#ray leaving the crew angst

[multi-fxndom446]

Remember me

Zoro x reader

Summary: you and the other straw hats lose your memory and you put yourself in between a fight with Zoro and Luffy and Zoro feels guilty about it when he regains his memory.

Warning: very slight angst I suppose. Happy ending. Ig you could say a little spicy at the end but not much else.

Word count: 3.6K

based off of that 5 episode filler where the straw hats lose there memory

God I have such a fixation on his earrings😭

-

“Y/n!” Luffy screamed for you as you took a protective stance in front of him. Shielding him from the attack that was coming his way.

You gritted your teeth together while you tried to hold onto the man’s hands in front of you, trying to be careful to not grab onto the sharp parts of his swords. But it was proving difficult.

You didn’t even know why you jumped in front of the guy with a straw hat or why you were protecting him from such a terrifying person. You had no idea who either of them were yet you felt a sense of duty to the both of them.

From what Luffy explained to you on the ship, you all were friends. You wouldn’t have been so inclined to believe him if the black haired girl hadn’t said the same things. But still even with what Luffy told you, you didn’t know why you felt your heart hurting having to stop this green haired man from hurting your supposed captain.

~~

When you woke up the morning before you were lost and so confused. You squinted as a ray of light hit you in the face and you looked up from your spot on the ground to see a man stood above you, staring.

Your mouth opened in surprise while you took the rest of him in. He had a hand resting on three swords?! He had a glare on his face but you almost got a feeling that was just the way he looked.

“Who are you?” He demanded but still you said nothing. You sat up, keeping a very close eye on him. “Why were you sleeping up here next to me?”

“Next to you?!” You shook your head at the implication. “I couldn’t have been!”

“Well you were!” But you shook your head in denial again and he clenched his jaw in annoyance.

You backed away as far as you could when you saw that look on his face. “What were you doing sleeping next to me?!” You demanded and his jaw clenched tighter. When he went to say something the both of you heard someone call out to you to come down.

The man before you spared you one more glance before jumping down, you following his lead but down the ladder like a sane person.

For the rest of the time leading up to the orange haired girl and the same green haired man leaving you couldn’t help the sense of familiarity about it all, or about him specifically.

You watched him go until he was out of sight and the black haired girl led you to the kitchen to explain what she could.

You sat in absolute shock upon hearing the news that you were part of a pirate group. Not only that but the fact that green haired man had a 60 million berry bounty and you were supposedly sleeping right next to him?

When everyone beside you, and the ones you learned to be Sanji and Robin, fell asleep Robin found a seat next to you. “I suppose it is a little overwhelming if you don’t remember any of it huh?”

“A little.” You mumbled before glancing at her from the corner of your eye. “Hey was I really asleep next to the pirate hunter guy?”

Robin gave you a coy kind of smile and nodded slightly. “It wouldn’t surprise me if you were. You both tend to stick close to the other.” Again you were left in shock. “Though I don’t think either of you have admitted it I believe there’s some feelings between you.”

Sanji scoffed in disbelief. “That reckless idiot with someone so beautiful? I don’t believe it. How would that even happen?” Robin shrugged.

“I’m not sure myself I was the latest to join the crew. There’s still some things I don’t even know.” You couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at that. Apparently everyone that did remember got those memories taken from them.

Well that didn’t last long when the next few moments the kid taking the memories appeared on the ship to try and take more but ended up giving Luffys back on accident when Luffy kicked him off the head of the sheep.

The kid disappeared in the next moment but none of you seemed to care when Luffy turned to you all. “I have my memories back!” He shouted in glee but the rest of you didn’t know wether the be happy about that or not.

After he explained he was actually the captain and not Usopp you were even more confused. But he refused to let the other two go no matter how much Sanji and Usopp tried to bargain. “No! Y/n would want Zoro to stay! Wouldn’t you y/n?” Everyone’s eyes turned to you and immediately you held your hands up in defense.

“I-I don’t even know him!” Your apparent captain frowned at your answer but didn’t press it further.

It wasn’t until later when everyone was starting to settle down again after agreeing to go after the two in the morning that you found questions reappearing in your head about the green haired swordsman.

“Ah y/n!” Luffy called excitedly when you came to sit next to him. “Excited for tomorrow?!”

“Actually I was wondering if you could tell me more about this Zoro guy and why you asked if I’d want him to stay.” Luffy titled his head in confusion but nodded in understanding nonetheless.

“Well we found you and Zoro pretty close together if I remember right. You were captured by a pirate group that had taken you from your home and put you to work.” You glanced down and noticed Luffy clenching his fists tightly together as he recalled the time you met. “You were incredibly sick it may have been because of all the labor they were forcing you to do and the conditions they were making you do them in.”

“But Nami, Zoro and I destroyed that group and agreed to take you home. But when we got to your village..” Luffy trailed off and refused to meet your gaze. “You had no one. So we decided to take you with us. At the time you were still very sick even when we got the going merry. Your life was very touch and go for awhile but you hung in there until we found chopper who helped you.”

“I-“ you were at a loss for words. They took you in when you had no one left? They even helped nurse you back to health? “But what does that have to do with Zoro?”

“Oh yeah! Well he became pretty protective of you when you were sick because a lot of people tried to hurt you while you were defenseless but even after you got better he was still just as protective if not more.” Luffy smiled, “anywhere you’d go he would be close behind. If you didn’t want to go he’d stay on the ship with you or if he had to leave he’d bring back a present for you.”

“You felt safe with each other.” Robin chimed in out of nowhere and you turned to her in surprise. “It’s probably why he didn’t do anything to you while you were up in the crows nest defenseless. There’s still some part of all of you subconsciously understanding that we do know each other even if the rest of you can’t accept it.”

“And-and him and I aren’t together?” You asked timidly. Robin looked toward Luffy for the answer but Luffy looked just as confused about that question.

“I don’t think so?” He said as more of a question but still you were confused.

“Why?”

“Who knows?” Luffy shrugged, “maybe because Zoros an idiot sometimes.”

You stared at him in shock. “I see.” You had no idea what was going on but you couldn’t deny the fact that the swordsman felt familiar to you. No matter how much you wanted to deny it, you were starting to believe there words.

~~

Your hands shook as you tried your best to hold onto him. He seemed to be holding back for some reason and you recalled what Robin had said, it was as if subconsciously he knew this wasn’t right.

You didn’t remember him but you trusted Luffy and Robin. You had too. There was no other way to explain the missing pieces without their explanation.

Robin and the others beside you and Luffy had gone ahead to try and find the source of the problem. So there was no rescue beside them getting your memories back somehow

“Y/n stop!” Luffy shouted when he noticed your feet sliding in the dirt below. Zoros swords were sharp even an idiot could see the man in front of you could end your life in one fell swoop.

Luffy went to punch Zoro off you but in a split second the swordsman had thrown you over his shoulder but you forced him to follow suit by keeping a tight grip on his hands.

Though now seeing your current position you aren’t sure that was such a great idea.

He had you pinned, blade to one side of your throat while the one in his mouth was dangerously close to your face and the other was creeping up on the other side of your neck. Out of desperation you started speaking to him, “I know I don’t remember you and you don’t remember me. But I believe that straw hat guy and that other girl. Because your warmth feels to familiar to be foreign.” You said softly, wincing when you felt the tip of one of his blades pierce your skin.

“Y/n!” Luffy screamed and you saw he was powering himself up for another move but you held your hand out to stop him, your other hand coming to rest on Zoros cheek. An action that felt to familiar.

“It’s okay.” Zoro hesitated for a moment when you simply smiled at him the dark look in his eye softening slightly. “Somehow I know it’s going to be okay. So if this is what you need to do, go ahead.”

Tears pricked your eyes when you felt the blade cut further into your neck and you could feel your own blood dripping down the side of your neck. Your hand that was held out to stop Luffy came to hold onto the blade in his mouth. You cried out as blood gushed out of your palm and down your arm.

The other blade was close to the other side of your neck so you took a deep breathe and closed your eyes, preparing yourself to die when everything stopped and you felt the two blades at the side of your neck stop. “Y/n?” Came a shaky voice then next a flood of memories.

Your eyes shot open in shock. Zoro seemed just as shocked if not more when he realized he was not only pinning you to the ground but had your life just barely in his grasp.

“W-what the hells going on?” He asked while he removed the sword from his mouth. You winced as it finally released itself from your hand and he noticed immediately. He dropped all his swords to the ground and made a grab for your hand before he noticed the blood trickling down your neck. “What the hell did I do?!”

“It’s okay!” You cried happily, all the things Luffy told you on the ship coming back in full but this time in your perspective. “It’s okay! I’m okay!”

But before he could respond Luffy shot himself at Zoro, knocking the swordsman away from you and into the trees. “Zoro!”

“Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you to bad did he?!” Luffy asked as he kneeled bedside you and assessed the damage. When he stood next he had a glare on his face. “What the hell Zoro?!”

Zoro came out of the trees with a glare of his own. “I didn’t know Luffy!” He shouted as he made a beeline for you both again but he had an angry look on his face again.

Instead of going to you he grabbed his swords and started walking the path the others had gone. “Stay here with Y/n I have to go finish something.”

“Wait Zoro!” Luffy shouted and instead of doing what he asked he went chasing after him.

You titled your head to the side to watch them go and laughed to yourself softly before the action made you wince. “Yeah glad I’m not his enemy.” You sighed before closing your eyes and letting the world go dark.

~~

What felt like only a few minutes later which you’re sure was probably longer, you felt someone shaking you.

“Y/n! Wake up!” The voice sounded so close yet so far. “Y/n please wake up!!” He cried his voice laced with concern.

“Chopper!” Someone else called before you felt someone grab onto your shoulders and start roughly shaking you

“Ah Luffy!” Chopper shouted as your eyes opened just in time to see Zoro punch Luffy clear across the path and grab hold of you protectively.

“She’s injured idiot!” He yelled after him and Luffy stood up while rubbing his head.

“Well it was you who injured her.” And with this new information from Luffy Sanji was quick to kick Zoro in the head.

“Stop it!” Nami yelled before zoro could drop you recklessly to the ground to fight the cook, though Zoro wasn’t going to do that anytime soon. He didn’t even seem to notice the kick to the head because all he noticed was the way your eyes were staring up at him and the corners of your mouth were curled into a smile.

Chopper stopped briefly as well when he noticed you had woken up and not only that but you were laughing. “Y/n!” He said happily before he continued going through his bag.

“Are you okay?” Zoro asked softly and you could only nod your head while you looked up at him. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m okay.” You reassured but he couldn’t help but look down guiltily. “Though I am glad we aren’t enemies. That was exhausting even for such a short fight”

He could tell you were trying to lighten to mood and he decided to let you. “Which will never happen again alright? If I’m ever taken control of don’t try and get between me and whatever my target is. Alright?” You went to disagree but he stopped you. “I never want you to be on that side of my blades ever again so don’t try to be heroic against me okay? Please?”

You couldn’t argue with him. Not when he had that pleading look in his eyes. So instead you just nodded in agreement.

After Chopper wrapped your hand and stopped the bleeding on your neck you set off to the going merry again. You were stood with Zoro the whole way back as he refused to let you leave his sight. But that changed the moment you all were on board.

While everyone else went there separate ways to start getting the hell off the island Zoro was quick to go up to the crows nest. You watched him go in confusion until chopper came up to you, tapping your leg.

“Your palm needs stitch’s, come on.” You only nodded and started to follow him while you spared the crows nest one last glance.

His cold shoulder lasted for more days than you expected. You hardly expected him to avoid you in the first place if you were honest. But after getting back on the ship he was everywhere you weren’t, mainly up in the crows nest.

He’d have his meals after the rest of you or he’d take his with him to eat somewhere else. Everyone would watch you in either concern or confusion but you had nothing to say to reassure them, you had no idea where this was coming from either.

Your attempts at cornering him had proven unsuccessful because he would simply push you away. Albeit gently, he still did and it may not have hurt physically but mentally it hurt worse.

So after you had had enough you grabbed a blanket and pillow and while everyone else was asleep you made your way up the ladder to the crows nest.

Zoro had his arms crossed and head down until he heard you and he opened his eyes to see what was going on but he only sighed when he saw it was you. “What are you doing? You’re gonna get a cold.” He said Cooly and you shrugged.

This wasn’t anything new. On the nights he held watch you would be up here sleeping next to him and on the nights you held watch he’d be sitting next to you keeping you company even if he did fall asleep immediately after sitting down.

Usually on those times you’d cuddle up next to him but this time you made yourself comfortable on top of the door leading down so he couldn’t escape from you.

“Why are you avoiding me?” You asked, curling into the blanket to keep away from the especially cold night.

Zoro opened his eyes and stared at you silently for a moment. “I’m not.” he finally said.

“Don’t lie to me.” You mumbled trying to suppress a shiver. But Zoro could see it, he could see the way you were shaking ever so slightly from the cold and it made him frown. “Is it because of what happened? Because if it is I’m fine! You didn’t remember who we were and I didn’t either.”

“But you still tried to stop me even when you didn’t know who i was.” He could hear the chattering of your teeth now. You should be inside the girls cabin asleep, not up here. “Come here.” He finally caved and opened an arm out to invite you into his embrace.

You were quick to stand with your blanket and cross the small space to get to him. You straddled his lap and rested you head between his shoulder and jaw. His arms coming to wrap around you securely. “Do you doubt my ability to protect myself?” You whispered against his neck and he resisted the urge to shudder.

“I don’t doubt your ability.” He affirmed, “but I never wanted to be the one you had to prove your strength against. I never wanted to be the one to cause harm to you.” You were silent then, you had nothing else to say you seemed to finally understand his need to put distance between the two of you. He felt guilty.

After a few more minutes of silence you spoke again, “I remember talking to Luffy when I lost my memories.” Zoro hummed. “He was telling me about the two of us and I remember asking him why weren’t together and he said he didn’t know. But it got me thinking,” you sat up now and you could see a small blush covering his cheeks. “Why aren’t we?”

You moved slightly closer, just enough to distract him from his thoughts as he attempted to keep his gaze on your eyes and not on the way your warm breathe fanned across his lips so delicately. “What do you want?” He asked eventually, swallowing down his nerves.

If you were anyone one else you would’ve backed away at the tone of voice he used when asking that question but you could tell he was nervous to even acknowledge the shift that was happening between the two of you. “I just wanted to be yours.” You responded quietly and leaned closer again to brush your lips against his in a barely there kiss but when you pulled back his eyes were closed as if trying to commit the feeling to his memory. “Can I be yours?”

Zoros eyes finally opened as he stared at you and just when you were about to take back what you said and did he surged forward and crashed his lips to yours, pouring everything he had into it. His hands gripped your sides while yours went to cup his face in your hands when he suddenly pulled back just an inch, breathing heavily. “Tell me to stop.” He breathed but you only looked at him in confusion.

“Do you want to stop?”

He shook his head. “No. But if I keep going everything changes. So please tell me stop.” He begged his hands gripping tighter.

“Zoro.” Your lips brushed his again as you let your fingers run across his earrings. “I’m not going to tell you to stop. I want everything you have to offer me.”

He looked at you in utter shock and admiration before he finally let one of his small smiles out. He chuckled softly, leaning up until your lips were just centimeters apart and you could feel his next words on your own lips. “What could I possibly tell you that could top that?”

But your next words would have him grinning the rest of his life. “Just tell me I’m yours.” Finally he closed to gap again and he held onto you for dear life like you would slip from his grasp if he loosened his hold.

“You’re mine.” He murmured after pulling away. Then he pushed back against you, his hands slipping under your shirt where he could feel the goosebumps flood your skin.

Kissing along your neck until he was back face to face with you. He smirked, “And I’m yours.”

The end

~~

#one piece x reader #zoro roronoa x reader #one piece imagine #pirate hunter zoro #zoro x reader #zoro imagine #zoro roronoa imagine

[thatsdemko]

the other man - c.leclerc & l.norris

masterlist

the right man (part two)

requested: n

pairings: charles leclerc x fem!reader

warnings: teasing + angst (if you squint) + mentions of cheating + mentions previously established relationships + mentions of hookups & flings + a small hinted mention of Daniel (if you squint) 🥲

a/n: will there be a part two? I don’t know! it depends on what the reaction to this fic will be 😅 that will determine what I do with this. inspired by this photo from today

exactly three summers ago charles leclerc was all that ever consumed your mind. you woke up thinking about him and went to bed thinking about him. he had you wrapped around his finger and he had the slightest idea of it.

all summer long you were flirtatious until the last night before your departure to the states. that’s when he made the move and gave you the night you could never forget. he worshiped you like you wanted, he held you like you’ve never been held before, and he gave you the satisfaction you always wanted him from.

but that was three summers ago. back when he was just beginning to date Charlotte, and you were leaving to a whole other country. you both were on such opposite ends of life, it wasn’t meant to be. but now? you’re back home in Monaco, and life is all so similar to the past. you’re back home, but somebody else occupied your mind. Lando Norris.

Lando knew how to make you feel like the most important person. his dedication and attention to detail was beyond what you could’ve imagined, but it was his way of showing you he cared. because truth be told, he loved you. and you were his whole world.

it’s now training days ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. the Monégasque man who once occupied space in your brain, was no longer a thought. it was now taken by lando, but a part of you was just now beginning to think about him, you knew you’d have to see him. the chances weren’t small unfortunately, they were huge.

lando’s fingers are intertwined with yours while you both enter the paddock. he’s excited to show you off, the last time he did so it backfired in his face, but this time he’s sure it’s going to last. you’ve been dating for more than 6 months, he’s sure this one will stick.

“good morning!” lando is greeting everyone, cheerful from ear to ear as fans, team members, drivers, and crew are responding back with their morning cheers. he’s not only ecstatic to show you off, but he’s got anxious adrenaline pumping through him to get back on the grid. he missed competitive racing.

“lando!” the familiar cheer perks up your ears, you both turn your heads in the direction you hear it from and there comes the Ferrari driver, in a red polo and ray-ban sunglasses, catching up to you both. you can feel your breath slow watching his hand claps onto your boyfriends shoulder, “how are you, mate?”

“happy to be back, you?” lando’s hand squeezes yours tighter, he notices you fall silent beside him. he’s been made aware of your three summers ago one nightstand, but as long as you swore you were past Charles, he’s got nothing to worry about.

“me too, and you’ve got a new teammate—plus girlfriend I see.” Charles points to you, your heart nearly stops when he makes eye contact with you.

squeezing lando’s hand harder, the Brit pulls his eyes away from his friend to you. he doesn’t need to look any further into you to know you’re anxious. he presses a kiss to your temple that’s reassuring, you’re almost to the mclaren hospitality and this conversation would be over.

“well I’ve been told you know her, this is y/n.” lando and you stop in front of the mclaren hospitality. Charles tilts his sunglasses towards the bridge of his nose to get a better look at you, he barely recognizes you from three summers ago, but the faint nervous smile on your lips is what ha remembers most.

“ah yes, nice to see you.” he extends his hand, and you gladly shake it. it felt odd, how many years ago he was riding around in the backseat of your car with the music blasting, and now he pretends like you were just merely a speck in his life.

“yeah, good luck out there.” your voice is faint as it leaves your lips. you’re not sure he catches what you say, but he’s walking away now and you both are heading to join Oscar and other crew members inside.

“weird.” lando whispers, he whips open the door, making sure to hold it for you to make your way inside. you wait for him, extending your hand for his in which he gladly accepts.

you’re unsure what’s weird to him, because sure the interaction was far from normal, but what did he want Charles to say? did he want him to outright say you both slept together? you couldn’t imagine how lando would’ve reacted to that.

“what’s weird?” you ask slipping into an empty chair removing a pair of sunglasses from off your head setting them on to the table in between of you both.

“that he just doesn’t recognize you. if I had slept with you, I’d remember.” he allows a little chuckle to escape, before shutting his mouth entirely.

“it was three summers ago, lando. he’s been with Charlotte, I’m sure I’m easy to forget.”

and like that, he drops it.

—

you’re not sure what’s gotten into you, maybe it’s the two glasses of red wine, but you found yourself knocking on the Ferrari motorhome. a part of you hopes he’s not there, but there’s still some hope seeping through your heart.

you tried your best to forget this morning. the sunglasses tilted down his nose, eyes searching you for some sort of sign that recalls you to him. it’s all agonizing for you.

you knock once more after no reply for another few seconds and the door slowly opens barely a third, but just enough to reveal who’s eyes were staring back stop you.

he drops his shoulders, exhaling a loud sigh, and opens the door further to allow you inside. you push your body past his plopping down on the couch watching him lock the door behind him.

“so I’m just dead to you? like I don’t even exist anymore?” you huffed, arms crossing over your chest, his eyes lower as he moves across the motorhome.

“mon amour, don’t act like that.” his voice is cold, sending chills down your spine, you’ve never seen him this way before. his demeanor is different than the one he showcases to the world.

you drop your arms to the side, eyes focusing on the ground unable to look him directly in the eyes, feeling defeated, “you just didn’t seem to care.”

“you’re with lando now. I can’t care.” he drops down beside you, his hand grazing your knee. he won’t lie, it shocked him to see you with lando, it had been so long since he’d seen you, but he didn’t expect you to fall in the arms of another formula 1 driver.

“so you did care?”

“why does it matter if I care?” his cold finger tips gently touch your chin making you pick your head up from your stare at the floor. his eyes are soft, and you begin to pick up his new features like the little hairs on his chin and upper lip, the collection of rings on his fingers, and tussled brown hair. he looks handsome despite his lazy look.

“mon ange, you need to leave.” he pulls his fingers away, stopping all of his filthy thoughts to get the best of him. he wants to slam your body against the wall and make you regret dating lando, he wants to remind you he’s the best you’ll ever have.

“what if I don’t want to?” you lick your lips, allowing your finger nails to rake up and down his bicep, you can tell he wants that. he’s pulling away, but every part of him screams to stay put.

“what would lando say?” he’s trying to pull away, but his body is gravitating to close the gap between you both, his thigh is pressed against yours. finger nails still trailing up and down his arm.

“fuck lando, I want you.” you go to move your lips onto his, but he’s pulling away despite every thought in his mind. he has to because he knows if he starts he won’t be able to stop. he wants to, and you know that, but he can’t hurt lando and that’s the only sane thought running through his mind.

“I think you need to leave.” he whispers, unable to look you in the eyes. it’s not what he wants, but it’s what’s needed to be done. you both know that, and if it wasn’t for the wine in your system you would’ve never came here in the first place.

“fine, I’ll see you around.” you stand up from the couch stopping in front of him before heading out the motorhome door, “don’t say you didn’t want this because I know you did, but that’s your fault.”

and just like that, you’re out the door making sure to slam it behind you. his heart aches, allowing his face to fall, his back to slam against the wall dropping to his knees.

what did he just do?

click here to read part 2

#charles leclerc #charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc drabble #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc fluff #f1 #formula 1 #f1 imagines #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 driver x reader #f1 driver x you #f1 fanfic #imagines #cl16 x reader #lando norris #lando norris blurb #lando norris imagine #lando norris fic #lando norris drabble #lando norris x reader #f1 drabble #f1 fic

[thefallennightmare]

Miracle-seven

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Reader

Warnings/Tropes: forced proximity, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, smut, angst, fluff, mentions of death, and swearing.

Summary: Reader is the merch girl for Bad Omens. It wasn't what she wanted to do with her life but when her mother got sick with Alzheimer's, reader took a job where she could to help with the costs. She thought it would be a one-time gig but the longer she was on the road with them, the harder she fell for Noah Sebastian; even if he wanted nothing to do with her. She needed a miracle to save her mom and her future.

Author Note: fuck, it's almost one in the morning but here's the next part! I wanted things to be more spicey but I'm so tired so it lacks luster, my apologies.

Tags: @ada-clarence @nonamessblog @thescarlettvvitch @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @theoneandonlykymberlee @yumikitten @blackveilomens @cherrymedicine13 @thebadchic @notmaddihealy @jay02bo @beaker1636 @jakekiszkasguitarpick @punk-pr1ncessxoxo @er3nslovergirl @iamdesolate @lma1986 @jessitpwk @themodern-daywednesday @writethrough

Bringing the blanket closer to my chin, I wrapped it tighter around me as I dug myself deeper into bed. The morning rays of the sun broke through the windows of the bus showing it was well into the morning. We'd been driving for almost eight hours now, me just waking up a while ago. Last night after leaving the venue, Folio showed me around the bus before letting me get settled. Compared to the crew's bus, the guy's bus was decently bigger with six bunks, a kitchen with living space up front, and a room in the back that they used to their gaming space. I was surprised at how spacious the bunks were but figured they had to be with how tall Jolly and Noah were.

Thinking of Noah, my eyes darted to the bunk directly across from me and saw he was awake browsing his phone, earbuds in both ears. Even though we finally got past what happened that night in Chicago, there still was this weird tension between us and the only reason that could be was because what happened that night at the Airbnb.

I leaned over the edge of my bunk and patted his arm to get his attention.

"Need something?" Noah questioned while taking out an ear bud.

"Do you think we can talk about what happened the other night? At the Airbnb."

This made him drop his phone to his bed and turned on his side to fully face me, one of his arms to burry underneath his pillow.

"I thought we didn't need to talk about it. You said it was a onetime thing," Noah reminded me.

"I know," I sighed. "And I meant it. But I don't want things to get awkward between us because of it."

Noah gave me a warm smile. "It's only awkward if one of us makes it and I don't plan too."

"Me either," I matched his smile.

We watched each other for a few more beats before Jolly popped his head through the door that closed off the bunks to the front of the bus.

"Oh, good. You're awake," he motioned towards Noah. "We've got a problem."

Those words made me sit up in my bunk while Noah stood to his feet, running a hand through his sleep tousled hair to fix it.

"What's up?"

Jolly told him to follow which he did but curiosity also weighed heavily on me so I did as well, seeing that both of the Nick's were awake, sitting on the couches. Noah sat down at the table in the kitchen while I sat across from him.

"Breakfast?" Nick asked while holding up a box of cereal.

"Please," I said with a smile.

With the bowl of cereal in front of me, I listened as Jolly explained what their problem was.

"They canceled the festival tomorrow. I guess Ohio was hit with some nasty storms so they thought better to be safe."

Noah's shoulders fell in disappointment.

"Damn. We're almost there, aren't we?" He asked.

Folio nodded. "The rest of the crew arrived about two hours ago. Matt's trying to figure out what to do."

"Should we head to the next city?" Nick suggested.

"Maybe we should meet up with the others and we can all leave together," Jolly said.

Noah rubbed at the faint stubble that covered his chin. "I feel bad for the fans."

Just then, as I was sitting there quietly eating my cereal, an idea sprouted in my mind but I thought it would be best to keep it to myself. This seemed like a Bad Omens meeting, yet they were willingly talking about any possible plans in front of me.

I took my bowl to the sink in the small kitchen to wash it and once finished; I turned on my heels and grabbed the edge of the counter behind me.

"I may have an idea," I muttered.

Four sets of eyes fell on me and Noah raised a brow at me.

"About?"

I took a deep breath, gaining the courage to tell them about this grand idea.

"So you guys feel terrible about the festival being canceled because you want to play for the fans, right?"

When they nodded, I felt stronger so stood up straighter. "What if you guys do this pop up event?"

"Pop up event?" Jolly repeated.

"Yeah," I nodded this time. "I've seen a few bands do this, and it was really popular with their fans. We can rent out a place to set up a table where fans can come get autographs and set up the merch booth so they can buy merch; that way they can still see you guys. We'll sell a certain amount of tickets for this."

Noah and Jolly shared a look while Folio gave me a huge smile, clearly loving the idea.

"Do you think it's sort of last minute?" Nick asked.

I scoffed lightly. "You guys seem to forget about much your fans love you. If we announce this, I guarantee tickets will sell out in a few hours."

"I like it," Jolly admitted. "But what about the people that already bought tickets to see a concert?"

My bottom lip caught between my teeth as I thought of something else they could do. Just because they couldn't play at the festival didn't mean they couldn't play somewhere else.

"What if you guys play somewhere else?" I asked.

Noah hesitated with apprehension as he leaned his arm over the back of his seat and I did my best not to gawk at the tattoos that rippled against the muscles of his arms. I needed to stay focused so I can prove to them that my crazy, last-minute idea wasn't that; crazy.

"I don't know, Y/N. It might be hard to book something so last minute," Folio spoke next.

My arms crossed over my chest, and I tapped my foot in agitation. "You're supposed to be on my side, Folio."

He held up his hands. "Trust me, I am. I like the idea of the pop up event but the last minute show might be harder to pull off."

"Please," I waved him off. "Someone in Ohio owes me a favor, a huge one at that. Give me some time and I'll get it all handled."

"Who do you know in Ohio?" Nick wondered.

"Some guy," I shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

Noah, however, thought it was because a muscle in his jaw ticked as his shoulders went rigid.

"An ex?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Aw, are you jealous, Noah?" I leaned over the table closer to him. "That's cute, but no. Someone I met while I was in college. I've never had a boyfriend."

"Really?" Noah asked.

I didn't miss the surprise in his voice.

"Yeah. I've had hook ups during college but nothing ever turned serious. None of them were worth to have a future with."

He shifted in his seat and I worried I might have said something wrong but when he pulled me down into the seat next to him, Noah slid over his laptop in front of me.

"You want to prove to us you can do this, better get started," he smirked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You can have a little faith in me."

Noah bumped his shoulder with mine and stayed leaning into me. "I have the upmost faith in you, angel. That you won't pull this off."

Now my eyes buldged almost out of my head as a squeak of disbelieve fell from my lips.

"What do I get when I pull this off?" I debated with him.

The rest of the guys looked on amused, waiting to see what Noah would say.

"What do you want?" He shrugged.

I thought about it for a long moment, making a show of tapping my head with a finger, like how Winnie the Pooh did in the movie. Although, I put some thought to it because Noah Sebastian was asking what I wanted.

So many fucking things if they were coming from you.

Instead of something risqué, I chose something tamer and when the thought graced my mind, a large grin pulled at my lips.

"If I'm able to book the pop up and show successfully, I get to design your next tattoo."

Expecting him to say no, Noah simply leaned back into his seat to show his covered arms in tattoos then lifted his legs, not showing much space of skin.

"I have little space left but for you, angel. I'd find even a sliver of skin. You've got yourself a deal."

With that, I cracked my fingers and went to work finding not only a place to host their pop up event but also a concert. They were supposed to be playing in Cleveland so I started looking for smaller halls that could house the pop up event.

While I worked, Jolly went off to fill in Matt about my idea. Both of the Nicks retreated to the back area of the bus to play some kind of video game, and Noah moved from his spot next to me to the couch so he could stretch his long body. We didn't speak, letting the silence fall around us like a blanket, but I felt his gaze on my often. At one point, I looked over the laptop at him and noticed he was watching me with a smile.

"What? Is there something on my face?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"No," he shook his head. "You look beautiful, angel."

I blushed, the warmth vibrating throughout my entire existence.

"Right."

Noah sat up straighter on the couch so he could see me better.

"You don't believe me?" He asked.

I shrugged. "For someone who barley talked to me last tour and when this one started, you're getting pretty cheeky with me."

"You're also not as closed off as you were last time," Noah noted.

"Well, I thought you hated me," I grumbled, eyes scanning the screen in front of me.

Noah came to sit in front of me and shut the laptop so we had to look at each other. There was a dull look of hurt in his brown iris'.

"You thought I hated you?" His voice was quiet, almost broken.

I shrugged one shoulder while pulling at a loose fabric on my sweatpants. "You didn't talk to me much so I thought I'd done something."

"Angel," Noah sighed.

"Don't say it's because of what happened in Chicago," I interrupted. "I felt this way long before then."

He fell back into the bench seat behind him, a low noise crawling its way through his throat, my confession taking him by surprise.

"I never hated you, Y/N. Even what happened after Chicago. And let me set the record straight; I never hated you because of what happened that night. I was upset that you could of seriously been hurt and never realized it."

My eyes cast down to my hands that were now folded together on the table in front of me.

"I know," I whispered.

Noah reached over and linked our hands together. "I'm sorry for the hurtful things I've said and how I've been towards you. Please know I never hated you."

I swallowed thickly at his apology; it was sincere. Probably the first time I'd ever hear something so truthful from Noah. I gave his hand a tight squeeze, letting him know I accepted his apology.

Feeling better about our conversation, Noah put the laptop back in front of me and now watched me from right across of the table. My phone was set on the table next to it and it began flashing with notifications from Only Fans so I quickly flipped it over so Noah didn't notice.

It's been a few days since I posted anything and my subscriber count went up a few but still not enough to be making a lot of money. I knew it was because the things I posted were tame compared to what was already on the sight from others but I wasn't willing to change my rules. This was only a temporary thing so I could pay Lana until I was back home. Then I would deactivate my account.

"Hiding something?" Noah questioned with a knowing smug smile as he peered over the laptop.

"Nope, just stupid emails," I lied and forced my eyes to look back at the screen in front of me.

I had a message up to my old college lab partner, wondering if he still had that hook up with someone from the local mall in Cleveland. There was a decent sized space that was used to be rented out for meetings or parties. It would be perfect for the pop up event.

A notification of a new email popped up on the corner of the screen and seeing who it was from, I clicked on it.

Dear MS. Y/L/N,

I'm glad that you reached out. We heard about the cancelation of the festival because of the weather. We here at House of Blues would love to have Bad Omens play here tomorrow night. Attached is a copy of the contact that can be signed then sent over. I hope you understand that with it being a last-minute booking, extra fee's apply. Please let me know if you'd like to proceed.

Dan Sorenson

House of Blues.

"Ha!" I yelled, turning the screen to face Noah.

His eyes darted back and forth as he read the screen, his face not changing from the smug smile he wore.

"Well, looks like the show is booked but you still have to deal with the pop up event," He reminded me.

I stuck my tongue out at him while turning the laptop back to me. "Yes, I know that."

Noah groaned while griping my chin between his thumb and pointer finger. "If you stick that pretty little tongue out at me one more time, angel, I'm going to bite his so hard it bleeds."

My skin ignited with a blaze so hot it surprised me Noah didn't rear back in hissing pain. There was a slickness between my legs from his promise and I almost did it again so he could act on it. But Folio walked from the back of the bus and with a curious gaze at us, he sat down on the couch in the living area.

"What's going on here?" He asked.

Noah's eyes flashed before he let my face go and went over to sit next to Folio. As their conversation faded to the background of my subconscious, I blinked a few times to center myself and noticed a new message appeared on the screen in front of me.

Y/N! It's been awhile? How're things?

I can definitely book our event space for your friend's band tomorrow. There's a lot of us that are familiar with Bad Omens so we'd be happy to host your pop up event. What time did you need?

By now, Jolly and Nick came to join the others, and I grabbed the laptop to walk over to them, showing the message.

"I'll be damned," Folio whistled low.

"I'm impressed," Jolly said with a chuckle.

Nick smacked Noah against his shoulder. "Looks like I'll be tattooing whatever design she comes up with."

"I guess so," he winked at me. "I'll admit when I'm wrong and I was. Thanks for doing that, Y/N."

I smiled while setting the laptop on the table before falling into the couch between Folio and Jolly. "I've already posted it all to the Bad Omens social media and sent the details over to Matt so he can get his end tied up."

"You should be our social media ambassador," Folio said.

Immediately I shook my head. "No, that seems like a lot of work I'm not qualified for."

Nick snorted. "You booked two huge events on last-minute notice and got it spread like wildfire online. Tickets are already being bought."

I peered over at his phone that he titled towards me and sure enough, ticket sales were already booming for both events. But I still wasn't convinced.

"Don't you guys switch off posting on the Bad Omens social medias?" I asked.

"Yeah but it'll be easier if you took it over. We forget sometimes and it gets messy who was supposed to post something," Folio said.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, really thinking about his offer. It's not like it was a hard job, it was something I did on my own social media.

"Does it come with a pay raise?"

It was supposed to be a joke, but Noah responded right away.

"Of course. It's a lot more work than being the merch girl, which you won't be anymore. We can find someone to replace you."

This was not something I expected to happen when I woke up this morning, but I wasn't complaining. The pay raise would be significant and maybe I could deactivate my only fans page sooner than expected.

"Okay. I'll do it."

For the next while, the guys told me what my new position would entail and what I was in charge of. While Byran took professional photos and videos of them, I would still take some and post to their tik tok page or Instagram stories. When Bryan finished editing whatever photos he took, he would send them over to me and I would post them. I would also be in charge of dealing with messages that came through any platform.

By the time we ironed everything out, I excuse myself to my bunk, exhaustion overtaking my body. It was well into the afternoon and knowing we would be in Cleveland soon, I desperately wanted to nap before then.

As I lay in my bunk, I ended up staring at my Only Fans page and thought about ways I could revamp it to get a few more subscribers. Even with my new job title and pay, I couldn't give it up yet. Lana's paycheck was due tomorrow and while I had enough for it, it would clear out my bank account.

I pulled tight the curtain to my bunk as best as I could and stripped out of my shirt, pants, and bra. I wouldn't be able to record a video right now so a picture was the best option. Instead of covering my breasts, I kept them on display as I held up my phone, snapping a few different angles making sure my face was covered. Once satisfied with how I looked, I got dressed again and uploaded a few of the pictures to my page.

By the time that was finished, my eyes were heavy with slumber so I curled into the corner of the bunk, letting sleep encase around me. I was so deep in sleep that I barely heard Noah's phone go off and a loud groan of pleasure echoed from his bunk.

"You've got to be kidding me, angel. Right next to me."

"I can't believe how well everything turned out," I smiled as I walked alongside Folio in the mall.

The pop up event ended a few minutes ago and as mentioned, everything went smoothly. Fans were ecstatic to meet the guys and get their autographs. Merch sold like crazy and thankfully, Matt and Davis could cover my old job until they could find a replacement. Matt thought my new job was a great idea, mentioning that I was always made for more than just selling merch.

"You did that," Folio bumped his shoulder into mine, a proud smile on his face.

Jolly and Nick were in front of our group, leading us to a restaurant so we could get something to eat before the show tonight. Another event I threw together. To say I was proud of myself was an understatement. I wanted to so badly call my mom to tell her but knew that she would only respond with three words.

"Who are you?"

I hadn't heard from either my mom or Lana today which made me worry because with how the last phone call conversation went, I could only think of the worst.

Noah made a noise of agreement in the back of his throat and I looked up to him as he walked next to me. From the second he stepped off looking like that, I was so wound up and turned on that I kept squeezing my aching core between my legs to curb that itch. Noah had the top half of his hair up in a bun and wore a baggy shirt with an anime logo and name across it and a pair of black shorts.

I wanted to lick every inch of muscles on his thighs; he looked that delicious.

But something was different with him today. Noah made sure that he never strayed far from me and during the event, his eyes were almost always on me. He refused to let me out of his sight. The brown of his eyes drank in every inch of me as well and if I didn't find a corner to rub one out, I would explode.

We found a restaurant inside the mall and all slide into a corner booth at the back of the large room. With how we sat, Noah and I were seated alone on one side, kind of away from Jolly, Nick, and Folio. The three of them chatted about what they were going to get and as I was about to ask Noah what he wanted, I felt his hand grasp the inside of my thigh and I sucked in a breath.

"Angel," he breathed in my ear.

I hummed when his fingers slowly moved higher between my legs. Our actions were underneath the table so no one could see.

"I can't stop thinking about your face when you cum," he admitted. "Can you do that for me again, please?"

I shouldn't do this. It was only supposed to be a onetime thing. But I was also so fucking horny, I needed this so bad. And he asked nicely.

My eyes fluttered shut when his finger slipped between the waistband of my leggings and without thinking, I spread my legs wider for him. If he didn't understand that, I gave a firm nod while keeping up the facade of looking over the menu.

Noah did the same, his eyes scanning his menu all while his finger slipped between my panties and pussy.

I bit down hard on my lip to keep the moan quiet when his finger brushed along my folds, knowing he felt how wet I'd been all day. He turned his face slightly towards me, his eyes sparkling with arousal.

"So wet already," he mouthed.

Not trusting myself to be quiet, I nodded as his finger pushed inside of me, pumping slow at first to work me open. Then another finger joined, and I nearly dropped my head on the table. Noah's fingers were long where they could reach that spot with ease.

Noah leaned closer to me making it look like he was talking about something so normal. "You're so tight, angel. Are you going to cum already?"

"Yes," I whined.

"Have you been wet all day for me?"

Always.

I nodded which made Noah smirk. "Be a good girl and don't make a noise. I can't have the guys knowing what I'm doing to you underneath the table."

Fuck; Noah Sebastian was going to kill me.

As he talked to Folio, giving nothing away, his fingers worked inside of me fast and when his thumb pressed against my clit, I nearly came with a scream. My hips bucked up into his hand and I ended up setting the menu up to it could cover my face as my lips fell open in a silent moan. The orgasm was so close, a bright white light brushing over my vision and heat spread at the base of my spine to my scalp. I shook in Noah's grasp as my pussy walls clenched around his fingers.

"Noah," I breathed when the orgasm washed over me in a tidal wave.

I shamelessly dry humped his hand to ride over the last little of the aftershocks and almost whined when Noah turned to look at me. He pulled out his fingers, the sudden loss of warmth making me go slack against the booth, and brought them to his mouth. I watched in my post orgasmic haze as he licked them clean, his eyes blown wide with blackness of his own desires.

"What do you guys think of this place? We tried it back in Iowa, figured it was a good choice," Nick said.

The three of them were still oblivious to what happened.

"Best meal I've ever fucking had," Noah hummed, my arousal glistening his lips.

#noah sebastian #noah sebastian and reader #noah sebastian x reader #noah sebastian reader insert #noah sebastian smut #forced proximity #enemies to lovers #slow burn

[porcelainseashore]

Ghosts from the Past (5)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Agent! Leon Kennedy x Dancer! Informant! Fem! Reader

Summary: 7 years after leaving behind everything you’ve known, you’re suddenly thrust into facing a ghost from your past, Leon. Navigating where you stand with him brings up old memories, painful truths and countless questions. At the same time, you have to deal with a bunch of strange occurrences at your dance company. Set after Resident Evil 4 Remake.

Warnings: 18+ Swearing, Recreational Drug Use, Alcohol, Eventual Smut, No (Y/N), Canon-Typical Horror and Violence, Blood, Injury, Torture, Infection, Medical Experiments, Psychological Trauma, Nightmares

Content: Post-Resident Evil 4, Exes to Lovers, Partners to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lack of Communication, Romance, Fluff

Author's Note: Smut content warning applies in this chapter. Leon and Reader have been dancing around each other long enough!

AO3 Link

Chapter 5: Unravel

You led Ada through the back entrance, where the staff and stage crew usually entered. It was locked as there was no performance today, but she had acquired the key, thanks to you. The door creaked open as you shuffled inside, welcomed only by the stagnant air and the warm rays of early afternoon light pouring into the musty rooms.

It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Weird. Even though it was an unofficial rest day, there would usually be a cleaner roaming the hallways or a dancer rehearsing in the studio.

As you followed the route you had memorized by heart, you noticed that Ada also seemed to know her way around the place. You felt her steps matching yours, anticipating right and left turns before they happened. At the first false wall, she surprised you by pulling on the lever hidden behind an ornamental vase.

“If you already know where to go, why am I even here?” You questioned suspiciously, as you continued down the secret passageway.

“Let’s say I like to cover all bases.” She gave you a cryptic smile. “To get what I really want.”

“Great,” you grumbled. “Another evasive one.”

She huffed, finding humor in your complaint. “Pity Silje doesn't know her favorite protégé is working against her.”

Was that a veiled threat? You swallowed hard as guilt seeped into your chest. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. You weren’t supposed to face Silje like this; you wouldn’t know how to look her in the eye after what you had done.

Ada noticed your hesitance. “Or are you having second thoughts?”

Your simmering anger had become palpable, but you held your tongue and looked away. She was just trying to get you to crack, you inwardly rationalized.

As you went from room to room, the labyrinthine pathways blended seamlessly into one another, as if you were going through the same sections again and again in circles. The only change was that the time it took to pass through the distance between them seemed to increase each round. It was like the space was growing from within, even though it was physically impossible. You assumed it was an illusory effect. Whichever architect who had designed this was a genius.

It was at this point where you witnessed a subtle change in Ada’s behavior. Her eyes darted around more frequently than usual, and every now and then, her lips pursed lightly, as if she were becoming agitated by the maze, and this wasn't what she had expected. Despite her poker face, perhaps she didn’t know her way around entirely after all.

When she paused to examine some markings on a wall, you seized the opportunity presented by her distraction to jam your hands into your back pocket. The zip ties cut into your wrists, but you finally managed to reach for the Swiss Army knife, flicking it open. 

However, nothing could escape her watch, not to mention her lightning reflexes. Just as you were about to use it to break free, she knocked the knife out of your hands with ease. It clattered onto the ground, as you looked on defeatedly. You braced yourself for some sort of punishment to be dished out, but it never came.

“Bold,” she smirked. “Quite the rebel, aren’t you?”

It almost came across like she was impressed. Or was she mocking your feeble attempt at escaping?

“You know, we are more alike than you think,” she suggested. “Maybe that’s why he saw something in you.”

You glared at her in repugnance. There was no way in hell the two of you were even remotely similar, and that was not why Leon had loved you in the first place. At least that’s what you told yourself. 

“I would never be like you,” you seethed.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she responded nonchalantly. “Especially when given the right motivations.”

Your exchange was cut short, however, when from a distance, you heard hurried footsteps and heavy breathing. Ada quickly yanked you aside to hide behind a wall, covering your mouth with her gloved hand. As the footsteps drew closer, they slowed down. From the sound of delicate metal scraping against the floor, it seemed someone had discovered the knife you had left there. Shit, would you be caught now?

A split second later, you heard your name being called. Leon! He had come for you like he had said. Your cries in response were muffled by Ada’s grip tightening around your mouth, as she pulled you further away into the labyrinth, but her movements were slowed by your resistance. It was only a matter of time until Leon caught up.

“Give it up, Ada.”

He had his handgun aimed at her as she whipped around to face him. Although she no longer tried to dampen your voice, she still kept you in an ironclad hold, with no intention of letting go any time soon. Her words were coated with frustration. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

“That’s not exactly in my dictionary.” He leaned in, focusing his laser sight to improve accuracy.

“You wouldn’t shoot me,” she asserted unwaveringly.

His expression faltered briefly, as if he were experiencing a strong case of déja vù, but he steeled himself again. “Test my patience and I just might.”

You felt Ada’s grasp on you shift. Oh, she was getting unnerved alright, and it felt like you had just entered unwittingly into an ex-lovers’ spat. 

As you took in the sight of the room you were in, that’s when you recognized something from your memory: a trapdoor. You were coincidentally standing right above it on the carpeted floor, though you weren’t sure where it led to. In your quick assessment, it was a choice between this never-ending standoff and taking a chance by using the trapdoor as a distraction. You knew where the switch was. You just had to time it correctly.

During a pause in their heated discussion, you established eye contact with Leon. Synchronously, you inched your foot out, pressing it against the camouflaged wooden piece lying at the side, while yelling at him to take notice. In that instant, you and Ada whooshed through the opened door, tumbling into an obsidian pit, past a bunch of rocks with a faint, iridescent glow. You heard Ada’s gasp as she fiddled with her grapple gun, but the surfaces were too slippery to hook onto. It was a miracle that you managed to catch her by surprise.

You couldn’t tell how far down you were going. However, your fall soon ended with a thud on what resembled soft, black mud. Your body felt bruised and battered, but at least nothing was broken. From a shrill shriek that was emitted, you realized Ada hadn’t fared so well.

As your eyes adjusted to the dimness of your surroundings, you saw her lying on the ground, clutching at a sharp rock that had embedded itself within her leg. A loud yelp ripped through the air, as she pried out the object, causing streams of blood to ooze down the open gash. At that moment, another figure landed in, grunting as he broke his fall with cat-like grace.

A bright beam from his flashlight illuminated the area as Leon got up, dusting himself off. The key card, having come loose from Ada’s possession in the fall, lay between the two of you. Without a second thought, he nabbed it, barely casting a quick glance over his shoulder at her before heading towards you.

“You ok?” He asked, his voice laced with worry, as he cut off the zip tie. Wrapping an arm under your shoulders and around your waist, he lifted you to your feet.

“Yeah, just dazed,” you coughed out, rubbing the sore abrasions on your wrists while looking around. 

“What about-” You stopped yourself as you observed the empty space behind him, where Ada had been just a minute ago. “She’s gone.”

He spun around in the direction you were staring at. “It’s what she does, I guess.” He shrugged, as if the same scene had repeated itself one too many times before.

However, his tone changed when he turned back to you, grabbing the lapel of your coat with a severe look in his eyes. “Don’t ever do that again!”

“What, you had a better idea than squabbling with your ex?” Your defensiveness kicked in at his scolding, and you pushed him off roughly.

“She’s not my- ugh!” He groaned, smacking his palm against his forehead. “Let’s just get out of here. I need to keep you safe.”

You bowed your head in agreement, deciding it was best not to go any further down the rabbit hole. Walking along beside him, both of you searched for a way to escape this uncanny underground place. The walls were covered in jagged rocks caked in a dark, greasy substance that glistened in the light, and the air was damp, causing drops of moisture to drip down from above. Occasionally, you heard small creatures scurrying around, but otherwise, everything else was as still as a dormouse.

“Do you think they’re growing something here?” You pointed at the wet matter leaking from the surfaces.

“I hope not,” Leon sighed. “Because this would be a lot more than we bargained for.”

He scraped a sample of it into a compact container, which came with a mini spatula similar to those found in laboratories, before placing it back into a pocket of his tactical pants.

Then, you heard a series of clunks coming from the corner, causing you to jump in fright. “What was that?” 

He shone his flashlight towards the source and you saw a lone rope ladder swaying in the darkness. Its wooden cross beams were hitting the side of the wall, but there was no one on it.

“Hm.” He cracked a weak smile, shaking his head, like someone had eluded him in a game of hide-and-seek. “Our way out.”

Just as you neared the ladder, you felt a dull, throbbing ache spread throughout your head, causing you to come to a halt and clasp the wall to steady yourself. A child’s voice called your name from a distance, reverberating within your skull. As it faded away, you found Leon holding you with a distressed look on his face. “What’s going on? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine…” You shuddered, trying to get rid of that bizarre sensation you had felt earlier. “This place just gives me the creeps,” you reasoned.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he gave you another once-over before continuing. He helped you onto the ladder first, so that he could support you from behind in case anything happened. You began your ascent and noticed that the air became drier the higher you climbed. 

Shortly after, you pulled yourself up into a dead-end tunnel with a hatch on its low ceiling. Leon lifted it open, looking around before giving you the all-clear. You were now in an unassuming storage room in the upper levels of the labyrinth. Just beyond that was the theater space.

“Huh. Guess this needs to be added to the blueprint,” you muttered.

There was some commotion going on outside of the room you were in. Looks like the people were back. Leon brought a finger to his lips to hush you, as he crouched and withdrew his gun from his holster. Opening the door quietly, he peeked through the narrow slit and waited until the noise subsided, before beckoning you to follow him. You assumed a similar stealthy position and sneaked out of the building.

When you were finally back out on the streets, the evening sky and crisp, wintry air greeted you. He led you to a stylish black motorcycle parked a few blocks away. Since when had he learnt how to ride one of these things?

“Courtesy of Hunnigan,” he explained, when he spotted your raised eyebrow. “Took a while. Red tape and all that.” 

Bergmann, of course.

“Here’s the plan,” he began. “We’ll grab your stuff and then head to my place. I’ll watch over you until we can get you back to HQ tomorrow.”

“HQ?” You asked out of confusion.

“DC.”

“I know… but why?”

You weren’t told about any of this in advance and once again, you had more questions than answers. 

“Trust me, it’ll be safer there while I finish this. I don’t want things to blow up, but you never know,” he clarified.

“Did Bergmann greenlight this?”

“No, we did.”

How did he manage to bypass your handler’s authority? You imagined her hitting the roof when she found out.

“And after what we saw down there, we need to get you screened. It’s part of the protocol,” he continued, before adding softly, “I’ll make sure they treat you well.”

“I-” You paused, trying to formulate an appropriate response to the information you had just been overloaded with. “You’re expecting me to leave everything behind?”

“Just temporarily, until the dust settles,” he reassured you. “Unless…” He trailed off, interrupting himself before he could complete the sentence.

“Unless?” You questioned.

“Never mind.” He handed you a spare helmet, gesturing for you to take the back seat. “Let’s go.”

As the engine revved to life, he turned to face you, and you swore you could make out his shit-eating grin behind the tinted visor of his helmet. “Hang on tight.”

Gingerly, you wrapped your arms around his waist, as he drove off into the night.

━━━━━━━━━━━

It didn't take long for you to pack your belongings, or rather, the bare essentials. You had never really accumulated much over the years. Nevertheless, there was a strange, almost surreal feeling in bidding farewell to your apartment for an indefinite period of time.

Upon reaching his place, Leon conducted a perimeter check and adjusted the security settings before allowing you to settle in.

“What if Ada comes back for the card?” You asked in passing.

“Doubt it,” he stated rather matter-of-factly. “She’ll need time to lick her wounds.”

“Right.” 

After all the muck you had been dragged through, you decided to busy yourself by cleaning up in the bathroom. As you showered, it began to dawn on you that the grazes you had on your wrists from the zip tie was gone, and even though you were pretty certain that your ribs had been bruised from the fall, they were nowhere to be seen. Everything looked as immaculate as ever. Were you going crazy and imagining things? You chalked it up to the exceptional amount of stress you had been through in the last 24 hours.

Changing into your night slip, you made your way towards the living room while towel drying your hair. That’s when you caught sight of Leon holding the framed photo of the two of you during your college graduation, staring at it, seemingly oblivious that you were standing at the entrance in the hallway. He must have seen it when your backpack was left open while you were in the bathroom, but that didn’t give him the right to touch your stuff, especially when it started to stir up unwanted emotions within you.

“You still kept it, after all these years…”

Looks like he had been aware of your presence after all.

You didn’t respond, striding purposefully into the room, as you snatched the frame from him and chucked it back into your bag. “I should have just left it to rot,” you muttered out of spite.

“You don’t mean that.” Moving towards you, he curled his fingers under your chin, and tilted it to face him. “Here, you dropped something.” He took the Swiss Army knife out from his pocket and offered it to you.

But you remained motionless. “Keep it,” your voice quivered. 

It’s just better this way. His remark from the bar about a week ago resounded in your ears.

Upon your rejection, his visage crumbled and gradually, you witnessed his cool, confident facade peel away to reveal something broken underneath. He appeared extremely worn down, as though he had been through a war zone. Blood and grime stained his shirt, and a purplish bruise was blooming on the side of his cheek.

“I’m tired. Just so tired…” he admitted under his breath, placing the knife on the table beside him. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Do what?” You wondered out loud.

“Push you away,” he whispered.

You didn’t know what to make of his response. It was an answer, yet not exactly one. And that was driving you insane. So, you argued back with the only piece of information you had, even though you knew it was a low blow. “Yeah, well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before you brought Ada into the picture.”

Furrowing his brows in agitation, he let out a heavy sigh and exclaimed, “It’s not about Ada! It’s about you!”

This was the first time you had seen him so riled up, but his rage was infectious, and you used the energy to fight fire with fire. “Fuck you, Leon! Stop bullshitting me!” You shouted back. “I’m sick of you hiding things!”

“Ok, fine. No more secrets,” he conceded, understanding that you weren’t going to let him off this time. Not unless he wanted to lose you again for real. With this in mind, he decided to tell you what you wanted to know, despite the pain it would cause you.

“Ada and I… it happened in Raccoon City.”

Raccoon City? A searing fury took hold over you, as you realized what that meant.

“You moved on to her the day you left,” you mouthed in disbelief. “And I was the idiot who waited and grieved for you.”

Pointing at him accusingly, you sneered, “The best part about it is you weren’t even dead! You just didn’t care!”

At this, he slammed his fist on the table, raising his voice over yours. “That’s a goddamn lie and you know that!”

His face was red with indignation as he insisted, “I care… I’ve always cared.”

You scoffed and turned away from him, your eyes burning and watery, even though deep down you knew he was telling the truth. “Then, explain it to me!”

He was shaking. You couldn’t tell if it was due to fear or anger. “After you and I broke up, I just wanted someone who would understand what I had been through.”

A lump formed in his throat as he continued. “She saved my life a couple of times. And we… uh, we kissed.”

He looked at you with regret, simultaneously attempting to gauge your reaction to what he had divulged. But you stonewalled him.

“Yeah, I liked her. And in a way, I still do care for her, I guess,” he confessed. “But she wasn’t the person I thought she was. I don’t think she’ll ever be that person.”

“You can’t get over her, can you?” You stated bitterly.

“Already have,” he declared. “For a while now.”

“I don’t know how to trust you.” You wanted to, so badly. But after the emotional rollercoaster he had put you through, you were at a loss.

His eyes filled up in despair. It was as if your words had winded him and stabbed him in the gut.

“What I said after the club… it was out of guilt, and I didn’t want to get too close.” He paused for a moment to recollect himself. “I just- I… needed to protect you.”

“From what?” You quizzed. Is that why he didn’t come back? 

He sucked in a deep breath, like what he was about to relay was something he would rather forget. “Raccoon City - it was hell.” He twisted his mouth in distaste. “Like Terragrigia… and the government covered it all up.”

You watched as his eyes glazed over, replaying the trauma he had suffered as if it were an old film loop. “Everyone died around me. I-I couldn’t do shit.” 

A cynical laugh escaped him. “Some fucking cop I was.”

You began to understand why he had been so quiet about his past. The torment he had been putting himself through, the survivor’s guilt, the ravaged city, and the injustice of it all haunted him incessantly.

Instinctively, you took a couple of steps towards him, wanting to close the distance somehow, even though you were afraid of getting burnt again.

His features softened as he saw you draw nearer, though it transformed into a frown when he relived through another set of memories. “They made me work for them, because I knew too much, and-”

He paused, biting his tongue in an effort to restrain his anger. “In exchange for the life of a little girl.”

But his temper soon flared up again. “Those bastards dangled her like a fucking carrot in front of my face! What was I supposed to do?”

You flinched at his outburst and he eyed you apologetically, dropping his head in shame. “I didn’t know who I could turn to. I-I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“Leon…” You reached out, ghosting your fingers along the side of his arm.

He didn’t pull away this time, but he couldn’t bear to look at you, afraid of what you might think of him. “Not a day goes by where I don’t feel like it should’ve been me who died down there.”

“I thought about ending it,” he continued. “But you wanted me to remember I am a good person. That I would do the right thing. And I knew it was to keep going.”

You didn’t judge him. You accepted him as how he was, including all the pain and flaws. In front of you was the boy you had left behind 7 years ago - scared, helpless and alone. And so, you took the plunge, gathering him into your arms as you comforted him.

“Leon, it’s ok.” He leaned into your embrace like he had been starved of contact for a long time. “I’m here. You’re ok,” you reassured him.

“I didn’t want to drag you into this, but they got to you anyway,” he sighed into your hair, cradling your waist firmly against him, as though he was unwilling to let you go.

“Every night, I dream of you… dying,” he choked. “And I can’t- I… can’t save you.”

You should have seen this coming: him not wanting you to get involved, pushing you away, and his whole savior complex - just to protect you from the inevitable. As for Ada, you would never be able to change how he felt about her. Yet, in a way, you understood why he chose you in the end. And maybe, for now, that was enough.

“You don’t have to bear this burden on your own, you know,” you mentioned, caressing the back of his head tenderly.

“I’m a fucking mess, you deserve-”

God, he could be so stubborn sometimes. “Leon,” you interrupted. 

Cupping the sides of his face in your hands, you looked him straight in the eye. “I chose this life, ok? And I’m choosing right here, right now, that I want to be with you. To hell and back.”

His gaze widened as he took in what you said. “Like you promised.”

A wave of nostalgia washed over you, as a distant memory from your teenage years flooded your mind, transporting you back to the bleachers of your high school football field. Both of you had sat there together in the dead of winter, and you told him that you would be there for him. To hell and back.

You smiled wistfully. “Yeah, like I promised, dumbass.”

With that, he pressed his lips against yours fervently, devouring your mouth in a stream of torrid kisses, wet and sloppy, like he was trying to make up for lost time. Pushing you up against the nearest wall, he teased your lips with his tongue and you parted them, allowing him easy entrance as you let out a soft, heady moan. He deepened the kiss, swirling his tongue against yours fiercely, unable to get enough of you.

“Fuck, baby, I missed you,” he murmured breathlessly when he came up for air amid the waves of kisses. 

Baby. You shivered in pleasure, hearing his pet name for you for the first time after years of being apart. “I missed you too.”

“Please, let me take care of you,” he pleaded, securing a hand on your hip, as he slowly reached the other under your night slip, trailing it up your inner thigh, between your legs.

As you felt his fingertips brush against your clit through your underwear, you ground your hips forward subconsciously, desperate for his touch. Both of you were diving in headfirst even though things were still raw, but something about this felt right and you didn’t want to wait anymore. You claimed his lips again briefly, before encouraging him to go further.

Dragging his wet tongue along your neck and down across your body, he knelt in front of you, bunching up the hem of your slip and hooking his fingers into the side of your underwear to strip it off. You closed your eyes as you felt his hot breath against your pussy, gasping as he ran his tongue through your glistening folds, lapping and sucking it eagerly.

“Mm… I could never get tired of how you taste,” he groaned huskily, before tracing circles with his tongue on your clit.

You chewed on your bottom lip, a smile breaking out at his compliment, as you recalled how vocal he - and you - could be during sex. He spread your legs wider and hiked one of them over his shoulder for better access, dipping his tongue into your slit, as your juices and his saliva trickled down your thighs. Tangling your hands in his hair, you gave in to the tingling sensations that rippled through your body.

He continued thrusting his tongue into you relentlessly, while stroking your clit with his thumb. “Shit, oh god-” you whined, grasping frantically at the wall behind you. “That feels so good.”

Burying his face further into your mound, he tried to bring you closer to the edge, as you felt a familiar knot in your belly tightening with every lick, suck and kiss. You bucked your hips, riding his face feverishly as you chased after your orgasm. Soon, it came crashing down, and you arched your back off the wall, wailing in rapture, while your thighs clenched around his head. 

The high melded into a feeling of warm, viscous honey, as he caught you in an embrace when you slumped over, dizzy and panting.

“I got you, baby,” he cooed, rubbing your back soothingly, as he held you up. “That’s it.”

His pillowy lips, moist with your arousal, captured yours in a tender kiss. When he broke away, you nuzzled his neck gratefully, part of you still contemplating if this was real.

“I don’t want to let you go,” your voice came out muffled, as you burrowed yourself deeper into his neck, inhaling the scent of his cologne and sweat. Despite the blood and dirt, he smelled as you remembered him, of fresh citrus and musk, with a hint of cedar.

“You have me,” he promised, planting another delicate kiss on your cheek, soft like raindrops on a rose petal in the morning. “Always.”

You locked eyes with him, drowning in the pool of his blue irises, which were burning with desire for more. Scooping you up into his strong arms, he carried you out, past the hallway to the bedroom and placed you down on the mattress. He tugged off his clothes before helping you out of your slip, casually discarding it onto the floor.

His breath hitched as he admired the way you lay there, naked and wanting, completely vulnerable for him. Crawling on top of you, he bent down, leaving a string of open mouthed kisses from your neck to your breast. 

“So beautiful,” he hummed, flicking his tongue against your nipple, before taking it into his mouth and suckling it. Letting it go with a pop, he claimed, “You haven’t changed one bit.”

“Mm, neither have you.”

His huff turned into a low moan as you wrapped your fingers around his fully erect cock, the tip red with need and leaking of precum. You pumped its shaft languidly as he rutted into your fist, growing impatient to feel more of you.

“Fuck- I want to be inside of you,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

You nodded, grazing your fingers against his lips as he slipped them into his mouth, sucking on them hard. The next instant, he flipped you over, sitting on his knees behind you as he splayed your legs on either side of him, pulling your back flush against his chest. He held your hip in one hand while using his other to guide his cock towards your entrance. You whimpered as you sank down onto him, a raw burst of pleasure flooding your brain as he filled you up. Nestled in his lap, you fit him perfectly like a glove.

He gave you a moment to adjust to the intrusion before setting a slow, sensual pace, stretching you out deeply with each thrust. You rocked your hips back into him, like a bitch in heat, unable to control the lewd sounds that came from your throat.

Squeezing your breasts, he rose to his knees, lifting you up along with him, as he picked up the speed. He nipped at your neck, licking and sucking on it to mark you as his. You could already feel a red welt forming on its surface.

“You like that?” He asked.

“Ah- yes! Please, Leon,” you gasped, trembling as you moved in sync to his rhythm more vigorously.

He chuckled at your reaction, “Only I can make you feel this good, huh?”

“Yes,” you professed, surrendering yourself entirely. “Only you.”

Upon hearing your admission, he growled with lust and fucked up into you harder. “Look at you,” he whispered in your ear, turning you in the direction of the wardrobe mirror that faced the bed. “Taking me so well.”

Through half-lidded eyes, you saw yourself, almost unrecognizable, in the reflection. Your face was flushed, body slick with sweat, and your nipples were hard and swollen from his teasing. A rosy hue had spread across your ass from his thrusting. 

He was amping up the dirty talk. But it only served to turn you on even more. 

In the heat of the moment, you rasped, “Ruin me.” 

You felt his cock twitch inside of you as soon as you uttered it. Craning your neck to meet his gaze, you asserted, “Make me so no one else will ever want me.”

God, where was all that filth coming from? You even surprised yourself.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he cursed loudly. His eyes reflected a voracious look of hunger that seemed to consume the very space between you. “You’re gonna make me cum like this, baby.”

He brought a hand up to your throat, straightening you out against him even further as he slammed his cock roughly into your pussy. Wet slaps filled the room, his balls hitting against your clit repeatedly, while you clung tightly to his grip. You tilted your head backwards, resting it against his shoulder as you cried, “Yes, yes, oh fuck- Leon!”

Suddenly, he pulled out of you and threw you onto your back, causing you to whine from the loss of contact. He hoisted your ankles over his shoulders, giving them a quick kiss before leaning his weight onto you and folding your knees to your chest.

You let out a strangled cry as he penetrated you from this new angle, stimulating the sensitive spot along the walls of your aching cunt. “God, you’re so fucking good for me,” he grunted through labored breaths, already feeling himself coming close.

“Don’t stop,” you begged, clawing at his wrists which caged you in beside your head.

He railed you mercilessly into the mattress, causing the headboard to bang against the bedroom wall with each sharp thrust. It felt as if he was releasing all his pent-up emotion and compensating for every moment he had spent without you in the past.

As you reached your climax, your walls tightened around his cock and your eyes rolled back, while you screamed his name in ecstasy. All you could see was a blinding white light, with every muscle in your body tensing and your toes curling in response, as he rode you through it.

The sight of you tipped him over the edge and his pace stuttered. His face twisted in pleasure as he called out your name over and over, spurting thick ropes of his hot seed into your cunt. He continued to roll his hips forward gently in waves, taking a while to come down from his high. 

Caressing your cheek affectionately, he placed a lingering kiss on your lips, before pulling out of you and dropping to your side. A mixture of both of your fluids stained his pelvis and your thighs as proof of what had transpired. It dripped onto the sheets like a bleeding sign.

As you listened to each other’s heartbeats and breathing in the calm silence, Leon took your hand in his, interlacing your fingers together.

“Stay with me,” he proposed again, wiping the slate clean of your rejection 7 years ago.

Propping yourself up on your elbows, you turned towards him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. It was at that moment you observed a distinct, indented scar adorning his left shoulder, serving as a ragged reminder of a past ordeal. You traced the outline of it with your fingers, while he held your hand close and kissed the white of your knuckles.

“I still love you,” he affirmed.

You knew that tonight wasn't the sole solution to all the problems you still had to work through together. But it was a start, and you were willing to give it another shot.

This time, it can be different. You covered his hands in yours, bringing them to your lips, as you spoke, “I’ll stay.”

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy #leon kennedy angst #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy fluff #re4 leon #re4 remake #resident evil 4 #resident evil #porcelainscribbles

[sapphicvqmpires]

❁ཻུ۪۪♡ meet me under the golden tree

Pairing - shuri/black fem!reader

Word Count - 7k (my fics keep getting longer and longer lolll)

Contains - smut (18+), fingering, cunnilingus, soft dom!shuri, sub!reader, angst, fluff, hurt, mentions of character death

Key words - nkosazana (princess), sthandwa (baby), sthandwa sami (my love)

Divider From - @firefly-graphics

Sneak Peak - Her face was puffy, her lips swollen from all her crying but even in this state she was beautiful and everything you could ever ask for. She caresses your face with her thumb, wiping away your tears as she finally brings you in for a kiss. Contrary to popular belief, this was your guys’ first kiss. Your lips press against her swollen ones as you relax into her. The world around you went black and white, the tree and Shuri being the splash of colour in the painted landscape surrounding you

Song Vibes - john redcorn (sir), change (arin ray ft. kehlani), do it well (dvsn), wait (nao)

Tags - @pinkwright @inmyheadimobsessed @heejayy @lustfulbarbie @abenomeiiii @shuriszn @shurislover @shurismainbxtch @naomis-daydream @prettymrswright @gardenof-venus @vys-intentions @tiii-iiiiii @tishszn @myaraines @dominiquesheart @vampzxi @zayswriting

Writers Note: this one has a bit of everything, and I definitely took some stuff from Shuriri fics I already wrote and put onto a03 lol. But yeah, this one’s definitely a lil different from last weeks fic, but enjoy :)

❁ཻུ۪۪♡ You sigh, unable to fess up to Riri’s mocking laughs. You knew she was right, the way she would persistently tease you about your so called “friendship” with the Black Panther. The truth is, you’re head over heels for Shuri, but you could not allow yourself to be persuaded. To give into your feelings meant to be bruised by her constant subtle pushes once things got too close, too intimate. And it hurts you.

“Shut up Ri,” you respond, hoping she’ll actually listen to you this time.

“What? You’re not gonna sit here and tell me you two are ‘just friends’. I know y'all be fucking on the low.”

You start choking on your water as Riri laughs hysterically.

“You’re not funny.”

“Uh huh. What are you all dressed up for anyway? Where are you heading off to looking all pretty?”

You roll your eyes. No answer comes out of your mouth but your body language and facial expressions tell Riri everything she needs to know.

“Mhmm…very interesting indeed,” Riri taunts.

“Riri, I swear to god bro…we’re just friends. For real, leave me alone.” You were transparently annoyed, not even because Riri kept teasing you, but because you knew she wasn’t wrong. You enjoyed Shuri, the way she used her words to pull you back in even if she didn’t fully deserve your company. She was a challenge, and her presence was almost impossible to neglect.

“She’s outside. And you better not still be in my apartment when I get back.”

Riri chuckles under her breath as you get up and make your way out to meet her.

“Don’t get pregnant! We don’t need any little Black Panthers running around!” Riri yells before the door shuts.

“Fuck you, Ri!”

“Love you too, y/n!” You give her the finger before the door completely shuts.

Once you're deeper into the apartment hallways, you begin to smile like a fool. You allow all emotions to be expressed in between the time you leave Riri to meet with Shuri, because you know once you step foot into that car, true feelings must be suppressed.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

There’s a gentle breeze in the air once you step outside, caressing your face and scalp. It’s refreshing, but also a step back into reality. Shuri is leaning on her car, focused on whatever is on her phone. She looks good. She always does and it pisses you off. The olive green of her nike crew neck compliments her rich skin without flaw. Her olive dunks pull the outfit together, lightly covered by the bagginess of her black cargo pants. She wears her favourite gold chain, just subtly hidden underneath her crew neck but the sly detail makes your heart flutter. You run up to her, embracing her warmth as she brings you in for a hug. Shuri chuckles against you, flattered at the way you seep so easily into her arms.

“Missed me that bad, nkosazana?” You exhaled at the sound of her voice. The cute names she constantly called you did nothing to ease your deep desire for her, it was almost tiresome.

“I did,” you answer. You look up at her, noticing the gold layered on her bottom teeth. Your stomach jumped at the sight. The way the gold contrasted against her pearly whites caused your core to warm up, a throbbing sensation between your thighs and you had no choice but to ignore it. “Where are we going, Shuri? You called me late as fuck last night.”

“I just wanted to see my favourite girl today, is that ok?”

Oh she was infuriating. “That’s fine, but you can’t call me at unholy hours like that bro. I’m tryna sleep.”

“My bad, my bad. I was kinda desperate.” Desperate? You breathe in deeply, followed by a smile. You always tried to stay mad at her, but it was a challenge. She was too beautiful. She guides you into her vehicle, closing the door beside you. She takes her place in the driver's seat, and you could never not admire the way she looked handling the road. She always drove with one hand on the wheel, her tattooed hand always rubbing your thigh or playing with her jawline. Both gestures made you wet which usually paved way for your late night thoughts to be filled with deep skin, slender fingers, and curly hair as you touch yourself, her name falling off your lips as you dream of her below you.

“Y/n? You down?” The train of your tactile thoughts brought back to reality as Shuri pulls you in.

“Huh?”

Shuri laughs. “I saaiidd…wanna go to that restaurant down the corner over there? They got a pool table, and I wanna beat you.”

“You’re better than me at everything, Shuri. You’ll easily beat me in pool.”

“Soooo, is that a yes?”

“Yes, it’s a yes.”

Shuri pauses for a second, pondering on what thoughts are dancing through your mind.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours anyways? You’re always dozing off, I’m starting to worry you don’t enjoy my presence anymore,” Shuri jokes. You slap her shoulder lightly. “Ow.”

“That’s what you get.”

“For what? What’d I do now?”

“You know what.”

Shuri rolls her eyes. “Don’t start with me, nkosazana. The day just started.”

“Fine.”

Everytime you bring up the topic of ‘what are we?’, Shuri would take one step back. She hated the conversation, and she would disappear for days at a time once your arguments were over. You convinced yourself that it was because she just did not feel the same for you like you did for her. It was easier to accept that than the latter; that you were just a crutch, a tool to be used whenever she needed and put away until she decided you were of value again.

You knew Shuri was broken. She’s been through a lot and ever since the mantle was given to her, she seemed to be heavier. She was still ‘Shuri’, the girl with endless jokes up her sleeve and a smile that could ease sadness, but there was now a darkness that endured underneath and she would not let you pierce the surface.

She pulls into the parking lot, unbuckling your seat belt as she rushes to open the door for you. Her arm wrapped around your shoulder, and she pecked a kiss on the top of your head as you walked into the restaurant. You both order what you usually do; Shuri with her spicy chicken wings, and you with your chicken burger. The afternoon is filled with familiar tunes of laughter, as you guys argue over whether drummies or flatties are better. Shuri says drummies are better because there’s more meat and you argue that flatties are better because there’s less bone and cartilage.

“Black folk don’t complain about things like bone and cartilage, y/n.”

“Well this one does,” you chuckle, pointing to yourself. Shuri laughs with you, taking a fry and chugging it at your face.

“Shut up and eat your nasty chicken burger.”

“It’s actually really good, wanna bite?”

Shuri audibly gags and you toss a fry right back at her.

“Don’t make me come over there and bite you.”

“I’d like to see your try.”

“I’d like to see you try,” she mocks. You roll your eyes, chugging another fry at her. Shuri scrunches her face.

“You think you’re so funny huh? You’re lucky we’re not alone, you wouldn’t feel so funny anymore,” she subtly jokes. And it’s stupid half-jokeful threats like that that make your pussy pulse. You cross your legs slowly, desperate to ease the throbbing between your legs. Shuri notices, and lets out a soft chuckle. She knows what she’s doing and it’s driving you insane.

Once you guys are done with your meal, you make your way to the pool tables in the corner of the restaurant.

“Ready to get absolutely destroyed?” Shuri asks.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope.”

Shuri was a pro and she laughed hysterically at the way you constantly put the Q-Ball in the hole, but she would let you have another turn anyway because she low-key felt bad. She would grab your hips and maneuvre them, guiding you. You would bend over the pool table with subtle intent, and you could swear she was looking where you wanted her to look. The game was filled with less of the actual game and more of Shuri teasing both your mind and body.

“Stop,” you pleaded into her, knowing full well you did not want her to.

“You know you don’t want me to.”

“Shuri…please.”

She did not listen. She hugged you from behind, her hands lingering right above your pussy and it made you throb. Your mind travelled to that sinful place consumed with unholy thoughts of how you imagined how skillful those hands were. She was a serious flirt, but you had to convince yourself that she did not like you for the sake of your sanity.

“Why can’t we just stay like this??” she whispered into the nape of your neck. You abruptly turned around to face her, submerging yourself in the depth of her brown eyes. Her curls were coiled to perfection, treading down her forehead like a waterfall. Her mouth slightly opened, revealing the gold layered underneath her two-toned lips. You wanted her desperately.

“Why are you so scared of commitment?” you ask. You knew this was not the place, nor the time, but you were tired. Crippled by the way she had such easy access to you without fully giving herself to you and your body. She let go of you so easily, and your heart sank at the crude gesture.

“Why you always do that, huh? Always ruining it with your stupid questions.”

The lump in your throat grows as you bite on your bottom lip. You fight the tears that are itching to pierce through, but you refuse. She did not get to see you like this. She didn’t deserve it.

“Fuck you,” you say through heavy lungs. You begin to make your way out the door, but you're stopped by Shuri’s hands gripping your waist, forcing you to face her. You don’t fight it. There’s no use.

“Is that what this is all about, nkosazana? You wanna fuck me?” her voice is so silky and her words seep through your pores, forcing your body to give into her. “Cuz I will, if that’s what you want. Bend you over the pool table if I have to. Give everyone a show.” She was devious. She knew the dominance her words had over you, and she never failed to use that to her advantage. She toyed with you, knowing you’ll run back without fail.

You look at the space around you. The restaurant is pretty empty for the most part, the people that are there are fairly good at pretending to mind their own business.

“Shuri…let me go,” you gently plead. She obliges, aggressively making her out of the restaurant and back into her vehicle. You follow her. She does not open the door for you this time.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The car ride is quiet and unfamiliar, her tunes calmly playing in the background being the only thing keeping you from going insane. You have no idea where she’s taking you, and you’re honestly too afraid to ask. You look up at her for a quick second, her jaw is clenched and her eyes are low. She looks tired and you almost feel bad.

“Where are we going?” you ask, breaking the deafening silence.

“You’ll see.”

She pulls into a park, leaving you confused but you let her lead the way. She puts her car in park, and begins to stroll as you try to keep up with her. The park was quite beautiful and secluded. There was no one here, but you can still hear the music of the busy city playing in the distance.

“Shuri…where are we going?”

“I said, you’ll see.”

Shuri continues to stroll, stopping at a pretty open field with trees sprinkled here and there. There is however, one larger tree that overshadows the rest. She makes her way there, sitting on the soft grass that grows beneath. You follow her, doing the same. Shuri stays quiet for a few seconds, basking in the wind that seeps through her curls. It’s a beautiful sight really, the way someone so energetic and full spirit takes the time to bask in what nature has to offer. You wonder what’s going on in that mind of hers, what hides behind the smile she chooses to wear everyday. Finally, she speaks.

“This tree reminds me of home. Not as strong, and nowhere near as tall, but still beautiful nonetheless.”

You smile, noticing the subtle melancholic gaze in her eyes as she admires the strength of its bark.

“This is where I come after every argument I have with you. I sit here, and reminisce on what once was…and think about all the ways I’m hurting you. I don’t mean to but…I just wish I could be better.”

You take her hand, and she lets you. There’s a question stuck in your throat that you so badly want to ask her, yet you fear the reaction she’ll have. Shuri has carried the title of “the Black Panther” for a couple months now, and not once has she truly sat down with you and told you about how she truly felt about holding that mantle. You swallow, before allowing yourself to ask her.

“So…so how does it feel?”

Shuri looks at you in confusion. “How does what feel?”

“To be the Black Panther and hold all that responsibility? I know you Shuri, you’re hurt. The thing about you is you hurt alone.”

Silence.

“Shuri…you have to be able to talk to me about these things. You have people that love you, that want to be there for you…”

Shuri’s face hardens, her usual sarcastic smile fading into one that’s almost unrecognisable. It’s almost like a veil has been lowered, paving way to what really nestled there and your chest grows heavy at the sight. She places her elbows on her knees and sighs. Your smile mirrors hers, fading as the environment around you grows cold, the air becoming thick. For a moment it seems like Shuri is lost in the blades of grass beneath her, staring intensely into the ground. Her head falls forward, as she noticeably gathers the courage to speak over whatever her heart is trying to hold in.

Finally, her heart speaks.

“You know…when my brother died, I also lost a piece of me. It was one of the hardest things to accept knowing I could have saved him had I had the time to come up with some type of scientific cure to his illness. But then he was just…gone. Taken away from me with little warning. Sometimes I regret not being by his side as he took his final breath, but I try not to be too hard on myself. I was trying to save my brother, and I was doing the best I could.”

“Shuri…I--”

“And then when my mom was taken from me…” she pauses and bows her head. Tears gently fall from Shuri’s eyes, like dewdrops. You feel the tears swell in your own eyes and do nothing to hold them in. Of course you knew that Shuri was hurting from her loss, but never did you truly grasp the hurt that came with bearing the weight of being the Black Panther. How could you?

“I did not want to be the Black Panther. That was never my goal in life, nkosazana. Had you told me a couple years ago that I was going to be Black Panther in a few years time, I would’ve laughed in your face…” Shuri lets out a faded smile, combating tears and fighting the swelling in her own throat. “I cut my hair when I lost my brother, as a sign of grieving. It’s a Wakandan practice. And I’m not even a spiritual person but it seemed like the right thing to do…for him.”

You look at Shuri, admiring the dark yet beautiful significance behind Shuri’s short curls that caress the edge of her forehead. For a moment, you remember Shuri with her once braided hair, and you remember the reaction you had when she suddenly cut it off.

“You cut your hair?? But why??”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

“No, I like it. I really like it…but why the sudden switch up?”

“I don’t know. I just felt like something new.”

And you smiled at her. She looked good.

Your stomach turns as you remember that conversation. You remember the way she looked that day, sadder than usual even if she tried her best to uphold her same, sarcastic self. Her almond eyes were weary, and you were oblivious to the significance behind her short curls.

“I promise you y/n, being Black Panther does not feel good. Not for the reasons I am anyway.”

You close your eyes, allowing the tears to stream without halt. You wanted to grieve alongside Shuri, letting her know she’s not alone.

“I’m sorry…I wasn’t intending to--”

“It’s fine nkosazana…I needed to let that out,” Shuri assures you.

You force out a soft smile, adjusting yourself so you’re sitting on your knees in front of her. You heighten yourself to meet her eye level, cupping her tear stained cheeks as you bravely place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Shuri smiles tenderly, exhaling in relief. She grabs your hands as her own lips meet your knuckles. She’s so beautiful. Even in the midst of her pain and tears, her vulnerability makes you want to pull her in and take her pain away. If you could, you would. But you can’t. Instead, you just allow Shuri this moment of brokenness, evident of what she hides behind the bright sarcastic smile she wears almost everyday.

For the first time in your friendship, you feel like you know her. Truly, truly know her. Beyond her jaded smile, her capability to light up the room, and the hurt that comes after, you finally feel like you see her for who she is. You ponder all of this, making your already complicated relationship with her even more complicated. You loved her, you can admit that now, but you also loved yourself. It was no secret that Shuri was broken, but it often felt like she was slowly but surely breaking you in the process. The way she would lure you in, lead you on, and then leave you with nothing, it hurt. But you knew you couldn’t just leave her, and now you fully understand why.

“I’m sorry I can’t be what you want me to be. I can’t give you what you deserve,” she says, almost like she’s reading your mind.

“And what is it you think I deserve, Shuri?”

She takes a deep breath in, admiring the tree that hugs the both of you, making you feel small.

“You deserve someone who’s gonna make you smile, gonna give you 100 percent. You deserve someone that’s not gonna make you feel like…this.” She holds your hands, just brushing her lips against the crevices of your knuckles.

“Shuri…I don’t need 100 percent. I just need you to be honest with me.”

She continues to look down, her tear stained cheeks gleaming against the sky’s reflection. You place your palm on her cheek, and she buries her face there. You love her. Oh how you love her.

“I want you to know I’m here for you, Shuri. And I love you…but I can’t keep up with this push and pull with you because everytime we get closer, you pull back, and it’s exhausting,” you choke up.

“I know, sthandwa, I know.”

“Then why do you keep doing that? It’s hurtful, but you know I can’t stay away from you, you KNOW how much I like you and being around you makes me feel…incredible. And sometimes it seems like you feel the same but then other times…not so much.”

Finally Shuri’s dark eyes meet yours.

“You know I love you, right?”

“No, actually I don’t know. I know you’re broken and I know you need love, but do you actually love me?”

“I do.”

“Then let me in. Let me be there for you.”

Silence.

“Shuri…please.”

“Don’t leave me,” she pleads.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. But I NEED to know that you’re not going anywhere either.”

“Everyone I love…dies.”

You sigh. Her hurt is so heavy, it seems like the atmosphere around grows thicker with each tear that’s shed, making it harder to breathe.

“Shuri--”

“No, listen to me y/n. Everyone I love dies. Do you understand that? It’s why I could never allow myself to fully give myself to you, because if I admit that I love you, then what happens? I can’t lose you. I just can’t, I need you, please don’t leave me,” she cries through shattered breaths. She is sobbing, her face buried into your hands as your knuckles collect every tear that streams down. The sight of her in complete and utter surrender to her brokenness forces you to pull her in, her head seeping into your chest as she weeps into the fabric of your shirt. You hold her like your life depends on it, like HER life depends on it.

“Sshhh, baby it’s ok. It’s ok baby, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, you hear me? I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here. It’s ok.” You repeat those words over and over again, as many times as necessary until she believes it. You hold her in your embrace, as her stifling sobs become less and less. Even when her sobs come to a halt, she lingers in your grasp, basking in your scent that she loves dearly. You remind her of home and you wanted to be her home, even if that meant having to deal with the reality of her shattered heart. It didn’t matter to you, because you were more than willing to pick up the pieces along the way and fix it like a 1000-piece puzzle. Shuri clears her throat, wiping the tears off her face as she comes back up to meet your gaze. Her face was puffy, her lips swollen from all her crying but even in this state she was beautiful and everything you could ever ask for. She caresses your face with her thumb, wiping away your tears as she finally brings you in for a kiss. Contrary to popular belief, this was your guys’ first kiss. Your lips press against her swollen ones as you relax into her. The world around you went black and white, the tree and Shuri being the splash of colour in the painted landscape surrounding you. She releases you from the passion of her lips and for the first time, everything was right.

“Let me take you home, yeah?”

“Mhmm.”

You guys kiss once more before leaving the comfort of the tree above.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The car ride allows Shuri to come back down, her sarcastic self returning after pouring her heart before you. This time, it felt lighter. Because even though you have always loved the part of her that was able to consistently bring laughter to your lips, you love it even more now that she has nothing to hide from you.

When you guys reach your apartment, Shuri continues with her usual gestures; unbuckling your seatbelt and opening the door for you. She follows you into your complex, leaning on the door frame in anticipation. On any other day, she would invite herself in without your permission but not this time.

“Can I come in?”

You chuckle at the question. “Of course you can come in.”

You get comfortable in your satin pink Victoria Secret Pyjama set, shorts with a matching button up top. You slide on your fluffy slippers and walk back out as Shuri is clicking away at netflix. Shuri laughs at the sight of you in your pj’s and you give her the finger.

“What? I think you look cute.”

You roll your eyes, taking your place beside her as she continues searching for a movie.

“I don’t see why everyone raves so much about netflix. There’s nothing good on here anyways,” she teases, setting the night on a good tune. You snatch the remote from her hand, looking for your favourite comfort movie.

“What are you looking for?”

“The Greatest Showman.”

“Say what now?”

You hit her on the shoulder, laughing at the way she bugs you.

“It’s a musical. It’s good.”

“Fuck a musical. Imagine if we actually broke into song in real life, that’s how stupid it looks.”

“You’re insane. Musicals are amazing.”

“Whatever. If you wanna watch it, then I wanna watch it.”

You rest your head on her lap as she caresses the curls on your head. She rudely takes the remote and pauses halfway through the movie.

“The fuck was that for? It’s not done.”

“I know, but I’m done. This is boring.”

You alter your position, the back of your head resting on her thighs as you look directly up at her. She lets out a crooked smile, and your heart trembles at the site of gold shimmering on her bottom teeth.

“Those look good on you. Like, really good on you.”

“Thanks, I made them myself.”

Of course she did.

“Well, what do you want to do then?” you ask, unsure if you’re hinting at something deeper or not.

“I wanna do whatever you wanna do.”

“Bullshit. I wanted to watch The Greatest Showma--”

“You know what I mean, nkosazana,” she cuts you off. “Don’t be difficult.”

There’s a brief moment of silence, as you ponder her words. It was all so much. Normally, she would tease you with just the right amount of sex just enough to get you aroused, making sure her grasp on you is still there, and do nothing to ease your sexual frustrations and it was almost hurtful. You desired her in every way possible, yet she denied you the pleasure of her. Was this time any different?

“Shuri, don’t. Every time you do this, you rile me up, get me wet and then leave me hanging. It’s annoying.”

“I get you wet?” she teases.

“Don’t act oblivious. You know you do and you do it on purpose.”

Shuri chuckles at the way you’re so easy to piss off.

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s kinda funny.”

You remove yourself from her lap, sighing in annoyance as your cunt grows damp…again. Shuri kisses you, and you moan into her mouth at the contact of her grills. You didn’t fully notice them earlier when you shared your first kiss, but now you do and your mind pictures the gold grazing other places, and that’s the end of it. The kissing becomes more and more aggressive, forcing you to straddle Shuri. You hover over her lap as you begin to grind lightly.

“Open your mouth,” Shuri whispers, low and husky in her demand. You obey, as Shuri slips her tongue inside, tasting the way you salivate for her. She grabs your waist, influencing the way you grind into her crotch and it makes your pussy pulse in desperation. She pauses as she admires you. You’re so worn down and tired, not only from the intense day you shared with her but because of the endless war you had between your mind and your heart for Shuri. She notices this, the way you crave her and this time she promises to ease your ache. She slides two of her fingers into the satin of your shorts, and feels the soaking wet arousal through your panties.

“Fuck baby, you’re soaking wet.”

You shut your eyes in embarrassment. Nothing is even happening and yet you feel like you can explode from Shuri’s words alone. It’s almost like this was her plan the whole time, to string you along and play with your emotions so when the time came, you would give in without difficulty. You bite your bottom lip as your light moans start to pool out. Your eyes soften as Shuri’s thumb presses your clit through the material of your panties. You rock into her, needing more.

“It’s ok sthandwa, I’ll take care of you. Here let’s get these off you.” Shuri slips the satin shorts off, continuing her slow and torturous movements over your clit. You tilt your head back a little, your breathing picking up as you softly beg for Shuri to give you more.

“Please Shuri, I need more,” you exhale. Shuri smiles, pulling you in for a kiss. She pushes your panties to the side, exposing your milky cunt. The wetness pulled with the material of your panties, making a mess on Shuri’s fingers.

“Bast y/n, how long have you been wet like this??”

“Since the car ride to the restaurant,” you shamelessly admit, trying to control the pace of your breathing. Your chest is heaving up and down, and Shuri rips the buttons of your shirt, your cleavage pushed into her face.

“I’m sorry for making you wait, sthandwa sami, I’ll make it up to you,” Shuri says, driving you insane. “You’re so beautiful,” Shuri continues, but your mind isn’t even fully there. You just want her, all of her.

“What is it you want from me?” Shuri teases, knowing exactly what you want but she wants to hear it from your own mouth. You’re so timid, but not timid enough to keep yourself from getting what you so clearly need from her.

“I want you inside of me,” you pant.

“Uthixo ntombazana (Good girl).”

Shuri takes her two fingers, wetting them with your pleasure before she slips them inside, pumping in out. She slowly, but surely, picks up the pace as you dig your head into her neck, moaning so closely into her ear as inspiration for her to keep going. You feel it everywhere, your whole body on fire as your pussy is screaming to release itself.

“I’m gonna stop pumping my fingers for a moment, sthwanda. I want you to bounce and ride my fingers, pretend it’s my dick, yeah? Wanna see your tits bounce in my face as you ride me,” Shuri softly demands.

“Ok,” is all you’re able to say in the midst of your pleasure. You start bouncing up and down, appreciating every stroke you feel rubbing up inside you. Your cunt is pulsing, twinging for more. You pick up the pace, your breasts bouncing up and down to the tempo of your movements as Shuri just sits there and watches the way your body trembles at her touch. You’re a moaning mess, every leap brings you that much closer to your release and you can feel it immensely. Shuri takes her thumb and circles your clit, forcing you to clutch onto her shoulders as you ride her out. Your head bucks backwards and your mouth is wide open as Shuri’s name falls out, your body sweating at the impact.

“Shuri…Shuri you feel so good inside of me. I wanna cum so bad in your hand.”

“I’ve got it from here y/n, you did so good,” Shuri assures as she proceeds to finger your cunt, curling them just right to hit the area you terribly needed her most. She quite literally finger fucks you, smiling wickedly at the way you surrender to her touch.

“Shuri I’m gonna cum, I can feel it.”

Shuri slides a third finger in, your pussy expands with ease like it was prepared beforehand. You moan her name unapologetically, dipping your head onto her shoulder as your grasp onto her thick curls. Shuri loves the feeling of your pussy widening as she pushes in and out you, assaulting your walls like your pussy belongs to her.

“I’m so close, baby, so so close. Please don’t stop.” Your mind is in another world, preparing your body for the celestial experience approaching the muscles in your cunt. Shuri slams inside you a few more times, allowing your core to finally release itself. Your eyes shut as tears pool out of your eyes. You moan Shuri’s name with confidence, as you bury your face into her neck once more.

“Oh my god, Shuri. UNH. Shuri…I…”

“I know baby, it’s ok. Let it out. Just let it out, it’s ok.”

“Oh my god, oh my fucking god…”

Shuri lets you ride out your high before she pulls out, your slick running down her hand.

“Again?” you desperately plead.

“What’s that, mama?”

“...again?”

“What do you need me to do, nkosazana?”

You get shy and bury your face into the palm of her hands. Shuri places a kiss on your forehead, easing you of your embarrassment. She unclips your bra, your breasts pooling in her face. She picks you up with her panther strength and lies you on your back.

“It’s ok baby, just tell me what you need.” Shuri pinches one of your hard, erect nipples and takes it into her mouth, caressing and fondling your other breast.

“I want you-”

“Mhmm?”

“I want you to touch me, or lick me, whichever one works, just please…please Shuri I need you.”

“I am touching and licking you.”

You can no longer take the teasing.

“My cunt. Please, fuck my cunt, please.”

Shuri smiles. “Anything for you, nkosazana.”

Shuri travels her way down your body, leaving nothing untouched. You are breathing heavily, you have quite literally never felt like this before. Shuri’s mouth approaches your thighs, but she stops to spread you open a little more, admiring the glistening pussy in front of her, wet with the desire that she created. She smiled, proud of the power she had on you. She begins placing kisses in between your thighs and you push your cunt forward, signalling your dire need for her mouth on you. Shuri laughs softly at the gesture.

“Don’t worry y/n, I’m getting there.” She plants a kiss on your throbbing clit, taking it into her mouth, sucking and kissing until it’s swollen. You are a mess, your mouth hanging open from the influence of Shuri’s tongue between your pussy lips. The coldness of her grill and the warmth of her tongue combine to create the most seraphic feeling.

“Do you want me to take these out?” Shuri asks, motioning to the gold layered on her bottom teeth.

“No, please don’t. Please, it feels so good, don't stop.”

Shuri obeys, taking her tongue into the flesh of your sex. Your back arches in response as her tongue meets your clit again.

“Shuri that feels so good, fuck.”

“I know, baby.”

“Please-please don’t stop, keep going.”

“Trust me, I’m not stopping anytime soon.”

Shuri lifts her face off, and looks at your swollen cunt. Her mouth glistened with a mixture of her own saliva and your pleasure. She takes two fingers and inserts them into you, forcing you to grip the fabric beneath.

“You’re so beautiful baby shit. I love the way your pussy wraps so tight around my fingers like that. Like you’re molded just for me.”

“Unh, yeah…I like it too,” you struggle to say amongst your pleasure.

Shuri cocks a smile and continues to pump in and out, placing her thumb on your clit once again. Both your eyes and head fall back, the palms of your hands tingle with warmth.You can feel the nerves around your clit tightening and the muscles inside you begin to shudder.

“Look at you baby, you’re a mess. All because of my touch.”

“Shu-Shuri?”

“Yes baby?”

“Can you put your mouth on me again? Your grills feel so good on my pussy, please.”

This makes Shuri wet herself, although she already was. Seeing the power she had on the beautiful goddess beneath her sent her cunt dripping. But her priority is making sure you cum multiple times before she does. It’s the least she can do after everything she’s put you through.

Without hesitation, Shuri lowers herself back down to your brown pussy. She takes her two fingers, using them to spread your labia open, paving way to the fleshy colour that hid beneath. The sheen glaze of your juices reminds Shuri of the way sap seeps out of trees back home.

“Bast y/n, you’re so wet. So wet and puffy for me.”

She sinks her mouth back down, licking and kissing your pussy lips as she continues to pump her fingers in and out. She takes your clit back into her mouth and slightly bites, sending your mind into hysteria. The mixture of pain and pleasure, along with warmth of her tongue is almost enough to send you over the edge right then and there. And the grills. The grills just feel so fucking good grinding against your clit and pussy lips.

“Yes Shuri, that feels so good. Unh, I want to cum please.”

Shuri lifts herself off and removes her fingers, leaving you completely untouched and it’s unbearable. Shuri notices this and reassures you.

“I’m going to make you cum ok? I can feel your pussy throb on my mouth, y/n.” She climbs back up, placing a kiss on your forehead as she caresses your face. “You’re so beautiful, I can’t believe I made you wait this long.”

She makes her way back down, splaying your knees over her shoulders so she can reach depths you didn’t even know you had. She laps away, making strategic movements with her tongue into and around your pussy, making sure her grills are making contact with your enlarged clit. You're digging your hands into Shuri’s curls, trying not to grasp too tightly but you also cannot help it. You ride her face, circling your hips to apply more pressure. Shuri moans into you as the world around you goes silent, with nothing but the sound of raw lust spilling out of your throat mixed in with the wet commotion of Shuri’s tongue against you.

“Shuri? Shuri I have to cum,“ you whimper.

“Try to hold on a bit longer nkosazana, I’m not quite done. You think you can do that for me?”

“Ye--Yeah. I think so.”

“Good girl.”

You pause your circling hip motions, allowing Shuri to just eat you out. It takes every ounce of muscle in your body to not cum at that very moment, and it makes you squirm in anticipation. Shuri continues lapping away, consuming you like she’s starving. The room around you begins to settle somewhere between a blur and a galaxy with all its colours. You were going to cum, your pussy pleading to spill into Shuri’s mouth. You cross your legs around Shuri, basically putting her into a headlock. Her face is completely drowned into your wet cunt, as you proceed to ride her face. You can feel the blood flow between your thighs increase, causing the blood vessels in your pussy to dilate.You hyperfocus on the way Shuri’s grills play with your clit and it sends you over the edge. You feel it everywhere, from the back of your neck all the way down to the soles of your feet. Your eyes roll back as your mouth drops open, moaning in your utmost satisfaction as your heart pulses almost as fast as the nerves in your pussy.

“Oh my, OH MY FUCKING GOD, UNH. Holy fuck…shit Shuri. FUCK.”

You unlock Shuri from your leg grip, as she comes up and kisses you on the mouth making sure you taste your own pleasure that gleams against her dark skin.

“You’re incredible,” she says into your mouth, trying to catch her own breath.

You blush, still attempting to grasp reality as you push through your orgasmic high. She was more than you had ever imagined, surpassing every sexual fantasy you had of her prior to this very moment.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that, y/n.” Shuri helps you put your pyjamas back on, and you’re trying so hard not to fall asleep. Shuri cradles you into her chest, placing kisses all over your head once again.

“So you’re a ‘sleep after sex’ type person? Duly noted,” Shuri teases.

“Shuri?”

“Yes y/n?”

“Stay with me tonight, please.”

Shuri lets out a mellow smile. “I’m not leaving you. Ever.”

She plays with your curls, delicately placing her fingers between each coil.

“I…I just want to say I’m sorry, for all the shit I put you through. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

You look up at her, her brokenness piercing through those brown eyes you love so dearly.

“Shuri, nevermind all that. Just be with me, yeah?”

Shuri lets out a sigh of relief, a single tear escaping her tear duct.

“I love you so, so much,” she says. You know the strength it took for her to say that, to admit the love she carried after losing almost everyone that came before you. You’re so proud of her, so in love with every ounce of her being that it sets your body in an overwhelming fire. But the heat only cleared the path to the love you wanted to give her, the love she deserved after the world ripped everything she ever cared about.

“I love you, Shuri. Always.”

This is it. This is all you need. All you both need. You fall asleep in each other's arms, as you dream about the big tree. This time there was no brokenness, no pain. Nothing but love and genuine happiness as you kissed her underneath the tree’s embrace. ❁ཻུ۪۪♡

#shuri x you #smut #fluff #shuri black panther #shuri fanfiction #shuri smut #shuri x reader #shuri fluff #sub!y/n

[mccnstruck]

watching you paint the skies

characters: kazuha x gn!reader

tags: ANGST, angst no comfort, major character death, mutual pining except they never got together

a/n: hi !! i’m back from hiatus, but idk if im gonna be writing anytime soon after this. maybe? who knows. but, this is for @mishantics for @solarisfortuneia’s summer santa event !! i hope you enjoy <3

“1…2…3…Up!” 

“Hmph!”

A loud thump rang through the Crux as the crew members made sure it was set to travel along with the other cargo. 

 One of the crew members scanned her eyes around the cargo before giving a thumbs-up to the crew below. “Alright, that’s the last of them!” 

“Thank the archons. After the Sakoku Degree was lifted, it seems like all the cargo has piled up during that time!”

The crew member looked around Liyue Harbor before sighing. “Definitely. You never realize how much people connect with each other until it’s taken away from you.”  

The crew members above shared an agreed nod. One of them spoke up. “My husband was stuck during the Degree, and man… was it the most painful time of my life.”

“Same with my son! He had a thesis he had to complete and knowing he had a vision made my heart tighten every night. I wouldn’t even know if my son was dead or alive with every sunrise that woke me up.”

“Thank the archons the degree has been lifted.” 

The silence that rose between the crew wasn’t awkward, considering they’d spent a lot of time working in silence. It was instead filled with gratitude, that they were able to work in a place where they connected families and loved ones together. It was of gratitude to see their family in a situation where they didn’t know if they would see them again. 

The scribbling of a pen stopped and ears perked up. The white-haired poet looked up at the unusually solemn crew and was about to ask if they were alright, but was suddenly interrupted by a flash of light before it erupted into loud cracks of thunder. 

Not only did crew members look up, but the people roaming through Liyue’s shops looked to the skies as well. The sky looked as if a brush stroked the skies using the sun’s rays as paint. The red and oranges and blues all clashed all while the thundering clouds as threats of rain roamed through Liyue Harbor. 

“Woah…!”

“Just gorgeous…” 

“What a beauty…” 

Besides the occasional flinch when thunder struck, Kazuha sat in awe of the skies. How they could be so fierce and still capture everyone’s eyes. Oh, how they could leave Kazuha, possessor of the vision of wind, breathless.

His eyes widened as he swore to archons he heard your laugh when the thunder roared again. And oh, how his heart yearned for you like the day he heard your final laugh, slowly losing the charm he could never find in anyone else. 

The memories of you lying there; leaving your mark on the ground to everyone else with red haunted Kazuha. 

That day, he ran faster than when he was being chased by soldiers. He ran faster than when news spread of his friend being killed by the Shogun. He ran faster than the rain pelted down onto the ground. 

That day, he ran so fast he thought he was going to black out from the sudden adrenaline in his bones.

He fell to his knees next to you and almost felt like his own heart was shot from pain. 

When he took your cold hands in his, he knew. You weren’t going to walk out of this battlefield alive. And miraculously, knowing this as well, you smiled at him. 

“Kazuha…” 

“Yes, my de-”, Kazuha stopped his sentence. 

You softly laughed, and Kazuha wished, prayed that he could hear that laugh anywhere else. Anywhere else but here.  

“Ever so hesitant. I should’ve-” you coughed, before continuing,” I should’ve asked you out to that nice restaurant since you haven’t.” 

Your eyes screamed declarations of love, and Kazuha wishes he saw how you looked at him before. 

Tears welled up in Kazuha’s eyes, joining the rain that poured down. Your hands shakily wiped them off his face, and he relished in your touch.

“I…I’ll be waiting by that restaurant then. Would you get the flowers I like too…?”

You smile. “Of course.”

Your cough was harder to ignore, and the rapid decrease of warmth in your skin wasn’t ignored by Kazuha. He gritted his teeth; he wanted to tell you (mostly himself) that you would be alright. That somehow, you would still be alive. But he hated lying to you, and it already seemed you knew it too. 

“Kazuha.”

His tears fell, as he desperately pleaded, “Please. Don’t go. Don’t leave…”

Your last tears fell onto the ground, as the smile on your face was too painful to bear. 

“I love you, Kazuha.” 

Your breath was shallow. He gasped for air himself, and suddenly he felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

Your eyes slowly closed, taking in one more longing glance at Kazuha. 

He gasped, “I…”

He cradled your face, now cold as the raindrops falling. Cold as the soldiers who took you from this world.

Who took you from him. 

He slowly lifted your body, as your name in his mouth felt like iron on his tongue. 

You were gone.

You were gone. 

Kazuha wondered if you were in the skies. Laughing with the storm up ahead; painting the reds and oranges. 

If you were still here, Kazuha would’ve said that you’re putting on a show for everyone, since they could all see it. If you were still here, you would’ve said that your eyes were only focused on his own. 

If you only…

“Kazuha!” 

He jumped in his seat and looked back to see the same crew member who was helping with the cargo. 

She smiled. “Sorry for scaring you, but we were wondering if you wanted to go to the harbor and grab a drink. The weather seems like it’s gonna delay our trip for a while.” 

Kazuha smiled back. “Of course. Let me grab my things. I’ll catch up with you guys.”

She grinned. “Great! We’ll meet you on the dock,” she said, leaving Kazuha to himself and making her way down. 

Kazuha picked up his journal and stared one last time at the emerging clouds. 

You were a force to be reckoned with, Kazuha thought. Sometimes how you stepped forward to anything brought him chills. 

His vision went blurry, as he pulled his sleeve to his eyes. He could only whisper for you to keep painting the skies for him and only him. He held out his pinky and looked towards the skies.

The thunder roared again, followed by a strong gust of wind. The wind promised Kazuha to guide him in his endeavors and to always lead him to you; all he had to do was look up and watch the sunset as you splashed paints onto the skies.

Kazuha attempted to wipe his tears, but the wind beat him to it; the cold air soothing his tear-stained face. He softly laughed, as he knew you would forever comfort him with your cheeky little ways. He grabbed his things and finally stood up, walking down to the dock to meet with the crew. 

Kazuha looked to the skies once more, seeing himself in you. The corners of his mouth lifted as the final teardrop hit the wood below him. 

"Wait for me, ok? I'll be there one day, painting the skies with you."

He paused. 

"I…I love you too."

The wind blew a kiss to his cheek as a final goodbye, before making its way through the buildings of Liyue and through the mountains, leaving Kazuha once more.

reposting or plagiarizing of my works is not allowed under any circumstances.

#kazuha #kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha #kazuha x gn reader #kazuha x gender neutral reader #gn!reader #gender neutral reader #[ the lost library ] #damn. #writing these tags before posting almost feels nostalgic #genshin x reader #genshin #genshin angst #genshin fanfic #genshin impact

[atinylittlepain]

Firehouse Harrington - Chapter 6

fireman!Steve x f!reader/f!oc

series masterlist

It's Thanksgiving and Steve is trying to be better for his girl (what's new?) but he's going to be tested when someone from his past comes to visit.

warnings | 18+ SMUT, actually pretty sweet sex but also some nasty stuff too bc... it's steve, angst, EMOTIONS everywhere, my lord

a/n | um, this one is long, babes. but it's also very sweet, at least for steve. enjoy :)

It’s Thanksgiving day, and Steve’s at the station, and in the doghouse. He was supposed to be spending today with his girl, but when he got back to work on Monday and the chief was asking who could pick up Thanksgiving, Steve had volunteered himself like he always did, not even thinking about how this year he actually had someone he could spend the day with. When he called her that night and admitted what he had done, the disappointment in the sigh she let out went right down his spine. Since last week, Steve had been trying to be on his best behavior. It had scared him, watching her get ready to walk out the door and never come back, mostly because he hadn’t realized just how much it’d destroy him if she actually did it. He knew it was inevitable, she’d find something better, if not someone better, and she would leave. But Steve wanted to hang onto her as long as he could, keep chasing that ray of sun until he was left back in the shade. However, it was seeming that no matter how hard he tried, he just kept fucking up.

“Well, okay, Steve. I guess we could do it on Saturday instead? Why don’t we invite Robin to join us too? She told me she’d be back in town after Friday.” Steve had tried not to groan at that. He really didn’t like that she and Robin seemed to have become fast friends. His jaw had all but dropped on the floor when she had jokingly called him “king Steve” one day, telling him with a laugh that Robin had shared a few memories with her. But, he was trying to be better, and being better meant agreeing to having Robin over for their makeshift Thanksgiving.

The actual holiday was always a bit of a clusterfuck for the station. Idiots trying to deep fry their birds seven different ways, grandmas setting off smoke alarms with cigars from the “old country,” and for some reason, hoosiers had a particular affinity for setting off fireworks after they were good and stuffed with butter and carbs. They had several calls throughout the day, but by the time seven o’clock rolled around, the city of Indianapolis seemed to be good and sedated by turkey, and Steve and the other men working that day were finally pulling back into the station for hopefully the last time that night. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was to see someone sitting on the stoop outside the door to the station. As they’re stepping down from the truck, the person rounds the corner of the garage and Steve’s heart kicks in his chest when he sees that it’s his girl, all bundled up in the frigid night and carrying two large bags that Steve recognizes from the burger joint down the block. He’s left speechless as she toes her way into the garage, a small smile on her face as she tilts her head at him, lifting up the bags.

“It’s not exactly turkey, but I figure it’ll do under the circumstances.” The other two men Steve’s working with tonight are young rookies, all the older men having family to be at home with, and they're watching her like she’s a damn angel descending from heaven. Steve finally cracks into action, a grin splitting his face as he takes one of the bags from her and wraps an arm around her waist.

“Miller, Thompson, this is my girl.”

…

Luckily, because they are rookies, the two other men have yet to get steeped in the misogyny that runs rampant in the station, and are nothing but polite to her as they welcome her in and help her lay out food on the kitchen counter. Steve would normally hate the idea of her coming around here, but with the rest of the crew gone, and after another stupidly tedious holiday shift, all he can do is smile like a dope as she feeds him a french fry. His two coworkers thank her profusely, loading their arms up with food and heading to their bunks to give the couple “some alone time.” Steve barely nods at their words, too focused on her leaning back against the counter and sipping a milkshake. Once the two men are gone, Steve finally clears his throat.

“Um– I wasn’t– you” She just laughs, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Just eat your burger, Harrington. You can thank me later.”

They sit on the grubby sofa in the station, eating and talking quietly. Steve tells her about the man who had tried to build his own deep fryer and ended up setting off a small explosion in his backyard that sent his turkey flying through an upstairs window of the house next door. Her laugh is contagious and they both end up gasping for breath at the ridiculousness of the story. Steve can’t remember the last time he laughed so hard. 

Food wrappers abandoned, they both slump back into the couch, heads tilted lazily to look at each other. He brings his palm down to stroke up and down her thigh, letting out a sigh.

“Thank you. For this. You didn’t have–” She cuts him off, scooting closer and resting her hand on his chest.

“Steve, I wanted to. And you’re very welcome.” For once, he drops it, simply smiling and dipping forward to drop a quick kiss to her lips before pulling back.

“Did you, uh, talk to your folks today?” She nods. She had explained to him that her family lived across the country on the west coast and while she was still on talking terms with them, she avoided going home as much as possible. Steve could certainly understand that.

“Yeah, I did. I told them about you.” His heart jolts up into his throat at her words, eyebrows raising. He squeezes her thigh.

“You did?” She smiles, nodding again.

“Mmhmm. My sister thinks it’s hot that you’re a fireman.” He sputters out a laugh, shaking his head, but she seems to have something else in mind, carding her fingers through his hair to get him to look at her.

“I’m inclined to agree with her.” With that, she’s shifting on the couch to swing her leg over his hip, straddling his thighs and wrapping her arms around his neck. Steve’s hands instinctively go to the plush of her thighs, fingers flexing. She’s already nosing along his neck, making Steve shiver, but he collects himself enough to speak, making her still in his lap.

“Hey, hey. We can’t, baby. Not here with those guys just a wall away.” She whines into his neck.

“Steve–”

“No. I’m serious, doll, you better watch it.” She huffs, and when she finally pulls back from his neck, she gives him an actual pout that he can’t help but surge forward to kiss away. But when he pulls back, there’s a new glint in her eyes. She leans forward, grazing her lips along his ear before whispering.

“What if we took this somewhere else, Stevie?” He both hates and loves it when she calls him that and it makes him groan. 

“You know I can’t leave the station, baby.” She grins.

“Who said anything about leaving the station?”

That’s how Steve finds himself in the jumpseat of one of the firetrucks with her in his lap, gasping between sloppy kisses as he squeezes her ass to grind her down against him. He pulls back with a lewd pop, looking into her wild eyes.

“You know, doll, I didn’t get any dessert.” She doesn’t seem to follow where he’s going with this, scoffing and rolling her eyes.

“Are you serious right now? Steve, you had a milkshake, was that not sweet enough for–” She’s cut off when he lands a harsh smack to her ass, making her gasp and lurch forward into his chest.

“Watch that tone, pretty. And what I want a taste of is a lot sweeter than any milkshake.” His other hand digs into the front of her jeans, cupping her wet heat and she seems to get it now, whimpering out a soft “oh” at his harsh touch. He strokes through her folds, dipping his fingers into her entrance and dragging the wetness pooling there up to her clit as she grinds down into his palm. He presses a kiss to her temple before dragging his lips along her cheek to speak into her ear.

“Stand up, baby. We’re gonna switch spots and then daddy’s gonna have his dessert.” He helps her up, not missing how shaky she seems to be on her legs, before helping her peel off her jeans and panties as she sits back in the car seat. Steve kneels between her legs, pressing a kiss to the inside of each of her knees before drawing them over his shoulders and dragging her ass to the edge of the seat. It’s cramped, there’s no two ways about it, her feet pressing into the wall of the cab behind him and her hands trying to find purchase on the roof of the truck as he starts to work her over. She’s a writhing mess as he licks long, lazy strokes through her folds, sighing and huffing above him. He leans back just to spit on her cunt, watching the way it drips down to mix with her own wetness. She whimpers under his hard gaze.

“Daddy, please don’t tease me– need it bad.” He chuckles before landing a slap to the inside of her thigh, causing her to yelp.

“Don’t be pushy, doll. Daddy’s gonna take all the time he wants. Because this pretty little pussy is all mine, yeah?” She nods, letting out a breathy “mmhmm” when he kisses her clit.

“And I can do whatever I want with it, right, baby?” She nods again, but he wants more from her and lays a quick smack against her clit that makes her hips buck in his hold. It’s a whine when she speaks.

“Yes, daddy. S’all yours– you can do whatever you want– just, please–” He shushes her.

“S’okay, pretty. I’ve got you. So fucking sweet. Daddy’s gonna take care of you.” His last words come out a murmur as he dips back into her cunt, licking into her before sweeping up to her clit and sucking hard around the little bud. The moan she lets out makes his brain go hazy with her as she drags her fingers through his hair, pulling lightly at the roots as he continues to lick at her clit. She starts to grind her hips against his mouth and Steve groans.

“That’s it, doll. Take what you want. Fuck, you taste so good.” She preens at his words, arching out of the car seat as he slips two fingers into her. 

“Feels so good, daddy– p-please don’t stop.” He can feel her already tightening up on his fingers as he pumps them into her.

“You close, baby? You gonna come on daddy’s fingers?” She nods frantically, her eyes scrunched shut as she lets out a high-pitched “mmhmm.” 

“I want your eyes on me when you come. Open those pretty eyes for me, doll.” When she doesn’t listen, he slips his other hand up her front to harshly grip her jaw, making her eyes shoot open as she gasps at the pain.

“That’s it, pretty. Eyes on me.” He dips back down, sucking and nipping at her clit while he fucks her with his fingers. She comes with a broken sigh, hips jerking in his hold as she spasms around his fingers. Steve thinks he could die happy in this position, between the softness of her thighs with the pretty sounds of her breathy whimpers ringing in his ears. He finally pulls away, leaving a sloppy kiss to each of her thighs. As he wipes her slick from his chin with the back of his hand, he takes in the sight of her, flushed and slumped down in the seat. She quirks an eyebrow at him.

“Your sweet tooth satisfied now?” He grins palming his aching hardness as he looks her over.

“Way better than pumpkin pie.”

…

“Steve? Can you go pick up the pumpkin pie this morning? The bakery opens at ten but I need to get to work on all this cooking.” He cranes his neck from where he’s sitting on the couch, his heart squeezing at the sight of her in his kitchen. She’s the sweetest image in one of his sweatshirts, an apron tied around her hips hiding the fact that she’s also only wearing a pair of his boxers. But his attention is quickly pulled to the seeming bomb of ingredients that’s gone off across his countertops. He gets up, shuffling into the kitchen and watching her poring over a cookbook.

“Yeah, I’ll go, um– are you sure we need to make this much food? S’just you, me, and Robin.” She stills where she had been flipping through the book. 

“Babe? It is just you, me, and Robin, right?” She finally looks at him, offering a very nervous little smile. Steve feels like he’s going to blow a gasket already but she’s quick to slide over to him in her socked feet, pressing her palms into his chest and rubbing lightly.

“Look, don’t freak out, ok? But Robin told me one of your other friends was in town this weekend and I may have told her to invite him.” Steve blinks hard a few times.

“You what?” She huffs.

“Steve, don’t get weird. He’s a friend of yours after all.”

“He? Who– who is he?” She furrows her brow.

“Crap, I can’t actually remember his name. Um, something Munyan– wait, no– uh, Munroe?” Steve’s jaw goes slack.

“Are you telling me Eddie Munson is coming to dinner?” Her face splits into a grin and she slaps his chest lightly.

“That’s it! Robin told me it’s been a while since he’s been back in Indiana so it’ll be nice for you all to catch up.” She’s smiling so brightly at him it’s hard to stay mad at her. Steve’s taken to counting to ten to keep himself from saying things he knows he shouldn’t. It works, sometimes. He finally huffs, scrunching his eyes shut before looking at her again and nodding.

“Alright, alright. I’ll um– I guess I’ll go get that pie.” She lands a quick kiss to his lips, grinning up at him again.

“Good. Be quick, yeah? You’re on turkey duty.”

…

The later in the day it gets, the tighter the knot in Steve’s stomach winds. He hasn’t seen Eddie in years, not since Steve went overseas. All he knew was that Eddie had moved down south, seeking the money that was to be made working the oil rigs in the gulf of Mexico. He never wrote, never called, and he figured that Eddie liked it that way, putting everything behind him and Steve couldn’t blame him for that. 

The only thing keeping Steve sane is her, dancing around him in the kitchen, a swirl of chopping vegetables and filling up casserole dishes. He’s never cooked a turkey before, never any reason to, but he takes to the task diligently because he wants to impress her. The sun is just starting to set as he leans back against the counter, bird in the oven and dish towel over his shoulder. He swats her hands away as she goes to peek into the oven and she scoffs at him.

“S’almost done, baby, go get changed.” She smiles, looking down at her now smudged-up apron over her pantsless legs.

“Get changed? What’s wrong with this?” He slides over to her, grabbing her hips and squeezing as she laughs in his grip. He plants a few mushy kisses to her lips, murmuring about how she’s “such a menace” in between them until she finally pulls away to saunter into his bedroom with a huff. A sting runs through his chest as, for a moment, he can imagine them doing this for the rest of their lives, his mind wandering to the image of a baby on her hip as they shuffle around their kitchen. He has to scrub a harsh hand through his hair to clear the thought from his mind. 

His brain is further scattered when the doorbell rings. Steve freezes, but luckily she’s just then coming back out of his bedroom wearing that dress he loves, fixing an earring as she marches over to the door. 

Steve hears him before he sees him. First there’s the sound of her and Robin greeting each other. But Steve would recognize that raspy voice anywhere.

“Well, hello. You must be the catch Robs has been telling me about. Blink twice if Harrington’s holding you against your will.” Yep, that’s Munson alright.

Eddie comes flouncing into the kitchen, her and Robin following behind. Steve thinks that he looks about the same. His hair is a little shorter, but otherwise, he’s still got that shit-eating grin that Steve remembers. Eddie’s eyes crinkle when he sees Steve, already opening his arms up for a hug that Steve was not expecting.

“Long time no see, big boy, bring it in.” 

They get all the food laid out on the dining table, everyone humming at how good everything looks and Steve feels a warm bloom of pride in his chest that he did this, with his girl, together. She squeezes his hand as they all sit down, offering him a smile and Steve thinks for a minute that it’ll be alright after all. And then Eddie opens his mouth.

“So Robin told me you’re, like, super smart. Is that why you’re with Steve? Are you running experiments on him?” Steve would like to drag him across the table and knock his lights out right then, but she takes it in stride, laughing politely.

“Oh, god, no. It’s, um, actually kinda funny how we met. Steve was on duty when there was a fire in my dorm and, uh, the rest is history I guess.” It’s a total lie, and Steve loves her for it as she glances at him out of the corner of her eye, a small reassurance. 

The rest of the dinner goes off as smooth as it can. Eddie tells them about his time down in the gulf (“back-breaking stuff, man. I still get the heebies anytime I fill up my car”) and explains that he’s planning on coming back to Indiana for good, using the money he saved up to go back to school to become a teacher. Steve can’t help but snort at that and Eddie tilts his head at him.

“Something funny, Stevie?” Steve shrugs.

“Can’t imagine you being a teacher, Munson. I don’t remember you caring much for school.” Eddie chuckles, shaking his head.

“People change, Steve, you know that better than most. Besides, I’ll be teaching music, not boring bullshit.” Her eyes are darting between the men, Robin looking on a bit nervously as well. It’s meaningless jabs, but Eddie’s “you know better than most” has a weight to it that everyone seems to pick up on. She eventually clears her throat, squeezing Steve’s hand as she smiles at Eddie.

“Well, I think that’s great, Eddie. You know, there’s really interesting MRI research coming out about how good music is for our brains. They’re starting to use it as palliative treatment for people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.” It’s a successful maneuver away from whatever the elephant in the room is. Eddie rests his chin in his palm as he looks at her.

“I’ll be damned, is that right? Tell me more, sweetheart, that sounds wild.”

It’s over dessert that Eddie excuses himself for a smoke break. She and Robin are chatting easily over cups of coffee and slices of pie. Steve squeezes her shoulder, murmuring that he’s going to go keep Eddie company.

Steve gets outside just as Eddie’s lighting up, leaning up against the wall of his apartment building. He grins around his cigarette.

“You wanna bum one, Harrington? Or did you quit?” Steve waves him off, leaning on the wall next to him.

“Been trying to at least. She’ll kill me if she smells it on me.” Eddie laughs, whistling lowly.

“So you’re whipped, huh?” Steve scoffs, going to protest  but Eddie continues.

“It’s a good look on you, man. You seem– I don’t know– lighter.” Steve raises an eyebrow at him, but Eddie just shrugs.

“I’m just saying. You better hold onto that one. She’s the real deal.” Steve sighs.

“Yeah, I know, Ed.” There’s a beat of silence before Eddie speaks again.

“Robs told me you had another close call.” Steve huffs at that, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re getting older, Harrington. Don’t you think it’s time you–” Steve turns on him, his eyes flashing and Eddie puts up his hands in surrender.

“Did she put you up to this?” Eddie’s face scrunches in confusion.

“What? No, man. But I can’t blame her if she’s saying the same thing. Listen, Steve, I get it, really. Why do you think I went running down south to work my ass off on a fucking rig? It wasn’t exactly for the scenery.” Eddie sighs, blowing out a puff of smoke before going on.

“But, it’s just stupid. Trying to keep running, to keep fighting. You– we deserve to get on with life.  At least that’s what I figure.” Steve sighs, plucking the cigarette right from Eddie’s mouth and taking a long drag before handing it back to him. Eddie glances at him.

“What did you wanna do? Before?” Steve laughs, shaking his head.

“I didn’t have a fucking clue what I wanted to do. I was working shit jobs that went nowhere, even before.” Eddie offers him the cigarette again and Steve takes it with a muttered “don’t fucking tell her” that makes Eddie laugh.

“Well, listen, as your friend? I’m telling you that you deserve to figure out what the fuck you actually want to do, not what numbs your brain out enough to forget the past.” Steve just nods, stamping out the butt before glancing back at Eddie.

“So, you’re really back for good?” Eddie grins, nodding.

“Certified, man. I’m starting at IU after the holidays.” Steve chuckles.

“Eddie Munson, a college man. Who would’ve thought.” 

“Hey, if I can do it, so can you, Harrington. Think about it.” They both sigh and Steve kicks off the wall.

“I will, really. C’mon, we should head back up. I fear what those two could accomplish left alone together.” Eddie chuckles, clapping Steve on the back.

“It’s good to be back, Steve. And it’s good to see you found someone. She’s a keeper, man.”

“I know, Ed. I know.” 

…

She sends Robin and Eddie off with tin-foil wrapped plates stacked high with leftovers and Steve tries not to blow a fuse when Eddie lays a wet, smacking smooch to her cheek, grinning like the devil he is before slinking out the door. Robin huffs, smiling apologetically at her.

“Apologies for the large man-child, he means well. Thank you guys for Thanksgiving part two though, it was great!” Steve draws his friend into a brisk side hug before she’s out the door as well. His girl shuts the door, turning and looking at him with a broad smile.

“Well?” He raises his eyebrows at her as she pads over to him, drawing her palms up his chest to wrap behind his neck. She presses a soft kiss to his lips.

“Was it a good thanksgiving?” Steve huffs, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer against him.

“Munson aside? First good one I ever had, doll.” That earns him a grin and she leans in for another kiss that he tries to deepen, chasing after her lips but to no avail.

“We make a good team, baby.” Steve hums at that, once again trying to steal another kiss but she slides her palms down to press into his chest again.

“Gotta clean up, team.” He groans, but reluctantly follows her back into the kitchen to tackle the mess of dishes that’s been left in the aftermath of dinner. It’s quiet and it’s easy as they work. She washes and he dries, and again Steve feels that sting in his chest imagining them doing this after putting their imaginary kids to bed. He knows it’s ridiculous to even think this way. She’s never even mentioned wanting or not wanting kids, and why would she? Still, part of him can’t help but hope that there’s even a small chance she’d want her future to have him in it. He’s brought out of his head by the sound of her humming as she scrubs another pan. He sets down his dishtowel, sliding behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he digs his nose into her neck, breathing her in. She huffs under his attention.

“We’re not done, Steve.” He groans, his voice coming out as a mumble into her skin.

“There’s only, like, two pans left, babe. I say we’re done for tonight.” She gives in, setting the pan she had been working on down in the sink and drying her hands off on a rag before letting her palms rest over his forearms circling her waist. Steve starts to press kisses up the sweep of her neck, his teeth grazing the hinge of her jaw as she shudders in his arms.

“Look so pretty, tonight, honey. Wearing my favorite dress.” She sighs, letting him sway them a little side to side as he continues to nip at her skin.

“Wore it for you. Was trying to distract you from being so pissed off at Eddie.” Steve huffs into her neck, drawing his hands down to palm the swell of her thighs.

“It worked. Think I would’ve throttled him if I didn’t have you next to me.” She sighs as his hands continue to run up and down the outside of her thighs, ghosting over her hips before dipping back down to thumb at the hem of her dress. She twists in his hold, threading her fingers through the back of his hair and looking up at him in a way that makes his hands shake. Her voice is just a whisper when she speaks.

“I love you, Steve.” He feels his face melt into a smile, pulling her closer by her waist.

“You do?” She grins, nodding, and they kiss around their shared dopey smiles. Steve pulls away, pressing his forehead against hers.

“Fuck, baby– I love you so much.” And with that he’s diving in for a deeper kiss that makes her gasp into his mouth as he licks into her. Without knowing it, he’s walking her back until she’s pressed into the counter, hoisting her up onto it and settling between her legs. Her fingers start to fumble with the buttons of his shirt and Steve’s quick to help her, pulling it up over his head and tossing it aside. Her palms smooth up his chest, and she hooks her legs behind his thighs to draw him in closer. He breaks away to lay kisses along her shoulder, reaching back to tug the zipper of her dress down until it’s loose enough for her to shrug out of the sleeves. Taking in the sight of her, Steve lets out a low groan.

“Baby, no bra?” She grins and shrugs.

“Doesn’t work with the dress, Stevie.” He huffs, not really answering as he’s already dipping down to lay harsh bites across the tops of her breasts. She gasps as he takes one of her nipples into his mouth, teeth grazing the bud until she’s tugging lightly at his hair to pull him back up for a kiss that’s all pressing tongues and harsh gasps. Her hands wander again, this time down to his belt but Steve’s quick to grab hold of both her wrists in one palm.

“Hey, hey. Lemme take care of you first, doll.” She sighs, her brow furrowing.

“Just want you, daddy. Wanna feel you.” Steve feels like his head is going to explode at her words and the way she’s looking up at him from under her eyelashes. He tries to steady himself, guiding her palms to rest on his bare chest.

“Just Steve tonight, alright, pretty? Want you to say my name while I fuck you.” She smiles at that, dragging her hands up to clasp behind his neck and pull him into another kiss, pulling away just so their lips are barely brushing and whispering “ok, Steve.” Something in him snaps at her sweet words and he grips the plush of her ass, murmuring for her to wrap her legs around him, and he hoists her up off the counter as they continue to smear sloppy kisses into each other’s skin.

He starts to pad out of the kitchen, but his foot gets caught on the rug in front of the sink and they both wind up on the floor. She’s dissolving into laughter underneath him as he presses up onto his hands to check that she’s not hurt. She’s not, but Steve’s ego might be. She catches the furrowed look on his face and sighs.

“Don’t pout, baby. You were just being efficient. Now we don’t have to go all the way to the bedroom.” He can’t help but laugh at that, shaking his head at her words.

“Always such a smart mouth.” She doesn’t get a reply in as he dips down to steal another sloppy kiss. Steve thinks fleetingly that they probably look like a mess. They’re sprawled out on his kitchen floor, her dress all rucked around her hips, his belt buckle hanging open. But he doesn’t care, not when she’s drawing his hips down into hers by hooking her leg around his ass. Steve smacks one more kiss to her lips before leaning back to drag her dress the rest of the way down her hips, his hands skating back up her legs to slide her panties off too. He sits back on his haunches, fumbling with his belt, taking in her splayed figure as she tilts her head and grins at him. His hands still.

“What’re you looking at, doll?” 

“You, Steve. So lovely like this.” He huffs at her words, knowing that if he thinks too hard about them he’ll dissolve right on the spot. He quickly shrugs his pants and boxers down enough to slide his aching cock out, leaning back over her and running the tip through her folds. They both sigh at the contact, and she rucks one knee up to his hip, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he dips into her. He stills for a moment, searching her face.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to work you open first, pretty?” She scrunches her face, tilting her hips to try to coax him deeper but he brings one palm down to the softness of her belly, pressing her into stillness.

“Hey. Need your words, doll. Be good for me, huh?” She frowns, brushing some of his hair out of his face.

“I just wanna feel you, Steve. Want you inside me.” He presses a kiss to her pouted lips, letting his hips roll forward with a deep groan. She arches up into him when his hips finally press against hers, offering up the arc of her throat for him to nose along as she sighs. 

“Always so perfect for me, doll– fuck– tell me when I can move.” She tells him on a breathy exhale that she’s ready and he lets his lips smear over hers as he pulls out, slowly rolling into a rhythm that pushes and pulls both their bodies. It feels different, and not just because they’re splayed on his kitchen floor. Something heady is pulling at the hilt of his spine, pressing his thrusts deeper as she cants her hips to meet him. He’s devouring her, swallowing her gasps and whimpers as he licks into her mouth. It’s embarrassing how quickly the pleasure is closing in around him. 

“Feels so good, Steve– so full– fuck, don’t stop.” She dissolves into a cracked chant of his name and Steve’s head is swimming in it.

He brings his hand up to her jaw, skating his thumb along her bottom lip. She’s quick to wrap her mouth around the digit, laving her tongue over the pad of his thumb and it makes Steve’s eyes roll back in his head. He takes his thumb from her mouth with a lewd pop, bringing his hand town to swipe over her clit. Her hips jerk in his hold and he feels her clench down hard around him.

“Fuck, baby– need you to come for me– need to feel it so bad.” She whimpers his name, eyes scrunching closed as her nails dig into his shoulder blades. 

“Eyes on me, pretty. Wanna see you when you come– c’mon, baby.” Her eyes blow wide as she lets out a broken cry and the way she pulses around him as she comes undone sends Steve over the edge with her, pressing his hips deep into hers as he spills inside of her. They’re both panting, a slick sheen of sweat keeping them stuck together in their embrace. Steve dips his face into her neck, leaving light kisses as he trails up to her jaw, and then to her lips. When he pulls away she’s grinning beneath him.

“I love you, Steve. I really mean it.” For a moment, Steve stills, taking in the sight of his girl. His girl. He almost can’t believe it’s all real, but when she pulls him back down for another kiss, for once all the thoughts muddying his mind go quiet. He smiles against her lips.

“I love you too. Fuck, you’re incredible.” She hums, carding her fingers through his hair. As they stay there, sprawled on his kitchen floor, probably for longer than they should, Steve feels something spreading in his chest. A notion, a hope really, that for her, he might be able to be better. He really wants to be better.

#steve harrington smut #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington angst #steve harrington #stranger things fanfiction #steve stranger things #stranger things

[daydreaming-worlds]

I am, in fact, in love with you

opla koby x fem reader

Warnings: none, a lil bit of angst and swearing but nothing much really

Word count: 1.683

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<<but I want to join you!>>

<<get back to cleaning, you're a girl you could never stand our workouts!>>

I hear them laugh, their stupid voices echoing in my brain for a moment, then I just scroll them off my shoulders and get back to work, leaving that argument behind me.

I'm used to it, even though Garp choose me like every single one of them I never seem to be enough, just because of what I have between my legs; I can clean for hours under the burning sun but I can also fight, use a gun, cook, shoot with a cannon... I could do every single one of these things and more, if only someone believed in me and gave me the opportunity to do them.

<<y/n!>> I hear a squeaky voice behind me, I turn around to see who was calling me and I could recognize those pink, shiny hair from a mile away. <<You did such a great job... standing with your chin high even when they were trying to push you down, I would pay gold to have at least half of your courage...>>

There he is, my ray of sunshine, the only man on this ship that I don't want to punch in the face. Koby is my only friend, the only one that listens to me when I have something to say, he has been by my side since the beginning of our journey as cadets in the Marine.

<< Thanks Koby... I'm glad that someone still sees me as their peer>>

I smile to him and he scratches the back of his neck, a thing he does often when someone compliments him or is sweet to him in general, it's kind of sad that he is not used to it, due to his past in the Alvida Crew where he was nothing but a slave, but I'm glad that he is following his dream of becoming a marine now, he really is very determinate and intelligent and I think Garp saw that in him too.

We start to unravel the knots on the ropes that are used to manage the sails, and usually he start to do some info dumping about new things that he learned thanks to the books that Garp let him borrow from his personal library, but today he seems strangely quiet.

<<Koby... are you okay? You still haven't mentioned any new island that you would like to visit, and since I've met you it never happened, you always have something new to talk about>>. My tone is playful but with a pinch of worry.

He snaps his head up and awkwardly laughs; <<Oh no it's nothing, I'm just, pft, overthinking some... stuff yeah, but I'm totally fine! Actually I think Hermeppo needed my help with, you know, stuff!>>

He quickly gets up without leaving me the time to say anything, he was speaking so fast that I was confused on how we went from talking about him overthink "stuff" to Hermeppo needing his help with... "stuff".

<<I'll see you at dinner!>> <<but wait- >> I try to get up but he was already walking at speeding pace to the other head of the ship. I sigh, he's never been so strange, well, yes, he can get nervous pretty easily but it looked like he was hiding something from me and I don't see why he should do that.

At dinner my worries only increased, he decided to sit with Hermeppo and other elder marines, I sit alone at the table where we usually gather together and for a fraction of second he takes a quick, guilty, look at me, before going back to his conversation. He is definetly going to explain to me what the hell is happening, wether he likes it or not.

After the most boring dinner I've ever had on this ship I see him heading to his room, I quickly reach him and grab him by his left arm so that he could turn around and face me, he looks at me like a beaten dog.

<<Why are you ignoring me? You've been acting strage since this afternoon>>

<<I'm not ignoring you! And I'm not acting strange!>> He says, in a defensive tone.

<<Oh yes sure, then why didn't you sit with me at dinner? And you didn't even have the decency to tell me "look y/n I'm trying to make new friends, I'll go sit on a different table" so that I wouldn't find myself left out like an idiot! That hurted Koby...>>

I look at him, my eyes were almost starting to fill with tears, I felt betrayed by my only friend and I wasn't ready to be stabbed in the back like this by someone I thought different from the others.

Silence fills the space between us, the only sounds are the waves of the calm sea under us, the plates being cleaned in the kitchen and the chatting of some men smocking on the deck; Koby finally looks at me, the moon light glims into his eyes, a hurt expression painting his face.

<<y/n I'm sorry if I hurted you, I mean it, you're really dear to me and... that's part of the reason for my beaviour...>>

I cross my arms <<c'mon, speak, I'm listening>>

He sighs: <<when I started this journey I was on my own, Luffy, my only friend, wasn't by my side anymore and I knew that if I wanted to see him again I should've work hard>>

Luffy, he mentioned that name often, he told me that he was the pirate that saved him from Alvida and gave him the courage to become a marine.

<<but then I met you! A brilliant and strong young woman that shared my same dream, someone that I looked up to, I wanted to face life like you do and plus you were interested in my discovers so I felt like I could talk about everything with you...>>

At those praises I slighly blush, yeah sometimes he told me how he wanted my determination and everything but I never thought that he saw me as an actual role model.

<< In the last two weeks those feelings increased in me and I wanted to spend every free minute with you, and one day Hermeppo told me something that made my brain spin in confusion...>>

I look at him with a puzzeld expression and I raise an eyebrow as a gesture to tell him to go on.

<<he told me that it looked like I was in love with you... and from that moment I couldn't stop thinking about it, everything about you makes my heart beat as fast as a fired bullet: the way you laugh at my dumb jokes, the way your hair flow when the wind hits your face, the way you smile satisfied as you finish your workout, every little detail that I started noticing from that day made me fall in love with you even more!>>

I was petrified, I never thought about Koby as more than a friend, apart from when we watch the stars together and I can't help but stare at him, or when we're working together on the deck and the sun kiss his pale skin, or when he just spoke with Garp about something and he needs to tell me immediatly...

... ok no the list of times I felt butterflies in my stomach for him was actually pretty long.

I stare at him in embarassing silence

<<I knew this was dumb... God I sounded so stupid that's why I was strange today and then I ignored you at dinner, I wanted to confess to you but couldn't find the courage... typical of me...>>

<<Koby can you just shut up for one second?>>

I say laughing a bit and also taking him by surprise.

<< If you wouldn't always overthink everything you would have noticed that I feel the same for you, you're not just my only friend here but also the only one I can trust and... the only one that makes my life a little less shitty, so yeah, we could say that I like you too, a lot actually>>

I try to laugh the embarassment off and Koby looks at me with the brightest smile I've ever seen, but now it's his turn of surprising me: he throws himself at me and embrace me in a tight hug, his face is buried in the crook of my neck and I can feel his hair tickling me. He gently grabs my face and the feeling of his soft palms makes my cheeks go as red as cherries.

<<well you know this is technically the moment where I ask you to kiss me under the night sky, pretty romantic if you ask me, but obviously only if you want to, there's no rush- >>

I cut him off with a sweet laugh and he joins me

<<I should probably just shut up and kiss you right?>>

<<yeah, you should>>

With a warm smile, he places his lips against mine and in that moment my brain completly shuts off, I place my arms around his neck, my heart is racing and I can feel his too, coordinated with mine, both creating a perfect harmony for our lips to dance to; he is gentle and romantic and I can feel his shy hands moving from my cheeks to my hips, his touch is delicate, like he is almost scared of breaking me.

At one point we both break the kiss to get some air, we look at eachother with heart shaped eyes, just like corny sweethearts. He is the first to break the silence.

<<I hate to say it but I guess Hermeppo was right>>

<<about what?>>

He shakes his head and innocently smirks.

<<I am, in fact, in love with you>>

I simply smile at that sentence, wondering how I got so lucky to find such a pure soul to show me what love really felt like, because yes, I was, in fact, in love with him.

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THE END!!!

[authors note]

Thank you so much for reading this y'all! Hope you liked it as much as I do, Koby is my baby fr he deserves all the love in this world :')

I love writing for the One Piece and One Piece Live Action fandom so excpect many works with Oda's characters.

Sorry for any grammatical errors and rember to stay safe on the internet ;)

xoxo, Ali <3

[Tags]

#one piece #one piece x reader #one shot #one piece fanfiction #koby one piece #koby #op koby #coby one piece #koby x reader #koby opla #opla x reader #opla fanfiction #fluff #one piece fluff #opla fluff

[gothgril69]

Levi Ackerman/Fem!Reader Royalty!AU

Summary: You dream of another life, a simpler one under the rays of the warm sun, where you find love and your brothers live happily.

But you're destined to serve, to be the black sheep of the family and married off to whoever your father pleases because your parents can't seem to harbor any love for you. Your brothers will serve in the war, side by side with their Chevaliers, and you'll be left to pick up the pieces or die trying.

And the one you thought always hated you, will be right by your side to catch you when you fall.

Overall Warnings: themes of sexism, minor character death, angst, depression, minor character death, smut (please check ao3 for all tags)

Chapter warnings: light smut? MDNI

Chapter Length: 8.6k

ao3 link

The shores of Mirlenas disappear into the horizon, the home you’ve known for your whole life turning into a small blip before its gone. The sea waters are rough and choppy, causing the modest boat Erwin procured to rock back and forth. He suggested traveling in a smaller boat instead of a navy vessel to appear non-threatening to Kaslogon and you had agreed to his suggestions, trusting every word of his – he has far more knowledge than you do. It would also mean less crew members and less mouths to feed on the journey. Roughly half of the ships population were your own soldiers while the others were seasoned sailors.

You lean against the wall of the ship, looking out as you sail on. The new men surrounding you regarded you as their queen, but you could sense that they were uneasy. Many of them never stray too close to you, and you notice them all laying a hand on an iron horseshoe that’s mounted in front of the quarterdeck.

“Feels strange to leave,” Levi’s voice sounds from behind you as he steps to look out at the choppy waters with you.

“It does,” you agree, eyeing him instead of the sea.

“Good day, Your Majesty,” a sailor nods at you, dipping his hat. He passes you to touch the iron horseshoe, placing a kiss on his fingers that meet the metal.

You give Levi a questioning glance. “It’s bad luck not to touch it,” he answers.

You furrow your eyebrows at him. “A sailor’s superstition I presume?”

“Yes. A woman’s presence is also bad luck.” He walks over to the horseshoe and briefly touches it with his thumb.

You scoff and harshly pat the horseshoe. “I suppose I should set up my quarters then.” You brush past him to enter the tight corridor that leads to your small bedroom. There’s enough room for a small bed and your chest with your clothing and belongings – the dark stained wood makes the space feel more cramped. Levi follows you.

“It’s just sailors’ superstitions,” he says from behind you. “You said it yourself.”

“I suppose Mikasa and Sasha are not welcome either then?” You turn around to face him, posture relaxed with your arms crossed in front of your open bedroom door.

“They are soldiers and regarded as such,” he sighs. “Just how you are their Queen.”

You hold the small knob on your door and gesture for Levi to follow you in. You all but collapse on him the moment the door is shut, allowing him to catch you and wrap his arms around your waist. “I feel as though this journey will be forever long,” you sigh, arms limp by your sides, face squished against his chest. “It has only been two weeks of travel and I have yet to do anything we’ve set out to do. I am supposed to face Zeke, but will I be too tired by then to even care? If the ocean takes me I do not think I would mind.”

“Never speak like that again,” Levi vehemently whispers to you, using a hand to tilt your face to his. “It will all be worth the effort, to face him and be there for your country, for us.”

You look back and forth between his grey irises, finding frustration and sadness within them. “I did not mean it, Levi,” you whisper. “I only wish for a break from my never ending thoughts is all.”

“Tell me what I must do to help and I will,” he whispers back, a thumb stroking your cheekbone.

You relish in the feeling of his touch, of a familiar presence there to comfort you from your treacherous thoughts. A friend – that you wish could have been there all your life – a person that might be able to stitch your heart back together without Auguste or Theo’s help. Someone that you can look to for solitude or courage to move on, someone that can offer a helping hand when you need it most. You can only hope that you are there for him as much as he is here for you.

“I just need you,” you tell him honestly. “You are my one saving grace.”

“Then I am here,” he answers instantly. “I’m here now.” Because he knows he should have been there for you sooner.

You find a surge of courage in your heart, and reach to place a small and gentle kiss on his cheek to show your appreciation of him – a gesture that may show the depth of your feelings for him.

His cheeks flush and his eyes widen with surprise, the harsh blinks his eyelids move in make you giggle, surprising both yourself and him again. “I should be on the deck.” You gently step back, removing yourself from his arms in the process. “Join me when you feel you’re able.” 

You cover your mouth to stifle a laugh, finding amusement in how much emotion you can draw out of the usually stoic man.

Levi stands still as you leave, placing two fingers on his cheek where your soft lips once were.

The top of the deck is covered in sunshine, hardly a cloud in the sky as the wind whips against the large white sails and carries you onwards. The air is balmy, more humid than you ever imagined and warmer for a late autumn day. The crew is running all over, your own soldiers following some to learn their own duties and you’re proud to see the youngest of them eagerly listening to their teachers. Erwin and Hange seem to be lost in conversation, Hange’s hands moving so fast you can hardly see them, and their grin tells you they’re enthralled in their own story.

You spot the Captain behind the wheel on the quarterdeck and lift up your skirts to climb the stairs. The man is less unruly looking than you had initially anticipated, assuming all sailors had a certain level of grime they wore as a requirement. His hair is grey, but neatly pulled back low and the wrinkles around his eyes aren’t too deep. He looks around fifty – old for a sailor. He’s not handsome by any means though, and fits the image of a sailor perfectly with rough tanned skin and slightly battered clothing. You’ve never known any different than the handsome men that worked for you at your castle. Your cheeks flush at the thought.

“Captain!” you shout over the bustling crew and waves hitting the sides of the ship.

“Your Majesty,” he greets you. “Captain Beaumont, but you may call me Charles if you please.”

“A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Captain,” you smile politely, putting your minor diplomacy skills Auguste had taught you to use. Although, you assume the Captain doesn’t prefer such pleasantries just like yourself.

“It would be an honor to have you dine with me this evening in my quarters, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you. I will knock when dinner is being served.” You nod your head and look out at the rest of the ship.

You spot Levi heading towards your soldiers, arms crossed and the blush gone from his cheeks and replaced by the stern look he gives the young ones. He yells something you can’t hear from your spot on the quarterdeck, but you see your soldiers stand tall with a salute. Erwin walks up to him and places a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to mutter in his ear. Levi follows Erwin’s movements and turns his head – you meet both their gazes. You take it as your que to join them, giving one last nod to the Captain of the ship and lifting your skirts to climb down the steps.

“Everything alright?” Erwin immediately asks once you are within a meter of them.

“Yes, of course,” you answer. “The Captain invited me to his quarters to dine with him this evening.”

Levi narrows his eyes at you, but Erwin speaks before he has the chance. “Excellent. He is a good man, but Levi has informed me of the sailors’ superstitions that do not sit well with you. Be cautious of his intentions.”

“If he is a good man then I would not need to be cautious of him, Erwin,” you calmly respond and turn to Levi. “I’d like you to guard the door.”

“Of course.” His response is instantaneous, as if he were already thinking of doing so himself.

—

Captain Beaumont opens his door wide, allowing you to see the spread of food he has on his table and a large desk that sits behind it. He gives Levi a small nod, seemingly understanding of his presence, and gestures for you to enter. You give Levi a very quick and small smile before stepping across the threshold into his quarters.

“Thank you for having me,” you state as you take a seat across from him.

“The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty.” He takes his own seat and begins offering you the food that lies on the table.

A neat array of a couple choice meats are on a platter, along with a row of cooked carrots and potatoes. You’re grateful for the vegetables and ample amount of meat, but you can’t help but feel guilty about indulging in such foods while the rest of the crew gets rations instead. 

You hesitantly take your fork and stab a piece of what looks like chicken for your plate, and an ample amount of carrots. You take your first bite and chew slowly – it’s bland, but you never expected it to be a delicacy by any means.

“Captain–”

“You may call me Charles while we are in private, Your Majesty,” he interrupts you.

You give him a tight lipped smile. “Charles,” you start, clearing your throat. “It’s come to my understanding that your crew has some… unusual… superstitions.”

“On the contrary, Your Majesty. My men need those superstitions to give them hope that they have done everything in their power to have a safe journey.”

You furrow your eyebrows. “That also gives them the opportunity to lose that hope if they believe someone has not contributed.”

“Perhaps, but quite honestly your presence is more bad luck than not touching the damn horseshoe,” he scoffs as he digs his knife into his piece of meat, using his fork to shovel the food into his mouth. “Quite honestly,” he says with his mouth full, “if we had our way you would be bare-breasted to please the sea, but you’re lucky the figurehead at the front of the ship does it for you.”

“Excuse you?” Anger is clear on your features as you watch the man pick food out of his teeth with his fork – you grimace. You set your own flatware down on the table.

“A woman’s bare breasts calm an angry sea,” he states, as if this were common knowledge. “It prevents any curses from being thrusted upon us.”

“Well how kind of her,” you spit out. “I think I’ve had enough for one evening. Thank you, Captain.”

You stand up from your chair, the legs screeching against the wood floor as you throw your cloth napkin down on the table, and the Captain mirrors your actions.

“Your Majesty,” he frantically says, seemingly realizing his poor mannerisms. “I did not mean to offend you, I merely wanted you to understand the men’s customs.”

“That’s quite alright, Captain, but I’ll be taking my leave,” you scoff at him and begin to make your way to the door.

“Your Majesty!” He exclaims. “Please. I do not wish to disappoint you. I just wanted to give you perspective.”

“You may do so without insulting me,” you sneer back at him, meeting his eyes with a fierce gaze.

“Please.” He gestures to your previous seat. “Let us try again. It was my mistake.”

You reluctantly sit down, but you don’t touch the meal in front of you – you’ve lost your appetite. “Need I remind you of who I am?” you question. “I’m aware of your status as Captain on this ship, but I am still your Queen and you are still a subject of Mirlenas.” You detest using your status as Queen to earn your respect, but with a man as daft as Captain Beaumont you’re not sure you have much choice.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he apologizes. “I would like to give you insight on the views of my men on my ship. They are simple, believing that men are above women.” You stare at him with narrowed eyes as he continues. “I am not a man with such opinions.” He holds a hand to his heart. “But they were quite surprised to see a woman becoming Queen without a husband to join her as King. It is quite rare for a woman to come into such power, let alone lead a group of soldiers to enemy soil.”

“Well they can thank our enemy for putting my brothers into the ground and in turn making me Queen,” you reply. “I did not ask for this position, but I’ll be damned if I sit back and watch as my country falls apart by the hands of a man like Zeke Jaeger.” You leisurely stand up from your seat – the Captain rises quickly. “Your men have a lot to learn, and I suggest you begin teaching them how to respect their Queen. Thank you for the meal, but I’ll be retiring for the night.”

You don’t spare him a second glance and you don’t wait for him to open the door for you, instead choosing to swing open the door yourself and close it behind you swiftly. Levi raises a brow at you in question.

Your shoulders drop in his presence. “I’d like to be alone if you don’t mind. Just in my quarters,” you sigh when you see him open his mouth to speak.

How much more difficult does it have to be to convince the people of your country to be content with your ruling? That you didn’t want this just as much as they would rather see one of your brothers on the throne instead, but that you’ll still take care of them. You’ve devoted your life to your country now – traveling to an enemy country to negotiate their safety should prove that notion. Instead, you’re told that you are a daft, moronic woman who has no hope of ruling her country.

You never make it to your quarters, instead choosing to watch the waves crash into the sides of the boat as the wind carries the sails. It’s a cold night now that the sun is gone from the sky and the winds carry the chilled almost-winter air, but it’s clear and you can see the stars.

Footsteps sound behind you. “Forgive me,” Levi’s voice barely sounds over the waves. “I know you said you wanted to be alone.”

“I have forgiven you a thousand times over, Levi.” You don’t turn around to face him, only keeping your eyes on the distant stars. “You know,” you say as he finds his place by your side. “Auguste was always so knowledgeable when it came to the constellations. He always pointed out his favorites, quoting Galileo and being so much more astute than I could ever hope to be.”

His arm snakes around your waist, holding your backside to his chest – a first that you find yourself sinking into. “You miss them?” His deep voice is soft in your ear.

“Terribly,” you respond immediately, dolefully.

“Then believe they are in the stars,” he murmurs. “Believe that Auguste, Theo, and Furlan are looking down at you right now, proud that they had the chance to live by your side.”

“They would think I’m a fool,” you whisper back.

“Never.”

“Auguste would call me a dolt, and Theo would agree wholeheartedly,” you argue miserably.

“When have they ever done such a thing?” Levi questions. “They would never chastise you for being so strong, for being so resilient.” You’re quiet because you know he’s right. “You are only a dolt for thinking so.”

You laugh and relax further into his arms. “You are honest to a fault.”

Levi raises his other hand, the one not snaked around your waist, and tilts your head to the side so he can look you in the eyes. “Always,” he whispers. His eyes dip down, briefly looking at your lips, before they’re back on your own gaze in an instant.

Your own are flicking back and forth between wanting to hold his gaze so desperately, but the urge to feel his lips on yours again is overwhelming. You can’t be so desperate for affection, can you? Is it your unbearable desire to feel someone against you, for comfort or for pleasure, or is it your deepening affections for the man himself? Have you lost yourself so completely in the drowning stress? Or have you just always wanted Levi? The man who you can no longer doubt you are falling for.

“Tell me no,” Levi whispers, his lips slightly grazing your own. “Tell me you don’t want me to.” His thumb strokes your cheek softly as he holds you so delicately in his strong arms. Your pulse is thumping rapidly. You don’t have the words – you can’t speak.

You tilt your head the miniscule amount you need so that your lips are now pressed against his. The kiss is soft, but chaste and quick, much like the first one. What is technically the third is more firm, your lips now languidly moving against his as he spins you around to pull you close to him, and you lose count the more passionate the kiss grows.

Your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him as close as possible as he does the same to you. You’ve somehow been wedged between the edge of the boat and Levi as he presses his body into yours. Your mind is swirling, lost in how he feels against your body and the realization of how fond you are of the man. The kiss is only broken when a small moan escapes you as you end up lost in the pleasure of it all.

Levi presses his forehead against yours, only barely removing some of the pressure on your body from his own. “And Auguste would say he told me so,” he breathes, a small chuckle escaping the smirk on his lips.

“Always a man of wisdom I suppose,” you breathlessly tell him. “Glances into the future we all wish we could tell.”

He leans back from you. “Always told me I’d grow fond of you one day,” he mutters, a hand resting on the side of your face. “Thought that man was a true dolt.”

You huff, a teasing glare directed at him. “How kind of you,” you quip.

“I never realized how right he was,” Levi confesses. “Always the stubborn sister of Auguste and Theo, until I watched you become a woman as I became a man. You deserve more than the world has given you, Aeron.”

“I have all that I truly need,” you disagree, because you have him, and while you miss your brothers terribly you do not feel the lingering dread of going to sleep any longer. The fear of seeing them in your dreams has dwindled, even if only slightly, and you know Levi is right when he tells you how they watch from the stars. You’re grateful you can still remember their features, fearful that you’ll forget one day. But they will live on in your heart, always, and if Levi is by your side you can accomplish anything. You can accomplish anything even if he were to leave you as well, because you are strong and it is your duty to live on for yourself and your people.

“I would give you the world if I was more than your Chevalier.” Levi takes a step back and looks down, as if realizing he is not meant to touch you.

“You are a million times more than a Chevalier, Levi,” you argue and take a step towards him so you are close once again. “What an idiotic notion that you could ever be considered less than.”

“But I am, aren’t I?” Levi meets your gaze with sadness lacing his grey irises, brows furrowed. “I have only ever been that to you. I am hardly fit to be a King by your side.”

“And you could say I am hardly fit to even be a Queen,” you dispute. “A woman with no man by her side, hardly any royal training to accompany her.” You scoff. “As if our country wants me on the throne – my ruling is hardly conventional. Do you honestly think they would mind as long as a man is there to tell me what to do?”

“I would never–”

“I know. But that is not the way our society works now, is it?” You sigh, and close your eyes for a moment before looking at him again. “You are more than just a Chevalier, Levi. I–” You love him. “I need you.”

“Then I’ll be there.” He nods, the sadness gone from his gaze and replaced by determination.

“Join me in my quarters tonight?” you inquire gently, testing the waters and seeing if there’s any hesitation in his actions.

Levi instantly takes your hand and guides the way to where you sleep soundly for the first time since your brothers joined the stars.

—

You’re in a daze. Your blouse is sticking to you uncomfortably as your corset squeezes your waist, strands of hair have plastered themselves to your forehead, and the loose skirt you’ve chosen to wear provides no comfort. You’ve found a hat to help block the harsh sun rays from your skin. 

Levi has been wearing a loose white blouse, the top two buttons undone to allow for some airflow and his normal tight uniform pants. He hides his pale skin with a hat as well to shield him from the sun, although it doesn’t stop the sweat from sticking to his skin – something you both hate the feeling of.

The ship hasn’t moved for two weeks now, stuck, stranded, in the middle of the ocean with no wind to guide it and no clouds in the sky to block the harsh rays of the sun. You’ll run out of fresh water to drink if you don’t get moving soon and the Captain has understandably cut everyone down to half their rations. 

Your anxiety is at it’s peak it seems, and not just about dwindling resources. The longer you are out at sea, the longer it takes to reach Kaslogon and negotiate with Zeke. You’ve worried your chapped bottom lip to the point of splitting, and the hem of your blouse has started to fray from so much fidgeting. Levi has tried his best to comfort you, but he knows you’ll only be pacified once you begin moving again.

“Captain, you tell me what kind of situation we’re looking at here,” Erwin huffs. “We’ve wasted enough time.” His voice is loud in the salty air of the Captain’s office, bouncing off the dark stained walls. Erwin is separated by the table you dined at two weeks ago, but it feels as though he looms over the Captain. Everyone is exhausted and running out of time and you’re growing more anxious by the second as you watch the two men argue. 

“I cannot control the weather, Commander Smith,” Captain Beaumont fires back. “Do you doubt that I have done all that I can to get this ship moving? Do you really believe that I want to be stranded in the middle of the damn ocean?”

“Well clearly–”

“Aeron,” Levi’s voice interrupts Erwin as he barges through the door into the Captain’s office. “The men. They’re fighting.”

“We’re gonna have a goddamn mutiny on our hands if you don’t get your men under control, Commander!” Captain Beaumont accuses, angrily pointing at the taller man.

Erwin ignores him in favor of rushing after Levi to the main deck. You stop the Captain from following with an arm across his chest. “Captain, I do ask that you refrain from disrespecting my soldiers.”

“I have pledged my loyalty to you alone, Your Majesty,” he scoffs. “Your Commander does not deserve such respect.”

“He does, because he is under my command,” you calmly tell him. “Try your best to remember that we are all on the same side here.” You don’t speak any further, removing your arm from across his chest as a sign to let him join everyone on the main deck – you follow promptly.

There’s absolute chaos once you’ve reached the main deck. Your men are arguing against Captain Beaumont’s, a clear line separating the two groups as Erwin, Levi, and the Captain try to calm their men down. You’ve never seen your soldiers so defiant.

You don’t waste time and immediately step on a crate that sits in front of the quarterdeck, still on the main deck. You put your thumb and a finger in your mouth and whistle loudly, loud enough that the sound pierces the noise of arguing and even has some covering their ears. Everyone looks at you bewildered – except when you meet Levi’s gaze he almost seems smug.

“Who wants to tell me what the hell is going on?” you yell at all of them. You’re exhausted, sweaty, and fed up with being on an unmoving ship for too long. Your journey has been extended by two weeks and you’re livid.

“Your Majesty!” Jean yells.

“No! You have no idea what you’re saying!” one of the Captain’s men yells at Jean. Chaos ensues.

You whistle again, louder than the first time. “If one more person speaks you’ll be sent down to the cellar to join the rats,” you seethe. You notice Armin has been cowering behind your own soldiers, observing fearfully. “Armin,” you single him out. “I’d like you to tell me what’s going on.”

The timid young man clears his throat. “Captain Beaumont’s men have accused us of not touching the horseshoe and cursing the ship.” He pauses, clearly debating his next words. “They think that’s why there’s been no wind and they want to throw someone overboard to please the sea.”

You could throw yourself overboard. “No one is going over the edge of this boat.” You jump down from the crate and stomp towards the crowd – it parts for you like the Red Sea. “You act as though nature does not have a mind of it’s own.” You look back and forth between the groups, mainly addressing Beaumont’s men. “I’m sure you have faced countless angry seas with your own men, and surely you’ve faced hardships no matter how many people participate in your beliefs.”

“Never one so callous as this!” A man interrupts you. Your glare must give him all the warning he needs when his mouth snaps shut.

“There have been tales,” Armin’s voice sounds next, surprisingly. You step into the crowd as your own soldiers part for him. His cheeks are flushed, both from embarrassment and the heat, but he continues on. “Of how the wind gods become angry with the sea god.” A few men chuckle uneasily – you listen intently. “The Anemoi wind gods take their wrath out on Poseidon, depriving him of nature’s winds and eventually unleashing their might upon him when he does not amend his wrong doings. Boreas, the cold breath of winter, shows their wrath the most. They create strong winds and rainstorms, hurricanes even if he had wronged them enough.” He hardly glances to the side out at sea. “Their wrath is coming soon.”

A strong gust of wind almost knocks your hat off.

Everyone’s eyes widen and cheers sound around you. 

“Man the sheets, lads!” Captain Beaumont’s voice rings out. Chaos ensues again, but now in radiating cheerfulness as everyone runs off to man their stations.

“Aloft, topmen!” the Captain’s secondhand yells. “Layout and loose the foretops! Man halyards and sheets!”

You swipe a hand over your face and stride over to Armin once the crowd has dispersed. “How did you know?” you ask him immediately. Levi stands at your side.

Armin blushes, glancing between you and Levi. “The Albatross.” He points out at the waters. “When they fly high, the air is light, dry, no rain. When they fly low, the air is heavy.”

“Rain is coming,” Levi says, almost absentmindedly as he looks out at the sea. Armin nods.

You smile at the young man. “Thank you.” Armin walks away with a smile.

You look over to find Levi already looking at you – you love when he does that. “You did well,” he comments.

You roll your eyes and turn to hide your smile as you begin walking away from the bustling of men. “They’re all idiots,” you deflect.

He scoffs, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re just now realizing this?”

You’re about to respond when a drop of water lands in front of you, and is suddenly joined by multiple coming down harshly. It’s pouring rain, and you’ve never been happier. You take off your hat and tilt your head up to the sky to feel the rain on your skin, to allow it to wash off the grime that you’ve endured for the past two weeks. Your shoulders drop and you feel the tension disappear from your muscles, your anxiety diminishing into a small ember instead of a raging fire.

Men are shouting around you and yet you can’t find it in you to care as you make your way into the safety of your quarters. They’re rolling empty barrels everywhere, positioning them under makeshift funnels made out of fabric to capture the rain for more drinking water. Levi is hot on your heels and as soon as you close the door to your quarters he’s practically on top of you.

“How am I supposed to stay away from you now?” He questions right before his lips meet yours.

You kiss him back eagerly, only breaking away to quickly mutter, “you can’t wait until we return to Mirlenas?” and your lips are on his again, only to separate when he registers what you’ve said.

His arms are wrapped around your waist, holding you as he slightly tips you backwards in his previously impatient attempts at kissing you. “Wait for what?” he asks vacuously.

He allows you to stand straight, his grip loosening just enough, but still keeping his arms wrapped around you. You laugh nervously. “Were we not talking about the same thing?”

“Are you–” He blinks, processing. “You would allow me to claim you?”

“Why would I not?” You stare at him dumbfounded, slightly flushed from embarrassment that you’ve said the wrong thing. “If that is not what you meant, I understand–”

“No,” he interrupts. “I mean– I would–” He sighs, flustered. “I assumed you would want to wait until marriage,” he finally mumbles out.

You laugh boisterously this time. “As if anything about me screams traditional, Levi.” You grin at him.

He rolls his eyes, muttering a quiet, “shut up” before pressing his lips against yours with bruising pressure. It’s hot, and passionately impatient, as he starts to walk you back to the small bed in your cramped quarters. The back of your knees hit the edge of the thin mattress and he gently lays you down before crawling on top of you, his head bumping the wall next to you. “Fuck,” he grumbles, but still proceeds to move his lips down to your jawline and then your neck, sucking at your pulse point. 

You can’t help the moan that escapes your lips. “Levi,” you practically mewl.

He gently puts a hand over your mouth, supporting himself enough to look at you now. “If you don’t be quiet someone will hear us,” he scolds. You nod, but he still keeps his hand over your mouth as he dives back down.

His lips trail further down your décolletage and you tilt your head back to give him more access. You’re hardly breathing through your nose, unbearably still as Levi continues pressing his lips to your skin. “Breathe,” he mutters, nipping your skin lightly before he soothes it with his tongue. You whimper underneath his hand and your chest starts moving up and down as you catch your breath through your nose. His lips travel lower and he kisses at the top of your breasts that are being pushed up by your corset, your blouse revealing enough to allow him access.

You moan against his hand as he starts sucking at your skin again and nibbling enough to lightly mark the skin. Everything he’s doing to you feels heavenly, and all you want is more. Your hands have been gripping the thin bed sheets, but one flies up to grip Levi’s hair when he bites particularly hard and when you pull he groans. He lifts his head and removes his hand just to kiss you again, using his tongue to coax your mouth open as you pull on his hair again.

“Keep doing that and I don’t think I can wait to be back home,” he mutters against your lips, his voice deep and raspy.

“Then don’t,” you whisper, looking into his grey eyes. 

He sits back on his haunches, staring down at your breathless form. You’re so beautiful, he thinks to himself, observing how swollen and red your lips are from him kissing you, and the blooming marks on your breasts practically make him swell with pride – he wants nothing more than to have you now. Your skirts have fallen, revealing some of your legs and he so badly wants to squeeze your thighs, but he wants it to be so much better than what it would be here. “You deserve so much more than I could give you here,” he tells you honestly. You look sad, but it’s gone from your features in an instant.

He lies down next to you, holding you close to him now that the two of you are no longer eagerly pawing at each other. He can hardly fathom how he’s gotten here, how he’s gotten to the point of lying by your side instead of looking at you with disdain. Theo had always teased him when it was just him and Furlan by Levi’s side, always telling him he was just confused. Perhaps he saw something in Levi’s eyes that he could have never recognized as fondness at the time, and apparently so had Auguste. He knew there was more to it the moment he had asked Levi to be your Chevalier on the castle grounds instead of his own. There was a mischievous glint in his eye when he also teased about Levi’s underlying fondness for you, but he had brushed it off as your brother being an idiot – Levi knew he could never be.

You shift, pressing the side of your face into his chest despite the damp fabric. Your fingers trace his exposed skin from the top buttons of his blouse being undone, featherlight touches giving him goosebumps. He can tell you’re lost in thought.

“What is it, mon cœur?” He feels you smile against him once he’s broken you out of your trance. He uses the hand holding your body close to his to brush hair out of your face.

Your smile falls, sighing, and then clearly hesitating – you’re nervous. “Madame Elise was quite fond of you,” you state plainly, fingers still tracing light circles into his smooth skin.

He blinks, unsure of what the intonation in your voice suggests. “She practically raised me,” Levi hesitantly tells you. Your finger stutters in it’s movements before continuing.

He’s afraid to tell you about how he lived before Erwin dragged him out of that hell hole. Afraid that you won’t see him the same way anymore and the rose tinted glasses will come off to reveal the brutal truth behind his true self. The him before arriving at the castle was someone entirely different – someone you had no idea existed.

“Will you tell me more?” your soft voice asks, slightly muffled as you keep yourself close to him.

And so he does.

Levi takes his time in telling you the whole story, never omitting details or sugar coating his actions. He starts from the very beginning, when his mother was just a whore in that very same brothel you both visited, and how his father was just a one time visitor. “I barely remember her face,” he tells you sadly, holding onto the vague image of the pale woman with strikingly beautiful features. She had died when he was just a little boy, probably five or six around the time, and Madame Elise had barely allowed him to stay. How could a little boy living in a brothel be any good for business? Levi supposes she just happened to have a soft spot for the scrawny little boy with long black hair.

She took care of him for the most part, realistically only offering him the bare necessities to live. She cut his hair for him, kept him well fed and clothed, but not without a price. He became her personal scavenger, a small and unsuspecting pickpocket. It was easy money really, stealing from wealthy men and just having to sneak around to get close to them. He’d play it off as if he wasn’t there to begin with, or act like he was helping the ladies if they needed it. Everyone was in on the small business he had created for Madame Elise and would assist in any way they could. They loved having little Levi around.

Levi hesitates to tell you more, but you should know all of him – all of his flaws. As he got older the more Madame Elise expected from him. He was supposed to be stealing more, acquiring the most for her and the other ladies of the brothel, but it grew increasingly more difficult to do since he was growing into a man. He wasn’t the little runt anymore and was instead seen as another potential customer by the other men in the brothel – even by the women. They all knew him, but that didn’t stop their advances on him as a young and inexperienced teen boy. They would grope him quickly as he passed by in hopes of taking him to bed with them, taking someone who was pure and untouched by the outside world. Levi hated it, and never indulged in the company of any of them, but it didn’t take away the feeling of being seen as an object. He could hardly believe the same women that knew what that felt like would do the same to him. You tell him it’s not his fault, sympathy and guilt lacing your voice – he knows now.

He had started to grow tired of being there, needing a way out and soon. It was when he was distracted by his own mind that everything turned sideways. He was pickpocketing still as a young teen, barely fourteen, and hadn’t noticed the Mirlenas army emblem on the coat that was hanging over the chair.

“You stole from a Mirlenas soldier?” you ask incredulously, propping yourself up on one elbow on your side to look at him.

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I didn’t realize it. The Commander’s emblem is different from the rest.”

“Erwin?” you squeak out, eyes wide.

He nods, continuing to tell you how Erwin caught young Levi snooping around his coat pocket. He had caught his wrist, preventing Levi from pulling out the dainty green emerald necklace Erwin had in his breast pocket. Erwin had been there for a meeting with another officer, immediately abandoning it in favor of taking Levi outside the establishment to scold the boy and figure out what the hell he was doing.

But Levi saw his way out. Erwin was an understanding man just like he is now and felt sympathy for the young boy that was only ten years younger than himself. Erwin was a young commander, perhaps naive at the time, and allowed Levi to straggle along with him instead of living day to day at the brothel. It gave Levi a purpose.

“I was good at it,” Levi sighs. Good at killing, his mind tells him, but he knows he doesn’t need to say it. “Being a soldier. I felt like I could finally fucking do something with my life.” You lie your head back down on his chest, drawing your soothing circles into his skin again.

Levi was quickly recognized as the best soldier and was quickly appointed to be a Chevalier for the royal family at just fifteen.

He huffs out a laugh. “I remember the ceremony,” he reminisces, a hand mindlessly trailing along your bare shoulder. “And I remember the brooding girl on the edge of the royal seats.” His voice is teasing, but you almost sound sad when you respond.

“Not brooding.” You pause and prop yourself up again. You look into Levi’s eyes, the colour of your irises sparkling as you look at him with such fondness despite the dim light. “You’ve been through so much. I’m so glad it led you to being a Chevalier at the castle.”

“You don’t seem repulsed,” Levi observes aloud. You still look at him with the new light he’s seen in your eyes recently. The same look you get when he’s close enough to feel your heartbeat, the same one you looked at him with when he couldn’t help but connect his lips with yours.

“I could never be repulsed by you, Levi,” you scoff, the light still not leaving your eyes. “You’ve managed to find your way into my heart and I cannot find it in myself to be angry with you for it. I welcome your affections with open arms now.” You kiss his chest and he swears you can feel the way his heart pounds against his ribcage. “I would be nothing without you.”

“You’ve bewitched me,” he breathes. He loves you. He knows the feeling in his chest has always been love, and he can finally admit it to himself now. It feels as though a weight has been lifted.

Levi pulls your body up to be eye level with him, using his other hand to tilt your face up the slight amount he needs to press his lips against yours. It’s soft, and sweet like honey, as your lips move languidly with his. He feels intoxicated by you, but allows you to relax despite his desire to get drunk on your taste.

He thinks about how nice it will be to bathe tomorrow morning, and enjoys your company by squeezing you closer to him as you drift asleep.

—

You couldn’t have been asleep for more than two hours when you’re woken up by your body crashing into the wall your bed is pressed against. It startles you, jolting you awake in an instant, and you realize Levi isn’t next to you anymore.

There’s shouting that’s muffled by the wood in between your quarters and the main deck, and the boat sounds like it’s being pelted over and over by bullets. Another harsh movement of the boat causes your body to jolt into the wall again, your head narrowly missing collision. You use one hand to rake your hair back out of your face, the other preoccupied by ensuring you don’t get knocked out by the boat’s erratic movements.

Standing is difficult, but you manage to balance yourself enough to straighten out your skirts and walk to the door. You swing it open, using a hand against the walls to keep yourself stable, and it’s then you realize just how hard it’s raining. It’s pelting the boat so harshly you’re not surprised you mistook the sound for shots being fired, and the thunder that booms through the sky and penetrates every being sounds like cannon fire.

You’re almost panicking at this point, wondering if everyone is okay on top. You push yourself through the hall, needing to make sure everyone is alright, or if you can at least assist in some way. Rain drips through the cracks in the planks of wood above you and climbing the stairs proves to be even more difficult than lifting yourself out of the bed, the boat being rocked harshly side to side and causing you to slip in the water.

When you reach the top of the stairs your breath is practically stolen from you from the pressure of the rain, harsh pellets of water almost bruising your skin. You grasp onto whatever you can, in this case a rope that’s secured to the side of the boat. You’re soaked almost instantly, eyes scanning to find anyone, but more so Levi so you can make sure he’s alright.

You spot each other at the same time, locking panicked eyes. He’s trying to help Erwin steer the wheel relative to the waves, or at least trying to keep them from completely breaking the rudder. Everyone else is trying to hold on to anything they can, all while keeping the ship afloat. You can barely hear the voices over the sound of crashing waves, the torrential downpour and the thunder that booms loudly, all of them being lost in the wind.

You keep hold of the rope, pulling yourself toward Levi as you sputter water out of your mouth and attempt to wipe the unruly hairs that plaster themselves to your face so you can see. You’re close enough to hear them now.

“Steer with the wind!” Erwin shouts at Levi. Both men are clenching their teeth, putting all their strength into turning the wheel. Waves crash over the boat, wiping some sailors and your own soldiers off their feet while you hang on to the edge.

“Aeron!” Levi shouts for you, his eyes finding your form again. He wants to run to you, to shove you under the deck again so you’re safe. “What are you doing?! Get back down!”

“I can help!” you insist, knowing there has to be something you can do. You can’t sit around and be useless.

“Don’t be a brat!” Levi shouts at you. He turns to Erwin, frustrated. “It’s useless!”

“We’ll get below deck!” Erwin resigns, reaching down to tie a rope to one of the handles on the wheel to keep it relatively stable while Levi does the same. “Grab Aeron!”

Levi grabs anything he can to keep him upright as he fights his way toward you, clothes plastered to his own skin and eyebrows furrowed in anger. You’re trying your best, clinging onto the rope that lines the edge to pull yourself forward, but your gaze snaps upwards when you hear a loud cracking sound above you. 

The center mast is breaking, the wood splintering and starting to tilt as it pulls the sails with it. The sailors are yelling at your soldiers to get down below to safety – everyone’s given up on the losing battle. 

Levi yells at you, but everything is drowned out when the mast comes crashing down, pulling rope and fabric with it. Everything is a blur as the boat tilts to one side, a massive wave crashing so harshly on top of the boat that all you hear is more wood splintering as you lose your grip on the rope and get tossed over the edge.

—

You’re comforted by the quiet that envelops you, serene darkness shadowing your eyelids and something that feels almost as soothing as a hug wrapping around your body. No more abrasive sounds of rain pelting the wood of the boat, no more shouting and arguments, no more politics.

No more.

Levi stands up unsteadily, swiping a hand over his face to rid the water from his features and pushes a hand through his hair. He looks around frantically, searching hopelessly for you to no avail. There’s only one option, to his absolute horror: the water. He doesn’t hesitate despite Erwin yelling at him. He won’t lose you too – he can’t.

His body breaks the surface of the water and he opens his eyes, spotting a massive sail that's roped around the mast that had broken before he sees you attached above it. You’re slowly being dragged down by the weight of it and he wills himself to not panic, to not waste time during the only opportunity he has to save you like he did with your brothers.

He pushes his limbs through the water as hard as possible, pushing himself forward fast enough to get to you before he runs out of air. You’re wrapped in rope when he gets close enough to see you in detail, your hair floating above you. He doesn’t take a single moment to see how peaceful you look – how tranquil – and instead immediately assesses that he can’t untangle you. He rips his dagger out of it’s sheath on his belt and frantically saws at the rope without cutting you.

Your body feels weightless in the void. The warm hug from before is gone, but you can see Auguste’s brown eyes staring back at you along with Theo’s green ones. They’re beautiful, and you’re so happy when you see them again, even if you don’t realize they’re vaguely floating in the dark waters in front of you.

But they look back at you with such sadness, and their mouths open as if to tell you something, but nothing audible comes out. You frown, upset until their images are gone and Levi is in front of you instead, his warm grey eyes looking at you with so much affection it hurts your heart. 

You love him. You had admitted it to yourself before.

But where is Levi? You’re starting to panic, no longer feeling the blissful serenity that was casted upon you. You need him.

His lungs burn by the time he cuts through the ropes, struggling to pull you completely free and kicking hard to propel the two of you upwards. He can feel the oxygen running out, his brain growing slightly foggy and his limbs growing slightly weaker, but he can’t give up – not when your life is at risk.

He gasps when he breaks the surface of the water, your body held in his arms, and he frantically reaches for a pallet of wood floating on the water. He grabs the edge and hauls your body on top, pulling your arms up so they’re draped over the wood and your face is above water.

“Come on you stubborn brat,” he cries. He can’t tell if the salt in his mouth is from the ocean or his tears. Levi tries so hard to gently slap you awake, pushing your hair out of your face so he can see your features clearly.

Levi?

Levi.

Levi.

“Levi,” you mumble, your voice barely audible.

He gasps in relief. “Oi, you stupid brat,” he laughs, hysterical and happy and relieved–

“Levi?”

“I’m here,” he says immediately, reaching a cold wet hand to caress your cheek. You’re okay. You’re alive.

You don’t say anything else, just a quiet mumble he can’t make out over the sound of rain pouring into the ocean around you. He has no idea what to do but simply float on the surface of the water and hope the boat will come into view once the storm clears up. 

But no matter what he has you, he’ll take care of you.

Levi wraps his arms around the wood, pushing his body up against your barely lucid one to keep you safe.

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #aot fanfiction #levi ackerman x reader #aot levi #levi attack on titan #fanfic #levi ackerman x female reader #levi smut #fic update #levi aot #levi x you #levi ackerman x reader smut #royalty au #historical au

[wordy-little-witch]

Oh God Oh man oh jeez

Okay so. Angst. But like.

I'll put trigger warnings for it but this occurred to me at work and I'm just losing my MARBLES but-

TW for mental health issues, SH topics, hurt/comfort

Buggy growing up on a pirate ship probably lead to more than a few bad coping mechanisms- add in the sense of inferiority, his general anxious demeanor, etc, he probably hid a lot of things, even from the people he trusted most- especially from the people he trusted most.

Buggy likely had anxiety attacks or panic attacks fairly often - at first, it was handled with care, but when it became a recurring theme, some started finding it troublesome or obnoxious. When Buggy got to a certain point, he'd slip away to handle it on his own.

The only ones who really noticed or even cared enough to follow after him were Roger, who rarely COULD follow, Rayleigh, who was also often involved in the fall out, and Shanks, who would try but couldn't always get to him. Eventually Buggy, losing his shit and alone, accidently gets hurt during one of the attacks, either by nails or smth else. And suddenly things start... feeling solid. Less blurry, less frantic. Everything narrows down to the sharp-sting-hot lines and the red on his skin.

It becomes smth of a crutch to him.

He takes to wearing wrist bands, gloves, he is a bit more feisty about privacy, but very few clock something being wrong. Only Roger, Ray and Shanks feel like something is slightly off. They notice things going missing, they see how Buggy flinches sometimes with certain movements, but there's nothing concrete. There's red flags but they can't see the flagpoles to chase them back to the source.

Buggy gets in the habit of cutting young.

And then suddenly there is a Devil Fruit on board. A map, a chance, a fortune - he loves this family but he feels they don't love him. He isn't LIKE them. He's not strong like them, fast like them, he's just... Buggy. He's always just been Buggy, and Buggy has never been enough.

He plans to steal away in the night, under cover of darkness, leaving the crew short some money, sure, but they won't have the added weight of himself. He is just an anchor to them.

But Shanks finds him.

Shanks startles him.

Shanks slaps his back, tries to cheer him up, and the fruit goes down his throat, the magic explodes in his stomach, he gets angry, so so so angry, he is seeing red and he's raging and he's falling and-

And he's drowning.

Oh.

It was a real devil fruit.

Well... one way or another... he wanted to leave.

Shanks jumps after him. Shanks saves him. Buggy is soaked, cold, coughing and dizzy, and Shanks is beside him, is warm, and he's tempted, so tempted to lean into it and so he does-

And Shanks is pulled away. He opens his eyes, and the crew is there. Someone had wrapped Shanks in a towel, was fussing over him, someone was cheering for his "bravery" and Buggy-

He's cold.

He staggers to his feet, dripping, and he stumbles towards his room. Roger tries to stop him, grabs his shoulders, but Buggy is dripping with more than just sea water even though the steady streams are just as salted, so he pulls away and he runs.

He dives into their room, grabs his knife, his knees hit the floor and he moves and-

He lost the fruit.

He lost the map.

He lost his whole hand just now too.

No pain, just a split over his wrist, surreal and impossible and he can't- he can't breathe, he- what-

He drops his knife, the hand reattaches and he curls into a ball, hands burying in his hair, and he cries - silent as the grave, he is sobbing, hiccuping and sniffling, pulling his hair and he can't, he can't he can't-

Arms wrap around him, big, warm, the scent of sea air and rum and spiced strawberries, and Buggy clings to his captain as he simply shatters.

Roger sees the scars on his limbs, but he doesn't respond beyond hugging Buggy a little tighter. He doesn't react as he helps Buggy change, as he wraps his kid in his coat and holds him close, as he stares at the far wall and wonders how long and why and why didn't I know?

He doesn't say anything that night - not to Buggy at least.

He does talk to Rayleigh.

He leaves both of his sons curled up together in his own bed, tucked in with his own coat, and he meets Shanks' eyes, nods to the hardened little fire burning within them, a silent conversation of look after him and I Will echoing in the wooden walled room, and he goes to the only other person who will understand the rage, the fear, and they hug one another in silence.

Buggy is not okay. He hasn't been for a very, very long time, but they refuse to let him slip through the cracks, even if they have to chisel their way down to him themselves.

And this? This action, this choice? It changes EVERYTHING.

#buggy rayleigh #buggy roger #roger pirates #shanks and buggy #angst #hurt/comfort #yes i am projecting #leave me alone #if i didn’t get it then my blorbo will

[tropes-and-tales]

A Bit of Color

December 26:  Quilt/Scrooge - Sunny versus Grumpy (Ray Merrimen x F!reader)

(From the winter prompts found here)

CW:  Angst; Ray is a rude boi; mention of suicide

Word Count:  1828

AN:  Requested by the lovely @bport76​!

Ray would have never chosen you for his crew, but Bosco brought you in when they lost their intel person.  He’s dubious at first—you’re preternaturally chipper, so cheerful and sweet that Ray’s teeth ache after he has to deal with you.  

But Bosco has a good handle on their needs, and you’re an absolute ace at tech.  You can hack anything:  any computer, any phone system.  You can find blueprints and hack a security camera, all with that saccharine attitude that grates against him.

It’s like a Hallmark movie fucked a Care Bear and created you.  You dress in bright colors, usually dresses where the skirt flares out as you skip around the fucking chop shop.  You hum pop songs as you work.  You bake for the guys, cupcakes with rainbow frosting and chocolate chip cookies.  You fuss over the guys too, take on a mother hen role that frays Ray’s nerves.

Hell, you even smell sweet, the scent of vanilla and lavender lingering even long after you leave.

Ray would get rid of you in a heartbeat, but you’re too damned good.  He knows he could look for someone with half of your skills and never find them.

So he puts up with you.  For your stellar hacking skills, he endures your colorful/sweet/manic pixie bullshit with a clenched jaw and a grumble.

-----

You’re also one of those crafty women, always knitting or sewing or painting something.  More than once, Ray and the guys have come back from a heist just to find you sitting there and waiting for them, a piece of knitwork in your lap.

You’re also one of those generous types, which means when the holidays roll around, you become extra insufferable.

You bake.  You make candy.  You can your own jams, jellies, salsas.  You make chili and cornbread, feed the guys when they are working late one night.  Ray grunts when you hand him a bowl, and he calculates how much harder he’ll have to work out the next day to burn off all the fucking calories—

You give them gifts.  Handmade gifts.

For Lavoux, it’s sweaters that you knit.  Three sweaters, matching, for him, his wife, and his daughter.

For Bosco, it’s an elaborately wrapped box of homemade fudges.  Chocolate, peanut butter, rocky road, orange cream.

“You’re trying to make me fat,” Bosco says as he pulls you in for a hug, pulls you off your feet.  “I love ya, girl.”

For Mack, it’s a beer stein that you apparently made yourself, glazed yourself, and fired in a nearby community kiln.  Because why the fuck not, Ray figures.  He wonders if you mined the clay yourself too, just to be extra fucking irritating.

For Ray?  Of course you have a gift for Ray.

It’s a quilt.  At least it’s not super colorful, like Rainbow Brite puked on it—it’s shades of grey and blue in small rectangles stitched together.

“It’s a variation of the Big Fences pattern,” you tell him, as if he knows what the hell that means, and he misses the shy smile on your face.

“I don’t really need a quilt.”  He refolds it, then tries to hand it back to you.

You frown, your eyebrows knit together.  “But…it’s a gift.”

“It’s L.A.  I never will need a quilt.”

You seem to misunderstand him because your face splits into a bright grin.  “Oh, but I used lightweight batting!  It’s not too heavy, so it’s actually perfect for L.A. weather—”

“No.”  He pushes the quilt back at you, frowns until you take it.  “I don’t need this.”

Ray never has been very tactful, and no one would ever accuse him of being soft, but the way your face crumples as you take the quilt and clutch it to your chest, the way your eyes fill with tears but how to try to play it off, give a shaky laugh and say “sure, sorry Ray, of course”…

He’s never felt like more of a monster in his life.

And then you leave, come up with a flimsy excuse of how you need to be somewhere else.

Even if he didn’t feel like the world’s biggest asshole, the guys cut him zero fucking slack.

“That’s cold,” Lavoux tells him.  “Ice cold, man.”

“Like watching someone kill a kitten,” Mack agrees.

Bosco glares at Ray, crosses his arms.  “This shit takes time, Merrimen.  All this crafty homemade shit?  It’s hours of her life, and that quilt was easily the most time-intensive of all of our gifts.”

“I didn’t ask for a gift.”  Ray crosses his own arms, matches Bosco’s energy.

“And she didn’t ask for a fucking Scrooge.  You don’t want the quilt?  You tell her ‘thank you so much, this is great,’ and then you take it home and tuck it away somewhere.  Fuck, Ray.  You lose all your home training in prison?”

“She’d never even know if you threw it away,” Mack adds.  “You coulda just taken it and tossed it, and she’d be none the wiser.”

“Being rude like that is bad karma.  Bad juju,” says Lavoux.

“No such thing,” Ray says, and his tone makes it clear that the discussion is over.

-----

Ray doesn’t believe in karma or juju, and nothing overtly bad happens.  Still, he has to admit the vibe in the crew has changed.

You’re not the same.  Maybe Mack was right, maybe what Ray did to you was like killing a kitten.  You still joke around with the guys, but the minute—the absolute second—Ray shows up, you shut down.

You still dress in your colorful dresses, but somehow it’s sadder when your outfits are paired with a slight frown and a sad silence.  You don’t hum anymore.  No singing along to bright pop songs under your breath as you hack into banking mainframes.

You don’t bake for them anymore either, and that’s what pushes the guys to near mutiny.

“You need to fix this shit,” Bosco mutters to him one night.  “I haven’t had one of her peanut butter brownies in weeks.”

“So go to a fucking bakery.”

“I said fix it.”  He pushes the words out through gritted teeth.  “You’re the one that broke her.  You’re the one that’s gonna fix her.”

-----

How can Ray fix it with you?

He has no way into your world view.  His life has never been colorful.  He grew up in a military family, went straight into the military himself.  MARSOC, then his discharge, then his life of crime.

Never any color.  Just the dun and greys of the military, of prison.  Never any music or sweetness and Ray doesn’t see what he’s missing in all of that.

He does the best he can.  He asks himself what he would want, and then he does the exact opposite, which is why he finds himself on your doorstep, a fistful of colorful flowers from the grocery store clutched in his fist.

-----

You’ve always been reasonably assured around Ray, but in your kitchen, you stumble.  You offer him tea, then shake your head at yourself, mutter stupid to yourself.

“I have…a beer.  If you want it.”

“Sure.  Sounds good.”

You reach into your fridge and hand him the bottle gingerly, then perch yourself in the chair opposite of him.

Ray takes a drink, looks around.  He thought your house would have been nothing but bright colors, but it looks…mostly normal.  A few pops of color here and there:  paintings on the walls, knick-knacks on the shelves.  But nothing outrageous.

You only stare at him solemnly, a subtle tension in your features.

“I came by to say I’m sorry.  About the quilt.”

“I guess it was pretty stupid.  A quilt in Los Angeles.”

“Nah.”  He shakes his head.  “I’m just an asshole.”

If there’s one other thing Ray likes about you, aside from your skills as a hacker, it’s your honesty.  You never lie to them.

When he calls himself an asshole, you nod at him in agreement.

“I’d like it back,” he continues.  “The quilt.  If you’d be willing.”

“I don’t know.”  You turn and look out the window into your backyard.  “You don’t have to take it just to be nice.”

“I’m not nice.  I want it.  I’ll use it.”  A beat.  “I don’t have anything homemade in my apartment.  It’ll make it nicer.”

You turn back to face him.  “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

You smile, and it’s the same shy one you had when you first handed him his gift.  “Okay then.  I’ll go get it.”

You stand up and leave the kitchen, disappear into some deeper part of the house, but Ray stands up too.  He takes his beer into your living room and studies the framed photos on the shelf there.  You and friends.  You and a dog.  A little girl that he guesses is you, with an older man in the full dress uniform of the military.

You come into the living room with the quilt neatly folded in your arms, and you see Ray studying your pictures.

“This your dad?” Ray asks, pointing at the man in the uniform.

“…yes.”

“Marines?”

“Yes.”  A beat.  “He died when I was young.”

“Sorry.  Which campaign?”

Another beat, longer.  “He…he committed suicide.”

“Ah, shit.  Sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Still…”  He looks at the picture again, sees you as a little girl with a wide grin, eyes squeezed shut.  

He clears his throat, offers you a bit of himself.  “You know, my old man was military.  Fought in Iraq, came back different.  So I get it, a little.  I understand what it’s like to grow up like that.”

Though he doesn’t point out the difference:  Ray followed down that same military path, allowed himself to be molded into a killing machine with MARSOC.  You split off in an entirely different direction, filled your life with color and light and sweetness.

You nod in acknowledgement, then hand him the quilt.  “Here you go.”

He takes it and waits for you to look him in the eye until he gives you the smallest of smiles.  “Thank you.  I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

“It’ll be the nicest thing at my place.”

You get a sly tilt to your lips, a smirk more than a smile.  “Not much competition though, right?”

“Oh, that’s how you’re gonna be then?  You’re gonna knock my decorating skills?” he jokes back.

“Your decorating skills probably aren’t that bad.  It’s easy to match black and grey,” you say with the same teasing grin.

“Well, there’s some blue in this.”  He holds up the folded quilt, runs a finger along the neat stitching.  “A good start.”

“It doesn’t hurt to have a little color in your life, Ray.”

He guesses not.  And more than any color, he has insight into who you are.  An inroad into what formed you, what made you the person you are.  Better than any color is intel, and Ray has some valuable intel now.

#ray merrimen #ray merrimen x reader #ray merrimen imagine #den of thieves #tropes-and-tales #winter prompts 2022

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

The Accident (Part Two)

Whumptober 2022: #25. Silence is Golden Fandom: Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Top Gun Gang, f!reader, Robert "Bob" Floyd Word Count: 3428 TW: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hospital, Descriptions of Injuries, Lies, Grief, Blaming Oneself Notes: Thank you to @green-socks for looking this over for me and for the initial request! 💖 Part One, Part Two, Part Three (coming soon)

By the time you make it to the site of the accident, the emergency crew has freed Bob and Jake from the car and are just about to load them into the ambulance. Luckily, you know all four of the guys on the scene and manage to talk your way into riding with them to the hospital. Bradley tells you he will drive your car and meet you there. You hesitate for a moment, unsure if he is in any mental or emotional condition to drive, but he reassures you he is and you are too focused on Bob to worry about it too much. So you toss him the keys and climb into the ambulance.

It is a tight fit with all the equipment, you, Bob, Jake, and the emergency crew weaving back and forth between the two stretchers, trying to treat both men at the same time. You hadn’t really been able to get a good look at Jake on the video call, but he is bleeding heavily from a wound on his head, the blood matting his blond hair before pouring down his face. His eyes are closed and his skin is sickly pale but as horrible as it makes you feel, you turn your back on him so you can watch as the team works on Bob. 

One EMT is carefully pulling shards of glass from the windshield and his glasses out of his face. They have already removed what is left of his frames and it has just revealed more damage and gore. You quickly glance away, not sure if what you saw was bone showing through at the bridge of his nose, but also not wanting to find out one way or the other. 

Instead, you focus on his chest. One of the first things they had done once Bob was situated in the rig was to slip an oxygen mask over his face and rip open his shirt to examine his chest. Bob has always been self-conscious of his body and rarely removed his shirt in front of anyone but you. But you loved his body and told him so often. He was just as toned and fit as Bradley or Jake, though in a slightly more subtle way. You loved laying your head on his bare chest at night as you drifted off to sleep, soothed by the sound of his heartbeat. 

But now, his usually pale chest is awash with reds, and blues, and purples. It looks as if he had been punched in the chest by the Hulk. The EMTs said it was from the airbag going off and luckily all of his breathing problems seemed to just be from the bruising, not a punctured or collapsed lung. At least that is something.

You take his right hand gently in yours while another EMT applies a brace to Bob’s injured left arm. They can’t diagnose him without an x-ray, but they guess he probably has a broken wrist and forearm. But just like with everything else, they need to wait for the doctors at the hospital to tell you for sure. 

Suddenly, one of the monitors on the other side of the rig starts blaring and all four EMTs rush to Jake’s side, leaving you alone with Bob. Bending over, you whisper in his ear, “It’s okay, baby. I’m here. It’s going to be alright. You just need to fight through this, okay? I know it hurts and it’s going to be tough, but you can’t leave me like this. Please, Bobby. Please come back to me.” 

You gently place a kiss on his knuckles before squeezing your eyes together. No matter what happens, no matter how bad it is, as long as Bob pulls through, that’s all you care about. After all, you’re supposed to be planning a wedding. 

For the next twelve hours, there is nothing for you to do but sit and wait for your questions to be answered. Wait to find out the outcome of one of Bob’s numerous surgeries and his prognosis. Wait to find out if they managed to stabilize Jake. Wait to find out if Bradley got the all-clear on his examination. After twelve hours you have the answers to all of those questions; some good, some heartbreaking. But there is still one question that now remains: when will Bob wake up?

You have just started nodding off when a soft moaning from the bed next to you stirs you awake. Sitting up in your chair, you see Bob weakly pulling on the gauze that is wrapped from the top of his head to the tip of his nose. 

“No, no, no. Hey, don’t mess with that,” you coo softly as you gently move his hand away from the dressings.

“Sweetheart?” he mumbles softly, his words muffled and slurred between his broken, swollen nose and the drugs in his system. “Wh-what happened? What is this? Why can’t I see?”

“You were in a car accident. A truck ran a red light and smashed into you. Right now, you’re in the hospital and they had to wrap bandages around your face because the airbag shattered your glasses into it. They caused a lot of damage. Your nose is broken a-and there are cuts from the glass of the lens and the windshield.” You quickly pull out your phone and text Bradley to let him know Bob woke up. “You also have quite a few broken bones and bruises, but I can go over all that with you later. Right now, I’m just so glad you’re awake! How do you feel?”

“Like I got hit by a truck…. Which apparently I did,” he mutters, shifting slightly and hissing as he grabs his chest with his good hand. “The car…. I was with Rooster and Hangman, right? Are they okay?”

“Fine,” you say curtly, then change the subject. “But can I do anything for you? Are you in any pain? They have you on a bunch of different meds but they couldn’t tell how much they are working until you woke up.”

“As long as I don’t move, it’s not too bad,” he mumbles. But then his voice grows stronger as he asks, “So, how bad is it? Really?” 

You swallow and take a moment to choose your words wisely. “It was bad. Since I knew you were out for the night, I took an extra shift and I was the one to answer when Bradley called it in. I made him send me a video of the crash and….” You take a deep, shuddering breath at the memory of seeing Bob’s broken form in the front seat of the car. “I left work and rushed to the scene. I got there just in time to ride with you and Jake to the hospital. I was so scared you wouldn’t make it.” Tears begin to roll down your cheeks. 

Even though Bob’s face is covered, he knows you well enough to tell what was happening. Reaching out blindly, he searches for your face. Leaning over, you allow his fingers to brush against your cheek and he draws you in closer, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I made it. Maybe everything’s not quite the same, but–” you bite your lip until you taste blood as you urge yourself not to openly sob “– I’m still here.”

You nod softly, knowing there is still so much more you need to tell him, so much more he needs to know. But right now, you just lean into the warmth of his skin and relish the fact your Bobby is still here with you. 

An hour later, Bob falls back to sleep so you quietly slip out of the room to go grab a coffee and something to eat. As soon as you enter the hall, you notice Bradley standing by a nearby window, talking on the phone. When he sees you, he quickly says his goodbyes and hangs up as he hurries over. “How is he?”

A small smile tugs at your lips as you say, “All things considered, he’s okay. He’s pretty weak and still a little out of it, but I think that will pass once he gets some of the drugs out of his system. But we had a good talk and he’s in pretty good spirits.”

Bradley’s relieved expression hardens into an accusatory glare. Coldly, he says, “You didn’t tell him.” 

Your smile evaporates immediately, and you look at the floor. “How am I supposed to tell him, Bradley? What do I even say?”

“He deserves to know.”

“And he will…. soon. But until then, can’t we give him just a little time to adjust? To regain some strength? Telling him won’t change anything.”

Bradley shakes his head. “So what do we do if he asks? Lie to him? Because I won’t do that. Not about this.”

“Then stay the hell away from him!” you snap, your eyes darting to his. “Haven’t you caused him enough pain already?”

The second the words are out of your mouth, you regret them. You might as well have slapped Bradley across the face. As his expression crumbles, he turns quickly on his heels and storms down the hall but you chase after him.

“Wait, Bradley! Please! I didn’t mean it. I’m just…. I’m hurt and I’m scared and I don’t know how to handle any of this. I might deal with these sorts of situations at work all the time, but as soon as it’s someone I love…. It’s so much harder and I don’t know what to do.” 

He slows to a stop but his back is still facing you. Gently, reaching out and touching his arm, you say, “It wasn’t your fault. I know that. It just popped out. I promise, I don’t blame you for what happened, and I know Bob doesn’t either. You weren’t driving that truck and you couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”

“It should have been me.” The whisper is so soft that you almost didn’t hear it. “We always take advantage of Bob because he doesn’t drink. Like that just automatically makes him the designated driver.”

“I mean,” you shrug slightly. “It does make sense. And I know he doesn’t mind.”

“But he still shouldn’t have to. And Hangman… He didn’t want to leave the bar. He was chatting up a couple of girls but I dragged him away saying we all came together, and we were all leaving together. If I would have just let him stay–” Bradley buries his head in his hands.

“Oh, Bradley….” you wrap your arms around the pilot and he clings to you tightly. Since the day you met him, Bradley Bradshaw seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. His loyalty and devotion to his friends and to his team are one of the things you most admire about the man and you can’t imagine how much this must be weighing on him. It doesn’t surprise you in the least that he blames himself for what happened last night.

You hold him for a long time until he finally straightens and clears his throat. Smiling gently at him, you say, “Hey, I’m sorry I snapped at you and said that. I know you’re dealing with so much right now on top of your own injuries. How are you feeling?”

“Physically? I’m okay. My neck’s still sore but they said it was just whiplash. But I can’t stop thinking about it. Opening my eyes after the crash and seeing them…. Now I can’t close my eyes without seeing them again.” He scrubs his hand over his face and for the first time, you realize how exhausted he looks.

“Is your wife coming by later?”

He shakes his head. “No, I told her to just stay home. There’s nothing she can do here and I don’t want her to have to spend all day here for no reason. She still has really bad morning sickness that lasts most of the day and she’ll just be more comfortable at home.”

“That makes sense, but you should go see her. There’s nothing else you can really do here right now so why don’t you take my car and go home for a few hours? Just call her back and tell her you’re coming home.”

Bradley shifts slightly. “Uh, no. I wasn’t on the phone with her. It was Hangman’s parents. They just booked their tickets and are flying in first thing in the morning.”

“Oh…. I figured the hospital took care of contacting them.”

“Usually they do, but I figured I owed it to them to call them personally so I let them know this morning. His mom was just letting me know what time they were coming in.”

You nod softly but before you can say anything, your phone buzzes. Glancing at it, you say, “Oh! It’s Natasha. I told her I would let her know how Bob is doing. I need to take this.”

“Tell her I said hi.”

“I will. And, Bradley?” You had started to walk away but pause and look back at him. “I mean it. It wasn’t your fault.”

He gives you a small smile, but you both know that doesn’t mean he agrees with you.

Bradley borrows your car that afternoon so he can spend the night at home with his wife and then picks up Jake’s parents from the airport the next morning on his way back to the hospital. You spend the entire day trying your best to avoid bumping into them and you feel terrible about it. Last year, you had met them briefly at a banquet for the Dagger Squad. They both were incredibly kind, caring people and you knew that Mrs. Seresin was the sort of person who would want to comfort you and reassure you that Bob was going to be okay, despite the fact she was dealing with what happened to her son. And you couldn’t handle that at the moment. 

So, you stay next to Bob’s bedside. When he is awake, you read to him or listen to music. A few times when he is extra alert or energized, the two of you discuss wedding plans. But you quickly excuse yourself to use the bathroom when he starts talking about seeing you walk down the aisle with the whole Dagger Squad at his side. Luckily, you manage to close the door before you start sobbing. 

Later, when Bob is asleep, his doctor comes in to give you an update. Everything seems to be healing as expected and there is no sign of infection. It is more than you could have hoped for. However, as the doctor begins to leave, he casually mentions something that makes your heart freeze in your chest. You just nod politely and promise to fill Bob in on all the details, but as soon as the doctor has left the room, you pull out your phone and call Bradley. 

When he picks up, you say, “Tomorrow. They’re doing it tomorrow. He’s going to find out tomorrow.”

Bradley sighs on the other end of the line. “You need to tell him beforehand. He should hear it from you.”

“I-I don’t know if I can,” you whisper. 

“You said it yourself. He’s going to find out one way or another tomorrow anyway so you need to just tell him.”

You nod, even though you know he can’t see it. “I’ll try. But… you’ll be here tomorrow when…”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Thank you, Bradley.” You turn as Bob begins to stir in his bed. “I have to go, but I’ll text you later.” And without waiting for a response, you hang up the phone.

Deep down, you knew you wouldn’t tell Bob the truth before it was time. But you did try. Every time there was a moment of silence between the two of you that night, you opened your mouth to say it, but nothing came out. 

And then when he overheard a nurse mention they were going to change the bandages on his head tomorrow, he got so excited he was going to have a chance to see you and Bradley and Jake that you gave up even trying to tell him. There was no way you could now.

So, the next morning when a doctor comes in to change Bob’s bandages, you still haven’t told him. And as the doctor starts to make the first cut, Bob stops him. “Um, do you mind waiting just a minute? I think my friends were supposed to be here for this.”

You open your mouth to say something when the door flies open and Bradley sticks his head in. “Sorry! It took me longer than expected. I didn’t realize how hard this thing was to maneuver.” 

With a grunt, he pushes a wheelchair into the room. The blond pilot sitting in it grins as he says, “We’ve all seen how you fly, Bradshaw. Is it such a surprise you have trouble maneuvering a chair?”

Bob grins. “Well, you two seem like your usual selves. Guess you didn’t get banged up too badly.”

Bradley snickers. “Hangman hit his head. Nothing important up there to damage.”

“Hey! I had swelling in my brain, thank you very much! That sounds pretty important to me!” 

“Did you? Or did they just see your inflated ego and misdiagnose you?”

“Screw you! If I–”

“Gentlemen,” the doctor says, clearing his throat. “May I continue?”

Both Bradley and Jake mutter their apologies and the doctor picks up his scissors again. Silently, you cross the room so you are standing next to Bradley and you take his hand, squeezing it so tightly you can feel his knuckles shift in your grasp. 

He looks down at your joined hands, then at your fear-stricken face and he knows you didn’t tell Bob. Paling slightly, he turns his attention back to his friend in the bed, squeezing your hand just as tightly in return.

The doctor finishes cutting through the gauze and begins unwrapping it from Bob’s head. When he is finished, he removes the two cotton pads that had been placed over Bob’s eyes. Slowly, Bob opens his eyes, a smile spread across his face.

But then he blinks. He blinks again. Softly, he shakes his head as he squeezes his eyes closed. And when he opens them again, the smile has dropped from his face. Somehow, you manage to squeeze Bradley’s hand even harder. 

Jake, unaware that something is wrong, chuckles and says, “Goddamn, Bob. That nose looks gnarly. No wonder they had to hide your face from the world for a while.”

But Bob ignores him as, still blinking, he says, “Huh… I, uh, I don’t… I think something’s wrong.”

Slowly, the realization of what is happening passes over Jake’s face. Looking up from his wheelchair at you and Bradley, he says in a hushed voice full of disbelief, “You guys didn’t tell him...”

“Tell me what?” Bob asks, concern and fear dripping from every word. 

“I-I couldn’t.” You turn to face Bob, tears spilling down your face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to say.”

“What to sa– Guys, I can’t… Why can’t I–” His head jerks frantically between the three of you and you sob into your hands. Bradley was right, you should have told him. 

Glancing at him, you silently beg Bradley to do what you aren’t strong enough to do. Meeting your eye, he nods slightly before saying, “Yeah, we know, buddy.” 

He sighs heavily as he hangs his head. “They don’t know if it was from the windshield or your glasses, but a large shard of glass sliced the cornea of your left eye. They tried to fix it the best they could but even after it heals, they still expect you to have anywhere from partial to total blindness in that eye.”

Bob’s face pales as his bottom lip quivers slightly. In complete disbelief, his eyes turn to you. You are left gazing at one– a bright blue pool surrounded by a field of pure white –and the other– a blood-red stain surrounding the blue pool, causing an almost violet quality to his iris. However, the betrayal and pain on his face is more painful to look at than his injury. 

You try reaching out to him, but he pulls his hand away. Sinking to the floor, tears still streaming down your cheeks, you whisper, “I’m sorry, Bobby. I’m so sorry.”

Part Three coming soon!

Taglist: @loverhymeswith, @babblydrabbly, @mayhem24-7forever, @11thstreetvigilante, @merlehs, @green-socks, @sunshineflowerchild789, @shanimallina87, @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy, @hederasgarden, @callsign-phoenix, @wildbornsiren, @lt-natrace, @the-untamed-soul, @inglourious-imagines, @airhogger, @piscesvancouverite, @straightforwardly, @bonnieelizabethparker, @srry-itshockeyszn, @flyinlove, @fandomhopped, @sweetheartlizzie07, @yjwnoot, @wanderdreamer, @callsign-fox, @imjess-themess, @joalsglasses, @curlyolly, @nobody7102, @footprintsinthesxnd, @thesewordsxlibrary, @double-j, @phoenix1389, @some-lovely-day

#whumptober #whumptober2022 #whumptober 2022 #fic #no.25 #silence is golden #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun: maverick #robert bob floyd #bob #robert bob floyd x reader #bob x reader #f!reader #lewis pullman #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster #angst #hurt/comfort #hurt & comfort #hospital tw #description of injuries tw #lies tw #grief tw

[shidouryusm]

Under the rug

pairing: oikawa x reader

warning: cheater!oikawa, angst, slight fluff, oblivious!reader

A/N- yikes! i had to repost cause my tags are being a bitch. Also hope y'all liked it and any kind of constructive criticism is appreciated.

Oikawa gazes outside the glass window for the past 30 minutes looking as the wings of the plane cut through the vapours of the white cloud. He stares at it long enough for anyone else beside him to get concerned but in reality, his eyes are following nothing. He rests his hand under his chin and lets out a deep sigh, his head throbbing from the lack of sleep for the past 10 hours and the tumultuous dilemma that he is harbouring inside his system.

His mind races over the incident a few nights prior to his flight to Japan –where he will reunite with his original homeland. Reunite with you – the beacon of his life.

Yet.Yet he managed to screw up so terribly this time that just thinking about it leaves a foul bitter taste in his mouth and churns up his stomach with guilt.

 His eyes go down towards his hand and he distastefully remembers how he tangled these hands around that lady’s hair. Her hair smelled exactly like yours – minty strawberry scent. His drunken lips messily clashed with hers as they indulged in a night of sinful passion and adulteration. 

Waking up the next morning wrapped in with her, a terrible hangover and ice-cold clarity was one of the worst things, if not the worst, Oikawa has ever felt. And worst of all- there had been several texts of yours and few missed calls that you left for him concernedly. He called you back almost immediately. Hearing your voice laced with concern felt like shards of glass on his heart.

“Tooru, oh my god. You weren’t picking up my calls! Where were you?”. Oikawa never knew that he could lie so easily to you as he replied calmly, “I slept in early last night, babe”. Your relieved voice was a sense of warmth for him as he talked to you about his arrival in Japan.

“You need to be careful, babe” You say, oblivious from the other side.”Yeah. Well how excited are you that your gorgeous boyfriend is arriving after so long”....

Äll the while a naked woman lay down in his bed. 

The voice of the cabin crew snapped his trance as the connecting flight from New York to Tokyo was soon gonna land. The regret feels like a teddy bear fashioned with glass shards – the more he hugs it, the more he is inflicted with the pain. He feels nauseous as he steps into the washroom and washes his face. Not that it does anything.

He finally was going to be in your arms. Minutes away from being close to you and seeing your face. But at what cost?

 Oikawa feels the dull headache transform into sharp pain and he buckles himself up. His insides were at war. His heart is fighting tooth and nail with his conscious mind. Is he gonna tell you or sweep the matter under the rug? 

It’s not that you’ll ever find it anyway. His shenanigan was too discrete to be discovered. But he knows things will never be the same– at least on his part. He is officially the cheater. The deceiver of this relationship. The unfaithful significant other. And you do not deserve this. You do not deserve any of this. You don't deserve him. Because your pure soul deserves so much better than his now tainted one. 

You stood outside the airport, nervously shifting from one foot to another as a newfound anticipation washes over you. You look at the herd of people trying to find the tall figure of your boyfriend. You wait for long enough before your eyes catch the chocolate brown swept hair and eyes that match the beautiful hue. A rush of saddening happiness floods your insides as his eyes meet yours, you feel the summer sky has brightened up a thousand times more with his presence.

The thud of his heart was so loud that he was afraid everyone could hear it once he locked eyes with you.  Your face glowed in the warm golden sunlight and he felt you like how he would feel the first ray of sunshine after a pitch black night. Your smile was equivalent to the bright sun that fell over his body and despite the infernal storm he is experiencing inside, he manages to bring out a genuine smile towards you . And the way you sprinted and hugged him, his heart felt the relief of a parched man tasting water. 

His arms snakes around your waist and he pulls you as close as it could have been possible at this moment. Oikawa buries his face in your neck as he places soft but needy kisses on your neck. He hears you sniffle and let out a choked sob and his heart feels the crack. His eyes became hazy with the tears that he is trying his best to keep at bay. “I missed you, Toru”

I missed you too, Y/N. Hell I miss everything that was there before that night, Y/N. 

Never in his life would he want to hear this sound coming from your mouth in that way. And it was that moment, he made the decision as he let his heart and the undying love he felt for you to take over. And he cries. He cries holding you delicately and yet securely. If he lets go, he’ll lose you.

“Angel, don’t cry please. I hate seeing your beautiful face smeared in snot” You playfully shove his chest as you let out a watery giggle and Oikawa feels like he’s 18 again. Heart racing every time he met you. You’re so beautiful. So effortlessly elegant and still holding the capability to make him giddy with love. Oikawa kisses your nose and then your cheeks as he hugs you tighter and tighter.

Only if he could have removed the few hours of that night with a scalpel. 

He holds you close as you both pull his suitcases and exit the airport and Oikawa feels he’d let his mind win some other day. Now he wants to bask in your presence and sweep his past under the rug.

Thanks for reading

reblogs are appreciated

-xoxo

©-bokutoslittledoll2022. Please refrain from any kind of plagiarising. Do not repost without credits on any other social platform-not even tumblr.

#sam writes #I have arrived from death besties #oikawa x reader #oikawa x reader angst #oikawa x reader fluff #oikawa toru x reader #oikawa tōru #haikyuu oikawa #haikyuu xreader #haikyuu #hq #hq x reader #haikyuu angst #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu hcs #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #oikawa toru #oikawa angst #oikawa fluff #oikawa drabble #oikawa toru x y/n #oikawa fanfiction #oikawa imagine

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

The Accident (Part Two)

Whumptober 2022: #25. Silence is Golden Fandom: Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Top Gun Gang, f!reader, Robert "Bob" Floyd Word Count: 3428 TW: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hospital, Descriptions of Injuries, Lies, Grief, Blaming Oneself Notes: Thank you to @green-socks for looking this over for me and for the initial request! 💖 Part One, Part Two, Part Three (coming soon)

By the time you make it to the site of the accident, the emergency crew has freed Bob and Jake from the car and are just about to load them into the ambulance. Luckily, you know all four of the guys on the scene and manage to talk your way into riding with them to the hospital. Bradley tells you he will drive your car and meet you there. You hesitate for a moment, unsure if he is in any mental or emotional condition to drive, but he reassures you he is and you are too focused on Bob to worry about it too much. So you toss him the keys and climb into the ambulance.

It is a tight fit with all the equipment, you, Bob, Jake, and the emergency crew weaving back and forth between the two stretchers, trying to treat both men at the same time. You hadn’t really been able to get a good look at Jake on the video call, but he is bleeding heavily from a wound on his head, the blood matting his blond hair before pouring down his face. His eyes are closed and his skin is sickly pale but as horrible as it makes you feel, you turn your back on him so you can watch as the team works on Bob. 

One EMT is carefully pulling shards of glass from the windshield and his glasses out of his face. They have already removed what is left of his frames and it has just revealed more damage and gore. You quickly glance away, not sure if what you saw was bone showing through at the bridge of his nose, but also not wanting to find out one way or the other. 

Instead, you focus on his chest. One of the first things they had done once Bob was situated in the rig was to slip an oxygen mask over his face and rip open his shirt to examine his chest. Bob has always been self-conscious of his body and rarely removed his shirt in front of anyone but you. But you loved his body and told him so often. He was just as toned and fit as Bradley or Jake, though in a slightly more subtle way. You loved laying your head on his bare chest at night as you drifted off to sleep, soothed by the sound of his heartbeat. 

But now, his usually pale chest is awash with reds, and blues, and purples. It looks as if he had been punched in the chest by the Hulk. The EMTs said it was from the airbag going off and luckily all of his breathing problems seemed to just be from the bruising, not a punctured or collapsed lung. At least that is something.

You take his right hand gently in yours while another EMT applies a brace to Bob’s injured left arm. They can’t diagnose him without an x-ray, but they guess he probably has a broken wrist and forearm. But just like with everything else, they need to wait for the doctors at the hospital to tell you for sure. 

Suddenly, one of the monitors on the other side of the rig starts blaring and all four EMTs rush to Jake’s side, leaving you alone with Bob. Bending over, you whisper in his ear, “It’s okay, baby. I’m here. It’s going to be alright. You just need to fight through this, okay? I know it hurts and it’s going to be tough, but you can’t leave me like this. Please, Bobby. Please come back to me.” 

You gently place a kiss on his knuckles before squeezing your eyes together. No matter what happens, no matter how bad it is, as long as Bob pulls through, that’s all you care about. After all, you’re supposed to be planning a wedding. 

For the next twelve hours, there is nothing for you to do but sit and wait for your questions to be answered. Wait to find out the outcome of one of Bob’s numerous surgeries and his prognosis. Wait to find out if they managed to stabilize Jake. Wait to find out if Bradley got the all-clear on his examination. After twelve hours you have the answers to all of those questions; some good, some heartbreaking. But there is still one question that now remains: when will Bob wake up?

You have just started nodding off when a soft moaning from the bed next to you stirs you awake. Sitting up in your chair, you see Bob weakly pulling on the gauze that is wrapped from the top of his head to the tip of his nose. 

“No, no, no. Hey, don’t mess with that,” you coo softly as you gently move his hand away from the dressings.

“Sweetheart?” he mumbles softly, his words muffled and slurred between his broken, swollen nose and the drugs in his system. “Wh-what happened? What is this? Why can’t I see?”

“You were in a car accident. A truck ran a red light and smashed into you. Right now, you’re in the hospital and they had to wrap bandages around your face because the airbag shattered your glasses into it. They caused a lot of damage. Your nose is broken a-and there are cuts from the glass of the lens and the windshield.” You quickly pull out your phone and text Bradley to let him know Bob woke up. “You also have quite a few broken bones and bruises, but I can go over all that with you later. Right now, I’m just so glad you’re awake! How do you feel?”

“Like I got hit by a truck…. Which apparently I did,” he mutters, shifting slightly and hissing as he grabs his chest with his good hand. “The car…. I was with Rooster and Hangman, right? Are they okay?”

“Fine,” you say curtly, then change the subject. “But can I do anything for you? Are you in any pain? They have you on a bunch of different meds but they couldn’t tell how much they are working until you woke up.”

“As long as I don’t move, it’s not too bad,” he mumbles. But then his voice grows stronger as he asks, “So, how bad is it? Really?” 

You swallow and take a moment to choose your words wisely. “It was bad. Since I knew you were out for the night, I took an extra shift and I was the one to answer when Bradley called it in. I made him send me a video of the crash and….” You take a deep, shuddering breath at the memory of seeing Bob’s broken form in the front seat of the car. “I left work and rushed to the scene. I got there just in time to ride with you and Jake to the hospital. I was so scared you wouldn’t make it.” Tears begin to roll down your cheeks. 

Even though Bob’s face is covered, he knows you well enough to tell what was happening. Reaching out blindly, he searches for your face. Leaning over, you allow his fingers to brush against your cheek and he draws you in closer, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I made it. Maybe everything’s not quite the same, but–” you bite your lip until you taste blood as you urge yourself not to openly sob “– I’m still here.”

You nod softly, knowing there is still so much more you need to tell him, so much more he needs to know. But right now, you just lean into the warmth of his skin and relish the fact your Bobby is still here with you. 

An hour later, Bob falls back to sleep so you quietly slip out of the room to go grab a coffee and something to eat. As soon as you enter the hall, you notice Bradley standing by a nearby window, talking on the phone. When he sees you, he quickly says his goodbyes and hangs up as he hurries over. “How is he?”

A small smile tugs at your lips as you say, “All things considered, he’s okay. He’s pretty weak and still a little out of it, but I think that will pass once he gets some of the drugs out of his system. But we had a good talk and he’s in pretty good spirits.”

Bradley’s relieved expression hardens into an accusatory glare. Coldly, he says, “You didn’t tell him.” 

Your smile evaporates immediately, and you look at the floor. “How am I supposed to tell him, Bradley? What do I even say?”

“He deserves to know.”

“And he will…. soon. But until then, can’t we give him just a little time to adjust? To regain some strength? Telling him won’t change anything.”

Bradley shakes his head. “So what do we do if he asks? Lie to him? Because I won’t do that. Not about this.”

“Then stay the hell away from him!” you snap, your eyes darting to his. “Haven’t you caused him enough pain already?”

The second the words are out of your mouth, you regret them. You might as well have slapped Bradley across the face. As his expression crumbles, he turns quickly on his heels and storms down the hall but you chase after him.

“Wait, Bradley! Please! I didn’t mean it. I’m just…. I’m hurt and I’m scared and I don’t know how to handle any of this. I might deal with these sorts of situations at work all the time, but as soon as it’s someone I love…. It’s so much harder and I don’t know what to do.” 

He slows to a stop but his back is still facing you. Gently, reaching out and touching his arm, you say, “It wasn’t your fault. I know that. It just popped out. I promise, I don’t blame you for what happened, and I know Bob doesn’t either. You weren’t driving that truck and you couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”

“It should have been me.” The whisper is so soft that you almost didn’t hear it. “We always take advantage of Bob because he doesn’t drink. Like that just automatically makes him the designated driver.”

“I mean,” you shrug slightly. “It does make sense. And I know he doesn’t mind.”

“But he still shouldn’t have to. And Hangman… He didn’t want to leave the bar. He was chatting up a couple of girls but I dragged him away saying we all came together, and we were all leaving together. If I would have just let him stay–” Bradley buries his head in his hands.

“Oh, Bradley….” you wrap your arms around the pilot and he clings to you tightly. Since the day you met him, Bradley Bradshaw seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. His loyalty and devotion to his friends and to his team are one of the things you most admire about the man and you can’t imagine how much this must be weighing on him. It doesn’t surprise you in the least that he blames himself for what happened last night.

You hold him for a long time until he finally straightens and clears his throat. Smiling gently at him, you say, “Hey, I’m sorry I snapped at you and said that. I know you’re dealing with so much right now on top of your own injuries. How are you feeling?”

“Physically? I’m okay. My neck’s still sore but they said it was just whiplash. But I can’t stop thinking about it. Opening my eyes after the crash and seeing them…. Now I can’t close my eyes without seeing them again.” He scrubs his hand over his face and for the first time, you realize how exhausted he looks.

“Is your wife coming by later?”

He shakes his head. “No, I told her to just stay home. There’s nothing she can do here and I don’t want her to have to spend all day here for no reason. She still has really bad morning sickness that lasts most of the day and she’ll just be more comfortable at home.”

“That makes sense, but you should go see her. There’s nothing else you can really do here right now so why don’t you take my car and go home for a few hours? Just call her back and tell her you’re coming home.”

Bradley shifts slightly. “Uh, no. I wasn’t on the phone with her. It was Hangman’s parents. They just booked their tickets and are flying in first thing in the morning.”

“Oh…. I figured the hospital took care of contacting them.”

“Usually they do, but I figured I owed it to them to call them personally so I let them know this morning. His mom was just letting me know what time they were coming in.”

You nod softly but before you can say anything, your phone buzzes. Glancing at it, you say, “Oh! It’s Natasha. I told her I would let her know how Bob is doing. I need to take this.”

“Tell her I said hi.”

“I will. And, Bradley?” You had started to walk away but pause and look back at him. “I mean it. It wasn’t your fault.”

He gives you a small smile, but you both know that doesn’t mean he agrees with you.

Bradley borrows your car that afternoon so he can spend the night at home with his wife and then picks up Jake’s parents from the airport the next morning on his way back to the hospital. You spend the entire day trying your best to avoid bumping into them and you feel terrible about it. Last year, you had met them briefly at a banquet for the Dagger Squad. They both were incredibly kind, caring people and you knew that Mrs. Seresin was the sort of person who would want to comfort you and reassure you that Bob was going to be okay, despite the fact she was dealing with what happened to her son. And you couldn’t handle that at the moment. 

So, you stay next to Bob’s bedside. When he is awake, you read to him or listen to music. A few times when he is extra alert or energized, the two of you discuss wedding plans. But you quickly excuse yourself to use the bathroom when he starts talking about seeing you walk down the aisle with the whole Dagger Squad at his side. Luckily, you manage to close the door before you start sobbing. 

Later, when Bob is asleep, his doctor comes in to give you an update. Everything seems to be healing as expected and there is no sign of infection. It is more than you could have hoped for. However, as the doctor begins to leave, he casually mentions something that makes your heart freeze in your chest. You just nod politely and promise to fill Bob in on all the details, but as soon as the doctor has left the room, you pull out your phone and call Bradley. 

When he picks up, you say, “Tomorrow. They’re doing it tomorrow. He’s going to find out tomorrow.”

Bradley sighs on the other end of the line. “You need to tell him beforehand. He should hear it from you.”

“I-I don’t know if I can,” you whisper. 

“You said it yourself. He’s going to find out one way or another tomorrow anyway so you need to just tell him.”

You nod, even though you know he can’t see it. “I’ll try. But… you’ll be here tomorrow when…”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Thank you, Bradley.” You turn as Bob begins to stir in his bed. “I have to go, but I’ll text you later.” And without waiting for a response, you hang up the phone.

Deep down, you knew you wouldn’t tell Bob the truth before it was time. But you did try. Every time there was a moment of silence between the two of you that night, you opened your mouth to say it, but nothing came out. 

And then when he overheard a nurse mention they were going to change the bandages on his head tomorrow, he got so excited he was going to have a chance to see you and Bradley and Jake that you gave up even trying to tell him. There was no way you could now.

So, the next morning when a doctor comes in to change Bob’s bandages, you still haven’t told him. And as the doctor starts to make the first cut, Bob stops him. “Um, do you mind waiting just a minute? I think my friends were supposed to be here for this.”

You open your mouth to say something when the door flies open and Bradley sticks his head in. “Sorry! It took me longer than expected. I didn’t realize how hard this thing was to maneuver.” 

With a grunt, he pushes a wheelchair into the room. The blond pilot sitting in it grins as he says, “We’ve all seen how you fly, Bradshaw. Is it such a surprise you have trouble maneuvering a chair?”

Bob grins. “Well, you two seem like your usual selves. Guess you didn’t get banged up too badly.”

Bradley snickers. “Hangman hit his head. Nothing important up there to damage.”

“Hey! I had swelling in my brain, thank you very much! That sounds pretty important to me!” 

“Did you? Or did they just see your inflated ego and misdiagnose you?”

“Screw you! If I–”

“Gentlemen,” the doctor says, clearing his throat. “May I continue?”

Both Bradley and Jake mutter their apologies and the doctor picks up his scissors again. Silently, you cross the room so you are standing next to Bradley and you take his hand, squeezing it so tightly you can feel his knuckles shift in your grasp. 

He looks down at your joined hands, then at your fear-stricken face and he knows you didn’t tell Bob. Paling slightly, he turns his attention back to his friend in the bed, squeezing your hand just as tightly in return.

The doctor finishes cutting through the gauze and begins unwrapping it from Bob’s head. When he is finished, he removes the two cotton pads that had been placed over Bob’s eyes. Slowly, Bob opens his eyes, a smile spread across his face.

But then he blinks. He blinks again. Softly, he shakes his head as he squeezes his eyes closed. And when he opens them again, the smile has dropped from his face. Somehow, you manage to squeeze Bradley’s hand even harder. 

Jake, unaware that something is wrong, chuckles and says, “Goddamn, Bob. That nose looks gnarly. No wonder they had to hide your face from the world for a while.”

But Bob ignores him as, still blinking, he says, “Huh… I, uh, I don’t… I think something’s wrong.”

Slowly, the realization of what is happening passes over Jake’s face. Looking up from his wheelchair at you and Bradley, he says in a hushed voice full of disbelief, “You guys didn’t tell him...”

“Tell me what?” Bob asks, concern and fear dripping from every word. 

“I-I couldn’t.” You turn to face Bob, tears spilling down your face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to say.”

“What to sa– Guys, I can’t… Why can’t I–” His head jerks frantically between the three of you and you sob into your hands. Bradley was right, you should have told him. 

Glancing at him, you silently beg Bradley to do what you aren’t strong enough to do. Meeting your eye, he nods slightly before saying, “Yeah, we know, buddy.” 

He sighs heavily as he hangs his head. “They don’t know if it was from the windshield or your glasses, but a large shard of glass sliced the cornea of your left eye. They tried to fix it the best they could but even after it heals, they still expect you to have anywhere from partial to total blindness in that eye.”

Bob’s face pales as his bottom lip quivers slightly. In complete disbelief, his eyes turn to you. You are left gazing at one– a bright blue pool surrounded by a field of pure white –and the other– a blood-red stain surrounding the blue pool, causing an almost violet quality to his iris. However, the betrayal and pain on his face is more painful to look at than his injury. 

You try reaching out to him, but he pulls his hand away. Sinking to the floor, tears still streaming down your cheeks, you whisper, “I’m sorry, Bobby. I’m so sorry.”

Part Three coming soon!

Taglist: @nik2blog, @dumb-fawkin-bitch, @shirley2996, @luckyladycreator2, @valoraxxx-blog, @m3laniehearts, @autumnleaves1991-blog,  @rule107, @vintageleather, @impossiblebagelcowboyfreak, @slutforadambanks, @americaarse, @reneki, @ynbutbetter , @sugarcoated-lame, @imagineadream, @sadpetalsstuff, @salty-thembo, @rachelizabethgraham, @duckandrobin, @queenbbarnes, @grincheveryday, @uselesslyromantic, @choochoo284, @littlebadariell, @blue-aconite, @thescarletknight2014, @jamesbuckyburns, @a-sweet-little-fangirl, @happyblogstuff, @randomlifeunit, @boringusername3, @lclove2012-blog, @3tabbiesandalab

#whumptober #whumptober2022 #whumptober 2022 #fic #no.25 #silence is golden #top gun #top gun: maverick #top gun maverick #robert bob floyd #robert bob floyd x reader #bob #bob x reader #f!reader #lewis pullman #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster #angst #hurt/comfort #hurt & comfort #hospital tw #description of injuries tw #lies tw #grief tw

[ajaxeology]

6:35PM [Kazuha]

genre: angst

c/w: separation

note: note: so @rxspbrrry and I had a small discussion about Kazuha. Also shoutout to her for beta-reading this , lovE UUU MWAHH AAAAAA. Sorry to those affected by the repost!

You detest the sun for how it sprints across the sky. It wasn't that long ago the sun stretched its rays from the horizon. But somehow you are already at the harbour watching the golden orb tuck itself under its blanket.

Annoyance scalds your chest because you still don’t have an answer even after a whole day. What is it that is between you and Kazuha? Friends? Best friends? Lovers? Even the salty air in the space between the two of you doesn't know.

That scene repeats in your head again. When you told him you loved him just before he left because of the Vision Hunt Decree. You watched his back as he walked away, blending into the sea of people before he vanished from your sight. Even though he said that he loved you the same way, just like how a tree loves the sun.

You redirect your anger towards the Raiden Shogun. If only she did not order the Vision Hunt Decree, it would have been different. 

During the decree, you received occasional letters from him. His words are devoid of any romantic love and the thought crushes your cracked heart into itty-bitty pieces. But in between the ink of the poem he's written for you, you think he loves you. Again and again, you pick up the shattered pieces and put them together again with gold.

The only reminder of Kazuha's presence beside you are the light thuds of his steps on the boardwalk. The distant orders of Captain Beidou to her crew grow louder, serving as a cruel reminder of another looming separation. 

When you no longer hear his footsteps, it pulls you out of your mind.

He's always wandering, always moving towards a new destination. So when he stops for no apparent reason, it alarms you. You turn and finally look him in the eye ever since the two of you separated from the others.

Ruby-red. It reminds you of the red you see when you think of him.

Ruby-red. It reminds you how beautiful he is. You don’t know if you can pay the price of loving a diamond like him. One that shimmers with a new kaleidoscopic pattern every time you look at it.

But you don't see the sorrow and remorse that swirls in those red eyes. The breeze has been screaming to him that it is his fault you carry your heavy heart through the days. The salt in the air pricks his eyes, demanding him to return the silent tears that soak your pillowcase in the night.

He sees the red of his eyes in yours, its shade matching the maple leaves that fall behind you. It’s going to be another goodbye again. Kazuha suppresses the urge to take his hand in yours. A touch of you before he departs miles away from you again.

A moment of only the crash of waves lapses. You ask him what’s wrong and he lies that the maple leaves seem to have given him a new idea for a new poem. Forcing a chuckle, you start inching towards the Alcor with him.

He has one foot on the first step when he reaches the stairs that ascend to the deck. Turning back, he asks you if there's anything you want to tell him.

Maybe, just maybe, he would try to stop his feet from running where they please if you asked. Stop trying to run away to another corner of the world, where he'll eventually leave again. 

If you had nothing to say, he’d tell you to forget him.

You feel your desires overflow the bottle you've shoved them all into.

"Stay."

Is what you want to say. But you keep your lips zipped for the weightless word will hold him down as an immovable mountain when you let it loose.

Kazuha is wrong for saying that he loves you like how the tree loves the sun, you think.

You're the tree that stays anchored; feeling the wind come and go. You're the shore that does not move; welcoming the sea when it washes up on the sand and giving farewell when it resides. No matter how hard you clutch onto him, he'll slip through the gaps that you can't see with your naked eye.

"Make sure to send me letters. I’ll be here when you visit again."

Kazuha smiles sadly. He leans down to the crown of your head, lips hovering above your skin. His breath fans your forehead as he asks, “May I?”

He does not have the heart to tell you to forget him and for once, he sees himself as a selfish fool. Unwilling to let go of a gem he cannot appreciate. It’s a pity that he’s the one you love.

You hum. He gives a kiss on your forehead, so light it could have been a feather’s tip brushing against your skin. When he can no longer see the docks from the top of the ship’s mast, the taste of you is already a faded photograph in the museum of his mind. An exhibit he has already made himself walk past.

#kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kazuha x you #kazuha x y/n #kazuha #kaedehara kazuha #genshin kazuha #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin writing #riptide.works #if this doesn't appear on tags either I will #try not to care anymore

[almostgenerallyalways]

a stout ship / a clear sea

drabble/565 words Pairing: Jake Seresin x reader (no gender specific pronouns used) Category: slight angst, fluff

Summary: You are about to go up into the air when Hangman helps you with your gear.

Dawn is just barely tinging the horizon when you zip up your flight suit.

Under any other circumstances, you’d take the time to admire the seemingly infinite number of stars gracing the sky: you never see this many stars, on land, with the light pollution seeping from city streets and headlights and runways.

It is bitingly cold.

The wind that kept you up for most of the night, mercilessly howling along the flanks of the carrier, has finally died down, leaving only an icy calm. It’s a little unsettling.  

You puff up your cheeks and blow on your frozen fingers, trying to coax them into cooperation. Five minutes from now, Quantum will call you to attention and do that unnerving thing she always does when the mission’s tricky: hold eye contact with each of you for a few long moments.

Call you up to the plate.

You’re struggling with the clasps on your harness, your stiff fingers almost losing their grip on your oxygen mask, when Hangman steps in.

Naturally, he’s ready before anyone else: Strapped in, buckled up, not a hair out of a place. Looking like he was born to be here.

You glance up at him, but he won’t meet your eyes. Wordlessly, he fastens your mask in place, secures your clasps with deft fingers.

It would annoy you, usually: it’s part and parcel of his relentless know-it-all nature. Showing off.

This morning, though, something about the way he’s biting his lower lip tells you this is not that.

He looks vaguely otherworldly, his skin tinged with that eerie shade of blue light you’ve only ever seen here, at sunrise, in the middle of the Bering Sea.

He checks your comms line, and then his hand stills just above the patch bearing your name. He’s still not meeting your eyes, keeping his gaze fixed on your shoulder.

Incongruously, a million miles from home, he smells perfectly ordinary: Like Sierra mint, and Tide pods. The recognition disentangles something deep in your chest.

“Seresin.” You say, gently, over the fracas of the grounds crew moving into formation across deck.

He looks up, finally, and you’ve never seen this expression on his face: Slightly defiant. Vulnerable.

Experimentally, like you’re watching yourself do it, you close your cold hand over his, still sitting lightly on your collarbone. Watch as he swallows, deeply, his throat bobbing.

“Be careful out there,” he says, clipped, to your joined hands.

“Worry about yourself, Lieutenant,” you reply, smiling slightly, in spite of the bitter cold, in spite of the mayhem the next forty-five minutes are about to bring.

Jake Seresin. Who fucking knew.

“Attention, Gamma One!” Quantum calls out, her voice ringing out clearly above the general commotion on deck, the sound of the waves surrounding the mammoth carrier picking up speed.

Where you woke up feeling apprehensive, now you find it in you to be brave. You squeeze his hand, lightly, calling his eyes back to yours. Already, you are waiting seconds too long to join the rest of your squad at Quantum’s side.

“Come on.” You say, hoping your smile conveys what you won’t say.

He nods, and something in his jaw seems to unclench. He gives your shoulder a final tap, then lets go.

The first rays of daylight hit the deck as you make your way to your Commanding Officer, Jake at your heel, come what may.

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#tgm fic #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #top gun maverick fic #jake seresin x f!reader #jake seresin x m!reader #jake seresin x gn!reader