#wc marketplace

[jinkicake]

HSHDHSHD HI AGAIN I JUST SAW UR CHILDE AND SCARAMOUCHE ARRANGE MARRIAGE POST AND I GO SJGNFNFNFNDNNFNDNG THE WAY U WRITE ARRANGE MARRIAGE TROPES>>>>>>/lh UR WRITTING IS SO GOOD!! I ALWAYS COMEBACK AND RE READ IT EVERYTIME AND I JUST REALIZED U ALSO WRITE FOR OBEY ME?! AND UR WRITING IS THE FIRST FEW ONES I'VE READ AFTER I JOIN THE OM FANDOM TOO?!👀💖💐

Ps. Would u mind if I request a 2nd part for the arrange marriage aus for the first fews chars (esp. Perrio👀) if nit they it's fine <33 thx u for creating such an amazing content!!💖💖

Forced / Arranged Marriage Trope

(pt. ??) Alhaitham, Dottore, Pierro, Zhongli x Reader

fem!reader bc I like the use of ‘wife’

A/N: hi anon!! thank you for being so patient w me and for being so sweet </333 T T i hope you like this~~ if you want me to do part2 for anyone else let me know!! I only did it for zhongli and pierro teehee bc i also wanted to add alhaitham and dottore (i hope that is alright~~)

WC - 3.2k

- yandere!dottore  // dottore is his own warning -

NSFW // LIGHT SMUT (pierro+zhongli)

~~~

Alhaitham

“I will be home after sundown, habibti." Alhaitham places a gentle hand on your shoulder after he stands up from his chair at the dining room table. He lowers his head with a slight dip of his neck to place a kiss on the crown of your hair. “Be good today.” 

And then he is gone. 

Months have passed since your husband began staying late after work. You don’t understand it in the slightest, he hates doing unnecessary tasks. The entire time you’ve known him, courting and beyond, Alhaitham has always spared time in his day for his interests. One day, he even told you that his favorite part of each day was settling down to read. He likes to live a carefree and relaxed lifestyle, so staying late in the Akademiya seems like the complete opposite of that. 

Regardless, you bear the weight of your suspicions and ignore it. 

You focus on being the docile wife you were advertised as and focus on your housework. In truth, your arranged marriage could not have gone any better. Despite your parents parading you around, you somehow found the most laid-back candidate who suited your needs to a t. Every night you thank the Lesser Lord Kusanali for such a kind husband, who lets you come and go as you please. You would have probably hired a hit on your parents, as opposed to never speaking with them again, if they married you away to a cruel man. 

However, housework only keeps you busy for so long and before you know it, it is ten am and you have finished everything that you wanted to do for the day. You could go bother your husband’s old roommate or have a meal with your friend but, you notice that Alhaitham left his lunch today. The neatly prepared and packed lunch is still sitting on the counter where you left it. He must have forgotten to grab it. 

With ignorance only Alhaitham could have installed in you, a result of keeping you in the dark for so long, you head toward the Akademiya. However, you regret it once you speak with his co-workers. 

“Alhaitham is not here today.”

“Your husband? He didn’t come in this morning,”

“I heard he was heading to Port Ormos after speaking with the Gauhar.”

Through your dejection, you braced a kind smile and thanked them all before heading back home. What could your husband possibly be going to the port for? He’s not a student anymore, there’s no reason for him to be going there. 

Unless someone else is there. 

You stubbornly try to shake that negative thought out of your head as you walk through the marketplace. As if Alhaitham would commit something of adultery, he doesn’t show interest in anything or anyone. 

Perhaps, you will have to speak about this with him when he returns home. 

Returning home that night was not something Alhaitham did. In fact, he did not return back to you for two nights and only appeared on the third morning of his disappearance. 

To say that you were upset would be an understatement and your husband was able to see it the second he walks in through the door. 

“(Y/N), I know I have been gone-”

“Where have you been?” You don’t give him the chance to begin with the sorry apologies as you cross your arms over your chest, you get straight to the point. 

“It was for the Akademiya, I cannot discuss the matters with you and you know this.” He sounds sincere enough, there’s a tiredness to his words that you can’t pinpoint. “I wanted to check in with you before I returned.”

“Check in with me?” You scoff and start to look at him as if he had grown three heads. “Check in with me before returning to your mistress?” 

“My mistress?” Alhaitham raises a subtle brow and keeps a straight face despite the amusement growing in his chest. 

“Why else have you been gone so long? Staying out so late? I’m not a fool and personally, I don’t care about who else you see.” You lie straight through your teeth, lie until you choke. Alhaitham sighs before stepping closer toward you. 

“I really cannot share the details of this assignment just yet, you have to believe me, habibti.” He gently cups your shoulders, giving the area a soft squeeze before soothingly running over the planes of your back. “Listen to me when I say that I would never think of betraying you so cruelly.” And, before you have a chance to react, Alhaitham lowers his face to brush his lips against your ear. Vulnerability spills through his every word. “Please do not act so indifferent about the matter of us, I want you to care as freely about me as I do you.”

Smoothly, his hand cups your face and tilts you his way. 

“No matter what thoughts you may come up with on your own, trust the logic that I love you.”

Dottore

“The Doctor will return from his mission sometime next week, perhaps during the beginning of the new moon-”

During the message personally delivered from your husband by a trusted subordinate, you can’t help but audibly groan. 

“Why must he ruin my entire week with his presence? Did he specifically plan to return on Monday? Why couldn’t he have come back the following Saturday or Sunday?” You place your pen down with great irritation and with it, the notebook you were writing in slams shut. The large Fatui soldier stares down at you, quite flabbergasted by your actions. At the lack of response from your maids, he continues. 

“Well, The Doctor wanted to spend some time with you before his next mission-”

“You’re kidding?” This time, you stand up and slam your palms against the strong wooden desk. Hatred and frustration flow through your veins, nearly choking you by your throat. “When you receive word that he is on his way, within a day away from me, then you will come back here and tell me. Understand?” You and your shorter frame could not nearly pose up to the Vanguard standing before you but, given the status of your esteemed husband, you can speak with him and any other solider of your choice however you want.

“Yes, my lady.” He offers a respectful bow before leaving your office and does not flinch under the intensity of your unwavering glare. 

“My day is ruined.” You hum and try to calm yourself down by rolling out your shoulders. Within an instant your close friends (the maids assigned to you by your beloved) are by your side, offering you their condolences and support. “We must prepare for the torture that his arrival is ensured to bring. Where are my earplugs?” 

Each day that follows, you work alongside other members of the house to prepare the cozy home that your husband chooses to reside in. Cozy is a cute way of describing it, this castle that hides within the mountains is anything but cozy. It’s large and empty but, you rather enjoy all the empty space that provides shelter when you’re hiding from your husband. 

In the midst of your breakfast later in the week, you’re interrupted by another announcement. 

“My lady, The Doctor will arrive-”

“What do you want?” You scowl and push your plate away, lowering your utensils before standing up from your chair. Now, just like your week and the ones that follow, your meal is ruined too. “I do not care when that wretched vermin will arrive. Tell me when he is here and leave me alone.”

“That is the thing, my lady, he is here early.” As one of the Legionaries beside the previous Vanguard steps to the side, your husband moves in front of you. He stands tall on the other side of the long dining room table and you have half a mind to sprint for the door. “I did not have time to issue the previous warning you asked for.”

“Warning? Is that how you speak of me when I am not around?” Dottore tilts his head slightly before slowly walking around the table. You try not to shake as he corners you, hands braced behind his back. “Oh? Where has your attitude gone? Down the drain with your fight?” 

He doesn’t have to remove his mask for you to see the sneer on his face, the anger that is sure to be littering his features. 

“Dear,” You nervously greet him, offering a pathetic smile that does little to hide your nerves. 

“Sweetheart,” He greets back just as gently but, you can see the tension in his shoulders. “I must confess that I was thinking we would spend time with one another before my next trip to Sumeru but, now I'm not so sure.” 

But? You mentally pray and pray to the Tsaritsa that he changes his mind and ditches you altogether, that he leaves you alone again for months on end. Anything would be better than facing his wrath. 

“I don’t think we need to see one another for a while.” He waits for you to let out the breath you were holding in, to sigh in relief, before gripping your jaw with his gloved hand. “I think it would only be fair since you’ll now be coming with me to Sumeru. We can spend the entire trip together, side by side. Finally, you’ll be able to see my work up close and not just from your timid frame in the lab doorway.”

You can’t hide the way your lip begins to quiver, eyes filling with tears. That is the last thing you would ever want. 

“Aren’t you excited, my wife? You must be since you’re near bursting into tears!” He mocks you until your soul breaks, until the farthest place you could ever be from him is no longer far enough. “If this is how you act when we are apart then, you will never be from my side ever again.”

Pierro

“You are a blessing,” Pierro murmurs lowly as his hands delicately sculpt your sides, gently he presses into your skin with his thick fingers. “a divine creation.” Like this, he worships you. His lips lightly trail between the valley of your breasts as he ascends up your body. “Hundreds of years have passed since I’ve felt this alive.”

Pierro slowly drags his lips up your throat and over your jaw to hover above your lips. His breath fans your chin, teasing you with his close proximity. He laughs when you tilt your chin in an attempt to kiss him, but it fails. 

Regardless of how you care for your husband outside of your shared bedroom, you always love him inside of it. 

“Please,” Your quiet voice sounds like a melody to the older man and he nearly sighs at the sweet tone. This is all he has ever desired, you wanting and yearning for him. He knows his words will never be enough to get this point across, ever.

With a light hand, the man brushes any lingering strands of your hair out of your face. He stares down at you with lust-filled eyes before cupping your jaw with his large palm. Subtly, Pierro tilts your face upward and meets your lips in a passionate kiss. As he presses his mouth against your own, applying just the correct amount of pressure, his thumb gently strokes your cheek. It’s a sweet kiss, one that leaves you breathless and wanting more. 

Before he can catch himself and reel in his self-restraint, Pierro cups your breast. Your arms loop around his neck, digging your fingers into his broad shoulders as he fondles and squeezes at your chest. The constant stimulation only makes you greedier for more and your hips create a mind of their own as you roll slowly upwards against his pelvis. 

“My wife,” Pierro groans, pulling away momentarily to catch his breath. His voice sounds shaky as he tries to fight back the overwhelming desire to just take you right now. “enough, before you make me do something I’ll regret.”

The first of the eleven Fatui harbingers thinks he has himself under control finally, that he will be able to continue but then you glance up at him. In your young eyes, mischief shines brighter than the life in his own. 

“It’s alright if I don’t regret it, don’t you think?” And then you kiss him once more. You yank roughly on his neck, catching him off guard, and pull him down again. 

The growl that leaves your husband is animalistic. His sharp reflexes snap at your wrist, pinning you effectively to the bed without much room to move. The kiss of his lips, once sweet, turns possessive and greedy as he presses you into submission. With little fight, you obediently fall right into his open palms with your lips parting at the slightest jut of his tongue. 

Skillful hips roll against your own, Pierro’s hard cock grinds into your clothed cunt and the sensation against your sensitive clit makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. When you start failing to kiss back, Pierro makes his attack. He squeezes your wrists and shoves his tongue into your mouth, swallowing and taking all that you will give him. Your thighs are beginning to burn against the stretch of being spread for his muscular waist but, the pain is dulled over at each slot of his hips. 

Your pitiful whimper pulls him from his conquest and Pierro remorsefully separates himself from your lips. 

“I need you,” Your whisper does not fall deaf on his ears, Pierro hears every single word. No matter how much you make fun of the older man, poking at his true age, he’s sharpened every one of his skills beyond their years. 

“I know, my beloved, I know what you need.” His hands make you sigh out loud as they run up and down your waist, breathy moans leave your lips. “Do you understand the affection that I hold for you? Are you aware of the effect you have on me?” Pierro closely watches your reaction, stares as you keep your eyes closed and don’t so much as flinch at his words. You simply hum and lay like a blessing against his sheets. Now, the older man lowers his lips to your stomach and presses his mouth into your skin. He gently creates a path to the band of your panties with each kiss getting heavier than the last. 

“One day, you will understand the true extent of my feelings.”

Zhongli

Lately, you’ve been worried about your husband. Your concerns are nothing new or anything revolutionary but, you can’t speak about it to your friends or others who are unaware of his godly status. To deal with the matter, you sought out the one person you could discuss the matter with, one of the people who know him better than you do. 

“I’m worried about Zhongli,” You sit patiently at the stone table, in your husband’s seat as you confess your inner feelings to the cloud retainer. 

“Zhongli?” The bird rolls her eyes, tasting the name on her tongue before it clicks. “Morax. What is there to be concerned about? Foolish girl, he adores you.” The cloud retainer raises a judgmental brow at your timidness as she pours you a cup of tea. She sits down with an elegance that makes you feel small in her presence. Still, you proceed. 

If any of the adeptus are going to listen to you, it’s her. If there is a single one that you can trust, it is her. 

“Isn’t that the problem?” Truthfully, you have been worried about the upcoming and unforeseen future. You’re always worried about it. Not that you will disappear soon but, mortal lives are nothing compared to that of an adeptus. How will he fare when you pass? How can you prepare him for it? “What will happen to him when I inevitably-”

The aged bird cuts you off before you can even finish your sentence. 

“Speaking of such circumstances when they are nowhere in the near future will only come back to bite you.” Cloud retainer quietly sips at her drink, leaving a few moments of silence between the two of you before she sighs. “Fully cherish the time you have with him, that is the only piece of advice I can offer you.”

And that is as far as you go with her on the matter, the conversation was over.

Still, in your heart, you weren’t satisfied with the answer.

It continued to bug you even as you tried to ignore it, even as you tried to cherish the time you have with the immortal. 

“How are you today, my dear?” Every single day when he returns, Zhongli finds you and presses a delicate kiss on your cheek. It’s a kind gesture that always makes you melt into the palm of his hand. 

It also, more often than not, always leads to something else. Something more intimate. 

“Would you forgive me if I said that I missed you today,” Zhongli’s low voice fills your senses and clouds your mind, leaving you barely unable to think. Now pressed into the couch with your husband over top of you, protectively holding your thighs over his hips, all you can do is take everything that the god has to give you. “I’m often missing you when you are away.” 

His pure confessions make your gut twist in an uncomfortable way. 

“Will you be okay when I am no longer here?” You whisper, letting the words spill into his ears as you hide your face in his neck. 

Zhongli stops his movements. The gentle, smooth thrusts of his hips come to a standstill as his hands lower from your thighs. He places a palm beside your head and pulls back enough that he can look at you. 

“I will never be the same without you.” The raw emotion in his features and the distinct vulnerability in his eyes cause tears to well up in your eyes. “But, I will continue to live. Your memory will keep me alive until we can be reunited again.” His gentle touch comes up to wipe at your tears as his thumbs brush over your cheeks. “I don’t want you to be worried about that just yet, okay, my gem?”

Softly, Zhongli presses his lips against yours and it muffles the sob that leaves your lips. 

You tighten the grip that you have on his biceps, digging your fingers into his skin as your lips open for his tongue. 

“I love you, I will always love you forever.” He murmurs into your cheek before kissing over your eyelids. Smoothly, his hips pick up a slow pace once more and you gasp loudly. The sound makes your husband laugh, gently shaking as he presses his forehead against your own. “If I had my way, we would have met earlier and you would never part from my side.” 

In every touch, he portrays how much he loves you. There is an ‘I love you’ in the press of his fingers against your hips. There is an ‘I love you’ in the skillful roll of your hips and there is an ‘I love you’ in the gentle kiss of his lips. 

Yes, Zhongli is sure he will always love you. Even through grief and mourning, he will never forget the feeling of loving you. 

#al haitam x reader #dottore x reader #pierro x reader #zhongli x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin x you #genshin x female reader #alhaitham x reader #dottore x y/n #pierro x y/n #zhongli x you #yandere dottore #alhaitham fluff #pierro smut #zhongli smut #xiaos spicy almond tofu

[wh0reforcoriolanussnow]

Billy x thief reader 👀 she tries to pick pocket billy without knowing his reputation which only leads to a flirty confrontation. Love your writing smm 💕

Takes two to tango || Billy the Kid x reader

A/n: i love this request, keep them coming!!!!! and thank you anon <333

Warnings: none?

Wc: 673

Billy the Kid masterlist

Divider by @pommecita

Santa Fe's sun dipped low on the horizon, casting golden hues over the terra cote streets. You, adorned in a vibrant red dress that swayed with each sway of your hip, glided through the lively crowd. Your h/c hair framed an innocent smile that could charm even the sternest of faces, a charming and strikingly beautiful young woman whose smile hid secrets, a façade concealing the nimble fingers of a pickpocket.

The people of Santa Fe were oblivious to the danger that walked among them. No one suspected a pretty lady like yourself with a twinkle in your eyes, adorned in jewelry, to be a master of the unsavory art, pickpocketing.

Your charm, your grace that rivaled even the most high status ladies in society was your greatest weapon. Your targets were carefully chosen, and you would distract them with a captivating smile, witty banter, flirtatious charm, and the subtle dance of your nimble fingers.

One fateful day, the town buzzed, a cloud of dust announced the arrival of a lone cowboy. He had an air of mystery about him that drew your attention, a charm that rivaled your own. His rugged features were hidden beneath the brim of his worn hat, his piercing blue eyes surveyed the vibrant scene, taking in the sights and sounds of Santa Fe with a cool confidence.

Unable to resist the lure of a new challenge, you sauntered over to him with a coy smile, your hips swaying subtly with each step. "Well, hello there, stranger. Santa Fe welcomes you," you greeted him, your voice as sweet as honey.

Billy, drawn in by your beauty and charisma, reciprocated with a smile that revealed his dimples, tipping his hat. "Thank you, ma'am. Quite a lively place you got 'ere," his gaze locks on you. "Santa Fe is quite something, I agree." You softly chuckle, your eyes scanning him.

"What brings you here," You tilt your head, letting charm take center change. One corner of his lip tips up, his eyes drifting to the side for a fleeting moment as you inch closer to him.

You engage in conversation as Billy responds with equal enthusiasm. As you spoke, your fingers moved with practiced precision, exploring the edges of his pockets. The marketplace provided the perfect cover, its chaotic ambiance camouflaging your subtle movements.

You reveled in the thrill of the heist, confident that your charm would keep him blissfully unaware. Billy, though new to Santa Fe, was no stranger to the art of survival. His instincts kicked in as he felt the subtle graze of your fingers, and with a swift motion, grabbed your delicate wrist with a slight smirk.

Surprise flashed across your features, but you quickly composed yourself, turning the encounter into a playful interaction. "Well now, what do we have 'ere?" Billy's voice was low and velvety as he spoke. "A charming lady with a mischievous side."

You chuckled, feigning innocence. "Oh, you caught me. I must admit, you're quite perceptive, cowboy. Maybe I just couldn't resist the allure of a handsome cowboy like yourself," Billy's gaze lingered on you, a spark of amusement in his eyes.

Billy chuckled, releasing your wrist. "Well, darlin' you've got nerve I'll give you that, most folks 'round here just tip their hats and move on," You tilt your head coyly to the side at his words.

"I'm not like most folks, and you're not like most cowboys," you arch and eyebrow at him. "Tell me, darlin', what would drive a lady like you to such daring efforts?"

With a mischievous glint in your eyes, you responded, "Survival, perhaps," You shrug, Billy's laugh resonated through the air, a deep and hearty sound.

"Well, you've certainly made my day more interesting, ma'am. But I reckon you should find a more honest way to make a living," A challenge flickered between you and the handsome outlaw, an unspoken understanding that there was more to both of you than met the eye.

"They say there are two paths that a women can take; marry, or whore yourself," You began, looking around before you fold your arms. "Tried whoring," Billy's lips part, "but that only made me realise my self-worth more," Your eyes fall down onto the grown at your feet where you kick a rock.

"Oh I know you're worth more than that, sweetheart." Billy steps closer to you, taking your chin in between his fingers which catches you off guard. The air crackled with a tension that transcended mere flirtation. The dance between pickpocket and cowboy had just begun.

"Seems you've got a talent for lightening a man's pockets," Billy remarked, a sly grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as you mirror him. You raised an eyebrow, "it's just a little something I picked up along the way. Keeps life interesting, wouldn't you say?"

Billy leaned against a wooden post, his gaze never leaving yours. "Interesting is one way to put it," he swallows, his eyes watching a family walk past, "most folks call it risky business, though," you lock eyes with him once again.

"Oh, but where's the fun without a bit of risk?" you replied, a playful glint in your eyes. "Besides, I've got a knack for it." Billy chuckled, shaking his head, "Well, ma'am, you've certainly added a twist to my day. Never thought I'd meet a pickpocket so......" he trails off, his eyes swept over you, a heat evident in the way his eyes drank your details, from head to toe before wetting his lips, "charming."

You stepped closer, the little space between you filled with an electric energy. "And I never though I'd such a handsome cowboy with keen instincts. Caught me fair and square." Billy's gaze softened, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"So, what's a charming lady like you doing in a place like this? There's gotta be more to the story." You sighed, as if revealing a secret. "Life's not always as pretty as it seems. Sometimes, a girl's gotta do what she can to get by."

His expression grew more serious, a subtle understanding passing between you. "We've all go out ways of surviving in this world." He sharply inhales, his hands resting on his hips. "Would you like somethin' to drink, ma'am?" He questions you with a subtle smirk on his lips as you bite your lip lightly, "Though you'd never ask," Billy cracks a smile.

#fanfiction #tom blyth #billy the kid x you #billy the kid 2022 #billy the kid #billy the kid x reader #billy the kid fanfiction #billy antrim #william h. bonney #william bonney #william h bonney x reader #tom blyth fanfiction #coriolanus snow #the hunger games #tom blyth imagine #coriolanus snow fanfiction #tom blyth x reader #the hunger games the ballad of songbirds & snakes #billy the kid smut #billy the kid imagine #tom blyth x you #kid antrim #young coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow imagine #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus x reader #young!coriolanus snow #young president snow #tbosas #tbosas x reader

[somanyratsinthewalls]

2 Years Later (+18)

2 Years Later (+18) (Zoro x Reader)

Summary: You finally decide it's time to tell Zoro how you feel. Too bad he's a fucking idiot.

Pairing: Zoro x afab!reader

WC: 1500 OPE

Ageless Blogs and Minors DNI you WILL be blocked immediately

TW: angst, hate sex, vaginal sex, fingering, oral sex, romance, pining, pet names, once again so much plot with also porn, idk help!

“Stupid, stupid, stupid…” 

Zoro muttered to himself as he firmly rapped his head on the back of the wall he was sitting against. He was out on the deck staring towards the bow of the Sunny, leaning up his back against the wall to the galley. How could he be such a fool? He hadn’t seen you in 2 years and he wasted the sweet moment of your reunion by accusing you of sleeping with someone you had met during your time away from everyone. Zoro let those insecurities of not be able to find you or protect you bubble up to the surface and he came off as an asshole instead of someone who deeply cares about you. Loves you, even… 

But now here he was, alone, physically thrown out of your room and not daring to return. He couldn’t believe he wasted his big chance to confess and made you hate him in the process…

— 12 hours before The Fight — 

Your stomach was in knots, couldn’t believe you were really about to see your crewmates again after 2 years. Everyone had been through so much, and so had you. You snapped out of your anxious thoughts and hitched up your backpack and made your way into the market on Sabaody. 

You heard him before you saw him, the sound of his deep voice clearly frustrated with whoever he was talking with. You heard it in the marketplace and instinctively whipped around to see a pair of broad shoulders and the sparkle of 3 earrings above his left one. You flew towards him and instinctively wrapped your arms around his strong back, not missing how much larger he had become. 

“What the hell? Why are-“ Zoro looked down, he knew those arms. Your arms, the ones he wished so often to place kisses on their soft skin… the ones he imagined gripping his biceps as he plowed into you… 

“Y/n?”  

Zoro din’t hug you back, but you didn’t expect him to. It wasn’t his style. You didn’t care, you liked him that way. But of course… you’d never tell him that…

— 2 hours before The Fight —

You were so excited to see everyone again, but also excited to celebrate with them. Your evening was filled with lots of delicious food and tons of booze. You gaze across the table at Zoro, catching his eye before he looked down at his glass. Now that he was no longer staring at you, he realized it was empty and rose from his stool to refill his cup. Maybe it was the alcohol or the endorphins in your brain from seeing your friends after so long, but you thought tonight would be the night you tell Zoro how you really feel. You rise from your own chair and follow him into the kitchen. You sauntered in and found your swordsman pouring himself another hefty glass of liquor. 

“Some things never change, huh.” The words came out far more sultry than you expected, perhaps it was the booze talking. 

“Hmm,” he smirked and lightly chuckled. “I could say the same to you, you haven’t exactly stayed sober all night.”

You laughed at his remark and sidled up to him putting your glass on the table next to his, gesturing to pour one for you as well.  He silently nodded and poured you a large shot in your cup. You looked into each others eyes, and without breaking contact clinked your glasses together. You both take your drinks and you wince. He doesn’t. 

“Come to my room tonight, Zoro. I have to talk to you about something.”

His eyes blew wide. What did you need to talk to him about? Had you met someone on your journeys? Were you going to break it to him that you were leaving the crew and running off with some pirate blow hard and nev-?

“Zoro?” You prompted him when he didn’t respond.

“Hmm? Uh. Yeah. I can do that.”

“Right. See you later then.” You smiled at him and returned to the festivities. Leaving him in the kitchen alone again. He poured himself another drink. He was going to need it.  

— The Fight — 

You paced in your room. You brushed your hair out, applied your favorite perfume, it was going to be perfect. Still imbued with a little liquid courage, you knew this was the moment you were finally going to tell Zoro how you feel. You had so much time over the past 2 years to think about your feelings for him.

He wasn’t the kind of man many women would fawn over. Of course he was handsome, but he had his quirks. Very little went though the brain rattling around under his green hair other than the thought of becoming the world’s greatest swordsman. But still, he always made a point to check in with you during hard battles, more than he did with anyone else. It was those little things he did that sparked your romantic feelings for him 

*knock knock* he didn’t wait for a response, since the knob turned immediately following the second knock. He gingerly peaked his head in the door, “Y/n?”

“Hi Zoro, you can come in.” 

He walked in and you sat down on your bed and patted the space next to you for him to sit. 

“I prefer to stand.” He responded nervously. What the hell had gotten into him? He had sat next to you on your bed so many times before while you sharpened your blades together. He was so comfortable then, so strange now… What had happened to the laid back swordsman you knew? Had it really been that long?

“ok…” you started. Figuring you were in for a penny, in for a pound on this confession thing, you might as well do it. It was eating you alive. “Zoro… I know you and I care about each other, but it’s just been so long…” You were stumbling over your words, unable to meet his gaze. “Um.. and I’ve had so much time away from you… and I just can’t help that I just…”

“Who was it? Who is he?” Zoro raised his voice at you. He had never done that before in all your time sailing with him. You’d only even seen him do it at enemies or at Sanji during their fruitless arguments. 

“Zoro what-? What are you talking about? Who is who?” You heart started pounding even harder and there was a pit in your stomach forming. He was upset with you? You hadn’t even said anything yet!

“The man that you’re leaving us for! Isn’t that what you’re here to tell me? Try and let me down easy when you tell me you’ve found some pirate asshole boyfriend and you’re shoving off with him at dawn?”

You were stunned. What the hell was he talking about? You had nothing of the sort. You spent 2 years training with a vicious crew of bandits. He thought you were on vacation and getting laid?

You scoffed. “You’re so fucking unbelievable.”

“I’M unbelievable? You’re the one abandoning m- us for some filthy low life bastard!”

“You’re delusional! Zoro you really think you were the only one who trained miserably hard for 2 years to try and make this crew better? You think I would sacrifice my loyalty to this crew for ANYONE? You think while you all broke your backs getting stronger, I was on a beach somewhere getting fucked? How DARE you accuse me of that. I thought I knew you, Roronoa Zoro, clearly I was wrong. I had no idea you were so fucking insecure. Get out of my room.”

Tears started welling up in your eyes and threatening to spill over. Zoro looked up at you. He really had fucked up this time. 

“Y/n wait-“

“Fuck you Zoro.” You huffed out while you pushed him hard out of your room and slammed the door. 

— Currently —

Zoro continuously beat his head into the wall he was leaning against, trying to ignore his feelings. “Fucking, stupid, idiot, moron…” he punctuated each with a slap against the wall. On the last one he felt something cradle his head…

“Seis fleur..” 

 Robin’s hands acted as a barrier between Zoro’s head and the wall. 

“ You know this won’t help anything, swordsman.” Robin’s silky voice told Zoro off. “You need to go back down there and tell her how you really feel.” Her body appeared behind the mast in front of him. Her eyes were serious. 

Zoro acted like he had no idea what she was talking about, but acting was never his strong suit. 

“Just go. I don’t have time to hold both of your hands through all of this. You need to figure it our yourselves.”

Zoro realized what Robin was implying. She had already said something to you, clearly. He nodded and turned to face the hallway that included your door. He stood at your doorway for a few moments and took his last deep breaths before he opened the door without asking. 

Upon barging in, he could see you sitting at the edge of your bed in a robe sobbing. You were crying over him. It broke his heart into one thousands minuscule pieces.. how could he let this happen?  You saw him enter your room and you stood up to shove him out again. 

Zoro immediately fell to his knees. He pressed his face into the wooden floor of your bedrooom. He laid his white handled sword on the ground in front of him The cherished blade that Kuina had left for him... his last hope to enjoy a happy life...

“Y/n… I am here to do nothing but apologize." Zoro spoke with his forehead touching the wooden floorboards of your bedroom. “You have shown me nothing but grace and mercy, far more than I deserve. You are the light at the end of my tunnel. You are the song of the sea against my hard-worn ship. I have thought of nothing but you over these two years. I simply love you so much that my largest fear is that you find someone else. I’m so sorry. I am immature and insecure, you were right. The thought of anyone taking you away from me again…” Zoro wracked a violent sob… unlike anything you’ve ever hear from him… “I just… I love you…”

He was knelt, sobbing uncontrollably at your feet. Your heart was the fullest it had ever been. He had never shown anything like this as long as you've known him. You looked at his pathetic form around your legs. 

“Rise, Swordsman.” you firmly order.

Zoro took a few moments but eventually he raised his head and his body  to meet your gaze.

“Roronoa Zoro… my heart…” your gripped his jaw in your hand. “… has always belonged to you…”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. You felt the same way? This whole time? He had spent 2 years being insecure for no reason?

You grabbed his face and kissed him with fervor. He grabbed your torso and flipped you over onto your back. Zoro exhaled deeply and kissed down the side of your neck to the sides of your breast. His hands experimentally squeezed and kissed at your nipples as you sighed and squeaked under his touch. 

“Zoro I-“ You tried to get more out but he cut you off.

“Y/n let me make you mine forever, please.” 

“Oh- okay…” your were apprehensive at first but his hands felt like a warm, comforting hug every time he slid them up and down the sides of your torso. 

"Y/n.. I promise to make you feel good..."

"Zoro yes.. I trust you..."

He heard your affirmation and dove into your body like a man starved. He sloppily kissed and sucked at your nipples before he tore your panties off in one piece with his massively strong hand. You writhed underneath his touch as he slowly stroked his thumbs on the sides of your clit. 

“Zoro please.. it’s been so long…” You begged for him. Your pussy was so wet and aching that even oblivious Zoro could tell you needed help.

He heard you begging for him and instinctively latched his lips onto your clit. He saw it throbbing, he needed to relieve it. You gasped loudly as he brings you to the precipice of pleasure. “Oh my god? Zoro I can’t! It’s incredible, please!” You could hardly believe that this man of few words was bringing you such intense sexual pleasure.. He was sucking and touching your sex at just the right pace that had you gasping and gasping under his hands and mouth. 

“Zoro I promise I’m right there just a bit more PLEASE…” He heard your promise to him. His brain short circuited. All Zoro could think of was promising to make you cum. He craved the feeling of making you cum, he needed to know he was the man making you scream out in pleasure. 

“Please sweetheart, cum on my face for me?” He was a man of few words, but these were the ones that finally sent you over the edge. You screamed and folded your body into yourself as you came against his lips. After a few moments, you tried to catch your breath. 

“Zoro my love…” You choked out as you backed up and flopped against his chest. 

“My sweet love, please let me prove to you how much you mean to me.”

You looked up at him hovering above you. He had one eye. You wondered why. It wasn’t right to ask right now. What happened to your tender swordsman over the past 2 years? He hadn’t mentioned his injuries. You hadn’t mentioned the massive scar over your left knee. Tonight wasn’t the night. Tonight was the night he proved to you he was the only man for you. 

“okay…”

Zoro slipped off the rest of his clothes and resumed his position on top of you. He lined his cock up with your soaking entrance when he made eye contact. 

“tell me this is okay…”

You gazed up at him. His always serious eyes... eye... god, fuck who took it from him? Mihawk? The government? He stared right into your soul but you still had so much worry for him..

“Zoro… please… I need you inside of me now…” Zoro heard your plea and slowly pushed his fat cock head inside of your drenched pussy. You moaned out loud, finally feeling your swordsman inside of you. It was a few brief, strained moments before his cock was fully seated inside of you. He tried his hardest to not make a sound but as soon as he bottomed out he released a long, drawn out sigh. 

Zoro pulled his fat cock out of you at a painful pace, pushing it back in again. You eyes were slammed shut underneath him. “Baby please… I need more…” You whined, wanting more.

For the second time tonight he was told he was being too gentle. It was more than enough for him. Zoro grabbed your hips and spread them farther than he ever needed. His insecurity addled brain needed you to confirm his feelings before he could ever achieve release. 

“You are mine. Tell me you are mine.”

“Roronoa Zoro…” You stopped bucking your hips in need, You grabbed his face with your right hand, ignoring the sparce and short hunter-green facial hair that grew on his chin. “I want every part of you. I want to belong to you. You’re my everything, love.”

Zoro lost it. He grabbed your hips and slammed them into his with reckless abandon. 

“Zoro yes, more! It’s so good, just like that!” He was so fueled by your praise that he slammed into you like a jackhammer.  He made no moans, just heavy grunts and sighs, just like you imagined he would.

“Oh my god honey yes, please just exactly like that! A little bit more!” You were shrieking on his cock at this point, drool forming at the corners of your mouth, just chasing your high. Finally your orgasm ran through your body and you wracked your tremors on Zoro’s cock. 

“FUCK-“ you squeezed Zoro so hard with your gorgeous pussy that he pulled out too late and painted your clit and hole with his white slop. 

He collapsed on top of you, never experiencing such a powerful orgasm in his life, nuzzling his nose into the valley of your full breasts. 

“Tomorrow… love.. love you…”

And just light that, Zoro was asleep…

You laughed…

“Some things never change…” 

#one piece #one piece anime #one piece fanart #one piece fanfiction #one piece live action #one piece netflix #one piece smut #zoro x reader #zoro x sanji #fanfic #one piece fanfic #nakama #one piece fandom #one piece zoro #zoro one piece #one piece x reader #one piece headcanons

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Transcending Time || CL16

Charles Leclerc x princess!reader Summary: Destined to be together, you and Charles’ love transcends time to find one another again and finally get the future you never had - the one with a happy ending. Warnings: 18+ only, death (see Trigger Warning in hashtags), angst, fluff. WC: 3.1k F1 Masterlist || One || Two || Three

Monaco, 1662 “One day, princess, we will board a ship and find a place of our own somewhere far away,” Charles promised as he watched the sails on the horizon, his chin resting on your shoulder as you sat between his legs. In his arms was the one place you could be yourself, not the royal that was put on parade to the public. In his arms you could dream of a world where you could love him freely.

But for now you had to hide, keeping your rendezvous a secret and stealing the moments whenever you could.

You had fallen for Charles the moment you saw him stumbling with his arms full of ledgers, the papers catching the breeze that had rolled into the mariner and raining down on your head as you giggled. He hadn’t even looked up before insulting you for your rudeness and suggesting you get down on the ground and help him retrieve his father’s work as penance.

Your next laugh was hardly the ladylike sound expected of you and when he looked up his green eyes had widened in realisation.

“My apologies, princess, please forgive me,” he had pleaded as he bowed his head muttering, “I am stupid. I am stupid.”

“Blaireau?” you repeated the word he had used and his cheeks reddened. “You called me a badger?”

He scratched the back of his neck nervously and gave the smallest shake of his head. “Not quite, princess.”

That was the first of many insults he taught you since slang was not something your governess had approved of in your schooling. He had taught you a good deal about life outside the palace, but his greatest lesson had been how to love. Love had been foreign from your life until he had stumbled into it and stolen your heart, giving you his in return.

Charles kissed your shoulder and a smile teased your lips and you leaned back into his embrace. “Would life as a clerk’s wife suffice her royal highness?”

“You could shovel shit from the stables for all I care, so long as I am your wife,” you said as you turned in his arms and pushed him onto his back. “Where you go, I go.”

He looked up at you bathed in the warm afternoon sun and adoration filled the smile he saved just for you, the one that brought out the dimples in his cheeks. “One day, princess.”

“Please, mama, I have never once asked you for anything,” you begged as you grabbed her hand over the table, but the former Crown Princess of Monaco looked away with a shake of her head and slipped her hand  from your grasp. Desperation grew as you looked to your brother, the Crown Prince of Monaco since your father passed earlier that year, sitting at the head seat. “Louis, don’t do this, please, I love him.”

“That is why I must, dear sister,” Louis uttered as he took a sip of his wine and returned to cutting his roast quail. “You were born to marry a prince, not the son of a clerk.”

You slammed your hands on the table as you rose to your feet. “I was born to love Charles, and I will die loving him.”

Louis growled and his cutlery clattered as he tossed them on his plate, his short temper snapping. “Charles will hang on the morrow and that is final. There will be no more traipsing to the marketplace, there will be no more fraternising with those filthy commoners you are so fond of, or you will meet the same fate.”

Your chest puffed with the deep breath you took and when you exhaled a sense of calm settled in your soul. With quiet conviction you looked Louis in the eyes, and he frowned as he saw the fight leave you. “I already have.”

You left the dining hall in a trance, your feet carrying you down the staircase and out of the front doors that the footmen opened at your approach. 

Heads turned as you left the palace, a princess did not leave unaccompanied. Ladies stared as you grabbed the layers of skirts and lifted them off the dirty streets, a princess did not show her stockings. People gasped as you shook your tiara from your head and broke into a run, never looking back. 

His figure was hidden in the shadows as he lay on the rotten hay that had been dumped in the corner. The dank scents of the prison curdled the contents of your stomach and you pressed your wrist to your nose, inhaling the delicate perfume that had been dabbed there as you had been dressed for the disastrous dinner. 

“Charles.”

His spine stiffened at the soft sound of your voice before he rolled over and sat up slowly. The moonlight filtering in through the small window illuminated the bruises that turned his sun kissed skin purple and sealed one eye shut completely.

“Princess,” he whispered in reverence as he surged forward, only to be thrown to the stone floor when the chain cuffed to his ankle snapped taut from where it was anchored to the wall. 

“Charles!” You reached through the metal bars but your fingers could only brush his. “I’m here, my love. Where you go, I go.”

He shook his head as he pulled himself up and stretched his leg so he could be as close as possible to you. “Not this time, my love.”

“Yes, dammit, every time!” you exclaimed as you pressed your head to the cold iron bars and choked on the sob that escaped. “I’ll not live in a world without you in it, Charles.”

“You have to.” His voice was hoarse from days without water and you wished you had thought to bring him some. “I’ll never find peace otherwise. I have to know you lived, and that you found happiness again, I know you can do it.”

“I can’t, I’m sorry, I can’t. You make me happy, Charles, only you.” You pulled yourself back to your feet and called to the guard stationed at the end of the hall. “Open the gate.”

“He’s been imprisoned at your brother’s order, your highness, I can’t let him go.”

You grabbed the ring of keys hanging from his hip and thrust it against his chest. “Louis est un blaireau. Lock me inside.”

The guard blanched as you used the commoners tongue to call the Crown Prince an asshole before quickly recovering and unlocking the gate. “Let me know when you are ready to leave, your highness.” The metal gate grated sharply as it closed behind you, the keys jangling when he turned them and locked you inside. 

You would never be ready.

A chill unlike any you had felt before seeped into your bones as you sat between Charles’ legs, his arms trying to share the only warmth he had to offer as they held you tight. There were no hot coals to warm the air or any comforts you were used to in the palace but you wouldn’t have traded them if it meant leaving his embrace. 

You couldn’t even hazard a guess as to how far it was to dawn, but the light of the moon had faded as it passed the window and darkness shrouded the room. 

Charles’ breathing was laboured in your ear and you silently cursed your brother for the beating he had ordered. All he had ever done was love you and for that he would pay the ultimate price, because you were a princess. 

“My governess took me to the theatre once,” you murmured quietly. The gift had been a farewell present when you came of age and her services were no longer required, it had been mere weeks before you met Charles. “I cannot even remember the name of the play now but it was a lovers' tragedy, forbidden from seeing each other. I laughed at the preposterous idea that two people would rather die than live without the other.” 

You laughed bitterly at the memory of your younger self and the naivety the sheltered girl had held before sighing. “If I were low born, how things would be different.”

“If I were a prince, how things would be different,” Charles chuckled in your ear. “But we were not, my love. Perhaps in another life we will find one each again and have the time we are owed.”

Watery light crept along the walls as dawn broke the horizon. “I’ll hold that thought in my heart.”

An escort of guards arrived not long after sunrise and you turned to Charles, memorising the sharp line of his jaw and how it was shaped to fit your hands. You combed his dark hair back from his face and pressed your forehead to his as you promised you would be with him to the end. 

“Yes, Charles,” you growled as he shook his head. “My mind is made up and nothing can change it.” You took his hand and placed it over your heart. “This only beats for you.”

His tears mixed with yours as he pulled you close one last time and surrendered himself to the fate your kiss had brought. “I love you, princess,” he whispered against your lips and a soft shudder rocked your body as you feared regret would lace those words but there was only warmth in his tone. “That will never change, I swear on my life.”

The guards had pulled you apart and dragged Charles away, using their bodies as a wall to keep you from following. “Prince Louis has forbidden your presence in the square.”

Forbidden, there was that word again. 

“Then I shall take my leave.” You turned your back and made your way to the stairs in the opposite direction, the guards remaining in position in case you should return. Up and up, higher and higher you climbed the worn steps, ignoring the shouts of the prisoners you passed along the way. 

Your lungs burned when you finally reached the top and stepped out into the fresh air, the salt of the seabreeze erasing the damp scent that clung to everything inside. Far below you could see your brother sitting upon a stage opposite the gallows, a look of boredom on his face until the guards appeared with Charles between them. 

“For crimes against the Crown, Charles, Notary at Hervé & Sons…”

The wind stole the heralder’s words away as he condemned Charles for falling in love, information that would die with him at your brother's behest. No one could ever know that a commoner bedded a princess and that the crime against the crown they spoke of was actually holy matrimony. 

The air left your lungs as the thick rope noose was thrown over Charles’ head and you took a step forward, your bare feet no longer feeling the cold stones as your toes hung over the precipice of the prison. 

Charles looked around for you as the hangman reached for the trapdoor release and he spotted you as the sun crested the horizon and warmed your back in its glow. 

“Where you go, I go,” you promised. 

Just like you had the first day you met, you fell.

Monaco, 2023 “She’s zoned out again,” Louis sighed as he snapped his fingers in front of your face. “Hello? The drivers will be here any moment so you need to focus.”

For as long as you could remember you had these episodes, entire days were wasted away as you sat on the bay window of your room overlooking the mariner. It was like you were a prisoner in your own mind, lost and wandering in search of something you couldn’t find. 

“Why must I be here?” you asked as you pushed your brother’s hand away from your face. “You watch the sport, not me.”

“It is tradition, dear sister,” he muttered as he fixed his tie. “There have always been two of us to welcome them to our beautiful home and with father no longer here that responsibility falls on you. So smile for the cameras, and whatever you do, don’t zone out.”

The doors to the palace opened and the 20 guests filed in pairs but movement at your side drew your attention away. Louis had bounced on the balls of his feet and you rolled your eyes at his excitement.

“Mother will be displeased,” you tutted under your breath. “The crown prince does not get excited, the crown prince is composed at all times.”

“This isn’t the dark ages,” he shot back before peering out the corner of his eyes. “You sound just like her.”

“Asshole, I do not!” Your elbow took a shot at his ribs but he just managed to deflect it away with his arm and a cocky snicker. “You’re going to pay for saying that.”

A warm laugh filled the air and your heart skipped a beat, the sense of familiarity stealing your focus from Louis. You found yourself watching the water once more through the open door, the ships sailing by on the breeze and longing tugged at you to follow.

“This here is our very own Monégasque, he’s even garnered the title of the People’s Prince of Monaco.”

Only one word caught your attention and you broke away from the sight outside to see who it was Louis was introducing you to. “Prince?”

“People’s Prince,” Louis clarified with a chuckle. “Charles Leclerc.”

“Leclerc? That is an old family name,” you murmured as it tugged at the recesses of your memory but you couldn’t remember why. You peered up at the man to find two striking green eyes staring back from a handsome face. “Has your family always been in Monaco?”

“Yes, as far as I know, princess,” he said politely as he gave a little bow. “How about you?” A laugh trickled down the line behind him and his cheeks burned red as he muttered, “I am stupid. I am stupid.”

“As far as I know, prince,” you teased gently. 

“Shall I call a doctor?” Louis whispered as the Monegasque moved on and a Frenchman replaced him. “That was an actual smile.”

“Shut up, before you need to call one to fix your nose,” you shot back with a scowl.

“There she is,” he chuckled. “All is right in the world once more.”

“I’m done here.” The dress was suddenly too restricting and you stepped back from the man whose name you hadn’t caught, slipping away from the arm Louis tried to loop through yours to hold you still. 

You heard Louis’ sigh as you disappeared behind the pillars and knew you would be due a lecture when they left. “Excuse her, she doesn’t do well with engagements.”

They nodded understandably and one commented that it must have been why you were rarely seen in public. No one would know it was because of the episodes or how they couldn’t trust your behaviour in front of the cameras. You were too erratic and unpredictable. One moment you could be the perfect princess your mother had hoped for and the next you felt like the world deserved to burn and you were ready to light it up.

Try as your mother might, she had yet to find anyone who could fix you. From psychiatrists to hypnotists, she had hired them all but no amount of medication and therapy had helped.

The moment you were free of the room you kicked off your heels and grabbed the skirt of your dress before breaking into a run. There was something freeing about going fast and it helped to draw air into your lungs when you felt as if you were slowly suffocating.

You lost yourself to the endless halls that navigated the enormous palace, direction not mattering as you let the fates decide where you ended up. You didn’t even notice that your feet had brought you in a full circle back towards the front entrance until the door to mens bathroom opened and someone stepped out, his head down as he focused on sliding a ring onto his finger.

You were on a collision course and dropped the material of your skirt from your hands to try catch yourself but all you did was get your feet tangled before crashing into him. You both went tumbling to the polished floor and a hiss of pain erupted as your ankle twisted at an odd angle.

“Son of a bitch,” you groaned and the man sat up with a pat of his body to check he was in one piece before he looked at you and those green eyes widened.

“Princess? What…oh my god! Are you alright?” Charles scrambled across the space and carefully lifted your foot off the floor, the movement making your face pinch in pain.

“Ow, I think it’s broken.”

“I don’t think it’s broken, but it might be sore for a few days.” He looked up and down the empty hall. “Should I go get help?”

“No, no doctors. Just help me to stand up, please,” you asked as you placed your hands on his shoulders and his hands fell to your waist, the warmth of his palms reaching your skin through the material.

“What were you running from?”

“Life?” You looked down the long hall lined with portraits of your ancestors, their beady eyes staring back with judgement. “It’s so slow here, I just need to go fast sometimes, or I’ll go crazy. That probably sounds stupid.”

“No,” he chuckled as he shook his head. “That makes sense to me. Can you try walking on it?”

“Fuck,” you grunted as you put weight on the joint. “No, not really.” You nearly fell again as you tried to balance on one foot but Charles’ hands stabilised you before that happened.

“Okay, uh, I’m not going to get the guillotine for touching you, right, princess?” he joked nervously as he curled his arm around your waist and took most of your weight.

You smiled weakly as his words started an ache in your chest you couldn’t explain. “Not this century at least.”

“That’s good to know,” he said with a flirty grin and suddenly the pain was gone. “Come to think of it, if you want to go fast I could take you for a lap of the circuit. It’s got to be safer than these dangerous halls.”

“So hazardous, it’s a miracle I survived this long.” You giggled at the thought, the sound absolutely foreign to your own ears, and once you started you couldn’t stop.

His lips parted with a wide smile as he listened to your laugh and he nodded to himself. “It’s settled then, princess.”

You rolled your eyes at the title you had never wanted but somehow on his lips it sounded sweet. “I do have a name, prince.”

“I know,” he winked. “Come on, princess.”

“I don’t exactly have a choice, do I?” You looked at your injured foot hovering safely off the ground. “Where you go, I go.”

Click here for part two.

#charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc x female reader #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc imagine #tw: suicide #happy ending #f1 rpf #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #formula one imagine #formula one fanfiction

[saintkunii]

All a ghost can do is haunt

Pairing. Zhongli x reader

Contents. arranged marriage, historical au, ex fiance childe mentioned, a simple life with your military general hubby zhongli.

Wc. 1.7k

It is with a heavy heart that you find yourself resigning to your fate, caressing a jade hairpin with grief. It’s smooth against your fingers. The intricate carvings give the illusion of a fluttering phoenix almost lifelike as if it’s about to soar to the skies. 

It’s the most exquisite thing in your possession and the only remnant you have of a certain diplomat’s son. 

With every stroke to the hairpin, you’re brought back to the day you received the item with so much fondness and excitement that you carried it with gentleness. afraid that if you put too much force, it would crumble under your touch. 

It was a rough hand that reached out to gift if to you that warmed up your soul. 

He said it was a promise of some sort. Of a lifetime and of his return. 

He said it was meant to symbolize your connection with him. Something physical. Something tangible. 

Something to remember him by.

You recall the soft breeze carrying ginko leaves off to the distance and the faraway clamor of a festive banquet in the background. 

His eyes back then were crystal clear, electric blue in hue stared at you with a tender grin, calloused fingers wrapped around your hand in a gentle hold. His thumb would rub around your knuckles in assurance as you were forbidden to meet in such a secluded part of the mansion. 

And he was rebellious in nature, always finding ways to get around and meet you in secret. When he enveloped you in his embrace, it’s as if it was meant to be, and you mold perfectly within his arms. 

It was perfect. 

His warmth soothed your racing nerves and the playfulness in his kiss filled you with nothing but glee. 

Everything went as it should. 

As the betrothal should have.

Ajax. You recall his name. What once filled you with joy and fondness has now turned into a bitter memory that makes you feel sick in your stomach. 

Your hold on the hairpin tightened and you let the item roll down your feet with a soft thud. 

It stings. Your chest feels constricted and your eyes warmed with tears. 

Oh you loved him so much, it hurts. 

Had you not decided to visit the marketplace with so much stubbornness, relentlessly pleading to your husband, you would not have met the sight of that man smiling and laughing with the woman he replaced you with. The ever so great foreign woman who attracted his curiousity. With hair as bright as gold, skin as pale as jade, and elegance as delicate as the calm winds that twists your heart with jealousy.

She was valiant. Aja- Childe would describe. Strong and courageous with a heart of gold, selflessly putting others above herself, and a woman of virtue. As you've been told.

You hated how soft his voice melted as he spoke those words. It was the same as how he used to speak to you in private. 

She was every bit that you're not. courageous and kind. 

It's a sight tainted with bitterness and such hollowness you can't help but resent the memory.

A servant at your side was alarmed at your reaction as she rushed up to you and supported you by your elbow. 

“Are you alright, madam?”

You choke a sob.

You took a deep breath to calm yourself and exhaled. 

There was no point dwelling over the past. 

Try as you might not to let said matters get to you, you realized that the long years of affection you harbored to Childe was not so easy to dispel as you had thought so. 

“I’m fine.”

Ling Ji picks up the hairpin and brushes away any dust that might have cling to it before returning it to you.

You take one glance at it. It’s magnificent and beautiful, appearing with great splendor that you've worn over the years. It carried all the memories you have of Childe. All the good and bad.

“Sell it away,” you order with a final conviction.

You decided to discard any remaining embers of feelings you have left for your previous fiance. 

This is for the best. 

You hope so. 

Parting was inevitable. 

“Madam? Are you sure?”

Ling Ji asks once more, afraid that she heard wrong but you only nodded your head to her. 

She knew how much you treasured the item.

“I do not want to repeat myself again. Just do it.” 

“As you wish.”

She excuses herself out of the room and disappears, leaving you all alone to gather your thoughts. 

It’s best you hold your head high now that you’re married to someone else and focus your energy on building a better relationship with your husband. After all, he saved you from the humiliation of being branded as a discarded woman not wanted by their betrothed. In exchange for an heir, he offers you all the wealth and luxuries, prestige and honor that are tied to being his wife, and freedom to do whatever you want to your heart’s content. 

–

Zhongli was a feared figure in the battlefield, a war god that ravishes the land with blood and carnage. Just a mention of his name was enough to evoke fear among the mass. They said he beheaded a man and skewered his head as a warning to the barbarians, they said he took a hundred men with his bare hands and tore through their flesh like it was nothing. 

It was always he said, she said. 

With a reputation as gruesome as the military general, stories were bound to blow out of proportion and thus you’ve always thought not to put too much attention to the rumors. 

When you first met him. He was nothing as they proclaimed him as. There was nothing like a fearmongering god in his visage. He was cordial when you talked to him. Ever so polite and patient when he offered you tea and shared a box of pastries over a casual talk. 

His rich knowledge of everything under the sun made you initially think he has semblance to the overly pompous and close minded noble sons that sees others beneath their stature, and yet not once had you seen him carry that arrogance that comes with the scholarly attributes. 

The humility in his approach is a little endearing as you would find yourself admitting.

“Did you enjoy your little trip to the market?” He asks, his hand careful in pouring tea. 

You watch his callous fingers wrapped around the handle of the teapot and as green liquid fills your cup, the earthy aroma wafts through your nose and soothes your nerves. 

That was supposed to be your job and yet you watch your husband serve you refreshments. Ever since you entered Zhongli's family registry as his wife, you always made sure to spend even a little bit of time with him.

“I did, my lord. But there was nothing that struck my fancy.”

You took the cup with gratitude and brought the rim to your lips. One sip and you place it back down with a soft thud. 

For some reason, Zhongli's presence always exudes such calm temperance that sways you into tranquil silence. The words exchanged between the two of you are never short and yet there's an unspoken trust that lets you cultivate in such an environment for such a short frame of time that you've been together. 

You consider him a friend at least. At this stage.

And you've been working hard to close the distance between you two.

“I see. Maybe next time I’ll bring you to Mingxing.” Zhongli empties his cup.

He sees your barely touched tea and regards you with curiosity.

“And have you adjusted well within the mansion?”

Whether he notices your plight or not, he doesn't comment on it and awaits until you're comfortable enough to spill it yourself. For that you are grateful. 

“Don’t you have Xiao to report back to you, my lord? I’m certain he already told you everything I’ve done.”

“That’s true but hearing it from you would be entirely different. I'd very much love to hear your personal opinion.”

You nod in understanding and recount anything of worth to tell. From the way you're adapting to your role as the mistress of the house and everything that involves managing the estate. 

You suppose you're doing well. Aside from your heartbreak. 

Everyday you spend time indulging in your hobbies. From reading to embroidering and painting, you've never felt more relaxed in your entire life. Comparing yourself with your life back in your paternal home, from the scheming of your father's concubines, to your sisters sabotaging each other, you've finally tasted a life free of worries. 

Zhongli did make a promise to let you live a comfortable life. Not only that but he had gone above and beyond as you noticed the lack of women in his inner court. As of now, all his attention was completely on you. 

"The progress for the renovation of the east wing is going well, my lord. It is estimated to finish before the arrival of this friend of yours."

You notice him crack a smile. 

“There is no point being so overly formal between the two of us, wife.”

You raise a brow at this, a little taken aback because of how you've been used to calling him. 

You didn't think it would matter to him much as he had always kept a respectful distance between the two of you. 

You humor him a little. You like this. 

You're thankful that he's meeting you halfway with your efforts.

He must have noticed as he's always been perceptive. 

“Very well. I’ll take it as an invitation to call you something else then.” For a while, you ponder for an endearment. “Zhongli.”

Zhongli chokes on his tea.

“You don’t like it?”

“No- That’s not it. It took me by surprise. That is all.”

“Oh? You don’t think it’s too intimate?”

“I, naturally, have nothing against it." Your husband regains his composure. "I suppose since we’re husband and wife then there’s nothing wrong with whatever way you wish to address me.”

You smile in response to this, letting the silence settle in the space between you and the warmth of what you can now call your family of your own. 

Maybe you're not quite there yet with love, but you're willing to try again once more, open your heart and trust with the companionship of your husband.

It's not all bad. You think so yourself. Zhongli is a great man as far as you can tell and you're ready to move on to the next chapter of your life with him.

#✧| written works: one shots #zhongli x reader #genshin impact x reader

[cyborg-franky]

Confessions

Thank you so much @whitewineandpizzapuffs for the support and the suuuuuper super fun prompt. I had fun with this big boy. I hope you enjoy <3

Ace x F!Reader SFW Ace Lives AU 5 + 1 trope WC: 4,400

He was a highly ranked commander on one of the strongest crews in the world but that didn’t stop Ace from being unable to handle his feelings. He was never one to express how he felt, other than anger and annoyance. Pushing everything else down deep to be ignored and to deny to himself and everyone else.

Despite being in such a position of power he still hid from her in Marco’s office when he knew she was on lunch break. Sitting across from the phoenix as he worked, watching as Marco’s quill danced across the paper the sound of the tip dragging along the parchment paper.

“Marco, your handwriting is terrible, how do you even read it?” Ace mumbled, staring over at the notes the other commander had been working on. Marco paused, sighed, and looked over his red frames at Ace.

“Shouldn’t you be doing something else? Like anything else?” Marco sat back in his seat and watched how Ace fidgeted in his seat, reaching over for a piece of paper to pull at, to fiddle with the edge before Marco shot him a look, Ace chuckled and dropped the paper.

“Yeah, I guess. I’m on break and I thought I’d keep my bestie company.” Ace batted his eyelashes which earned him a scrutinising gaze from Marco. “You mean your avoiding her because you have feelings and haven’t worked out how to cope with those yet yoi.” Marco watched Ace straighten up, how tense his shoulder became as he stumbled over his words.

Gotcha 

“Listen,” “I’m listening.” Ace folded his arms over his chest, Marco mimicking him with a growing smirk on his lips as Ace wrinkled his nose.

“I’m working on it.” 

Marco rolled his eyes, a chuckle as he shook his head, standing up from his desk and walking over to his filing cabinet as Ace sulked over his situation. “If you don’t find somewhere else to mope around I’ll tell her for you yoi.” Marco hummed, acting nonchalant as he glanced over his shoulder, seeing the color drain from Ace’s freckled face.

“Don’t fuckin’ do that birdbrain!” He flapped his arms, waving them in a no fashion as Marco watched him. “Fine, I’ll work on it… I’ll confess to her!”

Famous last words Ace thought as he ran a hand through his hair with a deep sigh.

–

The first time he almost confessed to her was on a summer island, the pair walking through town. She brushed her hair back as she talked with one of the traders in the marketplace. Ace watched her with a dumb look on his face, the fondness clear as day on his face. He watched as she laughed, joking with the man selling her supplies.

He felt a little tinge of jealousy when the trader seemed to take the banter as an invite, offering her a deal because she was so pretty. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance as his jaw was set in a firm line, not impressed with the man trying to flirt with her.

Ace tried to convince himself that he was just looking out for his best friend, and that he was making sure no one hassled her. He told himself desperately it wasn’t anything to do with the growing feelings that bloomed in his chest, wrapping around his heart like ivy. Flowers of affection alive and well.

“Hey buddy, come on, don’t hassle her.” Ace stepped forward, he placed his hand on her lower back in a reassuring manner. The trader blinked and laughed at Ace’s bravado.

“Her boyfriend or something pal?” He laughed at Ace and that was one thing he wouldn’t tolerate, he hated to be mocked, to be laughed at, he grit his teeth as the hand not on her back balled into a fist.

Flames licked across his bare shoulders, and she couldn’t miss those sparks, knowing his temper was about to flare and there would be a bigger problem. “No, he’s not. Come on Ace, he’s just being friendly.” She replied and turned to look at him, he tried not to feel the stab in his heart at her words, the dismissive nature of her reply.

He needed to calm down before he set this asshole's cart on fire. He bit the inside of his cheek as the trader carried on flirting with her, his hand on her shoulder, suggesting she come inside his shop to have an adult conversation. 

“Come on, this guy's shit isn’t worth it anyway, we got given a list we should stick to it.” He grunted and wrapped his hand around her wrist, gently pulling her from the trader's grasp. She had no idea what had come over Ace, he was normally so chill and full of laughs and smiles when they went shopping together.

She excused them both, saying sorry to the trader as Ace tugged her away by her wrist. Once out of earshot, she yanked her arm away from him, glaring, hands on her hips as she waited for an explanation.

“Why were you jealous Ace? We aren't together.” She started as she tapped her foot on the floor, trying not to let her temper get the best of her, not wanting to start a shouting match in the middle of town with him.

“He was being a sleaze! I know we aren’t together but come on, he was all over you!” Ace huffed, puffing his chest out, thinking he had the high ground here until he felt her poke his chest, instantly letting the air out of him. He saw the anger in her eyes as she opened her mouth. “No Ace, I was in no danger whatsoever and maybe I enjoyed the flirting? I’m single after all and again why are you jealous?” She demanded to know, voice raising as Ace stood there, shoulders sagging. Not enjoying the feeling of being scolded by the woman he was in love with.

“Maybe I want-” He cut himself off, he couldn’t confess, not here, not like this. He would never forgive himself. And she was pissed off with his antics, it would only cloud her judgment and spur on the rejection.

He sighed, shaking his head and picking up his bag, starting to walk. “It’s nothing, I’m sorry,”

—-

The second time he tried to confess, he actually did she just didn’t believe him. 

She was sitting in Marco’s office, looking at the door to the operating room, she couldn’t stop worrying about Ace. Her foot bounced and he knee jiggled as she played with the hem of her shirt, her cheeks hurt from anxiously chewing the insides.

Ace had been hit pretty bad, he’d been cocky and showing off and ended up with seastone bullets lodged into his chest, arm, and thigh. Marco had managed to heal him enough using the phoenix ability but he still needed the bullets out.

The door opened and she looked up, a worried expression painted across her face, tear-stained cheeks as she waited for Marco to appear. “He’s fine, you can come see him, he’s coming around from being under so he’ll be a bit goofy yoi.” Marco explained and she nodded, rushing to the door, pausing and staring at Ace laying there, mumbling to himself.

She wanted to blame herself for Ace getting hurt, she felt that somehow, some part of this was her fault, like Ace was showing off just for her benefit. They’d both been lax, both too comfortable in how strong Ace’s power was to think he could be hurt.

But the sneak attack from behind had been enough to level the commander. She bit her lip, not sure if she should allow herself to see him, blame dragging her under until she felt Marco’s hand on her lower back, ushering her into the room, pulling out a chair for her to sit by Ace.

“Ace,” She said and reached over, taking his hand as Ace with his lop-sided grin faced her, he slurred, sounding drunk as he was slowly coming too. Marco sat on the other side, a chart in his hands and only half paying attention to her and Ace as he scribbled more notes.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, rubbing his knuckles gently he laughed loudly, grabbing her hand, bringing it to his face, and kissing the back, she blushed and stared at him before groaning when he started to kiss her skin, this time sloppy and leaving drool.

“Much better now your here, your like an angel.” He gushed and smiled at her, trying to grab at the hand she’d pulled away.

“You know, I really love you.” He mumbled, looking a little forlorn at his admission. She blinked at him and noticed Marco was no longer writing, her eyes met with Marco’s over his clipboard. “Do you think he means it?” She asked and Marco blinked slowly, “Who knows..” He said with an awkward chuckle, quickly going back to his notes, knowing this wasn’t his call to make.

She sighed and looked from Marco back to Ace who seemed to have fallen asleep, trying to nap off the remaining effects of being under… At least he was okay..,

–

The third time Ace almost confessed she thought she was going to die. 

Ace’s beloved striker, how fast he could move that thing, How it blasted through the waves without a care in the world, cutting through the water like a hot knife through butter. Nothing could stop it nor Ace.

Fire flared around him as he held on to his hat with one hand, letting out a laugh as he felt freedom and the sea breeze fill his chest. The way the striker skipped across the water’s surface like a pebble skimmed across a lake. 

The sun was blazing above them, watching as the fire-fueled vessel burst through another wave, seaspray spittled across Ace but not enough to slow him down or to hinder his powers. She was clinging on for dear life, the wind in her hair as she shrieked and held the mast as tight as she could. 

Ace looked back seeing her clinging onto the pole, the smirk spread across his face as slowed down, just a little before coming to a stop. She could breathe finally, she could feel her heart beating against her chest, and her mouth felt dry from her open-mouthed gawking and shouting. 

“Wasn’t that fun?” He asked, stepping over to her, and placing his hand on hers. peeling her fingers from grasping so hard at the mast, seeing her knuckles white as she took a breath to calm herself.

“I can’t believe you and Deuce made this thing, it’s crazy,” She said letting her legs wobble, she almost fell back into the seat until Ace set his hands on her hips, keeping her in place, his smirk softened to a smile, enjoying how this felt. As he met her gaze, she was stunning.

“Yeah, it’s pretty neat right?” He said with pride, remembering the day the striker was born. “Deuce screamed even more than you did,” he teased gently nudging her before draping an arm across her shoulder, letting her lean on him for stability as she carried on trying to regulate her breathing.

“I don’t doubt that for a second.” She said, brushing messy hair from her face. “I’m really good at making people scream ya know…” He saw her furrowed brows as she elbowed him in jest, cheeks pink as she rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah? Maybe you should show me how else you could make me scream for you Portgas,” She fluttered her eyelashes and saw the blush that spread across his freckled cheeks, laughing when he dipped his hat to cover his face.

“Whatever,” he said and nudged her back, to and fro this went until they both sat down next to one another, a tight squeeze but neither seemed to mind. The striker was gently lulled by waves, birds overheard letting out excited cries.

“So, wasn’t it fun?” He asked again, playing with a loose thread on his shorts, staring ahead at the shimmering blue waves, feeling her shrug a little. “Scary and fun, like dating for the first time.” She said, looking across the same waves as him, feeling the sun on her skin as the boat just bobbed in place.

“Dating huh?” Ace turned to look at her now, examining her face as she met his eye once more, a small smile on her lips as she nodded. “Yeah, you know when your feelings are rushing to your heart and you feel it beating harder and harder when you spend time with the person you love, how fast the first few days and weeks feel. How alive it makes you feel but just how deep your feelings go keeping your feet rooted in place,”

He listened to her and mused it over, it was true, that summed up how he felt about her, but he wasn’t scared of being with her, he was terrified she would reject him, that he’d ruin a friendship along with the hopes and dreams of getting to hold her hand, kiss her, smell her hair first thing in the morning.

To hold her against his chest and listen to gentle breathing as she fell asleep by his side. He knew he was in deep, he knew his feelings were scarier than any storm on the sea, and joy ride on the striker.

He could cope with the fear of falling into the sea by now but he couldn't take just how his heart ached at the thought of losing her. But the bottled-up feelings carried on being shaken up inside, fit to burst and overflow any second.

Ace wanted to explode. “Would you ever… date someone?” he asked, hearing his heartbeat loud in his ears. She tilted her head to one side, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she thought about it, really thought about it. “I don’t know, I don’t think romance is on the cards for me,” she hummed and shrugged.

“Maybe I just need the right person…”

“What about if it was m-” he was cut off by a large wave rocking the striker, making them both yell in surprise. 

Ace looked up into the sky, one of the fabled out-of-nowhere storms that rolled across the world, typical of the grandline. The storm clouds above rumbled, they felt the sound of thunder rattle their chests as the waves picked up again.

“I guess we should go.” She sighed in annoyance at the same time he let out a defeated one. Both standing and Ace made sure she was holding on tight as he fired himself up once more, sending the boat rocketing over the waves, being chased by the storm.

All the way safely to The Moby Dick.

Had it been his imagination or had there been something in that conversation?

—--

The fourth time he tried to confess he was drinking one night, everyone sat around the tables, enjoying the end of another hard day. Bellies full of food, tankards full of beer as everyone laughed and cheered, singing and dancing.

And there she was, coming over to Ace’s table, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her as she sat down, sitting across from him. He grabbed his mug, bringing it to his lips as he downed the biggest gulp. 

“Hey,” He said, hoping he sounded as casual as he’d intended though he’d straightened up and put a smile on his face.

“Can I join you?” she asked and he nodded, she sat across from him with her own drink, he admired how she looked, the backdrop of the sunset giving her a halo of orange light, like she also had his devil fruit and was on fire. He tried not to take too sharp of a breath as he admired her.

“Today was rough, I can’t believe so much went wrong.” She sighed and brought the tankard to her lips, taking a drink and all Ace could do was think lucky mug. He let out a chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. “That’s the way it goes sometimes on a ship, everything can go right one minute then you'rer in the ship's guts knee-deep in salt water.” 

“Has that ever happened to the moby?” “Nah, back on my old ship.” He explained and she mused over his comment, remembering just how Ace came to be on this ship. His journey to the man he was today. “I bet that was a pain in the ass.”

“Deuce still brings it up.” Ace snickered and she giggled thinking of the doctor and how he didn’t seem to let anything go. “That checks, I bet it was your fault… right?” She raised an eyebrow, a smirk growing when Ace mock gasped and pointed to himself.

“Me? How could you imply such a thing!” he tutted, seeing how she stared at him, not believing his reply in the slightest. “Alright, alright, it was me.”

-

Drinks flowed as did the conversation, both taking turns to go and grab two more drinks. Ace’s freckled cheeks were tinged pink, as was hers. They’d moved their little party to somewhere more private. Bottles of beer stolen from the kitchen, some laying empty around them.

“Sometimes I think you and Marco would make a cute couple.” She teased and nudged him, Ace snorted and spat out his drink, coughing as some dribbled from his nose. She laughed loudly, holding her stomach as he gave her a confused look, he grabbed the hem of her shirt and wiped his face off on the fabric as payback which caused her to squeal in amusement.

“Really?” He said, voice croaky, another cough as he watched her face, seeing the smirk. “Maybe so,”

“Come on, don’t say that! I might be trying to woo someone else and wouldn’t want them to think I like birdbrain!” He huffed and stretched his legs out, grabbing another beer and leaning back against the crate they’d set up camp in front of.

“And who would that be?” She asked, leaning closer to him, half-lidded eyes, and long lashes fluttering as she waited for a reply. Ace gripped the bottle in his hand before he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Why do you wanna know? Would you be jealous?” 

She was a little taken aback by his flirty comment, she was glad for the dim light provided by the strings lights above. She could feel her face getting hotter at his reply, her palms sweating. She would be jealous, wouldn’t she? She sat back leaning on the crate and picking up her beer, staring at the stars.

“And what if I was? What would you do about it?” She said, turning to face him, watching him shift and lean forward. Eyes meeting hers. “Well, the last thing I’d wanna do is make you jealous..” He said, not a lie.

His eyes dropped to her lips where she was smiling at him, he wanted to kiss her so badly, the booze making him fearless, the back-and-forth flirting between two friends sending a buzz, an electric charge in the air as their bare arms touched. 

“Oh? Why?” 

His heart was racing, he licked his lips as he found he couldn't look away from her mouth, couldn’t think of anything but his desire to kiss her. She cleared her throat and he forced himself to make eye contact.

“Well, what if yo-” “There you two are!”

Ace groaned when Thatch turned the corner, standing in front of them. “We are about to start a big game of poker! Come on you two, quit making out and join us!” Thatch reached down and ruffled their hair. Ace huffed and slapped his hand away.

“Alright, alright!”

—-

The fifth time he tried to confess was just a simple evening. 

Ace hunched over a table in the dining room late in the afternoon, brows furrowed in concentration as he scribbled notes on the paper, He chewed on the end of the pen as he glared at the paper in front of him. Something all commanders had to do but he still hated this part of the job.

Paperwork.

She’d been looking for him, missing his company, his banter, and jokes, the warmth he would radiate with his smile and his body. She pushed open the door and saw him working hard, she felt herself smiling, gazing at him, fond of the commander that she was increasingly getting closer to, knowing him inside and out.

Seeing more sides of him than he ever let others witness. She walked over and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, he glanced up, and the irritated look vanished the moment he realized who it was. He placed his hand on hers and smiled.

“Hey,” “Hey, was wondering where you were.”

“Yeah?” He asked as she sat down on the other side, looking at the paper he was toiling over. “You have beautiful handwriting Ace..” she said with awe in her voice, pulling the sheet closer to her, and reading over his notes.

“Something I picked up from my childhood, from one of the good people I met.” He shrugged, even with her he was cagey about the past. She never pushed or pried though, never.

“Your writing is better than anyone else in fact.. Marco’s looks like chicken scratch, Thatch has more food stains the ink on his paperwork, and I don’t even want to mention the mess that Jozu makes and Vista.. His is far too fancy to understand.” She said as she looked over the page, Ace leaned on the table, cheek cradled in the palm of his hand as he admired her.

He wasn’t really listening, too focused on watching her lips move, watching the way she brushed hair behind her ear. He snapped out of it when she handed him back the paper. “Oh, thanks, yeah.” He mumbled in reply and tapped the nib of his pen on the paper.

“But yeah, beautiful Ace,” 

“I can think of something more beautful,” He started, watching her stare at him like she was expecting something. He managed to catch himself, realizing in his daze he’d almost let everything slip again. He sat up and nodded. “Yeah, the stars tonight! Pop’s said we should have a harvest moon! Those things are huge!”

She sighed inwardly, she felt he’d been so close to something…

“Wanna go see it together after I finish this up?” He offered, taking the paper and quickly returning his attention to his work, tipping his hat down to hide his face.

“I’d like that.”

–

She felt tears running down her face, and snot from her nose as she rushed after the others, Ace in Jozu’s arms as Marco became a beacon of blue fire, hands on Ace’s chest as everyone rushed aboard the ship.

Ace had been hit pretty bad, he’d have been dead if Marco hadn’t been there at that second. She couldn’t swallow the lump in her throat as she followed them to the infirmary, Marco only allowing her access because her name was all that Ace could manage to say as he came in and out of consciousness.

He looked so pitiful, a dimming flame that flickered in the wind as he was laid out on the bed, Marco never moving from Ace’s side, hands splayed out on his chest, keeping the wound from getting worse, from killing him.

She’d never seen Marco so frazzled, the normally laid-back man was shouting, a frown on his face as he carried on barking orders. Deuce and Tate rushed around the office, grabbing the things he asked for as you sat by Ace’s bedside.

His eyes opened, he didn’t seem all there as he reached a bloody hand out, grasping for hers. She held his hand tight as Marco’s flames got brighter, swallowing the room, and chasing away the shadows as the phoenix worked its magic.

Deuce hooking Ace up to a drip, Tate grabbing all manner of things. She had no idea what was going on, she didn’t dare ask Marco as he growled out “Come on Ace!” 

Everything was a blur, the shouting, yelling, clatter of things, and frustrated mumbles soon died down as Marco’s healing flames dissipated. Marco had never looked so ragged or old, she bit her lip when she saw his knees wobble and he sank to the floor, heavy breathing.

“Is Ac- is Ace okay?” she asked and saw Marco nod. “I have him stable, we have him stable.” He added seeing Deuce and Tate at Ace’s bedside, checking on things.

-

She didn’t leave his side, she hadn’t let go of his hand. Deuce opened the door and peered in, seeing her half slumped on Ace’s bed. “Want something to drink?” he asked, stepping in and checking a few things with Ace. She shook her head and politely declined.

Exhausted and too drained to think of anything. 

Deuce sighed and nodded, hanging up the clipboard before he left, to report to Marco no doubt. She felt Ace’s hand twitch and glanced up. He was staring right back at her, he looked rough but alive. He was going to be fine, thank the gods.

“Hey,” he clutched her hand, doing his best to smile at her. “Hey,” she sat up and offered him a weak smile. 

“We almost lost you there Portgas.” She sighed and watched him struggle to sit, she reached over, helping him sit, adjusting his pillows. “I know… but almost doesn’t count right?” he chuckled and winced, hand going to his bandaged chest.

“Your so cocky,” she sighed but the smile never left. 

“I’m glad I’m alive, I would have hated myself if I never got to tell you how much I love you.” Ace didn’t look away this time, it was out there, it was wild and free, the confession he’d been sitting on for as long as he could remember.

Her eyes opened wide and she bit back a sob, hearing those words… “I love you too Ace, you idiot,” She sat on the edge of the bed, leaning her forehead against his, sobbing softly as Ace closed his eyes, feeling complete at last. 

–

Marco leaned on the door frame, hearing the tearful confession from the pair. He smiled, glad two soulmates weren’t taken from one another before they had a chance to flourish together.

#sfw #ace lives #one piece x reader #one piece reader insert #marco the phoenix #one piece x you #one piece #portgas d ace #portgas d. ace #thatch #portgas d ace x reader #portgas d ace x you #ace x you #female reader #one piece imagines #ace op #ace op x you #ace op x reader #ace x yourname #ace x yn

[dilf-din]

Let Down Your Guard, Lover (Open Your Door)

Rebelcaptain Fluffbruary day 16: neighbor, horse, desire

WC: 11.5k

Warnings: language, alcohol mention, pining idiots

A/N: here’s something to make up for the pain I dropped on Valentine’s Day! This one really got away from me. I hope you guys enjoy it!! I’ll try to have this cross posted on AO3 later tonight 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Day 1

Everything smelled like dust and sweat. A thick summer heat made the air feel as stagnant as it was stale. Even with the windows in the living room opened to the twilight sky, there was no wind to stir it around.

Jyn sank against a pile of boxes with two cold beers in her hands, offering one to Bodhi who gladly took it. Their foreheads were damp, long strands of dark hair plastered to each one.

“Well, we did it,” Bodhi said, still cheerful somehow.

All of Jyn’s cheer had bottomed out by their fifth trip up the narrow staircase and had yet to return.

“Thanks for all your help.”

“I’m just glad to have my best mate in my favorite city,” he smiled back, pressing the bottle to his lips and taking a long drink.

Jyn picked at the peeling wrapper with what was left of her nails. They had been chewed down to uneven nubs during the process of agonizing over checking and double checking every mental and physical list she had accumulated before packing up her small life and moving across an entire ocean. She and Bodhi had met years ago in a Uni exchange program. He had come to stay with her and her uncles for a term, and they became fast friends.

He checked his watch and sighed, “I’ve got an early morning. Think you’ll be alright?” he asked, pushing himself off the ground and offering her a hand.

She took it and hoisted herself up next to him.

“I’ll be fine. Just gonna shower and deal with this mess in the morning.”

He gave her a quick high five and let himself out the front door.

Jyn sighed and took a moment to really take in her space. Her first apartment.

The wooden floors had deep dings in them from decades of use, and nail holes had been sloppily plastered over leaving uneven textures on almost every sickly white wall. It was clinical and old, but it was hers.

Every room had wide windows that let immeasurable amounts of light in and looked down on the crowded streets. Her new bed had been delivered today, and she and Bodhi had even picked up a black velvet couch from someone on Facebook marketplace earlier that day. Jyn had a few pieces of furniture, a few pots and pans, a few mismatched plates, and a deep well of hope for the future.

Her stomach let out a low growl, and she decided to phone in a pizza from the place that had been eying them from across the street during their seemingly endless trips up to her flat. She also decided to fish out her bedsheets and some fresh clothes while she waited, shuffling through the towers of boxes and cursing herself for not labeling them more clearly.

Jyn showered in lukewarm water, washing away the sweat and grime that clung to her. The air here felt thicker than it did in London, like a second skin she had yet to get used to. She swiped a clear spot in the steamed up, segmented mirror and tried her best to detangle her hair before piling it on top of her head in a haphazard, still too wet bun. For clothes, she had fished out an old pair of cotton sweats and a navy shirt with her uni’s name across the chest in thick white lettering. It was a little short on her from a washing mishap her second year, but she was too fond of it to toss it just yet.

A soft knock hit her ears from the front room, the empty walls carrying it to where she stood in her bedroom.

“Coming!” she called out to who she assumed was the pizza guy as she hurried across the gritty floor and regretted not pulling on a pair of socks.

She pulled the door open and was face to face with a shy looking man with deep brown eyes. In his hands was her pizza box.

“Um, hi. I’m your neighbor. They delivered this to our place, but we didn’t order it,” he awkwardly held the box out for Jyn to take.

“Oh bollocks. I must’ve told them your number by mistake, sorry. I just moved in. You probably heard me fighting with the elevator this afternoon.”

He chuckled but didn’t respond, a small smile gracing his lips. He had hair almost the same color as his eyes dancing just beyond his ears and curling around the nape of his neck.

“Well thanks. I’m Jyn,” she smiled.

“Cassian.”

They shared a moment of unwavering eye contact, only breaking it when another tenant on the hall hurried out of their door, excusing themself as they squeezed behind the pair.

“Right, well. I’m gonna go eat this I guess.”

Cassian nodded, “Welcome home. It’s a pretty wacky neighborhood, but we try to take care of each other. We’re just next door if you need anything,” he gave another small smile and a half wave of his hand.

Jyn smiled and closed the door behind her, her attention almost immediately going back to the pizza as her stomach let out another noise like a sad cat.

In the hallway, Cassian became alarmingly aware of the pace of his heart and the sweat that was coating his palms. He wiped them quickly on his jeans and headed back into his apartment. Meshi was perched at the counter with his feet tucked under a stool. He didn’t look away from his computer screen as he heard his roommate re-enter their home.

“All good?”

“Yeah,” he smiled dreamily, sliding off his slippers and nudging them next to the shoe rack that sat by the entryway, “All good.”

Day 2

“Shit,” Jyn hissed looking at the half assembled coffee table and the snapped off piece of metal hanging from one of the screw holes. “Shit. Shit,” she leaned back on her legs and braced herself with her hands tapping the ground in thought.

Cassian had said to ask if she needed anything, and not that she was looking for an excuse to see him or anything, but she thought this definitely qualified. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to ask.

She brushed the dust off of the front of her jeans and slipped on a pair of sandals before exiting her door and approaching the one right next to it. Jyn smiled at the welcome mat they had placed in front of their entryway. A little faded, but a nice, warm touch nonetheless.

She knocked and stepped back to wait, suddenly feeling less bold.

The door opened quickly, but she was met with a man who wasn’t Cassian. He had much shorter hair and a bit of a confused look on his face.

“Hi, um, I’m Jyn. Your new neighbor?”

His eyebrows softened with a knowing look.

“Do you by chance have an allen wrench I could borrow? Mine cracked off in my bookcase,” she said pathetically holding up what remained of the handle.

The man chuckled and invited her in, “Sure, just one second.”

She crossed the threshold and stood in the doorway trying to take in as much as she could without looking too curious. Everything was more neat than you would expect for two men in their twenties. Not a book out of place, not a dish in the sink.

In the living space, the curtains were neatly drawn, and there were even some throw pillows on the sofa. The kitchen counter was spread with folders and pens next to an open laptop, and she guessed that Cassian’s roommate worked from home. And judging from his high and tight faded haircut, she reasoned he was ex military and at least part of the reason for the flat’s pristine condition.

The man had crossed over to the kitchen to rummage through a drawer.

“Cassian’s at work today. I’ll let him know you stopped by.”

“No need,” she said quickly, “Just needed to borrow this,” she hoped he wouldn’t notice the pink that was teasing at her cheeks.

“I’ll do ya one better. You can keep it”, he smiled, crossing the space once more to place the small tool her hand, “Name’s Melshi, by the way.”

“Melshi,” she repeated, “Well thank you, Melshi. I appreciate the kindness.”

He nodded and smiled as she let herself back out the door and into her own apartment.

Day 12

It was a while before Jyn and Cassian saw each other again. She started to wonder if he really existed, or if he was just a perfect figment of her imagination.

Imagination. She had to remind herself that she didn’t know anything about him, and that getting to know him as a friend was the best course of action. She had spent a lot of time her first two weeks wound up in daydreams about the boy next door with the dark hair, so she decided to make an excuse to see him.

The rotting bananas on her counter were begging to either be thrown in the bin or turned into a bread. So she went with the latter option and decided to add in some cinnamon and walnuts. Jyn had never been one for cooking. She learned enough to get by in Uni and resorted to ordering takeout whenever possible, but how hard could banana bread be?

She quickly prepared the batter and poured it into the two dingy loaf pans she had inherited from her mother. They were dull in color and covered in small dings on the inside and outside, but it was one of the few things Jyn had left of her, so she couldn’t bring herself to part with them even if they didn’t get used very often.

While the bread baked and filled her flat with the sweet smell of cinnamon, she put one of her dad’s old records on to play while she cleaned the mess in the kitchen. Humming to herself softly, she scrubbed each dirtied dish, wiped the counters, and even emptied the overflowing bin.

It was a Friday evening nearing dinner time, so Jyn decided to let the bread cool and bring it over first thing in the morning. She heard what she was pretty sure were two voices through the brick wall of her living room and hoped that Cassian would still be there in the morning.

Just as she was beginning to wonder about her dinner plans, her phone buzzed from the kitchen counter. It was Bodhi.

“Hello there!”

“Jyn! What are you doing for dinner?”

“Nothing yet, I just realized how late it was.”

“Want to order some Chinese? I’m at the video store up the road to try and snatch a copy of the new Conjuring.”

Jyn smiled, “I’ll phone it in.”

She ended the call and pulled the menu to the nearest Chinese spot off of the fridge where it hung with a faded snoopy magnet from her childhood.

Bodhi arrived about the same time as the food, quickly filling her in on all of the latest drama from the office. Jyn would be joining him in a data analysis role come Monday, but the way he had talked to her for years about his coworkers made her feel like she already knew everyone.

She listened to his stories complete with enthusiastic hand gestures and couldn’t help but laugh. Neither one of them noticed that they hadn’t paid a second of attention to the horrific goings-on of the movie on her small tv. The food in front of them was picked at until not much was left but some lo mein and a few egg rolls. The credits had long rolled when Bodhi checked the time, “Geez, almost eleven. Want me to help you clean up?”

Jyn shrugged him off, “Just got a few boxes to toss in the fridge. You’re good, Bo,” she smiled.

The clattering of plates stacking told her he had intended to help no matter the answer.

“What’s this?” he called from the kitchen.

She turned to see him gesturing at the two loaves of bread on the cooling rack.

“Oh, just some banana bread.”

“But you can’t cook.”

“Shut up!”

“Why two?”

“One’s for the neighbors.”

“For the guy?” Bodhi suddenly seemed very interested, “I thought you wanted him to like you, not die of food poisoning.”

“Shut up,” she repeated, crossing the space to defend herself. “It’s just banana bread. An idiot could make it.”

“Let’s hope that luck came through for you,” he said with a teasing smile.

“Good night Bo,” she said pointing at the door with an annoyed but fond smile.

Day 13

Jyn paced back and forth in her entryway for several minutes trying to garner up the courage it would take to walk twenty feet to the right to knock on their door. It was half past nine, which felt like a reasonable enough hour to drop off a late morning treat on a Saturday. She took a deep breath and knocked, shifting back and forth on her heels, trying desperately to get all her nervous energy out before someone, hopefully Cassian opened the door.

After several seconds, there were no signs of life. She knocked once more and almost instantly regretted it when she heard a muffled voice call that they were coming.

The door opened to a very disheveled looking Cassian who must’ve rolled out of bed to answer her knock. His eyes were still heavy with sleep and his long hair was sticking up at angles that Jyn would’ve never thought possible. He was wearing faded blue plaid pajama pants and the softest grey tee shirt she had ever seen.

“Hi, so sorry. I um, I made some banana bread last night and thought you guys might like some,” she stammered suddenly feeling like crawling under their welcome mat and hiding.

She held the plate out awkwardly and turned to leave, but Cassian grabbed her wrist with a gentle hand.

“I love banana bread”, he said with a sincere smile, “Come in for a cup of coffee?”

“But I already woke you,” she said regretfully.

“I needed to wake up anyway,” he shrugged it off, inviting her in with a sweeping motion of his arm.

“We stayed up too late playing a game last night,” he admitted a little shyly, a chuckle spilling out of his upturned lips.

Jyn took in the state of their living area. The previously tidy space had been overtaken with a game board, dozens of cards and small tokens, a stack of empty pizza boxes, and some notebooks with scribbles in them tossed in the floor.

She smiled at the thought of them staying in on a Friday night to a rousing game of, whatever that was, as opposed to going out for drinks or dates. She had also noticed during her other brief visit that none of their pictures seemed to show a long term girlfriend (or boyfriend), and she counted that as another quiet victory.

Cassian had made his way into the kitchen, bare feet softly padding against the tiles. He moved quietly and surely, pulling out a bag of freshly ground beans from a local spot and filling a long necked kettle with water. The click of the gas igniting was the only noise in the room as he placed the kettle on the stove before turning to face Jyn once more. It was a comfortable silence, and she started to wonder why she had been so in her head about seeing him again. She pulled out a stool to sit at the counter opposite him and was the first to speak again.

“So, wild night?” she teased, leaning an elbow on the counter and cupping her chin.

He smiled shyly and looked down at the floor before meeting her gaze again, “Same thing we’ve done every weekend since college. Neither of us have ever been big party guys.”

“I was a wreck in uni,” she said wrinkling her nose.

“Were you now?”

“Well you know, lower drinking age and all that.”

“Sounds like you could give me a run for my money,” he laughed.

“I’m not sure that’s something to be proud of,” she raised an eyebrow and flashed a smile to match his.

“How did you end up here?” he turned to continue preparing the coffee, wetting a filter and placing it in the top of pristine chemex.

Jyn puffed out a breath of air while her mind spun, trying to summarize the last few months of her life.

“I was just ready to get out of London, so a friend put in a word for me at their office. And before I knew it I was on a plane and shopping for hand towels and lugging a heavy arse couch up a way too narrow stairwell,” she paused, “It all happened rather quickly. I’m still getting used to the time difference. I’m not usually an early riser.”

“A party girl like you?” he asked in mock surprise.

Jyn laughed, bright and clear showing all of her teeth, and Cassian’s heart skipped two beats. This conversation was quickly becoming a game to him of seeing if he could get her to laugh like that again.

“Well we can’t all be Monopoly jockeys,” she quipped.

“Hey now, Rivals for Catan is much more sophisticated than Monopoly, but I could easily beat you at Monopoly as well,” he countered.

They went back and forth, gliding through conversation topics like seasoned dance partners. Picking up where the other left off, following each other’s feet without ever breaking eye contact. It felt effortless, like how talking to someone you’ve known your whole life would. The kind of friend you stayed up whispering secrets under the covers in a twin bed with, laughing till you felt it in your ribs.

Jyn was mesmerized watching him work with his hands while he talked, carefully portioning out coffee grounds, adding bit by bit of water and taking the time to inhale as it bloomed and filled the kitchen with a warm, rich scent. Cassian seemed like a person who was full to the brim with passion for everything he touched. Jyn could tell he liked to put his whole heart into things. He didn’t seem fast paced and half assed like so many people she had met. Even the way he listened was completely engaged as they swapped stories of professors and classes and horrible group projects.

Cassian picked two mugs from the cabinet to the left of the stove and placed them on the counter in front of Jyn. One looked like a tourist mug from the Statue of Liberty, and the other was shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet. Jyn smiled at the little pieces of his life she was getting a glimpse of, and reached out eager hands for the Statue of Liberty one while he poured a golden brown stream into it, not nearly as warm as his eyes were when they caught a shot of the sun.

Cassian leaned against the counter and took a thoughtful sip from the remaining mug.

“Colombian,” he smiled, “One of my favorites.”

“Would it be a crime to ask for a spot of cream?” Jyn asked hiding her nose behind her mug.

“Ugh, you’re one of those people,” he feigned a chest pain, clutching at his shirt with his free hand.

“What, a normal person?” Melshi’s voice called groggily as he exited his room and joined the pair at the counter. His accent was extra thick in the morning, the sounds of his vowels were particularly drawn out.

He crossed to the fridge and pulled out a white and blue canister and offered it to Jyn, “Almond milk okay?”

“Yes, please,” she smiled gratefully, popping the top open with her thumbnail and dumping in a generous amount.

“Cass is a coffee snob. Don’t let it get to you,” Melshi smiled.

“Jyn brought banana bread,” Cassian gestured to the plastic wrapped plate on the edge of the counter.

“You can stay,” he said eagerly reaching for a stack of plates and forks.

“Oh no, I’m good. I have a whole loaf in my flat waiting for me,” she said declining the offer for a slice while the boys carved into it.

As they were taking their first bites, the watch on Jyn’s arm buzzed a tinny tune.

“Shoot, I’ve got to go give Lady her walk. Thank you for the coffee,” she drained the last of her cup and walked by them to set it in the sink.

“See you around. You’ll have to come over for game night one of these weeks,” Cassian called as she let herself to the door.

“I’d like that,” she smiled, giving a small wave before disappearing back into the hall.

Melshi waited until the lock clicked and spit a mouthful of bread directly into the trash can.

“Oh my god, what did she do to that?”

“It’s not that bad,” Cassian said completely unconvincingly.

Melshi wiped his mouth with a paper towel and scraped the rest of his slice into the trash, “Oh you’ve got it bad.”

“Whatever man,” he looked down at the plate of bread that was somehow impossibly wet and dry at the same time.

Melshi grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it as he laughed on his way to the bathroom.

Day 14

Sunday came with steady drizzles and low thunder. Not enough rain to flood the busy roads, but enough to make sure the bottoms of your pants were always wet. Puddles of grey water filled each crack and uneven spot in the pavement, rolling off of Jyn’s rubber boots, but sticking to Lady’s white fur.

Jyn didn’t mind the dreary weather. Lord knows London was rainy enough for a lifetime. She liked to imagine she was in a film scene, that she would stumble into the love of her life in a downpour. Maybe they would share an umbrella or squeeze in together at a bus stop. Maybe she would drop something and they would bump heads leaning down to pick it up. The cold air coming on definitely brought out the side of her that longed to cuddle up by the fire with someone.

She was still learning the area and definitely took a wrong turn or two on the way back to their building, but Lady didn’t mind the extra steps, though she was sure to take a long nap as a reward after the pair dried off.

Jyn decided to stop and check the mail room before heading up to her floor. She was expecting a package from her uncles of some tea and goodies. The key stuck multiple times in the stripped lock, and the hinges creaked loudly telling stories of years of use. With a smile on her face she plucked the brown box out and looked at her uncle Chirrut’s scrawling font addressing the package to her.

“Jyn?”

The call of her name pulled her attention to the door, and she quickly shut the small locker.

Cassian stood behind her with some bags in hand and his hood up. Specks of rain dotted his shoulders and the tip of his nose.

Lady gave a low growl and Jyn shushed her.

“I thought you had a dog not a horse,” he said with a small laugh, trying to mask his nervousness.

“She’s a Great Dane,” Jyn said with a toothy grin.

Lady came up to Jyn’s ribs. She had stark white fur with smoky grey markings and drooping red eyes, and she was sporting a yellow raincoat that covered part of her front legs and secured around her middle. Cassian had never seen an animal so huge.

“She’s very friendly,” Jyn assured.

Lady’s demeanor softened as she noticed Jyn talking to the stranger as if he was a friend. She pushed her big wet nose and towards Cassian’s hand to get a better whiff of his scent, but he retracted it quickly.

“She’s pretty,” he stammered, “Well I won’t keep you,” he nodded and backed out of the room.

“Wait, we’ll go up with you,” she followed him to the elevators.

He shifted the bags in his hand to call an elevator down and they stood in wait. Jyn almost thought she saw his hand shake as he reached out to push the button, but she wrote it off.

“Feels like home when the weather’s like this,” she remarked and he nodded.

“You just missed the snowy season. It should be pretty mild the rest of the year.”

The elevator gave a deep, faintly buzzing beep as the set of doors to the right opened up to let them in.

There was barely enough room for the three of them. Cassian swallowed hard as Lady stood between them, his skin pricking beneath his jeans from where he felt her fur brush up against them.

Jyn made a few more remarks about the weather and their walk that he barely registered as he prayed for the climb to go faster. When the doors finally opened, he rushed off, apologizing over his shoulder for leaving so quickly.

Jyn wondered if he was okay, watching as he dropped his key ring clumsily and fumbled with his door handle.

“I didn’t say anything weird, did I?” she asked out loud, mostly to herself. Lady cocked her head and followed her to their doorstep.

Day 26

Cassian had stopped by a few nights prior to invite Jyn to game night. She had offered to bake some cookies, to which he quickly declined and assured her that they would provide all the food.

She had been buzzing about it to Bodhi for days, and now that the evening was here, she was curled up with a flu. Her skin was a sickly shade of grey, and sweat coated her entire body while she simultaneously shook from chills. She had extra blankets piled on, but just a sports bra and sleep shorts on beneath the cocoon to try and even out her temperature.

A glass of tepid water sat untouched on the table beside her, the only thing she had had the strength to get on one of her trips to the restroom. She laid defeated, her mind in a thick fog and her body heavy with fatigue.

Bodhi had left work early yesterday for a long weekend upstate with his boyfriend, so she was left to her own devices. Hopefully it was something she could sleep off in 48 hours and crawl back into work on Monday, good as new.

She had spent the entire day in a fever dream trance, slipping in and out of consciousness, reliving some of her worst moments on repeat. She saw her parents, and longed for the cool touch of her mother’s hand on the burning skin of her cheeks and forehead, dreamed of the way her father had fed her soup when she was younger and unable to hold the spoon on her own. The ache of her heart rang loudest of all as her body groaned beneath the weight of whatever virus had laid claim to her cells.

——

Cassian checked the clock obsessively, wondering what might’ve held Jyn up. It was nearing eight o’clock, and he wondered if maybe she got stuck at work, or if something worse had happened.

“It’s all right, mate. I’m sure she’s got a good reason,” Meshi said softly, feeling too bad for his friend to even tease him.

They ended up watching Back to the Future and working their way through two large pizzas instead of introducing Jyn to the world of Catan, but in the back of his mind, Cassian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Day 27

Cassian woke early on Saturday morning to a noise he couldn’t quite identify. It sounded like scratching at the front door, thick nails against wood over and over. In a sleepy haze, he tried to decipher what it could be, when he heard a high pitched whine.

“Is that a dog?” he asked out loud, as he kicked off his covers and exited his room to find an equally tired looking Melshi heading towards the front door.

The pair opened the door to find none other than Lady, Jyn’s Great Dane standing at their door looking particularly distressed.

“Lady? Is everything okay?” Cassian asked cautiously, stepping out into the hallway, only for the large dog to bound back towards the open door of Jyn’s flat and whine anxiously.

Seeing the door wide open made his stomach drop, and he rushed after the dog with Melshi close behind him. There were claw marks on the door frame and next to the knob. It must’ve taken her a while to get it open. All the lights were off and everything seemed tidy at first glance. He quickly ruled out a break in, and tried to figure out what was wrong.

Lady led them into the kitchen and nosed at her empty food and water bowls before stopping in the hall and huffing in the direction of the bedroom. Cassian walked past her and peered in the doorway to see what he thought was Jyn, wrapped in blankets and shivering violently. He checked the thermostat outside her door to see it was set way too low for this time of year and switched the heat on.

“Jyn?” he asked quietly.

“Hello?” she called back fearfully through chattering teeth.

“It’s me. Cassian,” he entered slowly and knelt by her bed.

Her eyes were glassy and skin damp with sweat, with hair mussed and matted on her forehead.

“Lady came to get us,” he explained softly, “How long have you been sick?”

“Yesterday morning,” she mumbled, drawing the blankets around her small frame, trembling.

Melshi poked his head through the door, “I’m gonna take the lass out to wee. Looks like she held it as long as she could, just cleaned up a spot in the kitchen.”

“Can you pick up some medicine? And soup?” Cassian asked quickly, “My wallet is on the counter.”

“Sure thing,” he nodded and retreated down the hall.

“I’ll be right back,” Cassian said, laying his hand on top of hers for just a second.

The space was already heating up. He checked the vents to make sure warm air was pouring out, pleased that her unit was still functional as sometimes theirs was spotty in the winter. In the kitchen, he filled a kettle and set it out, hoping Melshi would think to get some tea, then grabbed a rag and wet it, and poured a new glass of water.

Cassian crouched back by her bed and wiped at her forehead with the rag. He carefully cleaned her face, washing it of the dried on sweat, and smoothed her bangs back. She looked at him with thankful eyes, as green as ever, but missing the fire he noticed the first time they met.

“Can you drink some water for me?” he asked softly and she shook her head.

“C’mon, we can’t have you getting dehydrated.”

“Stomach hurts,” she muttered.

“Just a bit,” he pleaded, reaching his hand out to rest between her shoulders and prop her up enough to take a few sips of the glass he was holding out.

When she was done, she hit the pillow hard and another round of chills ran down her spine from the temperature of the water.

Cassian leaned back on his heels and pulled his hoodie off in one motion.

“Here,” he said offering it to her, not wanting to dig through her closet or intrude any more than he had to, knowing it would help to warm her up.

She reluctantly unwound herself from the blankets and pulled the hoodie over her head.

“Do you have another set of sheets?” he asked.

“Closet,” she pointed to the door in the hall.

He grabbed a fresh set of navy blue sheets and an extra quilt and exchanged them for the old ones he had found her in. Even with the hoodie that was still warm and smelled quite a bit like him, her body continued to shake.

“Hold me?” she asked in an impossibly small voice.

Cassian swallowed hard, “Of course, yeah.” He walked to the other side of her bed and scooted the quilt a little closer to her, not crawling beneath it though he desperately wanted to. The mattress sank beneath his added weight and the metal frame creaked as he adjusted his limbs and rolled onto his side, tucking himself around her. He pulled the lump of blankets against his chest and tentatively draped his arm around her waist. She pressed back into him, desperate to share the warmth of his body. The back of her head tucked under his chin, the hood was still pulled up cocooning her. He nuzzled his nose into the it slightly as he closed his eyes and willed her to stop shaking.

It wasn’t until this moment that he allowed himself to exhale. Being woken up by a horse sized dog and walking up to her door wide open had sent his heart into a panic that he had shoved down, not wanting to lose his cool and compromise whatever situation it was that she was in. He had felt a twinge in his gut since last night, like he knew she needed him.

“I got you,” he whispered against the hood on her head.

Jyn’s breathing steadied, and exhaustion overcame her. Within two minutes, she was open mouth snoring, just a small growl coming from the back of her throat as she slept in his arms.

Cassian thanked whatever god might be listening that she was safe in his arms right now. He didn’t know much about her at all, and definitely wasn’t familiar with her sleeping habits, so he did his best to stay as still as possible. Just deep breaths and a heartbeat against her back, no matter how badly he wanted to trace her arms, wipe her bangs from her forehead, press a kiss to her shoulders. From the clock on her night table, he could tell about an hour had passed since they first arrived when he heard Melshi and Lady come back through the front door.

He heard the clack of Lady’s nails on the wood floor and the clink of her leash hitting the kitchen counter when Melshi laid it down. Then, he heard kibble filling her bowl and the rush of water from the tap. There was a rustling of bags as well as he heard Melshi sorting through everything. Then the floor creaking slightly as his friend made his way down the hall.

He peeked into the room, face softening when he saw the sleeping girl in Cassian’s arms.

“Food?” he mouthed.

“Not yet,” Cassian mouthed back.

Melshi gave him a thumbs up and let himself back into the rest of the apartment. He decided to watch some tv with Lady until Jyn woke up, then they would both probably head back to their own flat for the day.

Cassian felt his body relaxing against hers. It wasn’t yet eight o’clock. Lady had woken them up almost two hours ago which was early on a weekend for him. His eyes grew heavier from their shared warmth and proximity, and he allowed himself the reverie of imagining this would one day be how they always woke up. Early Saturday sunlight, hazy feeling of love.

——

When he felt Jyn stirring in his arms, he peeked at the clock to see it nearing ten. Jyn rotated to where she was now facing him. Lips parted, breathing softly against his cheek. He felt his own breath hitch at the sight of her. Even sick, she was breathtaking. He drank in this moment greedily, knowing any minute now, she would wake, and he would be apart from her again. Now that he had known proximity, distance would never do. He craved the nearness of her orbit, to know the touch of her mouth against his. He suddenly felt like he needed to take a cold shower and jumped from his spot next to her, exiting the room as quietly as he could.

He closed the bathroom door behind himself and splashed cold water on his face. His cheeks were flushed with desire, and he hated himself for not being able to swallow it down. She was sick, that was all. He wouldn’t be in this situation if she wasn’t vulnerable, if she wasn’t in need.

Cassian gripped the sides of the sink tightly, doing his best to steady his breathing and rein in his thoughts. This wasn’t the time or place to be having these feelings. He switched back into caretaker mode and headed into the kitchen to see what Melshi had brought back from his outing.

“Matzo ball soup in the fridge, NyQuil on the counter, oh, and I got some Gatorade,” he called from the couch where lady was sprawled with her head in his lap.

“Perfect, thank you,” Cassian responded, opening her cabinets in search of a pot to reheat the soup in.

“Enjoy your nap, lover boy?” Melshi asked with a small quirk of a smile.

“Shut up,” Cassian, turned to face the stove, hoping to hide the heat in his cheeks.

“What? You look good together is all I’m saying.”

Cassian ignored his comment, dumping the soup from the plastic container it came in into a small saucepan and finally putting on the kettle he had filled earlier.

“Is she up?”

“No, but I think she will be soon. I heard her stomach growling. I’m not sure when the last time she ate was.”

“We’ll get her set up and head on back. I can stop by and let Lady girl out again later.”

“I’ll probably stay a while if she wants,” Cass called back, crossing his arms over his middle and leaning back against the counter while he waited for everything to heat up.

Melshi decided not to comment, and instead just smiled at the large dog in his lap, turning his attention back to the local news that was droning in the background.

——

Jyn woke to a pounding headache. The sun streaming in through her drapeless windows stung her eyes as she tried to piece together the last 24 hours with blurry vision. She buried her face in the hoodie and breathed deep. Everything came trickling in like a gentle stream. Cassian. The sound of his voice. The softness of his eyes. The feel of his arms around her. She felt lightheaded. Maybe it was the sickness, but maybe it was him.

She struggled to a sitting position and ran her hands through her hair. A warm shower later would help her to feel almost human, but she didn’t have the strength for that just yet. She pulled a pair of leggings off the pile in her chair and labored to pull them over her bare legs before padding down the hall, leaning against the wall for support.

Lady scrambled across the living room when she heard Jyn groan softly, drawing Cassian’s attention to the edge of the kitchen.

“Hi girl,” Jyn said with a small voice, a weak hand reaching to stroke Lady’s face while she wagged gently and pressed her nose into Jyn’s stomach.

Cassian felt like he had the wind knocked out of him seeing her standing there in his hoodie dwarfing her frame. The sleeves fell way past her hands, and the hem hung below her hips where it rested smugly above his. She looked like she was about to keel over, and he ducked under her arm just in time to give her more support.

“You shouldn’t be up walking around,” he chastised.

“I’m hungry,” she grumbled softly. All of her weight rested against his chest as she leaned her head in and closed her eyes.

He scooped her up with ease and carried her across the rest of the flat to the couch. Melshi was rearranging the cushions and holding up a blanket to drape over her while Cassian nestled her into the warm spot that his friend had been sitting in.

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile.

Jyn hated needing people. She loathed feeling helpless or inept, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t thankful to have someone there with her when the prior night she had been quite certain she was dying.

The boys scooted the table closer to the sofa and set her up with everything she could need. There was a steaming bowl of soup, two DayQuil tablets next to a glass of water, a bottle of juice Melshi had picked up from the deli, and a sleeve of crackers.

After about half a bowl of soup, she started to perk up a little bit, her body thankful to have energy again. She then placed the two orange pills on her tongue and swallowed them down with greedy gulps of juice. The pallor of her skin started to fade back into her normal coloring.

“Wait, so how did you get in?” she asked again, her brow furrowed tightly as she listened to the pair recount the story from that morning.

“My dog came to get you?” she asked skeptically.

“Swear on my life,” Melshi laughed.

“I felt so bad that I couldn’t take her out. I didn’t know who to call,” she lamented, reaching out to pet Lady’s head which was perched on the edge of the couch keeping a watchful eye on Jyn.

“She and I are great friends now,” Melshi smiled cheekily, “I don’t mind helping out with her while you’re on the mend.”

“Thank you,” Jyn smiled, suddenly feeling the weight of sleep overcome her again.

“I think I’m going to take another nap.”

“We’ll get out of your hair then,” Melshi announced, clearing the dishes from in front of her and carrying them to the kitchen.

Cassian didn’t feel right leaving just yet, and decided to listen to his gut like he should’ve last night.

“I’ll stay a little while longer if you don’t mind,” he said with a small smile.

Jyn gave him a dopey smile of her own as she sunk back into the pillow nest they had made for her, “I’d like that.”

Cassian rose to meet Melshi at the door, “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said in a low voice.

“Yeah yeah, Romeo,” Melshi muttered with a wink.

Cassian rolled his eyes and locked the door behind Melshi.

“Do you want me to help you to bed?” he asked, taking a seat next to her and feeling her forehead with the back of his hand to check for a fever. She leaned into the touch and closed her eyes, lamenting that she wouldn’t be sick forever and soon this attention would end.

“Just stay close,” she asked quietly, nestling her pillow against his thigh and pulling the blanket up to her neck. Her body buzzed with warmth from the combination of food, medication, and affection.

Cassian reached a tentative hand down and smoothed it through her hair. The side of her cheek turned up in a smile, and he took it as permission to keep going. His fingers ran along her scalp, separating out tangled strands of hair and brushing through them. Just as quickly as she had fallen asleep this morning, she was softly snoring again, relishing in the gentle touches he was offering her. She wanted to reach out with greedy hands and take every bit she could. She felt like a kid seeing a piñata burst for the first time, taking every bit for herself. But the rational part of her reminded her to pace herself, reminded her there was time. Time to know him. Time to be known.

She dozed in and out for a few hours, just content for her body and mind to be at rest. Cassian stayed beside her like a sentinel, strong arm resting down around her shoulder and cupping her elbow. His thumb absentmindedly rubbed circles over the sharp bone.

At one point she head the low timbre of his voice speaking softly to Lady. She kept her eyes closed, but listened closely to his words.

“You were a very brave girl this morning, you know that? Taking care of your mom like that. Smart girl,” he praised gently.

Though he had previously been apprehensive of her, she quickly proved that his old fears were not a good metric to judge people, or animals, by.

He looked fondly at the sleeping girl next to him and started to open himself up to the possibility of future days spent in each other’s company. Maybe he wouldn’t always wake at night clutching his chest, aching desperately for the things he lost. Maybe he wouldn’t always be waiting for the other shoe drop, because maybe, this time, there was no other shoe.

Day 37

That weekend came and went and so did a whole other week before Jyn really started feeling like herself. It took a while for her appetite to come back and for the fatigue to really let go of its grip on her.

Just the simple act of riding the train to and from work in the mornings and evenings depleted all of her extra energy. Her flat was in desperate need of a cleaning, and all of her messages were going unanswered. It wasn’t until she was finally folding a pile of laundry that had grown nearly as tall as her that she fully caught Bodhi up on the weekend he had been away.

Her phone sat on the edge of her bed, his incredulous voice coming through the speaker.

“He gave you his hoodie? He stayed to watch while you slept? He walked your giant dog that he definitely does not like? Babes, he likes you.”

“He does not. He was just being a good friend,” she scoffed as she turned the arms of his hoodie the right way and laid it across her lap. She hadn’t wanted to wash it and lose what was left of his scent, but she knew she couldn’t keep it covered in her germs forever. The last thing she wanted was to get one of them sick again. Her arms almost moved to pull it on over her old tee shirt, but she stopped herself. It was best to give it back to him, to not get caught up in a runway fantasy where he was her boyfriend come to save her.

She didn’t need saving, but she did need looking after sometimes, and she would be lying to herself is she said she didn’t wish he was the one to look after her.

——

“C’mon Jyn, you stupid girl,” Jyn chastised herself in the mirror. She had been laboring over a text to Cassian for two hours. Two. Hours. Staring at a phone screen and fretting about wording and whether or not to use emojis.

“It’s just a text message,” she reminded herself as her thumb hovered over the send key before pressing it with a sharp inhale.

Hey Cassian, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner tomorrow just to say thanks for everything. 7 o’clock at Barbuto. Let me know.

He replied almost immediately, causing her to fumble with her phone when she saw the bubbles indicating he was typing.

Wouldn’t miss it. I’ll be there :)

“Fuck yeah,” she whispered to herself, doing a little dance in her bathroom, unknowing that he was on the other side of the wall pumping his fist in the air.

Day 38

There was never a stage of her life where Jyn enjoyed dressing up. Not for her father’s achievement dinners when she was a child, not in uni for formals, and not now, getting ready for a semi kind of date with the boy who took her breath away. She just felt more herself dressed down in a casual setting. Fancy restaurants were too high stakes for someone who swore as much as she did. But still, she pulled on her one nice dress and a pair of boots with a small heel. She fluffed out her bangs to make sure they were even, and even attempted a basic smoky eye. Her old roommate taught her the beauty of smudging everything and making it look intentional rather than messy.

When she was in her taxi on the way to the restaurant, she began to wonder whether or not they just should’ve rode together. That would’ve made sense, but what if it was awkward? Suddenly, a barrage of doubts started ringing in her ears while she glanced at the time nervously. She woas somehow early and would therefore have plenty of time to rethink every decision she had ever made while she waited for Cassian.

She ordered a gin and tonic at the bar while she waited for her table to be ready, hoping a small buzz would calm her nerves. One drink turned into two and then three as she waited and waited with no word from Cassian.

The waiter approached with a sympathetic smile, “Would you like to order anything, miss?”

“No, sorry. You can pass it on to someone else who actually cares enough to show up,” she said with an air of bitterness, fishing in her wallet for a pile of cash and leaving it on the table. She tipped back her glass and finished the last of her drink, ice clinking loudly as she set it back down unceremoniously.

Jyn staggered out of the restaurant, half hatred, half alcohol, completely embarrassed. She felt like a fool for thinking the story could end any way but this.

When she entered her flat again for the evening, she beelined straight for her bedroom to scrawl a message on a pink sticky note. With a slap, she stuck it to the front of Cassian’s hoodie, and marched it to their doorstep, leaving it for him to find whenever he made it back from whatever was clearly better than spending an evening with her.

Back inside for good this time, she peeled her boots off by the door and almost broke the zipper on her dress from yanking it down her side so hard. She wet a rag and tried to scrub the makeup from her eyes, ending up looking like an even more pathetic drunk girl with every swipe. With eyeliner still smudged beneath her tearful eyes, she pulled on a pair of sweatpants and an old tee shirt, and resigned herself to the couch. She checked her phone one last time to see still no text from Cassian, and threw it on the table, finally breaking down. The tears spilled eagerly down her face, big and wet like a sad cartoon character and she felt even more ridiculous and embarrassed for getting worked up over a boy. She cried herself raw while Lady looked at her with a concerned gaze.

“I should’ve known I was making it up, Lady. I should’ve known better than to let my guard down,” she lamented, a weary hand rubbing across her forehead.

Between the crying and the alcohol, her head began to throb, and she resigned herself to polishing off the pint of chocolate chip ice cream she had been saving for as a midnight snack in lieu of the lasagna she had spent all day thinking about. She turned on some movie she had seen a dozen times before and tried to ignore the creeping anxiety she felt when she thought about the awkward encounter that she would have when she inevitably had to face Cassian again.

Around eleven, she heard footsteps in the hallway, first to their door, then rushing back to hers.

A tentative knock.

“Jyn?” his voice was muffled by the door.

She bit her tongue, not wanting to make any noise to signal that she might be awake.

“Jyn, if you’re there, I am so sorry. I have a reason for not showing up tonight, and I’m sure you’ll never believe me, but I really hope you’ll give me another chance.”

A fresh wave of tears started falling without warning as she clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle the small sob that squeaked out.

Cassian pressed his hand against the door, hoping that he could make it up to her some day. He walked back to their apartment with heavy shoulders and leaned down to scoop his hoodie up off the door mat where it he had found it sitting with a note that simply said, “thanks for everything,” and then he broke too.

Day 49

Jyn had not seen or spoken to Cassian since that night. He never texted, never called. By now, she had a good feeling of his schedule, and made a point to only take Lady out when she knew he was at work or not around. Sometimes she would watch the sidewalk from her window until she was sure she saw a glimpse of him exiting, wait five minutes, and then leave herself.

She was utterly humiliated and numb from the whole ordeal, deciding it was best to continue on as if they were strangers, which they practically were. Strangers that had shared coffee and childhood stories. Strangers that slept in the same bed that one time. Strangers that felt like they were touching a live wire every time they made eye contact.

Bodhi had no explanation for what could have happened, but he kept urging her to give him another chance.

“Please at least give him the chance to explain himself,” he pleaded as they split an Italian sandwich in the break room.

Jyn gave him a dead panned look that said “are you fucking kidding me” as she peeled the pepperoncinis off her half.

“Why didn’t he text me, Bodhi?”

“I don’t know! But I trust this guy. I know he isn’t an asshole like the rest of them.”

“He certainly isn’t going above and beyond to make me think that,” she grumbled.

“He wouldn’t have done all those things if he was an asshole. That’s a lot of effort to go through if you’re just trying to get in someone’s pants.”

“Gross.”

“But true,” he raised his eyebrow and bit into his sandwich.

“I don’t know, maybe. I just don’t even think I can look him in the eye.”

“Couldn’t hurt to try.”

“Shut up,” she snorted.

——

Jyn trudged through the door that evening in defeat. Her week had been hell. Just today on her way home, a car splashed stagnant water on her just before she reached her apartment building, she had snagged her skirt on something and torn it all the way up the side, and her favorite dim sum place had been closed for a family emergency.

Her sour mood was inevitable, and she didn’t even feel like faking happy at this point. Her legs were sticky from sweat and the puddle she got bathed in. She hoped her shoes weren’t ruined as they squished beneath her with each step. She carefully peeled off her wet clothes and kicked them into a pile in the corner to deal with later. A hot shower would solve at least a dozen of her current problems. She struggled with the loose shower knob and prayed tonight wasn’t the night it broke off completely. Before the thought even left her head, she heard a pathetic crack as it came off in her hand.

“Oh come the fuck on,” she said through gritted teeth, grasping at the stump of a knob and trying to turn it any way to no avail. Cold water drenched the rest of her as she cursed, now completely soaked and full to the brim with rage. She felt and looked as pissed off as a wet cat.

She knew there was nothing in her tool kit she could grab to twist the handle and turn it back off.

“No, no I won’t do it. You’ve got to be kidding me. Fuck.”

She swallowed down the last ounce of pride she had that by this point was clinging to her with a white knuckle grip, pulled on a pair of sweatpants, and walked to her neighbors’ door in defeat. Her hair was stringy and wet, sending streams of ice cold water down her bare shoulders.

This time, she didn’t even try to work up courage to knock, knowing how pathetic she would look to either party who opened the door, but she really hoped it was Melshi.

The door opened almost instantly, and she found herself face to face with the man she had been avoiding.

“Jyn? What happened? Are you okay?” Cassian’s face was painted with ten levels of concern as he took in the sight of her for the first time in weeks.

“I just need to borrow some pliers,” she said, trying not to make eye contact, “My shower handle came off.”

“Hold on, let me help you,” he turned to grab their toolbox from the top of the fridge and she groaned internally.

“I just need the pliers, if yo—“

“Let. Me. Help. You,” he said firmly, and added on a, “Please,” with those eyes that made him look like a kicked puppy.

The day she had been dreading was here. And not only was it here, she was half dressed, soaking wet, and starving. Par for the course for her life.

She turned wordlessly on her heel and led him through her apartment and into her bathroom.

“It’s been on the verge of breaking for a while. It was brittle and stuck a lot when I moved in,” she explained, crossing her arms over her chest as he tried to assess the damage.

All that was left was a nub barely a centimeter long. He tried a few different angles and grasps with the pliers, but each one slipped right off.

He grunted in frustration as it became apparent to him that the only way to get a secure grip was to stand under the stream of water.

“I can do it,” she offered.

“Please let me,” he said again, a firm hand reaching out to hold her wrist, not letting her dodge his eye contact this time. Deep regret sat heavy in his dark irises as they bore into her own and pleaded for a shot at forgiveness.

She nodded almost imperceptibly, hoping the tears she felt creeping into her vision weren’t as obvious to anyone on the outside.

Cassian climbed into her shower and gritted his teeth as he yanked on the fixture three times before it switched off with a loud groan. The tan henley shirt he had been wearing was soaked along with his hair. He pushed it back from his forehead and sputtered out a mouthful of water, and Jyn couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

“Let me get you a towel,” she leaned into the hall to pop open the linen closet and pull a stack of clean towels out for the both of them.

They both started with the ends of their hair, scrunching out huge pockets of cold water.

“The fixtures in this place are shit,” he commiserated.

“You can say that again,” she laughed lightly.

“Jyn,” he started.

“You don’t have to,” she began.

“I do though,” he said firmly with pleading eyes, “Please, you have to let me explain.”

She swallowed hard and leaned back against the cool tile wall, raising her eyebrows as if to say “out with it.”

“So that day, I got held up at the office. Just for a few minutes. One of the interns accidentally wiped a hard drive while trying to recover a corrupted file. Everyone else was leaving, I didn’t want to leave her there alone. She was terrified,” he started, and Jyn’s heart thawed the smallest bit listening to him talk about helping a scared college student out.

“That only took a few minutes though. But, it took long enough that I missed my first train and had to wait another twenty minutes for the second one. I was just pulling my phone out to text you that I would be late, and a fight broke out on the platform. These two guys started throwing blows and tumbled over onto the tracks. I jumped down to pull them up before another train pulled in, and my phone fell out of my pocket. I saw it get obliterated and there was nothing I could do to stop it.”

So that’s why he hadn’t texted her. The fear of rejection loosened another prong from her tired heart.

“Then the police showed up, and I got taken in for questioning and as a witness. They didn’t let me go until after ten that night. And when I got home and saw my hoodie, I just knew you must’ve been so hurt,” he lamented. He had made his way closer to her now, closing the gap that had been separating them, mending the wound in her heart as well when he spoke.

“Jyn,” he brushed the still damp hair back from her eyes, “There is nothing on the planet that could have kept me from you. You have to believe me,” he whispered.

“Of course I believe you,” she looked down at the ground suddenly feeling dizzy from his closeness and the familiarity of his scent that she had missed every night since she gave him back the hoodie.

His lips inched closer to hers, hovering so she could feel his breath falling on her chin and the prickles of his mustache.

“Your move, Jyn. I need to know you want this, because I want it so badly,” he whispered hoarsely, lips brushing against hers as tried to hold on to his resolve.

A breath hitched in her throat as she finally allowed the band of tension to snap and pulled him into her hungrily, fervently.

Kissing Jyn was like coming home after a long day. She was warm against him, tongue sweet and welcoming. He allowed one of his hands to dip under the hem of her shirt and roam up the expanse of her back, pressing his wide palm flat against her soft skin.

Jyn tangled a hand in his hair and the other rested at his hip, her pinky finger dipping into the waist band of his pants and sending a heat through his body.

Cassian could feel a newfound tension welling inside of him. Now that he finally had a taste of the thing he had longed for, he wanted to dive in headfirst, to be completely submerged in their collision. Their hands started to get more desperate, pulling at clothes and dragging nails across skin. But what really did him in was the breathy moan that fell from her lips when he nipped at the skin between her neck and shoulder.

He didn’t want to, but he needed to pull away.

“Wait, wait.”

Jyn was suddenly afraid she had gone too far too fast.

Cassian read the look on her face and immediately tried to dispel any fear, “No, it’s not like that. If I don’t stop now, I’m afraid I never will.”

Her lips quirked into a mischievous smile, “And if I say that’s okay with me?”

He held up a finger, “Ah, wait. You need a shower. And so do I. Let’s start there and pick up where we left off after dinner,” he smiled.

Jyn frowned, bottom lip puckering out in a way that drove him crazy. Cassian leaned down to press two more kisses to the swollen pink skin before telling her to go grab clean clothes. He pinched her ass on the way out the door, and she swatted at his hand half heartedly.

He finally felt like he could breathe again.

She finally felt like she could breathe again.

——

Walking in to Cassian’s apartment with half wet hair and disheveled clothes drew quite a look from Melshi.

“I see you two made up,” he grinned from the couch.

“Man, shut up,” Cassian hissed.

“My shower broke,” Jyn explained lamely, her arms full of toiletries and a fresh towel.

“It’s just through here,” Cassian said softly, his hand on the small of her back as she disappeared down the hall.

As soon as he heard the lock click in place, he turned on his heel to stare daggers into his roommate.

“Don’t fuck this up.”

“I was gonna say the same to you, mate.”

Cassian leaned against the kitchen counter and rubbed his face in his hands as he tried to process the last thirty minutes of his life.

“Do you want me to disappear? ‘Cause I can disappear,” Melshi offered, already grabbing his phone and the bag of chips he had propped next to him on the couch.

“Nah, stay. I don’t want to make it any weirder than it’s already been.”

“Good weird? Bad weird?”

“Great weird,” Cass smiled almost wistfully, causing his roommate to snort.

In the bathroom, Jyn’s heart pounded as her imagination ran wild. Though their last interaction had been pretty hot and heavy, she was caught up in thinking about the sight of her shampoo next to his. She thought of his bare feet on the tile, trimming up his beard in the morning while she showered. She thought of shared kisses with still wet noses and cheeks flushed from the steam, and when the time came for body wash, she reached for his instead of hers, hoping the scent would linger and lay gently on her sheets tonight while she tried to sleep thinking about the boy next door.

Day ???

Spring faded into summer, and summer into fall. The days grew impossibly longer, than too short to feel like you had ever gotten enough done.

The clock was nearing midnight as Cassian tiptoed through his dark apartment with a plate of warm cookies in hand. He bumped his bedroom door open with his hip and saw Jyn adding an extra blanket on her side the bed. She turned to smile at him when she heard the click of the knob closing behind him. He wasn’t sure when it was that she took his grey sleep shirt, only that he liked the look of it better on her than he ever did on his own body.

The bedside table on that side of the room now held her fan that she ran year round because she liked the noise, hence the extra blanket. Beside it sat her phone charger, allergy medication, and a book she had been thumbing through in her downtime.

His space had become her space and vice versa. They took up an unapologetic amount of space in each other’s homes and hearts, one of those couples who made eyes at each other across every room at every gathering.

Just earlier tonight, they had dipped out of a gathering early to go watch the newest installment of a docuseries that they had been looking forward to.

Cassian climbed into bed and nestled the plate of cookies between the two of them while Jyn flipped through the channels, pointing the remote at the tv on top of his dresser. She pressed her face up against his shoulder and he breathed in the scent of her freshly washed hair and the moisturizer she applied before bed.

“Thank you for going with me tonight,” he whispered into the crown of her head, leaving a lingering kiss there.

“And thank you for leaving with me when things got loud,” she angled her head slightly to look into his eyes.

“I’ll always follow you home,” he murmured.

She pressed her lips to his before turning back to face the television.

In the room next door, Melshi was sprawled on his bed with Lady taking up the other half, both of them snoring into the night.

#fluffbruary 2024 #rebelcaptain fluffbruary #rebelcaptain #rebelcaptain fic #jyn x cassian #cassian x jyn

[matchadobo]

KIDD; the pirate's princess

wc: 6686 summary: princess name, a spirited and audacious royal who ends up meeting captain eustass kidd in one of the festivals of her kingdom. unbeknownst of each other's real identities, their encounter was cut off short immediately and left them craving for more. warnings: afab reader, nsfw 🔞(actual seggs please read at your own discretion), princess au, running away theme, bad parents, i rly can't think of anything else there's rly nothing heavy here, not proofread omg TT

princess full name. a not so ordinary princess that always finds herself wounding up in sticky situations. known for her intrepid antics that drove her knights mental: sneaking out late at night to party with the villagers during festivals, visiting the farms of townsfolk and often setting animals free, and playing tag with the kids and sometimes causing ruckus with them. she wasn’t satisfied confined in the enormous walls of the castle, it’s too pretentious. 

one would say her behaviors aren’t fit for a princess who is supposed to be prude, proper, and ladylike. in contrast to her escapades, she’d love a little thrill more. not that she gives two fucks about the hearsays. she remains happy in her own little adventures in her small town of the kingdom. 

that’s why in the dusk of breezy summer, castle guards are relentlessly in pursuit of the princess yet again; an often occurrence in the kingdom.

the furtive young woman finds herself dancing in the middle of the lively and colorfully lit limestone floors on the marketplace. she hooks arms with a variety of villagers and skips about the floors as heels’ click on the ground in tone with the clapping and dancing of the fellow citizens who celebrated the vigor of the approaching evening. 

you soon got tired and went to one of the mini bars, sitting yourself down after ordering a glass of rum. “village always this lively?” a stranger spoke beside you. he sat with his back facing the counter with both arms propped on the surface of it to support his weight, one hand holding a glass of scotch. he landed his gaze on you, lemon eyes enrapturing you and leaving you speechless.

you cleared your throat to get a hold of yourself, by the looks of him and his remark—he’s a foreigner. his fiery red hair reflected his bold demeanor that intimidated you less than it intrigued you, his snowy skin that contrasted the darkness of his voice, and his sharp grin that mirrored his defined features and structure. a truly captivating man had greeted you. 

“often, yes.” you responded, throwing him a polite smile. “the town has festivals once a week, it’s a tradition.” you continued with a small laugh after having a sip of your drink. 

“festivals for what?”

“for the princess.” you played with the ice on your drink as you shook the glass in a circular motion.  “she likes to have fun in the village a lot.”

“princess’ pretty special then, aye? ‘s not everyday those preppy royals find time to join their subjects for a party.”

“you think so? most of the people here think she’s quite the source of the kingdom’s headache, not really a special one and most definitely not fit to be a princess.”

“i’d say bullshit. you expect these villagers know jack shit about bein’ a princess? nada. bet that princess of yours is the merry of this town, aye?”

you bursted into laughter, holding your stomach as you almost fell over your seat if it wasn’t for his heel keeping your chair upright. “that’s the first i’ve heard when talking about the princess. that’s kind of you.” 

he scoffed a smirk, sipping on his scotch afterwards. “me and kind doesn’t ring right, dollface.” he gave you a side eye, golden eyes piercing through the darkness of the night. “i’ve done things that don't even come close to kind.”

“that so?” you tilted your head in amusement. “like what? tell me.”

“you like the danger, aye?” he leaned closer. 

“well, i’ve grown tired of dancing and you’re the most interesting one here, so go ahead. enthrall me with your tales, unkind gentleman.” you scooted closer, chin leaning atop your fists as you braced yourself for his stories. 

his chest thundered in laughter as he faced you as he went on a tangent about his journeys as one of the worst generations. the evening reached midnight before you could realize how much time passed, going shop to shop with this stranger certainly made you the happiest after a long time. you two rambled about the wonders of the pirate while munching on pretzels and candy apples and downing mugs upon mugs of liquor. 

it was like he was building the world for you as he described the four seas along with his infamy, a wanted man of his caliber with a notorious reputation. you know you should get yourself far away the moment he first announced that he was a pirate but goodness do you love the thrill of his peril. the way his chest puffs up with each anecdote of his battles across the blues. how he effortlessly magnetized (stole) a plate of snacks for you two to snack on and well, to impress you. to get critically close to you as you get intoxicated by either the liquor or his ravishing demeanor towards you. you are perfectly aware that staying with him will undoubtedly risk your safety. but you weren’t the one to follow the rules, right?

the same goes for the pirate. he somewhat loves the mystery you emanate. clapping and cheering from time to time but never failing to snap back spunky remarks at his taunts. he revels on how you earnestly listen to his narratives and be awestruck at his feats, your eyes proved enough from the way you bat your eyelashes and lure him closer with the hues of your orbs. or maybe how your eyes never left his as you studied each bit of his face—the way his huge scar was engraved on his skin, the way his lips quirk up at how victorious he remains in duels, the way his eyes never lose fire as he ramble about the one piece, and how his body language changes each time your knees or arms touch. 

“you’re pretty great, huh?”

“i’d love to tell you more but it ain’t fair that i know nothin’ about the most grippin’ woman i’ve met.” 

“flattery would get you nowhere, kidd.” you chuckled, shifting in your seat. “i’m just a villager here, nothing special about this one.”

“you ain’t foolin’ me, i’ve seen the eyes of the townsfolk ‘round here.” he scooted closer, cocking his brow at the people at the market. “you’re no ordinary woman, these men couldn’t take their eyes off of you. and unfortunately, i seem to be one of them. yet i’m lucky enough to share a drink with you, pretty one.”

“aren’t you a charmer, captain?” you finally met his eyes, fiery as he studied your face. “flowery words don’t suit a brute like you, i’d say.”

“why don't you add more to my luck tonight and tell me your name before this night ends, doll.”

your faces grew inches closer, the aroma of liquor was pungent on your noses. he scanned your eyes, took a long glance on your lips, and back to your eyes again. his canines tugged at his lower lip before licking them subtly. reveling on the smile he elicited from you, he inhaled a deep breath before tilting his head.

before you could answer him, what jolted you from your seat was the frantic callouts of the castle guards. they were calling out to you and you could feel the chills running down your spine again, each time they did this you felt this way. panic washed over you and you instinctively fled the place as you dashed to the alleyways, kidd reaching over to you but failed to even get a touch of your wrist.

“o-oi! where are you going?!”

you gave him a meek smile before running away and disappearing into the shadows of the alleyway as you made your way back to the castle. the guards had invaded the market and put a stop to the party, searching up each woman in hopes of finding the princess. 

“the fuck is going on ‘ere?” kidd stood up from his seat before killer laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him. the two pirates scanned the place

“palace guards.” killer announced, helping kidd’s brain to comprehend. “i think you’ve just shared a drink with the princess.” 

you ran far until you reached the backyard where no guards were present, it had been your path to sneaking in and out. 

“you should stop seeing that man, name.” your mother spoke from your room, sat at the edge of the bed as if waiting for you. 

“you were watching, mother?”

“always. but i wouldn’t deny the fact that that man had made you smile the widest in years.” 

“he told me about his adventures,” you started, looking over the window in hopes of getting a glimpse of that redhead. “how the four blues looked, how he fought and faced toe to toe with his foes, how magical the grand line and the new world is, and how free he was.” you sighed as you draw back at how he’d write it out for you, each of which keeping you engrossed at each tale he tells.

your mother placed comforting hands atop your shoulders then traced up to either side of your face. “your eyes say it all, honey. i can see how much light that man brought out in you.” she started. “but i cannot stand idly when a pirate has caught you in his trap.” her grip on your face loosened as she made her way to your balcony doors, simultaneously shutting them. “much less a part of the ill-famed worst generation, a ragtag of disasters. it’d be vain to let him get his hands on you, he’s only after your status and the treasure you possess. that’s what pirates are.” her tone grew deeper, more sharp and strict. ��you are not to speak to him again, do you understand?” she firmly announced, pointing her closed paper fan at you.

you nodded bashfully, the change in your demeanor broke her heart less than it urged her to keep you locked in the castle and away from that hazard. she strutted down to your doors and left you at your downcasted self. “your suitors will be here by tomorrow afternoon, you are to dine with them for lunch and pick out the next king of the kingdom. don’t do something that will embarrass us.”

the shut of your doors echoed far and resounded in your ears. you cried yourself to sleep at the foul turn of events that night, burying your sobs in the damp pillows of your quarters. that morning, you unwillingly participated as you gave off the fakest smile you could muster while laughing halfheartedly at their empty jokes. their humor and charisma are far less than mediocre, it is phenomenally childish in a sense that you’d rather pretend to faint to get out of that situation.

daft princes that left you bored and apathetic from their lack of liberty and substance. royals that knew nothing but the privilege of the rich and classy airheads. 

 unlike that pirate you’ve almost spent your midnight with, a riveting man that enraptured you and shook your world to the core. compliments that made your heart flutter more than it should be. the enticing danger his aura holds. and adventures that invited you to join him for the next time he ventures out into the blues. the fire in his eyes each time you locked gazes with him  and the intimacy you felt only when you sat down with him were unparalleled and left you craving for more.

“you were not your best today, name.” your father spoke to you, joining you as you watched your subjects by your grand balcony. “were the vicinal kingdoms too inadequate for your liking?”

you kept quiet for a moment before responding with contempt. “a group of men who are much too shallow wouldn’t be fit to be my king.” you turned around before stopping your tracks to continue. “i’d want a man who has the same fire as i do, father. not a prince who’d rule the kingdom with his foolish heroism and blank principles solely based on nobility.” you left your father outside, brimming with disdain. 

and you didn’t see him again for the following days, the castle had kept you on lockdown. monitoring your every move and hindering you from going anywhere except your room and the courtyard. it’s too stifling. 

you longed to see him again and hear more of his thrilling stories. you’d never forget how you two laughed under the stars with alcohol coursing through your veins and stimulating the desire for each other. 

but tonight was the annual masquerade ball where one of your suitors might potentially be the next reign for the kingdom. it’s main purpose is to celebrate the prosperity of the kingdom, yet masquerades were added for the notion of finding your next husband. 

as the maids prepared you for the ball, you’d have this empty look in your face as you dwell at how you released the only fire you could’ve had. 

the maids dressed you in a ruby and stygian gown that radiated your elegance. adorned with regal ornaments and gems that shone at each struck of light. the bodice of the dress is clad with lacy black overlays on either side of your chest down to your waist akin to the intertwining patterns of spiderwebs. its sleeves were long and got more loose as it reached your wrist, its ends sewn with handcrafted with the same lacy accents on your chest. the neckline was sewn into a square fitting style that graced your neck and collarbones where a pearly necklace accentuated the area. the middle end of your bodice was where a brooch with your kingdom crest resided, matching the glimmers of the beads in your dress. the overskirt cascades down from your cinched waistline in layers of red, voluminous mesh tulles with its hemline embroidered by horizontal lines of black as it reaches the floor. lastly, they slid and tied black strappy heels that go up to your knees for your shoes.

they then comb through your locks, curling it up and tidying some braids adorned by red ribbons and golden clips at the crown of your head. leaving some tendrils loosely hanging by the sides of your face as it complimented your gold, dangling earrings in a shape of roberto coins. partnering your face with a sharp red blush and bright, crimson lipstick as your eyelids shone in a glittery gold eyeshadow and pointy eyeliner. 

as your name soon got announced in the grand hall where nobles from different kingdoms would love to witness the beauty that is you, it’s as if a treasure had been unearthed before them as they feasted their eyes on the masked princess. earnestly observing your poise and allure, entranced by how you strut at the porcelain floors of your castle.

yet it was somewhat foolish of you to try and search for him in the hall, you hoped yet you knew that it’d be impossible to find a pirate in a ball. soon enough, the pretentious dancing had started. it dreaded you the most, since these gentlemen, regardless of age, tries to woo you and pick you up just to get a taste of your beauty. it irked you to an extent where you’d want to kick them in their manhood.

roughly thirty minutes have passed and you feel yourself falling asleep despite the movements of each dance. from the sleazy kings and airheaded princes, they’re all from the same mould of plain, boring men with no charm. even with the masks that covers half of their face, you could see all kinds of uglies in each of them. that is until you hook arms and hold hands with this one gentleman with the same familiar set of vermillion locks that sat in a disheveled manner atop his head. you felt that same aura from the man you’ve been longing to meet once again and it excited you. from the way he firmly held your waist and how his callous hands didn't faze you but only drew you closer by the princely figure clad in a three piece suit in black, two of the buttons on his dress shirt were unbuttoned to showcase more of his snowy skin from his upper chest to his neck. 

he had seemed to read how your expressions change with the smirk that made its way to his lips. “ you seem to be dozin’ off, princess. bored?” he greeted, as he met your hopeful eyes beneath each other’s masks. behind those pieces of fabric, you two knew all too well who each other were. 

“k-kidd-”

“shh.” he cut you off, stoically looking around to try and search the area for any hostility from the foolish nobles. thankfully, no suspicions arose due to the fact that masks and mysteries made the night more magical. “as much as i’d love to cause a ruckus, i’d like to dance with you a little more.”

this was the first time you’ve looked up with so much hope and marvel at the man you were dancing with, seemingly getting lost in his sunny eyes and the way he moves with you. “is it really you?”

“mhm, can’t believe it?” he laughed a little, giving you a little twirl before securely holding you back in your place again. “ya better wipe that drool off your lips cuz it might give us away, my lovely.” he scrunched his nose as he teased you, grip growing tighter to elicit a reaction from you. 

“how did you bypass the guards?”

“knocked them unconscious, nothin’ drastic.” he responded and left you giggling silently. “but hey, lemme  marvel at you for a minute, shortstack.  ‘cuz damn you’re quite the goddess tonight.” he poked on your chin, making your body feel hot all the more. 

“still the sweet talker, huh?” you scoffed as you hid your creeping blush. you bit on your tinted lips and avoided his gaze as you leaned down his shoulders and inhaled his alluring, metallic scent. “wherever do you get all that confidence?”

“i’ve gone through hell and back to finally see you and dance with you, there’s no reason for me to hold back, no?” he got closer, reveling in your scent and warmth. 

from an outsider’s perspective, this is quite a romance to see. most of your suitors soon become despondent because it appears that there’s already a winner, a king of the princess’ heart. the world seemingly revolving around the two of you as you both fit perfectly in each other’s arms as you two moved harmoniously with the melody of the orchestra. it warmed the hearts of the audience and most definitely, your parents. 

“what do you say if we,” you started, tracing the lines of his coat with your ringed fingers. “run away after this? just the two of us, go someplace where we can be alone together.”

his grip on your hands and waist grew tighter, matching the chuckle that lowly rumbled on his chest. he met your eyes once again. “i thought you’d never ask. i seem to be getting more drawn to you, princess.”

after a few minutes of dancing with him, the banquet started and the lot of you had feasted on the opulent food readied in the long dining tables of the grand hall. all the while you two kept exchanging glances and throwing smiles here and there.

once every noble was busy with their royal bullshit, you and kidd had taken the liberty to sneak outside the venue where the guards were gradually falling asleep. you, kidd, and his crew had taken care of knocking them unconscious in order to make it out of that hellhole. 

you two broke out of laughter as you got a good distance away from the palace, holding on your knees as you tried catching your breath and composing yourselves. he then pulled you closer by your waist as he leaned down, your noses brushing together and breaths touching each others’ lips. “c’mere and let me ki-”

“you pirates really think you can just head straight for the prize?” you put a finger between your lips and his. “come, let’s find a place more…intimate.” you winked at him, grabbing his hand and intertwining your fingers with his as you dragged him to a place of your liking. 

you two made your way to the local bathhouse where you used to relax with your friends from the village when you were a child. you were met with the landlady, one of your friends too, and looked at her with that knowing look. you placed your index finger atop your lips, signaling for her to stay quiet. she smiled at you mischievously, completely understanding what your plans were. 

you led him to one of the VIP rooms of the bathhouse and shut the door afterwards. “a bathhouse?” he asked, scanning the place.

“i’ve reserved the entire place, don’t worry.” you assured, taking off your mask and his simultaneously. “we can be as loud as we want here, captain.” you sultrily added, leaning closer to his ear as your hands moved across his body. 

“what a dirty thing for a princess to say, don’tcha think?” he replied, large hands lingering by your rear. “they’re probably wonderin’ where she is right now, hm?” he leaned down closer, hands traversing to the strings of your corset and precariously playing with them.

“let them.” you replied, your hands moving to where the buttons of his suit are. “i’m quite busy with more important things right now.”

“eh? like what?” he started, slowly undoing the knot of your corset. “fuckin’ a pirate?”

“oh shut up.” you discarded his upper garments, hands roaming the vastness of his toned torso. “clearly, you want me more than i want you.” he hummed in approval, finally crashing your lips together. 

he had you sat down on one of the sinks in the room with your legs wrapped around his waist, his lower half still clothed yet you can feel his member rubbing against you as he raised the skirt of your dress and pressed his crotch closer to yours. hums and moans emanating from both of your lips.

tucking a hair behind your ear, his rough hands held your jaw close to bury his tongue deeper in you. the span of his fingers holding your neck in place as he sucked on your lip, satisfied at the swollen and ruby result. 

you pulled on his hair from time to time, eliciting hums and growls of approval from him. your hands spanned across his broad back, marveling at the muscles and scars from his years of piracy. fingers gliding across his strong arms that gripped places that were sensitive from you,  your head tilting to where you can both fight for dominance in the kiss.

“have i ever told you,” he started, lips lingering by your ear and wandering down the column of your neck. “that my favorite color is red?” and just like that, your corset and overskirt was on the floor. the bastard haphazardly pulled the thing away after skillfully untying it.

“aren’t you skilled at taking clothes off!” you praised, smiling at him with your smudged lipstick. 

“you could say, i had tons of practice.” he replied, biting your lower lip.

“playboy.” you hopped off the sink, disappearing into the showers to wash up before jumping in the large tub that was dug down the rocky floors. “i seem to have gone away with a dangerous man.”

he followed shortly after, entering the same shower cubicle as you. the cold water torrenting down your bare bodies as you returned kisses with one another. his rough hands roaming the softness of your skin and each curve of your body, his hands and lips not leaving you and rendered you breathless. 

you pulled away, turning around. “look at me.” you raised his chin so you could have a good look at him. “you look like a prince yourself without the goggles and the make up, hm?” you placed a kiss on his cheek as you marveled at his bangs that had water dripping on its ends. it messily curtained his forehead and yellow eyes as the scarlet pigment contrasted his wintry skin. 

he looked away, cheeks heating up with your compliments and touch. but he bit back once more with a smug grin. “no way in hell i could be a prince, i’m a fuckin’ king, baby.” 

“alright alright, let me just appreciate how handsome you are, okay?” you held his face between your hands as you reached over to place a kiss at the corner of his lips. “what do you say we relax for a moment in the bath, hm?”

“relax means fuck, right?” he retorted, that usual grin back to his face. 

you bursted into laughter as you made your way to the wide bath, moaning at the relief of the water. he soon joined after you, reveling at the warmth of and tranquility of the bathwater. it had some rose petals floating on the aromatic water, scattered along with healing herbs. 

“i wish i could stay here forever with you, kidd.” you gazed towards him, soon standing up before him. 

he placed both of his hands on your hips as he studied and memorized how your body looks and relished his plans on how to ruin you. “we can do that,” he replied. “i’ll take you with me.”

you got settled down by his toned thighs, rigidly supporting your weight as you straddled his lap. he looked at you with so much desire as he scrutinized your body with his lips, placing wet kisses on each column and juncture of your torso. sucking on each of your mounds and taking his time nibbling on the bundle of nerves in between, ravaging moans out of you until you tug on his hair and scratch on his skin. he left visible marks on you from your jaw, across your neck, on the span of your chest, on the roundness of your breasts, and on the stretch of your stomach. he also took his time placing kisses on your fingers, particularly your knuckles up to your wrist where your pulse resides. 

he then pulled you closer by your hips, your core and his manhood rubbing against each other. he kneaded at the flesh on your rear as you also took your time in leaving hickeys at the wide span of his chest and neck. savoring the feeling of your lips on his skin as you get closer and closer to his member, “ready?” you mumbled, hands wrapping around his overwhelmingly prodigious length before you dip down the lukewarm bathwater. 

he licked his lips as he looked you down before softly holding your jaw and rubbing your lips with his thumb, “can you handle it, though?” his canines tugged at his lips as he grinned, haughtily looking down at you.

“you’ll be whining for more when i’m done with you, big guy.” you scoffed before finally dipping down and giving him the best head of his life. under the water, your gurgling sounds from gagging too much due to his girth and length drove him to the seventh heaven. he threw his head back, hands gripping either side of your head as he bucked his hips forward and felt the head of his length touch your throat mercilessly. he moaned in bliss as it chorused your name, relishing at how your nails dug by his hips and how bubbles rose from where you were submerged.

you finally emerged, trying to get some air as your chest heaved. “it felt fuckin’ surreal underwater, goddamn.” he welcomed you, “glad it didn’t kill ya.” he gave your rear a smack after you gave him a side glare. 

“it almost did!” you pouted and turned your back on him as you crossed your arms. he stood up as he laughed to himself, snaking his arms by your sides then up to your mounds. you squealed at the sudden warmth that played on your breasts, fiddling with the bundle of nerves on the middle. hot kisses also littered your neck as it traveled up your jaw. 

“can you stay mad at me, hm?” he nibbled at your ear, deep voice shaking you down to your core. “i’ll make it up to you real good, my lovely.” his hands slithered down your crevice, it throbbed at his touch.

his fingers slid in your core, two fingers already sending shockwaves coursing through your nerves. you could feel him rubbing his member at the cleft of your rear, stimulating you from front and back and driving you beyond your sanity. your knees felt numb, you would’ve fallen down to the ground if it weren’t for his hand on your core and the other was wrapped on your neck. 

“tell me,” he gruffly whispered. “ya still mad?” his fingers fervently rubbed you while his thumb stimulated your clit as it hazed all your senses. your eyes rolled at the back of your head as you clawed on his sinewy arms for support, struggling to keep yourself standing up at how your thighs shook amidst the arrival of your climax. all you could throw back was slurred words and continuous pleads that soon turned into desperate moans. “‘s what i thought.”

you panted heavily as you reached your climax, getting a hold of yourself as he sat you down on the space between his thighs on the wooden platform under the hot bath. all the while, comforting you with scattered kisses on your shoulders. his arms rested around your waist, placing his lips on your shivering skin as he seemingly can’t get enough of you. “what do ya think about bein’ queen of pirates, aye?”

“i’ve had enough of regality and its bullshit.” you huffed an annoyed sigh.  “but i wouldn’t mind if i’m with you.” you leaned closer to his neck, squirming under his touch near your sensitive areas.

“that’s pretty sweet of you, huh? this the princess package?” he placed a kiss on your cheek before nibbling on your ear.

“ah trust me, the princess in me is a version you wouldn’t want to experience.” you pressed his head further to your neck to feel more of his hot kisses.

“hm? i’d fuck the shit outta her then.” he licked a long trail on the column of your neck.

“let’s…” you started, trying to catch your breath. you turned around to face him, settling yourself on his lap once more. “go all the way.”

“cmon then.” he cocked a grin, “show me what you got.”

after rubbing his thick head on your crevice, you’re gradually adjusting to his staggering size. he leaned back and spread his arms by the sides of the rocks as he watched you fall into the abyss of delightful sin at how full you feel. you grabbed  on his shoulders for support as you bounced on his length, his hands fisting the flesh on your bum and guiding your movement. 

“you feel so fuckin’ good, my princess. such a fuckin’ whore for me.” he moaned, caressing the side of your face as he connected his lips with you. his arms wrapping around your waist as he thrusts his hips in chorus with yours, sending you to the ends of the earth at how desperate he was pounding into you. he buried his face between your breasts, engulfing his moans and biting at your sensitive spots..

each time he looked up at you he’ll see hearts in your eyes and savor how flushed your cheeks were. and each time you’d look down at him, he’d have this clouded look in his gaze where it seems that all he sees and hears is you. simultaneously chasing each other’s high, criminally fucking into each other as you two pursued climax after climaxes. not getting enough of each other and insatiably attracted to the feeling of being connected to one another. your core keeping his member warm and his member filling you up were the pleasures you two’d risk everything for. you’d wanted to do it all over again with him. 

and so you two did, professing love to one another through your carnal movements and whispering sweet and prurient somethings until the clock struck three and until your lower halves gave out. overstimulated and drunk on each other. bodies littered with bite marks, handprints, and kisses. that’s how you spent your night. 

you two snuck off once again, clothes loosely done as you made your way to the pier near his ship. you two plan on watching the sunrise, unbothered if someone else suspected the two of you. your hair had naturally dried, not caring if it’s styled or not. and so was kidd, his hair was loosely down and wasn’t in an updo. in your sincerest opinion, he looked more handsome that way.

 it was just an unspoken agreement that you two’d wait till sunrise and reveled each other’s embrace before parting again in the morning. hand in hand as they rested on his lap, your head settled on as his shoulders as he leaned back by a pillar to support the weight of both of you. 

“would you be delighted if i say i plan on joining you in that beautiful ship?” you suggested, observing the sea beneath your feet as they hang by the edge of the pier.

he perked up, looking at your face for any hint of insincerity. “ya really serious about that?!” his eyes shone in anticipation and excitement. “damn right i’d be hella delighted! fuck this kingdom, aye?”

you laughed a little. “fuck this kingdom.” you agreed, looking out the horizon as you watched the sun peeking and blinding you. you placed a hand above your line of sight to shield the light and watch the beauty of the sunrise. 

only to be scooped up by the palace guards and watch kidd be taken away from you as they knocked him down to the ground. it all happened too fast as you got farther and farther away from the man you spent the night with. he watched you disappear into the palace with a scornful glint in his eyes, reaching over with his face planted to the ground. you both screamed each other’s name, trying to break free from the strong restraints of the knights. 

“you are to be locked in your room until you learn your lesson!” your father announced harshly, “i am very disappointed in you, name. you’ve put our family’s name in disgrace!” 

“i couldn’t care less about the family’s name and whatever bullshit royalty! that’s all you two ever cared about! did you two actually care about me?! if i wanted to be a princess and marry a hooligan i don’t even know just because he can make our economy better?!” you bit back, tears streaming down your face as you poured out all your resent. your parents gasping at your language and boldness. “so tell me! w-what about him?! what will you do with him?!” 

“that man has done further damage to the palace and to you. he has bewitched you! such a feat only pirates can make!” 

“speak more ill of him and i swear, you two will have no heir to the throne much less a daughter!” the room felt grim and you see the horror in your parents’ eyes.  “in the short time that we’d met, he had been there more than you two could ever be in the two decades that i’ve lived!”

the room went silent.

“he’ll be rotting in the dungeon, awaiting his beheading. and you can’t do anything to stop it.” your parents stormed out the room after their verdict, you knelt to the floor in defeat, screaming to the ceiling at the cruel turn of events.

but you weren’t one to just stand by when your dream was about to be taken from you. as a child, you’ve explored every nook and cranny of the castle as you itched for adventure you couldn't keep still on your feet. no secret passageways are foreign to you. so you made your way to the passages among the castle walls. it was a dusty and skimpy trip but you were tunnel visioning right now, all that mattered was getting him out and leaving this rotten kingdom. 

you finally reached the dungeons where the knights are lazily guarding their sole prisoner. he caught sight of you and immediately livened up, you motioned for him to stay quiet as you took care of the knights by hitting them in a particular area of their neck and knocking them unconscious. 

“that was hot.” he remarked but you shushed him.

“no time for that! let’s get you out of here and sail away!”

“h-hold on!” the panic and hesitation in his demeanor was evident. he was not that usual haughty eustass kidd you’ve gotten to love. “are you really sure you want to sail away? with someone like me?”

“you ain’t deaf, aren’t you?!”

“a-aren’t you… scared of me?” he looked away bashfully, biting at his lips. 

you bursted into laughter. “what makes you say that, you silly fuck?”

he met your eyes, savoring the melody of your laughter. “all i’ve done was kill, pillage, and repeat. never in my life have i fuckin’ loved someone, and it’s scarin’ me how much i feel for you.” you noticed how his eyes got glassy and how his voice wavered. 

“look at me, eustass.” you held his face as your arms went past the holes between the bars. “i’ve seen how you are and i love everything about you. the fact that you came back for me is enough reason for me to know that you’re just as crazy for me as i am for you. a night with you had taught me more love than all my parents would’ve in my twenty years of existence.” tears streamed down your face as you announced your passion to him. it pleased you at how his expression softened with how he shut his eyes and leaned on your touch. “but, i have never loved someone too, what do you say we figure this shit called love together?”

his heart felt tight in that last bit, it was a found feeling he always experiences with you. with your words, all fear brimming in him  was instantly eradicated. to him, getting saved felt like outright vulnerability. and you’d expect kidd to not take that well knowing his nature, but something about the way you took the reigns and knew exactly what to do to escape made him feel hot and wanting for more of it. how you cleared his head and arranged it for him. or how you’d punt the shit outta those guards that he’d hoped you’d be so kind to give him a demo. and how you came back for him when all hope was lost. perhaps a new version of himself was discovered.

once you had opened his dungeon doors, all he could do was scoop you up by his arms and give you the deepest kiss. his grip tightening around you as you buried yourself deep inside his lips. it was just a few hours yet he managed to long for your lips and be in such misery without you. 

as you two made your escape, you couldn’t care less whether you get caught because kidd was no less stronger than each and everyone of your knights. the greatest knight you could ask for. he amassed metals and pummeled each one who dared cross your ways as you both exited the palace and made your way to the pier where his crewmates waited. he hoisted you up with his ability, a firm grip on your waist as he lifted you up like you weigh nothing. 

“got a pretty big treasure, captain?” one of his men greeted, smiling at the two of you as he unfurled the sails.

“hell yeah.” he gave you a kiss at the top of your forehead before raising your chin with his index finger and giving you a deep peck. “she’s quite the catch.”

idk why this took so long but yes more aus with kidd! these are so much fun to make uwu

#one piece #eustass kidd #cha writes #one piece headcanons #one piece x reader #manga #anime #eustass captain kidd #eustass kid #eustass kid x reader #eustass kidd x reader #eustass x reader #eustasscaptainkid #eustass kid headcanons #eustass kid x y/n #eustass kidd headcanons #eustass kid x you #one piece scenario #one piece scenarios #one piece self insert #one piece smut #one piece x female reader #one piece x y/n #one piece x you

[animedaddymilkers]

╰⊰✿´A Knightly Salary

╰⊰✿´characters: knight!Nanami Kento x princess!f!reader

╰⊰✿´summary: Nanami has been the knight assigned to protect you, the kingdom's beloved princess. But, as you start wandering off frequently, Nanami begins to gripe about how he isn't getting paid enough to perform such a taxing job. Perhaps there's other reasons...

╰⊰✿´tags: royal!au, mxf, eventual smut in later chapters, fluff, slowburn, mutual pining, blood, flirty banter

╰⊰✿´wc: 4k

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Nanami rolled his head and held the back of his neck as his mouth pulled down into a deeper scowl. The tension in his upper body muscles was always so high. It was a wonder he didn't get cramps through his shoulders more often. Though it was hard not to be tense when the person he was being paid to watch always seemed to find a way to wiggle their way out of his view, no matter how much attention he paid or how strict he was with communication.

"Where could she have wandered off to this time?" The blond knight grumbled to himself as he scanned through the marketplace. He already looked in the green house, in the palace gardens, by the hidden pond behind the stables, and now his scouring meandered all the way into town just in search of you. Though his hunt turned up fruitless thus far, serving only to irritate him further.

This job should've been an easy one. All he had to do was play good watchman, make sure no one tried to kill you, and get paid. Simple as that. But no, his little princess had to keep running off on him. And how was he to be a good bodyguard to someone who kept disappearing of their own volition? He wouldn't have minded nearly as much if you would've just told him beforehand where you were going. That way, he would know where to follow you to. Though every time he requested you do exactly that, you assured him you didn't mean to become separated with him, you just followed where your attention was focused and then before you knew it, you were parted from him. Nanami scoffed at the excuse that replayed in his mind and rolled his eyes as he peered around market corners. He wasn't paid nearly enough to babysit.

The further he traveled into town and away from the castle, the more it raised his blood pressure. Just how far had you "wandered"?! His heavy boots scuffed along the stone path as it transitioned into the dirt trail that led into the forest outside the village. He used his training techniques to quiet his movement and listen for any other noises that surrounded him. There was rustling to his left. His head turned to follow the noise, only to find a bunny making its escape away from him. Hmph, the creature reminded him of a certain princess who kept escaping him. Little bunny needs to stop hopping away from me, he grumbled to himself under a haughty breath. Again there was noise; this time to his right.

Your locks of hair were swept back in the breeze and reflected the rays of sunlight shimmering through the trees. A sight that would've captivated anyone else who was lucky enough to witness. But for Nanami, it just made him stomp towards you faster. As usual, you were caught up in your own little world that you didn't realize someone was approaching you until Nanami grabbed your left wrist in his hand and addressed you gruffly under his breath. Only then did a shout fall from your lips and a feeble fist was raised; one that wouldn't scare off any wolves in this forest- be it the animal kind or the human kind. Ditsy little bunny, Nanami thought to himself.

"Kento!" Realization flashed across your face, but instead of fearing his scolding that was no doubt coming, a wide smile spread across your face as you bounced excitedly and gestured to the wicker basket hooked into the crook of your elbow, "Look! I found some rare mushrooms! And wax myrtle and blueberries! And some poison ivy plants but don't worry I marked the bush so no one touches it by accident…"

You rambled on with enthusiasm, either ignoring or just plain ignorant to his scowl. His grip on your wrist loosened, lest a bruise accidently form and he end up losing his job. Despite not getting paid enough, he doubted that he'd get paid anything if word spread that he was fired for hurting the beloved princess. Not to mention the guilt he'd feel for hurting someone as innocent as you. He spoke low and sternly as he interrupted your tangent of detailing the stream that you found on your travels, "Princess."

The word didn't seem to phase you as you talked about the potential pollutants the village was putting in the water source and ways the castle might be able to reduce them. Nanami sighed and tried just once more. This time, more stern and more commanding. "Princess."

The second time he grumbled the word, it worked and your mouth clamped shut, instead peering up at him with your wide eyes, a look that always had his demeanor softening pathetically. "Why did you leave the palace this morning without telling me? You only said you were returning to your chambers to change your clothes, so tell me why 30 minutes later your chambers were empty?"

"Oh, Kento, you were in my chambers? If I had known that I would've stayed there." A giggle left your lips as you teased him. You were clearly deflecting the question, but Nanami refused to falter, deadpanning as he waited for a serious response. After realizing he wouldn't drop it, you huffed in a pout, nearly stomping your foot to boot. "I just wanted to go exploring without you breathing down my neck! And…and you always say how you don't like the woods… I didn't want to bother you. I figured you could take a nap instead. You've looked awfully tired lately."

Now, you were just plain reaching. The first sentence about exploring he believed, anything after that was you attempting to come up with a decent excuse. It was Nanami's turn to huff as he rolled his eyes. He always looked tired. But perhaps that could be chalked up to having to chase after his little hopping bunny princess. Hell, he should just quit this job and let some other schmuck who would fall for the way your eyelashes batted innocently have this job. Though every time he became serious about finding employment elsewhere, he was painfully reminded by the Knight's Guild that leaving a position before being reassigned was forfeiting his rank. And for some reason, you lavished your praise for him to the king, meaning Nanami wouldn't be reassigned for the foreseeable future. Maybe if a war broke out… or maybe if he just ignored your batting eyelashes…

"Did I upset you, Nanamin?" Your words stirred him from his solitary thoughts. Ugh, that stupid nickname. It made his chest tighten and his blood boil. Or some other emotion he couldn't quite pinpoint, he wasn't sure. What he did know was that your voice was so soft; it reminded him of a fresh winter's snow and he found the question more difficult to answer than it should have been.

Another sigh left his broad chest and he shook his head while retaining his steadfast expression. "You just worry me when you disappear. I've told you time and time again I don't care where you go just so long as you tell me, princess. Whether I'm tired or not is no concern to someone of your rank. My duty is to protect you and that's what I intend to do, your highness."

He didn't miss the way your nose scrunched up at his use of the formality; he knew you hated it when he used them. It brought the faintest bit of a smile to his face before he took your full scavenging basket from your smaller arms to carry it for you. He plucked one of the fungi out of the basket and held it up between the two of you. "Now, tell me about this mushroom."

"That one's poisonous." You said blankly before breaking out in a fit of laughter at his shocked reaction. "I'm kidding! It's just a shiitake mushroom. It's good for cooking in soups!"

You were going to be the death of him, he swore it. After Nanami's heart rate calmed once again he scowled as he listened to you continue to talk about the mushroom he picked out. The blond knight definitely could never say that you weren't knowledgeable. You knew more about forestry and scavenging than he did and he had to live in the forest during the War. The relationship between the two of you was complicated. Nanami detested your flight risk behavior and crude jokes at his expense, but he also enjoyed when the atmosphere between you was so casual as it was presently. He could talk openly around you and you around him. That much was revered in this odd wolf and bunny chase the two of you kept playing.

In the weeks that passed from your last bodyguard-free excursion, you really tried to be more mindful when you wanted to go. Despite this, everytime you expressed your desire to explore with Nanami, he shut it down. One day he wrote you off saying it was too warm out; another was that it had rained the night before. All things that didn't quite have very much to do with your safety. Still, you were determined and your cabin fever drove you to pester him further, hoping he would break at some point and at least meet you in the middle somehow.

"Can we go to the river today, Kento? I'd like to pick some blueberries that grow on the banks there." You questioned gently, knowing that Nanami always required a base question, along with a reasoning for the question in order for him to even consider the request.

His brown eyes met yours as he looked up from his solo game of chess. The expression on his face was almost one of confusion, as if he couldn't understand why you weren't content with staying indoors again, for the umpteenth day in a row. An eyebrow raised as he took in the sight of you, already dressed as if you were going out and the eyebrow then pulled down into his typical disapproving scowl. "I'm afraid the locals have reported the bugs have been quite bad in the recent days, princess. I'd hate to see your pretty skin all bit up by the pests."

It was your turn to scowl at his pathetic reasoning for not going out. You don't even think he talked to any of the townsfolk in the past few days, so how was he informed about the populace of bugs?! Not to mention, he very well knew that you could concoct a mixture to ward off the little creatures. "I'm sure they won't mind me any. I have a spray that deters them from pestering me. And I can make enough for you as well! Please, Kento, I haven't been outside the castle walls in so long…"

"No," He sighed and tried to turn his attention back to his game before continuing gruffly, "I've decided it's in the best interest of your safety that today you stay within the castle. I'm sure you could stand to have more etiquette lessons in the meantime, your highness."

His backhanded comment made you pause in the middle of the room and look at him with a sour expression. It was well known around the kingdom and surrounding lands that you weren't a…traditional princess in the sense that the stuffy manners and ways of the court just weren't for you. All things considered, your parents supported your decision and your free spirited personality. Though in recent months, they'd found it increasingly difficult to find a suitor for you, as if that really mattered to you. Your heart only had sights for a certain blond knight, not some nauseating prince from a foreign land. But it mattered to your parents, as the heads of the kingdom and the ones responsible for seeing their lineage live on. So, Nanami's comment only stung further, knowing full well that your parents gently pleaded with you to at least act more formally around the potential suitors.

The saddened look on your face made his jaw lock, and a pang of guilt spread through his chest at the fact that he was the one who caused you pain. But, it was the truth, and he wasn't one to shy away from that. You needed to act more properly in order to find a husband and take over the kingdom. Realistically, you didn't need a husband to take over the kingdom, but for Nanami's sake, he'd feel more reassured if you were married off. Married off and extra unattainable to him. As if you being a class above him wasn't enough. Apparently, that didn't matter to the organ in his chest that tightened, regardless of your position, every time you smiled at him. Perhaps that was a reason he purposely scolded you and went out of his way to pain you. Perhaps…perhaps if you weren't smiling at him, his emotions would solve themselves. He wasn't sure, but for now, he was content with being the big bad wolf, just in case it did work.

The days continued to pass in the same fashion: you begged to go out only for Nanami to again shoot you down in some way or another. He succeeded in forcing you to take more etiquette lessons with your tutor, much to your chagrin. You by no means enjoyed the lessons, but if it meant Nanami wouldn't be upset with you, you would suffer through them. Though, with each passing day, your adventurous side grew more impatient. You longed to feel the wild grass on your feet, as opposed to the ridiculously manicured grass inside the castle walls. After one more denial from the knight that nearly drove you crazy, you decided to go above him in order to get what you want.

The lunch with your father had been planned for a while now and you saw it as the perfect opportunity to get what you wanted. For all intents and purposes, you were a daddy's girl through and through; your father would do anything for you, including going to war and burning down cities if it meant it would make you happy. It was just one of the reasons that you were able to keep Nanami in a position so close to you, thankful your parents didn't read further into your request of wanting the blond knight to stay as your bodyguard when all those before him barely lasted two months.

"How have your explorations been?" Your father questioned and you sat wondering what deity you needed to thank that he brought the very subject up first.

With an innocently sad look on your face, you played up the situation and shrugged in defeat, "Well, I haven't been on any lately… Though I've wanted to so terribly… Kento has said the conditions haven't been ideal. But I believe tomorrow should be a good day to venture out."

"Then so be it! Tomorrow you'll go out and have the adventure of a lifetime, I know it! Tell Nanami he'll be escorting you out all day." Your father declared matter of factly and you had to contain your excitement at the finality of the declaration. There was no way Nanami could deny you now!

After that one remark and your father's decree, Nanami had no rebuttals. There was nothing he could say after the king said he was to take you out. If he did find something to say that kept you inside, he'd be implying that the king was wrong about his decision and Nanami wasn't about to piss off the man in charge of his paycheck. And, he had to admit, when you came to him to inform him of the news, your confident and no bullshit attitude had that same tightening in his chest spreading and his pulse quickened. Nanami rationalized to himself that at least this trip would make you happy, and hopefully satiate your adventurous desire for the next few months.

Now, you were trotting through the woods as Nanami shuffled behind you, looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else than here. But, he always looked like that. "Oh. Would you grab that pear for me, please Kento?" You pointed upwards, gesturing to the fruit in the tree that grew above your heads, far too high for you to reach. But Nanami reached it with ease, plucking it out of the tree and passing it down to you with a blank expression. His clear lack of enjoyment almost made you feel guilty for forcing his hand to bring you out, but you knew that if you hadn't, he wouldn't have let you out of the castle walls, probably ever again.

"Are you ready to return, princess?" Nanami questioned in a way that was clear he was trying to ask it gently, as if he was indifferent to the answer, but you saw through that. You had barely been in the forest for half an hour, the sun only scooting across the sky slightly, and Nanami was already not so silently begging you to return. It was now that you were reminded why you didn't ask permission for these outings and instead just snuck off on your own. At least then, you wouldn't have a large, moping knight nearly stepping on the back of your heels every two minutes. You'd much rather have him stomping towards you after a few hours of peace and suffering through the scolding on the way back to the castle.

None of the other guards had cared to scold you, or maybe had the gall to scold you. But that's what made Nanami different. You weren't just a princess made of glass and sitting up on a pedestal to him, though his scoldings made it seem otherwise. He saw you as human and you appreciated that more than anything else. On the other hand, more than the other guards, he was also increasingly aware of your position as a political figure and never refrained from reminding you that it was expected you act a certain way, even with your parents' lax view of etiquette.

"No, not quite, Kento. I'd like to find something in particular on this trip to the forest and I've yet to see it. Though it'd be foolish to assume I would see it only thirty minutes in." You stated rather dryly and used the last sentence as a formal jab at his impatience.

His lips pursed and you smirked to yourself after seeing that your comment did, in fact, hit home. "What is it that you're looking for? Perhaps it will go quicker if I aid you in looking for it."

"Mm, it's a rare fruit, a reddish berry but not a bright red. They usually grow close to the ground." You absolutely bullshitted your answer to him and although he briefly doubted you, he did begin to help you "look" for it.

"Is this it?" Nanami wandered through the woods, bending at the waist to analyze every bush that you passed by, sighing when it didn't fit your fictional berry description. You trotted along next to him as time passed by and you offered him other fruit to munch on in the meantime. "Ah, no that doesn't quite fit, Kento, but we'll keep looking!"

The entire day was spent together. Though conversation was few and far between, mainly about the fictional berry, the atmosphere between you two was still relaxed and casual. You felt at ease next to the hulking guard, although you knew he was only with you because he was being paid to be. The realization occasionally hit you and reminded you of exactly the nature of the relationship between you and your knight. If given the chance, he'd run far away from the palace so he didn't have to deal with your antics. Several times you had overheard him talking with his captain in the Knight's Guild about being reassigned to a different job and although it was selfish, you always prevented him from being put into a different job away from you. Though cliche, it was true, the princess always got her way.

After Nanami searched for the berry for hours, and you picked other various foods that you found, the two of you decided it was time to start heading back towards your home. As the sun dragged across the sky, you grew weary, yawning and shuffling your feet behind Nanami, who somehow still had energy. "Keep up, princess, we need to get you back to the castle."

"Mmm, I'm trying, Kento. I didn't think we'd walk this far. Usually I stop in the middle of the day for a relaxing picnic." You grumbled and willed your feet to keep moving, though you ended up giving in and sitting yourself on a rock. Before you could call out to Nanami to alert him of your break, a low growl sounded out from somewhere in the darkness behind you. A squeak left you before you bolted up and began to run as fast as you could, frantically calling out to your protector in the meantime.

Hearing your screams, Nanami immediately prepared himself for the worst. The sword kept on his hip was unscathed and barred in front of him within seconds. He guided you behind him and braced for impact from the animal. The wolf ran straight towards him and took his blade on headfirst. You cowered in fear behind Nanami, your hands covering your face to hide the sight. Warm liquid splattered onto your skin, causing you to shake more violently. Grunts and growls from both sides rang out into the forest. Every sound of a hit and scratch made you cringe, fearing which side was on the receiving end. Only when you realized the wolf ceased growling did you remove your hands to glance at the sight.

Nanami stood before you, breathing heavily in the middle of the forest. His hair was disheveled from the fight and blood was splattered onto his skin and clothes, the same warm liquid you felt splash onto you. Laying before him was the giant wolf. You didn't know how you escaped from the creature unscathed but in the moment all that mattered was that Nanami was also uninjured. Rushing towards him, you needed to check for yourself that he wasn't hurt, cupping a hand to his cheek and looking him over.

"Little bunnies like you are perfect bait for wolves, you need to remember that, princess." His voice was gruff and so much more exhausted than it was before, though you could hardly blame him. Your eyes widened before the flood gates opened and you sobbed, hugging him tightly and nodding profusely.

"I- I will! I'm sorry!" You hiccuped into his chest and he rubbed your back soothingly before you pulled back slightly and asked in an almost demanding tone, "Are you hurt at all? Anywhere?!"

A soft chuckle thundered through his chest and feeling the reverberations had your cheeks heating up with an emotion akin to desire, but you chose to ignore that flame for now, "Don't you worry about me, princess. I'm just fine. Now let's get you home, yeah?"

You nodded in agreement and he sheathed his sword again before wiping your tears away and cleaning the blood off of your face. He was incredibly lucky that the wolf was a younger one, a more impulsive one. Had it been older and wiser…he didn't want to think of what it might have done to his princess. To shake the intrusive thoughts from his mind, he picked you up with ease, an arm beneath your knees and the other supporting your back. Using the event almost as a silent excuse to hold you close, he cradled you in his arms. The action made you feel so much smaller but yet, so much more protected. Welcoming the feeling, you embraced his touch and curled into him more as he began to carry you back towards the castle. The adrenaline wore off as the rhythmic feeling of Nanami walking lulled you to sleep and as he looked down at your sleeping figure, he felt that all too familiar tightening of his chest.

"Sleep well, little bunny. No more wolves will hurt you. Not as long as this wolf is around."

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Murdered 1462

Vladislaus Dragulia x fem!reader

Part Two

WC : 3.7K

SW : No usage of "Y/N," physical appearance and details are left completely ambiguous and are up to interpretation. Mentions of witchcraft, verbal abuse, murder, canon-typical violence and story-line, pregnancy, death, etc.

If there are any more warnings to be added let me know!

This is a re-post, all of my old accounts were deleted.

“Born: 1422… Murdered: 1462.”

‘I was born into a noble family, my father was the duke of Hungary.’

Slipping into the more tame selection of your clothing, muting the sound of ruffling cloth as much as possible to not wake you lady-in-waiting, Agnes, who had fallen asleep whilst handling your linens. Once dressed, you throw a shawl over your head in any attempt to hide your identity. You’d been hated by the townspeople ever since you and your father had travelled here for business, the small-minded people of Transylvania already despised the idea of foreigners, but the idea of you and the rumor of the practice you brought along? Most claimed you to be a witch. But alas, even their hatred couldn’t extinguish your spirit.

Sneaking out had never been easier. 

You’d always been an adventurous person, something your father always chastised you for. He believed ladies should sit still, sit quietly, and sit pretty. He had an image to uphold, and he couldn’t have his only child galavanting around town, acting improper. He used to let you do as you please, but when the plague took your mother he became cold, harsh. 

Feeling the cold air hit your skin as you shimmy out the window and down the trellis until your shoes hit the ground with a small thud, making a small promise to yourself to be back before dawn. The entire grounds of the house were fenced in, with guards stationed at the main gate. You couldn’t exit out that way as they would stop you the second they saw you. But unbeknownst to them, you’d discovered a break in a part of the fence. Shimmying out the back, you begin the trek down the hill the house sits on to the village. 

~~~

‘It had been cold when I met him, when he saved me. If he hadn’t shown when he did, I fear I would have been no longer. ‘

“You can run but you can’t hide, witch!” You were growing tired, legs and feet burning with effort. When turning a corner in the marketplace you’d run into someone,  knocking the shawl off your head, revealing your identity. You’d garnered the attention of a group of particularly cruel drunkards, who began to hurl obscenities towards you. And before you could even blink, they began chasing you. You tried to throw them off, hoping all your time exploring would have given you enough of a terrain advantage. But the feeling of someone grabbing the back of your shawl and pulling you to the ground steals all your hope of getting away. 

Pain absorbs your back as you land hard and fast on the cold ground. The early morning dew seeps through your dress as the cold air fogs your breath as it leaves your lungs from the impact, the main perpetrator kneeling on your neck, cutting off your air supply. One of the other men wrapping your feet and hands with rope. Your ears rang as your head snapped back against a rock, vision going foggy. You couldn’t hear what the men were saying to you, only that they were taunting you. You were able to make out the blur of a mass of light coming towards you, and it was only when the heat brushed against your face could you tell it was fire. 

You tried to fight back, to struggle. But with the mans’ knee against your throat, the lack of oxygen was making you weak. As the black spots were so close to entirely filling your vision, the man suddenly lets off of you, and the heat of the fire goes away. You cough, rolling over onto your elbows and knees as you try to regain your breath. You can hear the men pleading to a deep voice for mercy, and then your vision returns in time to watch as they run away.

“Are you alright?” 

‘I didn’t even know his name, he wouldn’t give it to me. All I knew was that I was utterly captivated by him.’

The deep accented voice held your attention entirely, as the man attached to that voice crouched down next to you, a gentle hand placed on your back. “Madam? Are you alright?” Gasping out, feeling like your vocal chords are completely crushed, only able to choke out a small “yes.” The hand on the small of your back stays while one reaches to your left forearm, grabbing it to help you up. And when you stumble backwards, the firm body of the stranger is there to catch you. 

When you’ve regained your breath, and were able to stand on your own, you stepped away from the stranger. “Who are you?” gazing at the man before you and trying to map his features by only what you could see in the barely-there moonlight. You’ve decided by what little of him you could see, that he was still undoubtedly handsome. Slightly taller than you, possibly 6-foot, dark hair, and shockingly blue eyes. 

“Who I am is of no importance at the moment,” the deep voice jolting you out of your stupor, “But it is important to know why a group of beţivii (drunks) were attacking a young woman in the forest?” At the mention of your attack you feel the pain seep into your neck, adrenaline finally beginning to wear off. Letting out a cough as your hand comes to gently cup the base of your neck. “Well, Romanians tend to be quite wary of foreigners, and you’ve just bore witness to the fact that they don’t particularly like me.” your tone clipped, pulling a deep chuckle from the man. 

You feel blush overtake your visage as you realize how rude that sounded, embarrassment filling you at your rudeness to the man who saved you. “I’m sorry, I’m usually not this rude I swear, I’m still just a little frightened. Thank you, by the way, for coming to my aid. I’ll ask my father to make sure you’re rewarded for your valiant efforts.” The stranger ignores your apology and thanks, “Your father?” his head tilted to the side, pieces of hair falling across his face, “Yes my father, He’s the Duke of Hungary, we’re here on diplomatic business.” “Hmm, for what?” You falter and cover your mouth, giving the man an apologetic look. You’re relieved when he seems to pick up on what you’re implying, even though he gives you a dark, brief, look of knowing,  “I understand, trade secrets.” He says with a slight smile, holding out his arm. “Here, it’s almost dawn, let me accompany you back to wherever you’re staying.”

And with a small smile, you take his arm. 

‘I didn’t anticipate what would happen when I took his arm. That my world was about to turn, that taking his arm on that cold, damp, morning, signed my death.’ 

It was a lovely walk back, filled with small talk and pleasantries. When you approached the doors to the Governor’s house, you could hear the commotion before you saw it. When the stranger accompanying you opened the door, his right elbow still linked with your left, all the commotion suddenly came to a screeching halt. Several pairs of eyes turned to you, including those of Agnes, then the faces attached to all those eyes paled when they saw the man whose arm you still held. When your father called you towards him, a dark look in his eye, you felt the pit of your stomach drop. “Step away from him. “ Your father beckoned, he hadn’t looked this grim since the doctor in Hungary told him of your mothers fate. 

Swallowing in nervousness you look up to the man accompanying you only to find him already looking down at you, a rather downcast look in his eyes. Your father calls again, walking towards you. “Step away. Now.” You stare long and hard at the man by your side until he gently nudges you towards the others in the room. You failed to notice until you looked up that most of the guards in the room had their weapons aimed towards him. Stepping away from him you’re immediately met by your lady in waiting coming and sweeping you up the stairs. “Lock her in her room Agnes, until I call for her.” You throw one last glance towards the man to find him still staring at you. Turning the hall, Agnes gently pushes you into your room, and before she shuts the door behind you, the angry conversation from the foyer floods into the room. “What were you doing with my daughter, Impaler.”

‘I suppose it wasn’t a bad situation, after all I was quite taken with him, even if I didn’t know who he was at first. I didn’t fear him, even though everyone else did.’

It was what felt like hours before you heard a key being inserted in the lock of the door. Bounding up from the bed to be greeted by the sight of two guards when the door swung open. You weren’t able to utter a single word when you were grabbed by both arms and dragged away from your room, well actually the room belonged to your Stranger, in your time locked in you had discovered from Agnes that Vlad was the Military Governor of Romania, and that you and all the diplomats were currently residing in his house. 

Ironic how things work out. 

 When you asked where you were being taken you were met with utter silence, the guards only tightening their grip after you tried to pull away. Only feeling ease when the door to what you recognize to be the master study of the house was yanked open and you were promptly thrown in. 

Glancing up at the long table to see other diplomats lining the perimeter, your father and who you've come to know as Vlad the Impaler, gracing the far end of the table. “What’s going on?” questioned towards your father even though your eyes are locked with Vlads. Your father says nothing to you as he quietly sends off the others in the room, leaving only the three of you. You only move when he quirks a finger in a come-hither gesture, your eyes glued to your socked feet as you cross your hands in front of your legs. “You understand the reason for my business here,” your father says, “to create a treaty with him” word spoken with venom, “to prevent him from causing any more destruction and massacre off to the West” Saying nothing, only giving a slight nod, still looking down. “Well everything was lined up perfectly, but now, the Voivode (governor) has added a new term to the treaty. Your hand in marriage.”

Feeling your eyes bulge out of their sockets as your head flies up, immediately shouting out “What?” the glare your father sticks on you prevents you from saying anymore. “You heard me girl.” grabbing your arm as he drags you to the farthest corner of the room. “And as much as I hate to do this, you will marry him. You’re reaching your twentieth year and still haven’t married, and I will not jeopardize the well-state of Hungary just because you decide to be stupid and prance around in the town unsupervised.” Your jaw dropping in shock, eyes welling with tears. This man before you was not your father, in all fairness he hadn’t been much of a father after your mother died but his words still hurt nonetheless. 

“Your grace, I would like a moment alone with your daughter.” your father turns red-faced, the beginnings of a protest forming in his mind, “It wasn’t a suggestion.” One elegant finger pointing towards the door, “Leave. Now.” huffing, your father pushes past you and storms towards the door, the loud sound of it banging closed behind you causes you to jump, a small cry of fear leaving your lips. 

Now it was just you and him. With your head still down you didn’t notice his approach until perfectly polished shoes fell just within your line of sight. Your name being gently called as a rough hand softly finds itself upon the back of your elbow. “I hope you’ve learned by now that I mean you no harm.” His right hand coming to your chin and tipping your head up, Blue eyes coming into contact with yours once again. “I hope you know I do not wish to cause you distress with my proposal.” You nod profusely, muttering out a soft repeating of “I know.” The same hand on your chin moves up to wipe the tears you didn’t know had fallen. For a man who had killed thousands with those same hands, when he was near it was nothing but gentle touches. “Our marriage doesn’t have to be immediate, I’m not immune to the benefits of a little light courtship, however I am reaching an age no bachelor ever should.” Words spoken with a joking lilt, Vlad briefly hunching over. You can’t help but chuckle at the sight of his horrible interpretation of an old person. 

The two of you are launched into a comfortable silence, and you realize that with all that you’ve learned about this man in the past however many hours didn’t scare you as much as it probably should’ve. And with this newfound bravery and lack of fear, you confidently reach and grab the hand that’s resting on your cheek and with as much courage as you could muster, and you accept his proposal. 

‘Being with him wasn’t at all what I thought it would be. He was nothing but kind to me, nothing but gentle touches and words all throughout our marriage.’

With the treaty being settled and your newfound courtship with a certain military general, everyone left back to their home territories, including your father. Him practically trading you off to sell his own skin didn’t hurt as much as it used too. He left quickly and with promise that most of your possessions still in Hungary would be sent down to Romania. You kept Agnes with you, after all she’d been one of your closest confidants since your mother had died. When the spring of 1460 came along, it brought your twentieth birthday and marriage ceremony with it. 

It was a truly gorgeous ceremony. While not filled with pomp and circumstance, it was graceful, elegant. Your pursuer wasn’t exactly poorer, and you were able to have the most gorgeous gown you’d thought you’d ever seen. You had Agnes of all people walk you down the aisle, seeing as your father hadn’t thought to show even though invitations had been sent weeks in advance. You had been introduced to an estranged number of people at your wedding. Your husbands’ father, Valerious, who served a group of Holy Knights. He proved to be a rather cynical man, yet seemed to be nice once you’d gotten to know him. 

You couldn’t help but notice, however, a man who always hovered near the back. He was tall, dark hair, covered in black clothing, however you could never make out his face. You knew he was watching you, even when separated from Vlad you could feel the glare of someone constantly burning into the back of your neck. Everytime you garnered your husband's attention to question him about the man, he seemed to have disappeared, swallowed by the shadows he hid in. 

Marriage to one of the most dangerous men on this side of the Balkans wasn’t bad. He always treated you with a gentle hand, was never harsh, never cruel, and he never-ever raised his voice. When questioned on his docile behavior his reasoning behind it being that you were his wife, and you should never need to fear him. 

When you came to find out that he didn’t live in the palace-like house you were staying in when you first arrived in Romania you were slightly shocked. No, instead he lived in a citadel, a castle near the Arges River; Poenari. And what a beautiful place it was. You much preferred the secludism of this house than the one in the town. The view of the mountains and the fresh air they produced was always a reprieve. Your room was in the highest level of one of the castle spires, with a large window parallel to your bed, so you always woke to the stunning view of the sunrise. 

You were however surprisingly lonely most of the time. As it would turn out, being someone of extreme military prowess took a lot of your husband's time away from you. If it weren’t for Agnes and the few estranged workers who milled around the estate you fear you’d have gone mad. When he wasn’t busy trying to take over most of Europe, he was a very caring man. Giving you luxurious gifts, taking you on trips. His love took you into the deepest throes of passion, both physically and metaphorically. 

You truly couldn’t ask for a better husband.

‘It was raining that night, not quite cold enough for it to snow. I can’t remember that much, I just remember how scared I was.’

The rain crashed against your window, thunder and lightning taking the sky ever-so-often, Vlad wasn’t in bed even though it was quite late. He was having a very crucial meeting, about what you didn’t know, he’d only come to your room to tell you not to wait on him, to go on and sleep, and to bestow a small kiss to you and your rotund stomach. 

After almost two years of marriage, the summer of 1462 blessed you with news of a child. With Poenari being so far from any doctors, your dear Agnes stepped in as a midwife of sorts, making sure you were healthy; sleeping and eating well. She said that springtime would be when your child would finally make their appearance into the world, and you were eaten alive with both anticipation and excitement. 

But with your pregnancy came all sorts of changes. For example, it might have been the dead of winter, but you felt as if you were burning alive. Dressed in nothing but one of your husband's shirts and your undergarments you couldn’t find it in yourself to combat the heat. Grabbing the side of the mattress and your bedside-table, you heave yourself off the bed, reaching for your thin silk robe.

You failed to notice the dark figure in the corner of your room. 

Shuffling over to the other side of the room you go to feel around the box of matches off one of the bookshelves, to relight the lamp on your side-table. Once you find what you’re looking for, you turn on your heel right as lightning strikes and lights up the room. It was for only a moment, but that split-second of light was all you needed to see the man standing in the corner of the room closest to your door. You almost think it’s your husband playing a trick on you, but the rational part of your brain understands that Vlad would never do that to you, especially in your current condition. With the man so close to the door you surely can’t run, so you do the only other thing you could think of.

Scream and hope your husband or a guard hears you in time.

You didn’t even register how loud your scream was, your body going into fight or flight mode the second the man lunges forwards. You bolt as quickly as you could to your Husbands’ side of the bed to grab a dagger he keeps next to him off his side-table. You turn to stab your assailant as he reaches to grab you. He clutches your wrist faster than you could keep up with, pushing it back and trying to twist your own wrist towards you. Crying out as it reaches an angle it shouldn’t, you propel your knee forward into his groin which gives you enough time to run around the other side of the bed and towards the door, reveling in his groan of pain.

As you work your way past the bed you feel the air around the back of your head shift and the next sound you hear is that of your window breaking. Ignoring the glass that flies all over the room, you crank open your bedroom door, screaming at the top of your lungs for help as you try to begin to make your way down the spiral staircase. It’s only when you hear voices shouting from below do you feel a hand wrap its way around the back of your neck, yanking you back up the stairs. You’re dragged through your room and brought to where your window once was, glass shards digging into your feet. Lightning strikes once more as you’re flipped around, back leaning out into the rainy abyss, and you’re able to get a better glimpse of your attacker.

It’s the man from your wedding. 

Right as you reach this epiphany the door to your room slams open, your husband entering. He calls your name, hand lifting in the air and weakly falling back. “Don’t do this Gabriel,” he pleads, “Please let go of my wife.” The mystery man, Gabriel, pushes you further, your back bending at an awkward angle out and into the chilling rain. “I’m sorry,” your assailant murmurs, “But you broke the oath.” 

And with that, he pushes you out the window. 

You can’t tell if that sound is you screaming or if it’s the wind rushing past your head. Your hair whips around your face as rain projectiles onto you like tiny bullets. The last thing you see is your Husband leaning out the window, gazing at you in defeated sorrow, and a gloved hand coming around, plunging a dagger into his chest. 

You’re not quite sure how you die. Whether your body slammed onto the hard ground hundreds of feet below your bedroom, or if you land in the Arges. All you remember is that brief bit of searing pain,

And then everything went dark. 

~

Originally posted December 2nd, 2021.

#dracula x reader #count vladislaus dragulia x reader #count vladislaus dracula x reader #Van Helsing (2004) #vampire x reader #1-800fandomqueen #mywriting

[lady-lunaaa]

"just say you want me"

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x f!reader

Rating: MATURE, minors dni

Warnings: idiots/rivals to lovers that's literally it (oh and this is set during the Arabasta Arc because that's where I am in the anime k cool)

WC: 2.1K

Thank you to my beloved @gixxie for this request, I AM OBSESSED WITH IT. It's like twice the length it was supposed to be, oops. This idiot has my heart + soul, wanna bicker with him every day till death do us part 💚

You were currently crouched behind some barrels in the dirt in the middle of Nanohana's marketplace. It was as hot as Satan's asshole in Arabasta, not helped by the overcrowded streets and local delicacies being cooked over open flames at various stalls. Not even the obscenely skimpy dancer outfit Sanji picked out for you could placate the devilish heat. You hated it here. And you hated the one crew member you happened to be stuck with.

It was his fault you were hunched over supplies of what could only be perfume, the sickeningly sweet scent causing an ache to form between your brows, hiding from a couple of Marines - a woman carrying a sword and some newbie in full uniform. Zoro always managed to make your life more difficult. And more irritating. Somehow you always got stuck with the agitated swordsman. To the disgust of you both.

You peeked over Zoro's shoulder as he peered out from your hiding place to watch the woman converse with a local, no doubt asking if they had seen your pirate Captain or any of his crew. He looked panicked and very uncomfortable, brows pinching in the middle of his forehead, the longer he watched the interaction.

You rolled your eyes at his theatrics and couldn't help the scorn that slipped past your lips. "Unbelievable. Scared of a pretty little Marine."

Zoro flinched at your voice as if he hadn't realised you were so close and turned to you with a scowl, "I'm not scared, and she's tougher than she looks." He mumbled the last part, eyes flicking back to the blue-haired woman. You had no idea who she was but clearly Zoro did. And knowing him he probably pissed her off to some degree, if his cowering was anything to go by.

Nothing ever went simply for your crew...as if facing off against Crocodile wasn't a daunting enough task. The Marines just had to follow you here and get involved.

"Nawhh, does Zoro have a crush?" You put on your best simpering voice, pouting at your crew mate and making kissy noises. You doubted he actually did, the oaf was always too busy trying to be the world's greatest swordsman to ever entangle himself in romantic feelings (something that made you feel horribly relieved), but your words had their desired intention. Zoro's face grew red with anger as he clenched his jaw to hold back the tirade of insults you knew he wanted to spew at you.

"Shut. Up." He growled at you, a warning in his tone. You'd both been at it all day, bickering back and forth over nothing, the heat prickling at your waning patience. The two of you were even more impossible to be around than usual that even Sanji had made a comment to you about laying off Zoro. And he never defended his green-haired nemesis. It had been very disturbing, indeed.

You just smirked at him, wholly unaffected by the underlying threat simmering in his gaze. "Who knew the greatest swordsman in the world" - you put heavy sarcasm into the title making Zoro bristle further - "could be so shy? Maybe I'll call her ov-"

Just as you pushed yourself to your feet and raised a hand- you were yanked back down again. Your head narrowly missed the metal edge of the barrel and you hissed at your companion, rage bubbling in your gut.

"Idiot!" Zoro seethed, his grip around your wrist tighter than it needed to be, but you wouldn't let him know that. "If she's here, then Smoker isn't far behind."

Oh, you definitely pushed too far this time. Zoro looked as if he was about to throttle you. Good. Now he knew how it felt being around him all day every day.

"Pussy," you scoffed, wrenching your wrist from his fingers with a sniff.

"You're so fucking annoying, yaknow that?" He sighed, dropping his hand to rest on his sword's pommel. Clearly, you'd won this round. The old-man-at-heart had run out of steam. The thought made you immeasurably proud.

"The great Roronoa Zoro finally too afraid for a battle," your tone was light and voice low, testing the waters of his patience. He was faced away from you again, checking the situation in the street, but he stiffened at your persistence - the grip on his swords was so tight that his knuckles turned white.

You decided to be less of a brat and give him an inch. Only one though.

"Besides, you could beat him easy. Don't see why we have to hide." Your voice sounded petulant, like a child's, to your own ears. But the words seemed to breathe new life into your crew mate.

He glanced back at you from the corner of his eye, gaze flicking over your face for a second too long, before he trained it on the Marines once more. "I must be hallucinating because that almost sounded like a compliment."

It was your turn to tell him to shut up. The ghost of a grin pulled at his lips hearing the embarrassment in your voice.

"Shit!" Your quiet sulking was dashed with the panic in his voice. He scrambled backwards further behind the obstructing barrel pulling you with him.

"Fuck, what?!" You shot at him irritatedly, doing your best not to land on your ass in the dust.

"They're coming this way!" He whisper-shouted at you, dark eyes wide as he reached to pull one of his swords from its sheath at his side.

This was bad. All teasing aside, it was a smart choice to stay hidden and out of the Marines' way until you made it back to the ship (hopefully, with your Captain in tow sooner rather than later) -- as Luffy once told you, not everything can be solved with violence. And you were too darn hot to be engaging in battle right now. The crisp sea breeze aboard the Merry was calling to you.

The Marine didn't know your face, most people didn't, for despite your earlier protests at hiding you preferred to fight from the shadows (you were the ship's assassin of sorts). She only knew Zoro's. And since his most prominent feature was hidden behind a large hood all you had to do was make sure she couldn't see his face. So you did the only thing you could think to do.

You pulled Zoro up by his shirt and backed him against the nearest building behind you. He let out a strained 'oof!' as he hit the limestone wall. You didn't give him a chance to protest before you were pressing yourself into his front and smashing your mouth against his.

Zoro went rigid at the action, his shock evident in the way his hands shot up to grip your shoulders, holding your body a hair's breadth away from his despite the hand fisted in his shirt and your lips mushed against his. He could have pushed you away entirely if he wanted to but he knew what you were doing.

You could hear the Marines behind you questioning another citizen. You moved your mouth against his clumsily, trying to communicate through touch that he needed to look less like he was being attacked, and more like he actually wanted this. You cupped the back of his neck with your free hand and traced your fingers over his skin in an oddly comforting gesture to loosen him up.

Zoro hesitantly kissed you back, lips moulding to your own, as the tension left his posture and he relaxed into you slowly. You hummed into his mouth as his calloused hands slid from your shoulders and came to rest on your hips. His hands were so hot against your bare skin that it was chilling. Sweat trickled down your spine as your whole body flushed in response to his touch.

It felt nice. Too nice. And clearly Zoro agreed because he deepened the kiss, nose bumping yours as he changed the angle, exploratory tongue flitting out to request permission. You wanted to protest, push him away, but instead your lips parted instinctually. Obediently. You felt him smile against your mouth, and it made your stomach flip, heat pooling between your legs.

You felt as if you were swimming underwater, the sounds and sensations of the world around you muffled and far off. All you could feel and taste was Zoro. Instead of shoving at his chest you gripped his shirt tighter, so tight that you couldn't feel your fingers, grounding yourself so you didn't get completely lost in him.

His face was warm and his lips surprisingly soft, in harsh contrast to his rough hands pawing at your waist. You weren't a small woman but he still dwarfed you in size -- his frame curled around you as he dipped to better accommodate you against him. It was a soft gesture that made you feel giddier than it should.

He tasted like sea salt and ale. You inhaled his earthy signature of spices and sandalwood, the scent clinging to the inside of your lungs.

Your consciousness bubbled to the surface as a loud crash sounded behind you, your ears ringing harshly as you re-entered reality. The realisation of your predicament and the current position you were in slowly sank into your brain and you pulled gently against the hands holding you.

When Zoro failed to let you go you sank your teeth into his bottom lip, the man cursing you loudly as he reared back and away from you, bumping his head against the wall behind him in the process. You held in a laugh, placing your hand flat against his chest, and smoothing out the wrinkled fabric you had clenched so tightly only seconds before.

You shook your head at him slowly and turned your face to the side to surreptitiously check your rear. Zoro stilled in place as it dawned on him that you were supposed to be stealthy, his long fingers flexing against your bare skin where he still held your waist, keeping you flush against him. Thank fuck your remaining crew mates hadn't been here to see your little show, they'd never let you live it down.

You slumped in relief as your eyes confirmed that the Marines had moved on -- your plan worked. You turned around to smugly announce your victory only to find yourself chest to chest and almost nose to nose with Zoro. Your hand was still pressed against his sternum right over his wildly thumping heart. You flushed, your cheeks heating despite your wishes, as you blinked up at him.

The irritation that had been twisting his face only moments before morphed into a cocky smirk. His arms were still around your waist and he took the opportunity to fondle the tie at your waist that held your skirt up with a thumb and forefinger. You tensed, unprepared for the familiarity of the action. Your thighs clenched together involuntarily seeking friction.

This was the closest you'd ever been to Zoro minus your sparring sessions. But this felt very different than when you were trying to knock him on his ass.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked gruffly, his voice lower and thicker than usual. You admired his lips as he spoke, kiss-swollen and flushed a pretty pink.

You forced your eyes to look anywhere but at his face, worried your staring would betray your internal feelings.

"I-" Any snarky comments died in your throat, because honestly you were as curious as he was. "I don't know," you mumbled, staring hard at the rings decorating your fingers as they lay splayed against his chest.

You sucked in a breath as he crowded your space this time.

"Well, they say the second time's the charm." Zoro mumbled against your cheek, his nose brushing your temple. You swallowed thickly and tried hard to work a scowl onto your face as you pulled away to look up at him.

"Pretty sure it's third time's the charm, dumbass," you sassed with a roll of your eyes . He was such an idiot. You ignored the thought that flitted through your mind that it was sort of endearing.

It wasn't until you finally looked at his expression that you realised the implication your words held and you gulped, blinking up at him rapidly, heart rate skyrocketing.

His shit-eating grin widened, all white teeth and tanned dimples. You didn't even have the energy to be mad about it because he was so stupidly gorgeous when he smiled. If it wasn't for the ruddy hue working its way onto his cheeks you'd be self conscious about your own obvious attraction to him. He let out a puff of air as he looked into your eyes, his breath fanning across your lips and making you shiver in his hold.

He was close again, so close his lips brushed your own when he spoke, "Just say you want me."

#zoro roronoa x reader #roronoa zoro x reader #roronoa zoro #one piece zoro #zoro fanfiction #one piece fanfiction #op fanfic #my fic #just say you want me #🌜luna writes🌛

[insult-2-injury]

The First Unkindness - Chapter 1

Time Travel Fem Reader x Zandik (set in Akademiya days)

With a strike intended to kill, Il Dottore sends you flying back through time, where you find yourself face to face with the first, but no less sinister version of himself.

AO3 Link, 3k wc, eventual smut, eventual romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers

Chapter 1

You suppose you should’ve known something was off when the chatty shopkeep stopped talking for even a split second. When the unstoppered commotion of the Sumeru marketplace plummeted before suddenly picking up again, like a radio dial spun quickly back and forth; tuning in.

But it was just a glitch in time, you’d thought, hopeful. One of those funny little moments when reality and memory collide. Deja vu, they called it, so strong it rocked you sideways. Yes, just that; you thought until seconds later, the shopkeep dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, and complete silence suffused the din.

You froze, one arm still outstretched, an apple clutched in your palm so shiny you thought perhaps if you squinted hard enough, you could see the approach of your own reckoning from behind.

Fear was a strange thing; had you numbly taking the time to bag the rest of your purchases before turning stiffly. The warm glow of lanterns bathing cobblestone that had seemed so friendly in the bustle seemed now to cast an eerie spotlight on the figures. Dozens of prone forms littered the ground, some of them bent at odd angles, their full weight having crashed down suddenly and without warning.

An unnaturally cold gust of air bit into your cheeks.

Well, you thought, you suppose you should’ve known better; staying in Sumeru any longer than you ought. You recalled when you’d moved here from your tiny little village just outside Gandharva Ville; when the hope of a bright future at Akademiya had eclipsed the sight of the rot beneath it all. This place was a utopia once. Not anymore.

You were headed somewhere where there were no monsters beneath the floorboards, where the worst creature that could lunge from the shadows was a Rishboland tiger.

But the current foe did not lunge, he crept toward you with an undue ease.

The Fatui harbinger tucked a device neatly into his jacket pocket, walking with the slimy confidence of someone who had laid his groundwork precisely and was here to reap his reward. 

Il Dottore. The Doctor. You never had seen him in person. And Archons, nothing could have prepared you for the sight of him, every inch of his countenance built to scream of power. An intricately patterned gray overcoat over a cobalt shirt crowned with a gold-lined cravat. Black pants slimming down into opulent, intimidating boots of the same colors. Everything about him was jagged and deadly; from the knife-edged slant of his jaw drawing into a pointed chin to the sharp, hawk-like beak of his mask – something that did little to hide the ghost of smirking lips beneath. An unruly head of steel blue hair sprouted and fell in almost lazy curls to frame his face.

Following him were two Fatui soldiers.

“So you managed to retain consciousness. Bravo.” 

Your blood ran cold at the timbre of his voice, smooth and rumbling as a far-off storm. “Although I do find myself wondering how that is…”

He continued. “The pitch produced by this device is wholly indiscernible to the human ear. Oh, let’s call it something tantamount to an amplified dog whistle. ” Dottore spoke derisively, like he was trying to explain the concept of sound to a simpleminded commoner. Your heart started up a terrible rhythm as his voice lowered in mock seriousness. “It would require a great deal of mental endeavor for even one with the gaze of the gods to withstand such a blow to their Akasha, but, unless I’m mistaken, you’ve been gifted with no such vision.”

“You’re not mistaken,” you confirmed. “Will they die?” 

“Who?” 

Your eye twitched.

“Ah. All these delightful people, you mean.” You swore you saw a flash of razor sharp teeth. “Why, they are merely asleep.”

Archons, he was a villain in the truest sense of the word. You gnawed the inside of your cheek, a profound hatred melding with anxiety to create a nauseating brew in the pit of your stomach.

“Well, what do you want?” 

He hummed almost appreciatively. “So forward, I’d almost admire your brashness if it weren’t coupled with a shocking lack of observance. A little forethought and you could have been miles away by now. Imagine.” The corner of his lips creased wickedly.

“Imagine,” you retorted with a boldness you didn’t feel, fingers ticking on the apple in your palm.

“Tell me, driyosh, what did inspire you to rewire your terminal?” His voice was too light, too inviting. “Moreso, what could have possibly motivated you to flee the city at such a time?”

Dottore was toying with you like a cat would a mouse. You were nothing but a ball of yarn between his sharp claws as he batted you around for information he most certainly already had. And by the smirk on his face, he knew you knew that there was nothing to do but buy time.

You spoke carefully.

“To be honest, I don’t find my values… aligning with the Akademiya anymore.”

“Your values? Hm.” His dark, rolling chuckle accused you of more than any words could. You felt a tingling heat creep to your cheeks and you swallowed down a wave of humiliation. “We’re fast approaching a new era of enlightenment; I do think most would call your judgment into question.”

“Yeah, well…” You bit out, tilting your head toward the sea of unconscious forms. “Seems not everybody’s in their right minds these days.”

Dottore smirked. Your hand itched to grab the gun hidden at your side, but doing so would be a certified death sentence. A shot of electro, devastating to most, wouldn’t hold water to whatever sort of power he must hold to have been crowned a Fatui harbinger. 

You knew when it came down to it, the power imbalance was all too inequitable. He didn’t seem the type to expend time and energy going after the insignificant himself, though; which meant to some degree, however miniscule, you posed a threat. But how to appease a Fatui harbinger on a mission? Perhaps you just had to keep him talking. Easy enough, you thought, he seemed to very much enjoy the sound of his own voice.

“Besides, propaganda is a powerful tool,” you stalled, toying with the apple within your sweating palms. “And is it so bad to want to dream, anyway? I’m not the first to mess with my terminal and I likely won’t be the last. Does all this really warrant arrest now?” 

Do the matra have nothing better to do than to send a Fatui harbinger to do their grunt work? No, you knew better than to think this had anything to do with your tampering with your terminal. This was only the first rap of his knuckles against your proverbial egg shell.

“Oh? Are you so important to warrant an arrest?” he responded simply, head cocking.

A shock of fear, cold and electric crept your spine at the implication. You blinked. You hadn’t considered the possibility of your life ending right here where you stood. He’d brought a hydro and a cryogunner, which you thought had spoken of intent to capture, but the two of them stood almost completely useless behind him, and who were you to guess the motive of a madman? 

You couldn’t help the stomach-sinking feeling that he’d only brought them to confuse; to tease. Your gaze turned back to the sharp void of his mask. Steeling yourself, you took a breath.

“Why don’t you wear your Akasha, then, Doctor?” you asked and his chin lowered slightly at the use of his epithet. You relaxed your shoulders as much as you could. “Don’t you want access to the arcane wisdom of our new god? Don’t you dream, then? And is dreaming not the personification of irrational thought, of unintelligence? ” His lips were all you could see, but the small grin at your sardonic tone was almost playful as you mimicked the words of the Akademiya’s most recent decree. You swallowed down a ball of nerves, a flicker of hope alight in your chest at his seemingly genuine amusement, however feline. “People become so dredged up in it all, they don’t stop to think where their dreams are going – or just who is listening to them.”

“Oh, they do think,” he responded simply, “but like you said, propaganda is a powerful tool.”

Dottore raised a gloved hand to signal his soldiers to stay put and stepped toward you alone, hands falling behind his back, terrifyingly casual. Your lower back met the rickety wooden cart behind you with a thud as you jarred away from his slow approach. His lips curled slightly but he surprisingly did not push further, halting at a conversational distance.

“You do pose a fair question, I suppose. But alas, what is the worth of a dream to the sleepless? Perhaps there is a tormented segment of myself who does still dream,” he said indifferently, “I just don’t care enough to ask. In any case, I am not one of them.”

You frowned. Segments? 

“And I will go ahead and infer from the spirit of this conversation that you don’t approve of my scientific methods here in Sumeru. I’ll be the first to call into question the Akademiya’s more… rigid history.” His voice dropped, the words formed around a sharp smile, like he was letting you in on a private joke. “But when the old ways have been set in stone, when the rot of a bygone era travels deep, the creation that rises from the floorboards must serve as a symbol of power. Of wisdom.”  

The word sounded so ridiculously insincere you could have laughed. 

“You don’t really mean that,” you dared.

Dottore studied you but did not respond to your doubt, one corner of his lips curling slowly into a sinister grin, filling you with a sudden, heart-pounding anticipation.

“And what of your involvement, driyosh?” he said lowly.

You licked your lips, a fresh wave of panic slithering through your veins. “I felt just a tad… just a tad deceived, I guess.” 

“Do elaborate.”

You observed him.

The work had started out light; unassuming. Everyday tasks handed down to you from the Grand Sage: tedious things like hunting down borderline ancient research papers or transferring messages across Akademiya grounds – frustrating, admittedly, for a gunslinging driyosh with a thesis paper to write. But further requests had you descending into madness; Azar’s requests for you to sketch out blueprints for a bigger and better weapon. One that could harvest latent elements from the world around it, transfer it into a clean source of elemental energy. 

But for what? And why? For who? The questions were endless and the potential for misuse even more so, but… you were interested in the work. Couldn’t help yourself. And to be seemingly taken both under the wing and into the good graces of the Grand Sage was no common feat. So you continued.

That is…  until the rumor came of the awakening god beneath the floorboards. Of the sighting of a Fatui harbinger. Oh, it must’ve felt such vacuous gossip to those who’d followed Akademiya’s orders and left their terminals on permanently. But to those like yourself, who had caught on a hair too late to the Akademiya’s betrayal, the knowledge latched on with a terrible sense of trepidation. Something was coming. Something bad.

And you’d been able to do nothing but slow its progression.

You cleared your throat and continued. “Me thinking I was anything but a puppet to the Akademiya. Thinking the Grand Sage chose me for my talent over simple convenience.” You shrugged through the rush of anger that stung your cheeks, pulling your lips into a small frown. “I should never have gotten involved.”

“Oh, don’t pity yourself so,” he said, disapproval coloring his tone. “After all, you’ve made quite a name for yourself, haven’t you. Star pupil of Spantamad; remarkable aptitude in biomechanical weaponry.” You narrowed your eyes, his praise unexpected and holding a wormy, underhanded cut of ridicule. “The gods deprived you of your own vessel of release, so you created your own.” 

He nodded subtly to the hidden guns holstered at your side and you tensed. “An elemental destabilizer. Not the first of its kind, no, but mildly impressive for one so young as you. You did grab my attention for a short while, I will say– so impulsive to throw yourself into a project with so few questions; so little understanding of the desired outcome. No, you just wanted to be of use. And you were, weren’t you? Yes, for every blind inch Azar granted you, you took a mile. To that end, I do applaud you.”

Your cheeks blazed at his disparagement, feeling like a tiny ant amidst the cobblestones under his derisive gaze. You suppose you shouldn’t have been surprised it was the Doctor that had chosen you by hand, considering what you’d recently come to learn of his proclivities.

“It is a shame you never saw the potential in scaling up your craft,” he said, “but you did have your uses.”

“Thank you,” you bit out.

Dottore hummed. “...Anyhow.” His gloved fingers tapped against his biceps in thought. “I do grow tired of inconsequential chatter. It’s about time we get to the point.” He took a step forward and with a lazy flourish of his wrist, two massive needles materialized out of thin air, floating idly on either side of his head. You choked on a gasp and pressed backward.

You stared in wide-eyed horror.

“You started asking questions, driyosh,” he said simply.

"N-no." There was no getting out. There was no capture. His intent was abundantly clear. "P lease.”  Your voice was small and crackling and even in all your terror, you found yourself despising how weak you sounded begging.

Your hand flexed toward your thigh. Your heart plunged in your chest before shooting to your throat like a fist punching upward. Dottore matched every panicked step of yours backward with an easy one of his own and you blanched as the needles caught the  light of a nearby streetlamp. 

Someone wake up. Someone wake up and stop him. Stop him.

“Stop! Stop. Let me explain–”

“As a scholar, first and foremost, I did admire your tenacity, your determination to uncover the truth… but thwarting plans, dredging up information that didn’t belong to you. And now leaving. ” He tsked in mock offense. “Such potential wasted.”

The world tilted. Breath became scarce.

Funny, a little. How the brain slowed to such mire when faced with its own reckoning. You’d always assumed it would work the opposite; blood thrumming with that kind of hopeless adrenaline that had mothers lifting carts off their children. And it certainly did, for a moment in time.

But then…no. It slowed. Like a fuse that had burned too hot and too quick; a half-crazed fear easing between the breadth of a single step into a strange, cold rationality. Two pairs of boots clicked on cobblestone as he backed you across cobblestone. Your eyes caught on the eerie red gleam reflecting off the front of his mask from something behind you.

“Dottore–”

“I really am sorry things had to end like this,” he continued, “but everyone must pay the price for what they learn. Although, it is a poor turn of luck for you that he sent me, I must say. I rather think another segment would’ve found you charming enough to keep around for a day or two.” 

You were never going to make it out and if you did, the things he had in store for you were far more unpleasant than death. Fuck him. Fuck this project. And fuck this city.

Your hand reached to wrap the handle of your gun and you watched as his lips twitched down in disapproval, as if he were disappointed you’d fallen back on such base methods.

"To a new era-" 

You managed to get a single shot off before  a needle slammed through your shoulder, blood a soft spatter on the ground behind as your arm ripped. And for a moment, as you stumbled backward, all you could do was stare at him, eyes wide in shock before an impossible pain had your knees collapsing beneath you.

“You said earlier you weren’t content being a puppet," he snarled between his teeth, "I wanted to properly test that theory.” With a cold twitch of his head, the second needle crashed into your other shoulder, launching your limp body backward. Your back hit hard stone and you couldn’t tell which of them cracked upon impact. Ah, an ancient waypoint, that's what you'd hit, your mind peculiarly filled in the blanks as a strange cerulean flash of light enveloped you upon the devastating collision.

So this was dying; bright colors and sounds all amalgamating into a blur of unfiltered agony. Thoughts flashing before you of not what you could’ve done with your life, but what you could’ve done with his if you’d just pulled your gun out fast enough. You would've killed him. You wanted to kill him.

Blood rushed in your ears, your pulse pounded in your neck and you could feel it all, your world filtering and narrowing into its simplest form. Vines like arms stretched from the ground to wrap you in their viselike grip, pulling you down, down, down.

To a new era of enlightenment, you thought, before it all went dark.

<3

Hey pals, thanks for reading! I hope you like what I have in store - lots of spice but hold the nice. I'd love to hear what you thought of the first chapter. Stay weird. ~ Sulty

#dottore genshin #dottore x reader #il dottore x reader #dottore #il dottore #genshin impact

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Midnight Blades {9}

Aemond Targaryen x princess!reader (Dark!themes) Summary: After the time apart, reality sets in for the parents-to-be and it is time to clear the air between lovers. Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, fingering, violence WC: 2521

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven || Part Eight || Part Nine || Part Ten || Part Eleven || Part Twelve || Part Thirteen || Part Fourteen || Part Fifteen || Part Sixteen || Part Seventeen || Part Eighteen || Part Nineteen || Part Twenty ||

It was Ser Criston that broke the brothers apart and diffused the situation as Alicent reassured the other guards that had arrived to investigate the raucous that it was merely another sibling quarrel. Aegon sulked as he pulled himself to his feet, pushing away the armoured arms that offered to support him, and ordered them all to fuck off. 

You expected the hunger in his eyes to dissipate after the promise his brother made but it only heated as he licked his lips and held your stare with a smirk. 

“Your wife, Helaena, is waiting in the dining hall,” Alicent reminded her eldest son as she gently rubbed his shoulder and nudged him out of your room. Whatever discouragement Aemond hoped his threat would have failed as you saw the dark plans his brother had, he wanted what he couldn’t have and now it was a game, a hunt.

The door slammed shut by Aemond’s hand and he tore the leather eye patch from his head before raking his fingers through his silver hair. “Put the knife down, princess.”

Dark circles surrounded his eyes and the usual colour of his lips and cheeks were faded, he looked ill. You wanted to ask of his health and your lips even parted but you couldn’t bring yourself to voice your concern, he did not deserve it.

The air was heavy with tension as he stood half a world away, waiting for your weapon to be sheathed. You missed the fighting but it was another victim to your pregnancy, he would not risk the possibility of hurting the child growing within. With a huff, you hurled the dagger at the door behind him and turned away before the thud of the blade biting into the wood sounded.

“Good girl,” was all he murmured before making to follow you, until you pinned him with a glare over your shoulder at the sound of his first foot fall.

His hand reached into the small pouch hanging beside his sword and he pulled a silver chain from within. “A gift,” he offered as he opened his hand, “for you.”

“I don’t want your fucking gifts, I want my freedom.” You looked at the necklace and pursed your lips at the sight of the sapphire that had broken from Midnight, now bound in a new metal. “Pretty jewellery will not heal this.”

“That freedom is why we are here now, you used it to procure that tea. There will be no more wandering to the marketplace for you, princess,” he said with a shake of his head, tossing the necklace to the table. “Who knows what other tinctures you might find.”

He looked at your abdomen, his head tilting as if he could concentrate hard enough to see the babe, but there were no outward signs as of yet.

Your palm lay protectively over your stomach and your lip curled back at his implied tone. “You think I would poison her?”

“It is quite obvious you did not want her, it is not unreasonable to believe you capable of amending that.”

“Fuck you, Aemond!” You crossed the space in a blind rage, your hand snaking out to connect with his face but he caught your wrist before it could connect, a bruising grip that enraged you further. “You may have no quarrel murdering innocent children but I will have no part of it. I may not have wanted a child so soon but she is mine to protect.”

The tight grip on your wrist loosened and he lowered your arm to your side before placing his own palm low on your stomach. His voice was tender, despite the wild look still lingering in his eye, “She is ours. īlva byka zaldrīzes.” [High Valyrian: Our little dragon.]

His thumb rubbed small circles and you felt it as if there was no material between you, an ache throbbing between your legs. His eye closed with a quiet sigh as you stepped away from his touch and whatever sweet moment occurred, it passed. 

“I know your body, princess, I can feel your need, a mirror to my own.”

You turned away, heading towards the nook you had spent most of your time watching the city from. “I need nothing from you, save for my freedom.”

“Haven’t we moved past lying?” he asked with a hint of sarcasm, his long strides closing in until his chest pressed to your back and his hand cupped your sex over your skirts. “Your thighs will be slick with your wetness right now, your cunt clenching around nothing and wishing it was my cock that would stretch it and fill it.”

Your lips parted with a heady sigh before you came to your senses and pushed away. He stalked you as you dropped into the bay window, towering over your position, and watched as you hiked your skirts to your lap.

“I have satisfied myself since you imprisoned me in this room, and I will satisfy myself until I am released,” you threatened as you parted your legs and ran your fingers through your damp slit. “If I find myself with such a need that my fingers cannot suffice I am sure your brother is more than happy to fill the void.” 

The words were bitter on your tongue and when your fingers no longer glided over your clit, you dipped them within your folds to find them dry. 

The thunderous rage that had kept Aemond frozen still above you released with a dark laugh and he pushed your thighs wider apart. “Yes, I see how much my brother appeals to you.”

Your hands fell to your side with an exasperated groan as the ache left by lack of release grew along with Aemond’s amusement. Defeated, you laid back against the pillows and whispered to your husband, “I hate you, I hate what you have done to me.”

He traced his knuckles over your cheek. “You are a princess, you were born to breed - if not me it would have been another prince.” 

“I know what my life was destined to be,” you said as you pushed his hand away with a failing strength. “I hate that my body burns for you.” 

“Let me ease that ache, you can still hate me - I won’t take that from you too.” His thumbs drew small circles on your thighs, one feeling the scar of his initials on your skin. 

Goosebumps prickled across your skin and your breast felt heavy on your chest, the swells more pronounced than the last time he had laid eyes on them. 

“I hate how little my body hates you,” you murmured breathlessly as each circle of his thumbs brought him closer to where you needed to be touched. “It is a traitor to my heart.”

“At least that is what you tell yourself to sleep at night.” His thumb pad grazed over your slit and you inhaled sharply as the bolt of lightning that shot up your body, a quiet moaning spilling free from your lips. 

“At least I sleep at night,” you replied, reaching out to his gaunt face and touching the dark bags beneath his eye. “You have not.”

His thumbs parted your entrance and he licked his lips at the enticing sight of your arousal glistening for him. “I do not trust the guards to protect what is mine. They could not even protect me as a child.”

You ran your hands over his scar, knowing the tale well. “We are both hot-tempered and yes, I was not joyous at the news of being with child, but my hatred for you is born of this prison. Free me and end both of our suffering.”

“It is not so simple,” Aemond sighed, pulling your skirts back to hide the temptation to take you as he yearned to. “Your continued defiance has not gone unnoticed, and Aegon still has not forgiven the fact that you spent the afternoon aboard the warships. If you were to roam the Keep and make one mistake then not even the child in your womb could save you from his punishment.”

You crossed your arms and ignored the heat that flared in his eye as the movement pushed your breasts up until they threatened to spill from the bodice of the dress. “I can behave, I am not a petulant child about to throw a tantrum.”

“You threatened to cut my dick off, love, the entire court heard your screams.” Aemond chuckled as he stood to his full height and shifted uncomfortably with the erection filling his trousers. “They would probably argue that statement.”

“I was…emotional,” you admitted, tucking your legs up so you could wrap your arms around them. His snort was uncharacteristic and you grabbed the book, tossing it at him as he continued to laugh unapologetically. 

The book bounced off his hard chest and thudded to the floor but his smile only grew as he swiped it up and flipped through the pages, tutting to himself as he saw the markings and notes you had made along the margin. “Destroying priceless historical books, princess, how mature of you. Perhaps you need a nap to improve your attitude, or at least your aim.”

He tucked the book under his arm with a smirk and swaggered to the door with a pleased smirk. “We can discuss the possibility of supervised freedoms, within the walls of Red Keep of course, over dinner this evening. Until then, my love.”

The door shut behind him and the familiar click of the lock scraped into the stone, putting you back on edge once again. 

Reduced to your own company and now the lack of the book for entertainment, you picked over some of the food and your stomach settled as it filled. You had contemplated throwing the food out the window after Alicent’s visit but the only one that would be harmed by that would be the child you were growing. And, being hungry did not help to stabilise your moods, much to Aemond’s amusement. 

You were determined to be free of the chambers one way or another, four walls were never meant to contain you. Ser Negan had nicknamed you little sparrow as a young girl when your tutors complained you escaped the classroom by any means, even climbing down the brick and beam exterior of the tower so that you could play in the garden. 

‘You are a little sparrow, because they too are not meant to be caged.’

How you missed the old man, and your father too. Your father had not had the heart to punish you for wishing to play with the other children in the palace instead of learning royal protocol and the languages of the continent. Perhaps they did spoil you, a little.

You were lost to memories of your childhood as the afternoon passed by when a quiet sound in the walls caught your attention.

The airing vent grated as it was shifted from the stone and you hurried across the room to see which of the rat catchers were crawling through the narrow spaces to pass you the message that floated to the floor. By the time you moved the chair that hid the metal bars a flash of red hair was all you caught and you whispered your gratitudes to the boy as he scurried back to the lower levels where he was meant to be working.

The writing was nearly illegible but considering most of the rat catchers were children sold into slavery the fact that any of them could write at all was a miracle in itself. The White Worm had obviously made an effort to educate the basics, but teaching the children too much would raise questions that would not help their cause. 

Allies of Rhaenyra are arriving with the merchants. Thrice too many ships arrived this season. 

You balled up the parchment after deciphering the many spelling mistakes and tossed it into the fire. It would have been preferred to know what the council was planning to do, they could hardly cut off the merchant ships as the city supplies relied upon them. But, if the surge of merchant ships continued to arrive with Rhaenrya’s allies and they were left unchecked the Red Keep could be at risk of a siege. 

You were still staring into the flames when Aemond burst into the room like a hurricane, his eye scanning the space until he found you and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

“What is happening?” you asked as handmaids followed Aemond’s entrance and began to gather your clothes into trunks.

“It’s Aegon’s name day overmorrow and he wishes to hunt in Felwood,” he answered, rubbing his jaw where a bruise was beginning to blossom and an imprint of the King’s ring was pressed into the skin. “Our presence is required.”

“Your brother is a fool,” you huffed. “House Fell swore allegiance to Rhaenyra and now he wishes to camp on their borders.”

“He is the king and he can do as he pleases upon the land that is his, but I did try to get him to see reason.”

“That went well I see,” you said plainly as you made your way to the basin and wrung out a cloth. “Have you always fought like cats and dogs?”

He took a seat in front of the fire so you needn’t reach up to him and let you press the cool damp cloth to the bruise. The corner of his eyes pinched at the sting of the cut but he distracted himself from the pain as he placed his hand on your waist. “It was the only way to get father’s attention, now it is all we know.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t imagine what that must have been like for a child.” You gently turned his head back after he looked away at your apology. “Promise me that you will not neglect our child as your father did, swear by the blood, nor will you cage her when she displeases you.”

Your words cut through him and he blinked twice before he rose from the chair only to drop to his knees. Realisation and regret bled from his pale blue eye as he wrapped his arms around your waist and pressed his bruised cheek to your stomach. “No more cages, no more neglect, I swear this to the both of you.”

Your stomach responded with a rumble that broke the heavy moment and he looked up at you with a commanding stare. “You need to eat.”

“Dinner has not yet arrived,” you pointed out with a wave to the table that had been cleared by maids earlier. 

“Not here,” he said as he rose to his feet and took your hand, placing it on his forearm and leading you to the door. “No more cages.”

You reached the doorway and paused before you could cross the threshold to the freedom you had so desperately longed for. “This does not mean you are forgiven.”

Looking from the corner of his eye he nodded to himself, “I know.”

Click here for Part Ten.

Taglist: @hopebaker, @xcharlottemikaelsonx , @eddiemunson17 , @ninjabritches , @solacestyles , @hideing , @missusnora , @marrianena , @jonsncws

#aemond targaryen x y/n #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond x reader #aemond x you #aemond fanfiction #aemond x y/n #hotd fanfic #house of the dragon fanfic #aemond one eye

[atlabeth]

(not so) simple pt2 - anthony bridgerton

pt 1 pt 3 pt4

summary: coercing lord bridgerton into pretending to court you to avoid the affections of a baron is very simple — that is, until it isn't.

a/n: okayyy attempt no2 in trying to get this thing to show up in tags lol. i worked way too hard on this for it to just be invisible and idk what word i used that tumblr doesnt like but im gonna try again lmao (thank u naomi for the advice)

im gonna keep the other one for now so there's just gonna be two versions of this floating around for a lil lol. hopefully this works

wc: 7.1k

warning(s): historical inaccuracies, basically all fluff

Anthony had a surprising pep in his step as he returned to his estate. Promenading around the marketplace with you was… nice. He had to admit it. The reticule he’d selected for you went perfectly with your dress—another thing he had to admit, you looked quite lovely in blue. 

He blinked a few times. This ruse was already getting to his head.  

But as nice as the promenade was, it was certainly not in his schedule, and so once he passed through into his estate with nods of greeting to the doormen, he had the intent of heading straight to his office. He was not given the chance, though, when he saw his mother coming down the stairs. Anthony had the briefest thought of avoiding her, but only one look at her showed that he would not get the chance even if he wanted it. 

“You were gone quite early today, Anthony,” she said with a slight smile, folding her hands in front of her as she stopped in front of him. “I don’t suppose this has anything to do with Miss Worthing.” 

“And if it does?” he asked offhandedly. 

“Then I am very proud of you,” Violet said. “If Miss Y/N will make you happy, then I see no reason for you not to pursue her. She is a lovely lady with an amiable family—it is all the better that we are already good friends.”

Anthony hummed in acknowledgment. He almost wished his mother did not approve of you so — he did not know if he would have the heart to explain to her the reality of their situation once the two of you parted ways. 

“Is there anything else you would like to tell me?” she asked, and though her tone was pointedly innocent, Anthony was well aware she wanted to fish for anything she could find. 

“We enjoyed a lovely promenade this morning,” Anthony said, “that is all. And as much as I am enjoying this interrogation, there is work I must attend to.”

She gave him a knowing smile as she bowed her head. “Of course, dearest. Enjoy the rest of your morning. Just do not forget to break your fast.” 

He nodded back at her politely before he continued on to his office. When he opened the door, though, he nearly jumped out of his skin. 

“Anthony!” Eloise popped up from her seat—her smile was inviting, but all the years of living with her had taught Anthony that, in the case of his dearest sister, appearances were often deceiving. 

“Eloise,” he said stiffly, trying to hide his obvious shock at his sister’s appearance to avoid any teasing as he walked behind his desk, gathering some papers and stacking them just to give his hands something to do, “may I ask what you are doing in here?” 

“You may,” she said as she placed her hands on the top of the chair, “but only if I am allowed to ask a question of my own.” 

“Do I even want to know?” he asked dryly. 

She did not give him the opportunity to back out. “I am here because you have decided to court my best friend. Which leads into my question—why, for the love of all that is good, have you decided to court my best friend?” 

Anthony laughed and shook his head. “So that is what this is about? I am courting Miss Worthing because I am a man in need of a wife and she is a woman in need of a husband. Is that simple enough for you?” 

Eloise shook her head. “Explain to me, brother, in true form, why you have decided to take away my best friend in quite possibly the worst way.” 

Anthony frowned. “I do not see how I have taken her away from you.” 

“You are courting her!” she exclaimed, “you are to marry her! Anthony, you are going to marry my best friend! That is the most horrid thing I have ever heard of!” 

“I am not forcing her into a marriage, Eloise,” Anthony said. “Have you considered that she is the one that approached me in the first place?” 

Eloise scoffed. “She would never do such an ill minded thing. And frankly, I cannot see why you would engage in activity like this, with her of all women! Not even a day earlier we were airing our frustrations at the very concept of marriage, all the while you could not cease your ranting of her apparent misgivings, and now you are not only courting her, but she is allowing you to do so willingly?” She threw up her hands in disbelief. “It is unforeseeable!” 

“Unfor— unforeseeable?” Anthony could not help but laugh at his sister’s dramatics. “Eloise, is my courting of Miss Worthing truly that strange? She is the sole child of one of the ton’s poorer families, and she is rapidly approaching spinster age. Perhaps she has finally realized her views will not help her family and this is her attempt to make amends before it is too late.” 

Eloise shook her head as she finally sat down. “You do not know Y/N like I do, dearest brother. We were due to meet for a promenade of our own tomorrow, but if she is so capable of providing you with one, then I assume she is more than willing to indulge my presence this morning instead.” 

“Eloise—” Anthony started, and she looked at him with raised brows as he rapidly stood up from his desk, nearly poised to lunge over the thing. 

“Such athletics,” she remarked, and he huffed. 

Anthony walked around his desk to the door and glanced outside to ensure their privacy, and then he shut it behind him. Though all of their employees were loyal and trustworthy, he was well aware of what insidious gossips some of the staff could be when they had something good enough in their hands. “If I am to inform you of… further knowledge, you must promise not to speak a word of it to anyone.” 

Eloise could barely manage to hide her excitement. “So there is something you are not telling me!” 

He sighed deeply and pressed a hand to his forehead. “It is not… a true courtship, in a matter of words. She wanted to avoid a betrothal to Lord Cardew, and so she approached me that night and all but begged me to act as her courter. I agreed, and we are now each other’s fake partners for our own benefit. We both get to dodge any suitors that may come our way, and we will part from each other at the end of the season as spinster and rake alike.”

Her eyes widened. “You must be joking.”

Anthony shook his head. “Regretfully, I am not. What possessed me to accept her offer the other night I am not quite sure, but regardless of it all, we are bound to each other for the length of the season.”

“But it is nothing more than a scheme,” she said, “right?” 

“Yes,” he assured. “There is nothing between us, and we are certainly not to be wed. You need not worry.” 

Eloise sighed. “Anthony Bridgerton, I do not think I will ever understand what goes on in your mind.”

He offered a thin smile. “Nor I, sister. But now that you know something with quite a bit of weight—”

“I will not repeat a word,” she confirmed with a nod. “You needn’t worry. But, ah—” Eloise gave him a coy smile— “you will need to worry about nearly every other thing. We are such close friends for a reason.”

Anthony simply sighed. “You are truly skilled at lifting spirits.”

“I know,” she said happily. 

And as Eloise turned to leave, she stopped by the door, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “You know, brother—I think I will enjoy this season after all.”

Anthony sat back down as he rubbed his hand against his forehead, heaving another labored sigh. It was hardly even past the time to break his fast and he was already exhausted. 

When even Eloise was on board with this horrible idea solely for her own enjoyment of a surely sinking ship, he knew he was certainly in for something.

-

You did not think you would ever truly get used to this.

You may have despised the season, the ton, and everything it stood for, but that did not mean you were immune to marveling at the riches of your peers. The Kennington estate was far grander than you could have ever imagined, and though you despised it, you could not help the streak of jealousy that ran through you at the sight — perhaps if your family were blessed with riches of this sort, you would not be depended on so heavily to find a husband. 

Nevertheless, you were expected to be at the ball, which Lady Kennington had decreed an event that absolutely could not be missed. After her daughter had been chosen as the season’s diamond by word of the queen, she had gained a bit of an ego. It was no surprise, then, that the party was something so extravagant. 

When you arrived, men and women were twirling across the dance floor together, their movements fluid as water. Musicians sat together off to the side, stringed instruments played in perfect harmony, and of course, in the midst of it all, members of the ton stood, watching and gossiping. 

You inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, trying not to let your nerves get the best of you before anything had even taken place. With the exuberance of it all, it was difficult not to be overwhelmed, but knowing you had the protection of Anthony’s courtship eased your worries the slightest bit. While an overly pushy suitor may not have listened to you, they would certainly listen to the Viscount Bridgerton. 

It was as if the universe were capable of reading your mind—the moment you thought of Anthony, your mother was leaning to whisper in your ear. 

“The Viscount and Lady Bridgerton are coming this way,” she murmured. “Please, do not act out in front of your future mother-in-law.” 

“Mother-in-law—!” you began to protest, but you were unable to get any more out as a wide smile took over your mother’s features, and she jabbed you lightly with her shoulder to force your posture to straighten. 

“Lady Bridgerton!” she exclaimed as they stopped in front of the two of you—Anthony bowed as a courtesy, and it was an effort to hide your amusement. “Viscount Bridgerton! How wonderful it is to see the two of you. Violet, you look just as lovely as ever.” 

“You are too kind,” Violet said with a smile. “It is just as good to see you as well, Cecilia. And my dear,” she looked to you, “you are a sure sight to see! I can hardly believe you’ve debuted—it seemed only yesterday you and Eloise were playing together in the drawing room.” 

You smiled at the memory. Conversation with the Bridgertons had always been pleasant—your ruse did not need to change that. “Thank you, Lady Bridgerton. I admit that I certainly miss those days, before all the responsibilities of a debut. Though I cannot say that my visits with Eloise will cease anytime soon.” 

“And I do not expect them to—we enjoy your company far too much.” Violet then chuckled. “I allowed her to stay at home with the promise that she practice the pianoforte during the evening. Tell me, do I have a chance at all of her listening to my request, or will I return to the estate to see her reading in the same position I left her?” 

You grinned. “I am certain you know the answer to that, Lady Bridgerton.” 

“Oh, please,” she brushed off your words with a wave of her hand, “there is no need for titles. Violet will be just fine—you are to be a part of our family soon anyway, if what I hear from my son is true.” 

Anthony’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushing red. How amusing that a simple sentence could revert him back to a blushing young man. “Mother!” 

Of course, you could not poke fun at the viscount in any way—you were sure you looked similar, what with the way you felt the heat rush to your cheeks and your eyes widen as well. Your words came out in a stammer: “I— well, I—” 

“Oh, you needn’t be so coy,” your mother teased. “A gentleman would certainly be nervous around the lady he is courting, especially one so beautiful as my daughter.” 

Anthony cleared his throat as he offered you a smile of his own, trying his best to recover from the embarrassment. “Yes, Miss Worthing. You are the image of perfection tonight in that shade of pink.” 

You could not even imagine putting up with these compliments for the rest of the season—it was far better than dealing with real advances from real suitors, of course, but you did not know if you would be able to stifle your laughter every time Anthony had to flirt with you in the presence of your mothers. 

“Thank you, my lord.” You bowed your head slightly in place of a curtsy. “You look quite… spiffing yourself.” 

The way Anthony was barely able to hide the mirth in his expression, you knew he was amused by your choice of words. If he made fun of you for it, you would blame it on your mothers. Your act did have to be convincing. 

You were just able to catch Violet’s pointed glance at her son before Anthony stepped forward and offered his hand. “I’d be honored to have your first dance of the night, my lady, if you would so indulge me.”

You did not have to look at your mother to know she was doing the same to you—you decided to save her the pain as you offered a practiced smile and took Anthony’s hand. “It would be a pleasure, my lord.” 

You entered the dance floor at the perfect time, just when the musicians were beginning a new song, and you took your place across from Anthony. You did not even need to ask what was on his mind as you began your side of the dance, the mirth in his expression telling you all you needed to know.  

“I’m not talking because I am focusing on my steps,” you muttered. “I am not as skilled at dancing as I am at many other things.” 

His lips quirked up at the edges. “So you mean to say you are better at irritating me than dancing with me?” 

The laugh that bubbled out of you caused you to miss one of your steps, but luckily it was at the exact moment you joined hands—Anthony covered for you with ease as you stumbled into him, a glaring reminder of just how much he knew in comparison to you as a result of his title and position.

“Thank you,” you said. “I suppose I am not capable of multitasking while on the dance floor.” 

Anthony hummed. “I can tell by the deathly grip you have on my hands.”  

You loosened your hold on Anthony as you continued to dance, offering an apologetic smile. “I apologize. This waltz is not my favorite, nor is it my forte. Most dances, truthfully, are not my forte.” 

“I am more surprised by the fact you have a favorite dance,” Anthony said, his own smile slightly cockeyed. “Though I should think more of our appearances together should be on the dance floor—you are much less mouthy. I already feel more confident without your constant insults.” 

You huffed a laugh. “That is because this is nowhere close to my environment. I am comfortable surrounded by books, or arguing with irritating viscounts. I am not comfortable dancing in front of a crowd this large with the man they all think I am to marry.” 

“Ah,” Anthony chuckled. “It is strange, isn’t it? That everyone thinks we will end the season as happily married, and though we are lying to each and every member of the ton, not a single one knows it.”

“Indeed. I truly do not know how you have handled the attention all these years, as a viscount and a Bridgerton. I have been associated with you for hardly a week and I am already tired of it all. If it were not for an even less desirable fate awaiting me without your status protecting me, I would have surely run off to the country by now. Perhaps not even the country—an entirely new country sounds marvelous.” 

Anthony raised his eyebrows. “Those are certainly not words befitting a future viscountess. Running away from responsibility is something more suited to a second child—perhaps you should’ve taken this journey with Benedict instead.” 

You gave him a sideways smile. “My words do not have to be those of a future viscountess, not when it is just you and me. I suppose that is a benefit of this arrangement.” You tilted your head to the side slightly. “I do think I would enjoy Benedict’s company better, though. He is a joy to be around, and I just love hearing about his artistic endeavors.” 

His lips quirked up. “You may indeed be a better pair, then—he certainly needs someone that will listen to him talk about his latest works without complaint, and he irritates me just as much as you do.” 

“Impossible,” you stated. “No one can irritate you as much as I do.” 

“And for taking the burden of that role, I am eternally grateful,” Anthony said with mock austerity. 

“Of course,” you nodded. “Know that I am truly here for you.” 

Anthony could not help but laugh at that, and you smiled inwardly as the dance ended and the two of you bowed to each other. 

“That was rather pleasant,” he said, “was it not?” 

“I’ve yet to experience a better one,” you said, and Anthony simply smiled. 

“I await the day when you no longer use sarcasm in our every conversation.” 

“You will be waiting a very long time, then, my lord.” 

You looped your arm around Anthony’s, a gesture that was already becoming familiar, and began to walk off the floor together. 

“I do hope my mother will get over the allure of our pairing soon, though,” you said. “She brings you up in nearly every conversation—our parting argument will have to be convincing indeed, otherwise I fear we may entirely break her heart.” 

Anthony chuckled. “I will certainly do my best to prevent that. Though I understand part of your plight. My siblings have not stopped bothering me since they got their hands on the latest edition of Whistledown. Eloise in particular is not a fan of us together.” 

“Eloise,” you muttered. “I completely forgot to tell her of our plan.” 

He raised his eyebrows. “You were going to tell her a secret that could ruin the both of us?” 

“Oh, please,” you admonished. “We both know it would only ruin me. Besides—Eloise already knows nearly everything about me; news of a true courtship between us would be far more shocking to her than this ruse of ours.”

“You are correct,” Anthony said with a slight laugh. “She cornered me in my office when I returned after our promenade the other day and practically demanded I explain myself — but rest assured, she is informed of the truth and is sworn to secrecy.” 

You smiled. “That sounds like her, alright. I did not expect her to reveal it in the first place, but it is good to know I have a confidante. In case I need to complain of you, of course.” 

“Oh,” Anthony nodded. “Of course. I shall go to her as well if I am in need of the same. She will most certainly not get annoyed at either of us.” 

You laughed. “I fear that if we resort to her as our sole alleviant she will most certainly reveal our secret.” 

“Eloise doing something out of pure annoyance? I do not doubt it.” 

You snickered at that, but then Anthony lightly touched your shoulder and gestured with his head towards the other side of the ballroom. 

“I should let you go,” Anthony said. “I believe your mother has some things she wishes to say to you.” 

You sighed. “I can only imagine just what she has to say. But it looks as if your mother has the same thing in mind.” 

He looked over and sighed, though it was not without a slight smile. “Then I shall see you tomorrow?” he asked. 

“Tomorrow?” You pretended to think over it. “That seems far too soon, my lord. I am in need of my rest, both to handle you and maintain this image.” 

“I suppose I am in need of a break as well,” Anthony said, “as I have to handle you just as much as you I.” 

“We are certainly a troublesome couple,” you said with mock austerity. “It would be no surprise if our courtship were to dissolve completely just before the end of the season.” 

Anthony nodded seriously. “It would not be a surprise at all. It would be for the best, truly.” 

“The best,” you agreed. 

The two of you shared smiles, the sort that only those with secrets could indulge in, and then you parted ways to your respective matriarchs. 

And as you walked back over to your mother, your head held higher than usual and an unmistakable confidence in your step, Anthony could not tear his eyes away—could not help but smile. 

“Dare I say this is the most I’ve seen you smile at a ball?”

Anthony turned to see Benedict approaching, a glass of wine that was far too full clutched in one hand. By the dazed grin on his lips and a look in his eye that showed he wasn’t all the way there, it wasn’t too hard to tell that his younger brother was already quite far gone—that must’ve been why he showed up on his own, rather than leaving with him and their mother. Certainly for the best, as Violet did not exactly need to see her son getting drunk. 

“Dare I say this is the earliest I’ve seen you drink at a ball?” Anthony answered in turn. 

“Of course it’s not—I’ve indulged even before arriving on certain occasions. It was the only way I was able to get through half of Daphne’s season.” Benedict’s eyes twinkled as he took a sip from his glass. “It made it far more enjoyable. I would suggest that you try it sometime, but it seems that you are already enjoying the night quite a bit.” 

Anthony glanced behind him to see you talking with your mother—or rather, her talking to you, he noted with a slight smile—before looking back at his brother. “I suppose I am having a rather decent time.” 

“Far more than decent,” Benedict insisted. “I would even go as far as to say that you actually like Miss Worthing’s company.” 

Anthony chuckled a bit. His acting must have been good, to fool even his brother. Though, to be fair, Benedict would not expect him to do something of this sort—honestly, this was more in his territory. Perhaps he was not wrong about telling you his brother would be a better option. 

He felt a strange twist in his chest at the thought, but pushed it away just as quickly. 

“She is a lovely lady,” he agreed, “and she will make a fine wife.”

Benedict laughed. “Coming from you, brother, that is a declaration of love. My most sincere congratulations to you—you deserve this more than anyone.” 

Anthony offered a small smile as his brother patted him on the shoulder and began to walk off, and he called after him: “Do not do anything too stupid, Ben!” 

He held up his wine glass in response, not turning to look back at him, and Anthony just shook his head, though not without mirth. 

His brother was right about one thing, though. You were the reason he did not have such a terrible night. 

-

“Hyacinth, stop teasing your brother. Benedict, straighten your cravat. And Colin, dear, please do not bore the Worthings with talk of your travels. They have heard them a thousand times, and a good image is imperative.” 

“Mother,” Colin said with a frown, “you always say you enjoy my stories.” 

“And I do, each and every time,” Violet said with a motherly smile, “but now is not the time to tell them of your exploits for the hundredth time.” 

“But we are already good friends with the Worthings,” Gregory said, “and we have had dinner with them so many times. Why do we need to make a good impression?” 

“Because this dinner is the most important,” Violet said. “Anthony is courting Y/N, and though it should move ahead very smoothly, we need to ensure that you all make a good impression. We will be one family soon enough.” 

“Y/N is to be our sister?” Hyacinth exclaimed. “Oh, that is so amazing! I read it in Lady Whistledown, but I am overjoyed it is actually true!”

Eloise rolled her eyes. “I still cannot believe this is happening. My brother courting my best friend—a true nightmare, perhaps.” 

“Eloise,” Violet admonished, “this is a good thing. Be happy for your brother, at least when you are around him.” 

She then looked around the room and sighed. “Where is Anthony, anyways?” 

“He went to fetch the Worthings,” Benedict supplied. “To ensure that things would go smoothly from the start, show off his effortless gentleman act, and charm her parents all over again—everything of his usual sort.” 

“And likely to do things in private with his bride-to-be,” Colin said, earning a snort from Benedict and a glare from his mother. 

“Colin Bridgerton, do not say things like that. Especially in front of your siblings.” 

“My apologies,” he said, holding his hands up in defense, though he could not help but crack a smile, “but it is likely true.” 

It was then that the door was opened by one of the servants—your parents walked through and you and Anthony followed behind them, both you and your mother holding onto your respective beau’s arms. 

“Oh, good!” Violet exclaimed, and she gave her children one last gesture with her head to silently ensure they would behave. “You’re just in time—Cecilia, Philip, it is so good to see the two of you. And Y/N, you look lovely tonight. Your dress is simply sublime.”

“You are far too kind,” you said with a smile, bowing your head in lieu of a curtsy. 

“It’s just as good to see you, Violet,” your mother said. 

Your father nodded. “We were honored to receive the invitation. It has been far too long since the Worthings and Bridgertons dined together.” 

“It certainly has,” Violet agreed. “I’m sure we are all hoping it will become a more frequent affair.” 

You could not return Anthony’s knowing gaze as he led you around the table, pulling out your chair for you before he took his seat next to you. Your parents took their own seats next to Violet’s head of the table, and you busied yourself adjusting the edge of the tablecloth, unable to even look at Anthony beside you. 

“I apologize, Mother, for the delay,” he said. “Our conversation ended up lasting longer than I expected.” 

Violet smiled and brushed it aside. “Think nothing of it, dear. You are right on time.” 

Anthony spoke the truth, though it was wholly simplified—you could not even look him in the eye after all your mother had said. You did not ever plan on him knowing so many details of your childhood, but you ended up not having a choice in the matter. 

He had come to charm your parents and escort the three of you to his estate—it was overboard for a normal suitor, but not for one that was purposefully trying to annoy you as well as completely earn the favor of your family. And it was certainly not overboard for a Bridgerton. 

When Anthony arrived, his plan was to meet your parents, converse for a bit to get them fully on his side, and then your mother would fetch you and they would all be on their way. Instead, the moment he listened to your mother and sat down with her in the drawing room, she launched into an entire spiel, solely of you. Honestly, you were thankful you weren’t there, as you do not think you could have handled the embarrassment. Anthony, though, enjoyed it far more than he should have. He also had far more ammunition than he deserved, some of which he had already used against you in whispered conversations on the way here.

(You had already made a plan to get back at him, of course. The next time you were with Eloise in private, you were going to ask her for every single piece of information about her brother, even the most undignified shred. You were certain she would go along with it, and happily so.) 

“Are you really going to marry our brother?” Gregory suddenly asked, and along with your eyes widening you felt the heat rush to your cheeks. You thought you were getting used to the idea of this whole thing, but as of now, it seemed you were doomed to the embarrassment each time someone brought up the marriage aspect. 

“Not just marry our brother, Gregory,” Hyacinth said, “she will be our sister!” Her attention turned to you, all bright energy, and you could not help but smile the slightest bit. “I cannot wait, Y/N, truly! You must teach me to play the violin once you’re wed, please.” 

“Sister-in-law,” Anthony corrected hastily, and you noticed his throat bobbing after a quick glance at you, “she will be your sister-in-law. And she will have other matters to attend to over teaching you to play instruments—if you wish to learn violin, I’m sure we can get you a teacher.” 

“Do not be like that, Anthony,” Violet admonished, and she smiled at her daughter. “I’m sure that there will be plenty of time for you to learn things with Miss Worthing. That is,” she glanced over at you, “if she is alright with that.” 

“Of course,” you nodded immediately. “I do not think myself the best teacher, but I would love to help you wherever I could. And please,” you smiled, “if I am to call you Violet, you must call me Y/N. Formalities are certainly not needed there.” 

“What instruments do you know, Y/N?” Colin spoke up. 

“I am most skilled at the violin,” you said, and when you looked at your mother she smiled, “but it is only through countless hours of work. Mother can tell you just how much of a disaster I was at the beginning.” 

“Oh, do not say that,” your mother said, brushing it off with an offhanded gesture. “No one is an expert at the beginning—I dare say you picked it up quite fast. Is that not right, Philip?”

“Hm?” Your father’s attention was brought back by your mother saying his name, and he blinked a couple times before he looked at you. “Ah, yes. Yes, she did. Our daughter is very talented.” 

You stifled a laugh at that. Whereas your mother was involved in your life at every twist and turn, your father was more focused on the family finances and keeping the Worthings afloat. It was an important job and you were ever grateful for it, but it left him with neither time nor energy to focus on much else. 

(You also did not think he cared much for high society anyway—he wanted you to marry in order to secure your lineage as well as garner the protection that a good marriage would bring you, which explained his offer to Lord Cardew, but otherwise, he was hardly involved.) 

“What else?” Gregory asked.

“Other than violin, I also know how to play the pianoforte quite well,” you said. “Beyond that is the cello and the viola, though my viola skills certainly need work.” 

“Amazing,” Hyacinth breathed, and she looked at Violet. “Mother, you must let me learn more instruments! I'm growing a bit tired of the pianoforte."

“Because the pianoforte is boring,” Eloise contributed. “After listening to Daphne play it nonstop all those years trying to perfect it while she prepared for her debut, I can hardly stand the sound of it anymore.” 

“Are you saying you do not wish to bear audience to my impromptu concerts anymore?” you asked, your scandalized tone a mockery. 

“I am afraid so,” Eloise said, her austere words a joke as well. “I can no longer handle the noise of those wretched keys—it makes me want to plunge my knitting needles into my eyes.” 

“Eloise!” Violet interrupted. “Do not say things like that!” 

“Apologies, Mother,” she said, but the secret smile the two of you shared was hardly enough to stifle your combined laughter. 

Benedict set down his wine glass and looked at you. “I must ask,” he said, and his slight smile set you at ease, “how have you and our dearest Anthony been getting along? You must be doing something right, as I can certainly attest that he has become more pleasant to be around since he began courting you. I must thank you for that, of course.” 

Your smile grew as you looked over at Anthony next to you, and though he was trying to hide any sign of emotion behind the brim of his glass, you could tell that he was not as unaffected as he wanted you to believe. “Is that true?” you asked. 

“Oh, certainly,” Colin spoke up. “The other day, we were having a family picnic in the park—Eloise stole a biscuit from him, and he did not even get annoyed. I believe it was the day after your dance at the Kennington’s ball. There has to be a connection there, right?” 

“He was in a good mood there!” Benedict agreed, and he looked at you again. “Oh, after you separated, Anthony could not stop smiling. Y/N, I think he has smiled more than ever in the weeks he has been courting you.” 

“Well,” you said, smiling yourself as you turned to Anthony, “I am glad to have been a source of happiness for you as of late.” 

“Yes,” Anthony said, and he smiled as well. He looked to be doubling down in this, determined to not let you win in your little game. It was a shame, truly. “I am very thankful for your presence, Y/N; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every moment together. You’ve been a—no, the light of my life. I’m not a poet in any sense of the word, so forgive me for being blunt, but I cannot wait to marry you.” 

“Colin,” Eloise said, speaking up suddenly, and you were thankful for it as it took all of your strength to tamp down on your laughter, “weren’t you telling me earlier about how beautiful the mountains were during your visit to Greece?” 

“Oh, they are amazing,” Colin said, and you could hear Violet sigh as a waterfall of information began to pour out of him. You assumed Eloise wanted just as much, as she gave you a very pointed look from across the table. You just smiled at her. 

You looked at Anthony next to you as the conversation carried on without you, mouthing “very nice” with serious eyes. He responded by rolling his own, though unable to fully conceal his smile. 

Friends, you surmised. It appeared the two of you were actually becoming friends. 

-

“The light of your life?” you exclaimed, raucous laughter emerging after it. “Oh, Anthony—you are certainly becoming creative.” 

He let out a small laugh as well, shaking his head some. “Can you blame me? Benedict and Colin seemed intent on embarrassing us completely, in front of your parents as well! I had no choice but to either give in to their teasing or double down on our love. And of course, I could not let my brothers get the better of us.” 

The two of you had escaped to the outdoors once your dinner together was over—your parents had to retire for the night, your father claiming he had important business matters to attend to early the next morning and your mother citing plain old exhaustion. You requested a promenade with Anthony, purely so you could discuss everything that had gone on between the two of you, and they agreed with the promise that Anthony accompany you on the carriage ride home. You were meant to have a chaperone as well, but either by accident or purpose you ended up alone. Now, you walked throughout the greenery of the Bridgerton estate, barely able to get through your words without laughter alongside it. 

“Of course,” you said sagely, “it was certainly a strategic move, complimenting me so. I don’t know what to do with myself, knowing that you actually don’t hate me.” 

“I should be the one with that reaction,” Anthony said. “Whatever am I to do without your endless jabs at me? I may actually gain some confidence.” 

“Oh,” you shook your head, “do not worry, my lord. I will always be able to humble you, even after we are married. It is one of my many talents; surely, you are aware.” 

“Certainly so,” he said, but then he sighed. “The longer we go on with this, though, the more guilt I feel. The advantage of not having to deal with countless daughters is quite nice, and I’m thankful you get to avoid that lecher of a man. But,” Anthony shook his head, “seeing how my siblings reacted, I cannot help but feel bad for them.” 

You bit your lip and nodded. “Hyacinth was overjoyed about it. The excitement in her eyes when she talked about my becoming her sister, and learning the violin…” You chuckled. “It is almost enough to make me want to go through with this in reality.” 

“I know how you feel,” Anthony said dryly. “A marriage borne out of Hyacinth-induced guilt is certainly not out of her power.” 

“Can you imagine when the reverend asks us for our vows?” you laughed as you straightened your posture and grabbed his hands, exaggerating your voice. “Anthony Bridgerton, I do not love you, but I do love your sister. I could not stand to see the sadness in her eyes if we do not go through with this, therefore I will marry you.” 

He laughed again at that, and he squeezed your hands before he pulled away. “Be careful with what you say, my lady. You may not know this as an only child, but the magic that a younger sister holds is a mysterious one indeed. She has gotten her way many a time in this family purely by doing just that.” 

“I do not doubt it,” you nodded. It was then that the two of you walked past a pair of swings, hung by ropes tied to a tree. You tugged at one of the ropes and looked at Anthony. “What are these here for?” 

He smiled a bit. “My father and I built them together when I was younger—I couldn’t have been any more than ten. He had the idea to make them for us—not just me and the three other siblings that were there, but the future children that they planned to have. My father decided to make it himself rather than outsource the work to a carpenter or a servant, and I begged him to let me help. He let me, and even though all I did was walk around rope and tie knots, I had the most brilliant time.” 

Anthony walked over and picked up a knot, one tied in the middle of the rope. “This is the first one I made. It’s completely useless, and honestly, it would have been better if Father just took it out, but he kept it there; he just worked around it when he had to string it all up. It looks like nothing—truthfully, it looks like a mistake, but it’s… it’s a priceless reminder of him. I’m thankful he left it.” 

“That’s beautiful, Anthony,” you murmured. A moment of hesitation passed before you slowly reached out and, before you could doubt yourself, placed your hand over his as gently as you could. There was a moment of surprise, visible from the slightest flinch to his widened eyes as he looked at you, but it faded just as quickly, replaced by a feeling you couldn’t describe. 

“It’s a part of him,” you said softly. “Proof of the time you spent together—proof that he was here, that he was with you, that he loved you. That he will always love you, even if he is no longer here. You are a part of that too, Anthony—do you realize? He lives on in you, in the way that you love and take care of your siblings.” 

Anthony swallowed thickly, his throat bobbing as he looked at you. His gaze was the softest thing you’d experienced, the warmth of his hand enveloping yours as he turned his over to squeeze your hand. It felt like the world around you had stopped as you looked into each other’s eyes, your breath hitching in your chest both at the feeling of his hand on yours and the proximity that had gotten closer without you even realizing. It must have struck Anthony suddenly, because his eyes widened slightly and he pulled away, taking a few steps in the opposite direction. 

The air returned to you as you put on your own distance, your eyes widening the same way as you realized what had just happened. 

What had just happened? 

“It is getting late,” he said hastily, “we should get you back to your estate.” 

“Of course,” you agreed, nodding far too many times. “My mother is likely worried.” 

“Of course,” he repeated, and Anthony cleared his throat before he looked at you. “I will send for a maid to accompany you when we get back to the house instead. We should—” he cleared his throat again, “I have things I need to attend to, unfortunately. Finances to go through, papers to sign.” 

You nodded yet again. “That is for the best. That— that is smart.” 

This time, it was his turn to nod. “Yes, of course.” 

The silence hung in the air between the two of you for one long, charged moment, before you spoke. 

“We should go.” 

“Yes!” Anthony said, and before you turned to start walking you were able to see his frown, his thoroughly vexed expression. You felt the exact same way. 

And as you walked back to the Bridgerton estate, the space naturally occurring between the two of you despite the strange atmosphere that had been created, the thought once again popped into your mind. 

What had just happened? 

-

sorry for tagging again but thats the way it is. i hope this works lol

perm tags: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77 @simonsbluee @kwyloz @masteroperator 

bridgerton tags: @theonewithallthemilkshakes @rach2602 @milkiane @korol-lantsov

anthony bridgerton tags: @gwenebear @lurkymurker @likeballet

not so simple tags: @ifilwtmfc @readers-posts @fangirling-galore @funkydinosaurs @baby-i-am-fireproof @mess-is-my-aesthetic @likeballet @mdkfh @brezzybfan 

#anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton x you #anthony bridgerton fic #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton fic #anthony bridgerton fanfic #x reader #bridgerton imagine #sadie writes

[fandom-monium]

Sweet Poison - Part 3

Summary: In which you don't paint in color and Zagreus asks why? “Contrary to popular belief, Elysium don’t take kindly to beings like me.”

WC: 1k

TW: Zagreus (Hades Video game) x Succubus!Reader, GN!Reader, a succubus AND an artist bc sex is just work and food, au where in game Zag commissions the paintings using gems, what if boons actually affected Zagreus, slow build, strangers to friends to lovers trope, sex work, fluff, fluff and humor, mutual pining, idiots in love, mild angst, pheromones, technically it’s succubi magic aura, Zagreus is at least 6 ft convince me otherwise, eventual smut

—

“So… why?”

“Hm?”

“Why black and white? Why not in color?” Without looking up, Zagreus thumbs through one of your old sketchbooks, the light framing his profile in a soft green. Pieces of parchment fall out and he fumbles. You shake your head with a smile, facing your easel once again.

You hate to admit it, but you think you made the right choice welcoming Zagreus into your life. His visits—brief as they are—quickly become a highlight of your day. He’s not around all the time, but when he does happen to stop by, you find the rest of the day to go by quicker, easier. Even work feels less exhausting.

It’s been a long time since you had a friend. Especially someone as easy to talk to as Zagreus. It’s… nice. He’s nice.

To think not too long ago, you tried to bring him to his knees and suck the soul out of him. You’re glad you didn’t. Mostly.

A small part of you would still love to see him on his knees, but you banish the thought as quickly as it came.

Touching Zagreus with even an ounce of your normal power feels sacrilegious. Not that it affected him before, which you still don’t understand. Still, you dampen your aura as a precaution, letting out enough so as not to strain yourself. For some reason it felt wrong to touch him in that way. He’s too good. Pure.

Ironic, considering the amount of times he’s entered your domain splattered in blood. And yet somehow, he still manages to bring you gifts between runs.

You’ve never known someone to be in possession of so much nectar. And he just hands it out freely? The demonic, selfish part of you can’t understand why. Perhaps he’s bored of the stuff. Common in his corner of the Underworld. The thought of this stuff just laying around makes you chuckle. In all seriousness, where he gets it, you suspect he’s got a supplier of some sort, probably in the deepest pits of Taratarus. The Tartarian and Asphodelish marketplaces sure don’t.

They don’t have a lot of things.

“It’s not that I can’t color. I just don’t have any,” You shrug, continuing to sharpen and blend shadows where you see fit. “Trust me. I’ve visited every market in Tartarus and Asphodel; art materials aren’t exactly high in demand.”

Zagreus looks up from your sketchbook, parchment sheets filled to the brim with charcoal and lead. “And Elysium? There’s a grand market by the arena, you know.” He’s not trying to be condescending—you know—but a dull ache forms at the back of your skull, a sour squirm rising in your chest at his ignorance. His naivety.

“And you truly believe they’d serve me?” You scoff.

“Why not?”

You raise an eyebrow, and he meets your gaze, unwavering, like he can’t see the horns, wings, and tail. He is so used to your presence, they no longer register.

That makes you no less a demon. A succubus.

You shake your head, “Contrary to popular belief, Elysium don’t take kindly to beings like me.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

You give him a tightlipped smile as his brow furrows, visibly crestfallen. “Don’t worry your pretty, little head, Zagreus. It is what it is.” Turning back to the canvas, you swirl your brush and mix different gray tones on your palette. Oh, why is getting the right shade so difficult?

Sensing the shift in your mood, Zagreus glances down, flipping through your old sketches, all black and white and shades of gray. “But if you had the materials, would you? Draw and paint in color?”

You don’t even have to think, your eyes focused on a particular corner of the painting. “Yes.”

A moment later, stone rumbles and you look up in time to see his footprints cool off. The sketchbook has returned to its rightful place, wedged between the leather-bound novels and trinkets in your bookcase.

Two runs later, Zagreus barges in, gasping for breath like he raced over as soon as he could. There’s burns on his arms, blood sprayed across his face, a gaping wound on his thigh as if he’d been stabbed, but none of that matters—not to him at least—as he holds out a box held with twine to you, his teeth bared in an eager smile.

And when he slaps down a handful of colorful gems for a commission, your cheeks grow sore, unable to stop smiling back.

—

AN: Succubi!Reader tried to buy colored paint once and it unfortunately did not turn out as they hoped 😔 Good thing Zagreus got the hook up 😌🫰✨️

#zagreus x reader #zagreus (hades video game) x reader #zagreus & reader #zagreus (hades video game) & reader #hades supergiant #hades video game

[couragemydearheart]

hmm, how about reader playing a dumb prank on Reiner when they're both cadets?

˚｡ 𖠗 "..𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲."

# 01 — reiner braun x fem!reader

# 02 — cw: takes place after the OVA episode: sudden visitor (jean’s backstory + the cook-off between him and sasha), no major spoilers or references from the episode i think so it’s okay if you haven’t watched, fluff!, slight panic

# 03 — wc: 0.96k

# 04 — an: first request- yay! thank you so much for sending this in @shingekinomyfeelings <3 i loved writing this. i was a bit confused about the kind of "dumb" you wanted, and you also didn't specify the reader's gender so i hope this is okay (feel free to dm me me if you had something else in mind).

a happy atmosphere surrounded the 104th division of the cadet corps after the culmination of their mock defense drill in trost. the cook-off between sasha and jean had served to only further improve their mood. his good mood after the competition had compelled commander pyxis to allow the cadets a free day in the city before they returned to the cadets’ training camp.

so there he was, being tugged behind you through the crowds of trost’s marketplace. “slow down, y/n,” reiner tsked as you dragged him from shop to shop. your only response was a short laugh. that was what the two of you had been doing since that morning; mediating between shops, stopping longer where something piqued at either of your interests. although he feigned annoyance, there was no other place he’d rather be.

reiner had long given up denying to himself what he felt for you. he knew how wrong it was, considering the reasons behind his enlistment, but there was nothing he could’ve done to stop himself from falling for you the way he did.

reiner noticed you the way he had never noticed anyone else. from the way your eyes reflected the sun and turned the prettiest colour he’d ever seen, the way your smile reached ear-to-ear when you messed around with jean, sasha, and connie and never failed to send his heart beating in a frenzy, to the way you had the biggest heart and despite the tough exterior you put up, how you never hesitated to comfort any cadet after a rough day.

but he also noticed the way your eyes softened around the corners around him, the way you allowed your forever-stiff shoulders to sag around him, the way you held his hand a little tighter every time things turned bad, the way there had been moments when you were closer to each other more than just friends would be, and yet he could never allow himself the chance to believe that you might return even a fraction of the affections he held for you. he could never be worthy of it. of you.

so when you decided to drag him through trost nearly through the entirety of the day, reiner kept his complaints half-hearted and to the minimum, fisting his hands to keep them from grabbing you and kissing you senseless as the setting sun shone off your hair, giving you an ethereal glow.

reiner was so lost in his thoughts as he walked on that he didn’t realize you had let go of his hand until you had disappeared from his sights.

shit.

“y/n?” reiner’s head whipped in every direction, trying to catch any glimpse of you, trying to tamp down on the panic starting to rise in his chest.

he turned around in his spot, now growing frantic as he could find no signs of you around him. just as he was about to run back to all the previous shops, a hand grabbed his forearm and- “boo!”

he startled, and looked toward its owner, only to find you.

you giggled. he stared at you with wide eyes, before exhaling a sigh of relief. “where were you?!”

you tried to suppress the smile threatening to pull at your lips, before speaking. “calm down, i was just trying to see how long it took you to realise i wasn’t next to you anymore.” your hand slid down to grab his hand again, pulling him into a quieter lane as you added a tad bit sourly, “took you pretty long.”

“…not funny, y/n/n,” reiner grumbled. he ran his free hand over his face leaning against the wall behind him, his heart still thumping hard in its cage as the adrenaline began wearing down. he mumbled quietly, “please don’t do that to me. i was worried.”

you hummed, stepping closer to him. “yeah, i saw,” you giggled again, and reiner found himself aching to hear it again. “you know, i realised i quite like seeing you all worried about me.”

his eyes opened, amber orbs locking onto yours as you continued with that mischievous smile. “you get this little furrow in your brows that’s just so cute-”

reiner blamed the fading adrenaline in his body and the trickle of worry left after losing you for when he cupped your face with his free hand and placed his lips over yours. he didn't move for a moment, only relishing in the feel of your body in his arms. you didn’t respond for a second in shock, until you pressed closer, wrapping your arm around his neck and kissing him back.

there were no fireworks or butterflies causing havoc in his stomach, only a sense of peace, of everything coming to its rightful place. reiner could stay in that moment for the rest of his life.

he pulled back after a bit and the reality of his actions kicked in as he looked at you. he backpedaled immediately. “shit, i- y/n i’m, i-”

you cut him off with another peck. “do you have any idea,” another peck on his jaw, “how long i've waited for you to do this?”

reiner was sure he was dreaming. there was no way you could’ve wanted this. but then you raised your interconnected hands and pressed a kiss to his hand and reiner’s heart was ready to burst out of his chest.

“i don’t-,” he stuttered, “you want this?” he hadn’t heard his voice sound so small in years. you want me?

“yes.” your words were firm, like it was the most obvious answer. “do you want this?”

“i’ve never wanted anything more.” and if he thought about it, it was true. he had never yearned for anyone as he did for you.

“can’t believe it took this stupid prank for you to do this.”

reiner's only response was to press his mouth to yours again, both of your lips curving into the sweetest smiles.

taglist (although it’s only one person as of now, lemme know if you’d like to be added to it!): @nerdyfuntheorist

hope you enjoyed! likes, comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

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#⸰ֺ ࣭⭑𓄹—katy writes! #° ᭡ ❤︎ katy answers! #he’s my favorite #can u tell #attack on titan #aot #shingeki no kyojin #snk #attack on titan reiner braun #reiner braun #reiner braun x reader #reiner braun x y/n #reiner braun x you #reiner braun fluff #snk reiner #snk reiner braun #aot reiner