such, though she was loved and cared for, parts of her childhood were rather lonely until she became friends with Ian, who became close to Ella's parents over time.

CW: miscommunication, family issues, angst, manipulation, Jack being Jack

Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack is a +18 ONLY series. MINORS DNI.

---

Despite waiting for her mother to pick up the video call, Ella couldn't help but fidget. She was going to tell her parents about her new boyfriend, Jack. Or... rather, what she could say without it sounding completely out of left field. It was something Ella had been mulling over for a while now, though the situation with her newfound love was a bit more... complicated since Jack was a ghost(?). It wasn't a topic that was discussed lightly when Ella brought it up to her primary-colored boyfriend.

"I'm... really touched you want to tell your parents about me, really, I am, Sunshine. But ..."

"...you're worried about how they'll react to someone they can't see or hear?" Ella tilted her head,

"Maybe. A little. It might be hard for them to accept right away, is all I'm saying."

Ella nodded thoughtfully, contemplating her next move. "Maybe we can ease them into that first? I should at least tell them I'm with someone. And after that we'll figure out a way that you can communicate with them. It's bound to happen eventually!"

Jack couldn't put a damper on Ella's optimistic glow, but... he was skeptical that this would work, for Ella's sake of course. He'd hate to see her go through with this and not be the outcome she had hoped for. However, Ella had her mind set. And he would stand by and support her if needed.

"That sounds... doable," Jack muttered, thinking carefully. Ella reached to his hand resting on his knee and gripped it reassuringly. Jack's gaze softened "All right. I trust you, Sunshine."

Which now left Ella picking at the loose strings on her blouse, as she sat at her desk with her laptop open as the video call connected. Jack gave her some space but reminded her he'd be on the other side of the door. While he wasn't physically in the room, that didn't mean he wasn't eavesdropping--no, no. He was just in a position where he could happen to overhear them. Completely different.

He heard another woman's voice voice on the end of the video call, warm and friendly, followed by a man's voice. They shared pleasantries and updates with each other. Apparently, Ella's parents were planning a trip to see some relatives, and they might be able to visit sometime in the future. Ella nodded and responded appropriately until there was a lull in the conversation.

"Soooo, um, I have some news for you guys."

"Oh yeah?" Her father, who had spoken the least had perked up this time. "Everything okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah, things have been great recently. Really great!" Ella replied enthusiastically. "I'm actually seeing someone."

"'...seeing someone--?'"

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Ella's mother bounced in her seat and practically shoved her father to the side and out of the range of the camera. "I knew it! You've been extra happy during our weekly phone calls recently! Good for you, sweetheart! What's their name? Is it the new friend you mentioned before? What do they do for work? When did this whole thing happen?!"

The questions that spilled from her mouth were growing infinite at this point, so Ella calmly yet cheerfully interjected and answered the questions in order. "His name is Jack, Mom. Yes, it's the new friend I made a few months ago. Jack is a... councilor of sorts? He usually works with kids, but he really likes helping people in general." Technically that wasn't an outright lie, but it was the closest to the truth Ella could get without sounding too fantastical. "I guess this happened a few weeks ago?"

"Whaaaat?!" Her mother guffawed. "You waited that long to tell us anything?"

"S-sorry, sorry! Everything just happened so fast between work and Shaun coming over-- things kind of got jumbled."

"Hmmm, all right, all right. Is he nice, though? Handsome?"

"...yes and yes." Ella couldn't stop the blush as it crept onto her face. Her mother continued to gush and ask small questions, while Ella answered as best as she could. When hee mother asked how they met, Ella stated they sort of met when each of them were least expecting it. And that while Ella wasn't too sure about Jack when they first met, he really grew on hee the more time they spent with one another. Her father was oddly quiet throughout the whole call, only discernable reaction from him was the occasional raised eyebrow and 'hmm' in response to an answer. Finally, after a few more minutes of talking, they bid each other farewell and hung up the call.

Jack entered the room with a knock and a hopeful expression. "How'd it go, Sunshine?"

"It went really well! My parents are happy for me, I think. Well, my mom is. Dad was kind of quiet, but he'll come around--"

Ella's ringtone for her Dad interrupted her. Speak of the devil. "Huh. It's my Dad..."

"Would you like some privacy, Sunshine?" Jack offered helpfully.

"Nah, you're okay. I'm sure this'll be quick." Ella hit the green button and picked up. "Hey, Dad! You forget something?"

"Erm, hey, kiddo. I... couldn't say this in front of your mother earlier, but I have some... some concerns."

Ella rolled her eyes. Her father wasn't always the best at communicating emotions, such as sadness or fear, so she replied back in an attempt to alleviate any worries he had. "Dad, I'm fine. I'm doing okay on cash and I'm eating just fine."

"What? No, no, not about that!" Her father took a breath, to give himself a moment to choose his words. "I didn't want to say anything earlier, but... this new guy you're seeing... it sounds like you're serious about him." It felt like there was more he wanted to say, but stopped himself from elaborating.

"Um, yeah, I care about him. A lot." Ella answered matter of factlly.

Her father made a noise on the other end that sounded like he was bracing himself.

"Don't you think you're moving a little too fast?"

She wasn't sure why but she felt a tad defensive when her dad brought it up. "No? It's not like I met him yesterday and got married in Vegas, Dad. We were friends first for a few months then things kinda... happened." Her heart began to race as she saw a concerned expression cross Jack's face. Had she known the conversation was going to be about him, she would have asked Jack to leave the room earlier.

"Uh-huh. So why am I just hearing about this guy now?"

"Dad, I told you about him," She replied flippantly, trying to keep the tone light despite her anxiety beginning to spike. "Or at least I told Mom? He was the friend who finally helped me organize my kitchen?"

"I thought you were talking about Shaun?"

"Wha?" Ella's replied, utterly confused. "Nooo, Shaun helped me organize my movie and book collection. That happened before he moved away on his last movie project."

"Oh? Oh. Gotcha. So, completely different guy?"

Ella sighed, hoping the conversation would take a better turn now. "Yes, Dad. They're completely different people."

There was a long pause before he spoke up again. "So, I guess you're done with Ian, then?"

That question alone brought back a lot of negative emotions. Jack sensed that, too, as a wave of suppressed resentment, anger, and heartbreak flowed began to fester beneath Ella's skin.

"Dad," Ella's voice sounded tired, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. The moment she got emotional, her father would get defensive, then they'd get into an argument. It happened countless times, especially during her teen years. Her father meant well, but there was always some sort of... disconnect between them. She couldn't explain what it was, but there seemed to be something that prevented them from truly getting along with each other. He always had opinions that went against her own, and she always had to fight to get him to understand her. Despite that, she took a deep, calming breath like Jack had taught her.

In 1, 2, 3, 4... and out 1, 2, 3, 4...

"I told you what happened between Ian and I. I know he was... a part of my life--of our lives--for a long time. But that's over now." Her dad loved Ian like a son, and he meant well--she knew that. But she did not want to get into this again. She already told her parents what had happened, at least the parts that Ian had told her on that horrible night, during their final phone call. Her mother was furious towards Ian, while her dad reacted to the situation with utter confusion and disbelief. 'That can't be right, that doesn't sound like something Ian would be capable of!' Ella had assumed her father had said that in denial, much like what Ella had to go through when the breakup first happened. But now it felt like he was siding with the man who hurt her.

"I know, kiddo, I know," he attempted to tone it down. "I guess I'm still stuck on it because it doesn't make a lick of sense after all of this time."

Ella couldn't bring herself to reply. This wasn't anything new to her, she overanalyzed the breakup and their entire relationship to hell and back. Jack moved a little closer to her, keeping his voice down.

"Sunshine, I know he's your Dad and you care for him a lot, but this is upsetting you. Maybe you should hang up for today."

She mulled on her lover's words, considering them. For whatever reason her dad wasn't getting the message that there would be no take-backs for Ian. Ella tried one more time to get the message across to her dad. If he really did care about her, he'd respect her decision and be happy for her, right?

"It was pretty cut and dry from what I heard, Dad. I can't--I won't-- go back to someone who can't commit to the bare minimum of a relationship."

"Okay, okay, I know! It's just... with Ian you guys knew each other for forever before getting together. And now this guy pops up out of nowhere? I'm just playing catch up with brand new information, kiddo."

"That's how dating works, Dad? I mean, you met Mom in college. Didn't you know each other for a short amount of time before you guys made it official?"

"I knew your mom for a whole year before we decided to give dating a go. You met this guy an unspecified amount of months ago. I just want to make sure you really like the guy and are not with him to get back at Ian."

The silence on Ella's side of the call was defining. This was her dad, someone who was supposed to know her. How could she say something so shallow about her?!

"Ella," Jack's voice nudged her again. "You really don't need this. It's okay to hang up the call."

"...Wow, Dad," Ella's voice wavered. "That was, uh... pretty shitty of you to say. Siding with the guy who betrayed my trust and not with the one who's making me happy."

"Hey, now hold on! I don't appreciate the tone you're using, kid. And don't take this the wrong way! You're putting words in my mouth! I'm trying to understand the chain of events, here!"

"He doesn't need to understand us. If we love each other, no one needs to understand, but U S. Put down the phone, Sunshine."

"It's just that I knew Ian, but I don't know this guy. I'm hoping you're not flying into the next available relationship just because you're lonely! People make mistakes when that happens!"

Ella's blood ran hot then... utterly cold. As if she was a pot about to boil over until she was taken off the heat. Jack's soothing voice snaked around her mind that was both suffocating and... safe.

"Your feelings for me and our L O V E could never be a mistake. Don't keep tormenting yourself, Sunshine."

"It's okay

to L E T G O."

Ella bit the corner of her mouth so hard she tasted a metal. Maybe... maybe what Jack was saying was the truth. Why was her Dad being so cruel and questioning who she chose to be with? Did he actually respect her own capabilities on deciding her own future? She loved Jack, and Jack loved her. He made her happy, she told her Dad that much. Maybe if he could actually get to meet Jack properly, actually got to talk to him, he could learn they had a lot in common.

He didn't even get a chance to meet Jack, but he made a snap decision on Ella's choice in partners going on little to know information. The next words out of her mouth was uncharastically monotone, bitter.

"I was really hoping you could just be happy for me, but if you care about Ian so much, then I won't stop you from keeping in contact with him. Just don't expect the same from me. I think it's best we don't talk for a while. Good-bye, Dad..."

"Wait a--!"

After hitting the end call button, Ella's phone fell onto the floor as she buried her face in her hands, her mind began to spiral and race. Except this time... she wasn't alone.

Jack's hand rubbed circles on her back, his voice low. "It's okay, Ella. It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. Shhhh..." He soothed as he cupped her cheeks and whipped a tear from the corner ofher eye.

"I don't understand!" Ella sobbed, letting the rest of her tears fall free as he clung to his chest. "I thought h-he'd be happy for me! M-Mom was happy, why can't he be?! What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Jack's voice was resolute. He carefully lifted Ella up and placed her securely in his lap. His strong, muscular arms wrapped around her, as if to shield her from the world and all its unfairness. "You did absolutely nothing wrong, Sunshine. If other people can't understand what we have is special... they aren't worth your time."

Ella continued cry into his chest in a mix of anger and regret billowing within her, and the uncomfortable twinge of shame for having such a negative reaction over her father's disapproval. It sounded like he wasn't anywhere near her Mom when they spoke over the phone. Did she also have secretive reservations about her relationship with Jack? Or was she unaware of the the disastrous conversation that transpired?

What was she going to do now...?

"I feel like I don't say this enough, but... it was really incredible you held your ground against your own dad. I'm... so proud to be yours, Sunshine. And so lucky you're mine."

She could only sniff, rubbing her face into the soft cotton fabric of his shirt. "I-I know, Jack."

She exhaled as Jack rested his head on top of her form, his voice wrapped around her trembling form like a blanket. "Remember, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, so long as we have each other. You're all I need, and I'm all you ever need. Isn't that right... Sunshine...?"

Ella felt herself sinking further into Jack's embrace, so much so that she couldn't even think before re replied back. "You're right... I love you, Jack."

"And I love you, Ella. F O R E V E R and E V E R."

#something's wrong with sunny day jack #Sunny Day Jack #SDJ OC #Sunny Day Jack OC #SWWSDJ #MissElla's Works #sorry for not really having names for Ella's parents #i just... haven't come up with any yet #mr. doyle might be onto something... unfortunately he's about as tactful as a bull in a china shop

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missellaneousworks · 1 year

Text

Heartbreak - A Sunny Day Jack Drabble

Pairings: Sunny Day Jack x Ella (OC)

Context: Interaction is mostly platonic, but with some pining on Jack's part. This takes place a little while after Ella finds the VHS tape and Jack, but before Ella falls for Jack.

Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack is a +18 ONLY series. MINORS DNI.

______________________________

"I love you. Most ardently. Please do me the honor of accepting my hand."

Jack blinked in surprise at Mr. Darcy's words as he uttered them to Elizabeth Benett on the screen. "Huh," he made a noise as if processing his confession with as much confusion as Elizabeth. "The confession scene is happening much earlier than I thought it would..."

"Shhhh," Ella put her finger towards her lips but tilted her head towards him with a knowing look. "Just wait."

Jack brought his attention back to the screen and watched the rest of the scene unfold, as Darcy seemed utterly confounded by Elizabeth's rejection and rebuttal of his treatment towards her and her family. Sure enough, the conversation began to deteriorate between the two when Elizabeth threw one final insult toward the proud Mr. Darcy.

"And those are the words of a gentleman. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."

Jack couldn't help but wince a little bit. Elizabeth certainly had a right to feel angry, it sounded like Darcy had a hand in breaking up the relationship between her sister and his best friend, among other transgressions. Anyone would be mad about that. Yet, seeing how Darcy looked at Elizabeth, so close together, a part of him couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

Jack was about to try his luck again by asking Ella another question, now that the scene was coming to an end, but... she seemed lost in thought. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek and her gaze seemed so distantly sad. He was about to open his mouth to ask what was wrong when she beat her to it, "Hey, Jack?"

"Yes, Sunshine?" Jack answered back cheerfully, almost a little too quickly.

"I've... got a personal question to ask you," she spoke so carefully, as if hesitant on the next words out of her mouth.

"Sure, go ahead! You'll find me and open book, Sunspot," he puffed out his chest, as if proud of that statement.

Ella laughed nervously in return. "Okay, but I totally understand if you don't want to answer." She fidgeted with her hands, averting her case from Jack as she spoke. "Before you--before we met, have you ever gotten your heart broken?"

Out of all questions, Jack had to admit he wasn't expecting that. He regarded Ella for a long moment, her shy gaze finally peeking up from behind her fallen hair. He gave her a gentle smile in return. While Jack didn't quite know where her question came from, he hoped a small bit of the honesty he could offer would help in some way.

"You know what?" He finally replied, causing Ella to lift her head with anticipation. "Truth be told, yeah, I have."

"R-really?" Ella sifted her body on the couch, tucking her knees beneath her to inch closer. Her genuinely surprised reaction was actually quite adorable.

Jack chuckled and nodded. "Oh yeah! But we all have at some point. So, you're not alone when it comes to experiencing it."

Ella shifted back again, trying to mask her nervousness, and utterly failing at it. "Ah ha ha ha! Wha-- wh-who said I've ever gotten my heart broken? Naaaaah, not me!"

Jack's smile worked into a crooked half-grin, seeing through Ella's attempt to lie. "Ella, I hope you know there's no shame in heartbreaks. It's just a part of life, and it's very common." Ella was back on the couch fully, still avoiding looking at Jack. Not wanting her to feel embarrassed, he shifted his torso to face her to seem more open. "But, I know you're a very strong person who has been through a lot in your life. And the good news is that heartbreaks don't last forever! It might not seem like it at first, but it will get better in the end."

Ella sighed, but her lips quirked up in a dry half-smile. Like she was just trying for his sake, though she wasn't fully convinced. "But how do you get past your heartbreak? Only thing people keep telling me is 'time will heal all wounds.' I'm... tired of waiting. Really tired."

Jack understood that sentiment more than Ella could ever know. He could feel the sadness slowly emitting from her heart. The blue-haired man occasionally sensed glimpses of this sadness and other times, painful loneliness. More concerning was the creeping despair that would snake up to Ella's heart when she was alone for too long. Whenever that happened, he did his best to prevent Ella from falling into that hole of anguish, but now he had a name for the emotion she was feeling: heartbreak.

The realization was also met with another question Jack had in the back of his mind: Who did this to you?

But as much as he wanted to get that answer from her quivering lips, as much as he would very much like to find whoever could hurt such a kind, creative, and passionate woman who wouldn't hurt a fly... it wasn't what Ella needed right now. Now more than anything, Ella needed a friend to share her troubles with. And who was Sunny Day Jack but the bestest friend anyone could ask for?

Jack took a breath to coordinate his words, "Well, heartbreak is also a time of self-reflection. You can reflect on why had your heartbreak and you have to work on it, little by little." It was Jack's turn to turn his gaze downwards. He did not enjoy thinking about the past--that wasn't him anymore--but if the tiniest fraction of empathizing with Ella's pain could help her heal and get him just a little closer to her, it would be worth it. "When I had my heart broken, it was hard to overcome. But I also realized I hadn't been the best person that I could have been. I think it's important to learn from your past so you can make yourself happy, and avoid any future heartbreak."

Ella patiently listened to Jack's explanation. The expression of concern on her face didn't escape him when he talked about himself, but then her expression shifted to more thoughtful. "Mistakes, huh?" She mused out loud. "I guess... thinking about it now, one of my mistakes was not being more open about stuff that bothered me. I kind of kept my bad feelings from-- um, my previous partner, and I guess that built resentment between us."

Jack caught onto Ella stopping herself from saying the name of whoever hurt her so badly. But he kept himself in check, his reassuring smile remained ever-present. "I'm happy that it's given you something to learn from for your future relationships. Just remember not to keep things to yourself for too long, otherwise, you'll be frustrated that your problems aren't resolved. Communication is key, after all! And I'm sure your partner will be so happy you're sharing your worries with them and will make it easier to understand you."

Ella nodded, allowing Jack's advice to sink in, but her expression still seemed worrisome still. "But what if... what if I do tell them how I'm feeling, and they don't... listen? Maybe they have something more important going on?"

Jack frowned at that. "Well, if you're opening up to your partner and they don't want to listen, then they're not the right one for you." Jack was resolute in his response as if it was the most basic answer in the universe. "Your feelings are valid and a good partner will want to listen to you and help you. If they can't respect your thoughts and feelings, then the relationship isn't healthy."

Ella's round brown eyes looked into Jack's dark ones for a long moment. Something seemed to have clicked in that intriguing mind of hers. She made a small noise of confirmation before she readjusted herself and faced the TV again. "I guess... that' sone way to look at it. Honestly, there were times I thought I was making a big deal out of nothing."

"Oh, Sunshine," Jack's voice was soft and gentle as he carefully brought his large hand up and patted Ella on the head. "I might not know exactly what happened, but I highly doubt you were making a big deal out of nothing. If it was enough to worry you, then it's enough to be able to talk about it if you needed to."

Ella froze for a moment at the sudden contact of Jack's hand. But it wasn't unwelcome. Far from it. It was... comforting. Nice even. Very nice. Gradually, Ella's shoulders relaxed, she even found herself slightly leaning into Jack's hand. "I think I have some stuff to rethink about later, but... Thanks, Jack. That... that helped a bit."

Secretly, Jack was pleased Ella was getting more comfortable around him, but he was even more glad that he seemed to help ease her sadness if only a little bit. "Of course, Ella! I'm happy I was able to help! And for what it's worth," he removed his head from her head and placed it on her shoulder to get her full attention. "I think you deserve a partner who will listen to you and make you happy. You're a very unique and kind woman who deserves nothing less. Maybe even more." It was the truth, too. In time, he wanted to be that someone for Ella. But... he needed to wait a bit longer.

The compliment made Ella's cheeks turn pink, a small but touched smile pulled at her lips. Her eyes flashed to the TV and squinted at the screen. "Oh crap!" Her exclamation caused Jack to pull his hand away. "We missed a good chunk of the movie! Hang on, I'm gonna rewind it a bit..." She reached for the controller and went back a couple of scenes.

"Ah ha ha! I'm surprised you broke your own rule of no talking during movies," the clown chuckled, wagging his finger.

Ella rolled her eyes at that. "It's only when it's a movie being watched for the first time by one or more parties. Speaking of which," she leered at Jack teasingly, "Shall we resume?"

Jack nodded as Ella hit the play button and the movie started where they last remembered. There was another long moment the two didn't speak, but once again, Ella broke the silence. "Jack?"

"Yes, Sunshine?"

"Um, what you said earlier about yourself, about 'not being the best person you could be.' For what it's worth... I think you're pretty great." With that sentence, Ella leaned into Jack's side.

Warmth radiated through Jack's being as Ella was the closest she had been since the two had met. With slow, calculated movements he stretched his arm drape along the back of the couch so that Ella could comfortably rest her head against it, an action she cautiously, yet contently leaned into.

In that little moment of happiness, he could sense something else small and light bubble up from Ella's heart. A warm, soft feeling. It was just starting to bud. It was... so small yet so precious to Jack at that moment.

His eyes looked at her with soft tenderness. "That... means a lot coming from you. Thank you, Sunshine."

As they enjoyed each other's company, he hoped this movie had a happy ending after all. Because he was going to make sure there would be one for the two of them.

#Sunny Day Jack #Something is Wrong With Sunny Day Jack #SDJ #Sunny Day Jack OC #SDJ OC #Sunny Day Jack Fanfic #MissElla's Works

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