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hyatoro · 11 months

Note

Hello! Firstly, i LOVE your writing! It's so nice to read and it's very enjoyable. This is also my first ask with you. Unfortunately I am not too sure whether this counts as an outline or a headcannon (from my understanding headcannons are about the character itself and outlines are more like headcannons for the scenario but im not sure??? maybe this is a outline???). No worries if you don't to of course!

Anyway, may I have an NSFW about Hwang Minso spending his heat with reader? Especially if it's just really sweet and fluffy in a way. I think he deserves the tenderness, y'know? Bonus if the affection is like a warm blast of sunshine on a dreary day. (I imagine, Alpha reader is being sweet and fluffy and just really gentle but the unwavering attention and tenderness is overwhelming for the guy and so sweet it burns in a way. I want the guy to be overwhelmed by it. I imagine he's begging for more and more even if he's overstimulated though reader would stop in a heartbeat if he needed them to)

Again, no pressure!

Headcanons are just fast fun facts with no real timeline in mind. The scenario “outlines” are basically what I’ve been doing where it’s a scenario, but I don’t put in the full effort of making it a fic even if it may seem like one.

The definitions are loose as hell and I tend to just write what I want. The two reasons why I have the outline distinction is because I don’t need the pressure of cranking out a fully polished work and it also shows who reads my rules. Thank you by the way for asking!

The writing below probably leans more towards full blown fic but the difference is that I would’ve gone into a lot more detail for one instead of an ‘outline’.

Onto the actual content!

Hwang Minsu

The man couldn’t believe he’d gotten this far. It all started with a chance encounter where he met you. The light of his life, and the reason why he evolved from the mindless zombie he was.

You accepted him into your life. Even after you caught him pulling your empty can out of the recycling. Even when you were initially weirded out, you gave him another chance.

You’d even asked him out. On a date! And then you asked if he wanted to date you too!

Honestly he questioned it a bit, scared that it was all some sort of sick joke life was playing on him. But you showed him consistency and proved yourself reliable, not that he had any doubts in you as a person. You were perfect.

It was amazing, having schedules that were similar. The two of you took to the nights like it was your own kingdom and every night with you was memorable.

His favorite so far was the time you two went to karaoke. You watched him with adoration, a sight he had to familiarize himself with, as he sang his heart out badly. He knew he wasn’t a great singer and it didn’t faze you one bit. You were just happy that he felt comfortable enough to do so in front of you.

And when you pulled him into your lap, rewarding him with kisses as you chose your next song, he knew there was no turning back for him. Not when you were all that was ahead.

Now here he was, opening the door to you. Well, a giant pile of your clothes and blankets hiding your face. But you were behind it all.

He shuffled out of the way and let you in, catching any garments that fell to the ground behind you. His eyes widened however when you dropped everything unceremoniously to the ground.

“Just arrange everything how you want it, baby. Let me know if you need help.”

The ugly face he made as he held back tears made you laugh affectionately, stepping towards him to cradle his face gently and kiss his forehead. His face got even more scrunched up as he placed his hands on yours, holding them there.

Once he got over that surge of emotions he enlisted your help in making his nest, the most elaborate he’d ever made in his life. Considering what had happened when around the time he started to get more intense heats he never really had the guidance nor the chance to go all out.

You help him arrange everything so that it’s cozy but roomy enough to fit two people. His mattress was on the floor so it made everything easier.

As he got comfortable you left the apartment and he sat up, panicking a little wondering where you were going. But you quickly returned with a bunch of food, drinks, and other supplies for his heat. His face scrunched again as he pouted, almost telling you that you didn’t have to, but the look on your face stops him. Instead, he opens his arms and you crawl into his nest, kissing his cheeks as you two lay down together.

He’s content to lay in your arms as you fall asleep, awaiting for the wave to come crashing. He sleeps easily so you’re more than welcome to watch TV or scroll through your phone. All he needed at that moment was your warmth and scent.

When he wakes up he’s burning and he’s half-expecting you to not be there. For this all to have been some sort of sick dream that his heat-addled mind concocted. But you’re there. As real as ever, and he whines loudly when he buries himself into your neck, grinding on you.

You stir awake easily enough and your mind slowly catches up with the fact that your boyfriend is in heat. When you finally realize what’s happening you get up and immediately get to work. Your hand slides under his baggy t-shirt, caressing his burning skin as he whines even more. When you help him out of it you don’t leave a spot untouched, for which he is grateful for.

Then you palm him through his pants and he cries out, already begging you for more. To hurry up and get rid of all the clothes on both of you. Ever the kind partner, you oblige.

He’s panting and spread out on the mattress, surrounded by both of your belongings.

His scent is the strongest it’s ever been and you pounce on him, kissing him senseless as your nose welcomes the pleasant notes of passionfruit. He’s so lovely under your touch, moaning and whining for you, hips constantly bucking up for more.

Despite how much his body naturally prepared itself you still reach for your supplies, adding more lube to his hole. His eyes practically turn into hearts when he sees you stroking your alpha cock with even more lube.

His hole fluttered and his cock twitched as he shifted his hips closer to you in an attempt to put you inside.

Ever merciful, you test him with a few fingers, and he mewls at the way you spread them, feeling how you stretch his pussy like that. But he’s impatient and tells you to please stop teasing him. You’re not, but you can understand where he’s coming from. You mentally note to show him what teasing really feels like another day.

Thanks every being in existence and every moment in history for how it led to the moment where you finally shove it in. Yeah, he’s dramatic.

Instantly clings to you. His hands grasp at your back and you’re grateful he keeps his nails short as he scratches your back to fuck him harder.

He needs the first one hard and fast, he explains. And you listen. Your precious little omega deserves the world during his heat.

His cries fill the small apartment as he cums quickly, spurting out white ropes in between you. And just as fast as he came he tells you to keep going. You’re still good to go so you keep it up.

You guys spend the next few hours fucking on every surface in the apartment until you end back up on the mattress, where his legs shake and he’s got cum dripping from both his cock and pussy. When he tries to ask for more, you chuckle and shake your head, telling him that he can barely move and that it’s time for rest.

You use what’s left of your own energy cleaning him up and changing the heavily soiled sheets to get him comfortable, urging him to sit up to eat and drink before falling back asleep.

Despite having asked for more, he was more than content, absolutely satisfied on all fronts. His red butt and bruised hips were neat little reminders of the mess you two made.

When you finish cleaning up from that first bout of his heat you rejoin him in the nest, peppering kisses all over his face until he sighs happily into your neck again. Because you were content and calm your scent was too, and it worked wonders in relaxing his muscles as he melted into you.

He fell back asleep, amazed that he knew you’d be there for him when he woke up again.

#Sub!yandere #dom!reader #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere oc x reader #dom reader #sub yandere #yandere oc #x reader #omegaverse #alpha!reader #alpha reader #Hwang Minsu #nightshift!yandere

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jlalafics · 3 years

Text

"Photograph"-a Royal!Everlark story

This was inspired by this prompt from @writing-prompt-s:

When you were seven, you held a fake wedding by the swings with a kid you met at the park. You never saw your childhood “spouse” again after that day. Today you received a letter summoning you to a foreign country… where your wedding to the heir to the throne twenty years ago is seen as valid.

This is totally unedited. Thank you to @sparklingdust4612 for bringing this prompt to my attention. Looking forward to everyone else's interpretations along with this one and the story by @jhsgf82!

I actually have more of this but I thought I'd show y'all a little bit of my interpretation of the above prompt.

****

We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

And time's forever frozen, still…

-Ed Sheeran

Photograph

Katniss Everdeen loved building castles.

In the massive sandbox, she packed another bunch of sand into her bucket before placing it upside down to set. While waiting, Katniss imagined how she would decorate the inside of her palace, a delighted smile growing on her face as she thought of the possibilities.

First, the walls would all be yellow. Not the ugly yellow that looked like snot—but yellow like Prim’s, her baby sister, golden locks.

Yellow meant hope: that’s what Daddy always said.

Knocking on the sides of the bucket to loosen the sand like Mommy showed her, Katniss slowly lifted it revealing a perfect tower for her castle.

“Yes!” she hollered, jumping up in excitement.

Her eyes went to Mommy who was sitting on the bench across the way. She was talking to a pretty, yellow-haired woman with a big tummy. Prim was asleep in her stroller, her binky hanging from her mouth.

“Mommy!” Katniss rushed over, stopping just a scant from toppling over on the concrete. “Look! I’ve made the perfect tower!”

Her mother smiled proudly.

“That’s wonderful, Katniss.” She turned to the woman next to her. “My Katniss is always building and dreaming on how to make her perfect home. Her teachers tell me that she has such a creative mind for a seven-year-old.”

“How absolutely charming,” the woman responded kindly, a smile on her pink lips.

Katniss tilted her head at the sound of her voice. There was something different about the way the lady talked—the dips of it sounded strange—but still nice.

“Why do you sound like that?” she asked bluntly.

Her Mommy frowned. “Katniss Everdeen! Please apologize!” She looked to the woman once more. “I’m so sorry—”

“That’s perfectly alright,” the lady assured her. The pretty woman turned to Katniss. “I have a little bit of an accent because of where I’m from, that’s why my voice sounds different.”

Katniss nodded. “Okay, but it does sound nice…like a song!” She smiled. “What’s your name?”

The woman glowed like an angel. “My name is Marguerite.”

“Hello Miss Marguerite.” Katniss looked to where her sandcastle waited. “I better go before someone takes my stuff! Bye!”

Throwing a wave at the woman, she plopped back down onto her space in the sandbox ready to add some detailing to her newest tower—

The foot crushing her tower landed straight in the middle of it creating a space between each side.

Katniss fumed and her eyes went up to the blond-haired boy with the snooty face.

She stood, her hand slamming into his chest. “Hey! You destroyed my castle!”

The boy stared at her in shock. “No one ever touches me!”

“Until now—”

Katniss was suddenly blocked by another boy, tall and dark-skinned.

“No one touches his royal highness,” he declared, and the blond boy stuck his tongue at her.

Another boy, this one dark-haired and sharp-eyed, approached.

“Prince Peeta has decided that you will be his bride,” he stated with a scowl.

Katniss made a face, crossing her arms to show them how disgusting that sounded. “Gross.”

The so-called Prince Peeta walked over to her.

“As my bride, you can make as many sandcastles as you want,” he explained. “I’ll build a bigger sandbox than this for you!”

Something inside zinged at the thought. “Really?”

The boy shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

Katniss eyed him suspiciously. “Why would you want to marry me anyway?”

Peeta shifted in his stance, the confidence in his blue eyes suddenly wavering. “I like your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

A rise of pink colored his cheeks. “They’re soft…and pretty.”

That had been it for her.

On that warm afternoon, by the swings of District 12’s only playground, Katniss Everdeen married the so-called Prince Peeta.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Gale, the dark-haired boy, said. He looked at Peeta, a teasing smile on his face. “Go on—kiss her!”

“Close your eyes,” Peeta told her.

Katniss, wearing her paper towel veil courtesy of the park’s public bathroom, did what he said and closed her eyes.

SPLAT!

She barely registered being shoved down into the muddy puddle.

Katniss looked up at the sneering boy, feeling the rise of anger in her body.

“That’s what you get for pushing me.”

++++++

Twenty years later…

“Katniss.” She looked up from laptop to find Prim at her open doorway. Her sister held out a Fed-Ex envelope. “This just came for you.”

Without even glancing at it, Katniss tossed the envelope on her bed, going back to the open page on her screen.

“Don’t you want to open it?” Prim stepped into the room and plopped onto the bed, picking the post up to examine it. “It looks important.”

“Probably one of those things saying that I’m eligible for another credit card.” Katniss frowned, sitting back, and staring at the blinking cursor. “I’m so stuck on this blog post!”

“Is this the one about kitchen flowers?” her sister asked, and she nodded. “You got some great pictures from Madge’s shop.”

“I know but my writing inspiration is zilch,” Katniss explained. “I need to get this done if I want to post by Mother’s Day.”

“Speaking of Mother’s Day, mom is wondering if you’re bringing anyone to Sunday dinner,” Prim informed her.

“I love our mother but lately every conversation we’ve had is either about my lack of a dating life or my withering eggs,” Katniss said. “Right now, I need to focus on getting more attention on the blog. It’s just gaining momentum!” She rested back and turned to her sister. “This is important to me.”

“I know,” Prim replied. “And you are good at it. I mean, look at what you’ve done to our apartment! To this room!”

Her sister’s bright blue eyes looked around the buttercream room, beautifully decorated with white-washed furniture. The console that her television sat atop was bought at a nearby thrift shop and refurbished by her. Katniss had sanded it down before putting a whitewash over it and adding lacquer to give it a more modern look.

In fact, most of the furniture in her and Prim’s apartment was completely refurbished by her. She had always had an eye for decorating and instead of going to a four-year college, Katniss had opted to go to design school.

Creating something new from what people considered junk gave her a special kind of thrill—almost akin to being in love.

At least that’s what she thought it might feel like.

“Whoa!”

Katniss whipped over to her sister—who was holding an unfolded paper in her hands.

She stood from her seat and went to Prim. “What?”

Wordlessly, Prim handed the piece to her—it was a letter.

The letter was on marbled paper, an elegant insignia atop it, and she could see that the elegant calligraphy was done by hand:

Dear Miss Everdeen,

You are hereby summoned to the kingdom of Panem to present yourself to His Royal Highness, King Peeta.

Photo documentation has validified that you are the Queen Consort to His Royal Highness.

Attached is my business card, please contact me to arrange your travel to Panem.

Respectfully,

The Rt. Hon. Effie Trinket

Private Secretary to His Royal Highness

“This is a joke!” Katniss tossed the letter onto her desk and laughed. “Photo documentation? There is no such thing—”

The laugh fell from her lips as Prim turned the FedEx envelope upside down and a single photo fell onto her bedspread.

“There’s a business card in here, too,” Prim told her carefully.

Walking over, Katniss could see that the photo was facedown.

Trembling, she picked the print up and read the elegant cursive atop it:

‘Peeta and his new bride, Katniss Everdeen!’

Next to the caption was a happy face; it was obvious that this statement was made in jest.

Turning the photograph, a wave of nausea hit seeing the image of her seven-year-old self, a paper towel veil atop her head, joining hands with a blond boy—

Prince Peeta.

Or to be more precise, His Royal Highness King Peeta of Panem.

#Everlark Fanfiction #Everlark #Royal!Peeta #Commoner!Katniss

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smells-like-mettaton · 3 years

Link

Rating: T (for inherent neutral ending angst)

Summary: Toriel's old house feels like a mausoleum. She will gladly ignore chisp crumbs and lumpy mattresses for a place that feels more like home. (Queen Toriel ending fic for Soriel Week 2021.)

Word Count: 5211

XXX

The bedroom was exactly how she left it. Her bed pushed up against the gray wall. A book about snails on the wooden desk. A knit sweater with the embroidered words "Mrs. Mom Lady" in the wardrobe.

Even after all this time, she could barely look at it without her soul splitting in two.

She'd known this wouldn't be easy. She hadn't seen this house in over a century. Still, she wasn't prepared for how Asgore had sealed up her old room like a tomb, a photograph of the day that everything went terribly, horribly wrong.

At least the last child was safe. They should not have had to take a life to save their own, but she doubted Asgore had given them a choice. Her own soul felt more numb than anything. To her, Asgore had died a century ago.

What was done, was done. And as usual, she was too late to do anything but sweep up the dust.

She backed through the doorframe, shutting the door with a quiet click. She would have to return eventually, but for now, she yearned for a place with fewer painful memories.

"Hey, Your Majesty." A voice startled her as she attempted to escape the foyer. Luckily it was a voice she would always recognize.

"Hello, old friend." She turned and smiled at the monster leaning against the stair railing.

He was smaller than she expected, with that deep voice. Not that that was a bad thing. As for him being a skeleton, that had been apparent from the abundance of bone puns.

"You know the formality is unnecessary," she told him softly.

"Is it?" He shuffled from foot to slippered foot.

In all her time of joking with him through the door, she had never expected him to be so cute.

"Didn't want to assume, old lady."

He winked, and she felt a weight lift from her chest. At least one monster would still treat her like a person, and not like a mythical figure returned to save them.

"Toriel," she introduced herself for the first time. He had to have heard already, but between rushing to the palace, scattering Asgore's dust, comforting their—her people… she hadn't had time to seek out her friend.

He seemed to feel comfortable walking right into her home, though. Did he ever visit Asgore when he was here? Her friend seemed like the type of monster who went wherever he felt like, and Asgore, for all his flaws, had never turned a monster away from his home.

"Sans." He held out a bony hand. "Sans the skeleton."

"Nice to meet you, Sans," she tested out the name and clasped his hand with her paw.

A loud pthbbbbbt echoed through the empty hall. Her eyes widened.

"Wow, Toriel. That's, uh, some way to make an introduction." He winked.

She squinted down at the inflatable object in his hand, the source of the farting noise. Then she pretended to ignore it.

"It certainly is. I was not aware that skeletons were capable of flatulence."

His eyelights gutted for a moment before he burst out laughing.

"Your jokes are even better in person," he said once he composed himself.

His laugh set her soul fluttering. In all their conversations through the door, he'd never laughed like that. Maybe she should have tried fart jokes sooner.

"I am always happy to tickle your funny bone." She smiled, and his face tinged blue.

"Happy to be tickled. But, uh. I guess that's not all I'm here for?"

Her breath caught in her lungs. Of course he would not visit without a reason.

"I suppose not. Would you like to have a seat?"

"It's nothing that serious," he assured her quickly. "I just thought you'd want an update on the kid."

"You've spoken with them? They are still here?" She tried to keep the hysteria from her voice.

How could they have taken Asgore’s soul and not returned home? Had the Barrier proven too powerful?

"No—geez, I'm making this sound worse." He ran a bony palm down his face. "They’re definitely gone. Papyrus tried to call them nonstop. Besides that, you know the big stuff. The king's dead."

Her lips drew to a thin line, pulling tight across her fangs.

"I can hardly fault them for that."

"Right." He stuck his hands back in his pockets. "I gotta be honest. The way the kid looked when I last saw them… I don't think they did it."

Her brow furrowed. She was inclined to hope that the child had not chosen violence. They had been so sweet, so eager to talk and joke with the monsters of the Ruins, so quick to hug her even after she’d fought them. It was hard to imagine them striking down Asgore.

"But… then what do you think happened?"

Sans shrugged. "Wish I knew. I kept watch best I could, but…"

"I could not expect you to come between them and your king." As much as she wished he could have. She had hardly expected him to agree to watch over the human at all.

“Couldn’t have even if I wanted to. These bones aren’t as sturdy as they look. Maybe I shoulda listened to my bro and drank more milk...” He grimaced and glanced away. “Anyway. Like I said, I don’t know what happened. Just. Be careful, okay?”

“Careful?” She blinked.

“Yeah. You never know.” His gaze flickered to a potted golden flower on the end table next to the stairs.

“Sans. If I did not know better, that would sound like a threat.” She crouched down, so she could better meet his eyesockets. “Is there something you are trying to tell me?”

“Man. First I rip one in front of a lady, then I threaten her. I’m makin’ a great first impression.” He rocked back and forth on his slippers. “Look. Toriel. I don’t wanna scare you, ‘specially since today must’ve been hard. Real hard.”

His eyelights bored into her irises. She found herself needing to look away.

“It has certainly been… interesting. Moreso than any day since I last saw this place.” She suppressed a shudder.

Change. Her life had been constant for so long. There would be no more of that, now. Hopefully that would be for the better, but only time would tell.

“Yeah. Being flung away from everything you’re used to… don’t imagine that’s a cakewalk. Don’t want you to worry about freaks hiding in the shadows on top of that.”

Somehow, she felt he made more sense when he was on the other side of a door. Knock-knock jokes had a formula. Just another normalcy she had forfeited, she supposed.

“Please, Sans. If you believe I am in danger, you may say so.”

“Fine. So.” He grinned, and she couldn’t help a snort.

“Alright, I suppose I walked into that one.” She smiled, despite his warning. “Under normal circumstances, I would say I could handle myself. But I must admit you are more updated on the state of the kingdom than I. Do you have any information that could help?”

“...Not really?” His grin turned sheepish. “You look like a tough lady. I bet my bones are rattling over nothing.”

“I would still humer-us you.”

He gave her a funny look. “You’re actually taking me seriously?”

“Why would I not? You are my friend. Perhaps… my only friend, at this point,” she admitted. It would be foolish to ignore a warning, even if it was based on gut feeling. Or, whatever skeletons had in place of a gut.

“Well. Uh. If someone, something, was behind the king’s… yeah. If it wasn’t the kid, whoever else it was might still be around. So.” He coughed. “Sounds stupid when I say it like that, huh.”

“It does not. I think it is sweet that you are worried.” He wouldn’t be able to see her blush, thankfully. It had been a long time since anyone had looked out for her.

“Geez, Toriel.” He rubbed the back of his skull. “You’re gonna ruin my reputation.”

“What reputation? Are you typically a monster with a heart of bone?” she teased.

“Nah. I just don’t worry. Too much work.” It was difficult to tell if he was joking. “Guess I can make an exception this once, though.”

“Why, thank you, my friend.” She had the sudden urge to reach out and squeeze his hand. It would be more for her own comfort than his, so she did not act on it. “To be honest, your words are a relief. I do not mind the excuse to avoid this place.”

“Oh.” He sounded surprised. “You got somewhere else you’d rather be?”

She both did, and did not. How could she explain without sounding like a clinging child?

...Perhaps that was the wrong metaphor. She would have preferred her children to be a little clingier.

“‘Cause, uh, if you don’t mind a bit of mess… my door’s always open.”

She blinked at the offer. Had he felt the thoughts stirring in her soul?

She didn’t want to be alone. Not again. And she had told him the truth: there were unlikely to be any other monsters she knew still around. Perhaps Gerson; she and Asgore had always joked that he would outlive them.

That joke seemed awfully morbid now.

“Sorry. Was that too forward? Our friendship’s built off closed doors; guess we should just take 'em one at a—"

"No," she interjected too forcefully. “No. I would love to visit your home.”

Though she had never set foot there, she already suspected it would feel more like a home than this place.

“You really—? Great.” His skull tinged the faintest blue. “Just, uh, know that it’s nothing fancy.”

Toriel smiled. “‘Nothing fancy’ sounds wonderful at the moment.”

Perhaps wherever he lived would be out of the way enough that news of her return would be delayed. If she could be lucky enough to pass for an ordinary monster… well, that was likely too much to wish for. It certainly wasn’t becoming of a queen to hide from her subjects.

Stars, there was so much to get used to. So many formalities to reacquaint herself with. She hoped such things would wait until tomorrow.

Sans returned her smile.

“In that case, I know a shortcut.”

XXX

She handled the shortcut well for a first-timer. No stumbling on the other end, no complaints of nausea or dizziness. Of course, she was a Queen. A Boss Monster. Why would a magic trick ruin her composure?

Sans wanted to laugh. All this time, he'd been joking with the Queen. She didn't seem to mind, but she could just be “humerus”ing him.

...Nah. She had every excuse to ignore him if she really wanted to. Instead she'd actually taken him up on his offer.

He almost forgot to drop her hand once their feet landed in the soft snow. Heh. Who was he kidding? It was just nice to feel her fur under his fingers. To touch her, and know that she was real.

"Oh!" Her eyes lit up, reflecting the gyftmas lights strung haphazardly around the house's columns. "I remember this place!"

"You do?" Sans's browbone furrowed.

"I saw it while travelling from the Ruins to…" she trailed off. To stop the kid from fighting Asgore.

Sans felt stupid for not trying to stop them himself. Not that a kid that determined would’ve listened, anyway. Still… he’d believed in them. Hoped that by some miracle, they’d get ‘em out of this mess.

Heh. That was too much pressure to put on a kid, even a determined one.

"Yeah." He coughed quietly. "Guess we're hard to miss. Papyrus did something to the Gyftmas lights—even when the CORE lights go out for the night, ours stay on. Never figured out how he pulled that off."

Toriel laughed before seeming to realize something.

"I will get to meet your brother!" She clasped her hands together. "I wish it had not come about for such an unhappy reason, but I am excited nonetheless."

He chuckled. Her excitement was contagious. That was something she and Papyrus had in common already.

He pushed the door open, called out for his brother—and noticed the monster sprawled out on his couch.

"Oh." Sans blinked at Undyne, who was snoring so loudly, he should've heard it from outside. Guess he'd been a little distracted. "Uh. This is awkward."

"What is it?" Toriel hung back, her head ducking through the doorframe. "Is your brother sleeping? I would not wish to wake him. You said he rarely sleeps, did you not?"

"Nah, it's not him. Forgot his pal's house burned down. Actually, I'm sure you met her. Undyne? Captain of the Royal Guard?"

"I… yes, we met." Toriel edged inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. "She looks far more peaceful now than she did this morning. From what I understand, my ex-husband was something of a father to her."

"Something like that." Sans nodded in agreement. There hadn't even been a Royal Guard until Asgore created the position for her. Sans wondered if Toriel would keep it around now that Asgore was gone.

Welp. It wouldn't hurt, what with his suspicions about Papyrus's friend "Flowery."

(Maybe Sans should let Toriel sleep on the top floor rather than the couch anyway. No dirt for stray flowers to get into up there.)

"Should we be staring?" Toriel said with a soft chuckle.

Sans shook his thoughts away. "Sorry. Just thinking. I, uh…"

There wasn't room on the top floor. Sans's lumpy, crumb-dusted mattress was out of the question. That left only Papyrus's bed, which while rarely in use, had too much sentimental value to give to Toriel without asking. Where was Papyrus, anyway?

"Undyne!" His brother practically kicked in the door. "I have returned with nutritious—oh!"

Papyrus's sockets blinked at Toriel. Then at Sans. Then at Toriel again.

(Undyne let out another loud snore.)

"Sans?” Papyrus dropped his groceries on the table next to the pet rock. “Why didn't you tell me we had another guest??"

Because he was an idiot who hadn't planned past one impulsive offer. His face went a little blue.

"I guest you would figure it out," he managed to joke.

Toriel let out a bleating laugh at that. The suddenness of it was enough to jolt Undyne awake.

"NGAHH!!" She tried to leap off the couch, but ended up rolling onto the floor. "I'm here, Asgore! I won't—oh."

Her single eye blinked up at Toriel.

"Papyrus?" Undyne hissed through her teeth. "Why didn't you tell me the Queen was coming??"

"Because I didn't know!" Papyrus replied brightly.

"I, uh, promise I'm usually more professional than this." Undyne summoned an energy spear and used it to push herself to her feet. The attack left a small char mark on the carpet. "I am at your service, Your Majesty."

Sans thought she looked real professional in a pair of Papyrus's MTT-brand crop top pajamas. Toriel didn't comment on that though, instead opting for a matronly smile.

"There is no need for that, Captain. I am not here on business, but as a friend."

That smile turned towards Sans, and he fought back a blush.

"Yeah. I was just gonna, uh, make some dinner. Y'know, welcome our queen back with some Snowdin hospitality."

"Dinner?" Papyrus squinted suspiciously. "You don't cook dinner. I cook dinner."

"First time for everything, right?" Sans winked to hide his embarrassment.

Of course Papyrus wouldn't buy his excuse. But he really didn't want his brother and Undyne worrying on top of Toriel. Granted, it was Undyne's job to worry about security threats… but she'd tear up the house's foundation if she thought an enemy might be hiding anywhere in a five-mile radius.

"Sans," Toriel chided him. "You do not owe me that."

"Wowie! You must be a great influence on him, Bald Asgore!"

Toriel blinked before bursting out laughing. Sans's grin widened.

"Her name is Toriel, bro."

"Of course!! Where are my manners?" Papyrus bustled past him to shake Toriel's paws. "I am the Great Papyrus! It's an honor to meet you, Queen Toriel!"

"The honor is mine. Sans has told me so much about you," she said, and Papyrus blushed pink.

"You? Know the new queen?" Undyne whispered to Sans while Papyrus and Toriel got acquainted.

"You know me. I know everyone." He winked.

"She came out of nowhere."

"Yeah. My bro and I know what that's like."

Undyne huffed, but Sans didn't offer a more thorough explanation.

Papyrus's affronted shout signalled that Toriel had dropped her first pun.

"I take it back! This is the worst day of my life!!"

Sans met Toriel's eyes, and they both laughed.

"I suppose I will have to help Sans in the kitchen as my pun-ishment," she said with a coy wink.

"Normally I would object to a guest cooking, but in this case I will make an exception!" Papyrus turned on his heel and grabbed Undyne's arm. "We will clean up the living room in the meantime! Try not to corrupt the queen any further, Sans!!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, bro."

He gave a quick wink to Toriel behind Papyrus's back, and they moved to the kitchen.

"Did I actually upset him…?" She asked once they were out of earshot.

"Nah. He's just dramatic like that. He'll drop three puns per sentence when he thinks I'm not listening."

He turned away, rummaging through the fridge for something edible they could cook. Discreetly, he tucked his empty chisp bag behind Papyrus’s spaghetti-filled tupperware.

“Oh, good. I would not want to make a bad first impression.”

“Pfft. You’d have to try real hard to do that, Tori. My bro sees the best in everyone.” He smiled and pulled a “pupperoni” pizza out of the freezer. It wasn’t anything fancy, but at least it would be edible.

He turned around, pizza in hand, and found Toriel staring at him oddly.

“What?” His sockets widened. “Uh, you’re not vegetarian, are you?”

She shook her head quickly, her gaze skimming off of his like oil from water.

“Pizza sounds lovely. It has been quite some time since I had one.”

Sans didn’t pry, but he couldn’t help wondering what her expression had meant. Had he said something weird?

...Oh. He’d called her Tori, hadn’t he? He should know better than to use nicknames without asking. Papyrus hated them.

“Please, allow me.” She held out her paws, so she couldn’t be too upset.

He handed over the pizza, and he jumped when fire flared to life in her palms. For a moment he thought the fire would scorch the pizza beyond recognition, but the flames were just pleasantly warm. He’d never known a monster other than Grillby to have such careful control of fire magic.

“Heh. I didn’t know you were so hot, Toriel.”

As soon as he said it, he clamped his jaw shut. Geez, how stupid could he be? Making bad jokes was one thing, but flirting with bad jokes?

The fire went out. She looked up abruptly—er, looked away from the pizza. He was still a good two feet shorter than her.

“Tori was fine,” she said, her voice soft.

“Uh,” he replied intelligently.

She suppressed a giggle, and he was pretty sure his face burned hotter than her fire had. He could stand to take notes from Alphys and throw himself in the trash.

“Or not. Whatever is comfortable for you,” she reassured him. “Now, should we eat dinner before it gets cold?”

Eating was hardly something he could screw up at.

“Sure,” then after a pause, he tested, “Tori.”

Forget her fire magic. Her smile could’ve heated the pizza all on its own.

XXX

For once in a hundred years, dinner was a warm and energetic affair. In addition to the pizza, Papyrus had tossed together a salad from his fresh groceries, and Sans had briefly stepped out to grab a few orders of wings and fries. In the end there was plenty of food for four hungry monsters.

Papyrus apologized for the lack of seating, but Toriel didn’t mind sitting on the couch squeezed between Sans and Undyne, eating off of paper plates. She couldn’t imagine anywhere she would have felt more comfortable.

Before long, though, the day’s fatigue caught up with her. She supposed it was to be expected—she wouldn’t regain her social stamina all at once.

Sans caught her eye, and he nodded towards the stairs as Undyne and Papyrus “owned” each other in an MTT-Brand fighting game.

“Sorry. I know they can be a bit much.” Sans rubbed the back of his skull.

“They’re lovely. I wish I had the energy to keep up with them.” She smiled.

He leaned against the banister, smiling down at them. Papyrus had gotten the upper hand this time, and was punching the air with joy.

“Me too,” Sans said, still looking away. “I was thinking. If you want a place to rest for the night, my bed’s open.”

She blinked. Her face seemed to catch fire. That was rather more… forward than she was expecting. Sure, she had enjoyed his lighthearted flirting, and much as she tried to deny it, feelings had been growing in her for a long time. But to have him return those feelings? And so boldly? It was as unfathomable as it was unlikely.

“I can get ya some fresh sheets, and I’ll crash in the shed. My bro set up an, uh, guest room there when the human was in town.”

Oh. She rubbed the heat from her face while he wasn’t looking. How foolish could she be, to think he would be implying…? Well.

“I would not force you out of your room,” she said. “If your brother prepared a guest room, I am sure that would be adequate.”

He let out a quick laugh. “Uh, you’re not used to my brother’s… decorating. Seriously, I don’t mind.”

She sighed. If he insisted, she supposed it would be rude to deny his hospitality.

“Alright. Thank you very much, Sans.”

“Great.” He smiled back at her, then went into his brother’s room. She waited patiently, and only jumped a little when he suddenly reappeared from the right hand door. Perhaps the two rooms were connected in the back by a bathroom.

“Hotel Sans, one vacancy.” He winked while holding the door open.

She chuckled behind her hand. “You really did not have to resort to this.”

“Heh, I wouldn’t call it much of a resort. The bed’s not even queen sized.” He rubbed the back of his skull.

The bed was smaller than she was used to, but it did have fresh sheets. That was the only fresh thing about the room. Chisp crumbs had been brushed under the dresser, and… that was a tornado. A self-sustaining trash tornado. Though at least there was a pine-scented air freshener suspended in it.

“Sorry, it’s… really not much. Uh. Probably kinda insulting, expecting the Queen to sleep—”

“It’s perfect.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“I am no stranger to a few crumbs, Sans.”

She remembered days that bled into weeks that bled into months. Months where she couldn’t bring herself to clean, could hardly bring herself to care at all. Months that had grown fewer and farther between since she’d met a friendly voice behind a door.

“I would’ve vacuumed,” he said sheepishly, “but I suck at it.”

More embarrassingly loud laughter burst from her. In front of Sans, though, she didn’t feel the need to curtail her joy.

“Thank you.” She poured as much sincerity as she could into her voice.

“‘S no problem, Tori.” A light blue tinge warmed his cheekbones. How could he possibly look so adorable? “Bathroom’s down the hall if you wanna wash up or anything. And Undyne’ll be on the couch, so this is probably the safest place in the Underground right now.”

Her brow furrowed. Sure enough, there was no bathroom door inside the room—he must have used one of his “shortcuts” to move from his brother’s room to here.

“So, uh. I’ll be in the shed—uh, guest room if you need me.” He flashed one more tense grin before turning to leave.

“Wait.” She stepped towards him without thinking.

He looked up, one brow ridge raised. She found herself biting her lip, wondering if she dared ask what her soul wanted. It was silly, really. She’d been on her own for years, decades.

Maybe that was why she was so hesitant to lose this one taste of companionship.

“I would feel… safer, if you would stay too.” Her face burned beneath her fur, but she projected her usual composure.

“...Welp. Can’t say no to that, huh?”

She was about to reassure him that he could say no—that she was asking as his friend, not as his queen—but the soft smile on his face told her he already knew.

He briefly left to grab a few things, then returned with a few pillows and, for some reason, a dog bed.

“You are not going to sleep on that,” she said in disbelief.

He flopped the dog bed in the middle of the floor and started fluffing it. “Why not? Gotta throw a dog bed a bone, right?”

“Sans.”

The outdoor lights dimmed, as if at her command. Only the colored Gyftmas lights outside and one dim indoor bulb lit the room.

Her confidence waned with the light. What had she expected him to do? She’d asked him to stay. Unless she wanted to…

Oh, to hell with it. She was too old to be so shy about these things.

“If you are not opposed,” she swallowed, “we could… share this mattress.”

When he looked up, she couldn’t make out his eyelights at all. Their glow returned slowly, like the rising of the sun from her memories.

“Heh… you sure? You don’t even know if I snore.”

She laughed and sat on the bed, patting the space beside her. “You do not know if I snore, either.”

“Fair enough, Tori.”

They took turns cleaning up in the bathroom—she was imposing on Sans enough without adding the smell of dirty fur to his bed. Then she did her best to ignore the flutterings in her soul as he slipped off his hoodie and climbed up onto the mattress. She insisted he stay under the sheets; her fur would keep her warm enough with just the light blanket on top.

The sheets were a barrier in name only. There was only so much space on the mattress, so no matter how he adjusted and apologized, she could still feel the curve of his spine against hers.

It felt amazing. It felt terrifying. It felt like a mistake. It felt like the only thing she’d ever done right.

The one saving grace of the whole situation was that it didn’t stir memories of Asgore. Her royal beds had been triple the size of Sans’s lumpy mattress. She and her ex-husband had rarely slept back to back, and if they had, the feeling would have much different.

“...Tori?” Sans’s voice was just above a whisper. “You, uh, still awake?”

As if she could sleep while enduring the wonderful agony of friendly touch for the first time in a century.

“Yes,” she replied softly. “Am I taking up too much space?”

“No, ‘course not. I was just, uh… geez.” He sounded embarrassed.

Risking their precarious balance, she rolled over to face him. Or to face the back of his skull, at least.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Doin’ sans-sational.” He chuckled to himself. “Sorry. Never got to use that one with you before.”

She would have laughed, had she not worried about shaking the whole mattress.

“It was sans-tastic,” she joked back, and he laughed again.

Then abruptly, his laughter cut off.

“Thanks, Tori,” he said in a quiet but firm voice.

“What for?” She wished she could take his hand, see his face, learn what thoughts were passing through his skull. Instead she gave him as much space as physically possible… which still was not much.

A long, silent moment passed. Had he fallen asleep?

“I know it’s not how you wanted,” he finally said, “but I’m glad I got to meet you. So. Thanks.”

Warmth spread outward from her soul to fill her whole body. Sans could probably feel it radiating from her.

“Thank you, Sans. If I had to return, knowing no one…”

He rolled to face her. His eyelights were mere inches from her pupils.

“You would’ve been fine. All you had to do was tell a few of your amazing jokes, and the whole Underground would’ve been linin’ up to be your pals.”

She suppressed a laugh. “I hardly think that would be appropriate, under the circumstances.”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “Plenty of monsters in town cope with jokes. You’d just be relating to the common folk.”

She stared into his sockets a little too intently. At this distance, it easily made her dizzy.

“Would you be included in that demographic?” she couldn’t help asking.

“When I first met you? For sure.” His gaze darted away. “But it’s crazy. Between you and the kid… I’m startin’ to think there’s more to life than good food and bad laughs.”

“Really?” She and the child had made such an impact on him?

“I know. Don’t tell Papyrus. He wouldn’t believe you, anyway.” He winked.

“My lips are sealed.” She smiled.

Silence hung between them. It should have felt awkward, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn away. In the end it was Sans who yawned in her face and then hurriedly flipped back onto his other side.

She laughed, and clearly she was exhausted too, because she pressed a kiss to the back of his skull without thinking.

He froze. She froze. There was no way to play that off gracefully. And there was no way she could fall asleep and pretend that it had not happened.

“Heh… those didn’t feel very sealed to me,” he finally rasped out.

It took her a moment to process what he meant. Meanwhile her embarrassment only burned hotter.

“I am so sorry—”

“I’m not.” When he rolled back to face her, his face was bright blue. “You’ll still be here when I wake up, right?”

His question was tinged with desperation.

“Of course,” she answered automatically, despite the many responsibilities that she would have to attend to in the morning. She was the Queen once more. If she had to, she could adjust the schedule of meetings and speeches to accommodate… this.

Whatever this was to be.

“Remind me in the morning,” he squeezed her hand, “that this is real.”

His hand quickly went limp. She was worried for a moment, before she heard the faint snore escape his nasal cavity.

She gave him a fond smile, and allowed her own eyes to close. She did not know if sleep would come or not. She did not know what challenges the new day would bring, or what old challenges would continue to rear their heads.

But she did know that she was not alone. For tonight, that was enough.

#soriel #sans #toriel #fic tag #tali writes #soriel week 2021 #soriel week #really glad to finally share this one!

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sergeant-angels-trashcan · 3 years

Note

The Winchesters+Castiel stumble into an Ambiguous Portal and land themselves in the war camp of one Daenerys Targaryen, currently on campaign to free more enslaved peoples. Nobody speaks the same language so all translations have to go through the Literal Angel. Discuss.

Cas spends most of the time talking to the actual literal dragons before anyone realizes what's going on, so jot that down, and Sam and Dean are like FUCK it's a DRAGON DRAGON not like a person dragon what the fuck what the FUCK

sometimes Cas asks the dragons for clarification on something Dany has said, or vice versa

i don't think Cas has to. mentally go through a translation process. he's never struggling to find the right word because Angel.

but sometimes he doesn't understand that something is an expression so he'll translate it really literally, or he won't know how to convey something is an expression so Dany is just like WHAT

he somehow comes up with gestures or exaggerated expressions, basically the irl version of emojis, to denote tone when they have the third mix up that winds up with weapons drawn

wings he does something with wings. his wings. cas has wings.

Dean hits on Dany at some point and Dany just hits him

Sam's book nerding eventually finds them a common language.

also Dany pretends not to speak Westerosi which is English just to see what they do. Because she DOES that, it's a THING SHE DOES and she and Missandei and cracking tf up

we're gonna go with show!jorah because he's superior to book!jorah and he's like khaleesi would you like their heads

no i'd like to GIVE them head *high fives missandei* jk i'll feed them to my babies but thank you

and Dean's like oh no he's hot. older knight guy is HOT.

but anyway the boys being in armor etc, Dean makes friends with the Dothraki in a day and a half even though they don't speak the same language because. He's Dean. that's how he do.

Dean and Sam immediately come to the attention of the House of Black and White

and Dean is probably like "this is my sister now" when Arya gets sent to investigate/potentially kill them

Sam may or may not fall in love with her. because the HEIGHT DIFFERENCE. is absurd. looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you and looks like they could kill you and could actually kill you

also they are both compassionate theatre nerds who just HAPPEN to be deadly. my babies.

Sam has magic powers? Arya can mind meld with a wolf. whatever man.

Charlie winds up with them and she and Daenerys absolutely fall for each other and they're morons about it

CAS IN ARMOR CAS IN ARMOR WITH A FLAMING SWORD CAS IN UR STORY RUININ UR PROPHECIES

cas in armor. cas. in. armor. with. wings.

the dragons can see his true form without pain

the dragons love Dany SO MUCH and they tell Cas this all the time and Cas tells her and she DOESN'T cry, thank you very much.

anyway Team Free Will is very much like. let's free the slaves. and Sam is a smartypants so he helps figure out economic shit that people always bitch at Dany for? like you freed slaves and now a place is in economic turmoil, so she's the bad guy now??? He/they Sam is like, wow, that's sexist, and Dany's all what's sexism

FEMINISM!

Dany teaches Sam Valerian so they can talk shit about people in public

Sam is going to bring social justice to Westeros etc

Dean and Jorah bond over being heart eyes about Dany

Cas is still talking to the dragons. He explains why it's bad to eat people and steal goats.

they're all in appropriate clothing for the setting and Dean is having a constant bisexual crisis. I cannot imagine him meeting Daario.

Dean bonds with Viserion my beloved

they do NOT ride the dragons

the dragons are simultaneously very intelligent and like giant puppies

Dany comes to have this reputation because not only does she have dragons but shadowy protectors from another realm??

also with Sam's help, and Samwell Tarley's help, she's the last monarch of the Seven Kingdoms. Democracy!

also like. every deadly little girl they come across is immediately part of their family now. yes i mean Lyanna

also. not at all where you were going. but Dean. who was taught to torture by literal demons. getting his hands on that psychopath ramsay. just. just give that idea a minute to percolate.

Dean using Arya's head as an armrest

Jon and Dean meeting is PURE gay panic

i wasn't joking when I said it's a bisexual panic for Dean. Imagine him meeting Brienne, a woman who could bench him??? He and Charlie are UTTERLY USELESS after meeting her

Sam gets super magicky the farther north they go

also who better to deal with zombies???

YOU MADE ME MISS ASOIAF AND YOU DON'T EVEN GO HERE.

#supernatural #sam winchester #dean winchester #castiel #asoiaf #daenerys targaryen #arya stark #game of thrones #jorah mormont #charlie bradbury #my stuff #dean meeting jaime is uhhh. not this au #we all know why #every man dean meets sends him into a gay panic #and then he realizes he's in love with cas #dany performs the ceremony :#:')

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scoobysnack1107 · 4 years

Photo

So grateful I was able to commission the incredible @rainbow-taishi again for another gorgeous RokuNami piece! As always, Jin did an absolutely amazing job! The colors and atmosphere are warm, the expressions soft, and the detailing exquisite 🥺💞 Thank you again Jin for making making my day and bringing a huge smile to my face 💖

For anyone interested, I wrote an accompanying story!

You can read it below or on ao3: Un Rendez-vous Romantique

(special thank you to @jysumrae for using her French skills to help me with the title 💖 )

Un Rendez-vous Romantique

Naminé checked the time on her gummi phone again. Five minutes before seven o’clock. Five minutes before Roxas was supposed to arrive at the bistro for their date. Their first date she reminded herself.

All around her, tables were filled with laughing couples sharing colorful concoctions that were placed onto tables by waiters dressed in well-tailored suits. Naminé, dressed in her signature white dress and blue sandals, was the only one sitting alone.

She couldn’t help but wonder how seriously he had taken the idea. He had been the one that asked her out with that boyish grin she was powerless to resist. But this was the first time they would be together like this. Unencumbered by heartless, the Organization, Diz. Tonight, it was just the two of them in the most romantic place in town.

Unless…he stood her up.

Naminé’s heart sunk, and as the people milling by the bistro cast her curious looks, she started feeling more and more self-conscious. Did they think he wasn’t coming?

“Don’t worry, Naminé. Trust me, he’ll come.”

Startled, Naminé looked up and found Sora offering her a comforting grin. He was dressed in a white chef’s uniform and tall toque that somehow managed to stay atop his spiky head of hair. In his hands, he was carrying a large, unopened box decorated with golden fleur de lis and something scribbled on top in black marker.

“Sora? Why are you—” she trailed off, suddenly remembering that her friend had become an occasional helping hand at the restaurant during his travels. Though, admittedly, it was strange to think of Sora as a chef in a high-end bistro like this. “Thank you. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

In the distance, the bell of the clock tower tolled, signaling the passing of another hour. Seven o’clock.

Sora had to be right.

“Excuse me! Coming through!”

Outside the bistro, some kind of commotion had started. The tram stopping in its track as a boy riding a black and white skateboard came racing through. A flock of pigeons wandering the bistro’s checkered plaza dispersed in a flurry of feathers, and one of the waiters nearly dropped a plate of ratatouille before said boy arrived in front of Naminé’s table with an apologetic smile.

“I am so sorry, Naminé,” Roxas said, finally catching his breath, “I promise I didn’t forget. Really. I got caught up delivering letters again because Lea ‘sprained’ his ankle and couldn’t finish his half.” Roxas shook his head. Of all the days Lea felt it necessary to fake an injury.

Naminé couldn’t help herself. She laughed, and the anxiety that had been chipping away at her nerves dissipated with the sound. “It’s fine, Roxas. I’m glad you were able to make it. I can’t say I expected that kind of entrance though.” Another laugh slipped past her lips when she noticed a stray feather in his hair.

Roxas scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I can’t say I really planned it that way.”

Plucking the feather from the skater’s head unceremoniously, Sora handed his friend the box he was holding. “Well, now that you’re finally here, I’d say it’s time for you two love birds to enjoy your date with a little Tarte aux Fruits, courtesy of Little Chef and I!” Sora patted his toque affectionately, prompting a tiny gray mouse to peek out from beneath the hat before scurrying back inside with a squeak. “He’s a little shy,” Sora whispered.

“He’s cute,” Naminé cooed.

Roxas flipped open the lid of the box to examine the dessert. Inside the box was a round and colorful tart decorated with fresh strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, and peaches. “Sora, you know it’s just the two of us, right?” Usually, the bistro only served the desserts by slices. Not entire tartlets like this.

Sora pushed the lid back down and pointed to the writing on top.

Enjoy your date!

- Sora and Little Chef

“Yep! But you’re my friends and Little Chef insisted. It’s not like you can’t take the leftovers home. I’m sure Lea and Xion would eat a few slices for you.”

Curious, Naminé stood up to peer inside the box too. Sora really was too sweet. Everything about the dessert was handled with care, with each fruit arranged so precisely, Naminé could only imagine how long her friend had spent perfecting the delectable concoction. “Thank you, Sora. This is perfect, but you know, we’ll be saving you and Little Chef a slice too. It wouldn’t feel right for our chefs not to taste their own creation.”

“Heh, guess not,” Sora agreed, scratching his cheek.

“You can drop by the Old Mansion after work if you’d like,” Naminé suggested, “No one goes to bed early anyway, since it’s summer vacation.”

“Yeah, and plus, you still owe me a rematch on Classic Kingdom Melee,” Roxas said with a competitive glint in his blue eyes.

Sora chuckled and laced his hands behind his head. “So eager to get your butt handed to you again?”

“I have Naminé’s good luck charm this time,” Roxas said confidently, “So, there’s no way I’m gonna lose again.”

“We’ll see,” Sora said in a sing-song voice. The two boys jibed one another for another minute until Sora was called back into the kitchen by a short, portly chef with a silver whisk and a toque taller than him.

Roxas set the box with the tart on the table and moved to pull Naminé’s chair out for her with a flourish. “Madame.”

“How gentlemanly,” Naminé giggled as she took her seat.

Taking the chair across from her, Roxas signaled over one of the waiters who promptly brought them two plates and utensils to slice their dessert. Naminé, her hands small and adept, cut them each a generous piece.

The window behind them cast a warm golden glow and was embossed with the bistro’s name, Le Grand Bistrot, in neat gold lettering. Inside, the restaurant’s staff busied themselves, the sound of clattering dishes and whirring kitchen appliances blending with the soft instrumental tune floating from the speakers outside.

Naminé spoke again first. “So, you and Hayner are entering the Struggle Tournament this year?”

“We’re gonna win this year” Roxas boasted with a grin. He picked up his dessert but didn’t take a bite as sparks of excitement began to dance in his eyes. “We’ve been training every day since sign ups.”

“Confident I see,” Naminé teased.

“Always,” Roxas returned, his grin turning sly, “And besides, I’ve won the digital version once already. The real thing can’t be any harder.”

Naminé conceded with a smile. “That is true.”

As Roxas explained his new strategy for this year’s tournament, Naminé listened attentively, offering nods and questions at different intervals as she nibbled at her dessert. She liked seeing him so excited. After everything they had been through, happiness like this was well-deserved.

“Promise to cheer me on?” Roxas asked. His gaze was intense now, making Naminé’s heart skip a beat.

Naminé averted his eyes, playing with her hair as she answered shyly. “I’ll be in the front row the entire time.”

“U-Uh, thanks” Roxas blushed at her words and drew his own gaze away. “But um…anyway,” Roxas coughed, “How about you? You mentioned buying some new paints the other day. Have you been able to try them out yet?”

This time, it was Naminé’s face that lit up. She pressed her fingers together and tilted her head happily. “I have! I’ve been painting lots of landscapes with them, and I want to try portraits too.”

“Is this your subtle way of asking me to be your model?” Roxas joked.

“Mmm, maybe. Though, I’m not entirely sure you’d be able to stay still the entire time.”

Roxas raised his eyebrows. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“You really think you can sit still for more than an hour?” Naminé asked dubiously.

“With the right kind of incentive.”

Without hesitating, Naminé replied. “Sea salt ice cream?”

“Bingo,” Roxas said and bit into his slice of the tart.

Naminé didn’t try to conceal her laughter. Roxas really was predictable. And adorable. “I think I can arrange that.”

“Then, we have ourselves a deal!” Roxas held out a hand across the table, and Naminé shook it as if it was actually some kind of serious, contractual agreement.

The two continued to talk, reminiscing over the new memories they had made in the real Twilight Town. Like the first time they had all gone to Sunset Hill for a meteor shower or when they took that impromptu trip to Radiant Garden because somehow Twilight Town had run out of sea salt ice cream. Granted, it had been a particularly hot day. But still…

“I feel like summer vacation is too short,” Roxas complained, “and who thought it was a good idea to assign homework? We’re supposed to be on a break.”

Naminé’s lips twitched knowingly. “You still haven’t started, have you?”

“I tried, but the computer keeps crashing on me, so I can’t do any kind of research,” Roxas explained, pouting as he crossed his arms.

“You and computers,” Naminé sighed, shaking her head, “What are you writing your report on?”

“Not sure yet. Hayner, Pence, and Olette want to do something about the seven wonders, but that’s a little too déjà vu for me, you know?”

Naminé tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, maybe you can do a report about the beach?”

“The beach?” Roxas cocked his head curiously.

“Yeah, like what kind of fish are in the ocean here or ways to keep our beaches clean,” Naminé continued. Roxas loved the beach. The first time they went, Roxas nearly tripped over himself running across the sand to get to the water, and he didn’t come out until it was time to leave.

“Looks like we’re going to the beach this week then, huh?” Roxas asked with a coy grin.

Naminé returned the smile. “Looks like it.”

By the time they were ready to leave, with their leftovers secured in a to-go bag, the last embers of the twilight sky above had faded, blanketing the sunset hues beneath a veil of stars. The night air was still, the bustle of the usually busy town subdued as most citizens retired to their homes to sleep.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Naminé said, staring down at her feet bashfully.

“Me too.�� There was a brief silence that hung between them before Roxas added in a hesitant but hopeful voice. “Maybe we can do it again sometime?”

“I would love that,” Naminé answered softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Y-You know, there’s gonna be that new movie playing down at the theater this Friday. We could grab dinner here and then go see that?”

“It’s a date!” Naminé agreed happily, and her heart soared.

Roxas took her hand and intertwined their fingers. “It’s a date.”

#rokunami #roxas #namine #kingdom hearts #namixas #finally had a chance to finish this story #I loved writing the dialogue #and the tarte aux fruits was one of the prettiest desserts in kh3 #perfect for a first date <3

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hlizr50 · 3 years

Text

Unveiled

Spoilers for From Blood and Ash

Poppy is unveiled to her new guard. Alternate POV.

Read on AO3

Everything had gone according to plan.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. But the end goal had been accomplished.

Swift booted footsteps echoed down the hall as Casteel and his “commander” made their way to the Duke’s office. Jansen had been explaining how the meeting would proceed; the Maiden would be escorted in, Duke Teerman would explain the need for a new guard with the Rite coming so soon, some prattle about why they chose Hawke Flynn to be that guard, the Maiden’s unveiling, and the fealty oath…

He would see her. Finally. No ridiculous veil, no mask. He would see the puzzle complete, how the eyes as green as spring, the full pink lips, the soft creamy skin all fit together. He was sure she would be beautiful, if what he had seen and touched and tasted were any indication. He had a goal in mind, to be sure. But she had intrigued him. He wanted to see and know more of her.

And he always got what he wanted.

“Hawke. Are you listening?”

He turned his amber gaze on Jansen. “I’m sorry?”

“Do you remember the oath?”

“Of course,” Casteel rolled his eyes before reciting. “’With my sword and my life, I vow to keep you safe Maiden, the Chosen. From this moment to the last moment, I am yours.’ Quite melodramatic if you ask me.”

“Keep your voice down,” the commander growled softly. “You are a dedicated guard of Solis swearing fealty to the future of the kingdom, in case you’ve forgotten.”

Casteel sneered. “I haven’t forgotten. And it would do you well to remember who is leading who, Commander.”

“Of course. My apologies.”

The prince knew that Commander Jansen was on a very precarious ledge. Being a Descenter in the heart of Masadonia was dangerous in the best of times. In a position of power, Jansen could pull a lot of strings and make a lot of things happen. But he had a hand in a number of plots, and if just one person was found out or turned against him… his own demise would be the least of the consequences. It could be catastrophic to the schemes they had put in motion years ago and set back the resurrection of Atlantia for literal decades.

The arrived before a heavy wooden door flanked by two of the Duke’s personal guard. Jansen greeted them by name and Casteel gave each a nod. Then they pulled the door out, opening up the room to the pair. This was the beginning of the end.

So it hadn’t gone completely to plan. The prince knew he needed to get close to the Maiden, so he could steal her away right from under the thumb of the Ascended. That had meant an opening needed to come available for one of her personal guards – it wouldn’t do to just work in the castle. Jericho had been tasked with taking out her guard during her almost-daily evening walks.

And he had done it.

But then he’d tried to go ahead and take the Maiden, and that had gotten him into trouble. He hadn’t known she would be armed and dangerous, and when you cross a wolven with pointy things it’s bound to get a little messy.

And Jericho wasn’t known for being calm, cool and collected on a good day.

The Maiden had gotten in a few good strikes, but she had received quite the blow as well. He’d seen the angry swelling around her mouth and jaw at Rylan’s funeral. He only imagined the bruising extended far under the veil, over her cheek and temple.

That was unacceptable.

He hadn’t enjoyed cutting off Jericho’s hand. But he would not allow Penellaphe to be hurt. And to teach a lesson you had to be firm. Unyielding. Deadly, if warranted, and definitely a bit unhinged. Just to keep everyone vigilant.

“Commander Jansen,” Dorian Teerman greeted them. “And you must be Flynn.”

“Your Grace.” Casteel bowed to the Duke, something it almost physically hurt him to do. But he was playing a part, and he could spend more time later creating enticing scenarios in which he destroyed Teerman in any number of ways. “I have summoned the Maiden. She and her guard should be here shortly.”

The Duke hadn’t bothered to introduce his wife, Duchess Jacinda Teerman. Casteel wondered if he even acknowledged her existence much of the time. He didn’t know much about Duke Teerman, but he seemed self-absorbed, self-righteous, and cruel, which was not much different than any of the Ascended he had encountered. Their unyielding refusal to “petition the Gods” so the Tulis family could keep their third son, when their first two had already died so young, was only further proof of their evil. Of course, those first two hadn’t been lost to a “blood disease”, but to the Ascended’s bloodlust – they had been fed upon until there was nothing left. And yet the Duke and Duchess would only insist on taking the third as well. Had it been one of them who had bled those poor children dry? It made his stomach twist to stand with Jansen, making small talk with the pale blonde Duchess as they waited for the meeting to start.

It wasn’t long before the door swung open again. And there she was.

This was how he had expected to meet the Maiden. Veiled, so he could only see her lips and chin. Hair pulled back so it was not visible beneath the veil, either. That was a shame. Her hair had unlocked something in him that night at the Red Pearl. It had been so unexpected. And then there was the ridiculous, frilly, white lace and pleats of a dress that covered everything from her neck to her wrists to her ankles. Surely a garment such as that was an affront to the Gods, sleeping though they were. This was the Maiden, pure and docile and silent. It was a stark contrast to the woman who had snuck into his room not so long ago. In a brothel, no less.

“Please. Close the door Vikter,” the Duke nodded as he sat behind the black painted desk. Casteel looked toward the older guard with the sandy blond hair as he pulled the doors closed. He knew more about Vikter than he should for his supposed station, but what was most important was his closeness with the Maiden. Penellaphe. He would need to be thorough in his dedication to win over the seasoned soldier.

“Thank you.” Teerman nodded. “Please, sit, Penellaphe.”

He watched the Maiden as she lowered herself to the bench. Gods he hated that dress. It was such a pity to hide the curves that he knew were underneath. It was an effort to keep himself from smirking. If only those in this chamber knew what she had been up to.

“I hope you’re feeling well, Penellaphe,” the Duchess spoke, a sickeningly sweet voice that felt practiced and false. The veiled Maiden nodded. “I’m relieved to hear that. I was worried that attending the city council so soon after your attack would be too much.” Casteel had watched the Maiden through the entirety of the meeting, trying to decipher anything from the full lips and curve of jaw that he and the rest of the world were allowed to see. Had he seen her skin flush while the Tulis family begged for their son’s life? What had she been thinking as her keepers were tearing yet another family apart?

“What happened in the garden is why we’re all here.” The Duke’s voice was cold. “With the death of… what was his name? The guard?” It made the prince angrier than it should, that this beast could not even be bothered to know the name of the man who had given his life to protect their precious Maiden.

“Rylan Kiel, your Grace,” Vikter answered.

“Ah yes, Ryan. With Ryan’s death you are down one guard… Again. Two guards lost in one year. I hope this isn’t becoming a habit.” What that a joke? Was he trying to imply that this girl could have stopped it? Casteel had to contain a sneer. The guards would continue to fall, if it meant getting his brother back and burning Solis to the ground. Nobody would stop him – not the Maiden, not the Teermans, not Vikter, not the Blood Queen herself. “Anyway, with the upcoming Rite, and as you draw closer to your Ascension, Vikter cannot be expected to be the only one keeping a close watch on you. We need to replace Ryan, which - as I’m sure you realize now - explains why Commander Jansen and guard Flynn are here. Guard Flynn will take Ryan’s place effective immediately.”

“I’m sure this is surprising, as he is new to our city and quite young for a member of the Royal Guard. There are several Rise guards in line to be promoted, and bringing on Hawke is no slight to them. But the Commander has assured us that Hawke is better suited to this task.”

And so the diatribe began about why he was just so good at what he did that he was the next natural choice. Fresh eyes to see new threats. An impeccable record on the Rise and experience beyond it, which would naturally come in handy if the Queen summoned the Maiden earlier than anticipated for her Ascension. It could happen. Teerman Castle had been compromised more than once in the last week. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Queen Ileana determined that they were no longer capable of keeping the Maiden safe here in Masadonia.

If only they knew.

If only they knew that his sense of hearing and smell made him aware of an enemy’s presence long before the enemy knew he was there. If only they knew how much he had to dumb himself down to appear to be a mortal man, counting seconds so he wouldn’t move too fast or relaxing his muscles so he wouldn’t seem too strong. If only they knew that their Commander was a Descenter himself and was planting Prince Casteel himself – the Dark One – into the role of Royal Guard Hawke Flynn. If only they knew that today they were delivering the Maiden into the hands of the most dangerous creature in their nightmares.

“The Descenters and the Dark One are not the only things to fear out there, as you know,” the Duchess had been speaking. Gods they were making it terribly difficult not to laugh. They were so ignorant. The pale blonde Ascended turned to Casteel now. “As a member of the Maiden’s personal royal guard, it is likely that a situation may occur where you will see her unveiled. It can be distracting seeing someone’s face for the first time, especially a Chosen, and that could interfere with your ability to protect her. That is why the Gods allow this breach.”

“Commander Jansen, if you will please step outside,” the Duke gestured toward the door and Jansen took his leave. Casteel stood alone, now, looking toward the veiled young woman now standing before him. Oh, had he been looking forward to this.

“You are about to bear witness to what only a select few have seen: an unveiled Maiden. Penellaphe, please reveal yourself.”

She was too still, and Casteel could tell that her breathing was shallow. What could she be thinking? He was sure that part of her was anxious that she’d be found out.

“Penellaphe. We do not have all day,” the Duke cut out and his wife tried to soothe him.

“Give her a moment, Dorian. You know why she hesitates. We have time.”

Why did she hesitate? Of course, she was concerned about being recognized, but he couldn’t imagine the Duchess would know that. And why did the Duke have that glib smile plastered on his face? Casteel returned his gaze to Penellaphe as her lady’s maid assisted with the chains on the headdress before it fell from her head.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were dark as her gaze remained pinned on the Duke. He could only see the right side of her face as she glared at Teerman and from the corner of his eye he could see the Duke’s expression fall into icy stone. Then she took a breath and turned to face Casteel, lifting her chin slightly.

Gods. She was stunning.

Those lips, her jaw, those eyes as green as Atlantian spring. He was ready for those things, had seen them that night at the Red Pearl. He’d known even then that she was beautiful, and now with her stony gaze it was only confirmed. And then there were the scars. Two scars tracked down from her temple, one over her cheek and toward her nose and one down through her eyebrow. Where had those come from? Who or what had done that to her? He gazed at her, taking in every detail of her face before meeting her eyes. Those eyes. They were dark and stormy, betraying the lack of emotion on her face. It was as if she were steeling herself, although he didn’t know what against.

“She’s truly unique, isn’t she?” She flinched as the Duke spoke again. “Half of her face is a masterpiece, the other half a nightmare.”

That bastard. Her arms tremored slightly, and Casteel realized what she had been hardening herself to feel. He knew that this moment, where he could make Penellaphe feel small, was why the Duke had that slimy smile upon his face. Appearance was a fickle thing, and beauty and perfection were highly touted by the Ascended. The Maiden, chosen but scarred, was being raised and educated under the thumb of a man who likely took every opportunity he could to tell her what a shame it was that her face could never be pleasing to any of them. She was a pawn, a possession to them. But he saw her here, just as he had seen her in the Red Pearl. She was a person, with feelings and desires and insecurities. She was Penellaphe.

He made an oath to himself that he would only treat her as such.

“Both halves are as beautiful as the whole,” he stepped forward then, wishing he could see the Duke’s face when he said it. Her sharp intake of breath made him want to smile for her. She hadn’t been expecting that, and that was the nightmare – that she was not aware how truly lovely she was.

He gave a shallow bow and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “With my sword and with my life, I vow to keep you safe, Penellaphe. From this moment until the last moment I am yours.” Bowing to Duke Teerman had been torturous, but bowing before her was almost natural. So was swearing his fealty to her. The ease with which he did so kindled something inside of him. He had come here to play a part and set into motion the resurgence of Atlantia, and that was exactly what he was doing. But those emerald eyes, lush red lips, and two pink scars were already threatening to unravel him.

And he wasn’t so sure that he was going to fight it.

#fbaa #fbaa fanfic #from blood and ash #poppy balfour #hawke flynn #casteel da'neer #alternate pov #ao3 #fanfiction

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midnight-lightning · 3 years

Text

A Flicker Of Green

Can I request a Loki x Reader where Y/N loves Loki (and he doesn't know) but she is insecure and jealous of another girl who she thinks he likes (could be Sigyn, Amora, Darcy, or even an original character). So on Valentines day she gets all depressed when the other girl asks him out for a date. But little does Y/N know that Loki actually loves her too. How they end up confessing is up to you :) I hope this request wasn't annoyingly detailed or anything.Thank you!<3

Request By @vonaralaufeyson

Thank you for your lovely request!

Hope you like it :)

It was times like these you wished you’d have listened to your mother and kept a diary. Not to keep the memories you don’t want to forget but just to write down your feelings you couldn’t talk about with no one.

This thought made you snort. A diary? Yeah, sure and it would just go like,

Dear Diary,

It’s currently 2am and I’m lying in bed with nothing but the thoughts of him and I.

Or,

Dear Diary,

So there’s this guy… that doesn’t want to leave my mind. There’s this guy, who’s smile could make my whole day a lot better. There’s this guy who’s eyes, green like emeralds keep me awake at night. There’s this guy, who I can’t stop dreaming about him. And every time I close my eyes it’s his face, his eyes and his beautiful damn smile I see. And this smile was just for me. Because it was me who made him smile. Me. I was able to do this. And I can’t wait to do this again. There’s this boy I crave to see again, because every conversation we ever had will never be enough to fill my satisfaction. And just the thought of him, is enough to keep me awake. And even though I know the chances we ever will be more than friends are low, in fact it’s even lower than low, I can’t let you go. Because of my hope. This damn hope.

Yeah… see. That would be pretty cheesy.

You let out a groan and buried your head deeper in to your pillow. This was bad. Real bed. And still, you couldn’t help but smile a little.

You were born into a rich, noble family. Your parents always worked close for and with the royal family. So it was only naturally you grew up alongside the princes of Asgard and it was your luck they both had gotten to like you, especially Loki. Because, if we’re being honest, life would be a bit harder, if the god of mischief would have a down on you. They’d help you escape from your Nanny and hide you somewhere in the garden or in their rooms, you would together steal food from the kitchen or play hide and seek in the garden, watch Loki do his mischief, laugh, cry together and comfort each other, when life’s or parents getting tough on you.

But the last couple of days you haven’t seen much of either of them so when you caught a glimpse of red and gold, in the hallway you couldn’t help but ignore your time schedule and follow the person, who you suspected to be Thor.

The outstanding warrior he was, Thor immediately noticed that he was being followed and stopped in his tracks, his stern face lit up when he saw you.

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you again! How have you been the last couple of days?”

You couldn’t help but smile brightly, a happy Thor was pretty contaminating. “You know, the usual. Trying to ditch my responsibilities, helping my parents to pack for their moving and missing you guys! What was going on?” You asked a little reproachfully and crossed your arms. Of course you wouldn’t be actually angry with them not having time for you, after all they have a whole kingdom to lead.

“My deepest apologies, Y/N, we were needed to help mother at the organizations for Day of Freya. You know how much she adored this festivity and the ball.” He suddenly realized what you had also mentioned and frowned confused. “Wait, what do you mean your parents’ moving? You wouldn’t mean the Midgardian moving now, do you? “

Thor’s smile faded at the thought of you going away to another planet for years, not being able to see you nearly every day. What would become of all the new adventures you, Thor and Loki always made together? They had always been more fun with his friends than with the kingdom’s knights.

You chuckled a little at Thor’s startled expression. “Don’t worry, I am allowed to stay here in Asgard and live with my aunt.”

“Oh, what a relief. I wouldn’t want to imagine royal life without you and neither what mess my brother would be without you here.”

You froze. What?

Thor let out a loud laugh at your puzzled expression and patted your shoulder lovingly, which only made you even more nervous somehow. “My friend…It is time to finally open those lovely eyes of yours because mine have already been a while now and believe when I say my suspicions of the affections between you and my dear brother haven’t gone unnoticed.”

With wide eyes and a burning face you stared back at the God of Thunder, utterly shocked. How could he even know? “You…I! Me and…What?”

Much to your annoyance and Thor’s amusement the right words wouldn’t want to come out of your mouth.

“Listen, you’re my best friend,” Thor said with a fond smile. “And a great person and even though I would say Loki could live a million lives and still wouldn’t deserve you… I know you would make each other happy. And when you’re happy, I’m happy. I would say it’s a win-win for all of us.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but the prince didn’t even give you the chance. “Between us, right now, Loki is in the ball room, probably pretending to do some work while trying to blow something up as usual… Good luck.” With a mischievous wink, that reminded you too much of a certain other prince he put his hands from your shoulder and went away, leaving you overstrained and stunned in the hallway.

As much as you loved Thor and his sometimes over motivated intentions, sometimes things changed a little too fast and too much.

Nevertheless, you decided to visit Loki in the ballroom, of course not for confessing your feelings. You just… missed him. Like, you hadn’t seen him in a while, right? And you had wanted to search for the brothers anyways.

You bit your lip, deciding if it actually was that good of an idea, but your desire to see him again, made your heart beat louder and your stomach flutter, so you gave in.

The day of Freya was already tomorrow thus the great hall was filled with servants and attendants who gathered all around to put the final touches to the already now stunning looking ballroom. You noticed the place where the food will be served tomorrow and made a mental note to memorize it, hopefully there will be Frigg pastries. Odin, the simply thought of this magnificent dessert…

But even the thoughts of your favourite food didn’t stay a chance the moment you saw Loki.

He was sitting at the water fountain and just as Thor said (honestly it wasn’t a surprise anyway) he appeared to be focused in a book he was reading.

You squeezed you’re eyes in suspicion. Surely he wouldn’t be sitting here, in a room full of stressed out and loud people in order to read? You had the bad feeling something Loki-like would happen any sec-

Sudden loud shrieks and shouts from the west side of the hall had you dead in the tracks. You whirled around to see what was going on only to have your suspicions confirmed. The place where just moments ago gold garland had embellished the wall, were now snakes either hanging around or crawling on the floor.

You turned around again to Loki, who hadn’t moved even a little and was still reading his book. His only reaction to the scenario was the hint of a satisfied smirk on his lips.

Shaking your head, you continued your way towards him, trying not to disturb any of the servants or get crashed by one in the new panic.

“This poor people have already enough stress don’t you think, your majesty?”

Loki looked up and as usual your heart stopped for a second the moment his eyes met yours. You tried to hide your nervousness with a grin which he responded with a sly smirk.

“Maybe. But I am bored.”

You sat down next to him at the fountain and gave him a stern look.

Usually you loved his pranks and mischief but if any of his actions endangered the serving of Frigg pastries the game’s over.

As if he just read your mind Loki rolled his eyes and watched you in amusement. “You need to stop worrying about the food, love, I would never put my life in danger by risking to harm your pastries. Which I’m sure would be served nevertheless.”

You couldn’t help yourself but laughed a little. Sometimes it still surprised you how well he knew you.

Still, Loki lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. Immediately the snakes turned into dust, the garlands returned and the shouting calmed down – much to your relief.

You turned your head back to Loki only to find him already looking at you with a wary gaze.

You frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“I saw yours and your family’s name on mother’s mentioning list of the people who participate as volunteers to move to Midgard. I thought you said you wanted to stay?”

Was there…hurt in his voice?

Immediately you shook your head. “No, no! Well, actually yes, but not me! Well, my name, yes, but not- “you took a deep breath a little embarrassed and Loki’s amused grin didn’t help in the slightest ways to calm to nerves. “My parents are moving, yes. But I didn’t want to leave the poor kingdom to your mischief and was allowed to stay behind with my aunt.”

He chuckled. “Don’t pretend you don’t love to participate.”

To that you raised both your hands in defeat. “Alright, alright, you got me there.”

“But I’m actually glad you decided to stay, considering the opportunity Midgard could give.”

“Midgard doesn’t have you,” you replied without thinking and immediately got the urge to slap yourself in the face. Oh Odin…

The prince tilted his head a little.

“I mean… I mean I would be bored to death down there.”

“So I am just the entertainment for you?” He teased, but you already went into panic mode and didn’t notice he was only joking.

“No! No, of course not! You’re my friend, but like more than a friend! Wait, no, I mean best friend! Not an entertainer, I mean, yes of course you are so hilarious, but also so intelligent and charming and it’s so easy and calming to talk with you and I love your compa-“

You stopped your rambling. “Why are you laughing?”

His eyes sparkled with joy. “My apologies, darling, I’m just glad we won’t lose your adorable voice for another while.”

He placed his hand on your cheek and your breath stopped.

“Besides even if you moved, no kingdom in the world could stop me from visiting you. Because believe or not, love- “he lowered his voice and bend down to your ear, giving you shivers. “I, as well, enjoy your company.”

At this time, you were sure, you weren’t functioning anymore.

He moved his head back a little, leaving not much space between your faces. Loki’s eyes flickered between yours and you noticed the small smile on his lips.

Your heart was pounding so loud you were afraid he could be able to hear it.

What mess my brother would be without you here

Thor’s words echoed in your head and a thought flashed your mind.

Could he…?

Only an inch, just an inch you moved closer, your eyes not leaving his…

With his hand still on your cheek he pulled you even closer…

You closed your eyes and-

“Prince Loki!”

Startled you opened your eyes and immediately jumped away.

A young woman was standing in front of you.

Freydís, if you remembered right.

She and her family were visiting Asgard for the Day of Freya and were close friends of queen Frigga.

“My apologies, am I interrupting something?” She asked with an excoriatingly gaze your way.

Freydís didn’t even bother to wait for an answer instead she put on a charming smile and took a deep breath. “Loki, it’s so good to see you again! I can’t wait to spend this time with you, just like we used to when we were little do you remember?”

You were unsure of how to react. She was nobility, and even if you were as well, she was at a higher position.

Freydís cold gaze met you once more and you decided the best way to not start any trouble was to leave. You knew Loki could end this, but it was better when you left by yourself, it wouldn’t be right if he we chose you, over his mother’s guests.

So you stood up. “My lady”, you bowed quickly and intended to leave, avoiding Loki’s eyes.

As you left, you heard her scoff in annoyance. “Anyway, we certainly need to dance tomorrow at the ball as Freya’s Day is basically my day too, as we share the same name-

On the way back to your apartment you needed everything you’ve got to not get angry. Nevertheless, you couldn’t help but stamp a little bit too much.

By all means! How can somebody be so rude! Like, yeah, you got it, she’s nobility, a princess, who cares, there was NO need to-

Calm down, y/n

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalm dooooooooooown.

Deep breaths.

Think of Loki, think of what he had said to you…

Oh my Odin

Were you really about to kiss him??

Oh, dear lord…

But no matter what, you had hoped, even the tiniest, tiniest bit, to be able to dance even just one, or a half of a dance with him tomorrow. But now this Freya 2.0 has destroyed your hopes.

“Y/N!”

You whirled around to see Thor coming towards you, as usual a big, happy grin on his face.

“Just noticed you walk here, how was it?” He winked and even though nothing really had happened your cheeks heated up.

You sighted a little. “It was great. Only that…well, do you know Freydís?”

Thor’s face fell. “Oh.”

“Yeah…”

“Oh…Oh, no, don’t worry, she’ll be gone again soon, you’ll see. There’s no need to be concerned or jealous, y/n.”

At this your head shot up. “I’m not jealous!”

Thor tilted his head, smirking. “Sure. So you wouldn’t have anything against it if she would spend the ball with Loki tomorrow?”

“Nope.”

“And dance with him?”

“Nope.”

“The whole evening?”

“If he wants to.”

“What about…eating Frigg Pastries?”

At this you squeezed your eyes dangerously. “She wouldn’t dare”, you rumbled dimly.

Thor laughed out loud and shook his head. “Well, then I suggest you show them what’s in you.”

The next day you haven’t seen neither Loki nor Thor and thank Odin neither Freydís. They were all probably too engaged in the last preparations. A certain someone needed to look even more dashing as she will be at the side of a certain prince the whole evening.

You had been trying to convince yourself to not be bitter about her, Loki and the whole situation. You knew, how much you meant to Loki, even as just best friends, you were important to him and no woman, may she be ever so beautiful and charming, could… well actually she could… No, she couldn’t replace you, at least not in that way.

You shook your head in annoyance. These thoughts were making you crazy!

But still, this certain sparkling green eyes and mischievous smile wouldn’t leave your mind.

Were you even prepared to be able watching him dance and joke around the whole evening with her?

No matter what, you were determined to look good, more than good today und prepared the best dress you could find.

“Oh darling, you look stunning!” your mother exclaimed as you walked into the saloon to meet up with your parents.

“Isn’t it a bit too stunning? It’s just a ball?”

“Well, father, it’s our last ball together for a long time, after all. People shouldn’t tend to forget us, should they?” You answered winking. “I think we are ready, right, Mom?”

Your mother eyed you a little suspicious, her instinct telling her that there’s more than you tell. “Right, honey.” She nodded slowly, linking your arm in hers. “Let’s have a wonderful evening.”

The guards opened the doors and you were greeted by so shining golden light, wonderful music, people dancing, talking, sitting or eating.

“Oh, Frigga just surpassed herself once again. It’s so astonishing!” you heard your mother exclaim delightful. You smiled a little before excusing yourself for a while.

Honestly you felt good. You tried not to let the sadness inside your head, instead you wanted to enjoy this ball, this evening. You loved your outfit, and you even earned some compliments during small talks. It was difficult not trying to search for the princes as you usually spend balls and other gatherings together, but it would be probably for the best if you skipped this little tradition for today.

Anyway…you knew where you would find yourself sooner or later and frankly you hoped it was sooner, because you were already hungry.

After some more small talks you finally reached the huge buffet table and tried not to squeal in joy when you spotted the Frigg pastries on a golden tablet.

“Oh, hello my beauties. I love you so much.”

You try your hardest not to inhale them, but they are just so rarely served…

“I’m not even in the slightest surprised to find you here.”

Your mouth full with pastries you barely managed to not choke when you suddenly heard his voice close behind you.

Very close.

“You have always been so obsessed with them, I will never understand why”, Loki continued.

You swallowed the pastries, inhaled deeply and then turned around.

“That’s because you never-“ You stopped. Loki was wearing a royal suit, you have – sadly- never seen on him. Of course in his favourite colours, golden and green. The colours only making his eyes shine even more brightly.

Loki lifted his eyebrow. “Never what?”

Right. You forced your eyes back up to his face and swallowed again.

Dear Love, Y/N…straight face. You cleared your throat.

“Because you never had taste. Clearly.”

Surprisingly he didn’t answer. Instead his eyes widen a little, trying to take you all in without his eyes leaving yours even for a second.

The corners of his lips twitched a little before he bent his head a little and offered his hand.

“My lady, would you give me the honor of this dance?”

Oh dear Odin, not gonna lie… that was hot.

Once more, you cleared your throat, tying to control your emotions and ignoring every fibre of your body that shouted to just say yes.

“I thought you were reserved for Lady Freydís?”

The prince looked up in confusion. “Why would you think that?”

“I-I well, she settled for both of you to dance and she’s the princess or whatever, I mean I…”

You shut up when the realization dawned you, that no matter what, no matter who, Loki will stay Loki and always do what he wants. How could you forget that?

“I have standards, Y/N,” he said bluntly and looked as if you’d offended him.

“And I fit these standards?”

“You preset them.”

You stared at him a little taken back.

I will never be able to predict him in any way

Softly he placed your hand in his own and you let him, smiling softly when the prince lead you towards the other dancers.

You put your hand on his shoulder and Loki his other hand on your waist. You looked up.

His face was so close… Loki smiled, a breathtaking genuine smile and not even Odin could have stopped you from returning the smile.

The music started … and then you danced.

Looking back, you wouldn’t be able what music was being played, nor what you were actually dancing. All you will be remember was his eyes looking at you, with such gentleness, his smile on his lips that never vanished even for a second. There were only him and you, no one and nothing more.

“I feel the need to give my apologies for what happened yesterday,” he started.

You wanted to protest, because honestly nothing of that mattered anymore, but he continued.

“It wasn’t Freydís place to treat you in such way, princess or not and I think I made this very clear.”

At your startled expression he chuckled amused. “Don’t worry, she’s all right…I guess.”

At this you gave him a slight clap. “Loki!”

“May I notice how tremendously magnificent you look?”

“You may, your majesty. Thus I can only give in return,” you replied grinning.

And then he kissed you.

Just like that.

Both hands gently on your cheeks, stroking your hair behind your ears.

Just like that.

You stood there, surrounded by dancing couples, music playing, people talking around you.

But in this moment there was just him.

And there will forever only be him.

Loki.

#loki x reader #loki x you #loki imagine #avengers #avengers imagine #marvel #loki god of mischief #loki chat #marvel imagine #loki #thor #Thor lord of thunder #y/n #Loki x y/n

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queenof-literature · 3 years

Text

Wind

Part 7 of my Hero of Wild series! Wow we’re here already

I’ve had this idea for so long and I finally get to write it! Uhh I don’t have any clever jokes for April Fools, so take this instead. Honestly the most April Fools thing about this is I didn't get a chance to edit much sooo sorry about that.

Hope you enjoy!

Wind narrowed his eyes at the scene before him.

Why did Twilight get to be best friends with the mysterious new hero!

Of course Wind was happy Wild seemed to be finding his place among the others. It started when they found out he had the cooking skills of a castle chef. No, scratch that, his skills had to succeed any castle chef. He had tried food in Warriors and Twilight’s Hyrule Castles, and nothing beat what Wild could do with time and a proper set up!

Man, he was hungry.

Not the point!

The point was, Wind watched Wild silently laugh at something Twilight said to him, Wind couldn’t help but huff. Jealous wasn’t really the way he would describe his feelings. Wind was happy when he saw Wild getting along so well with Twilight, especially with how shy he seemed to be around other Hylians.

That was another mysterious trait about Wild. His name, Wild. It implied someone savage and not caring of others and their rules. That wasn’t Wild.

Wind discovered what his name really meant. If Wind’s name was the gentle tuseling of hair from the high seas, then Wild’s meant the course but soft feeling of grass beneath one’s feet.

Their names were similar, not just in the lettering, but in the feelings they both provided. When Wind thought of their names, he thought of freedom. And with Wild perhaps a few fires along the way.

And Wind was gonna be his friend dammit.

His sign was outdated, the other Links weren’t the only ones who didn’t understand him. Like many things, sign has evolved without him. The only one who truly understood that was Zelda, and she was in Hateno.

Wild didn’t have many memories, but he did remember talking to her after they finally got along, only with her. Verbally. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t even remember what his voice sounded like.

Would he have a similar accent to Zelda? Posh and regal? Probably not, accents could be changed and acclimated and it had been over one hundred years since Wild had heard anyone have that accent but Zelda, and perhaps the ghost of the king. No, his accent would probably develop into a mix of things.

As for his voice itself, would it be soft and quiet? Loud and course? Did the two feel different when you spoke? Sure Wild had made noises before. He laughed when he was alone, sometimes the noise just bubbled up and he couldn’t stop it. But talking? Wild didn’t know how, and that was embarrassing. He could read, he could write, and he could understand how other people spoke. He couldn’t speak.

He had watched how others talked. He tried to copy it. When they said an ‘oh’ sound, they made the same shape with their mouth. He was positive he was doing it right, he copied it exactly, but nothing pushed passed his mouth. Nothing of importance anyway.

Just as it had the past couple of days, Wild’s mind flashed back to Sky’s offer. He had seemed so genuine, it didn’t seem to be something the man would offer simply to be nice. But perhaps the man hoped Wild would forget about it, maybe Sky himself had already forgotten about it. Still, there was just a small ember of hope in him.

He imagined himself finally keeping up with conversations, laughing loudly, maybe even surprising Zelda. He shouldn’t let himself get lost in fantasies but he couldn’t help it, not when it was a small possibility. There was no telling if Sky’s offer was truly genuine, or that Wild would actually be able to follow through and speak, but what if he tried.

Still that would require reaching out, approaching Sky and asking for help with one of the most basic actions one could perform, something many did without even thinking about it.

Yet Sky understood that, didn’t he? He had been open with Wild, told him of his childhood struggles. Perhaps there really was no shame in asking. Wild let out a low sigh, not aware of the figure stalking him from behind, eyes narrowed slightly, plotting.

Now, how was he to approach him? Wind mused on the answer as the group walked forward. No one had claimed this Hyrule as their own yet, the best they could do is walk the main path and search for a town, and keep their guard up.

Truthfully Wind didn’t know Wild well enough yet to determine the best approach. Would a direct question work? He had tried that before and had been mostly brushed off, but that was before Wild knew who they were. Wind decided ultimately to be honest and say whatever was on his mind, Wild could probably tell when someone was being dishonest or not genuine.

Twilight bid Wild a short goodbye before speeding up to talk to Time near the front of the group, and Wind saw his chance. Wind took a deep breath and trotted up to be beside Wild, giving the fellow teen plenty of room as the rest of the group tried to. They did the same thing for the more antisocial Links at the beginning of their group as well.

“Hi Wild! Breakfast this morning was really good.” Wind complimented, trying to start up a casual conversation. It was true, the food Wild called ‘crepes’ had absolutely blown Wind’s mind. Maybe Wild would be more inclined to talk if it was about something the teen enjoyed, and Wind could tell he really loved cooking.

‘Thank you’. Wind felt success at the small sign, preparing to talk again before Wild continued his signs. ‘There are a lot of flavors’. It took Wind a moment to remember the word for flavors, but Wild signed slow enough for him to figure it out. ‘Depends on the ingredients.’

“I bet! Feel free to experiment with ingredients, I'm sure we’ll all thank you for it.” Wind joked, chest feeling light at the small smile he earned from Wild.

‘Will do.’ Wild joked back, and Wind bit his lip at the lull in conversation. Now or never.

“We don’t know each other very well.” Wind observed. “Can we ask each other questions?” Wind didn’t know what making friends was like in Wild’s Hyrule, but at Outset it was very forward, hopefully he wasn’t crossing a line. Wild’s steps seemed to falter for a minute, and Wind felt another spike of worry, before Wild nodded.

“Really? You don’t have to.” Wind assured, fearing Wild was only saying yes to be polite. Wild nodded once more, and Wind’s eyes lit up in excitement.

“What’s your favorite color? Your tunic is blue like mine! Where’d you get it? Where’s your Zelda? Where are you from? In your Hyrule I mean. Do you have a favorite animal? What-”

“Woah there Wind.” Warriors physically stepped into the very one-sided conversation, placing a firm but gentle hand on the sailor’s shoulder. “Give him a minute to answer.” Warriors noticed the wide eyes Wild held under his hood and his twitching fingers.

“Oh! Um, sorry Wild.” Wind rubbed his neck, embarrassed. He just couldn’t decide what to ask first!

‘Don’t have one. Zelda made it. In Hateno. Everywhere. I like horses.’ Wind’s eyes lit up, excited someone had kept up with questions, but halted himself from asking anymore.

Wild however, felt sadness bloom in his chest further.

He wanted to say that his favorite color depended on the day, on what marvels his Hyrule had in store for him.

He wanted to say Zelda made it for the champion, her duties as a princess, but she was a scholar at heart and she was pouring over books and reaching out to leaders to make her kingdom better as they spoke.

He wanted to say that he loved his horses and the companionship they provided, but he thought bears and elk were fun to ride and foxes were so cute with their fluffy tails and huge yawns he only killed them when absolutely necessary.

He wanted to say that, but he didn’t. Because he couldn’t.

Before Wild could raise his hands and ask a question in return, a shout was heard from the front of the group.

“Watch out!” Twilight yelled, unsheathing his sword. What? Wild’s head whipped around, eyes scanning for any sign of a threat. He summoned his sword with the others, lucky enough to have a royal broadsword with minimal damage. The rest of the group stood in different stances, ranging from wide to more narrow and showing how different they were from one another. It appeared they were all waiting for the enemy to make the first move. And make the first move they did.

A creature launched out of the trees in an instant, right towards Warriors, who expertly lifted his shield to protect himself.

“They’ve surrounded us!” Called Legend, blocking another creature attacking him from the other side of the path. Wild could now see they looked like a different version of Lizalfos, green scales shimmering in the sun contrasting the pale milky yellow of their stomachs. They didn’t look like his Lizalfos, their heads rounder and bodies thicker, but that was something Wild would need to get used to.

“Keep an eye out for the black one!” Warriors shouted to their group. Black one? Did they not have black Lizalfos? Something in Wild’s head screamed at him and he summoned his shield from his slate and parried a strong hit from yet another of the creatures. They really were surrounded, but Wild was used to fighting this amount by now. He raised his hand to his slate to summon his bomb arrows before pausing in growing realization. What was he thinking? He would hit his comrades!

His hesitance resulted in a strong punch to the chest, Wild’s breath caught and he stumbled back, running right into Sky behind him who was fighting off his own Lizalfos. Wild quickly recovered, almost dodging the next attack before realizing that if he did the creature’s sword would ram right into Sky’s chest. Wild clumsily blocked, chest constricting, desperate to get away and cursing himself for his own weaknesses. Quickly he lurched to the side before the Lizalfos could raise his sword, and ran right into Legend this time.

“Watch it!” Legend snarled, not even noticing who it was in the heat of battle. Wild’s eyes darted around, looking for any opening, anything to do. If he could get into a tree he could jump out and take them out with his arrows, no, no opening. He continued to use his sword and shield, hyper aware of all the bodies surrounding him that weren’t enemies.

And at the worst possible moment, Wild’s shield broke. He really should have expected it.

The Lizalfos made a deep growl in its throat, smashing its shield into Wild’s head causing the boy to stumble and fall, landing on his back, his sword skidding away from him. The Lizalfos didn’t hesitate, raising its sword to plunge into Wild. This was going to hurt…

With a cry from the left, Wild watched in awe as a small body parried the sword above him, Wind. The boy swung his sword in an arch, cutting right into the Lizalfos chest. It was shallow, but it allowed Wind to gain the upper hand. How had he made that big an arch without hitting anyone? Wind launched himself from the ground, mercilessly driving his sword into the Lizalfos’ chest, crashing them both to the ground.

As the other Links finished up their own fights, ensuring they were truly out of enemies, Wild stared in awe and shame. Everyone had taken out at least one enemy, everyone but him. Wind had to step in and save him. Wild’s cheeks were bright red, an uncomfortable heat across his face, ears and neck. Without thinking Wild yanked his hood higher, chest constricting. They were all looking at him, they were all seeing how inept he was at this.

“Are you okay? I think he got hit in the head!” Wind called out to the other Links. Oh, so that’s what felt wet on his face. Oh well, head wounds bleed a lot. Wild silently begged Wind not to draw anymore attention to him. He just wanted to forget this ever happened. They were all looking at him.

“I have a potion!” Hyrule called, rushing over. Wild shook his head as Hyrule approached him. He was fine, he didn’t need it. He had already messed up.

‘Fine’. Wild signed as Hyrule sat in front of him, perhaps normally this would be fine, but everything was too much and Hyrule was too close.

“Wild, you’re bleeding.” Hyrule stated, reaching for Wild’s face. Wild quickly flinched away, hand flying towards his slate in momentary panic. Hyrule’s eyes widened, realizing what he had done and pulling back. “Sorry! Sorry just… you’re bleeding. We have extra don’t worry.” Once again Hyrule offered the potion, holding it far away from himself for Wild to grab. Wild didn’t know Hyrule all that well yet, their shield surfing adventure aside, but he knew the other boy would probably persist until Wild drank, and the last thing Wild wanted to do was to make a large spectacle. Well, more than he already had.

Wild reached out to grab the potion, ensuring he didn’t touch Hyrule’s fingers, before slowly sipping, only consuming enough to heal his head wound. Almost instantly he felt fog he hadn’t even known was there clear up, allowing him to relax, only slightly. There was still an uncomfortable heat in his cheeks and ears. He handed a skeptical Hyrule the bottle, gesturing to his healed head no longer gushing bright red. Hyrule reluctantly clipped the almost full potion back onto his belt, but didn’t leave Wild’s side.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Wind approached Wild. It was too much, it was all too much.

‘I’m sorry’. Wild signed shakily to Wind, eyes focusing anywhere but on the younger boy who had perhaps saved his life. ‘I’m sorry’. He signed once more, this time in the direction of Time and the others. That could have gone so much worse, he could have gotten someone killed, specifically Wind.

“Wild, it’s okay we’ve all had to save each other’s asses before.” Wind piped up, but Wild only shook his head, he lifted his clammy hands, but nothing would form. What could he say? That he was sorry he put them all in danger? That he was sorry he almost blew them up without thinking?

“Teamwork is hard when you’re not used to it.” Wild’s shocked eyes darted to Hyrule in front of him, the other boy having a look of sudden understanding of what had happened, and that understanding dawned on the rest of them.

“Do us a favor and don’t almost electrocute all of us like Hyrule did.” Legend smirked at Hyrule’s red cheeks and betrayed glare.

‘I almost blew you up’. Wild signed without thinking, feeling regret pool in his stomach. He expected a scolding, a remark about how reckless and dangerous he was, how they shouldn’t let him fight. He did not expect them all to burst out laughing.

“Great, there’s another one!” Four groaned, but he didn’t sound very upset.

“Like you’re one to talk!” Warriors laughed, dodging a kick from the smith.

“Let’s not stay here for too long.” Time announced, however the clear smirk on his face told everyone how amused he was. Honestly, Wild was scared he would get a verbal lashing, but Time would probably wait for later to do that.

“Are you okay to walk?” Hyrule asked, and while Wild appreciated the concern he was confused how a small head wound would impede his movement at all. Still Wild shook his head and stood, ignoring the slight tremble in his legs from the feeling of the world imploding just a moment ago. Wild had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at how pathetic he was being.

It seemed unnatural to be on the road again. The others chatting even while keeping a far sharper ear out for what lurked along the path.

“Hey Wild.” Wind greeted once more.

‘Thank you’. Wild signed with as much feeling as he could have while not making eye contact.

“Oh! Uh yeah, no problem. Those bastards are slippery.” Wind smiled at him, the same as before, and Wild felt himself calm slightly. “Listen…” Wild cocked his head slightly at Wind’s sudden serious tone. “I know… I know what it’s like, to feel embarrassed when someone else has to save you. I’m the youngest so…” Wind trailed off, gesturing his hands vaguely, but Wild could understand what he was trying to say. “It, well, it took me a while to realize that getting help isn’t something you should be ashamed of. I used to feel bad whenever someone stepped in to help me, but Warriors told me that it’s okay to accept help, and I had forgotten that. That’s what being a group is. Don’t feel bad.” Wind smiled up at Wild, who looked as shocked as he felt. It’s okay to accept help. It was such a simple sentence yet it sent Wild reeling.

‘Thank you, Wind’. Wild signed, and Wind lit up once more at the sight of his name sign he was so proud of. He nodded and he and Wild spent the next hour exchanging questions and answers. They were all simple, nothing that dug deep, and Wild wasn’t as overwhelmed as he thought he would be. Yet something still weighed heavily on his mind.

Sky was well aware of the company he had. The others had taken to doing their chores before settling in. It was a general unspoken rule that if they had the opportunity, Links that had their tasks done could do whatever, just as long as it was near camp or someone else knew where you were and you were within someone else’s eyesight. It certainly helped them all, especially those who were used to traveling alone. The tasks weren’t really assigned, most of them just did what was closest and others filled in the rest. Sky had already ensured that Epona was properly taken care of while Twilight secured the perimeter, and was content to work on his latest woodworking. It wasn’t the only hobby he had, but it was nice for evenings he was content to sit back and observe.

Currently though, his main point of interest was awkwardly shuffling behind him. Sky wondered if he would come around in front of him to talk, but ultimately decided to be the first to speak. Sky shifted from where he was leaning against the tree to face Wild, meeting questioning but troubled blue eyes. He had been wearing his hood around camp less, and Sky wanted to think that was a positive sign. It seems being acknowledged only troubled Wild more.

“Hi Wild! Is there anything wrong or would you just like company?” Sky offered, always so considerate for his feelings. This only made Wild more flustered as he stood there, awkwardly shuffling his feet. “Wild?” Sky pressed, no impatience, only concern and confusion. Wild squeezed his hands close to his chest before raising them.

‘Is your offer still open?’

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #wild-centric #wild #hero of wild #QoL Story #Warriors #hyrule #legend #twilight #wind #sky #four #lu four #lu hyrule #time

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imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl · 3 years

Text

Unexpected Places (Pt. 06 of 11)

Pairing: Ivar the Boneless X Reader/Bjorn X Reader

Word count: 2.8 K

Summary: As a princess, you've lived in a golden cage all your life, always a piece on someone else's game. But everything changed when the Norsemen came crushing down on Wessex, like waves in a violent storm. Their king spared your life and decided to take you with him to his kingdom, in what felt more like a rescue than a kidnapping. There, you were not only confronted with a completely different culture and lifestyle, but also with two of his sons. The oldest one has his eyes set on you, but it's the youngest one, Ivar, who gets who claimed your attention since the first sight. And he seems to have an unnamed interest in you. Of course you hoped whatever that was would pass, but when unexpected feelings start to flow a different way, things begin to change.

<- Previous part (05)

Next part(07) ->

{Vikings Masterlist}

In the Blue

Ivar's room is twice the size of yours. You're blushing a little when you get inside, pacing around as he locks the door. “When I said we could get to know each other better, I wasn't expecting life to give a little push.” You mutter, letting yourself fall on a chair.

“We might as well take the chances life gives us then.” He snaps back with a smile. You do want to follow up his mood, but you can't stop thinking about the reason why you're here.

“Yeah.” It's everything you manage to say, starting to undo the braids on your hair.

“If you think you won't be safe here you're welcome to leave and find one of my brothers too–”

“That's not it, Ivar.” Deciding to cut him off before he goes on with whatever nonsense he has in mind, you raise your voice. Your fingers fail to deal with the braid on the back of your head, and the hair gets all tangled up. “Damn it!” You curse, giving up and sighing. “If I wanted to go with Bjorn, I would've, alright? Or Hvitserk, or Ubbe or whoever.” Bouncing your leg, you cup your hands together, nervously massaging your knuckles.

A few moments of silence follow before Ivar moves. You're about to ask what he's doing when he stops right behind you in the chair, and you feel his hands on your hair. “You learned fast.” He mutters, and you feel as more and more hair gets loose, cascading down your shoulders.

“Aslaug was a good teacher.”

“I still don't understand how you made my mother go from despising to caring about you in two days.” His clutch falls from where he had laid it, but you're quick to hold it before it hits the ground, pulling it to rest on your lap. “It's still a mystery to me.”

“She wanted to know about my life, and I was honest.“ Taking a deep breath, you smile when Ivar pushes all of your hair over your shoulders, signaling he's done. His fingers brush on the skin of the back of your neck, and by the way they linger a little too much, you wonder if it was an accident or not. “Everything I said that day, on the first feast, is true. I hated m life back then and now... Now I get to make my own decisions.” Getting up from the chair, you hand him his clutch. “That's why I chose not to stay with Bjorn.”

“Good.” He says, smiling as he moves to the bed. “Now you get to chose again. You can either sleep on the chair or here with me.” Ivar sits on the edge of the bed and starts to take the metal armor around his legs.

You do consider the chair, thinking that maybe you could wait for him to sleep and only then move to the bed. But he'd tease you just the same. And you'd be just sharing the bed, it's no big deal. You wouldn't mind if it was Hvitserk, but with Ivar... It makes you way too nervous. “I guess it's alright.” Slowly, you walk around the bed, watching as he gets rid of the metal before taking his shirt off. “Whoa. What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to sleep.” He explains as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

The last thing you want is to see Ivar shirtless. But still, you can't help but look. Your eyes travel through the tattoo on his back, but the muscles are what get your attention. He pulls his legs up, giving you a better sight of his arm and chest. But then he looks straight at you, and there's no way you can pretend you weren't staring. “The tattoo sucks.” You mutter, turning away from him and taking your jewelry off, putting them down on a small table near the bed.

“I thought girls liked it.”

“Well, I don't.” When everything is off, you loosen your dress a little before fixing the blankets on you.

“Well...” He mirrors your tone as you lie down, facing the ceiling. “You're not like other girls, are you?�� Ivar does the same, flat on his back.

“Guess I'm not.” Taking a deep breath, your mind goes back to the feast. “Maybe that was why those men had eyes on me. I know I still look like an outsider most of the time.”

“They set eyes on you because you're pretty.”

“Pretty or pretty stupid?” You snap, turning your head to look at him.

“More pretty than stupid.” He shrugs his shoulders. “But since they don't know you as I do, they only get the pretty part.”

“You're such an idiot.” Elbowing him, you look at the ceiling again. But the jokes only make you remember the facts, and you can't help but feel disgusted and scared. “Those men were looking at me like I was naked. They were already... Imagining it.”

The unpleasant thought is suddenly pushed back when you feel Ivar's hand grabbing yours. It feels like tiny lightning bolts are crawling through your arm, and you immediately look at him again, turning the palm of your hand up, allowing his fingers to intertwine with yours.

“I meant what I said. Nobody will hurt you.” He's serious now, not even a hint of doubt on his voice. His grip tightens a little, and your smile.

“Thank you.”

“And I have this.” Letting go of your hand, he turns on his side, searching for something under the bed. You're about to ask what he's doing when Ivar pulls up an ax, laying it on his chest. “My baby ax. Small but deadly.”

Raising an eyebrow, you giggle. “Are you really going to sleep with this on the bed?”

“Yes, I will.” He simply says, fingers tightly around the ax. “Good night, princess.”

Ivar is impossible... He's something else entirely, and this makes your smile grow wider. “Good night, prince Ivar.” Turning away from him, you get comfortable, feeling truly safe next to him.

• • •

Loud knocks on the door make you wake up abruptly, grunting and pulling the blankets closer. After some seconds of silence, the noise comes back, and you decide to check what's going on. But you're about to move when you feel a weight being pulled away from you, the warmth that made you feel so comfortable vanishing. Staying very still, you feel the bed moving a little when Ivar gets out, and you notice he had an arm around you. Blushing, you bring a hand close to your mouth, biting your index finger out of nervousness. The door opens and you recognize Aslaug's voice. Slowly, you move, trying to pretend you're waking up.

“(Y/N). Wake up, c'mon.” Is Hvitserk who calls and you finally open your eyes again and push yourself up. “Rise and shine. We have good and bad news.”

“Bad news first.” Breathing deeply, you get up to your feet. Pacing around to where Aslaug is, seated on a chair beside Ivar. He's has a light shirt on, and you kinda wished he didn't.

“Those men were seen going to your room yesterday. They kicked the door open but left when they didn't find you there.” The Queen answers, and you bring a hand to your heart. They were right, they would've hurt you. “But they were made an example of.” She continues.

“What do you mean?” You ask in a low voice.

She exchanges a look with Ivar, who smiles. It looks like he already got what she meant. “The balls, the hands, the tongue.” Aslaug shrugs her shoulders, not really bothered by it. “I was willing to let them go, but after I was told they did go to your room, I changed my mind. The three of them died quickly from blood loss and their bodies can be seen on the square. The others were allowed to leave.”

“Good,” Ivar adds, cupping his hands together. “I'd like to have done it myself, but I'll be fine just seeing the bodies.” He then looks at you. “Would you like to join me?”

“No, I... I don't wanna see naked dead bodies, thank you very much.” Muttering, you run a hand through your hair.

“Well, the threat has passed.” Aslaug stands up, gesturing for you to follow her. “Let's get you into a warm bath to help you relax and then you get to do whatever you want to.”

“Alright.” Giving a little wave to Ivar, you glance at Hvitserk, meaning you need to talk. Urgently. And you really hope he gets it.

Aslaug makes sure you do relax after last night's happening. But you feel fine, knowing they won't be around to hurt you anymore. It's a weird feeling though, knowing they're dead because of you. But then again, they were rapists, so you can't feel sorry for them. You're sure a lot of girls, wherever they were going next, will be safe now.

After bathing and having a meal with Aslaug and Ragnar, you're free to go. Ragnar told you your door has already been fixed, so you go to your room just to check if there's anything you need to fix. But everything is perfectly fine, and you know Aslaug probably took care of it. So you start looking for Hvitserk. The idiot is nowhere to be found, and you know he didn't understand your signal. You're almost giving up, leaving the main hall when you see him coming inside with Ubbe.

“Finally. I thought you died on me.” You exclaim, throwing your hands in the air. “Hi, Ubbe. Can I speak to your brother?”

“Sure. We're already done anyway.” He nods at you and leaves.

You wait until he disappears before turning to face Hvitserk. “What do you–”

“Ivar had an arm around me.” You burst out, grabbing his arm and pulling him to one of the tables on the corner. When you sit down, you take a deep breath. “I woke up, and I felt when he removed it so I'm very, very sure.”

Hvitserk stares at you for long seconds before shrugging his shoulders. “Is there some question you need me to answer?”

“How can you be so clueless?” Whisper-yelling, you take a quick look around, just to make sure you're alone. “I need you to tell me... I need to know if...” There's no question. There's not even a hint of what exactly you need to know. “Shit.”

“Look, it's crystal clear you like Ivar.”

“I never said that.” You're quick to dissimulate, nervously giggling. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Oh, please.” Rolling his eyes, Hvitserk laughs. “When Bjorn said you should stay with him, you basically vomited the words, saying you would rather be with Ivar.”

“Yeah. Ivar or you.” Reminding him, you point at his face. “So you can't use that incident as proof.”

“But you only mentioned me after long seconds of silence. And so low I barely heard it.”

“Hvitserk, I–”

“You don't have to hide it from me. We're friends, right? Everything I'll do is advice and try to help if I can.” Cutting you off, he cups his hands over the table. “I can talk to him if you want. Try to understand if he has any kind of feelings, but I don't think that's the type of thing he'd share with me. Or with anyone.”

“I know.” Looking down at your hands, you remember the things he said yesterday. Ivar has some self-esteem problems, and you know why. You never thought the legs bothered him so much, they surely don't bother you. “I don't mind if he's crippled you know... It's not a problem for me.”

“You should tell him that.”

“I will.” With a small smile, you raise your eyes to look at your friend. “I will.” You're still speaking when you hear voices coming from inside. “Someone's arguing.”

“It's my father. But I don't really stick my nose in his fights. He usually makes peace before I'm willing to.” He says and gets up. “I gotta help Ubbe. We weren't done, he was just being nice.”

“Go. I'll try to find Helga. She wants to go to buy something.”

“See you around.”

“Bye.” You mutter, drumming your fingers at the take as Hvitserk leaves. You're about to go and find Helga when the voices get louder. And you're pretty sure you heard your name. Pushing the chair away, you slowly follow the sound, careful not to make your presence known.

“...She's a princess. I thought you brought her here because of the prophecy.” An annoyed Bjorn hisses, and you hide behind the wall, holding your breath. “Now Ivar is all over her and I don't see you doing anything.”

“I wasn't thinking about the prophecy. I promised her father I'd let her go, that's why I spared her life.” Covering your heart with one hand, you furrow your eyebrows, trying to process what Ragnar just said. Why would your father want you to be kept alive? What kind of plan he had? And why would Ragnar keep the promise? “And I thought she'd have better chances here and if she didn't, I'd send her back or whatever, I wasn't thinking about what the Seer said.”

“But he did say it, didn't he? That I'm to marry a princess.”

Then that's it. That's why Bjorn approached you in the first place. He didn't like you or anything, he only did that because of some stupid prophecy.

“Look, you want the girl, go and make the girl fall in love with you. If she doesn't, that's a shame, but you're a grown man, so quit whining about it.”

“Then what? You'll let Ivar steal her from me?”

Steal? Who he thinks he is? Biting your lip, you don't even hear Ragnar's reply, anger building up. You can't just let it go, you can't let him think that. So, taking a deep breath, you step out of your hiding place, letting yourself be seen.

“Stop talking about me as if I'm a thing.” Raising your voice, you have a finger pointed at Bjorn. “I just got out of a forced marriage, and I won't marry you just because someone said something.” Ragnar steps away, clearly with no intention of intervening.

“I never–”

“I'm a free woman, haven't you heard?” You decide to remind him. “I'm free to love whoever I want, I surely don't love you!” Giving his chest a push, you storm out, finding the closest door that leads outside and walking through.

That's exactly what happened before. People made plans for you, for your future, without even consulting you. They didn't even ask, they just expected you to do as you're told. You won't have it anymore. Not here, not anywhere, from anyone.

You're walking fast, not sure where. You just need to get away from Bjorn and his stupidity. The woods soon surround you, and you climb some rocks and slopes, tears of anger blurring your sight.

All your life you've been pushed into things. The only thing you were allowed to do, that you really enjoyed, was learning about the Vikings. But just because your father admired them. All the rest, you were forced to do. You remember is clearly, the day Ecbert said he'd have you dragged down the aisle, in chains if that's what it took, to marry you to that disgusting Edward. You cried that night, made plans to run away, plans you knew would never work. Everything was lost until the Norsemen arrived. They turned everything upside down, and you have no idea how it became something good for you. A chance you never thought you'd have, a chance you won't let anyone ruin.

You stop suddenly, a crack filling your ears. Looking around, you notice you left the woods some feet behind. You're standing on ice, and the white coverage goes on for many miles ahead. Cursing yourself for not paying attention to where you were going, you turn around to go back to land, but another crack, louder this time, makes you freeze.

“(Y/N)!” Someone calls, the voice being dragged by the wind.

“Over he–” The ice suddenly opens, swallowing you in half a second. The cold water, too cold, makes you yell, losing most of the air left in your lungs. You feel like the cold creeps under your skin, freezing you, turning your members into ice. You can't move, as the blue surrounds you. There's nothing else in the world, and you wonder if this is where you'll spend eternity. Down here, turning into ice, in the blue. At least, it's silent, peaceful. So you close your eyes, letting the cold take over. You were ready for death when you met Ragnar. You might as well be ready now.

@multific @revolution-starter @crackhead1-800 @youbloodymadgenius @clown-boyyy @kitten0394 @castielsangelx-blog @goldlion07 @midnightmystic @readsalot73 @xvxcarolinexvx @momowhoo @fangfoxy @msrawog @walkingonshunshine @alytavzla @anotherfan07 @heavenly1927 @alexhandersen-marcoilsoe-fandom

#ivar the boneless imagine #ivar imagine #imagine ivar #ivar vikings #ivar the boneless #imagine ivar vikings #imagine ivar the boneless #ivar the boneless fanfiction #ivar the boneless x reader #vikings #vikings x reader #imagine vikings #vikings imagine

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kidhawks · 3 years

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WAHHGUHFH.. FANTASY HAWKS.. I LOVE UR DESIGN FOR HIM AGHH!! and do u have stuff to say abt him bcos i would LOVE to hear it

YAY i’m glad u like him :’) fantasy au time hehe 😈 it’s still a work in progress but yes.. a few thoughts. i’m just spitballing here so if anyone has ideas of their own i’d love to hear them <3

hawks “”works”” for the commission (aka is owned by them) who still get to be a shady organisation whose goal is to maintain peace and order across kingdoms, which r probably ruled by important characters like endeavor, all might, all for one etc. no one likes the commission because they’re always sticking their nose in other people’s business lmao. they’ve controlled things from the shadows for a loooong time, assassinating leaders who get too power hungry, quashing rebellions before they can begin etc. they want things to stay exactly as they are, always, and so far they’ve mostly succeeded

quirks still exist but mutant discrimination is more pronounced—they only recently got equal rights in all kingdoms. it’s what allowed hawks to be basically enslaved the way he is. now the freedom laws are passed he could technically leave the commission but for a multitude of Reasons he stays. eg, his priority is also maintaining peace not because he thinks society is perfect how it is—far from it—but because upset peace means civilian death. he wants to see change but if innocents die for it then it’s not worth it. his goals align with the commission’s enough that he’ll continue to help them. however, other people, especially other mutants, can’t understand why he’d stay and he’s viewed with a mixture of “dirty commission dog too loyal for his own good” and “poor thing was raised to love the hand that hit it and can’t fathom the idea of freedom, so sad”

similarly to canon, hawks was sold to the commission when he was young and trained into a spy/assassin hehe (what’s the point of an au if it isn’t self indulgent?). the tattoos are added to with achievements. the diamond on his chest was immediately inked on him when he arrived, while the lines are added for things like significant kills, successful missions. i’m toying with the idea of them being a way of controlling him, like they cause pain if he disobeys, but i’m also fond of them just being a symbolic representation of ownership... hmm. oh!! maybe they give him power while also hurting him if he disobeys? i’ll have to think more abt how that works lol, i want him to be able to disobey at times, but knowing hawks he’ll find ways to sneakily work around orders while still technically obeying

his job consists of flying around the kingdoms and knowing everything that’s going on at any given time. there isn’t a rumour he hasn’t heard, whether from frequenting underground fighting rings or influential nobles’ bedrooms if he has to. for discretion’s purpose the tattoos can be made invisible for periods of time but never truly removed—everyone knows him now anyway, the commission’s pet with the bright red wings, so the tattoos are rarely concealed anymore. everyone thinks they can avoid letting slip any information to him but jokes on them because his wings don’t miss a whisper and he’s a charmer to the point that you don’t know what you’ve said until he’s saying “thanks, that was really helpful! great chat! bye!”

he’s also basically a messenger pigeon between kingdoms since he can travel so quickly. the commission “kindly” offered his services but everyone knows it’s a method of planting him in every castle to hear them juicy deets, and you don’t refuse the commission because you want to keep your head, thanks. so hawks is familiar with each ruler and their castle staff for good measure, and probably a fair few commoners too... he was one of them once after all. he’s originally from endeavor’s kingdom but the guy doesn’t need to know that

all might thinks he’s a charming young man but hawks is weirdly creeped out by the constant smile and actually prefers the grump endeavor who shoos him like a pigeon. all for one is terrifying and hawks knows he’s after war but he can’t prove it. if it comes down to it he might have to resort to assassination, but if done wrong that could cause more problems than it solves (plus, killing, bleaugh). he hates afo’s castle and leaves as soon as he’s delivered a message, though he enjoys bothering afo’s heir shigaraki first (hawks was eighteen when he first spotted shigaraki, fifteen, sulking around the castle like he didn’t have a friend in the world. well, maybe hawks could change that and get some info while he was at it... unfortunately shigs is surprisingly tight lipped but he’s good for board games)

i’m thinking of making other top-ten heroes into rulers of their own kingdoms? queen miruko would be awesome, imagine!! the first animal mutant queen who’s loved for not being a passive leader but a fighter with a passionate love for her people. hawks doesn’t like how unpredictable she is, it makes his job harder, while she thinks he lets himself be walked all over and it pisses her off, but i think they could be great pals if they got to know each other. edgeshot the ninja king. jeanist is a peaceful, pragmatic leader who hawks actually gets along with. sorry, pb, i have no idea how to fit wash in. washing machines don’t exist in my self indulgent fantasy AU.

if i wrote this i’d probably have afo wage war after all and hawks kicking himself for not doing better in preventing it. shigaraki is at the head of the war, but after afo is killed/arrested like in canon, shigaraki labels it as more of a rebellion with his new generals by his side, one of whom is a powerful man called dabi who hawks has never heard of, and he’s meant to hear everything. it’s not a good time for hawks knowing he wasn’t enough to stop this. if he had tried harder to sway shigaraki away from afo’s ideals... it hurts seeing the lonely kid he once knew declare his desire for complete destruction. hawks doesn’t have “friends” but he cares for people—the commission didn’t take his heart, just chained it

anyway it’s basically canon but fantasy because fantasy is sexy and cool (it would deviate a lot from canon though i don’t want it to be a carbon copy lmao)

#PHEW that got longer than i thought turns out i do have ideas #ask #hawks posting #hawks fantasy au #i probably won’t write this just draw it so if this concept sounds appealing to anyone feel free to write it i’d love u #and u don’t have to stick to my ideas either i’m just making shit up

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thepremedthatwrites · 4 years

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Hello!! Can I request a Peter Pevensie imagine where the Pevensies are visiting the readers kingdom and Lucy wants the reader to show them the best thing to do at readers kingdom. So, the reader wakes them up in the middle of the night and takes them running around the town and her Peter have a bunch of fluffy moments?

Running Around

This was a lot of fun to write! I decided to use a kingdom in a book I’m working on just to add a sense of variety in the nations used in my writings, plus I feel it makes it a bit more interesting. Anyways, I hope you like it!

I paced back and forth, the overflowing greenery of the garden brushing the fabric of my dress. As I turned on my heels, I saw a dark hooded figure making their way to me. As it got closer, the outline of a small frame and feminine curves came into view. The figure removed its hood to reveal a mop of reddish-brown hair and sparkling eyes. “Are you ready?” I questioned, my voice echoing throughout the garden.

“What exactly are you planning?” the young Queen replied with.

“You said you wanted to see the best of my kingdom, did you not?’

“I suppose I assumed you would show me during the day.” I shook my head.

“The night is when Afodilia truly comes alive,” I said, smiling. “The moonlight rejuvenates the people, the cool night air waking up their instincts to live without regret.”

Lucy shifted her weight between her feet, the noise of crickets and the rustling of the plants filling the air. “Alright,” she finally said, the moonlight revealing a toothy grin. “I would like to ask you for one more thing before we leave.”

“Anything.”

“May my oldest brother join? He’s been so caught up in his paperwork and duties as High King this entire trip and I would like for him to relax and enjoy himself for once.” I paused for a moment. I had been infatuated with the High King since the moment he stepped foot into the castle. His charming good looks were almost negligible when I saw the way he cared for his nation. Watching him be willing to do anything for the safety and wellbeing of his people was admirable and (though I would never admit it out loud) attractive.

“Of course,” I said, already feeling my heart start to race at the idea of spending so much time with Peter.

“Great. You get Peter. I need to do some last-minute things before we leave. I’ll meet you at the front gates.” Before I could protest, she was already halfway to the door leading back to the castle. I let out a sigh before following her and heading down a long corridor that led to the sleeping King.

I was surprised when I heard someone mumble “come in” as I knocked on the door. It must have been somewhere near two in the morning, a time where most people were fast asleep. I gingerly opened the door, sticking my head in before my body followed it.

“Hello Your Majesty,” I said softly. His head snapped to me, his eyes tired and posture slumped over a desk.

“Princess (y/n). Is there something wrong?” he asked, shooting up from his chair.

“Oh no, everything is fine,” I replied, pausing as I thought how to word the next sentence. “Lucy wanted to see the kingdom.” Peter let out a soft chuckle, the mention of his youngest sibling causing him to relax and the sparkle to return to his eyes.

“Lucy always loves to learn the new culture of any kingdom we visit. I’m sure we can find someone to show her around.”

“Well, I actually volunteered to do so,” I said, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. “I was going to show her now.”

“Now?” Petter questioned, his eyebrows raised. “Don’t you think it’s a bit late?”

“That’s exactly why I’m showing her now.”

“The night is a dangerous time for a young Queen and Princess to be out and about.”

“Maybe in Narnia. But in Afodilia, the best things happen at night.”

“You say that like you’ve been in the streets before, well after your parents had retired for the night and when the day soldiers had been replaced with the night shift.”

“Perhaps I have,” I replied, a mischievous smile starting to form on my lips.

“That doesn’t make it any less dangerous.”

“Then perhaps Lucy and I need someone like High King Peter the Magnificent who has battled giants and fought alongside Aslan to protect us.” Peter let out a sole laugh that seemed to rattle throughout the bedroom, a smile now on his face. He walked towards the wardrobe that sat in the corner of the room, flinging open one of the doors and grabbing his cloak and Rhindon before turning back to me.

“Lead the way, Your Highness.”

“I never saw such a busy market this time at night,” Lucy said aloud, not really caring who heard her, her head moving around as she took in the sight. The usual night sounds of owls and crickets were drowned out by the sound of buyers bargaining for lower prices and sellers advertising their goods. I stopped at a small table that showed off a variety of produce, giving the seller two gold coins for an apple. I smiled as the vendor’s eyes lit up at the sight of the gold.

I turned to see Peter watching me. I gave him a small wink before taking a bite of the apple and continuing to walk along the different tables and stands. “An apple is not worth two gold coins.” I heard someone say. I turned to see Peter at my side.

“No, but I have more money than I could count. Overpaying for a fruit won’t kill me and it helps my subjects,” I replied with, taking another bite of my apple. I turned to see Peter watching me causing me to chuckle. “Have you never seen an apple before?”

“Of course I know what an apple is,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s just that your love for your subjects is admirable.”

“Oh please,” I said. This time, it was my turn to roll my eyes. “What I’ve done for my people is nothing compared to you. I don’t even know how to use a sword let alone defend my people from any physical threat.”

“You don’t need to fight a war to be a beloved monarch,” he said, shaking his head. “I would be honored to have you as my Queen.” The words seemed to have slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it, his lips forming a thin line once he had finished speaking. I felt my face warm at his words.

“Thank you,” I said, rather unintelligently as my brain failed to come up with something witty to say. My hands fiddled with the apple as I looked towards the ground not able to bring myself to look Peter in the eyes.

“(Y/n), look!” Lucy’s voice seemed to snap Peter and me out of the remnants of the conversation as we both turned to her. In her hands were an array of jewelry that seemed to be handmade. “Aren’t they beautiful!” Lucy seemed to have already bought a good amount of jewelry, a collection of bracelets on her wrist as she struggled with the clasp of a necklace. I chuckled as I walked over to her, helping her with the clasp.

“Let’s go somewhere else before you spend all your money here,” I said. Peter nodded in agreement, an amused smile on his face. I grabbed Lucy’s hand before pulling her away from the stand and towards the streets.

“Where are we going now?” she questioned as we started to walk down the cobblestone path.

“To the tavern,” I replied with, Lucy’s eyes widening at the words.

“I don’t think a tavern is the most appropriate place for Lucy,” Peter said, making me jump slightly as he had been so quiet I almost forgot he was there.

“Peter! I’ve fought wars and went through rigorous training. I think I can handle a tavern.” Lucy crossed her arms as if to accentuate her point.

“I don’t know…” Peter started.

“Where were you before anyway,” Lucy cut in. “You were gone for a few minutes and now you just reappeared. What were you doing?”

“Let’s go to the tavern,” Peter said quickly, obviously wanting Lucy to drop the subject.

“Okay!” Lucy exclaimed, jumping up in excitement before skipping the rest of the way to the building. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the young Queen as we neared the building. Upbeat fiddle music and loud conversations spilled through the doors and into the quiet night. Lucy didn’t hesitate to run into the building, leaving Peter and me in the dust. Peter opened the door, gesturing for me to go in first.

“Thank you,” I said, nodding at him before walking into the tavern, Peter right behind me. Lucy had already seemed to have found her way to one of the wooden tables, a drink in her hand as she told a story to the faun next to her with animated gestures.

“Looks like Lucy’s already made a new friend,” Peter chuckled as we made our way to a more empty table. Two drinks were almost immediately placed in front of us as we sat down.

“She seems to befriend everyone she meets,” I added, a smile on my face as I watched Lucy joke and converse with the other patrons.

“I used to worry that the war would change her. But she’s still the same as ever.” I sat in silence for a moment, imagining the King and Queen as frightened kids, discovering this magical world for the first time and having to fight in a war.

“Is it hard?” I questioned. Peter looked at me, the puzzled look on his face pushing me to elaborate. “I mean going from some ordinary guy to the High King of Narnia.” Peter’s shoulders seemed to slouch as he studied the liquid in his cup.

“It gets hard sometimes,” he said, swirling his cup around. “It isn’t really the King stuff that I get stressed about though. It’s my siblings. Before we left, I promised my mother that I would keep them safe. What if I already failed that promise?”

“Peter,” I said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. His muscles seemed to relax at the physical contact. “I see the way your siblings look at you. They love you unconditionally. No matter what happens. And you certainly have not failed. Look at Lucy, she’s having the time of her life. You have done as good as a job if not better as any parent could in raising your siblings to be respectful, charismatic, and wonderful people.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling at me. I felt my heart start to race at the sight of his soft lips curled into a smile. “That was the first time I actually talked to someone about how I felt. It felt nice.” I smiled.

“Maybe instead of burying yourself with work you could have fun and talk to me instead,” I replied, chuckling as Peter rolled his eyes.

“You do realize that I have responsibilities, right?”

“Just because you have duties to fulfill doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.” My face lit up as I heard the beginning of an upbeat song being played. “C’mon Mr. serious. Let’s dance.” I grabbed onto his hand before dragging him to the crowd of people dancing along to the happy tune. I laughed as Peter struggled to keep up with the beat, tripping over his own feet as I danced around him. “Does His Majesty not know how to dance?” I questioned playfully, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t usually dance at balls,” he replied, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Nice to know you actually are human and not a god sent down from the heavens.”

“What makes you think I’m a god?” Peter inquired.

“You’re perfect at everything except for dancing,” I started, chuckling. “And you’re extremely handsome.”

“So you think I’m handsome?” He let out a hearty laugh as I felt my face warm.

“Of course,” I replied quickly, feeling myself already start to stumble over my words. “I mean, just because I find you attractive doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a fact.”

“Actually, beauty is subjective which means it’s not a fact.” I stopped dancing for a moment, my brain completely focused on how to get myself out of this predicament. “And for the record (y/n).” I felt my heart start to race as I waited for his response. “I think you’re quite attractive as well. One might even say beautiful.” I felt my face warm again, only this time it wasn’t from embarrassment. The sound of bells snapped me from my daze.

“Oh no,” I said, looking around the tavern for Lucy. “We have to get back. It’s getting late and we have to seem somewhat awake tomorrow.” My eyes landed on Lucy who was now dancing with a group of fauns and dwarves. I walked towards her, Peter right behind me. The closeness of our bodies caused my heart to beat even faster as I called out Lucy’s name.

“I’ll see you all later!” Lucy shouted back towards the group she had been dancing with. “Peter, Afodilia is amazing! We have to come to visit again.” We had now left the tavern, the cool night air refreshing after being in such a warm room.

“Agreed,” he said, stealing a glance at me. We were halfway back to the castle when Lucy let out a yawn. “Tired?” Peter asked, chuckling softly.

“Only a little,” Lucy replied with. With no hesitation, Peter scooped up Lucy in his arms, carrying her the rest of the way back. I followed Peter to Lucy’s room, both of us tucking her in and wishing her a good night.

“I knew she was going to make me carry her,” Peter chuckled as we neared my bedroom door.

“If I remember correctly, she didn’t ask to be carried.”

“She was implying it heavily though.” I let out a laugh as we came to a stop. “I had a wonderful time tonight,” Peter said, his voice softer than before.

“Me too.” I took a deep inhale as I looked up at Peter, realizing just how close we were.

“I, um, got you something,” Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a gold chain with a single rose charm on it. “I saw it on that stand Lucy was at before and I thought you would like it.” He leaned in towards me, placing the chain around my neck. My face was almost pressed against his chest, the smell of the firewood from the tavern mixed with a hint of rosewood. As he pulled away he paused, our noses almost touching as he brought his hand to my cheek. I was worried that he could hear my heart beating, my chest rising and falling heavily from the new surge of adrenaline.

“Thank you,” I whispered, not quite trusting my voice.

“May I…” Peter started. I already knew what he wanted, not waiting for him to finish his sentence to nod vigorously. He closed the gap between us, lightly pressing his lips against mine. It wasn’t much, just a quick peck, but it filled my stomach with butterflies and I felt dizzy as he pulled away, my eyes still slightly shut. We stood silently for a moment, looking deeply into the other’s eyes. “I should probably go,” Peter said, breaking the silence.

“Yes,” I replied, my hand fiddling with the rose charm. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Good night (y/n).”

“Good night Peter.”

#peter pevensie #peter pevensie x reader #peter x reader #the chronicles of narnia #narnia #peter pevensie fanfic #peter pevensie preference #fanfic #imagine #preference #peter pevensie fluff #peter pevensie imagine #narnia fanfiction #lucy pevensie

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talas-starlight · 4 years

Text

Killing me softly - Sokka x reader

SUMMARY: Having only heard good things about Sokka, you always wanted to see how great he is for yourself. When you finally get the opportunity, you struggle to find him as funny as everyone said.

This is based off the song killing me softly by the fugees which you can listen to: here! or there is a version by zhavia: here!

I strongly suggest you listen to the song because I think the whole vibe you get from it will get you in the mindset for this (and hopefully distract you from how poorly this was executed AHAH)

WORD COUNT: 2.6k

WARNINGS: angsty vibes. tried to have a hopeful ending but idk if it worked lol. poor writing skills.

A/N: ahA I really couldn’t get this idea out of my head so here we are! most certainly did not do this concept/ song fic justice to the way I imagined it but lol this shit low key hurted my feelings but also tried to turn it around? Idk I think this is okay?

KEY: words in-between dividers = lyrics MY MASTERLIST: here!

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style And so I came to see him, to listen for a while And there he was, this young boy, a stranger to my eyes

You knew nothing and everything about him all at the same time. Hakoda allowed you to join them as they recruited people across the nations to prepare for invasion day. In doing so, you unknowingly signed a non-verbal contract to hear all the stories and jokes about his son, Sokka. Of course, he spoke highly of his daughter, but there was an unrelenting sense of pride and joy that came with hearing about him.

“You’ll really enjoy speaking with him y/n. He can take any dull or sad moment and turn it into something that will make you laugh beyond your years. He’s been through so much, but he’s become the warrior I knew he was always destined to be.”

It was impossible not to want to meet him. You wanted to hear the stories in the flesh as he became the light in the darkness of this war.

Yet when he finally boarded the ship with his friends after Ba Sing Se, that’s all he became, a story. As a mechanic and strategist, your time was booked to the brim, building upon the plans Sokka created himself. Somehow, you managed to have interactions with Katara and Toph, even Momo, but being in the same room as Sokka? Impossible. You weren’t avoiding him by any means, and neither was he, it just seemed that even when confined to the space of a ship your duties dragged both of you into different directions…. Until now.

Finally having time to relax as you finished reviewing a draft for one segment of the invasion, you made your way mess hall in a desperate search to consume any food you could get your hands on. Walking in, Toph perked up at feeling your presence when entering the room. Considering you were always busy when working on something and she was not too chatty, you got along well with minimal conversations and comfortable silence.

You grab a bowl, filling it to the brim with fresh soup and sat at their table across from her. Feeling content as you feel the soups warm and wholesome scent fill your senses, you glance around to see who else is sitting at the table. Eyes zeroing in on Sokka’s frame at the other end of the table, your breath instantly hitches. Suddenly your face feels as warm as your soup, and you want to kick yourself for letting yourself be so affected just by your incredibly short glance at him. Shifting your focus back to your soup you make the painfully obvious decision to focus all of your attention towards it, only listening to their interactions around you. You reminded yourself that you didn’t truly know him, only what everyone else has told you. You knew better than to let yourself become a total fool for the Watertribe boy without having any proper interactions with him. Hence, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t at the edge of your seat in anticipation to see Sokka joke around and tell stories with your friends. After all, that is what you were told about from the moment you met his father.

Strumming my pain with his fingers (one time, one time) Singing my life with his words (two times, two times) Killing me softly with his song Killing me softly with his song Telling my whole life with his words Killing me softly with his song

The excitement quickly dissipated when he began to dive into this evenings’ jokes and anecdotes.

“Guys! You wouldn’t believe it!! I was exploring the ship after training today, and I found all of these Fire Nation scrolls about their art and folktales in one of the rooms, and let me tell you, it’s a load of shit!”

As everyone laughed, you momentarily stopped breathing. Your entire being began to fold into itself, terrified at the prospect of him taking all of the things you favoured about your childhood and rip them to pieces.

Katara attempted to see the light in his statement. “Come on Sokka it can’t be that bad! I mean even the Watertribe has some questionable stories, I remember even the one Gran Gran told was a bit-“

“No, Katara! This is by far soooo much suckier than those stories. Okay, so there’s this one about dragons right? What happens is that there’s this Dragon Emperor who becomes bound to a mortal’s body by a Dark Water Spirit. So obviously! I was expecting this super cool battle or revenge plot, but in the end, they turned it into this lame love story where the Dragon Emperor falls in love with a mortal who turns out to be the Dragon Empress!”

“Aw I think that’s sweet! I mean surely there would have been a battle with the Dark Water Spirit so it wouldn’t have been a total loss?”

“Ugh, Katara! You don’t get it! It's just… sooooo oogie! They shouldn’t have done that. It should have been a story about battle, and warriors! I mean come on, that’s all the Fire Nation is good for right? Destruction and battle. So why did they have to ruin that story like that with all of that lovey stuff?! It just seems like nothing good can ever come out of the Fire Nation.”

Taking another mouthful of the soup, you kept your face downward as everyone laughed at Sokka’s exclamation of hatred for the nation you grew up in. No one knew where you grew up there except Hakoda, and you liked it that way. In complete fairness to you, it wasn’t your entire identity since your mother was from the Earth Kingdom, and you only spent the first seven years of your life there. But that didn’t mean it hurt any less when he tore apart the only things you dearly loved as a child.

Toph sensing your discomfort as you didn’t join in their amusement, she swiftly diverted the conversation into a new direction. While you were grateful, the thought of being in his presence any longer made you want to cry. It clearly didn’t work either as he continued to joke around about the food and other small things he picked up about the nation throughout their journey. Silently finishing up, you didn’t say a word or even give a half-hearted smile as they all laughed. Placing your bowl in the sink, you headed straight to your room.

The actions made everyone at the table confused, yet no one spoke out about it. Afterall, no one really knew you personally, nor did they understand what caused you to cut your interaction with them so short. Sokka himself became particularly curious. Afterall just like you, he heard many great things about you from his father, admiring your kindness and work ethic from afar. So, to say he wasn’t hurt that you chose not to stay longer or even crack a genuine smile, would be a lie.

Making it to your room, you took out any piece of paper or a scroll you used for your plans and began to pour out your pain onto to pages until you passed out from exhaustion. Not caring what contents were on the other side, you allowed yourself to be unfiltered.

You knew Sokka didn’t mean any harm; everyone laughed. He became the light you oh so desired to witness for yourself. Deep down, you knew you would have laughed too if it weren’t for the fact that he took the few happy memories you had with your father and set it on fire. A fire that produced the light you wished to see… but it seemed it wasn’t in the right way you hoped for.

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd I felt he'd found my letters and read each one out loud I prayed that he would finish, but he just kept right on

You sighed as you finally finished fixing the pipes in the lower decks of the ship, once again tired and done with today’s work, you went to the mess hall for a late dinner.

“Hey Hakoda, I finished the plumbing problem so no one on the second floor should have any troubles now.”

“Thanks, y/n! You really are such a valuable person in this team. You’re always making sure everything is up and running.”

“Of course! What would you do without me? After all, let’s not forget how I spend my free time with your invasion plans.” You joked.

Turning your back to him to scoop some food onto your plate, he spoke up from behind you. “Oh right! That reminds me, I mentioned your ideas to Sokka earlier, and he seemed to really like them! But Sokka being Sokka, he got so excited over them and asked so many questions I didn’t even know how to respond. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know he’s probably at your desk analysing all of your scrolls right now. That kid never seems to be able to contain his excitement.”

“Yeah, that’s oka-“abruptly, you dropped your plate as your brain processed the information. If he was looking at your plans, then that meant……

Not even giving the Watertribe chief another glace or end to your response, you ran. Taking the fastest route to your room, everything in your mind and your surroundings became blurred, and you became hyper-focused on the fact that Sokka probably found what you wrote about him. Desperately trying not to cry as you bumped into people in the hallways, you couldn’t think of anything worse to happen in this very moment. The very idea of him knowing how you felt about him as well as how his words affected you made you want to scream. Maybe if you got there in time, he wouldn’t have read enough to understand your feelings fully. But when you bust through your door, it was too late. Sokka stood near your desk, with all the scrolls you ever wrote on scattered around the room. Some lay on your bed, the floor, across the desk, and even one in his hands.

“M- my dad said that you had a lot of perfect ideas for the invasion. B- but I- I found… I never thought…” His eyes never met yours as he continued to read the current scroll in his hands.

You slowly approached him, not caring as you walked over every word you wrote on the floor. “Sokka…” You silently begged him to stop reading, unsure of its contents.

He kept reading clearly in shock at the words before him, “why didn’t you s-say something?”

You sighed, somewhat unsure of how to approach the situation. “It’s not my place –“

He threw the scroll to the ground, finally looking up at you with bloodshot eyes as tears streamed down his face. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S NOT YOUR PLACE Y/N! It is your place! You had… no, you HAVE every right to say something! You sat there that night as I picked away at every single thing you ever loved, and you didn’t say a thing! Why would you let me do that to you!” Sobs wracked his body, falling to his knees in front of you. Torn apart on the inside about how much he hurt you. He never wanted this to happen, not just because of his small crush on you- that didn’t matter at this very moment. The very idea that he hurt someone who was so kind and selfless as a person, ruined him.

Beginning to feel immensely guilty for his current state, you knelt down to his level. Placing your hands to his wrists, you gently moved his hands away from his face. “Sokka… hey, Sokka look at me…”

As he looked at you, you struggled to keep your composure as tears began to fill your own eyes.

“It’s okay. What you said hurt, I don’t need to explain that for you to know it. Even though it felt like a small dig into who I am as a person and what I grew up to love, it’s true. What the Fire Nation did, what they are doing is awful, but I can’t speak up to defend them. I am in many ways apart of them. I grew up there, I celebrated their holidays, cooked and ate their food, and read their folktales. As much as I hate what the words ‘Fire Nation’ symbolises to the rest of the world, to you, it’s a part of who I am. No one can take that away from me, not even myself. Despite how much it hurt me, I can’t get mad at you or anyone because your feelings, and everything you said, is valid.” Moving his arms out of your grasp, he wrapped himself around you, holding you close to his chest.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve to hear that, you’re amazing y/n. You deserve to be treated with the kindness and love you give to everyone on this ship. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’m going to be better, I promise. I promise.” Overcome with emotion, the tears you tried so hard to hold back burst at his words.

Neither you nor Sokka bothered to move from your intertwined embrace on the floor of your room. You were both a sobbing, crying mess. The pain from both of you suffocated the air around you as you cling onto one another for forgiveness.

Forgiveness for being from the very place that caused him so much pain.

Forgiveness for being unable to embrace so much of who you are.

The pain was unrelenting as he weaved his fingers through your hair, shifting so your noses’ and foreheads against one another as he whispered words begging for forgiveness. Wishing, praying, to the Spirits he could take it all away. Sokka’s heart burns from the raging pain that has awoken inside of him. He doesn’t stop running his fingers through your hair almost as if he can stroke away the broken pieces inside of you, looking for new ones underneath so he can start again. Because despite his resentment for where you came from, he knows that to him, you are like a divine angel. You both have your own complex and conflicting backgrounds of life, but he has a desperate desire to care for you in a way he will never be able to explain.

You wanted to lie to him. Say it didn’t hurt, say you could forget. You could do it easily, but you wouldn’t. Knowing you both suffered enough, you didn’t want to do something that could potentially cause each other more pain. This was enough. As you both continued to cry, holding one another with his hands still in your hair, you leant back slightly, bringing a shaky, tender hand to his cheek.

Looking up into his eyes, it’s awfully evident how much pain swims in his beautiful shades of blue. Yet, there seems to be an unspoken understanding as you see a small glimmer behind all the tears. The light you have been yearning for. He sees it in your eyes too. Neither of you can change or take back what’s already been said, but in this very moment there’s hope. You know you can move forward and heal together.

“We’re going to be okay.”

A/N: hi friends!! I hope you liked this one 😊

TO THE TAGLIST: hi all! i was a bit torn on what to do here because i wasn’t sure if you all only wanted to be tagged in my zuko series or my other works as well?? so im so sorry if you didn’t want to be tagged in this so please just let me know if you’d only like to be on the list for the series, zuko, sokka or other characters in general :)

TAGLIST: @slythergirlimagines @mangoberry43 @eridanuswave @whiskeywinter89 @kaylove12 @simplyfandomish @khaleesi-of-assassins @callums-keith @ilovespideyyy @calciumcow @blackhood5sos @nnon-it-up

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kuriboo · 3 years

Text

taking root in the soil

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: Gen Fandom: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games) Relationships: Lauriam & Marluxia (Kingdom Hearts),Marluxia & Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Lauriam & Terra (Kingdom Hearts) Characters: Lauriam (Kingdom Hearts), Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), Aqua (Kingdom Hearts), Marluxia (Kingdom Hearts) Additional Tags: Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Terrariam Week 2021, Hurt/Comfort, Marluxia Is Lauriam (Kingdom Hearts), spoilers for both kh3 and khux Word Count: 2,436

On twitter there was an event for Terrariam Week, focusing on the relationship between Terra & Lauriam/Marluxia. I wrote for a few prompts, I had to cut it off at 3 but it was a lot of fun to write! Khux really made me care a lot about Lauriam so this really gave me an excuse to write him lol but anyway, I’ll post all the days’ entries here with the prompts that go with them.This is also posted on ao3; the link to ao3 will be in the notes of this post! I’ll also post the link to the terrariam week account in the notes.

You can also keep reading below.

⁂

Day 1: Meet-Cute

Lauriam stared down at his black cloak. He was sick of this thing.

The cloak was supposed to protect his heart from darkness. It was also a symbol of his status as a former member of Organization 13. It was a symbol of the person he became without his memories, turning against everything he was supposed to be. Guardian of Light turned Seeker of Darkness. Keyblade wielder turned assassin.

He felt like a traitor. He didn’t just turn against the original Organization, he turned against everything he used to stand for. He forgot about his sister, his friends, everything, and he was only now just starting to remember.

Well, he started to remember as Sora defeated him. His memories were still coming back. He remembered being a Dandelion, he remembered being a Union leader, he remembered Strelitzia…

Strelitzia…

He forgot about his own sister.

Lauriam laughed, a single tear falling down his face. It landed with a small splash on a flower below him, the flower just one of many surrounding him in this field. It was so similar to the one where he appeared after leaving Daybreak Town, where he started his search for Strelitzia.

He’d have to look for Elrena. Had she begun to remember? If not, he would have to try to help her. He owed that to her, for standing beside him for so long, even after they lost their memories.

A step crunching the flowers behind him broke Lauriam’s thoughts. He whirled around to see who it was.

Oh, Lauriam recognized that face. His hair was a different color, brown instead of white, but Lauriam was no fool. This was one of Xehanort’s many forms back again. Lauriam summoned his Keyblade in his hands. Would he never be able to escape him?

Xehanort stopped. He appeared confused. “You’re… Marluxia, right?

“It’s Lauriam now,” Lauriam corrected. “And I’ll thank you to remember that. You won’t get me to join your schemes anymore, Xehanort.”

“Xehanort?” He blinked, still confused. “No, no, Xehanort doesn’t have control over me anymore. I’m free now. My name is Terra.”

“Terra.” Lauriam kept his stance. Xehanort wasn’t above playing tricks. “And why should I trust you, ‘Terra’?”

“You don’t have to.” Terra held his hands up in front of him, palms out. “We’re not here to look for you. This is an accident.”

“Who’s ‘we’?” Lauriam’s grip on his Keyblade tightened. The Organization? “And what are you looking for, then?”

“Two of my friends are here with me.” Terra hesitated. “We’ve been searching different worlds for… Sora.”

Sora? There was a name Lauriam felt like he could trust now. Lauriam could still remember trying to turn the boy into a puppet. How ironic.

“Terra!”

Lauriam turned as he heard another voice call out to Terra. The person it belonged to…

Memories came flooding back. The blonde hair, the clothes he was wearing. Lauriam knew this person. Not from the Organization, but before.

“I asked the dwarves about him,” he told Terra without preamble. “They said no one’s seen him or heard anything about him. I guess Sora isn’t—“ He broke off, staring at Lauriam. “…Who are you?”

Lauriam knew him. Ventus, another former Union leader. Well, Ven wasn’t originally chosen for the role, but Lauriam wasn’t angry at him about it anymore. It wasn’t Ven’s fault he was used by Darkness.

“Hey, are you crying?” Ven asked.

Lauriam reached up to touch his cheek. It was wet. He was crying again. His heart must be overwhelmed, feeling so many emotions already when he wasn’t used to it anymore. “You’re the first… Nevermind. We’ve met before, but you must not remember me.” The Divine Rose disappeared from Lauriam’s hand. “My name is Lauriam. It’s good to see you again, Ven.”

“…Oh. I’m sorry.” Ven looked down at the ground. “You’re not the first friend I’ve met who I’ve forgotten. I can’t remember anything before I met Terra and Aqua…”

Terra put his hand on Ven’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s not your fault.”

“He’s right.” Lauriam smiled, though it hurt. Why did hearts make things so difficult? “I only just remembered myself. I’m hardly in a position to judge.”

He wasn't upset. Lauriam was just… disappointed. Not with Ven himself. But just as he started to remember again, he finally found another Union leader, only for said Union leader to have also forgotten. Fate could be cruel.

“I never imagined the world you came from to be like this. It’s strange to see you again here, of all places,” Terra admitted.

“I’m not from this world. The world I’m from…” Lauriam sighed. “It was destroyed a long time ago. This is where I found myself after I left.”

“Then can you come with us? To our world?” Ven blurted out. “I mean, you don’t have to, but… It would be nice to get to know you again! And maybe you can help me remember again!”

“You want me to…come with you?” Lauriam asked.

“We’ve been looking for Sora, but we’ve had to take breaks back home. I think Aqua will agree it’s about time for another one,” Terra said. “It would be nice to get to know you better…outside of everything before.”

“I don’t think I’d mind that, if you all will have me,” Lauriam answered. “And if I could help you find Sora again as well, it’d be the least I could do to make amends with him.”

And maybe find Elrena as well, and even Strelitzia, if they were searching many different worlds. Besides, where else could he go?

⁂

Day 2: New Beginnings

“Welcome to the Land of Departure.”

Lauriam looked around as Terra, Aqua, and Ventus led him through this new world. (New to him, at least.) Most of what he could see was the large building in front of them. It almost felt familiar; it must be the size, since the Castle That Never Was and Castle Oblivion seemed about as big as this place was. There was some greenery around, but not many flowers or anything like that.

Lauriam was okay with that. He was sure he’d still see the last place he saw his sister in his dreams.

“Come on!” Aqua led the group inside.

He was soon brought into a huge room. There were a couple of chairs, and it was nicely decorated, but there was a lot of empty space. Was this room used for training, or something else?

“Well, it’s not much, but it’s home,” Terra joked.

It was amazing how big this place seemed to be compared to what Lauriam was used to. “So this is the kind of place Keyblade wielders train these days?”

“I’m sure it’s not much compared to what you used to have,” Aqua said.

Lauriam chuckled. “When I was training, we were sent to different worlds all the time doing different missions. So, the places we got to stay in were rather small, but we were rarely there when we weren’t sleeping. I got to stay in the tower as a Union leader, though, which was much bigger. Too big, actually, it was easy to get lost in.”

As for after that… “As part of the…Organization, it wasn’t much different from when I was training. We had small rooms, but were constantly in other worlds for different missions. So, for the most part, this is actually bigger than I’m used to.”

“So a lot has changed…” Ven had a contemplative look on his face. “Can you tell us more? About what it was like back then? I wish I could remember…”

“Of course I can,” Lauriam said. He could tell more about the good times, anyway. He’d rather not get into the bad times, especially those relating to Darkness and his sister. But there were plenty of good times to reflect back on. “But we should probably find somewhere to sit, first. This could get long.”

⁂

“I’m assuming you want to get out of that coat.”

It had gotten late. Ven had gone to bed not long ago, and Aqua had just done the same. Ventus had listened eagerly to Lauriam’s recollections happily, and threw in his questions constantly. Now it was just Terra and Lauriam left.

Lauriam knew what Terra was getting at. He was sick of this black coat. It was supposed to protect his heart from darkness, but had come to symbolize something much worse. A period of his life that was now past.

“If you have anything else I could try, I would appreciate it,” Lauriam responded. “I would rather avoid wearing this thing unless I absolutely need to.”

“We’ve got spare clothes around. Stuff that doesn’t fit anyone. I’ll try to find whatever I can for you to try on.”

Lauriam thanked Terra as Terra walked off, going off to find the clothes in question. Now Lauriam was left alone with his thoughts, but all he could think about was what he was missing now that his memory had returned. He was missing Strelitzia, of course he was missing her. He was also missing Brain, Skuld, and Ephemer. He missed the Ventus that remembered who he was. The only thing that he had left from those times was his Keyblade, back to him now that he’d regained his heart.

Ironic, considering how before he’d regained his memories, he’d yearned for a Keyblade of his own.

Soon, Terra was back with a pile of clothes in his arm, more than Lauriam had been expecting.

“I can take you to a room to try them on,” Terra told him. “Hopefully something in here will fit you.”

Once Lauriam was there and alone, he started going through the pile. Most of it didn’t fit him, which he expected. It wasn’t like all the clothes were magically going to fit him. But he was able to find enough for a new outfit. A black button-up shirt and beige pants. He could keep his Organization boots on for now, so he wasn’t pressed for new shoes. Once the outfit was on, Lauriam walked back to where Terra was waiting, carrying his Organization coat over his shoulder.

“Well, what do you think?” Lauriam asked. “It’s certainly not my outfit from the old days, but I think it’ll do.”

“It looks great,” Terra said, a smile forming on his face. “It’s a fresh start. A new beginning for you.”

A new beginning… Lauriam liked that.

⁂

Day 5: Big Brothers Dynamic (or Day 3: Hurt/Comfort)

“He really looks up to you.”

Terra paused in his training. He looked over and noticed Lauriam watching him. Truthfully, Lauriam had been watching for a while, but Terra seemed so into his training that he hadn’t noticed.

“Who?” Terra asked.

“Ven,” Lauriam clarified. “He admires you, both you and Aqua.” He chuckled. “Ironic, considering he’s been a wielder much longer than you two.”

Terra shook his head. “Aqua deserves all the admiration, not me. I admire her, too. But after all I did to push him away, I’m lucky he looks up to me at all.”

“You can’t blame yourself for the way Xehanort manipulated you.” Lauriam frowned. “You’re far from his only victim. He has a knack for pulling in people who are lost, or missing something. It’s not luck or a mistake that Ven admires you; you came out of it all and took back everything that was yours.”

“I can’t agree with you, but I appreciate it.” Terra’s keyblade disappeared. “You know, you’re one of the first people that knew Ven before he lost his memory. After Chirithy, I mean.”

“Am I?” Lauriam blinked. “I’m…surprised, though really I shouldn’t be. Only the Union leaders and Elrena made it out of our world, and I haven’t found any of the other leaders since. Only Elrena, and now Ven, but Ven and Elrena hardly knew each other.”

“What was he like? Before he lost his memory?”

“Not so different, as far as I can tell. He was equal to the rest of us but still felt inferior, and felt he had to prove himself. He was a good friend, almost like a younger brother to the rest of us. He…”

Marluxia’s expression darkened. “He has more in common with you than either of you know.”

“…What do you mean?”

“He deserves better than to remember. If the full story comes out, he should be the first to know. But… Ven is part of the reason my sister disappeared.”

“Your…sister? What happened?”

Lauriam held up a hand. “Ven is not the one at fault. I forgave him a long time ago. Still, one of the reasons I left our world was to look for her. She has to be out there somewhere, and I won’t give up looking until I find her.”

Terra remembered what it felt like, when he returned home to find Master Eraqus attacking Ven. At that moment, it didn’t matter why their master was attacking him. Nothing could have stopped Terra from protecting Ven. He felt horrified that anyone would attack Ven, but the idea that their master felt he had to made Terra feel sick.”

He tried to picture it. Coming back to the Land of Departure to learn that Ven was completely gone. It was the closest he could think of based on what little Lauriam had described. “I don’t know what I’d do if I found out Ven was gone.”

“I think I nearly lost myself to the darkness when I learned what happened,” Lauriam said. He looked away. “I’m not proud of that moment, but I’m glad my friends were able to keep me from…” He sighed. “Well, that wasn’t long before I lost my memory and let myself become a vessel of darkness anyway, so I’m behind on my search.”

“Better late than never, though, right?” Terra smiled. “We’ll help you find your sister. I know I’d never stop looking if it were Ven, and we’re still looking for Sora anyway. Besides, we owe it to you as one of Ven’s friends.”

“You owe me nothing,” Lauriam protested. “I’ve done nothing to deserve that.”

“Then think of it this way: we’ll be helping each other. We won’t take no for an answer. But first…” Terra summoned his Keyblade. “Get your Keyblade. You’re joining in on training.”

“I’m more than a bit rusty,” Lauriam admitted, though he summoned his own Keyblade anyway. “I suppose it’s more reason for me to train.”

“I want to see how you fight. How strong you are. I’m curious about how much has changed since you and Ven’s time,” Terra said. “You better be ready.”

“I’ll admit, I’m curious as well.” Lauriam smirked. “I’ve been ready for ages.”

#terrariam week #terrariam week 2021 #kingdom hearts #tater writes

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 3 years

Text

From Chin To Yon Rah (Part 28)

Apologies if this chapter is a little lackluster I was massively multi-tasking lol.

She was a fool to forget to earn herself some Fire Nation coin before meeting Fire Nation shores. And for it she knows that she will grapple with hunger, dehydration, and sleeplessness again. It is far too late to make such preparations now as the boat pulls into port, perhaps she could help unload the luggage and earn herself enough for a meal. She is thankful that she has kept much of her supplies from her days in the grassland though she can’t imagine that she will have much use for the blankets.

The moment that Azula steps out of the vessel and into the afternoon she wonders if the sun has always been this brutal, she feels as though she has made her homecoming on the very hottest day. On the most instinctual level, she knows that this is a rather cool day for what the Fire Nation usually has to offer. Even still, the sun’s rays swelter upon skin made delicate by so much time spent under more merciful Earth Kingdom rays. The words weak and soft come to mind as she brushes her fingers over her skin. Skin that had grown too sensitive. She already feels it redding and she has only been out in the rays for a few minutes.

She wipes a few beads of sweat away and fans at her face. She isn’t sure if it is more foolish to go through with her plans to request a job that requires extensive physical labor under the sun or to continue on and into the inferno with no coin to pay for drink. Decidedly she can try to save up enough gold and copper pieces to get herself a ride back to Caldera City.

Ignoring the sense lolling in her belly she finds the dock hands and offers her skills.

Where the Earth Kingdom has weakened her heat tolerance, it has brought a muscle definition that is, perhaps, not befitting of a princess. Not that she has been able to call herself that in a very long time, she isn’t sure that she wants to. And her stomach churns in double. She is once again at a loss and in a place of directionlessness. She isn’t sure that the Fire Nation has room to welcome her back.

She helps the first deckhand--he had mentioned that his name was Yon Rah--theater the ship to the dock.

“But I’m not the Yon Rah that this village was named for!” He declares.

Azula tries to find her sense of humor, tries to at least manage a forced laugh. But the simmering heatwaves steal the ability from her. Instead she mumbles an apology for rudeness.

The man chuckles, “it was a bad joke anyways!” He disappears into the cargo hold. “Can you help me with this?”

She sure hopes so. Despite her doubts she nods and picks up one end of the crate. Whatever is in it weighs an obscene amount. Her back and arm muscles strain and the sweat trickles down her forehead with more persistence.

“You doing alright, lady?” Yon Rah asks.

“I just…” She lightly fans her head. Need a break…”I need a drink.”

“Well why didn’t you just say so!?” She wonders how he can be so joyful under such blistering sunbeams. He tosses her a waterskin. Her throat is too parched for her to put much thought into whose lips have been on this waterskin before her own. She drinks it greedily down, a bead of water trickles from the corner of her mouth.

“I’m ready to resume.”

“We don’t have too much more to do. Just a few more crates of trade goods.”

She enters the cargo hold the shade is sublimely welcoming for the minute that she dwells inside of it. She finds herself the smallest crate and lifts it into her arms. If nothing else, she can at least appreciate the wonders her travels have done for her form, it will be nice to test her firebending now.

She carries the crate back into the sunlight. It is brimming with jewelry, kimono silks, and fine shoes. She looks at her own shoes, they have grown somewhat worn, she knows that they won’t last the miles between Yon Rah and Caldera City. And for a moment she thinks of swiping a pair of shoes.

Just as her fingers close around a pair, Yon Rah appears. She clears her throat. “How much do you think these would sell for?” She improvises before he can leap to his own conclusions. “The embroidery is stunning.”

He checks the label on the crate. “I’d wager that they aren’t for sale. They’re engagement presents for the fiance of Admiral Chan’s son.

Azula nods and her urge to steal them grows. She passes the crate off to Yon Rah before the impulse can grow unbearable and fetches herself a different one. Five crates in and her head is spinning, stomach lurching. The sun paints her face red. Her sense of insecurity heightens at the surmounting nausea that grows with each crate. The sun shouldn’t be this dizzying. Her ancestors would be ashamed. She is ashamed. She is taken by the thought that she doesn’t deserve the fire rippling through her chi points.

“...waterskin?” She hadn’t caught the first part. It doesn’t matter. Only the waterskin matters. She holds her hand out and wiggles her fingers.

He waits for her to drink before saying, “if you need a break…”

She shakes her head. She has done tasks much more strenuous and intensive than this. Has trained under blazes significantly hotter, “I’m fine.”

The man rubs his lips before pressing them into a thin line.”

“I need the gold pieces. I can even handle another boat.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, lady. I would hate to see you fall over.”

Azula sighs, “do you think that I’ve never fallen before?” She doesn’t mean to sound quite so harsh. “I will lift those crates until my knees buckle and I will have my…”

For the first time that day his good humored nature falters. “Lady, you’re lucky I let you help me with this boat.

“You’re lucky that I volunteered, you would still be struggling along if…”

“And you’ll be lucky to get any compensation for it with that tongue of yours.”

It comes as another slap in the face, a second reminder alongside that heat, that she can hardly consider herself a Fire National anymore. She flinches, once for having put her pay on the line after having exerted herself so and twice over for her latest social blunder--for having forgotten how such backtalk and disrespect wouldn’t be tolerated as the Earth Kingdomers have tolerated it. She dreads to think of what her father would say to her if he could see her now, weak to the cold and rude in speech.

And maybe it was a mistake to leave the Earth Kingdom after all. Even at its cruelest, it has been so kind to her. She can’t name a stranger who had been unkind or intolerant to her. For the first time she finds herself wishing that she had been born to the Earth Kingdom. She considers that her life would have been kinder there, that her heart wouldn’t be so burdened if her eyes were green instead of gold. Had she any vestige of superiority left it would have fallen away. Suddenly it is hard to put herself in her own shoes, to understand how she had once thought that this remorseless nation and its apathetic nature was anything worth infecting the rest of the world with.

She rubs her hands over her face, she shouldn’t hate her homeland. To hate her homeland and its values would be to hate a large portion of herself. And maybe she does. Maybe she does hate herself and everything she had been. Everything she had stood for. And this time she has no one to remind her that she shouldn’t. That she should appreciate her past and what it has taught her, what it has led her to become.

Right now she only has regret. Regret for her past and regret for her decision to bring herself back to it.

Yon Rah says something else, she doesn’t catch it. She doesn’t look up from her palms. She should say something.

“...alright?” she catches, his tone is somewhat softer.

Her past in the Earth Kingdom has become just as heavy as her Fire Nation past, but in the Earth Kingdom, at least has kinder memories to go with it. She thinks that, had she stayed, even in Chin, she would have been able to find kind company again.

Azula stops herself from laughing bitterly aloud; she is certain that she already had. She had made several connections, met several people she could picture herself staying with. She resents how hard pressed she is to recognize good things when she has them. And resents, even further, how routinely she takes things for granted.

This time hasn’t the funds to change her mind and sail back to the Earth Kingdom and chase down the company that she had forfeited in her desperate flight from her woes. Her vision is growing fuzzy and she isn’t sure if it is with stress or heat.

Azula feels a hand on her shoulder. She mumbles a quick apology and stands.

“You should sit down.” The man frowns.

But she doesn’t. She fetches her pack, slings it over her shoulder, and shuffles away from the ships bobbing in the ocean waters. The knock of them against the docks follows her away. So to does the man’s voice. “I wasn’t serious about withholding your pay, lady.”

Had she any sense she would have turned back and taken it. Perhaps the sun has sucked her sanity drier than her parched lips. It is just one more mistake in a long line of them. This journey has been nothing but mishap and misstep after mishap and misstep. She can’t help but wonder if Zuko’s journey had been this brutal or if the universe is keen on antagonizing her specifically. Her time in Wujing had only been permitted so as to make everything else after it that much more agonizing.

Azula, not for the first time, thinks that it is time to stop. To drop to her knees, hold up a white flag, and let her body wither where it stands. There is nothing waiting for her here. No one to welcome her home with open and relieved arms. She gets the sense that her sudden reappearance will be nothing but an inconvenience, a collective groan of frustration made by everyone she’d ever wronged.

The Fire Nation sun is brutal, persistent, unrelenting and the people who walk under it are twice as so. She walks under the Fire Nation sun.

It is such a late lesson and she wishes she had learned it much earlier; that day she learns not to take things for granted.

.oOo.

Azula isn’t sure how she feels anymore. It is something between numbness and calmness. Happiness and sadness. Caihong looks so happy amid the strawberries and twice as delighted to catch the scent of turnips again. And it is only because she doesn’t know that she won’t be returning to the place that birthed her comfort in the scent...

“Go on, pick one of the strawberries.” Sokka nudges her.

“They aren’t ready for harvest yet.” She replies. “We just planted them.” She feels his arms slide around her torso, his lips on her neck. And she wonders how he can be so loving toward such a questionable person.

“Ya know what I think would help you?”

She peers up at him.

“Making Caihong smile.”

“I can’t even make myself smile.”

“That’s my job.” He declares.

“You’re doing a horrible job, Sokka.”

“Give me time!” He throws his hands up, his voice shrill. But she doesn’t know how much patience she has left. She has been sad for so long… She rubs at her face; that isn’t true, he has made her smile several times since she has come home. She has been happy, truly so.

“Why does it always have to end?”

Sokka quirks a brow.

“Every time I’m stable, happy...” She knows that she sounds ridiculous, naive. Of course she can’t be happy all the time. She just isn’t sure that her sorrow is suppose to be this deep every time that she isn’t.

“That’s just how it works.” Sokka confirms. “Even TyLee isn’t beaming with joy all the time.”

She opens her mouth to make another self-deprecating remark but she doesn’t think that Sokka wants to hear it. She doesn’t think that she wants to either. She knows that she doesn’t. She lets herself fall quiet instead.

“Speaking of TyLee…” He gestures to she, Mai, and Zuko.

“Hi, Azula!” She grins.

Azula gives a small wave.

“The turnips smell great!”

She quirks a brow. “I always thought that the scent was the worst part of living in Wujing.”

“Maybe that’s because you’ve been around it for too long.” Mai shrugs. “Beats the smell of freshly baked bread.”

“Who hates the smell of bread!?” Sokka throws his hands up again, this time, nearly hitting her in the face. Azula gently guides his hands back to her abdomen where they are significantly less hazardous.

“Apparently my girlfriend.” Zuko rolls his eyes. “She seems to hate everything good and wholesome.”

“No wonder she likes you.” Azula grumbles.

“And here I made you cherry blossom tea.” He sets a tray of tea before her. “The servants are bringing out the food and picnic blanket…”

“A picnic!” Caihong springs up from her spot among the turnips. Her cheeks are smudged with dirt. She attempts to rub it away with even dirtier hands.

“We’ll need to wash those grubby hands before you eat.” Azula quirks a brow.

Caihong points at the turtleduck pond.

Azula sighs, “with soap and water.”

Caihong pays her suggestion no mind and trots over to the turtle duck pond. “Wash, wash, splash, splash, cleaner than Chin’s mustache!” She sings. Azula can’t imagine that Chin’s mustache had been anything remotely close to clean. She skips up to Azula and takes hold of her sleeve, stroking at it. “It’s so soft.” She coos. “And pretty and…”

“And don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, Caihong.”

The girl blinks.

“You could have dried those dirty little hands on the picnic blanket.”

She giggles. “Your sleeve is better!”

Azula sighs as the girl scrambles into her lap. She smells as heavily of turnip as Azula remembers. “Bao wants to join the picnic too!” She darts off a second time to fetch Bao from where she had nearly forgotten him amid the turnips. He is significantly dirtier now.

“I’m going to have to have the servants give Bao a bath.”

Caihong narrows her eyes, “Bao ain’t like those, Ri...A-zu-la.”

She rolls her eyes. At least the girl is trying now. She wraps her arms around the child, feeling a sort of warmth that she hasn’t felt in ages. A warmth that manages to cut through her sense of dismay. She gives Caihong a little squeeze. Across the picnic blanket, Zuko flashes her a smile and finally it settles in, in full that she still has a family. She still has her family.

She feels Sokka’s chin on her shoulder as she reaches for her teacup. She feels a breeze on her cheeks, the sun gently kissing her skin. She cups her hand over Sokka’s. She leans into him and, with his free hand, he rubs the back of her hand with his thumb.

She doesn’t realize that she is crying until that same thumb wipes a tear away. She can’t even say why she is crying again. But Caihong shifts around in her arms and presses Bao into her chest with instructions to hold him. And she laughs; the girl is trying so very hard to make it all better and in a way that only a little girl can.

TyLee wraps her arms around her and Zuko does too. “Come on, Mai.” He beckons. She rolls her eyes but inches her way into their ridiculous and clumsy hug. “Ugg, really, I think that I just spilled tea on my robe?” She grumbles.

Azula has to laugh. For the first time in so long things feel simple, as though she is still fourteen, unburdened by loss and full of dreams and aspirations.

She holds Caihong close and Sokka holds her closer. And she realizes why she is crying. It is relief. Relief and happiness. And she clings to it. Clings to it with a violence. She could lose it at any time. For the first time in a long time, she finally feels at home, truly at home.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #Azula #Sokka #Sokkla #Fanfiction

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heyyyharry · 4 years

Text

Chapter 7: Shadow And Moonlight

(from ‘The Winter and The Crown’)

…in which the woods try to tell Y/N something.

Word count: 3.6k

AU: queen!y/n, commander!harry

Description: Y/N and Harry set off on a new adventure to find ‘the cure’ for an ancient curse, meanwhile, the enemies are plotting to take her kingdom.

Wattpad link (Reyna as Y/N)

“Don’t move.”

Harry hissed into his palm as he peeked through the gap between his fingers to watch Y/N tending to his wound. His hand had been burned slightly, but nothing too severe.

Y/N had managed to find some healing herbs in the forest. She chewed them in her mouth and spat onto the burn, amused by the way Harry’s face contorted with disgust.

“Yuck.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said mockingly. “Would you like it to be infected?”

A corner of his mouth raised as he watched her bandage his hand with a piece of fabric she’d torn from her coat. “How did you know how to do this?”

“I read,” she said with a grin. “It’s great. You should try it sometimes.”

Y/N wasn’t sure if it was the cold or he was shy, but she’d just seen a bit of colour in his cheeks. Harry averted his eyes immediately, looking at his bandaged hand. And there it was again – that sinking feeling in her stomach.

When they’d managed to escape from the burning house, Y/N had regretted her decision to continue the journey. But as she was looking at Harry now and thinking about how she could lose him any moment, she was more determined to find the lake.

They didn’t talk about what had happened. Y/N wanted to talk about it, but she hated to acknowledge it. She hated that she didn’t have an explanation for the things that she’d seen. For all she could tell, it’d been magic. And magic didn’t always have answers.

Harry probably felt the same way for he’d been quiet this whole time. They were both thinking of the same thing and keeping their guards up. And maybe that was enough to keep them alive for now.

The sun was setting. They’d gone far from the house, killed two rabbits and cooked them for lunch and dinner. They and the horses were too exhausted so they’d decided to camp in the woods for the night, hoping there wouldn’t be another storm, otherwise they’d have no shelter and get buried in the snow.

“Impressive,” Harry said as he watched Y/N make a fire. “It’s like you grew up outside the castle.”

She didn’t say anything about that compliment, didn’t even remind him that he’d been the one who’d taught her that. The more he said things like this, the more she felt like she didn’t know him anymore. He was slowly turning into somebody else. And she must admit that there had been moments when she’d thought she was gradually falling out of love with him. But then, she’d think about that kiss in the burning house. That had felt similar, hadn’t it?

“You kissed me.”

Y/N started as she dropped the stick she was holding and gaped at Harry. He was looking straight at her, his eyes round and full of wonder as he said, “In the house. You kissed me, right? Or was it just an illusion?”

“Yes, I kissed you,” she admitted, not looking at him as she added more wood to the fire. She could still feel his eyes burning holes on the side of her face.

“Why?” he asked.

“I needed to shock you,” she replied coolly. “I pricked my finger and it pulled me back to reality. So I thought–I just...didn’t want to hurt you.”

Harry chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” she asked him. “I saved your life, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did, Your Majesty,” he said with a polite smile. “I’m just imagining His Majesty’s face when he hears about all the things we’ve done to survive.”

Y/N mustered a smile at him, ignoring the jab in her stomach. “Well, let’s hope you’ll survive until my husband kills you.”

Harry didn’t say anything about that, but the smirk never faltered on his face. It made Y/N all flustered so she had no choice but to pretend that he wasn’t there and mind her own business.

They ate the rest of the rabbit, and it was night again. The stars and the moon were visible tonight. They could be seen through the branches overhead, so there might not be a storm and Harry and Y/N would be safe. At least if they were careful enough to not fall into another trap.

“We should take turns keeping watch during the night,” Harry said.

“Good idea. I’ll take the first watch.”

“No–”

“I insist,” said Y/N as she secured the fur coat around herself and sat down by a large rock. “I can’t sleep now anyway so…”

“All right,” Harry sighed, stretching his limbs and yawning. “Wake me up when you’re tired.”

“Sure.”

And so he lay down on the ground beside her, all wrapped up in his coat with his back facing her. She couldn’t help but stare, wanting to run her fingers down his spine or through his hair and kiss him goodnight. But all she could do was watch in silence and repeat those three words in her head so she wouldn’t forget what they sounded like.

“You were very brave.”

Y/N was taken aback. She blinked, for a moment thinking she’d misheard it. But then he went on, not turning to face her, “Thank you for not abandoning me there.”

She felt a smile growing on her face. “Can’t even look at me as you say thank you?” she asked, laughing so he knew it was a joke.

Harry laughed too, quietly. “Yeah, well, I don’t want to see you blush. Wouldn’t be able to sleep if I kept thinking about it.”

Y/N was left speechless. She worked her jaw for a response that never came. But Harry didn't seem to expect anything from her; he drifted right off, his shoulder rising and falling as he snored softly.

Y/N put both arms around herself, feeling goosebumps pimple her skin as a cool breeze blew right through her clothes. This was the first time she’d spent the night in these woods. She’d heard tales about them when she’d been little. The kinds of tales that were used to scare naughty children. And after what had happened in that house, Y/N was very convinced that those tales were all real.

Once you had stepped into the darkness of these woods and felt the cold pass through you, the trees would swallow all memory of light and they would know all your secrets, the stories you’d kept hidden inside the cage of your chest. The trees whispered, too. They could be taunting Y/N right now, making her think she was safe and getting her when she least expected.

She pinched her eyes closed and took a deep breath before observing the lines of tall soldier trees standing guard around them. It was all so quiet, but why did she feel like something was out there.

She imagined a beast or shadow with hooked claws and grim eyes. A thing the forest kept, waiting for the right moment to release.

Her fingers twitched as fear rose at the base of her throat. She hated this feeling building inside her. She was her mother’s daughter. She should not be afraid of invisible things. But then again, when it came to things she did not understand and could not explain, she should be afraid.

“Come.”

Y/N jumped when she heard the voice. It wasn’t Harry’s. He was still sleeping. She whipped her head around, trying to locate where it’d come from but she could not.

“Come.”

There it was again. The voice of a woman. Somebody was here. Somebody was hiding in the dark, camouflaged by the trees, silently watching them.

Heart pounding out of rhythm, Y/N tapped Harry on the shoulder. “Harry, I heard something.”

There was no response.

“Harry, wake up. Harry!” She shook his shoulder harder. He still did not budge. If he weren’t still breathing, she would assume he was dead. It was almost like he could not feel or hear her.

She took a second to calm herself down and study her surroundings. Moonlight peeked through the trees, pale and lonely, bathing her skin. Bare branches above looked like skeleton fingers waiting patiently to grab her when she slept. She held her breath, straining her ear to listen to the voice. But she heard nothing. Moments had passed, and still, nothing.

It was not real. The mountain had a way of getting inside your head—playing tricks on those who dared to walk among the pines long after the sun had set. These woods were wild and rugged and unkind. They could not be trusted.

Feeling anxious, she added some more sticks to the fire and sat there hugging her knees to her chest, staring at the flame. She thought about her mother, trying to hold onto those few precious fading memories of her childhood to put herself at ease.

Suddenly, a branch cracked.

Y/N’s head snapped up like a hunter expecting her prey.

Or maybe she was the prey all along.

“Come.”

It was the voice again.

Soft like silk.

Longing like a distant memory.

Y/N covered her ears as the voice kept repeating the same word over and over again. It only grew clearer as she tried to block it out. The voice was coming from inside her head.

Her skin pricked with gooseflesh.

And when she opened her eyes again, she saw it.

A white deer glowing in the blackness of night. It stood between the trees, watching her silently with its eyes gleaming like the brightest stars. She stared back at the animal, holding her breath, wondering if it was just a figment of her imagination or such creature did exist in these magical woods. Everything could seem and feel real until it wasn’t. Like the house. Like this entire journey. She could be dreaming.

Wide eyes stayed fixed on the deer, she reached for Harry, but he was not there. She snapped her head to the side and found him gone. So were the horses and their weapons and supplies. She was all alone. She pressed her fists to her heart, feeling its violent beats as she prayed that this wasn’t real. Then, the fire went out. Y/N recoiled, shaking all over. What was happening?

She could still feel the creature watching her. So she slowly opened her eyes and saw that the deer was glowing even brighter than before. It was the only source of light now. The moon had been obscured by the clouds. As the light from the creature’s skin touched her own, it was warm and put her at east. So when the creature nodded its head to ask her to follow, she hurriedly pushed herself off the ground and went after it.

This is a dream. This is a dream. This. Is. A. Dream, she kept telling herself as she made her way around the trees. The air was cold and damp. Y/N breathed slowly as she moved forward, stepping carefully, deliberately, over fallen logs and frozen flowers. She didn’t know how far she’d followed the deer. She didn’t remember walking. Her steps felt so light it was like she was being carried.

The next thing she knew, she was heading towards a cliff. The moon was so big it looked like a giant eye or a face in the sky. Y/N was so taken by the moon that she did not see the deer transforming into a woman. The woman was dressed in a white gown. She stood on the edge of the cliff, her white hair flying like a silvery stream.

Just like the deer, she was glowing, too.

“W-Who are you?” Y/N asked, but the woman didn’t answer nor turn around. And when Y/N opened her mouth to ask again, the woman whipped her head to her left, revealing her face for the first time. She was a young girl, about Y/N’s age or even younger.

Curious, Y/N looked to where the girl was staring at and saw a dark figure. A man. He didn’t pay a single glance at Y/N, so Y/N knew he could not see her either. He and the moonlight lady rushed toward each other for a strong tight embrace. They were both young and beautiful. But Y/N had never seen them before.

The man was dressed in all black. The girl in all white.

Shadow and moonlight.

This wasn’t just an ordinary dream. It was trying to tell Y/N something.

But what?

“Your Majesty!”

Y/N’s eyes popped open when she heard it. Harry’s face rushed into view, and she flinched at the touch of his fingers on the side of her face. He immediately jumped back, raising both hands in the air.

“What—” She looked around, baffled. They were now standing at the same spot by the fire. The horses were still here. Moonlight still cast eerie shadows on the snow. But there was no deer. No girl. No mystery man.

“Were you sleepwalking?” Harry asked, looking concerned. “I woke up and saw you just standing here staring into nothing…”

“No,” she said, tearing her eyes from his. “I thought I heard something. That’s all.”

Harry’s forehead puckered slightly. He didn’t believe her. “Your Majesty, if something’s wrong, you must tell me.”

“Nothing’s wrong. Don’t worry,” she murmured, forcing a smile.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “So you weren’t sleepwalking?”

“No.”

His eyes locked with hers for a second as if he was trying to detect a lie. To her relief, he exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair. “All right. Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

Y/N didn’t say another word to Harry as she came to lie down by the fire. For some reason, she could feel someone watching them. It was the woods. They were always watching. And when she fell asleep, she saw the face of the white-haired girl inside the giant moon.

“Your Majesty!”

“Get out.”

Jo’s mouth fell open as she smacked her palm onto her chest, acting shocked, frozen in the doorway. Lance probably expected her to leave immediately, and when she didn’t, he tore his eyes from the book he’d been reading and glanced up at her. He cocked an eyebrow, looking annoyed. “I said–”

“A maid told me you'd called for me,” she said.

Lance opened his mouth, probably about to tell her off when he seemed to have remembered calling for her, so his mouth snapped shut at once. The smug grin she was giving him must have got him all bashful as he cleared his throat and combed his fingers through his raven hair. “Well, I was going to ask you a few things but I figured it out on my own.”

“All right,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I guess I should go now?”

“Yes.”

She picked up her skirt and gave a curtsy. “Good night, Your Majesty.”

“Wait. Actually–” Lance heaved a sigh as he rose from his chair. “I think I’ve discovered something.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Close the door,” he said.

Jo did as she was told then padded over to the desk where Lance had laid out two tall piles of books. This was what he’d been doing for the last few days. Research. Y/N had almost died twice. And at this point, Jo guessed Lance was done just sitting at one place and doing nothing.

Isolde had been at peace since their Queen had left, but it could be the calm before a huge storm. Jo didn’t know much about politics, but she knew Lance had been losing sleep over what Calanthe might have up her sleeve, and also for Y/N’s safety.

As Jo watched him flip through the pages of the huge dusty old book, she could not help but watch the ring on his finger glowing red.

Y/N, she thought, when are you coming home?

“From what we’ve learned from Mary,” Lance said, snapping her back to reality. “This group of people called The Monks believe in one ruler. They want to believe it’s Calanthe so they’re on her side, giving her advice and will fight for her in the battle.”

“If you’re asking me for more information, I haven’t got any,” Jo sighed. “I barely talk to the witch.”

It was true. She now shared the room with the witch who’d erased Harry’s memory of Y/N. Jo didn’t care that the witch no longer had magic. It was best to keep her distance and be guarded at all times.

“No, not that.” Lance shook his head. “I just found something fascinating.” And pointed to the page. “King Lokesh. The first High King in the North was thought to be the one ruler, too. The Monks were on his side during the war with his brothers.”

“It was a useless war. There was no winner. That was how one hundred kingdoms were divided into four high courts.”

“True.” Lance raised a finger. “But Lokesh didn’t rule for long. He died after only two months on the throne and the crown was passed onto his eldest son. It was said that he’d died of a mysterious illness.”

Jo grimaced as she tapped her fingers on the table. “What does that have to do with us?”

Lance clenched his jaw, his thick brows knitted. “Do you think The Monks have something to do with his death?”

“You mean they killed him?”

Lance nodded. “Because he was not the chosen one.”

Jo took a moment to think then shook her head. “I don’t know why you’re worried. I’m actually hoping they’ll kill Calanthe when they realize she’s useless.”

Lance pursed his lips before letting out a sharp breath. He closed the book and crossed his arms as he leaned against the table. “Do you think I’m being paranoid?”

“A little,” Jo scoffed. “But I get it. It’s been stressful for us both.”

Lance was quiet for a moment, his gaze glued to his feet. “I really hope she’ll make it home. With or without finding the lake.”

“So do I,” Jo said. But the voice inside her head was quick to add, With or without Harry.

She felt bad about it, of course. Harry had been unbearable at times yet he didn’t deserve what he was getting. After all, he’d lived and died for Y/N. And Jo’s ultimate mission in life was only to make Y/N happy and keep Y/N safe.

She returned to her room with those heavy thoughts clinging onto her and almost forgot that she wasn’t alone. Her heart jumped as she stepped in and saw the girl with a damaged face sitting on the bed beside hers, dressed in a white nightgown like a ghost.

“Where were you?” Mary asked, giving a smile that crinkled her good eye.

Jo tried not to show how disgusted she was as she walked straight to the fireplace to add some wood to it.

Mary was quiet for a moment, either waiting for Jo to speak or thinking of what to say next. Eventually, she broke the silence, “You cannot not speak to me forever.”

Jo could. In fact, she was doing it now.

“How’s the Queen?” Mary persisted.

Jo didn’t want her to be doing this all night, so she decided to answer this one. “Alive.”

“Good, good,” Mary said, laughing nervously. There was a three-second pause. “Hey, I was wondering...um...since you were the last person to see my sister...h-how was she when she left?”

“She was happy,” Jo said without any emotion in her voice. Then she suddenly felt bad about it and added, “I didn’t really know her, but she seemed like a nice person.”

“You’re a nice person, too,” Mary said. This time, Jo cast a glance at her and saw her grinning. “Maggie wouldn’t just save anyone.”

Jo would tell Mary that Maggie had done it for Y/N, not for her, but she didn’t want this to turn into a conversation. She stayed quiet and walked back to her bed, but Mary had already got up and got in her way. She stopped, second-guessing what Mary would do next when the witch took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Mary said.

Jo was too shocked to pull back so she just stood there like a statue. “About?”

“The Queen. I know you–” Mary stopped herself at once, yet Jo already knew what she was going to say. It wasn’t hard to tell how she felt about Y/N. “Also,” Mary went on, her hands turning warm as they held Jo’s. “I’m sorry about your baby.”

It’d been so long since someone had last mentioned it. Jo felt like her wound which had recently healed was sliced open again. She stared at Mary unblinkingly. And somehow Mary thought it was a great idea to continue adding salt to her injury. “We’re more alike than you think, Josephine,” Mary said, lacing her fingers with Jo’s.

Jo immediately shoved herself away from the witch. Mary opened her mouth to speak but Jo didn’t give her a chance. “No.” She held up a finger and took a step back. “We’re nothing alike. You’re a witch. Look at you. You’re...you’re–”

Ugly. Evil. Heartless. Manipulative. Pretentious.

“Just...do not touch me ever again,” Jo said under her breath.

“I’m so sorry,” Mary said to her but she didn’t bother to hear it. She turned abruptly and stormed out of the room. This was all too much for her to take. She would have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles x y/n #harry styles writing #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #tctm series #princess!y/n #queen!y/n #harry styles series

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