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#two shot
lamemaster · 11 months
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The Curse of Bloodlines (Thranduil x Feanorian reader)
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Thranduil x Feanorian reader
Genre: angst (shit ton of it)
Summary: You wonder if your child would be born before the passing of Spring or if they would be born in the creeping days of fall. 'Not long now,' you whisper to your belly.
Part 2: The Curse of Heart | Part 3: The Curse of the Uncursed
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Day 475th of staying in your room. The air carried hints of creeping spring. The cloying fragrance of blooming flowers made its way into your room from wide open windows that were never closed. You could not bring yourself to close them. They were the only reminder of the world that existed outside your room.
The afternoon sun left you feeling drowsy as you huddled closer to your favorite nook next to the windows. Resting your head on the wall, you stretched your back to alleviate the hovering ache that rarely left you these days. You gently massaged your swollen feet, or at least tried to with your belly getting in the way.
You wondered if your child would be born before the passing of spring or if they would be born in the creeping days of fall. "Not long now," you whispered to your belly.
"You would be the prince of the Woodland Realm. Everyone would love you like they do for your father. You would grow up with so many people looking after you," you sniffed as you felt the butterflies of your child's movement under your hands. "Your father would give you anything you could wish for. He is an ellon who cares immensely for his people."
You tried to focus on the little flutter that tickled your palm or the cool breeze. You tried to ward away the thoughts that plagued your mind. They had been frequent these days. A premonition of what was to come. You avoided those thoughts to protect your child from their shadow.
However, a sense of mourning clouded your heart. It was the realization that you would not live to see your son. You could feel it in your soul and your body. Long ago, your great-grandmother Miriel had been the first-ever elf to die on the blessed lands, and now you felt the same fate looking back at you.
You were a Finwean, the granddaughter of Feanor, and the daughter of Celegorm. You hadn't known it for the longest time. You had grown up with a single mother who never spoke of your father. You didn't dare stir the grief that lay heavy on your mother's heart. Your father's name was never uttered in your household.
Maybe that was the reason why you assumed your silver hair to be from your Sinda mother. You simply did not fathom the possibility of it being a paternal trait. You did not care for your green eyes, which seemed to be a gift from your grandmother Nerdanel. Never had you ever thought of belonging to the cursed bloodline of the Noldor. The Silmarils had never called for your soul, you were not oath-bound, and your soul didn't long for your home beyond the seas.
It fooled you and Thranduil, who once loved you. He truly did, at the beginning of your courtship when every second of your existence was spent next to him. You both had wed early, and none had objected. You had once been the crown princess of Greenwood the Great.
Then it had come. A letter from your uncle who wandered unknown shores. It was a letter that shattered your world. And the beloved crown princess of Greenwood the Great became a kinslayer's daughter. Child of an ellon who had once slain the King of Beleriand.
All was lost when you learned of your father. Your people were no longer yours. Your mother, an unknown elleth who had picked you up from an abandoned camp. Most of all, your husband and all his love were gone.
You should have resented your uncle or your father, yet you could not bring yourself to. It would have been easy to deny the claim in the letter. It could have saved your marriage, but how could you? It seemed as if it was meant to be. How else could your father's name find you despite all that had happened? How else could your uncle, whom many called a wraith, remember you?
So you bore all the hate, anger, and resentment that came towards you. It was all you could offer these people. All that you could give your husband, who refused to look at you.
Thranduil had waited for you to deny the claim in the letter. He had expected it to be a lie. You would have too if not for everything pointing to one truth. Your silence had been the only answer you could offer your husband, a fact that broke his heart.
Your bond stretched thin with the barest presence lingering. It lingered on the edge of snapping. Had Miriel felt the same way too? You seemed to share a fate similar to your great-grandmother's. Maybe someday you would get a chance to ask her.
You would bear it all for the sake of your child. Even the confinement of your room was an acceptable fate to persevere for your and Thranduil's child.
It had been an unspoken sentence laid down by Oropher. You were banned from the gardens and woods you grew up in. Stables, lakes, halls, kitchens...you were prohibited from them. It started with guards following your every step and ended with the room you had not left for the past year.
It could have been a prison cell if you had not been carrying the heir of the Woodland realm. Or maybe you would have been kicked out of your home. You would have accepted it. Maybe that would have appeased all those who had been wronged by your father.
Therefore, you did not mourn the weariness that lay heavy on your soul. Whatever doom awaited you would free Thranduil and your child from your existence. None in Greenwood would burden them with your family's wrongdoings.
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giannagrace29 · 9 months
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Simmer; Melt
The Bear (2022) - Carmy x Sydney, slow burn, two-shot. Rated E.
Summary:
Claire left me a voicemail last night b-...before shit went down. Told me that she loved me.”
His voice is barely above a whisper, like he’s telling her a secret that nobody else can hear.
“And do you? You… you know…love her?”
His eyes, blue as lake Michigan, look straight into her’s.
“I don’t think I do.”
She drops his hand at that moment, she needs to get out of this room.
What does he mean by that, and why does he keep staring at her? What the fuck is that about?
Read Here on Ao3!
(P.S. - I also made Sydney a SZA enjoyer in this because it makes sense)
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miliamin1 · 1 month
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Enid gets woken up more harshly than usual. Brutally snatched out of a sweet dream. Her mumbling protests are ignored as she resists getting pulled from under her colorful covers. Wednesday has her up in some wrestling move so that if she doesn’t attempt to stand, prompted up on the smaller girl  she would end up awkwardly on the floor. And so she barely stands as the world seems to be spinning and her muscles weak.
She puts more effort to open her aching eyes and commandeer her dried out tongue after seeing the hour. "Weeends, stooop, it's early, nothing can be that urgent."
Wednesday instantly throws her back on the bed. Enid almost bounces off of it when landing.
Enid groans from her head spiking in pain. But closing eyes only makes restless anxiety in her muscles more apparent instead of providing any relief. She opens them and squints at her phone.
Not only is it early but classes also got canceled, with pack group chat she lurks in blowing up with relief about that announcement.
Why the heck would Wednesday wake her up then?
"Wends, we got no classes today." 
No answer. 
When she picks her head up the goth seems to be back in bed.
But her heartbeat hasn't slowed to nothing.
Enid groans getting up and makes her unbalanced shuffle to the dark side. "Wends, is something wrong?"
"I'm not answering any questions or touching you until I get my coffee," the pretty corpse says gravelly.
Enid’s eyebrows knit together. The seer has been mighty grumpy from her caffeine withdrawal but only got short with everyone but Enid because of it yesterday. 
This change is upsetting. More than the awful state Enid’s body is in for some reason.
Enid flinches at the ping sound notifying of Yoko's message.
' Yo, do u mayhaps know how to witness protect Kate from all the furs?'
Kate isn't really popular amongst werewolves but why would she need-
Enid blinks rapidly. 
Kate.
Dinner chaos.
Coffee deal. Enid lunges for her shoes and jumps out of the dorm still putting them on. Then bounces herself off from the balustrade to sprint back again for her wallet. 
She desperately needs to buy coffee the fastest she can. 
Coffee for a kiss. Another kiss. Oh Goddess Wednesday kissed her! And will kiss her again if she will get her an iced quad! 
Enid has to thunder back to their room again. She needs a way for the drink to survive a full speed run! Her hand hesitates for a beat over the black thermocup she gifted the goth.
"It's clean," Wednesday says, so Enid grabs it and tries to leave by the door one last time.
Before she realizes that jumping off their balcony will be much faster as she almost breaks their window.
None of the few seconds she spends in the air is spent on premature realization on how much absorbing the force of the landing will affect her headache. 
----
okay so apparently a one shot is now a two shot
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remikuii · 3 months
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are you leaving me too?
( ᪥ ) : hii this is my first time doing a request and of course, posting a twoshot. thank you for your wonderful idea @monikadreemurr, i really love it !! (i'm thinking of making this one a series but i'll stick w/ twoshots).
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characters : ranpo edogawa and reader (as his foster mother)
synopsis : everything's not fine for ranpo. everywhere he go, he finds his way out immediately. since the death of his parents, he was left alone with no one to rely on. his dad who's known as 'the clairvoyant' told him if anything were to happen, ranpo should go to yokohama and visit the police academy. throughout his journey, he secretly longed for love—an unconditional love of a mother who will give him hugs, praises and snacks to go throughout his lonely world.
warnings : nothing because it's all about baby ranpo :3 just wanna kiss him !!
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"Mr. Edogawa....GET UP FROM THE FLOOR, NOW!"
Just a typical day for Ranpo's Police Academy Instructor to go insane from his tantrum in the middle of the class. Ranpo Edogawa, a student of Yokohama's Police Academy who got admitted for merely 3 days already set fire on his name. Instructors fear the time he comes inside the classroom with his usual bored face. Ranpo will be making remarks about how the lesson can be so easy that even a baby could understand.
"Just quit your job and find something else! You and your lessons bore me out, it's nothing but a piece of cake!" Ranpo remarked with a pout on his face.
Oh, what about his classmates? They're humiliated. There jaws are down the floor with their tired stressed eyes opened wide. 'How could he find the l-lesson that e-easy...' they question that time to time.
"How dare you...—" The instructor raised his hand when someone clapped their hands gently, getting everyone's attention.
"Mr. Imoto, I'm afraid that's not how you give discipline, yes?" A lady with a [hair length] [hair color] hair, glimmering [skin color], navy colored uniform and a badge questioned.
"Ah! Miss [Last Name]! I-I didn't mean—Class, greetings!" The class eventually stood up, acknowledging the presence of the Police Academy Head Assistant, Miss [Your Name].
"Everything's noted, Mr. Imoto. Oh, and Mr. Ranpo, I'm impressed of how you find every difficult lessons quite easy for you to understand, yes? Yet, a talk will be waiting for you after—"
"Couldn't it be now? I can't handle this man anymore." Ranpo straightened his uniform and pointed his index finger to the instructor who's now raging.
"The director won't be too happy if I myself, will break a rule. Now, back to business." Looking back to Ranpo, you sent him a genuine smile and threw a candy to him mouthing 'that will last long enough until later'.
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After an hour of keeping his mouth shut to stop all the snarky comments he wants to throw to the instructor, Ranpo lazily gathered his things and left the room. He dig inside his pocket and found a lollipop that he bought maybe 2 months ago.
While walking, he heard a familiar voice yet far from the suiting voice he remembered. Their voice is firm and cold, as if it's ready to blow your whole dignity out with one word being spoken.
"Mr. Imoto, I don't want any excuses. Young Edogawa is a child, he has no one to rely on, this is the only place he could stay at for the moment. And as a Police Officer, should you act like this?"
Ranpo's steps halted. It's his first time to hear someone who cared about him this deep that despite the reality of him, crossing his limitations, you cared about his wellbeing.
"I...I do understand, Miss [Last Name], I deeply extend my apologies to the young boy."
'Miss [Last Name]? So, it's the head assistant..' Ranpo thought, placing the lollipop back to his pocket. Later on, multiple sounds of footsteps filled the hallway. In the end of it, there is Mr. Imoto alongside with you, his head hang low.
"Oh! Mr. Edogawa! I thought you have forgotten about the talk we're supposed to do." You let out a chuckle as she patted Mr. Imoto's back.
"Now, Mr. Imoto, what have we discussed...earlier?" You asked, a sinister smile creeping on your face.
"I—I, Mr. Edogawa...I would like to apologize a-about what I've done to you for the past 3 days...I..please forgive me..." Ranpo looked at you with a pout on his lips. 'Just like this? No sweets? Just apologies?' you shook your head and shrugged.
"No."
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"Mr. Edogawa..." You started, handing him a box filled with his favourite snacks. There are some sweets from the foreign country that caught his attention.
"Hmmm...[Your Name]-chan! They're yummy!" You're taken aback when he addressed you informally. Yet instead of finding it disrespectful, you found it cute and heartwarming.
You watched him eat the whole pack of candies and open another one—the whole box almost empty. You found a genuine happiness to his face, smile plastered on his face while he took in the sweetness of the food.
You found yourself connected to the boy despite of him merely staying for 3 days and almost kicking himself out already. You found him pure and angelic, a soul that no one would understand if they're not interested to do so. You discovered the feeling that you want to protect him when he's about to be hit by his instructor.
"Okay, so, back to business...Ranpo..Why is it you feel that everything's just boring for you?"
"Oh that? I feel like all of them are dumb like, you can see from that situation who did that and why but they're acting stupid...It...scares me."
"Why...Why does it scare you?" You took a sit across the young boy, interested to how he would respond.
"It's like, I'm the only one who could see the monster..the darkness. They're not able to see it, that's why they can't see the truth.." Ranpo sighed and put the bag of candy down.
"You want some red bean porridge?" You asked, trying to lighten up his mood. Ranpo shook his head but his stomach says otherwise.
"Uhh...[Your Name]-chan? How do you know I like red bean porridge?"
"Oh well, I'm used to visit you when you're 4, I'm around 11 there, I think? Whenever your parents are away, I will take care of you. They will have some note on the table saying 'Don't forget he loves to eat red bean porridge, we'll be back by the evening.' and you'll end up eating 10 bowls.." I laughed at the memory and took my car keys from my table.
"Come on now, I think it's a job well done for you to even reach 3 days here.. Let's get some dinner !!"
"Oh please, can we buy a red bean porridge with a sweet sweet sweet mochi~? The last time I ate one, the mochi wasn't sweet enough!"
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okayyy so, that's it for now..I feel sleepy. i don't even know how i wrote this haha, maybe will revise it later on.
take note : there's part 2~!
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d-romanov · 3 months
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float around and ghost my friends, part 2
[part one here]
1.4k words (this one’s a bit shorter, sorry!)
[ natasha x hydra!teen!reader ]
The morning after the party, you and your mom have an important conversation.
TWs: depression, underage drinking, past trauma and abuse
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When you wake up it feels like it takes hours. The crack in your curtains lets the sun hit directly in your eyes, making your head scream in even worse pain than it was. Your mouth and throat are so dry it hurts to swallow, but you think you’d rather die than get out of bed right now, so you burrow further into your pillow instead. You squeeze your eyes shut and attempt to hide from the sun, until you realize your pillow isnt a pillow and is, in fact, Natasha.
you already know pretending you’re still asleep is off the table, she’s a spy after all, but you don’t want to be the one to start the conversation this morning.
Is it morning?
You’re not sure the time but you’re sure as hell not opening your eyes to figure it out, your head is still pounding.
“y/n? You awake?” Despite how softly she speaks it sounds like a gunshot to your head, so instead of answering you hide your head with a groan. “Come on, bubs, let’s get you some painkillers.” She urges you to sit up and you do so sluggishly, it feels like your arms are made of lead when you bring them up to rub your bleary eyes. She reaches over for the glass on the side of your bed and drops a few pills into your hand.
You quickly take the pills and drain the cup in a few gulps, guess you didn’t realize how thirsty you were until the water hit your throat. Natasha takes the empty cup and you curl back into her, determined to sleep off the rest of the hangover and postpone your punishment for last night. Natasha’s not mad yet, and you want that to last as long as you can manage.
You feel her sigh as she pulls the blanket up to your chin. “Get some rest детка, i’ll be here when you wake up.” She says it like a promise, and you stop fighting sleep.
——
Natasha has seen you sick before, you’d had a bad head cold just a few months ago, and you tried to deny it the first two days. Natasha has never seen you like this, though. So small, fragile almost. More like a child now than she knew you’d been growing up. Most days you were attached at her hip, and she’d noticed it happening more recently, but you weren’t so open about it.
Last night, and even this morning however, were different. Very different. She’d never known you to be scared, or to let yourself be so vulnerable, and to be honest it scared her. The party was supposed to be good for you, but now Natasha was worried she’d brought back old habits from before.
Bringing you home was one thing, but the clinging and tears were out of character for you. She didn’t mind it, not at all, but the sudden shift gave her the impression something else was going on, something that wasn’t just the alcohol.
God, seeing you so upset and so out of it broke her heart, knowing she couldn’t take the pain away. You’re her kid, and she would do anything for you.
——
you wake up just a couple hours later, headache far more dull and with more energy than before. You hear a page in a book turn next to you and remember why you went back to sleep the first time. You’re careful not to move and to keep your breathing steady, you don’t want to be awake yet.
“I know you’re awake.” She says, and she’s still so quiet when she says it, but you can tell in her voice she’s upset. It’s not an angry-upset, but it’s enough that you’re practically holding your breath. She must’ve noticed you tense because she rubs your arm in a soothing manner. It helps.
“I’m not upset with you, okay? I just,” She pauses to breathe and you hear her book shut softly. “I just want to know what happened last night, and why you were drinking.”
You swallow thickly and try to ignore the burning in your eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, hey, there is nothing you need to apologize for, okay? I’m not mad at you i’m just worried about you. I want to make sure you’re okay.” You just keep your eyes forward, staring at the wall and not daring to look Natasha in the eyes because you know you'll just start crying and you wont be able to stop.
“I just wanted to feel normal for once. I-“ You suck in a sharp breath, willing yourself to just get the damn words out. “I wanted to feel like a real kid who gets to just have fun an-and not care about shit and get triggered by someone talking too loud or something breaking or-“ You sniff, “Or be someone who can actually sleep through the night on their own! I can’t even fucking do that!” You sit up with your face in your hands and tug at your hair roughly . “I cant just be friends with people i need to be sure they’re not gonna fucking give me back to-“
Natasha pulls you into her arms and you just break. Your hands leave your head and cling to the back of her night shirt instead while you sob into her shoulder. And she just holds you and rocks you back and forth. She just holds you so tight and it feels like she’ll never let you go, the kind of hold you’ve needed for a long time.
“I-, ah fuck i’m- im sorry,” You don’t fully know why you’re apologizing, just that it feels like you should. You pull away from her but she holds your arms to keep you from fully separating. “I didn’t meant to-to fall apart like that i just,” You look down and squeeze your eyes shut.
Natasha brings her hands up to swipe the tears from your cheeks. “No, bubs you don’t have to apologize. You never have to apologize for having these feelings, okay? If you need to vent or cry or just need me to be here i will. I always, always will, okay?” You look her in the eyes and nod as your body finally calms down, you feel well and truly loved.
You fall back into her, relishing in the warmth her arms give you. You’re comfortable for a while, just sitting together, and Natasha speaks again.
“I hate to ask but, what made you think that alcohol was going to help?” You sigh heavily and lean farther into her. You’re not worried anymore, at least not as much as when you woke up, but that didn’t make it easier to talk about.
“When i was-, when i was There it was the only thing i had to make the pain stop.” You pause and Natasha squeezes you again, urging you to continue. “It’s not like they were really planning to give me anything that would actually help, just shitty drinks to make me shut up.”
Talking about your time with Hydra would never be easy, but Natasha was keeping you grounded. You couldn’t keep the anger out of your voice but you decided a long time ago you really didn’t care. That place was hell.
Natasha takes an exaggerated breath in and out and you copy it, calming your racing heart. “I know the feeling, the Red Room had a similar system.” She rubs your back soothingly, “You haven’t had any drinks at the tower, have you?”
You quickly shake your head. “No, no i never liked it, i was just so tired of everything last night.” You swallow around the lump building in your throat again. “I haven’t been sleeping well for a while.”
“How long is awhile?”
You shrug, Natasha holds you tighter.
“Прости, мама.” (“I’m sorry, mama.”)
“Все в порядке, дорогая. Спасибо, что сказали мне.(“It’s alright dear. Thank you for telling me.”) Tell you what,” Natasha pulls out her phone to check the time. “Why don’t we run and grab some lunch and watch a movie? Your pick.”
You smile and pull away to stretch your back. “Can we grab something from that pizza place on the other block?”
“Pizza sounds great.”
fin.
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nichenarratives · 7 months
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A Doggone Shame: Part 1
An Obscure Oneshot
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Inspiration art by Tracy J Butler
It's a rarity Mordecai finds himself home before sunrise, so it is with great delight he's enjoying some time to himself that fine autumn evening in 1926. He'd made dinner - a warming and nostalgic Matzo ball soup, with enough for tomorrow - had a shower, made a hot cup of tea and had just settled into his favourite armchair to continue reading Soldier's Pay by William Faulkner when there's a hurried, desperate knock on his apartment door.
The monochrome tom glances up, stilled in place with book in hand and cup halfway to his lips. He's not expecting to be bothered. The Lackadaisy would still be in full swing, which would keep most everyone Mordecai knows occupied until gone three tomorrow morning. It's possible Atlas has sent someone to fetch him at the last minute, but Viktor would not knock so gently, nor not announce himself.
Another knock, this one faster, more urgent. Mordecai sets his teacup down on its saucer and closes the book without saving the page, placing it on the chair. Slippered steps are silent as he crosses the room, habitually drawing a pistol from within his dressing gown on the way. He's tense as he presses his body to the wall beside the door - not the wood, as it's too flimsy - and cranes his neck to peer through the peephole, expecting at least an enemy.
Familiar large, yellow eyes framed by a deep brown bob cut stare back. The black feline sighs, though he's unsure if it is out of relief or vexation, and slips his pistol away. Taking a breath, he composes himself once more before answering the door. "Miss Pepp-Urgh!"
There had been more to his greeting, some formalities and an honest query for her visit, but Mordecai can't help but recoil when he sees what Ivy holds; a mangy animal, beady black eyes and nose standing in sharp contrast to scruffy, white fur. The creature is small enough to fit in an austere lady's handbag, sharp, unkempt claws loosely grasping Ivy's sleeve as its ratty tail swings uselessly between its legs. 
A dog, he realises with disdain, scrunching his nose at the scent of slobber and damp fur. He takes a step back into his apartment and half-closes the door between them, as if the partial physical barrier might make it less revolting. Sadly, it does little. "Miss Pepper," he tries again, forgoing formality for precision. "Why is that… thing, outside my apartment?"
The girl puffs out her cheeks. "He's not a thing, he's a dog!"
Mordecai scowls at the creature, which seems to find joy in his discomfort; the thing wags its tail more intensely and in a fit of excitement, begins to squeak and struggle in Ivy's arms until unable to get free, begins frantically licking her chin. Ivy giggles and tries to block the slobbering tongue lashes with a hand, with very limited success. "Isn't he cute? I found him running about on campus, no collar or anything. He might be a stray!"
The very prospect of being slathered with dog germs makes Mordecai feel nauseous. He has no idea why anyone would willingly cohabit with such a beast, let alone allow it to share its microbiome so recklessly. Ivy has also pointedly avoided his questions. "If it's a stray," he asks carefully, choosing his words to evoke an accurate response. "Why bring it here? Why not transport the infernal thing straight to the pound-"
Ivy gasps and foregoes protecting her face from more licks to pointlessly cover the animal's ears with her free arm and hand. "Mordecai," she admonishes through grit teeth, yellow eyes wide and judgemental. "You can't be serious? They put strays down in the pound." She uncovers the dog's ears and snuggles him close, trapping its head under her chin. "I'm going to keep him! I just have to convince someone he'll be a great addition to the cafe!"
"Wonderful," the tuxedo tom cat answers flatly, ears laying flat and eyes narrowed with resignation. He doesn't want to run into this animal again, certainly not at his place of work. Unfortunately, given their unique brand of relationship, explaining as such would only encourage Miss May to keep the thing. He'll just have to pretend not to care. Starting now. "If that's all you wished to discuss, my tea is going cold. Good evening."
"Actually," the student interjects, even pressing a boot into the space between the door and frame before it can close, bringing the dog even closer while doing so. It's difficult for Mordecai not to hiss in discomfort at the renewed proximity. "I was hoping to ask a favour."
Green eyes fixed on the mongrel within inches of his pristine home, the statement snaps his gaze to wide, hopeful yellows. Ivy looks almost as pitiful as the animal she carries, gazing up at the man her Godfather would take everywhere like his personal shadow, batting her eyelashes and offering the soft smile that always works on Viktor.
He doesn't need to hear her question. "No."
"Come on, please?" The university student begs. Apparently still oblivious to his aversion, she holds it at arm's length towards Mordecai, forcing them within an inch of each other. Its tongue lolls absently, eyes devoid of intelligent thought, and its breath is faintly tainted with an unidentifiable stench. Mordecai grimaces. "It's just one night, and Atlas is so small! He won't get in the way or anything!"
Gingerly pushing her arms - and by extension, the dog - back into the hall, Mordecai snorts humourlessly. "Naming it after my employer does not garner additional sympathy for its wretched existence," the sharpshooter responds flatly. He feels like he needs another shower just being in the same building as the creature. "What on Earth led you to believe I would willingly shelter this creature at all?"
Her mouth twisting and brows knitting together, Ivy looks away. "Actually, I… you're kinda my last choice," she admits, holding Atlas tightly as he begins to whine and squirm anew. A few gentle pets calm him down, but her eyes water when their gazes lock once more."We're not allowed to keep pets in the dorms, so I asked Viktor and Freckle and even Miss May already if he could stay, but they were all yoo busy to talk tonight. I just need time to convince someone to keep him for a night or two while I convince Atlas to keep him. Please?"
Factoring in his own sacrifices and discomforts, Mordecai can see two possible outcomes to this request. First, he can refuse to assist and force her to take the dog to the pound. While this option would make his evening more pleasant, it could also incur negative affiliations with his character, of which he already has plenty. While unbothered by their perceptions, Atlas would likely find fault, something Mordecai does care to incur.
Alternatively, he could agree to house the glorified rat for a night or two, bolster his social standing with the few people he cares for the opinions of - namely, Atlas and Viktor, who are both fond of Miss Pepper - and garner appreciation from Ivy. Factoring in time to feed and clean up after the dog, it's a substantial and exhaustive alternative, but the potential benefits could outweigh the short-term detriments.
Despite the logical analysis, Mordecai feels like he's making a mistake when he sighs and opens his door wider again. "It can stay in the bathroom tonight," he concedes, but raises a stilling palm when Ivy begins to vibrate with excitement on the threshold. "A single night, Miss Pepper. I don't have the time nor patience to coddle the mongrel beyond that."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The young feline speaks as she steps inside, bouncing on her heels as she heads for the bathroom backwards, so she can continue talking to her newest benefactor as she goes. "I'll bring him some food in the morning and go straight to Miss May to talk about Atlas after! I promise, you won't even know he's here! We just have to set him up with some old blankets for a bed."
Dark ears fold back, already regretting his decision. He'd not considered the messier components of a dog staying in his apartment, having assumed it would sleep on the tiles. "I do not own any old blankets; they are of the finest-"
"That's okay, he won't mind!" Ivy deposits the small bundle of problems onto the tiled bathroom floor and pivots straight to the airing cupboard, opening it up and extracting a slew of pristine, carefully folded sheets. To the tuxedo's horror - and before he can object - said sheets are dumped onto the likely bacteria-ridden tiled floor next to the toilet. "There! It's perfect! Now, some newspapers."
Mordecai has yet to recover from his dirtied sheets, hackles raised and tail fluffed when he dares to ask as Ivy retreats into the living area: "Newspapers?"
"Of course!" She yells from the next room, a sifting of paper as she rifles through his magazine rack. Mordecai stares at the little dog sniffing around his bathroom and the bundle of sheets with great interest. Its nose creates an obnoxious, displeasing snort with every breath, like a wheezing vacuum cleaner in dire need of a filter change. "In case he needs to go potty!"
Ivy reappears with an arm full of old broadsheets just as this new information clicks into place. The tom turns on her with a sharpness that could dislocate a lesser man's neck, his disgust evident on his usually carefully modulated muzzle. "Potty-? No, he is not… relieving himself in my bathroom. He will have to refrain until morning."
The black feline glances back to see Atlas is making himself at home in his borrowed sheets, climbing all over them while his nose works overtime. Mordecai shudders, deciding that once this ordeal is over with, he'll burn them, just to be sure whatever contaminants the beast left behind are dealt with. Ivy seems less concerned as she kneels down and sets out a number of sheets of paper. "He's a dog, not a person. He can't just hold it until you take him out."
Sitting back on her haunches, the university student studies her handiwork with a look of satisfaction. "There!" She says, leaning over to scratch behind a flopping ear. Atlas tilts his head slightly into the attention and begins jerkily twitching a back leg, his tongue lolling stupidly from his drooling maw. Ivy giggles. "You're all set, little guy! Now, be good for Uncle Mordecai, okay. Of course you will! Yes, you will!"
Mordecai watches the pair exchange idiocies with a sense of dread. He feels foolish, for being so shortsighted with his expectations. What had seemed to be a simple favour has already evolved into discomfort in his own home. The oddly overly-affectionate farewell Ivy offers the dog only intensifies those feelings, though he can't pinpoint a distinct emotion to associate it with as she kisses it's revolting head and stands back up.
"Thank you so much!" She reiterates as she turns back to the older feline lingering in the bathroom doorway. To both his surprise and relief, Ivy seems to step toward him for a hug, only to reconsider and falter at the last moment. An awkward second of silence passes before she clears her throat and edges around him, towards the front door. "I really mean it. Thank you! You saved that dog's life, Mr Heller. I'll make sure Atlas knows what a good man you are! See you tomorrow!"
She lets herself out, and Mordecai finds himself alone with a panting mongrel, the warm scents of saliva and dog seeping into the air as they stare each other down. The tuxedo tom cat wrinkles his nose, takes a step back into the living room and closes the bathroom door with care, eliminating the new problem from his peaceful evening. One night, he reassures himself as settled back into his chair, book in hand and a sip of lukewarm tea, trying to relax. How difficult can a dog be?
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fuckyeahdindjarin · 10 months
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Fuck Yeah Shorts
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Welcome to my collection of short fics, including one-shots, two-parters and other limited series. Please read tags and warnings listed under each series and chapter before reading.
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JOEL MILLER
Butter
Possible two-shot | baker! F!reader | no outbreak AU | moodboard
What if Joel doesn't forget to buy himself a cake for his birthday? But by the time he remembers, all the bakeries in his neighbourhood are closed - except yours.
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FRANKIE MORALES
Grays (complete)
Rated E | two-shot | hairstylist! F!reader | includes collection of drabble requests set in Grays universe
Frankie wants you to cover up his grays. You want to knock some sense into his salt-and-pepper head.
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JAVIER PEÑA
Letterman Jacket (complete)
E 🔞 | PWP oneshot | DEA Legal Counsel!F!reader
Tensions come to a head between you and Javier on the private jet back to Bogotá after a long, frustrating day. Or rather - after six long, frustrating years of bad blood.
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DIN DJARIN
It Would Be (complete)
Rated T | two-shot | angst and yearning galore | F!reader
‘It would be easier if you just married him’.
MAIN MASTERLIST
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mollywog · 3 months
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Fated
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Part 1 | Part 2 - Chosen
The door to the stable thuds against the opposite wall and Peeta looks up from his task wearily, before dropping his head back to his work unphased, “Here to finish me off sweetheart?”
It’s been a turbulent month of searching for him; day after day, trying to hold on to hope, but preparing for the worst. Finally seeing him alive in the flesh, she’s filled with a mixture of relief and joy. Unfortunately his flippant greeting also sparks her anger. She crosses the room in three strides, palms slamming into his chest. Caught off guard, he loses balance and tumbles to the ground.
She immediately regrets it.
“What was that for?” He glowers up at her, before standing. Brushing himself off, he winces at the fresh cuts on his hands. She reaches out to inspect his injury, but he yanks his hands out of her reach, “No thanks, I think you’ve done enough. Why are you even here Katniss?”
“I came to find you.”
His brow darts up momentarily, before furrowing, “why? I came to the Capital specifically because Haymitch always said he wouldn’t be caught dead here.”
“So you can imagine what a delight he’s been,” she snarks.
“Well I didn’t ask either of you to come!”
She throws her hands up, “how would we know that, Peeta? You just left! We didn’t know what had happened to you: if you were murdered or abducted.” None of this is going as she’d imagined. Her daydreams of their reunion consisted mainly of kissing and very little speaking, let alone yelling.
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bloodydragam · 22 days
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In the recordings, Johnny was playing guitar and singing Blistering Love, the show having some 5 minutes left. There was a little pause before the final song, where some parts of the amusement park were shown, some fans shared their experience, and the band was shown taking a breather before the final song. V was lost seeing the recording, which made him laugh.
“You know you have the real thing here, don’t you?” he said while poking at her ribs, and making her jump a bit.
“I know, I know!” she said, “but I always wanted to see a concert of yours live!” she admitted as she kept watching the recording.
“You can see it, but we will be having a lot of things to do there.”
V looked at him with a warm gaze. “What will you want to do first?”
Johnny shrugged, as if he hadn’t been planning things to do with V for days. “First, let’s see if this thing actually works.”
V eyed him as she didn’t believe in his disinterest, looking at him with a playful smile. “Okay, whatever you say.”
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My contribution to the @silverv-week for the amusement park prompt!
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bunny-hoodlum · 1 month
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Friends Helping Friends, Part 1 of 2
NaruHina smut with fwb NaruSaku and Naruto & Sakura friendship feels and future implied threesome
Summary: Sakura helps Hinata get dicked down in the stupidest way possible. It still works.
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lavendercrow136 · 2 months
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https://www.tumblr.com/lavendercrow136/739111955231555584/tell-me-this-isnt-goodbye-love-trigger-warning
LINK FOR PART 1 ABOVE
Tell me this isn't goodbye love (part 2)
"I-I'm pregnant"
I repeated searching Larissa’s face for any form of reaction. She immediately reached forward and pulled me into her arms repeatedly kissing my temple, she smiled tears in her eyes.
"How long have you known?"
I smiled softly,
"Long enough to be clear of the danger zone, twelve weeks"
Larissa gasped shock evident on her face,
"And you didn't tell me y/n?"
I smiled tearfully,
"Well at first I didn't want to tell you incase I miscarried the baby and then well I couldn't because ...because you were gone"
Larissa kissed me again trying to cheer me up, she eyed my body, and looked at my stomach nervously licking her lips.Her hands that wrested on my hips twitched,
"Go ahead darling, I don't know if you'll feel the baby yet. I don't know if our little one is awake"
Larissa smiled softly, I loved how gentle she was and how she had patiently waited for permission knowing how I felt about anyone touching my stomach. She gently placed her hand on my tummy and felt around for our little one, she frowned and I kissed her lip.
"Have you felt anything yet?"
I smiled kissing her cheek,
"Other then tired and violently ill Darling, no, no little kicks or feet prodding me"
Larissa nodded her head in understanding,
"And how do you feel now?"
I shook my head,
"Fine for now, but then again I have not eaten today because I was upset about you being gone"
Larissa frowned slightly,
"Well we need to feed you and our child, you need to take your supplements and you need to wrest. What are you craving love? I can cook you something"
I smiled, and pat her hand,
"Darling you don't have -"
Larissa gave me a look that shut me down and silenced that thought immediately,
"I have been craving one of your grilled cheeses, and fries a lot...I tried to make one the other day and it didn't go well"
I giggled slightly,and Larissa smiled propping up pillows underneath my back to support me and pulling the blanket over me. She passed me my vitamins and a water, and handed me the TV remote.
"Alright one cheese toastie and fries coming up"
I flipped through Netflix and settled on a documentary, it instantly put me to sleep.
Thirty minutes later Larissa returned with my food.Her voice was a sing song melody, she kissed my cheek and I awoke smiling.
"Darling wake up I have your lunch"
I sat up and smiled taking the plate, she had one for herself, I inhaled the aroma of the food and it made my mouth water.
It was a ham and cheese Dutch style grilled toastie, with freshly made sweet potatoe French fries and a cup of ranch to dip them. I smiled and took a bite of the food humming my approval, when it was gone. Larissa smiled,
"Darling you were so hungry you inhaled it, when was the last time you had a proper meal?"
I shook my head,
"I don't think you would be very happy with me if I answered that, and you will only feel guilty, so I'd rather I didn't tell you"
Larissa nodded in agreement,
"Alright, that's fair. But when I cook for you now, you need to eat, and have you begun putting together a nursery yet?"
I shook my head, Larissa smiled,
"Good, I was about to scold you for doing all that labor if you had"
I laughed,
"We can build it together, and look at some of the supplies online"
I smiled, this is what I loved about my wife. Already so excited and helpful and supportive. She caught me staring and smiled,
"What is it love?"
I smiled crawling over to her, and wresting my head in her lap,
"I love you darling"
Larissa smiled and kissed me, pulling out her lap top. She had a shopping trip to plan, and I desperately needed a nap, emotionally exhausted from the events of the day. I awoke four hours later, in a rush to the toilet, and lurched into the bowl.
Larissa rushed in shortly after, and immediately held my hair up gently rubbing my back,
"That's it darling let it all out"
I shook my head,
"Rissa please don't look at me like this"
She obeyed my request looking away. When I had finished she helped me to the sink, and I brushed my teeth. I looked in the mirror and cried, my breasts were tender, my stomach swollen with the signs of a growing bump and no matter how much I slept I was perpetually exhausted and had ever present eye bags like Yzma from the Emperors New Groove.
She held me while I assessed myself in the mirror, I looked away from myself, and she took notice.
"Darling you were grieving up until today and you are pregnant growing a human is hardwork don't look down on your appearance for that, please, you're beautiful"
I smiled feeling teary eyed, she kissed me and any negative feelings or thoughts of self doubt melted away. She helped me back to our shared bed, and retrieved some of my comfier fall clothing from the closet. She grabbed me an oversized sweater and a pair of maternity wear jeans, fresh socks and my memory foam combat boots. She dressed me and braided my long brown hair back in a Dutch braid, she smiled and kissed my cheek.
She shape shifted into a man with the same blonde hair and her eyes.
"Time to go nursery shopping darling"
I nodded, I understood why Larissa had to shift but still it made me a little sad. She guided me to the car and sat me in the passenger seat buckling me up. She drove us to the mall, when we arrived she extended her arm to me and I took it as we made our way inside, she immediately took me to target.
We looked over the cribs and diaper station, she found a crib we both adored, and the diaper changing station that matched. She wrote down the upc codes for both, we added a diaper genie to our cart, and a few other items. We looked at the clothes and I smiled,
"What gender are you hoping the baby is darling?"
Larissa smiled in her shifted form, her voice coming out a low rasp,
"A boy darling, I would love a boy or a girl really"
I smiled,
"As long as they are healthy"
Larissa nodded, we grabbed all the Infant essentials, a car seat a stroller, all of the stuff necessary that most mothers had parties for.
We paid and we had them load the crib and diaper station in the car for us, I sat in the front seat. As Larissa loaded the wrest of our stuff, once we were alone she kissed my cheek.
"I love you darling"
She whispered, I smiled,
"I love you too"
She drove us to the hardware store and we picked out some paint and a carpet, and some other decorations for the babies room. When we were almost home we stopped at the Weathervane, Larissa was still in her shifted form, Enid and Wednesday approached me hesitantly.
"How are you feeling Ms. Weems?"
I smiled sadly,
"I'm alright girls, how are you?"
Wednesday eyed Larissa curiously, Enid spoke for them,
"We are fine, we really miss Principal Weems though"
Larissa stiffened and tapped her wrist watch three times, I sighed,
"Yes, Cedric I know you can't be late to the airport"
We said our goodbyes with the girls and made our way to the counter picking up some chocolate croissants and hot chocolate. Once in the car we drove home, Larissa had me sit inside while she did all the labor carrying everything inside.
"Please let me help darling. I'm not useless"
Larissa shook her head,
"No, lifting heavy objects or hunching over infuriating assembly instructions"
I nodded my head in an act of submission and napped on the couch. Larissa set to work on the nursery, and I awoke to the feeling of Oscar snuggling my stomach, I scooped him up and kissed his head, he purred. Larissa was in the kitchen washing her hands, she was wearing a pair of paint covered overalls,
"Ready darling?"
I nodded biting my lip, as she lead me upstairs to our nursery. The door was held shut,
"Close your eyes love"
I closed my eyes and she guided me into the room to the chair we had purchased for when I breast fed or we rocked the baby back to sleep.
"You can open them now darling"
I opened my eyes to see an Efteling themed nursery, we had honeymooned in the Netherlands and had both fallen in love with the amusement park.
I cried softly,
"It's perfect darling, you are amazing"
Larissa smiled and kissed me comforting me, she lay her hands on my stomach and spoke softly to my tummy.
"This is your new room little one, this is where you'll sleep and grow, and your mommy's will dote on you and love you forever and always are baby you'll be"
She kissed my stomach and then kissed me again, her eyes widened,
"Oh."
I smiled softly a teary eyed chuckle escaping me, then it happened again.
"Oh, hello, yes I'm your mommy too please be good to your mommy and try not to kick her too hard. We both love you so much already little one"
I let her interact with our baby, my hands resting on the small bump just out of Larissa’s way.
"I love you Larissa Weems, I wouldn't want to do this, with anyone but you"
She kissed my lips passionately before carrying me to bed and holding me her hands wrested on my tummy, I traced soothing circles on the back of her hand and we drifted off to sleep.
That was part two I hope you enjoyed, if you want more next time I'll add more.
@o1iviac1aire @barbarasstar
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foundtherightwords · 4 months
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Headlights on Dark Roads - Chapter 1
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Pairing: Eddie x Chrissy (No Vecna/No Upside Down AU)
Summary: Eddie and Chrissy are in a relationship, having reconnected after they both moved back to Hawkins. However, Laura's disapproval still looms over them, and when Eddie has an opportunity to reunite and revive Corroded Coffin, Chrissy has to make a difficult choice between going with him to LA and staying in Hawkins to take care of her ailing mother.
A/N: So this is a soft continuation of my one-shot "Same Streets, New Memories". I tried to make it possible to read this as a standalone, but it would probably help with understanding some of the context if you read "SSNM" first. Also, be warned: this doesn't have a happy ending. I'm so sorry :((
Warnings: angst (oh so much angst), abuse (Laura Cunningham is her own warning), implied/mentions of ED, implied/mentions of homophobia, some smut (non-explicit)
Chapter word count: 4.7k
Chapter 1
"Eddie, wake up," Chrissy whispered, her lips brushing Eddie's ear as she leaned closer to him. In response, Eddie groaned and buried his head deeper into the pillow. Chrissy smiled. Eddie always reverted to being a kid when it came to waking up. "I brought breakfast," she said. "Or lunch." She still wasn't quite sure what to call it. It was usually Eddie's first meal of the day after he got off his shift at the Hideout, which made it breakfast, but it was also eaten around one or two in the afternoon, which made it lunch.
"I don't want breakfast. Or lunch," Eddie grumbled. He grabbed her waist and pulled her down on the bed, before rolling on top and planning a sleepy kiss on her lips. "I want this."
"Come on, let's get up and eat. I have practice this afternoon."
"Call in sick." The kiss was getting decidedly less sleepy now.
Chrissy laughed in mock outrage. "I can't, I'm the coach!"
"All right then, Coach Cunningham." Eddie lifted his head, his eyes twinkling. "What time's practice?"
"3:15."
He glanced at the alarm clock by the bedside table and grinned, the playful Munson grin that never failed to melt Chrissy's heart. "Plenty of time," he said, and kissed her again. This time, she kissed him back, luxuriating in the feel of his mouth against hers, of her hands in his hair.
When they finally sat down to the burrito wraps that had gone cold, Eddie said, "I have the day off. Do you want to grab dinner later and come back here to watch Fellowship?"
"Again?" Chrissy had enjoyed the movie when Eddie first showed it to her, though she didn't find the prospect of sitting on her butt for nearly three hours that appealing. From then on, whenever Eddie wanted to rewatch it, which was constantly, her stipulation was that they added at least one bathroom break.
"I'm going to watch it once a week until Two Towers comes out."
Chrissy shook her head affectionately. "I do believe you're going to break that tape."
"No, it's the extended version! Come on, I won't even be mad if you fall asleep—again."
It was hard to escape his enthusiasm.
"OK, but I can't stay. I have to drive my mom to physical therapy tomorrow," she said. Ever since Eddie moved into this apartment, she'd only stayed overnight a handful of times, always arriving after putting her mother to bed and coming back before she woke. After her stroke, Laura could still move about with the use of a walker and a wheelchair, but she would know if Chrissy wasn't there and would complain about being left on her own.
Eddie's face fell, but quickly brightened up again. "Guess who I ran into at Guitar Center the other day?"
When Eddie took that second job teaching guitar at the music store in Bloomington, he'd joked "Those that can't do, teach." He was so cheerful these days that he often made jokes like that, and Chrissy's heart swelled again when she remembered how he had been when they first ran into each other—so beaten-down and bitter, compared to how he was now.
"Who?" she asked, nibbling on a tortilla chip.
"Gareth, looking for a hi-hat! He said I've inspired him to get back into drumming. Can't imagine why, after all the horrible stories I told him about our gigs back West." Eddie was being flippant, but Chrissy could see from his sparkling eyes that he was happy for his friend.
"I bet his wife loves that," she said with a grin.
"She does, that's the thing! Their kid loves it too! So every weekend, Gareth would just take the kid into the garage and bang away on the drums while Nicole has time to herself. Win-win."
"That's great."
"I was telling him, if we can get Jeff and Grant to come home for Christmas, maybe we'll have a Corroded Coffin reunion show at the Hideout."
"Oh, could you?" Chrissy squealed. "That means I'll finally be able to see you guys live!"
"And that'll be incentive enough for me," Eddie said, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand.
He finished his wrap and pushed the other one toward her. Chrissy's stomach flipped on reflex, the old queasiness whenever someone asked her to eat rearing its head again.
"Oh, I'm already full from the chips and salsa," she said automatically.
A crease of worry appeared between Eddie's eyes, but it only lasted for an instant. "I can't possibly eat all of that though," he said, pulling the burrito back. "Half?"
"...OK."
Chrissy took her half of the wrap. Eddie scarfed his half down, confirming her guess that he'd lied about not being able to eat the whole thing. But this was the one lie from him that she would always forgive. She and Eddie had never discussed her problem with eating, though she suspected he had already guessed from the way she pushed her food around the plate whenever they dined out together, from the way she was always bringing food to his place but never seemed to want to eat any of it herself. He never pressed her about it, but would always say he wanted to try this or that dish and ask her to share with him. She knew it was his subtle way of getting her to eat a little bit more, and was grateful for it. For him.
Once done, Eddie cleaned up the wrappers from the kitchen table, went to the couch, and picked up his guitar.
"Is that a new song?" Chrissy asked between bites, as he strummed through the first few chords.
"Not really. I started it a while ago. The day we ran into each other in the woods, remember?"
How could she forget?
"I can't figure it part out." He played some more, humming along, and shook his head irritably.
"I think it sounds great."
"You think all of my songs sound great," Eddie said, but he looked pleased.
Chrissy finished her burrito and got up to wash her hands. "By the way, what are you and Wayne doing for Thanksgiving?" Eddie's comment about Christmas had reminded her.
"I'm not sure," he replied, jotting down some notes. "Usually one of his buddies from the plant would invite us to their house, or we'll just have a symbolic turkey sandwich."
"Turkey sandwich?!" Chrissy exclaimed. "That's a crime!"
Eddie laughed. "It doesn't make sense to have a big feast with just the two of us," he said, and proceeded to tell her about the year when, determined to give Eddie a proper Thanksgiving, Wayne had bought a turkey, attempted to deep-fry it, and almost burned their trailer down.
After Chrissy had wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and gotten her breath back, she said, "Would you two like to come to dinner with me and my mom then?"
She tried to say it lightly, but apparently, she'd failed, because Eddie stopped strumming the guitar and looked up at her. "Are we at the meet-the-parent stage already?" His eyes were laughing, but there was a breathless quality to his voice that matched how she was feeling.
They had been together for nearly eight months, eight wonderful, glorious months, since that day they ran into each other in the woods behind Hawkins High, of all places. If Chrissy had been superstitious, she would've said it felt like fate.
She hadn't even meant to ask Eddie out. She'd invited him to a basketball game only to catch up but hadn't expected him to actually show. But he had, and when she saw him lingering at the gym's entrance, looking out of place amongst the suburban parents with his long hair and leather jacket, a bubble of warmth had burst in her chest. After the game, they'd gone to the Hideout, where they'd just talked and talked and talked, about everything and nothing, and when she dropped him off at his trailer later that night, she'd leaned over to finish the kiss she'd started way back in '86, and that had cinched it.
Even now, eight months later, that warm bubble still expanded through her whenever she looked at him. Sometimes, she would be kicking herself for running from him all those years ago. But then again, Chrissy was a firm believer in timing. If they had gotten together back then, back when they were too young and fragile to handle this, it would've ended in disaster, or worse, they would have drifted apart and become strangers, just another face in the crowd.
Still, it would have been nice if they could have met a little sooner.
"I've met Wayne," she reminded Eddie.
"Yeah, but—that's different. He's known about us from the beginning." The easy way he said us set her heart fluttering. "Your mom, on the other hand—"
He was right to worry. Chrissy knew her mom suspected she was seeing someone, and she was thankful that since the stroke, Laura hadn't gone out much and therefore was no longer familiar with the rumor mill of Hawkins, or else she would have found out the truth and thrown a fit. The only boyfriend of Chrissy's that Laura had ever approved of was Jason, and she still nagged Chrissy about breaking up with him, although it had been nearly seventeen years and Jason was now happily married.
"Look, if your mom doesn't want me and Wayne there, you don't have to invite us."
"She just has to accept that I'm a grown-up now and can be with whoever I want," Chrissy said, sounding more confident than she felt. "She's lucky I'm bringing you home at all."
"Wow, I'm honored." Eddie was still teasing, but his eyes were soft.
"I'm serious. I've never—"
She trailed off. What she'd wanted to say was, I've never been so sure of anything in my life. Or anyone. But she was afraid of coming on too strongly.
She hadn't been sure of any of her exes. Jason... they'd gone out because she'd felt it was expected of her, the head cheerleader and the captain of the basketball team. God, could I be any more superficial? Her exes in college and after were the same, people she dated because she thought she was supposed to be dating, or because she wanted to defy her mother. She hadn't even been sure of her ex-husband. She'd married him only to get away from Hawkins, away from her mother.
But Eddie, Eddie was different. Even back in high school, when she had been on the verge of shattering under a thousand different pressures—pressure from her mom, from Jason, from school, from college, from her friends, pressure to be perfect, to maintain the façade of the Queen of Hawkins High—within five minutes, Eddie had managed to put her back together without even knowing what was bothering her. He'd only seen that she was bothered and had done everything he could to cheer her up.
Yes, even back then, Chrissy had known she would be safe with Eddie, and she knew it even more strongly now. She could see his affection in everything he did, from little things like sharing his food or calling her in the morning even though he just got off work and should be in bed (though, to be fair, she'd had to pester him to get a cell phone), to big things like moving into this apartment.
When he first got the apartment, Eddie had insisted that he didn't want to mooch off Wayne any longer ("Plus, have you seen his cooking? I got a heart murmur just looking at it!"), and that they needed a place for themselves. It was true that, after a month or so into their relationship—Chrissy had never considered that they were simply "dating"; from the first moment, it had felt like a serious relationship—things had gotten rather awkward after several heavy make-out sessions in her car, when both had bumped their heads on the ceiling and against the window.
"We can't go back to my trailer, Wayne's home," Eddie had said, burying his face in her bare shoulder.
"And my mom's home too."
They had giggled together then, feeling ridiculous that they were forced to sneak around like two teenagers. Despite the illicit thrill of it all, it had become apparent that they needed some privacy. So Eddie had found a cheap studio apartment in town. Chrissy had helped him move in and bought all the little things to make it homey, like the throw blanket on the couch to the little potted plants on the window sills that Eddie had promised to keep alive but was likely to forget, so she made sure to water them whenever she stopped by. And one day, when she'd come to him sobbing from a particularly bad fight with her mother, he'd given her the spare key. Just like with everything, Eddie saw what she needed without having to ask.
Now he was looking at her with those knowing, loving eyes, and Chrissy realized she didn't have to say anything at all.
"We can always have Thanksgiving here, or at the trailer," he said. "Just the three of us."
"I can't leave my mom alone on Thanksgiving!" Chrissy protested. "Look, if you don't want to come—"
Eddie watched her fidget with her fingers, and an impish smile peeped out at the corner of his lips. "OK, we'll be there," he said, "if your mom promises not to call a priest to have the house blessed."
"Only if Wayne promises not to organize an exorcism for her," she shot back with a smile of her own. He laughed and pulled her into his lap.
"I meant it about having Thanksgiving with me and Wayne though," he said, more gently. "If you feel like getting out of the house."
"I know." Chrissy leaned in to meet his lips, her worries vanishing in the warmth of his kiss.
***
Only with Eddie's assurance like a talisman in her heart that Chrissy felt she had the strength to breach the subject of Thanksgiving to her mother.
"I'm inviting some people over for Thanksgiving, is that OK?" she asked the next day, while they were on their way to the physical therapy center.
"Who?" Laura asked suspiciously. "Not Ryan and that—that—"
"Nate, mom, his name's Nate," Chrissy said.
"I don't want to hear his name!" Laura screeched.
Ten years ago, her younger brother, Ryan, had come out to their parents before he'd left for college. They'd cut him off immediately. Ryan had confided in Chrissy before that, but as she was in Chicago at the time, struggling to find a job after dropping out of nursing school, she couldn't do much to help. She'd only learned of the falling-out much later, when Ryan called to let her know he'd moved to Toronto with his boyfriend, Nate. Ryan hadn't even come home for their father's funeral. She still kept in touch with him with the occasional emails and phone calls, but to Laura, he might as well be dead.
"No, it's not Ryan," Chrissy continued, ignoring Laura's hysterics. "This is—someone from high school."
"Not Jason?!" Laura immediately forgot her erstwhile prodigal son and looked so excited that Chrissy felt the usual hot burst of annoyance in her belly. Always Jason.
"No. His name's Eddie." Chrissy prayed that her mom didn't notice she had deliberately left out the last name. She quickly added, "I don't think you know him. We didn't exactly move in the same circles back in high school. He's been living in California, but he just moved home to—to take care of his uncle. It's just the two of them." This was what she and Eddie had agreed to tell her mother, and Eddie would make sure Wayne followed the same script. It sounded better than saying he moved home because his band failed.
Laura narrowed her eyes at Chrissy. "If you weren't friends in school, why would you invite him?"
"Oh, I ran into him in town and just felt sorry for them, I guess," Chrissy said in what she hoped was an offhanded way. "If you'd rather not have guests—"
"Invite who you want, I don't care." Laura turned to the window with a look that said she did care, a lot, and was hoping Chrissy would feel bad and back down. But Chrissy knew her mother too well to fall for her passive-aggressiveness. She took Laura's statement at face value. 
***
As she put the finishing touch to the Thanksgiving dinner, Chrissy wondered if this was a mistake.
She wasn't worried about Eddie and Wayne. They would be able to take whatever Laura threw at them, she was sure. The only thing was... sometimes she felt like keeping Eddie as her own little secret, her safe place, her sanctuary away from her mother's constant demands and criticism. Introducing him to Laura would threaten that. But she couldn't keep sneaking around forever. She couldn't do what Ryan did and simply turn her back on their mother the moment she showed her disapproval. Chrissy wanted her mother to accept Eddie, or at least accept the fact that she was seeing him.
It started well enough. Eddie and Wayne came right on time, bringing a pumpkin pie, a bottle of wine, and some cider. Chrissy almost laughed when she saw the effort Eddie had made with his appearance—he was clean-shaven, he had left off his rings and wore a long-sleeve shirt to cover up his tattoos, and he had even tied his hair back, making him look like one of those hipsters, whose pretentious looks had started to spread even to Hawkins. Laura pressed her lips together and eyed him up and down but said nothing. Wayne's eyes twinkled as he looked over the house—so big and yet so cold and impersonal, compared to the cozy little trailer he and Eddie had shared—but he was perfectly polite and amiable. It was true that he slipped up and introduced himself with his last name when he shook Laura's hand, but thankfully, she didn't seem to register the last name "Munson". He even had the genius idea of inquiring Laura after her health, which was her absolute favorite subject, and kept her engaged until it was time to eat.
Things started getting a little tense when they sat down at the table and Chrissy carved the turkey. "Stick to the white meat, Chrissy, it's better for you," Laura said, watching Chrissy load up her own plate. "And that's too much stuffing."
Her cheeks burning, Chrissy spooned some of the stuffing back. She saw something flash across Eddie's face—annoyance, anger, or perhaps sympathy—but it was gone in an instant, and he squeezed her hand under the table as she sat down. She squeezed back with a grateful smile.
"Well, this all looks amazing," Wayne said, rubbing his hands together. "My compliments to the cook." Chrissy gave him a grateful smile as well.
Wayne more or less singlehandedly kept conversation around the table going, asking Laura about her physical therapy, talking about his own back problem, drawing Chrissy and Eddie into the discussion whenever the uncomfortable silence threatened to descend again. Laura, however, seemed preoccupied. She kept looking from Wayne to Eddie as if trying to place them. It had been over twenty years since Eddie's dad, Al, left Hawkins, but the name Munson still had a certain ominous ring to it. Chrissy could only pray that Laura wouldn't remember.
Then, when Chrissy brought out the pie, Laura stopped pretending to be polite and began the interrogation.
"What did you do in Los Angles?" Laura asked.
"I'm a musician," replied Eddie. They had agreed not to mention his job at the Hideout, only saying he was teaching music in Bloomington. Laura gave one of her eloquent sniffs to show mild disapproval, but made no further remark.
"Where do you live?"
Chrissy remembered, with a start, that they'd forgotten to discuss this beforehand.
"On Mulberry," she chimed in before either Wayne could answer, using Eddie's current address. "In one of those new buildings they just put up by Melvald's, you know?"
But Laura wasn't listening. Her eyes widened, then narrowed again, and Chrissy recognized, with dismay, all the signs of her mother's temper rising.
"Munson! You're related to that criminal Al Munson, aren't you?" Laura said, all but pointing an accusing finger at Wayne and Eddie.
Chrissy felt her knees go weak. Under the table, Eddie's fingers crushed her hand. Only Wayne remained calm.
"Yep, my no-good brother," he said with a shrug. "Have to say, leaving Hawkins was the best thing he ever did. Otherwise, Eddie might not have turned out so well. Is that right, Ed?" He laughed and gave Eddie a hearty slap on the shoulder.
Chrissy glanced at her mother. Her face was thunderous, but Chrissy knew Laura's vanity would prevent her from kicking invited guests out of the house, even if those guests were related to criminals.
"Excuse me, I have a headache," Laura said, making a show of closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "Chrissy, could you help me get to bed, please?" Ever since her stroke, Laura had moved from the big master bedroom to the guestroom on the ground floor so she didn't have to climb the stairs, but she still insisted on Chrissy's assistance.
Chrissy allowed herself to breathe out. She knew that once Wayne and Eddie left, Laura's wrath would come down on her full-force, but at least her mother didn't make a scene. "Sure, mom."
Upon returning to the dining room, Chrissy found Wayne and Eddie had already started to clear up the table for her. She tried to take the plates out of Eddie's hands, but he persisted.
"Let me help," he said. Then, dropping his voice, he asked, "Do you want me to stay?" Even safely hidden her room, Laura's anger still radiated all through the house like a thundercloud.
"No, I'll be fine. Take Wayne home. I'm sorry. I knew this was a bad idea—"
Eddie shook his head. "It's not your fault."
"I'll call you later, OK?"
She gave him a quick kiss and went to thank Wayne for coming. "No, thank you for inviting us," he said, shaking her hand warmly. "You'll be alright." It wasn't a question, and as Chrissy took the old man's callused palm in hers, she wished she could believe the same.
Chrissy could have sworn her mother was listening behind the door, because the moment Wayne and Eddie left, Laura appeared in the foyer, looking just like she had the day Chrissy broke her ankle during cheer practice, or the day Chrissy came home after dropping out of nursing school, or the day Chrissy told her she'd filed for divorce. It didn't matter that Chrissy was in pain, scared, and lost, it was her fault. Her fault for not sticking to her diet and gaining weight. Her fault for not working hard enough and staying in school. Her fault for not working hard enough at her marriage. Always her fault.
"How could you—" Laura began.
Chrissy held up a hand. "Mom, I don't want to talk right now, OK? Go back to bed." She walked toward the kitchen.
"Don't mollycoddle me!" Laura screamed. "I am your mother!"
Though she knew she would regret it, Chrissy turned around to face her. "You told me I could invite whoever I want—"
"Yes, within reason! Not those thieves and drug dealers—"
"They're not thieves—"
"Are you sure? Count the silver again."
"Shut up!"
Laura's slap cracked like a whip in the foyer. Chrissy reeled back, clutching at her cheek, more from shock rather than pain.
"Just because you're a grown woman, doesn't mean you're allowed to speak to me like that, you little—" Laura snarled, but Chrissy didn't stop to hear the rest. Grabbing her phone and her keys from the side table, she ran out, slamming the door behind her.
***
Later, when she was curled up safely on Eddie's couch, in Eddie's arms, Chrissy's tears finally dried.
"You can't go on living with her," Eddie said.
"She needs my help."
"She hurts you!"
"It was my mistake, I shouldn't have—"
"Don't say that." Eddie sat up to look at her. "I told you, none of this is your fault."
Chrissy put her head on his shoulder, resolutely putting all thoughts of her mother out of her mind. "Can we not talk about this anymore? I just want to stay the rest of the night with you like this, not saying anything, not doing anything."
Eddie wrapped his arms around her again, and she felt his lips on her hair. "Move in with me," he said.
Now it was Chrissy's turn to sit up. "Do you really mean that?"
"Yes," he replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been meaning to ask. You'll still be close enough to take care of your mom, if you want, without having to put up with her—bullshit."
The familiar warm feeling bubbled up in her chest again. She caught his hand, which was still stroking her hair, pressed the open palm to her mouth and kissed it. Then she leaned forward to kiss his mouth as well. "I'd love to," she said, smiling against his lips. Eddie smiled back and was pulling her closer to return the kiss, when his phone rang shrilly.
"Shit," he mumbled. "I know I shouldn't have bought the fucking thing."
But a phone call this late on Thanksgiving could mean something important, so Chrissy reluctantly let him go and pressed the phone into his hand. He glanced at the number and flipped the phone open.
"Hey Jeff, what's up man? No, no, it's OK... yeah, happy Thanksgiving. How are things in LA?" On the other end of the line, Jeff said something. Eddie's eyes widened, and he slowly sat up, leaning forward. "You serious? ...When? Before Christmas? Shit... No, I can make it. Of course I'll make it! What about Grant? Great. Yeah, yeah, I'll let you know ASAP." Another pause, then Eddie said, more quietly, "Jeff, this is awesome. Thank you. Talk to you soon, OK?"
He hung up but remained seated in the same position, looking straight ahead, his eyes dazed.
"Eddie?" Chrissy said, putting a hand on his arm.
At her touch, Eddie seemed to come back to his senses. He turned to her. "Jeff just ran into an A&R rep from Metal Blade," he said. "They want to meet with us in LA. As soon as possible."
The name of the record label meant little to Chrissy, but she knew how big this was for Eddie, for Corroded Coffin. After getting dropped by their label a year ago, this was all they had been hoping for. She tightened her hold on his arm, and he put his own hand on top of hers, grasping it as if to anchor himself.
"I'm a little scared, to be honest," he said with an embarrassed smile. "What if it doesn't amount to anything?"
"It's not going to amount to anything if you don't go," Chrissy said. "You'll be great. I know it."
"Grant's on board. We're only a drummer short—"
"Why don't you ask Gareth?"
Eddie stared at her. "I don't know about that—he's got a job—family—"
"Just ask him. The worst he can do is say no."
Eddie's eyes got brighter and brighter with excitement as he contemplated the idea. "Yeah, why not? Shit!" He laughed and pulled Chrissy in for a tight embrace. "You may be getting that reunion show earlier than expected, sweetheart. Corroded Coffin's getting back together, with the original lineup!"
Chapter 2
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jukti-torko-golpo · 9 months
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Kolam : Part 1
So this is my first PS fanfic.... A two-shot. Kinda ended up long. I hope people like this. I do not know if this turned out well. I had a lot of fun though.
It was day 1455 of Arulmozhi pretending like she does not exist, she had cried herself to sleep and woken up with a splitting headache, the kingdom was gearing up for festivities and she was entrusted with the duty of decking up the palace. There was way too much noise everywhere to help with her headache and she had to use every ounce of her energy to focus on a work and get it done. So our doe-eyed docile damsel was a volcano about to erupt for the day.
Vanathi was trying to finish an elaborate Kolam at one end of a corridor. She was almost done with the job and at her wit's end. That is when Universe orchestrated the volcanic eruption.
The Chola prince and his newly found confidante, a certain Vana Prince, rushed through the corridor and before our hero could stop himself, he stepped on the Kolam and ruined a part of it. He froze.
Vanathi's eyes snapped to the ruined bit of the Kolam. It was one thing to ignore her during conversations but ignoring her entire existence and work while she was sitting there was a new low.
She stood up sharply and the expression which crossed her face reminded him of sudden tempests in calm seas. He had no idea from where did this inner poet wake up in him but he was kicked out of his mind very promptly by the sight of Vanathi striding towards him. With a short seething 'Ilavarasar...' she shoved the bowl of rice flower into his hands and marched off leaving behind two dumbstruck princes.
And the sound of a pair of anklets approaching just signalled the second onslaught of the storm.
'What has been happening here, Thambi? Where did Vanathi go? Thambi...' she trailed off when her brother turned towards her with a bowl in his hands and a messed up kolam at his feet.
'First you annoy me the entire morning delaying all my plans, then you mess up my uyir thozhi's work!! What has gotten into the both of you?? Have you forgotten your age Thambi?? What is this mischief that you are stirring up? Are you imagining yourself as Maya Kannan just because there will be a play...' a livid Kundhavai thundered.
'What Maya Kanna?' Arulmozhi was really confused now. 'Nothing...' pat came her reply trying to cover up what she had just blurted out. 'Vanathi was working with a headache and you ruined her work!' Kundhavai swiftly changed the topic.
'How would I know Akka? I was running thanks to you and I didn't notice the kolam,' the prince said as guilt started settling in his mind. He had no idea about the head ache part. 'I...well..I am really sorry,' he mumbled. 'TELL THAT TO VANATHI, THAMBI...UGHHH,' Kundhavai whisper-shouted at her brother.
Now begins a new adventure for our dashing Chola scion...apologizing to a certain woman for whom his heart acted very weirdly and he could not point out how and why it was weird to save his life. He walked to the chamber of the royal doctor and asked him to prepare some medicine for curing headache. With great impatience he waited for the doctor to be done with making the balm for the Ilavarasi.
He took the perilous nerve-wracking journey to Vanathi's chambers very uncertain of how she will react. He stood in front of her door and with a sheer lack of better judgement and and his brain ceaselessly rehearsing what to say, he walked in without announcing himself.
The curtains were drawn and the few rays of sunlight that could enter the room lit it dimly. 'Akka I am fine. Just a bit of headache. I will join the preparations right when this headache goes awa...,' the princess had been lying with her face buried into her pillow. She turned towards the door as she was speaking and she FROZE. Her anger had subsided and now she was very aware of the fact that she had stormed off from the very person who was now standing at her door.
Seeing her shocked and flustered face Arulmozhi panicked and launched into and apology while Vanathi started her own stream of apology. In her haste to get out of her bed she almost stumbled over her own dress and her cheeks reddened immediately. 'My apologies Ilavarasar, I will move the curtains...it is too dark,' she said as she drew the curtains open. She winced as her headache flared up due to the light.
'I don't mind the drawn curtains at all, Devi. I know that you have a headache. I have bought some balm for you from the doctor. please apply it. You will feel better.' These words from the prince made her face grow warm. He had thought about her? This was not a dream right? The Arulmozhi Varman had brought medicine for her? She extended her hand for the bowl rather bashfully. 'Thank you, Ilavarasar. I am very sorry for acting like that before. It was very wrong of me to speak to the Prince like that. Forgive me,' Vanathi said as her eyes teared up with guilt.
Her tear filled doe eyes sent a strange new ache to his heart and he said, 'No Ilavarasi it was my fault. I should not have ran into your hardwork. It was such a beautiful design. I will now take your leave and let you recover from the headache. I hope you will forgive me and join the preparations soon. I cannot wait for the festivities to begin.' Arulmozhi departed leaving a tear-choked Vanathi in her room.
After almost two hours of rest after applying the medicine Vanathi woke up. She emerged out of her room feeling much better. She was determined to finish the kolam this time. She made her way to that corridor and the sight that greeted her left her surprised ever so pleasantly. The ruined part of the kolam was fixed, maybe with slightly wobbly lines but fixed. And there lay beside the design Arulmozhi's ring. Maybe he had opened it while fxing the design and then forgotten about it. Vanathi picked up the ring, held it close and smiled to herself. She then happily completed the design and set off to return the ring to it's glorious owner.
Arulmozhi was reunited with Vanthiyathevan and they were overseeing the decoration of the palace courtyard. He raised his hand to direct one of the decorators and noticed that his signet ring was gone!It was his favourite ring. Where could he have left it? He was about to excuse himself and go looking for the ring when a soft voice called out 'Ilavarasar!'
'Aaah how is Maya Kanaa feeling now?' Vanthiyathevan exclaimed. She grinned up at him as he patted her head with affection. Maya Kanna? Again? Since when did the two of them get so close? Why was his heart acting in the weird way again after seeing her smile? What was up with everybody going Maya Kanna around him?
'I am sorry Kamsa Mama. I should not have stormed off from there,' Vanathi apologised to Vanthiyathevan, her voice laden with sincerity. Why Kamsa Mama? This was all too confusing. The dramatic Vana Prince feigned being deeply hurt by Vanathi's behaviour but Immediately dropped his charade when she pouted and said,' Anna please don't do this. I am already really sorry for behaving that way.' She took a quick glance at Arulmozhi and blushed deeply. His heartskipped a beat. But why? ' I am fooling around, little one. How can your Anna ever be angry at you?' Vanthiyathevan laughed and patted Vanathi's cheeks before he was called by someone to check a certain flower arrangement.
Vanathi turned towards him and her blush deepened. She was desperately trying not to make eye contact with him. Arulmozhi had given up hopes for his heart as it was wildly acting weird now. 'Ilavarasar I have something to give you...' she started. She held out her hand and on her palm was his ring. 'You had left it near the kolam,' she added coyly. 'Thank you, Devi. I was about to go looking for it.' Saying this he reached for the ring and his fingertips brushed on her palm. Her hand shook ever so slightly at the contact and she took off the moment he had taken the ring. She suddenly turned, walked up to him and mumbled a very shy 'Thank you for fixing the kolam.' This time she took off for good before could say anything.
Why did he spend the rest of the day twirling the ring in his hands and thinking of two shy doe eyes? Why did his heart start acting all strangely? Why did he find himself smiling when he thought of her blushing face? Why was she called Maya Kanna? All these questions swirled around in his mind. Would he never find the answers out? Or would he find them out very very soon?
@nspwriteups @thelekhikawrites @whippersnappersbookworm @harinishivaa @thirst4light @yehsahihai @nirmohi-premika @shaonsim I do not know who else to tag. Please tag anyone who you think would like to read this. And please leave your reviews.
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irudowb · 5 months
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Phantom pt. 2
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an: i made a part 2 because i felt like it
warnings: 18+ smut, sex, sex with feelings, confessions (sort of), kissing, swearing, fluff, no use of Y/N, fem!reader, like two other characters are in here.
lowercase intended
fic is below cut
he couldn't take it. how on earth is he supposed to see you after what he did last night. he could barely sleep a wink. the thought of seeing you after what he did last night grew far too embarrassing. more embarrassing to the fact that while he showered afterwards, he let himself indulge further.
he glares at his work outfit on his floor. he could just… put it on, go to work and pretend you're not there. no, ignoring you won't do any good, you'd dig into his very soul to figure what's wrong and why he's acting weird. just the thought of you looking his way has him shivering. yeah, absolutely not. this is not happening. he'll just call in. yeah…
crawling across the tatami mats he grabs his cell and calls kunikida, but as he hears the ringing, he freezes. what is he supposed to do. it's kunikida. he's not going to give atsushi the day off just because he so asks. he rushes to the bathroom right as kunikida greets him. he shoves his fingers down his throat, naturally, his body rejects them. he returns the greeting with insistent gags and heaves. what… the fuck is he doing?
"…atsushi?"
the line is silent for a few moments before atsushi croaks, "hey, kunikida!" he sniffles then coughs which turns into another gag. he can hear kunikida physically cringe.
"…yeah, absolutely not, don't come in."
"are you-?"
"there's no way i'm letting you come in with that. just… get better by monday." kunikida promptly hangs up.
atsushi is left with the dial tone ringing in his ear for a second before a wide smile etched across his lips. this is the first time he's pulled this stunt, and truth be told; he's proud. he's definitely not the type of person to skip work. besides kunikida, he likes to think he as perfect attendance, however, there can be… exceptions.
he wipes his face while mentally patting himself on the back, somebody get him an oscar.
now, he thinks, he just has to get himself back in proper shape before monday. it was friday, so he just had to avoid you all weekend. easy. he'd stay in, get into a new show, entertain himself to, completely and wholly, forget about what transpired. who was he even thinking about, he chuckles to himself.
his plan worked. until sunday rolls around.
being holed up inside all weekend was actually a lot worse than he thought. so, sunday morning he decided to go on a run, the fresh air would be nice, and moving his limps for more than five steps to the kitchen and back to his futon would be best.
on his way back, kyoka asks him for 'those cookies with the jelly filling' - she didn't know the name. atsushi laughs at the message before responding with a thumbs up. the market was on the way back anyway, he didn't think it would be much of a hassle.
but he also didn't think you'd be here. still in your pyjamas.
granted, it was early in the morning, there were five people in the market at most.
here you both were, face to face, in the juice isle.
he was not ready to see you, not yet! those beautiful eyes he so dreaded seeing, boring into him. you're talking to him but he can't understand a word you're saying. his mind so suddenly broke down the cage he built up, memories within.
it's only been three days and it feels like it's been months. yeah, he definitely wasn't ready, maybe he should take monday off too, maybe even quit, move to a different province, continent even.
wait, why are you looking at him like that?
"atsushi?" oh, that voice. he feels sick, dizzy with want.
"hi." he lets out, a little breathless; dazed.
"hi…?" you tilt your head looking at him quizzically from head to toe. "were you listening?"
"no."
"oh…kay, um." now why do you look confused?
oh.
"oh! no-uh, yes! i mean, sorry uh- sorry. i'm sorry, i just, um, have a lot on my mind. yeah…sorry." nice save, atsushi.
you squint your eyes at him while shifting your basket from one arm to the other. "are you feeling alright? you look very flushed." your tone is gentle but inquistive and atsushi wishes the floor would just eat him up, chew him like a piece of gum then spit him back out.
"i'm good! yeah, no i'm alright, i just uhh went on a run." not a lie, but he didn't have to tell you that the run wasn't even that strenuous, if anything it was a leisurely jog.
"i see…" you fix him another glance before shaking your head. "anyway, what are you doing here so early?"
"kyoka wanted me to pick up some jammy dodger cookies." he holds them up like they're evidence to a case.
"they sell those here?" your eyes light up and his knees feel wobbly. it was never this bad before, he wants to slap himself but at the same time he doesn't want it to end.
he hums, "yeah, want me to show you?" and you nod.
he trails with you as your finish your shopping, devolving into a, finally, normal conversation like you would everyday. the cashier rings up your groceries as you continue your conversation with atsushi.
"oh, by the way, how was work on friday?"
he tilts his head in question.
"i feel like i should be the one asking you that. i didn't go." a surprised noise escapes you.
"i didn't go either, i ended up catching a fever. it's gone now, but i didn't want to risk the others getting sick if i did get worse."
oh…
"are you feeling alright?" he steps closer.
"hm? yeah, yeah i'm all good. it was only for one day, it was kinda bizzare." you mindless explain, tapping your card to the pos machine. it's then that he notices you paid for his (read: kyoka's) cookies. you hand them off with a smile.
he walks you home, just like any other work day. he finds you two in the same position standing outside your door, only this time you don't lean up to his cheek, you instead say, "do you wanna come in?"
his mind immediately screams 'yes,' completely forgetting kyoka waiting at home for him. but… he's sure she can wait, whatever it is you two were gonna do in there he was, maybe, sure it wouldn't take long. he opens his mouth about to answer when the most logical piece of his mind scolds him for thinking that way. he closes his mouth again. is he really sure he wants to be in closed quarters with you? jesus, he thinks, he's not an animal. he'd have to get serious help if he can't control himself.
you stare at him with furrowed eyebrows trying to grasp why he's as stiff as a board, gaping. softly smiling, "you can stop by later, i'm not doing anything." finally pulling him out his minds discussion.
he exhales, matching your smile in thanks. he promises to come over when he has the time, before turning on his heel to hurry home. you laugh, turning your key, your dog barks. opening the door, she jumps and barks happily seeing your face, you mock her just as happily, shutting the door behind you.
when atsushi gets home, he starts properly weighing his options, being around you still could be awkward, this morning may have just been luck. but at the end of the day, he's your best friend, and you're his. he doesn't want to go over and have his own emotions fuck with it. he's going to be a normal human being and hang out with his best friend and NOT blurt out that he's in love with her and ruin months of bonding.
kyoka greets him at the door from where she sits at their kotatsu. he hands her the cookies, smiling softly as he watches her eyes light up. he excuses himself, easily being reminded of his sweat stench when he walked in. maybe it was best he didn't walk in to your apartment right away. now he has the time to make sure he looks good.
after his shower, he slips on a skin-tight white long sleeve and loose fitting casual black pants. stepping in front of the mirror, he tries to see himself from an outsider point of view. he looked… great, actually. atsushi gives himself a goofy smile trying his damnest to ignore what you'd think.
stepping out into the main room where he finds kyoka in the same spot. he notices, half a row in the cookie container gone, walking by he pops one into his mouth.
she looks up from her book and looks over his form. "you look nice." …happy, even.
he turns his head from looking in the fridge to her. "thank you." he poses dumbly, making her purse her lips hiding a laugh. he walks over sitting down on another side of the kotatsu, sneaking one more cookie. atsushi lets her know that he'll be seeing you later. this wasn't out of the norm, she thinks, what was out of the norm, was him practically dolling himself up for you. she wasn't stupid, she knew what it meant, she was just curious if he did, though she never brought it was. she was ready to talk about it whenever he was.
they talked for a while before kyoka got a message from yosano begging her to come shopping with her. yosano mentioned in the message that you had declined, atsushi had to stop the smile from ripping his face in half at the implication that you denied because you were waiting for him. he knew it was silly but that didn't stop him.
kyoka left and he sat around for a few minutes psyching himself up enough to walk over. whatever happens, he will not mess this up. he repeats those words a few times over staring at himself in the mirror before giving himself another confident smile, walking out the door. -
he was not nervous, he was never nervous, not when it came to you anyway.
so…
why is he not knocking?
he's right here. right at the door, just knock.
he exhales and raises his hand. three knocks and on the first one your dog barks from within. a few seconds and he hears you calm her down. his heart nearly beats out of his throat, swallowing it back down right as you open the door.
"hi!"
"hi."
your dog barks from between your legs and atsushi greets her as well.
"hi, ima! i missed you!" he feels your eyes on him, staring, he can't help but bask in the attention, unknowing.
"sorry! come in," you widen the gap, letting him in. ima, your dog, dances between his legs excitedly. squatting down to pet her, her tail lashes back and forth excitedly, hitting his hand - you notice, lacking their regular black fingerless gloves.
he stays entertained with her for the moment as you make your way to the kitchen asking, "can i get you anything?"
"eehh, i'll take a water, please."
he starts running through ima's training quietly, 'roll over,' he'd say, 'spin,' then finally, 'sit.' he claps happily at her, "good girl!"
you return back to where he is and hand him a glass. "i made some snacks, i wasn't sure." he walks out of the entry way (shoes off) with ima on his trail, sitting himself down on the couch.
"no worries, i don't think i've ever said no to food. i'm-"
"always hungry." you walk to the couch and give him a knowing smile, "i know."
he smiles back shyly but watches you sit down next to him.
from there, you delve into conversation, topic changing here and there.
you had just finished explaining telling the difference between predator's and prey's just from looking at where their eyes are located on their head - it was brought up when atsushi was telling a story of when a crow landed in front of him one day and starts staring him down, atsushi explained that he felt like a prey despite being three times the size of it. though, suddenly you remembered something.
"you mentioned early at the store that you missed work on friday as well, what happened?" you asked. he was completely unprepared for the question. of all the things he thought over when he was psyching himself up earlier, this was the LAST thing he thought you'd ask. "i know you're not the type of person to miss work, even if it is completely reasonable." he hears the scolding tone by the end but he's too lost in his head trying to think of a proper excuse to respond.
"umm, yeah. i ended up running into akutagawa after i dropped you off. we had a little scuffle, i wanted to take the day off to heal." not a half bad excuse, he thinks, before your eyes widen and start berating him with questions like, 'are you okay?!' 'what was he doing?' 'how did you get away?'
he holds his hands out in front of him in defence. "i-i'm okay! we fought for a bit before he inevitably said i 'wasn't worth his time'." perhaps it wasn't best to fill your mind with lies about something that didn't even happen. granted, you didn't like akutagawa anyway, but there's no need to feed the frustrations more.
you cross your arms and huff in frustration. "he really gets on my nerves. at the same time, i know where he's coming from but doing unnecessary things like that is so out of league, even for him." you glare at the wall like he's standing there ready to fight.
he chuckles nervously, hands dropping to his knees. you suddenly turn to him, leaning in close. he backs away slightly, but you relent. "are you sure you're okay?"
he exhales a low breath. "yeah, i'm sure. it was a few days ago, i was fully healed the next day." his timeline didn't fit, from the time he called in sick and from when he "healed," didn't make sense, he knew that, he knew you knew that too, but you didn't say anything.
you look him up and down as best as you can from where you're both sitting on your couch before nodding. "good." you pull back from his space. he has to physically restrain himself from trying to reduce the distance again. in the back of his mind, he can hear byakko growl at him, but he pointedly ignores her, only increasing her sounds. 'calm. down.' he closes his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. he's thankful you got up to refill your tea otherwise you would have dug into his soul, worrying over him.
you come back a moment later. "let me know if you get, like, actually hungry. i can order in or something." he nods as best as he can without it looking forced or shaken.
you two settle down after that on a show you picked up together. sometimes he would come over, sometimes you'd go over and watch, some days you would watch it over facetime just wanting to be in your own homes but still close in a way. it's an interesting show, something about law, atsushi was intrigued and really liked the show, but he had a hard time focusing on it right now.
his eyes are on you. your hair tied back with a black clip giving him the, oh so stunning view of your side profile. side burns lead his eyes down to the expanse of your neck, byakko purs at the idea of marking it, teasing up and down between your pulse point before ever gently sinking-- atsushi stands up suddenly, before you can ask if he's okay, he rushes out words, all you catch is 'sorry,' and 'bathroom.'
he has half a mind to close the door gently as to not draw more attention to himself. he glares so deeply in the mirror he's surprised it doesn't crack. 'can you keep it in your fucking pants for five minutes?' he feels byakko nudge his mind's eye as an apology but he knows it's not real. 'jesus, you really are an animal.' his words are rough but oddly affectionate. at the end of the day, byakko is him and he is byakko. some days (like today) he hates it, but it's who he is, somewhere deep in his mind he knows he wouldn't change it for the world.
composed, he walks back out, silently waving off your worried gaze with a smile, sitting back down next to you. just, ever so, slightly further away you noticed. your lips speak before your mind does. "atsushi?"
he turns to you with a questioning glance.
you didn't even know what you wanted to say, fumbling, you ask, "do you want to pause it?"
he looks confused but shakes his head, "no, that's okay."
you say 'okay' with an exhale, beelining your gaze back to the T.V. you feel his eyes on you, it feels like it's eating you inside out. unconsciously, you lips your lips, comforted by the wetness now coating your lips.
atsushi's soul is practically screaming, he should - needs to say, something, anything. this time around, byakko beats him to the punch. "come here." the words so quiet you wouldn't have heard it if the show didn't choose to be quiet right at that moment. you slowly turn your head to face him, his eyes certain but somewhere behind them it's unsure. you slide a little closer, bringing one leg up on the couch to make it easier to face him.
"what?" your tone genuinely curious.
shit, guess he can't keep it in.
atsushi leans in a bit, he whispers, "tell me to stop and i will."
before you even have time to vocalize your confusion, his lips are on yours. for a few moments you don't move. you pull back slightly, still very much in his space, catching his eyes with yours. quickly, atsushi starts forming an apology but before he has the chance to speak, you push back onto his lips, desperate. he makes a noise, strangled between a groan and a growl, whatever it was, it shoots down your spine to your hips.
his hand shoots up to the space between your cheek and the base of your neck, keeping you locked onto his lips (not that you wanted to leave). the show completely forgotten by now, you straighten your back, bringing your other leg up and sitting on it. his other hand reaches your knee, fingers digging into the crevice trying to pull you closer. you softly bit his lower lip, asking - begging - for more.
"fuck…"
he breaths your name against your lips, he brings your lips back together feverishly. he successfully brings your leg closer to him, but you decide its not close enough. without breaking the kiss, you swing your leg across his thighs settling yourself in his lap, hovering over him. both of your hands encase his face deepening the kiss.
he pulls back but a second later his lips are glued to your neck, your hands weave to the back of his neck, pulling and tugging the loose strands. he utters your name again against your skin and goosebumps dance along your entire body. he smiles into the junction between your neck and shoulder. hands meet your knees, slowly raising themselves higher, one hand hooks behind your thigh keeping you close. his fingers dig into your skin as if to consume you. a quiet moan slips past your lips, you feel an exhale against your shoulder and instantly know he's laughing at you.
desperate for control, you tug on his hair pulling his head back to you, slotting your lips once again. he curses against your lips, you swallow them up before they have a chance to escape. you grasp his forearms keeping them where they are, and find yourself nipping at the line of his jaw and down his clavicle. his head falls back against the couch allowing you more access.
"shit…" the words are followed by a breathy moan. you nose down the side of his neck and it's your turn to smile.
"who knew you had such a dirty mouth."
his eyes widen as he pants. it's nearly impossible now for him to form a coherent thought. your hands drop from his forearms and reach down to the hem of his shirt, playing with it, letting him know where you're at, not wanting to go to fast.
his mind is somewhere else, he pushes back into the plush couch before ripping it off himself. you're immediately back on him, this time planting butterfly kisses to his collarbone and shoulder. "i don't think i told you, but you looked good in that shirt."
the compliment goes straight to his dick. his hands find your hips. just as you did him, he digs the tips of his fingers up into it, desperate for your skin. you lean you head back looking into his eyes, both panting. you put your hands on his and guide them further up under your shirt. he takes the hint before removing it completely. the skin of your torso completely opposite of his - he notices. clear of any scars or blemishes, he thumbs and fingers everywhere he can, mapping it. he doesn't have more time to dwell on the differences between you two before you catch his lips again, this time more softly.
you grind and rock you hips into anything you can from your position. he takes notice and palms your hips, guiding you.
"god, you look so beautiful." you whine, frustrated at the lack of friction and desperate for more than you were a few moments ago.
"bedroom." you demand and he doesn't need to be told twice before standing up and wrapping you legs around his waist. you squeal and giggle, placing a hand on his shoulder. he gives you a smile.
he places you on the bed, gently, like you're a piece of fine china. your legs frame his torso as he plants his hands on either side of your chest, hovering over you. you wriggle around, getting comfy. he watches you with a fond smile.
"…what?" you push back into the mattress, trying to escape his blinding gaze.
"have i ever said you're beautiful?"
you squirm, "you just did earlier…"
"i mean before that. like have i ever. at all?"
this time you do pause, genuinely thinking. he hadn't. but you didn't mind, you weren't the type of person to feed off of other people's compliments. you knew you were pretty, you didn't need other people to say so. if other people didn't think so that was fine with you because they're subjected to their own opinions. granted, it is nice to hear compliments every now and then but you never beat yourself up about it.
"no." you speak plainly.
he really was an idiot, he thinks. he leans in close, brushing your lips against his whispering, "you're beautiful. you're so pretty it hurts. i can't go a day without thinking about you. i want to see your face when i go to sleep and i want to see it when i wake up. god, and you're so stunning in the sun," he plants kisses between his words every now and then, covering your face with his lips.
your eyes glimmer with tears, but you laugh, turning your face to the side trying to escape his wrath. "'kay, okay!" he begrudgingly leans back to look at you again.
"i love you." he speaks with so much certainty it nearly freezes you in time.
you exhale a shaky breath, a smile stretches across the expanse of your face. you grip his face pulling him down to a proper kiss, an 'i love you too' is brushed across his lips. he rushes his lips back onto yours in response, leaning in close, your chests connect.
he brings his lips back down to your neck, this time not blocked by clothing. he gently grazes his canine below your ear, you tremble and pant at the implication. reaching down between your bodies, you trail a finger up his erection through his pants. growling, he bites down on the corner of your jaw, not enough to break skin.
"please…" you whisper and he shivers so deep you feel it travel through him and onto you. he moves his hands down to the waistline of your pants, pulling back to silently ask permission. your own eyes swim in approval before he slowly slides them down, his eyes watching his own hands. contrasting his movements, once your pants reach your ankles you hurriedly kick them off. chuckling, he places kisses to your collarbone and down your chest. arching your back, you reach behind, unclasping your bra. he wastes no time latching himself back to you, worshipping you in every way. his hand crawls up from your calf to your thigh.
he continues down, his eyes watching your face the entire time. therefore, he sees your pleading eyes, but does nothing to hurry. if anything, he goes slower. he kisses the skin just above the hem of your underwear and whine lowly. had you not been looking, you would've missed the tug of his lips, threatening to smile. he takes the line of your underwear into his teeth before letting it go to slap back to your skin.
"atsushi!" you whine louder at the treatment.
"there it is…" both hands on your hips pull your underwear down your legs. you move to lock your legs together, shy, but atsushi places himself back in between, nipping the side of your knee as a punishment. leaning up he kisses the fold where your thigh bends at your hip, leading the kisses to the inside of your thigh, giving the other side the same treatment.
your hand finds his head, softly scratching his scalp. looking up again, he sees you just the way he thought you'd look. hair sprawled across your pillow, face flushed, panting. he smiles into your skin.
"atsushi, please…" and who is he to deny such a pretty request.
he lays kitten licks to the hood of your clit. but you, ever so attentive, keen at the attention, head falling back to the pillow. he pulls back slightly to lay his tongue flat against your entire heat, bringing his tongue back up to flick the top. back arched slightly, you moan freely.
he continues the slow treatment, his fingers soon joining the mix, they tease your leaking hole, pushing in and resting in your heat as he sucks and flicks your clit. you wriggle your hips trying to find movement on your own. his free arm is thrown across your hips, stilling them. you keep his treatment locked away for now, eager to give him the same, torturous, behaviour. his fingers finally move, curling, driving into you slowly.
you open your eyes, looking down at your lap, finding him boring his gaze into you, face flushed in red. at this moment, he picks up his speed, essentially pushing you back flush to the sheets. moaning so loud you can feel it bounce off your walls and back into your own ears.
atsushi hums into your heat, the vibrations making you very aware of the knot that tightens in your abdomen. "fuck… atsushi, wait." he must be aware because he hums again, picking up his speed. groaning, your fingers tighten in his hair, your thighs shake, toes curling. with one final moan that devolves into a loud whine of his name.
it takes a moment for your vision to clear, but you quickly look down to your hips again.
ah.
there he is.
he nuzzles into your thigh, lips messy with his own spit and your fluid, a small smile ajorned with it. "you sound so pretty moanin' my name like that." you throw your head back, hands covering it in embarrassment.
he lets out a sympathetic laugh before crawling up your body, his face inches from yours. your hands falls back from your eyes but still covering the lower half. his eyes twinkle in apology but you whine indignantly. he kisses your hands; where your lips would be.
"when did you become so vulgar?" your words are muffled but he understands.
he shrugs with an ever growing smile. he's literally the worst. fine, you think, two can play at that game.
your arms quickly wrap around his neck, bringing him down to a kiss, he lets out a surprised noise, but kisses you back. in this moment you take the time to flip him over, his back hits the mattress with a soft 'thump' and you straddle his hips. folding yourself over, you kiss him softly, playing with the band of his loose pants.
"these need to go." you whisper.
"yes, ma'am."
you help him shimmy out of them, boxers along with them, sitting back down on his thighs, you stare at his (very hard) length. committing every colour, vein, and blemish, to memory. "s-stop staring." surprised by his sudden shyness, you lean forward kissing him, he accepts it greatly, moaning into your mouth as your nails gently scratch down his stomach, hovering near the space where his erection twitches against his thin abdomen.
"you're so pretty it hurts." repeating his words from earlier, he playfully bites your lower lip in response. "i never want to look away." your hand sprawl across the expanse of his chest, unconsciously paying more attention to the scars.
"fuck, if you don't touch me right now, i will explode." his eyes dance in humour at his own words, but you know he has some truth behind them. you let yourself take in his flushed face, panting, biting your lip, you ghost your fingers over his skin from his chest, all… the way… down… atsushi deep groan shakes your core.
you're shook with unease that, maybe, he might take things back into his control. but you feel his hands on your thighs, rubbing up and down slowly, telling you, he's enjoying the treatment. regardless, you don't make him wait any longer. you lay a single finger to the tip of his cock, twitching at the attention, dragging your finger down to the base. his hips jerk slightly as he lets out a low moan.
you grip the base softly, but tight, watching his face scrunch, trying to restrict his own hips from moving. he utters your name with his eyes closed, head against your pillow, one that you'll probably never look at the same but never get rid of.
your fist moves up, slowly, to the tip, squeezing out the precum. hmm, you wonder. folding over, you kitten lick the fluid that beads. he lets out a gasp, his hips jerking up against his will. his head shoots down to look at you. from there, he sees you smiling, smugly. fighting back a curse, his hand squeezes the fat of your thigh.
a moan is ripped from him as he feels your lips wrap around the tip, tonguing the stretched flesh right below the tip. oh god, he feels dizzy.
"stop. i need to be inside you right now. please… shit, please!"
before he even finishes, you're moved up, knees on either side of his hips. grasping the base of him lining yourself up. you freeze.
"…what?" fuck… he sounds so hot breathless.
silently, you crawl off of him and reach for your nightstand cabinet. sraddling his hips once more, showing him the square gold foil.
atsushi scolds himself so loudly he's surprised you don't hear him. "thanks, sorry."
you laugh, easing the tension. "don't apologize, i nearly forgot too."
opening it with your teeth (that did not need to be so hot), gently rolling down his dick. grabbing his base again, you, finally, finally, sink yourself down. atsushi throws his head back, refraining from bucking up into you. you pause a few times, panting, adjusting, before you hips are flush with his.
your head drops forward, moaning softly, squeezing around him experimentally. nails digging into his stomach, you'll have to remind yourself to apologize later.
he lets you take this at your own pace, but, god, is his patience wearing thin.
slowly, you raise your hips, right before his erections escapes you, you slam your hips back down.
"fuck!"
biting your lip so hard it turns white. your hips shake and tremble, planting your hands on his stomach, you raise up again and come back down, rolling your hips.
"fuck, just like that." the praise fuels you, repeating the motion faster this time.
leaning forward, you lay your chest flush with his. his arms wrap around your waist, planting his feet, he fucks up into you. distracted by the feeling of you, ever so warm and soft.
"you feel so good, ah, ff- shit," you meet hips with fervor, biting the skin of his collarbone.
'please, please.' his cock hits you perfectly, "please, please, please..!"
"c'mon… that's it." his heavy breath against your ear pushes you over the edge. clinging to him desperately, squeezing all around him, his moans mix with yours, falling off the edge together.
your chests push and pull against one another, eagerly grasping for oxygen. he returns to earth at the feeling of your lips leaving lazy butterfly kisses across his neck. he smiles wobbily, eyes fluttering. you trail your kisses up his jaw, his cheek, his nose. turning his head, he finds your lips on his, hand reaching up, keeping you in place.
your dog suddenly barks from the doorway, atsushi leans up on his elbows as you sit up, both staring at your dog widely. she tilts her head quizzically at the two of you. your eyes shoot back to atsushi, watching at him blankly, there's a small tug on the corner of atsushi's lips and it opens the floodgates. laughing, you're suddenly aware that atsushi is still very much inside you. the odd feeling of him still sheathed inside while laughing, cuts you off, jerking your hips up, with a helping hand on his hips.
"ah, fuck…" hissing softly before laughing again. he lays his hands on your hips helping you.
"you didn't shut the door." you lay on your stomach beside him, burying your face into the blanket.
atsushi, still laughing, says "i didn't know i had to!"
"well, now i've scarred my dog for life." he leans over, laying a gentle kiss to your shoulder. sitting up he ties the condom, throwing it away before shooing your dog out of the room, this time, actually shutting the door.
he crawls back onto the bed, kissing the back of your thighs and up to your shoulder. "'m sorry." he mumbles into your skin. turning your head, you playfully glare at him.
his fingers trace over your bare back, faintly, you can feel him spelling out his name. "all is forgiven if you take me out later."
"done!" he rolls you back over, planting his lips all over your face again. he backs away giving you the same fond look from before. "i wasn't lying earlier."
it takes you a moment to catch what he's saying, but you play dumb anyway. "about what?"
"that, i love you. i don't think i ever didn't love you. from the moment we became friends, i knew it was you."
you hold his head in your hands, smile stretching with each word he says. pulling him down to a kiss that soft but powerful, easily reciprocating his words.
"i just," he takes a breath. "i'm still new… to all of this. but i'll learn, i'll learn to understand. i just need time, so don't…" leave. he didn't want to be selfish, but when has something this good ever fell into his hands? and who was he to let it slip through? it's too much all at once, but he wants to wear it. keep it on his body, at first it's always uncomfortable; like a bracelet, but over time his skin adjusts. he'll get reminded of it everytime he feels it shift, but instead of the beginning it's a weight that he'll remember forever. he wants that to be you.
you lay a feather light kiss to his nose. "oh, atsushi. i'm not going anywhere. we'll learn together and individually, but we'll always be there for each other."
he wraps his arms behind your back, digging his head into your chest, laying flat. "thank you." it'll take time, but he knows that he'll become the best version of himself for you and for him.
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thegreatwicked · 7 months
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After the Storm
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After the Storm
Summary: An emergency crash landing on an isolated island on an alien planet leaves Hux, and a rebel spy stranded and trying to reach an emergency beacon before the local flora and fauna kill them. Hux/OFC.  
Is it really fanfiction without a sex pollen story? No! Of course not! You’re not here for intense character development or an intricate plot! This is a slightly unconventional sex pollen story so enjoy because we all know you’re here for smut and I will supply so here it is! Don’t ask me what Hux and a rebel spy are doing on a shuttle, I don’t know and I don’t care I’m just here for smut. He just is. If Disney doesn’t have to justify their shitty fanfiction then neither do I. If you’ve ever seen Six Days Seven Nights that’s what I’m loosely basing this off of. This is a fun little sexy story that exists in the world of the story I am currently writing that explains my OC, Sola Vex a little better. If you’d like to read it, it's called Armitage and it’ll be on my profile and my Tumblr, keep an eye out for it as I will be posting it very soon, it’s a long one!
This was supposed to be a one shot, I swear. Now its a two shot.
Final note; Quick note on my OC; Sola Vex, I’m not great at describing voices or personalities so if you’re looking for the feel of this character I’m going for a Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in terms of voice and personality.
“We’re going down!”
The small Taylander hurtled through the turbulent sky with such ferocity that it more closely resembled a falling star rather than something capable of flight. Battling against the raging electrical storm that crackled with bolts of lightning, Hux's hands clenched tightly around the controls as he fought to maintain course. His panicked gaze fixed on the flickering instrument panels before him. Red flashing lights indicated systems were failing and the shuttle was going down. The hull trembled and the metal groaned and strained under the onslaught of the tempest, buffeted by fierce winds that threatened to send them into a fatal nosedive. As lightning arched across the sky, illuminating the cockpit, Hux's face was etched with determination and a hint of fear, as was his passenger. Sola’s normally cool cerulean eyes were colored with terror as she gripped the armrests of her seat. His sharp eyes darted between the faltering control panel and the glimpses of land below, trying to find where they could make an emergency landing. Warning alarms blared through the cockpit, their shrill cries filling the air as the emergency lights continued to flicker, casting an ominous glow. The storm's relentless assault eased somewhat as their steep descent approached, and the shuttle jolted violently, causing Hux to brace himself against the shaking controls.
With each passing moment, the shuttle's descent grew more erratic, unsecured contents were tossed around and made for small and hazardous projectiles. Hux's heart pounded in his chest, his mind raced, desperately searching through the torrential rain and haze, he spotted small masses of land below, it would be a close call.
He grit his teeth through the sharp and sudden throbbing on his temple indicating one of those projectiles had struck him. The shuttle's battered frame continued to protest under the strain, but Hux refused to surrender, his knuckles turning white with the strain. He didn’t survive two attempted executions, just to die in a damned shuttle crash.
With adrenaline coursing through his veins and utilizing every ounce of strength he could muster, he maneuvered the shuttle towards the closest landmass. His skilled piloting barely keeping them from plummeting into the churning sea below. There was a split second of silence before impact and the shuttle collided with the ground in a violent crash, sending tremors throughout the vessel. The sound of metal twisting and shearing off as impact crushed the shuttle and tossed it like a toy. The force of collision rattled Hux against his seat, leaving him dazed and battered.
Safety harnesses were the only thing that kept the occupants from flying across the cockpit and splattering into wet sacks of meat. The screeching sound of the engines whining and being ripped apart eventually faded as the shuttle came to a slow stop.
He and Sola remained strapped securely in their seats, very much alive although bloody and injured. Initially, blurry vision struggled to bring the present into a painful focus, everything was bathed in red and orange lights as sensors and alarms sounded multiple failures. With the wind knocked out of him he fought against the harness, sputtering and coughing. The tang of blood accompanied by pain radiating through every muscle all the way to his bones. 
The emergency release for the harness was jammed and wouldn’t give way, but the survival knife stashed in his boot easily cut through the thick straps. The cooling trickle of blood dripping down the side of his face informed him that the projectile that had struck him earlier broke skin, aside from the throbbing pain in his head he didn’t feel that much due to shock. But shock would eventually wear off, then everything would hurt. Disoriented, Hux struggled to regain his bearings. The cockpit was filled with the acrid scent of smoke and burnt plastic, the silence that followed the chaos was interrupted only by the pattering of rain against the damaged hull. He felt ice in his blood as he looked over at Sola, unconscious in her seat, head lolled forward like an unresponsive doll, the impact of the crash having taken its toll.
He staggered towards Sola, his hand reached out to check her pulse. Relief washed over him as he felt the faint throb beneath his fingers, assuring him that she still clung to life. Her harness too was jammed and unable to disengage. Carefully, he cut the harness, and gathered her up in his arms. He headed to the back of the shuttle where he deposited her onto the floor. Flashes of his academy training surged through his mind. He wasn’t a medic but he did receive basic training, he struggled to remember the Primary Survey. A quick glance around saw there was no immediate danger, no fire, no free electric currents, just a damaged and somewhat quiet shuttle.
"Sola," He called to her but she was unresponsive, his voice gradually grew louder and more urgent “Sola, come on, open your eyes.” Tilting her head back so her airway was clear and that faint flicker of a pulse brought him some relief and had grown a little stronger. After an excruciatingly long moment, Sola's eyes slowly opened, her vision hazy at best, as her surroundings gradually came into focus. She saw Hux's face hovering above hers.
Confusion clouded her mind, and her voice came out in a weak whisper. "... Are we dead?"
Hux's gaze softened as he met her bewildered eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "No, Sola, we're not dead," he reassured her, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and a hint of amusement. He looked her over, turning her head from side to side checking for any signs of injury or severe bleeding and was relieved to see only superficial injuries.
“What happened?”
“We crashed. We’re alive. That’s the extent of my knowledge.” He answered as Sola attempted to sit up, testing her body's response and sharp ache shot through her, causing her to grimace. Hux knelt beside her, his voice giving away the depth of his concern. “Slowly.” He chided as he helped her to her feet, he pulled her up placing one of her arms around his neck and one of his arms around her waist, her steps were uneven and a bit off center. "Come on, we have to assess our situation," he said, his voice filled with a sense of urgency. 
She nodded, her expression serious yet determined. He steadied himself as he rose and walked with Sola to the shuttle hatch. It groaned and resisted Hux’s attempts to force it to open, but after a moment and some strong shouldering it gave way and the two made it outside. 
The beach was rocky with gray sand and the smell of sulfur permeated the air, which suggested a volcanic presence. A path of destruction along the beach was what remained of their landing and the shuttle looked truly awful. Broken pieces of their once airborne shuttle littered the beach, leaving both in awe of their survival. 
"Nice landing," she remarked, a touch of irony in her voice. 
Rain was falling but it wasn’t the violent maelstrom they had crashed in. Looking upwards they could see the sky was cloudy and dark, and rumbles of thunder echoed for miles. The darkness was occasionally lit up by blue flashes of lightning every few seconds, leaving no room for doubt their landing had been nothing short of a miracle.
Sola glanced around, raindrops cascading down her face, and furrowed her brow. "Any idea where we are?" 
Hux shook his head, rainwater running through his hair. "I don't have an exact location, but it doesn't seem to be a grave. And for now, that's good enough," he admitted with a note of optimism lacing his words. 
Hux’s optimism could best be summed up as a ‘Well, we didn’t die’ type. They carefully surveyed the wreckage of the shuttle, their expressions growing grim as they realized the extent of the damage. As if sensing their hope a spray of sparks flew from the destroyed engines, and the chances of repairing the vessel seemed slim to none.
“Kriff.” 
Hux didn’t need a damage report to tell him what they both knew and that the only way their shuttle would ever fly again was if it was melted down into a new one.
“I’m no engineer, but I’d say it's not supposed to do that.” Sola’s brand of dry sarcasm was one of the things that made her one of the few people whose company he actively enjoyed.
Hux carded a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. "It's beyond repair," he stated, his voice tinged with disappointment, although he liked her sarcasm, he rarely responded to it. "We won't be flying out of here anytime soon."
Sola’s face contorted as the strong smell emanated from the island. “What's that smell? Smells like sulfur.”
Hux released his grip on Sola, now stable enough to stand on her own, picking up a handful of sand, smelling it quickly, “That's because it is sulfur, this island must be volcanically active.”
Sola nodded, her gaze sweeping over the scattered debris that marked their turbulent crash landing. The air hung heavy around them, thick with humidity that clung to their clothes and skin. The sound of crashing waves reverberated through the stormy seas offshore, amplifying the sense of isolation on the rocky beach.
"Well, this is... nice," Sola remarked. In the face of adversity, there was always room for dry humor in a humorless situation. 
Hux's eyes scanned the dense jungle that loomed nearby, its vibrant green foliage seemingly untouched by the crash. He looked at the small hikable mountains in the distance, their plateau’s not tall enough that it would be a difficult ascent. "Those mountains over there," he added, "They might offer a vantage point for us to survey the area and plan our next move." They exchanged a glance of uncertainty and resilience. "Come on, let's get back under cover," he said as they retreated back to the shuttle. They walked side by side in silence. Both lost in thought about how this was supposed to be a simple mission, but something always went wrong. As they reached the shuttle, Hux assessed the damage one more time, he said with a sigh. "We'll have to find another way off this rock."
"Any idea on that?" She hoped Hux had a plan because she didn’t. Their circumstances most certainly fell within his wheel well of expertise. Sola was a spy, and a survivor, inside an urban environment she could make her way, but she didn’t know the first thing about what to do in a situation like this. She hoped Hux’s military training afforded him more clarity. 
Her questions didn’t bother him, at least she didn’t ask dumb ones and if she did, she dressed them in the appropriate amount of sarcasm. "For now, we need to collect as much data as we can.” Hux and Sola sat inside the damaged shuttle, surrounded by scattered components and remnants of the wreck. “I’m going to try and triangulate our position, see if you can access the holonet. If not, use the bioscanner and see what we can learn about the local flora and fauna, we need to know what we’re up against.” Sola nodded and the two set to work, each focused on their respective tasks.
Hux rummaged through the cargo, salvaging whatever equipment and instruments he could find. With a determined expression, he tinkered with the broken communication console, trying to establish a connection, even a faint one. His hands moved swiftly and with purpose despite cracked and bleeding knuckles, but frustration flickered across his face as his attempts yielded no significant results.
Meanwhile, Sola sat before the computer's mainframe, her eyes intently scanning the data displayed on the damaged screen. She too hadn’t seen much success being unable to reach the wider holonet but she had been able to link up the bioscanner and access the topographical information stored in the system from before the shuttle was hit by the electrical storm. Her brows furrowed as she read about the flora and fauna, noting the dangers and unique properties of the island's plant life.
The silence between them was punctuated only by the soft clinks and hums of their makeshift work and the soft sound of rain against the hull. 
"Oh, this just gets better and better," Sola deadpanned, her voice heavy, yet detached breaking the silence that had enveloped them; frustration evident in the way she ran a hand through her auburn hair, tugging at the strands. "You go first." 
Hux took a deep breath before relaying the information. "The navigation and communication systems are shot, but I managed to piece together our last pinpointed location," he explained. "I have a rough guess on our current position, seems we’re on a volcanic archipelago but we may be in luck.”
“How so?”
“From what I can tell, there are a dozen small islands within a thousand kilometers but only one has what we need.” Sola waited for the grand reveal, “If I'm right, this island has a weather station atop one of the mountains used to track electrical storms like the one we passed through.”
“Is there a com system?”
“Possibly but doubtful, weather stations are typically for remote monitoring only. However, if it's there we can shut down the station, technicians would usually arrive to repair it but we can probably hijack the signal beacon and attune it to the rebel frequency codes getting a message to the right people and that's our exit strategy.” Hux paused and rubbed his face, “I assume you are familiar with the Rebellion's distress frequency codes?” Sola nodded, reaching into her pocket and producing a data stick. She handed it to Hux and he nodded. He concluded his show and tell, "Your turn," She let out a small fake chuckle. "I'm not going to like this, am I?" he asked, a slight nervousness creeping into his voice.
Sola shook her head, her expression amusingly macabre. "No, definitely not," punctuated with a nervous laugh. "This island is 'interesting'," 
Hux raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued as he leaned back against the wall waiting for less than desirable news, he was sure.. "Define interesting.”
"Oh, kriff, oh kriff, we're both gonna die?".
Hux's expression shifted, surprise and worry crossing his features. "What do you mean?" he asked, a sense of urgency creeping into his voice.
"There is no wildlife of any kind anywhere on this island," she explained, her tone grave. "No predators, no insect life, nothing. Because the plant life has completely taken over, dominating the ecosystem. And you were right, this island is volcanic, but there's no indication of any recent activity.” She pulled up a holographic display of the archipelago and pointed out where an ancient volcano collapsed in on itself.
Hux's eyes widened. "So, you're saying the absence of any wildlife is because of the plant life?" 
Sola nodded solemnly. "Exactly. These plants seem to have evolved in a way that eliminates any potential threats to their dominance. It's a delicate balance, but we're completely alone out here.” Silence fell between them as they absorbed the gravity of Sola's findings. The absence of any signs of life, combined with the dangerous nature of the plant life, adding another layer of uncertainty and danger to their already precarious situation. "And, it gets worse," Sola said, her voice filled with resignation befitting their situation.
Hux's brow furrows, his patience wearing thin. "How could it possibly get worse?" 
Sola took a deep breath, bracing herself to share the unsettling truth. "The defenses of the plant life.”
Hux's eyes widened. "The plant life has defenses? What kind of defenses?" 
Sola continued, her voice measured. "Some of these plants have evolved intricate mechanisms to protect themselves. But the biggest concerns are:'' She held out a finger for each item she listed off “The I Vino Posy, a plant that shoots poisonous barbs, capable of incapacitating or even killing any creature that comes too close, it’s triggered by sudden motion. The Pal Vents Fury, a carnivorous plant, catches prey with their barbed whips, triggered by motion. And lastly, and this one is my favorite,” her tone dripping in sarcasm. “The Pax Reaver, it’s a bloom that emits bursts of pheromone dust, heightening the victim's two basic needs: aggression and sexual apetency. Also triggered by motion."
"What?" Hux responded, blinking several times, his voice thick with disbelief. He rubbed his face and leaned his head against the shuttle wall, weariness evident in his voice. "Are you saying there is plant life on this miserable pile of rocks that can poison us, devour us, or reduce us to mindless beasts susceptible to our most basic urges?" His tone was flat, as if he couldn’t quite fathom the extent of the dangers they faced.
"That's putting it mildly." A holographic display cycled through the three plants, simulating their defenses.
Hux let out a frustrated sigh. His expression matched his dry tone as he summed up their predicament. "Well, it seems like the universe has a twisted sense of humor," he remarked, his voice devoid of any hopeful undertones. "Our shuttle is wrecked, the island is filled with deadly plants, and we're stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to communicate. That is brilliant."
"Yeah, it would be funny if it was happening to someone else."
"Who needs a luxurious vacation when you can crash-land on an island of peril and have deadly vegetation as your company?" Hux paused, tossing a tool across the shuttle it clanked loudly. Then posed a question he wasn’t sure how to phrase without sounding like he was deeply interested in the answer, “What are the symptoms of the Pax Reaver?”
Sola paused and looked over to him with an incredulous look before answering him, “I can’t really describe in any way other than deeply graphic.” Hux nodded, “There isn’t a lot of information regarding the symptoms as most of its victims don’t survive the ordeal.” Hux shot her a look of morbid curiosity. “Some specimens have been collected, reengineered, purified, and made into potent aphrodisiacs but those are purified samples, their effects can last eight to ten hours. It sounds like a case of “fuck until you die” because you fall prey to other predators. And that's only if you don’t have an aggressive reaction, though I think that one's pretty self-explanatory.”
Hux blinked rapidly, his mind moving to what was probably the same conclusion that Sola’s had come to, which was that it would probably be the best fuck of your life but most certainly the last. 
“What about the I Vino Posy? What are the effects?”
Sola checked her information, “Looks like some can be poisonous ranging from paralytics, to hemoglobin coagulants, to nerve damage.” Hux nodded.
“And the Pal Vents Fury?” Sola blew out a breath.
“It has barb covered whips that drag prey to its maw, barbs dig into the skin and pull the prey in, where it is slowly digested by powerful acids that paralyze it and they are very slowly liquified.”
“Sounds about as pleasant as a sarlacc pit.”
“Yeah, only greener.”
“Wait, if there’s no wildlife on the island, how are plants like those capable of surviving?”
“It looks like once all wildlife was extinct everything evolved to get nutrition from the volcanic properties of the island, and they just exist in a sort of stasis. But if something nearby triggers the environment, they wake up. And it would seem that they wake up hungry, which I can relate to.”
They exchanged a glance, their observations on their circumstances serving as a coping mechanism, a way to face the harsh reality with a touch of humor. They may be surrounded by danger, but their matter-of-fact approach kept their spirits from plummeting.
"So," Sola said, her voice dry, "I suppose our itinerary now includes dodging poisonous plants, outsmarting nature's defenses, and somehow finding a way off this island.”
"Brilliant," he quips, embracing the absurdity of their situation. 
"Seems like we've stumbled upon the botanical version of a nightmare." Hux shook his head, a headache already coming on. 
He took a moment to assess their options, his gaze shifting between the unforgiving landscape beyond the shuttle and Sola's expectant eyes. Even if she didn't say it, he knew very well she was relying on him and as a military leader, Hux knew the importance of keeping morale up in dire straits. He rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of their grim reality. "Let's see," he began, counting on his fingers as he spoke. "Rest here tonight, salvage whatever supplies we can from the shuttle, head for the beacon tomorrow, shut it down to prevent any further mishaps, and then wait for rescue."
Sola's voice cut through the air, laden with cynicism. “You make it sound so easy.”
“That sounded easy?”
“This is all assuming that we’re even on the right island. We could get to the top of that mountain and if there’s no beacon there, then what?”
Hux gave a half-hearted shrug, his expression tinged with uncertainty. “I don’t know.” Those were Armitage Hux’s least favorite words. Yet in his time with the rebellion he found himself more and more comfortable with saying them as he wasn’t in any sort of leadership role so no one cared about his opinion. "At least there aren’t any sarlacc pits here," he paused. “Are there any sarlacc pits here?”
Sola shook her head, “I don’t think the ecosystem could support them.” 
“Does anything grow here? Anything that we could eat?”
“Nothing I plan on sticking in my mouth.”
As night descended upon them, they rummaged through the limited supplies, gathering what they could to make the night more bearable, their surroundings dimly lit by the faint glow of emergency lights. Sola's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope as she discovered two bio-stabilizer masks among the emergency gear.
"Finally, a little luck," Hux remarked, a hint of relief in his voice. They secured the masks, knowing that they would provide protection against the hazardous spores that fill the island's air.
With the meager provisions in hand, they settled onto the hard, uncomfortable floor, their bodies weary and eager for rest. Both beginning to feel the aches and pains from their ordeal now settling in. The rations  tasted like they were out of date by about ten years and provided little comfort, but they consumed them nonetheless, fueled by the knowledge that sustenance would be instrumental for their survival. 
As exhaustion began to drift over them, Sola kicked off her boots and laid down on the makeshift sleeping pad with an emergency blanket, her head tucked against her folded arms. The sound of rain pattering on the hull made for a soothing backdrop to relax her and the dim light from the flickering emergency panel cast gentle shadows. As she began to relax she felt the warmth of Hux’s presence nearby, she opened her eyes and was a bit surprised to see him as he settled down beside her on his back. His proximity was unexpected yet strangely comforting, within arms reach. The lines of fatigue etched on his face softened in the muted light.
He seemed to sense her questioning gaze without even opening his eyes, his voice a low murmur “What?”
Sola was caught off guard by his awareness, “I didn’t take you for a cuddler.”
“Don’t be childish. I don’t bite… often.” 
Hey brows shot up in surprise and intrigue at the implication. “Yeah, but do you stab?”
He chuckled softly, his eyes closing again. “Stabbing is reserved for people I don’t like,” He replied, his voice tinged with humor. “Biting on the other hand, is saved for entirely different occasions and under vastly different circumstances.”
The air held an electric charge, their playful banter carrying a subtle undercurrent of attraction leaving her a bit excited and apprehensive. She was at a loss for words, Hux still keenly aware of her lingering stare softly advised albeit playfully “Go to sleep, Sola. We have a long day ahead.”
“Aye sir.” She retorted her tone carrying a hint of flirtation. Unable to resist, Hux cracked an eye open to see her eyes were now closed and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he drifted off, Conversation faded, replaced by the rhythmic sounds of their shallow breaths. 
In the four months they had been a part of each other's lives, he gained a healthy amount of respect for the way she navigated through the challenges they faced without dwelling on the past. Most of the Rebels hated Hux but Sola didn’t mind him.  She enjoyed pointing out how the rebellion would never have succeeded had it not been for his intelligence. She had never expected to find common ground with a former member of the New Order, but their circumstances had brought them together.. His dry humor and matter-of-fact view on things offered a reprieve from the hopelessness of their situation. She’d often been told that she should look on the positive side of things, to which she would respond ‘Let me know when you find it.’ Despite some of his less than charming attributes and their rocky start, she’d grown somewhat fond of the ginger former general. 
Likewise, Hux found her no-nonsense attitude and unvarnished honesty cut through the complexities of their predicament. It also didn’t hurt that she was one of the few people who didn’t legitimately want him dead, there were far worse people to be stuck on a dangerous island with.
---
As dawn broke and the light filtered through the portholes of the shuttle, they cast a gentle glow on Hux and Sola, who had unknowingly gravitated closer to each other during their slumber. Hux woke first, sleepiness falling away gradually as the world around him came into focus. He blinked in surprise as he realized the proximity between them, practically nestled into one another's arms. The warmth radiating from Sola's body and the gentle rise and fall of her breath was oddly enjoyable to watch.
'Well, this is unexpected' 
Hux mused, his mind playing catch-up with the situation. He contemplated whether to move away, to create a more appropriate distance, but something in him resisted the idea. He watched as Sola, still lost in the realm between sleep and wakefulness, unconsciously inched closer to him, seeking his warmth.
A soft smile tugged at the corners of Hux's lips, and he wondered if Sola was even aware of her instinctive movements. Sola's limbs stretched out lazily as she finally woke, her fingers brushed against Hux's side in the process. Her eyes fluttered open, momentarily startled by their closeness but she made no move to retract or distance herself. There was a sense of acceptance as if the physical closeness between them was simply a natural extension of their connection. 
'Huh, he has bedhead.'
Hux met Sola's surprised gaze. Neither of them mentioned the sudden closeness, as if it was an unspoken agreement. They shared a brief, subtle smile before Hux finally spoke, his voice slightly laced with playful intrigue.
“Sleep well?” 
Sola's lips curved into a small smile at the normalcy he tried to interject, she glanced at their closeness, she replied, her tone casual and warm. “No complaints.”
He gave her an acknowledging nod, perhaps in agreement that he too had no complaints as to his sleep. 
“We should get going. We have a lot of ground to cover.” 
As they slowly rose, their bodies protesting, her weariness still evident, she clenched her jaw feeling the discomfort in her body before an indiscernible sound escaped her lips, reminding her of the aches and pains that came from their harrowing journey.
“You alright?” 
"I’m as nimble and spry as a jungle cat," she mumbled dryly, masking her unease with nonchalance.
Hux scoffed and rubbed at his neck, turning it slowly, resulting in several loud cracks and an accompanying deep groan of satisfaction. They braced themselves for the challenges that lay ahead. He knew they had to reach the monitoring station, send out the distress signal, and hold on to hope that someone would come to their rescue. The weight of their survival rested on his shoulders, and he drew upon his military training to break down the steps needed to achieve their objective. 
'Focus, Hux. Step by step,' he reminded himself.
They gathered their supplies, dividing them into two packs. Sleeping sacks, a medical kit, rations, water canteens, a torch, a blaster, two survival knives and the vital data stick containing the rebellion's distress codes.
Their bio stabilizer masks were the final piece, their eyes met briefly, and in that fleeting moment, unspoken understanding passed between them. They shared a connection forged through shared danger and vulnerability. Sola's eyes held a flicker of admiration for Hux's strength and resourcefulness, while Hux saw in Sola a fierce determination and resilience. Stepping outside the shuttle, they were instantly met with the oppressive heat and humidity of the jungle. The air was thick and suffocating like a wet blanket, making breathing laborious, and sweat began to bead on their foreheads. The discomfort intensified, serving as a reminder of the harsh reality they faced. 
As they stepped onto the rocky black sand beach, the scorching sun beat down upon them. The coarse grains of sand crunched beneath their boots as they made their way forward sinking slightly, their movements cautious and deliberate. The bio stabilizer masks covering their faces distorted their voices slightly, the sound muffled and mechanical.
They quickly left the shoreline behind, entering the dense jungle that lay ahead. Towering trees stretched towards the sky, their thick foliage creating a natural canopy that shielded them from the sun's direct rays. The air became even more stifling, filled with the earthy scent of damp vegetation and the overwhelming sound of nothing. Hux tried not to focus on the unnatural
silence, in a setting like this was usually an indication of a predator nearby, but then again, wasn’t there? 
Moving through the jungle required precision and care, stepping cautiously to avoid producing too much noise or any unnecessary distrubances. Every step had to be calculated, avoiding treacherous roots and hidden obstacles that lay hidden beneath the thick layer of moss and leaves. Hux took the lead, his eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for signs of danger. The bio stabilizer mask displayed a constant readout of the temperature, reminding them that it was a sweltering 30 degrees Celsius. Beads of sweat dripped down their faces, mingling with the moisture collected on their masks.
The jungle seemed alive, its flora teeming with vibrant colors and intricate designs. But amidst the beauty, danger lurked. Hux and Sola had to remain vigilant, for hidden among the lush greenery were plants with dangerous defenses. The masks provided some protection, filtering the air and warning them of any potential hazardous particles in their surroundings.
Their communication was hindered by the masks, their voices distorted and distant. They relied on subtle gestures and hand signals to convey their intentions and navigate the perilous terrain. Each movement was deliberate, every decision weighed against the risks and dangers that surrounded them.
The humidity clung to their bodies, their clothes stuck to their skin, the fabric heavy and uncomfortable. The jungle challenged them at every turn, testing their endurance and resilience. 
Anticipation hung thick in the air, and there was the sense of being watched by unseen eyes. As they moved on, Hux and Sola emerged from the dense undergrowth into a small clearing as though all play life within it bowed to a superior form, the sudden openness allowed a sliver of sunlight to filter through the thick foliage. Sola's hand shot out to grab Hux's arm as her keen eyes caught sight of a peculiar plant standing tall just inside of the clearing. Its large, tropical leaves unfurled like a crown, showcasing a mesmerizing array of vibrant colors that seemed to beckon them closer.
Their gazes fixed upon its stunning blossom. The petals, resembling delicate lilies, faced upwards, reaching for the sparse sunlight that managed to penetrate the dense canopy above. 
Sola retrieved a small data pad from her pack, her nimble fingers swiftly confirming the plant's identity. The screen displayed information about the pax reaver. They watched the plant in silence, observing its beauty with both fascination and trepidation.
Curiosity stirred within Hux, and he reached down to pick up a small rock, his movements cautious. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the rock near the plant, then instinctively ducked down, seeking shelter behind a fern, placing an arm about Sola instinctively. The plant responded immediately, triggered by the disturbance, and a cascade of brightly colored spores erupted from its blossoms, descending slowly like ethereal red snowflakes.
They watched in awe, the captivating dance of the spores weaving an enchanting display against the backdrop of the jungle. It was a breathtaking sight, a moment of beauty amidst the lurking danger that the pax reaver represented.
"It's almost beautiful," Sola murmured, her voice barely audible beneath the filters of her mask. Acknowledging the plant's allure while recognizing the peril that lay beneath its alluring facade.
Hux nodded in agreement, his eyes locked on the delicate spores drifting through the air. It was a reminder of the delicate balance between beauty and danger that existed in this untamed realm. They knew they had to tread carefully, for even amidst the splendor of the jungle, unseen threats lurked, ready to ensnare the unwary.
They silently retreated from the clearing, leaving behind the mesmerizing spectacle of the pax reaver. Their journey continued, fueled by a newfound respect for the hidden perils that lay in wait.
The monotonous trek continued as they navigated through the jungle, with little variation in the landscape.
Sola broke the monotony first, her voice muffled by the mask. "You know, Hux, I've had better hiking trips. I must say, the lack of scenic views and lack of wildlife is a bit disappointing."
"Oh, I apologize for not providing you with a five-star tropical paradise. I'll make sure to leave a scathing review for this island." He smirked as Sola chuckled at his joke. He didn’t make anyone else laugh, just Sola.
Their banter served as a temporary distraction from the physical and mental exhaustion they both felt. Step after step, they pushed forward. By Hux’s best guess, they had a day and a half to two days journey to make, but with the added burden of having to move and cause as little disruption to the environment as possible he realized that it could take as many as three to four days.
It was dusk when they located a water source, Hux motioned for them to stop, signaling the end of their journey for the day. They went about setting up camp, their movements efficient and practiced. With the emergency shelter tent secured, they sought refuge inside, their tired bodies yearning for rest. Taking off their bio stabilizer masks, they released deep breaths of relief, savoring the fresh air that filled their lungs.
Hux sat down on the ground, a tired yet content expression on his face as he relished the feeling of freedom from the confining equipment. As Sola joined him, he couldn't help but notice the slight amusement in her eyes, feeling the weight of the day slowly dissipating as she sat on the tent's floor, wiping the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand
“And here I thought my days of hiking and roughing it in extreme temperatures were a thing of the past." Hux mused as he rubbed his face. Sola smirked, casting a playful glance in his direction. “Something funny?”
“It's hard to imagine you 'roughing it,' You seem to enjoy the niceties of the high life."
Hux's tone took on a facetious note and he rolled his eyes as he responded, "Hate to shatter the illusion, but I wasn't always a dashing general who basked in the lap of luxury. There was a time when I slogged through the mud, endured the relentless rain, and the scorching heat, just like any other cadet."
Sola's eyes danced with curiosity, her interest piqued. "Really?” 
Hux didn’t talk about himself, ever, his smirk faded, replaced by a more solemn expression. 
"Believe it or not, Sola, I earned my keep. I did indeed rough it for many years. Contrary to what most people think, my rise in the ranks had nothing to do with my father's influence. In fact, he did little more than hinder me and provide me with possibly even more setbacks for his amusement. I fought my way to the top."
Sola detected the bitterness in his voice, “So, father of the year?” Hux responded with a resounding ‘Ha!’ and he fell silent once more. She decided to change the subject slightly, wanting to keep the conversation light-hearted. "So, 'Cadet' Hux? What was he like?".
Hux blew out a breath, his voice tinged with frustration and what sounded like remorse. "He was a damned fool. Weak, scrawny, naive, and quite a bit shorter. As thin as a slip of paper and just as useless" There was a harshness in his own words in how he spoke about himself like they weren’t his own thoughts but someone else’s words that had been ingrained into him. 
"Yeah, but I bet he was pretty cute."
'Did she just call me cute? What is she playing at?'
Hux raised an eyebrow and a flicker of surprise flashed across Hux's face before he swiftly regained his composure. A hint of amusement broke through his facade, and he felt a mix of nostalgia. Hux leaned back slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he met Sola's gaze.
"Well, I must say, your taste in men is truly abhorrent," 
She could tell Hux held a low opinion of himself, she’d seen that type of insecurity a thousand times. It was one of the oldest defense mechanisms in the book, fortunately Sola wasn’t one to be easily deterred.
“Well, you grew up,” She cast a lingering and appreciative glance over his lean and muscular frame. “you filled out.”
Deep down, however, his mind churned with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The familiarity they had developed, the shared experiences, and now this playful banter—they all created a magnetic pull, an undeniable connection that defied the dangerous circumstances they found themselves in. 
Hux's eyes lingered on Sola, taking in her alluring presence, the way she carried herself with confidence. He found himself drawn to her, not just for her physical beauty but also for the strength and loyalty she embodied. Though he had been raised to believe that vulnerability was a weakness, in this moment, he found a strange comfort in letting his guard down, even if just a little.
'What are you doing here, Hux? This isn't the time or the place for such distractions...'
Despite the compliment, which he was grateful for, his demeanor suggested he was growing weary of the subject, so she dropped it. Sola pulled her hair loose from the ponytail she’d worn it in all day and groaned in relief as her hair tumbled down around her shoulders, and her fingers raked over her scalp providing much needed relief. A stillness fell over the two of them as she sat down to eat their rations, their tired bodies seeking respite and food. Sola opened a small pack, retrieving the compacted food and water pouches. She passed one to Hux and kept one for herself, their hands briefly brushing in the exchange. 
The aroma of dehydrated provisions wafted through the air, and while they were lacking the appetizing quality of a freshly cooked meal, they served their purpose nonetheless. Sola was right about one thing, Hux indeed missed the nicer luxuries he had enjoyed, particularly the food. Even the food at the academy wasn’t this bland, but he’d most certainly eaten worse.
Hux's gaze wandered toward the entrance of the tent, where glimpses of the fading daylight illuminated the surrounding foliage in a muted green glow. He turned his attention back to Sola, a weariness etched across his features. Sola took a sip from her water pouch, quenching her parched throat before breaking the silence. 
"How far do you think we've gone today?"
Hux paused for a moment, mentally retracing their arduous journey through the dense jungle. "Maybe around ten kilometers," he replied, his tone measured. "But we could still have between fifteen and twenty more to go, depending on what type of terrain awaits us."
Sola nodded, a faint sigh escaping her lips. The weight of the remaining distance hung in the air, a reminder of the arduous path that lay ahead.
“We’ll make it, Sola.” Hux reassured her. She wasn’t really prepared for the comforting reassurance, but glad to know Hux had faith in them.
They ate in silence for a while, the simple act of nourishment grounding them amidst the uncertainty of their surroundings. The mild tasting food filled their empty stomachs, providing a small measure of energy to replenish their weary bodies.
As they finished their rations, Sola leaned forward, her head in her hands rubbing at the junction where her neck met her shoulder, grimacing as she massaged the spot. The dim light filtered through the fabric, casting soft shadows across their worn-out forms. 
“You alright?” 
Sola nodded. The crash had taken its toll on both of them, leaving aches and pains as souvenirs of their ordeal. Sola let out a tired sigh. The physical strain was beginning to wear on her, and the desire for some relief was evident in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need a shower hot enough to seep into my bones.”
Hux furrowed his brow, genuine curiosity adorning his features, he leaned back on his elbows. "That's always puzzled me, Sola. Why do you women prefer scalding hot showers when cooler ones are so much more refreshing?"
Sola shook her head, a playful chuckle escaped her lips and she looked at him with sympathy as though she were about to explain something to an idiot. "Hux, you're allowed to have an opinion on many things, but the ideal temperature for a shower is not one of them. Your preference, cyar’ika, is simply wrong."
'Allowed my opinions but wrong…? Wait. What did she call me?'
The words resonated within Hux's mind, stirring a mix of amusement and curiosity. Sola's straightforwardness was refreshing. Then there was the way she called him "cyar'ika," a Mandalorian endearment reserved for lovers, added a layer of intrigue and flirtation to their exchange.
He observed her body language, noticing the slight tilt of her head, the playful glint in her eyes, and the way her lips curved into a teasing smile. There was a sense of confidence and ease in her posture, as though she reveled in their banter. Hux found himself captivated by her presence, eager to engage further in their playful verbal sparring.
"Hmm… So I’m mistaken, am I? Please, enlighten me, do women enjoy that sort of pain?"
"Hux, women are made of pain," she said, her voice laced with humor amid a deadpan expression. "It's in our very nature. Fact is most women exist at a baseline on a seven and a half on a ten scale most of the time, all thanks to our basic human anatomy. And there really isn’t much we can do about it but since it's not socially acceptable to bite the head off of one's mate when we're finished with them, we stand in the fire and watch you squirm."
Hux was clearly taken aback by her response; he had perhaps been expecting a much simpler explanation.  His mouth slightly agape as he searched for words but he ultimately found none. He decided no response was an acceptable one.
'Women are insane…'
“We should get some rest,” Hux finally said, changing the subject.
The fatigue of their journey weighed heavily on them and the promise of a few hours of sleep was a welcome thought. The anticipation of another challenging day loomed before them, making the respite of sleep that much more alluring. 
"Yeah, sleep," she conceded, her voice barely above a whisper. "In a bed. With blankets. And pillows. And central air.” Hux chuckled, knowing exactly what she was talking about and agreeing wholeheartedly, she yawned as she placed their sleeping sacks down on the hard ground. The shuttle had been less than desirable but the hard ground, less so. While falling asleep might not be hard, finding any peace and rest would prove to be another issue entirely. Due to the heat, they forewent sleeping inside the bags and instead on top of them, opting for the additional padded layer of comfort.
“No such luck here, darling. Afraid you’ll just have to rough it with me.” 
Sola smirked at the slightly sarcastic endearment and his playful implication. Sleeping on hard ground wasn’t his preference but he’d learned to sleep anywhere and he had. Still, a pillow did sound nice. The exhaustion of their bodies, combined with the serenity of the moment, started to lull them into a state of wearied tranquility. 
With a sense of familiarity, Hux took up space next to Sola, his presence providing a comforting warmth. Sola, less thrown off by his proximity this time, didn't hesitate to make herself comfortable. In the dim light filtering through the dense canopy, Hux glanced towards Sola, his gaze filled with a playful spark. He couldn't resist injecting a touch of humor into the quietude of the night. 
“You’re not going to bite my head off, are you?” He asked, taking note of how she didn’t shy away or comment on how closely they found themselves once more. 
“I reserve biting for entirely different occasions and under vastly different circumstances.” Sola's response carried a sense of familiarity, her tone laced with amusement. She echoed his sentiment from the previous night. The exchange held an air of light-hearted banter, a comfortable rapport that had developed between them.
“I usually like a little more romance than that anyway.” 
His desire to have the last word left him the victor this time. Sola's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the unexpected sentiment. She remained silent for a moment, her expression softening. Hux? A romantic? Sola tried to picture it but she was sure his idea of romance was either unconventional or old fashioned. 
The floor of the jungle and the lining of the tent made things less comfortable than the sleeping mat they’d shared in the shuttle. In favor of traveling as lightly as possible, they had been left behind. Sola shifted, trying to find a satisfying position but unable to. Her restless movements punctuated by soft grumbles of dissatisfaction. Sensing her discomfort, Hux decided to take matters into his own hands in a bit of a gamble. 
He wrapped his arm around Sola's waist, pulling her closer until her head rested against his chest. The sudden movement took Sola by surprise, their bodies molding together in an unexpected embrace. 
Hux couldn't help but comment on their makeshift arrangement, “Pillows are in short supply, this will have to do," Sola responded to his comment by playfully poking him in the side like you might poke a pillow, eliciting a gruff noise from Hux. "This is the thanks I get for being a gentleman." Her amusement reverberated against his chest. She nuzzled closer, finding solace in their intimate connection, and released a contented sigh. 
"It'll do," she murmured, hearing the steady rhythm of Hux’s breathing. It was not a luxurious pillow or a cozy blanket, but it was an improvement.
Hux's thoughts swirled with satisfaction. The impulsive act of pulling Sola closer had been a spontaneous decision, driven by a desire to offer her some measure of comfort. As her body nestled against his, he couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and contentment wash over him.
As they lay intertwined Sola's posture softened, her head nestled against Hux's chest. Hux, in turn, held her securely, his arm proving a sense of protection and comfort, he didn’t realize he would enjoy supplying.
The eerie silence amplified the sense of danger that lingered in the air. The absence of sound ushered them into an uneasy sleep, their dreams haunted by the mysteries and dangers of the island that surrounded them. As sleep gently beckoned, their breathing fell into sync, their shared warmth and whispered words lulling them into a peaceful slumber. 
---
The weight of the day's events and their brief discussion on Hux’s youth permeated his subconscious. He was carried back to the haunting memories of his youth. In the ethereal realm of slumber, the Academy materialized before him, its halls echoing with the ghosts of his past. The flickering lights cast eerie shadows, mirroring the fear that had gripped his young heart.
Within the confines of his dream, Hux traversed the corridors of the Academy, reliving the desperate longing for his mother that had consumed him when it was all new and terrifying to him. He recalled the relentless inquiries, his voice filled with a desperate hope that had eventually been crushed by his father's fabricated tale of her demise. The loneliness that had settled upon him like a suffocating weight, intensifying the ache of abandonment that had become his constant companion.
His dreams shifted, revealing the harsh reality he had faced as a cadet. The memories resurfaced, like buried scars torn open anew. The taunts and jeers echoed in his ears, the beatings and humiliations replayed before his eyes. The cruelty of his superiors and fellow cadets had been intended to forge him into an unyielding force, a leader unburdened by weakness or sentiment. His father's constant disapproval and the hardships inflicted upon him resonated deeply.
Yet, the yearning for friendship and camaraderie had lingered in his young heart, a flicker of hope amid the desolation. He had yearned for a connection, an alliance with his peers that would bring solace to his tormented soul. But it was a desire that always seemed out of reach, slipping through his fingers like sand. Instead, he had learned to embrace the solitary path of a calculated and cruel leader, one who valued fear and respect over the fleeting notion of companionship, leaving him hardened and embittered. The warmth of human connection had been replaced by the detached and meticulous demeanor necessary to command the First Order.
Nightmarish tendrils seeped further into his subconscious, distorting the landscape of his dreamscape. He became a mere observer, witnessing the transformation of the innocent boy he once was into the ruthless leader he had become. The weight of countless lives lost haunted his every step, a chilling testament to the path he had chosen. The accolades from his father, tainted with the stain of violence, felt like a bitter betrayal of his own humanity.
With a jolt, Hux awakened, his body drenched in a cold sweat. The remnants of the dream clung to him like a suffocating fog, his heart pounding in his chest and he struggled to remember where he was and what was happening. The weight of a body holding him in place pulled him back firmly into the present. 
'Just a dream. It was just a dream.'
He cast a weary glance at Sola, still deeply asleep beside him, her arm draped over his chest, clinging to him, her head nestled into the crook of his arm. The sight of her sleeping brought a sense of tranquility amidst the storm of his thoughts. How much had changed in the last six months, he pondered, and how much he had changed as well. The man he used to be seemed like a distant stranger, someone unrecognizable to the person he saw in the mirror now. The man he used to be, shrouded in bitterness and isolation, had never fathomed the possibility of someone like Sola entering his life. Yet, here she was.
As if sensing his gaze, she stretched in her sleep, her arms instinctively wrapping around him. It was a simple, unconscious act that spoke volumes to the closeness they had developed during their time together. His mind began to wander, recalling the moments they had shared—the playful banter, the teasing exchanges, the flickers of something more beneath the surface. It had been a delicate dance, a connection that grew stronger with each passing day. And amidst his inner contemplation, a sound reached his ears—a soft murmur escaping Sola's lips.
“Hux”
His breath hitched as he recognized his name, whispered in her sleep. He froze, his gaze fixated on her serene expression, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension swirling within him. Embarking on a gamble, Hux replied in a hushed tone, barely audible in the stillness of the night, 
"Sola?" His voice barely above a whisper, afraid to disrupt the tranquility, his heart skipped a beat as she murmured his name again, a bit more clearly this time, accompanied by something that caught him completely by surprise, a plea for him to ‘stay with me’. The vulnerability in her voice touched him, igniting a desire to offer her comfort and stability. “Not going anywhere.” His voice was laced with genuine sincerity. 
Allowing himself to indulge in a fleeting fantasy, Hux tightened his grip, his hands shifting lower across the curve of her hips. He held her with a mixture of affection and longing, envisioning a reality where Sola was truly his. He froze momentarily when Sola shifted in his arms tilting her head up, nuzzling into his neck, her breath tickling his skin.
He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from Sola's face. A tender smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he realized that their connection was not merely a figment of his imagination or a product of wishful thinking. 
As Hux held Sola close, his imagination danced with the possibilities of a different reality. In this fleeting fantasy, they were not stranded on a treacherous island but instead nestled in a place of safety and solace. He allowed himself to caress the contours of her back, his fingers tracing delicate patterns against her skin as if they were entwined in a lover's embrace. The intoxicating scent of her hair filled his senses, intensifying the illusion of the moment. For a brief instant, he let himself believe that this was his life, that he had found the companionship he had yearned for.
"Vercopa pirusti," he whispered softly, the Mandalorian endearment slipping past his lips. 
As Hux lay there, enveloped in the warmth of Sola's presence, a tantalizing temptation whispered in his thoughts. Her lips were just within reach, a mere breath away. The idea of stealing a kiss flickered in his mind, a clandestine act that could easily be dismissed as a dream-induced accident should she stir awake. But in that pivotal moment, a sense of clarity washed over him. He was not his father, a man who had used manipulation and deceit to satisfy his own desires. Giving in to a stolen kiss would only cheapen the bond they were forming.
With a contented sigh, Hux allowed himself to surrender to the embrace of sleep. In the realm of dreams, where the boundaries of reality blurred, he found peace in the knowledge that the closeness he experienced with Sola transcended mere physicality. Hux nestled his cheek against Sola's temple, cherishing the precious intimacy they shared. As he settled back into a more comfortable position, he allowed himself to savor the warmth of Sola's presence.
---
For late sleepers like Sola, the morning would always come far too soon. As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the thin fabric of the tent, Hux and Sola stirred from their slumber, their bodies feeling surprisingly rejuvenated after a night of restful sleep. However, the manner in which Sola found herself greatly improved her mood. Once more they had woken up together, their bodies intertwined in a closeness that had developed organically throughout the night.
She observed their state with a mix of amusement and contentment. Her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder, and their legs intertwined as if they were two puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together. The weight of his hand on her hip, skimming the curve of her back, sent a shiver of warmth cascading through her. She couldn't deny the pleasure she derived from their physical connection, the sense of safety that emanated from Hux's touch. Her gaze traced the contours of his face, the disheveled mess of his hair that begged for her playful touch. There was a vulnerability in his slumber, a side of him that he rarely allowed others to witness. Sola found herself captivated by his peaceful visage, the lines of worry and determination temporarily eased.
Lost in her musings, Sola let her eyes linger on Hux, taking in the subtle rise and fall of his chest with each breath. She didn’t notice his eyes had opened and he was now staring at her as she stared at him.
As Sola's gaze lingered on Hux, lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize that his eyes had opened, his deep green orbs fixed upon her with a silent amusement. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, the corners of his eyes crinkling ever so slightly. They shared a wordless understanding, a tacit agreement to silently disentangle themselves from their intimate embrace and begin preparing for the day ahead.
There was a subtle flirtation lingered between them, evident in the quick dance of glances and playful smiles they exchanged. Hux adjusted the straps on his pack, the movement causing his muscles to flex beneath his shirt. She discreetly adjusted the straps on her own pack, her fingers grazed against her collarbone.
Sola, engrossed in the straps of her pack, the weight of his attention made her pause, a flicker of curiosity lighting up her eyes. Sensing the unspoken question hanging in the air, she couldn't help but inquire:
"What?" Hux shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips, and offered no immediate response. Sola's curiosity piqued further as she probed, her voice laced with a mix of playfulness and intrigue, "Why are you looking at me like you know something?"
Inwardly, Hux couldn't help but think, 'I do know something.' 
The intimacy that had unfolded between them, held a depth he couldn't entirely fathom. But he chose to respond cryptically, his voice carrying a hint of mystery as he asked, "Did you sleep well?"
Sola's mind wandered back to her own dreams, a faint smile gracing her features as she delved into the memories. In a far-off tone, she replied, "Yeah, I did." Her voice held a trace of nostalgia, slightly biting her lower lip. Her voice carried a hint of fondness, as if she had experienced something truly delightful during her slumber. It was a response that left Hux wondering what visions had captivated her and whether he had played a part in them.
As Hux and Sola prepared to embark on their journey for the day, they reached for their masks. But as Hux's gloved fingers grazed the surface of his mask, his eyes caught sight of a small hairline crack in the O-ring, causing an instant surge of panic to course through him. A feeling of ice down his spine froze him in his tracks and his mind raced to find answers. When had it happened? How could he have missed it? And most importantly, would this compromise his mask's ability to filter the air?
The cold sensation gripped Hux, reminiscent of his childhood days when he found himself in trouble, a feeling all children know. Questions flooded his mind, each one more alarming than the last. Uncertainty settled upon him, visibly stiffening his posture as his thoughts raced through various "what if" scenarios, each one worse than the last.
Sola, ever perceptive, noticed the sudden change in Hux's demeanor. Concern etched into her features, she reached out and gently touched his arm. "Hux, what’s wrong?" 
He jumped, slightly startled, in turn startling her back. Shaking himself from the grip of panic, Hux managed to regain a semblance of composure. Hux wasn’t one to be startled. The man had eyes in the back of his head. 
He quickly rationalized that there was no purpose in alarming Sola with his unconfirmed fears at that moment. With a forced calmness, he replied, "I'm fine, just a sharp pain. Nothing to worry about." He wouldn’t blame her if she called him a liar. It was a weak lie at best and the look on her face suggested she didn’t buy it. 
For the briefest of moments he contemplated telling her the truth, he knew lying to her wasn’t wise as whatever was growing between them called for honesty and trust. But the thought of delaying their progress and sowing unnecessary fear made him hesitate. There was no other option but to press on, despite the compromised state of his mask. He knew the risks, understood the potential consequences. Though the panic still churned within him, Hux knew he needed to remain level-headed. He carefully placed the mask on his face, his confidence in its ability to filter oxygen significantly diminished by the sight of the crack. But he had to stay focused and composed, for his own sake and Sola's. 
As they stepped out of the tent, Hux couldn't shake the unease that lingered in the back of his mind. His decision was clear—he would maintain a slight distance from Sola, keeping a vigilant eye on himself for any signs of distress or ill effects. If he noticed anything amiss, he would quickly warn her and take appropriate action.
The morning had started out so nice, Sola couldn't help but wonder about the sudden shift in Hux's behavior. Her eyes betrayed her curiosity, but she chose to remain silent, allowing Hux his space. Maybe his dreams weren’t as nice as hers? The tension between them hovered in the air, mingling with the anticipation of reaching the summit. Hux, determined to forge ahead, kept his lips tightly sealed. Focused solely on their goal, knowing that the higher they ascended, the more sparse the foliage and potential dangers would become.
And so, with a veil of unease hanging over their journey, Hux and Sola pressed on, their steps measured and their senses attuned to the slightest anomaly. Each passing moment brought them closer to the mountain's peak. 
As Hux and Sola continued their ascent, the once vibrant atmosphere between them had been replaced by a lifeless silence. Sola's attempts to spark a conversation were met with curt replies and grunts from Hux, leaving her feeling unsettled. This wasn't the man from last night. Something had changed.
The distance between them was not only evident in their lack of words but in Hux's physical demeanor as well. Any gesture of support or assistance from him was abruptly withdrawn as soon as Sola found her footing. The warmth that had once radiated from him was replaced by an icy coldness, deliberate and calculated. Sola felt a growing frustration, unable to comprehend why Hux was behaving this way. 
The pace they maintained was faster than before, an intentional effort from Hux to push forward with urgency. Sola couldn't shake the feeling that he was deliberately keeping her at arm's length. When she questioned the hurry, Hux offered a brief and dismissive response, referencing the danger of the island and his unwillingness to waste time. It was as if he expected her to have forgotten the perils they faced. By the end of the day, Sola's irritation had grown significantly—not because of Hux's distance alone, but because she knew he was withholding something from her, and she couldn't fathom what or why. Their hike remained like that until they set up camp in further silence. 
As they settled down to eat, Hux kept his gaze lowered, avoiding any eye contact with Sola. The tension between them was palpable, and an unsettling thought crept into Sola's mind. Could it be possible that Hux had been playing her all along? That his intentions were far from genuine, and he saw this journey as an opportunity to cut her loose? The idea sent her heart racing, realizing the gravity of her situation had deepened immensely.
Sola, lacking combat skills and survival training, understood the stark contrast between her own abilities and Hux's expertise. He possessed the skills necessary to easily overpower or eliminate her if he so wished. With a racing mind, Sola turned away from Hux and retreated into her own thoughts, choosing to sleep as far away from him as possible. Distrust hung heavily in the air, a distressing end to their evening.
Hux couldn't ignore the consequences of his changed behavior. He knew he had caused a rift between them, and the realization left him with a heavy heart. The silence that enveloped them throughout the night was a testament to the mounting tension and the fracture in their once blossoming connection. As Hux settled in, he couldn't help but feel the weight of his actions, hoping that somehow they would find a way to bridge the gap and rediscover the trust that had once bound them together. 
Sleep eluded Hux that night, his guilt gnawing at him even in the absence of nightmares. Their strained relationship and the divide he had deliberately created kept him from finding rest. Reflecting on their conversation from the previous night and the warmth they shared, Hux couldn't help but feel remorse for intentionally causing this discord. However, he felt that he had valid reasons for his actions. Though there was a part of him that believed Sola would rather have known the truth. 
As his thoughts swirled, Hux realized that he hadn't experienced any adverse effects from the crack in his mask. They had passed through areas of the jungle where the Pax Reavers unleashed colorful spores, yet his mask had successfully filtered the air, providing him with a sigh of relief. In that moment, he sat up and he contemplated waking Sola and explaining his motivations, but the sight of her with her back turned to him gave him pause. It was worlds away from how they had slept before, wrapped in each other's arms, and it pained him to witness the change. He couldn't bring himself to disturb her sleep, opting instead to wait until morning to reveal his reasons, hoping that she would forgive him.
He drifted into a fitful sleep, hoping that come morning, Sola would awaken and, at the very least, give him a well-deserved slap. 
Part Two
---
Well, as I said this is a two-shot with all the tasteless capsaicin in the second part which I am fine-tuning! If you liked it then feel free to like, reblog, or leave me a tasty comment and let me know what you think! I have lots or stories in the works so comments and engagement help me focus on the more popular stories! Thanks for tuning in, see you in part two!
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tragicclownwrites · 9 months
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Love That Sponge
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by tragicclownwrites
Spongebob kindly arranges a “practice date” for him and Squidward when the latter has a chance encounter that lands him an actual date. The practice session inevitably goes wrong, but not for the reasons either of them expected. Or a slightly alternate ending to “Love That Squid” in which Spongebob manages to convince Squidward to finish their practice date, and how one final tenet changed everything.
Words: 11.2K, Chapters: 2/2, Language: English
Fandom: SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: M/M, F/M
Characters: Squidward Tentacles, SpongeBob SquarePants, Squilvia (SpongeBob), Patrick Star, Gary the Snail (SpongeBob)
Relationships: SpongeBob SquarePants x Squidward Tentacles, Squilvia x Squidward Tentacles, SpongeBob SquarePants & Patrick Star
Additional Tags: First Dates, First Kiss, Romance, Fix-It of Sorts, Alternate Ending, Based on a SpongeBob SquarePants Episode, Feelings Realization, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, it's mutual dammit, Light Angst, Love at First Sight, or love at first kiss, Denial of Feelings, Acceptance
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