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crazyk-imagine · 1 year

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Don’t Fear the Beast or Inanimate Talking Objects

Pairing: Beast!Nick “Goose” Bradshaw x Belle!Reader Characters: Beast!Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. Belle!Reader, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (brother), Rick “Hollywood” Neven (brother), Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood (sister), Penny Benjamin (Sister), Mike Viper” Metcalf (Dad), Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Lumiere), Marcus “Sundown” Williams (Cogsworth), Sam “Merlin” Wells (The enchantress), Leonard “Wolfman” Wolfe (Henry “Wolfman” Ruth) (Coatrack), Peppermint (the horse [a true icon]) Adam, Gaston, Le Fou, Carole Bradshaw (briefly mentioned), Sydney (Belle’s mother) (briefly mentioned) Warnings: Angst, fluff, mix of two versions of this movie, I have no regrets, sad times, mentions of death, Bradley adopting reader as his mother, Hollywood and Iceman are big brothers, Charlie and Penny are big sisters, chaotic family energy, this has consumed my thoughts for this entire week, Nick being depressed over losing his lovey Carole, the castle has terrible weather, this took a minute for me to write Word Count: 13,897

Top Gun: Disney AU

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You had a feeling something was wrong all day, your stomach constantly in knots your anxiety causing your heart rate to skyrocket.

It was unusual for your papa, Mike, to not return the day he is supposed to. And if he knows he won’t, he sends word, so you and your siblings won’t worry… especially with the story of the lonely beast who roams the abandoned castle somewhere in the woods.

The story has always been your brothers’ favorite and the very reason they continue to join the hunting parties the people in town have been because they “want to protect the family.”

And there’s no way Mike would ever return during the night since his eyesight isn’t the same as it used to be (no matter how much he tries to deny it).

Another thing he would never do is let your most prized possession, your family horse, Peppermint, loose.

Your siblings know never to let anything happen to her; she was the last thing ever given to any of you by your mother, even if your family say she’s yours.

You can’t reminisce long as the sound of her neighs gets you to push yourself off your knees and quickly exit your small vegetable garden.

You’re quick to grab her reins and slowly place your hand on her head in the space between where her eyes meet (her favorite spot to be pet and the only place that can calm her down). You gently shush her, never removing your hand. “It’s all right, Peppermint. You’re safe now.”

You swear she understands you because it looks like she shakes her head, deep breaths huffing out of her nose as if she disagrees. “Where is papa?”

She takes a gentle step forward, trying to burrow her head into your hand. “Oh, no.”

The sound of your name diverts your attention away from your beloved horse.

“Rick.”

He closes the front door behind him. “What happened? Where is father?”

“I- I,” you struggle to respond, not having an answer yourself. “I don’t know.”

“What are we going to do?”

You take a deep breath. “I don’t know but I will find out, okay?”

“What do you mean? What does that mean, Belle?”

You purse your lips at the nickname your family hasn’t used since you were a child. You grab his arms, looking him in the eye. “I will be back. But, if I’m not. I need you to-”

“I’m not going to think of that because it’s not going to happen. I know you and I know you will bring our father home... just give me-”

You shake your head, “no. You are not coming.”

“I am your brother-”

“You are the youngest-”

“I’m older than you.”

You click your tongue, “still the youngest, but I will return. I promise. I just,” you glance over at the garden. “I need to find someone to tend the garden.”

“The garden.” His eyes widen as he thinks about what you’ve said. “The garden!?”

You nod, “yes, the garden. Don’t- I’ll be back.” You run to town knowing who you need to talk to will be there.

You stop, taking a deep breath before entering the town; you look around to see if anyone (who could tolerate you was nearby), you’re in luck. “Oh! Oh! Yes!”

You run over to Sam, typically known Merlin by those who don’t like him.

“Sam! Sam, dear!” You take a deep breath as you run to him. “Sa- am.”

He smiles upon your arrival until he sees your hunched over, out of breath position. “Deep breaths. In… and out. Again.”

“I know how to breathe but,” you take a deep breath, “thank you nonetheless.”

“Of course.”

“Now, the reason I rushed over is to ask you for a small favor?”

“And what favor is it this time?” He asks, with a raised brow.

You tend to ask him favors a lot, most of which consist of borrowing sugar or if he could help you find a screw so your papa can fix your clock, the one gifted to you by your mama before she passed since your siblings never want to help you with these things.

You shake your head. “I need you to watch over the garden… papa has not returned, and I fear for his safety. You know of the stories.”

“Which stories? Everyone in town is fearful of the woods for many reasons,” he points out, but the expression on his face doesn’t match his words which you ignore due to your worry of your papa’s safety.

“You know,” you lean forward as if you’re sharing a secret. “The stories of the beast.” You forgo the unnecessary details of the abandoned castle seeing as he was the one who told you about it, even though hardly anyone knew this minor detail... something you don’t find to be weird.

“You think he has wandered into the castle?”

You sigh. “I would most certainly hope not but he had asked me if I wanted anything when he decided to come back from his trip. Of course, I told him no seeing as he had too many items to get from the lists my sisters left, but he wouldn’t accept that answer. I fear he had stopped somewhere dangerous to get me such the thing I asked for, when he knew we could go on a trip to the nearby town and get it there. Oh.”

The man shushes you. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll turn up before you can even exit the town line.”

You squeal, hugging him. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Sam. I will not forget this. The youngest of my brothers will be home but you know how none of them appreciate the love of the garden.”

He nods, “I do. Now, go home and pack a bag.” He pulls the blanket off his basket and hands you a few rolls he bought from the baker earlier along with a medical herb mix he makes for anyone who gets injured.

You shake your head, “oh, I couldn’t.”

“You can and you will. It will help you on your journey.”

“Okay. Thank you again, Sam.”

He smiles.

You run back to your home, grabbing your coat and bag with necessary items for any scenario you could think of on the spot; the book that you never take out lays at the bottom followed by some medical wrap, ointment, Sam’s “magical” herb mix as well as the rolls and a small handful of food suitable for humans and animals.

You want to pack more but there’s hardly any room for other things. “These are necessary items,” you tell yourself. “That’s all I can bring with me. It's okay. You’re okay,” you tighten the grip on the strap of your bag. “He’s okay.”

After getting Peppermint ready and grabbing the spare key for Sam, you return to where you last saw him.

Rick stands in the doorway. “I don’t like the thought of you leaving on your own.”

You nod, “yes well. If I don’t do it, we may not have a father anymore. Now move, Rick.”

He doesn’t.

“I said move.”

He gives in and takes a step back. “At least let me come with you.”

“No,” you shake your head. “I need you to stay here. Tom is working out of town so that he can have enough money to leave home while Charlotte and Penelope are out trying to find new fabric so that they can have new dresses made for them. One of us must be here.”

A heavy sigh slips past his lips. “Fine but, I’m not happy about this.”

“I know,” you smile before pulling him in for a hug. “I will be back before you know it.” You prepare Peppermint for the journey and take off back to your dearest (and only friend).

He turns to the sound of Peppermint’s hooves clopping against the dirt floor.

You reach into your bag for the key, holding it out for him to take. “I’ll be leaving now. If papa and I do not return before tomorrow…” You gulp.

He nods, pocketing the key before patting your shoulder in a comforting manner. “I will make sure you both return, if that is the case, you have my word.”

You resist the urge to smile, knowing full well that he and Rick would be the first ones to lead your search party. “I know I’ve said this before but... thank you.”

And you’re off.

You hoist yourself up on Peppermint's saddle and crack the reins, putting your faith into her to guide you to your papa’s last location.

She slows down once the two of you reach the blocked entrance of the forest where the beast has been rumored to reside.

“Is this where you came from?” You ask out loud, voice low, close to a whisper. “How did you two get in?”

As soon as those words are said, the splintered branches and thorny vines begin to retract themselves, creating a walkway for you to ride through.

Peppermint takes a step back; your hand instantly reaches her “special spot.”

“We’ve got this.” You pat her head before clutching the reins, “we can do this.”

There’s no turning back now, it’s now or never and you have your mother’s genes.

You crack the reins once more and run through, glancing over your shoulder to see the entrance return to its original state. You shake your head; you can’t focus on that and return your focus onto your current mission.

The wind continues to get harsher and colder; you lower your head to protect yourself, putting your full trust into your precious horse.

She slows her pace, but you can’t bring yourself to raise your head until she comes to a full stop.

It's even worse than you realized, the castle from all the stories is… beautiful.

The gray clouds that disturb the clear skies near the village and the fog on the lower levels may be enough for other people to turn around and leave but not you.

It fills you with a sense of nostalgia, reminding you of your older sister during childhood when Charlotte asked to hear a short story about your mother.

He couldn’t bring himself to tell you kids a lot, but he went into more detail about your mother’s hobby, painting and how her work wasn’t for everyone.

Later that night, your papa would tell you how he always admires you for finding the beauty in dark and twisted things because he couldn’t always do that himself which is why your mama’s paintings are covered and collecting dust.

It’s obvious how much it still pains him to talk about her.

You were about the age of ten when you found out what happened to her and your oldest brother, Tom, was the one to tell you. You don’t think it’s a moment you’ll ever forget and only because you found out the truth.

He tucks you in while your papa was working downstairs.

“What happened to her?”

“To whom?”

You ignore his gaze. “To mama.”

“Oh.” He doesn’t respond for a few minutes. “Do you remember when I told you of the plague that started to invade our first home?”

You nod. “As much as she tried and prevented us from getting it, she wound up getting the plague herself.”

“She did?”

He nods. “But she was never alone even in the end, she was still surrounded by those she loved... now it’s time for bed.”

You realized that night how much your father has truly done for you and your family even as he was dealing with heartache; he had whisked you all away from your first home to make you all stay healthy and safe.

And, after twenty-two years, he still loves her even as his life has changed and become darker; you still do your best to cheer him up, even if it’s only temporary... Which is why you can’t give up.

She stops a few feet away from the front steps of the castle.

You dismount from Peppermint and slowly walk towards the building, wary of where you step because of the icy grass and cracks in the ground. You hope your papa didn’t fall; you swear you hear the ground cracking as you hopped off her.

Her neighs pull you out of your thoughts, Peppermint nods towards the side of the building. You turn and walk in that direction only to find a few fallen petals, putting you on high alert.

You follow the trail and find a rose smashed into the ground due to large animal like footprint. You hold the dead rose in your hands. “Oh no.” Your head snaps up after a shingle falls, cracking on the ground, your eyes shift towards one of the many roofs to find a shadow staring.

A gasp escapes you; you push yourself up and move away from the area. Glass crunches under your foot, breaking into a million little pieces; you to look down.

You bend down, wiping away the small pile of snow (which is only on this side of the castle) that covers the item and find your father’s pocket watch. You quickly put it in your pocket before looking up, finding nothing there. “It must have been my imagination.”

You tighten your grip on your beloved Peppermint’s reins and walk back around towards the, now, open entrance of the castle. “I’ll be right back.��

Her defiant neighs and stomping of her hoof stop you.

You pet her, assuring the horse that you’ll be fine and won’t be long. You furrow your brows at the sight of the slightly ajar door, but your sense of worry overtakes your common sense. Your fingertips barely brush against the creaky door as it opens further. You take careful steps inside, not wanting to fall with the poor lighting hiding the dark floor.

The door slams shut, you jump and turn at the echoing boom!

You take a second to think about what just happened. “Don’t worry. You’re inside, you’re safe.” Your mantra doesn’t ease your anxiety or heart as you continue through the castle.

A faint echoing thump piques your interest.

‘Papa?’ You run up the stairs, searching for the noise and eventually you find yourself in a dungeon.

The thumping becomes louder and clearer than it had been before the closer you get to the staircase; you rush down the spiraling staircase, keeping one hand on the wall so you don’t fall. You pause when you notice how narrow and long the walkway is.

Even with how dark it is, you can still see the cracks wherever you step, concerning you for yours and your papa’s safety.

You carefully step forward, slow enough to apply a little pressure needing to see if it's safe enough for you to walk and once you do, you grab the source of light to your right off the shelf and continue.

The gasp escapes you before you can stop it. “Papa!”

He looks so defeated and scared.

Mike calls out your name, his hands wrapping around the cell door bars, keeping him steady. “You must leave. The- the stories-”

Your eyes bounce around all over, in search of something. “Where is the key?”

“You have to leave before he finds you.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not going to leave you here to suffer. You’re needed back home, and I will make sure that happens.”

He’s shocked. “But- but you have to.”

You shake your head, “I can’t. I will not lose another one of my parents. You have much more to teach the others, things I cannot.”

He softly says your name.

You don’t respond and ignore him until he says your nickname. “Belle. Belle. Stop.” He grabs your hand, holding it tight to get you to stop.

You stare at him with sad, tearful eyes and he only smiles in return. “It’s okay.” You lower your head.

A heavy thud against the last step gets you to flinch and snap your head over in that direction.

‘The shadow from outside.’ Your heart beats faster, filling you with worry and dread until it disappears.

The cell door opens, both of you are hesitant to move before you rush to pull him out.

“We are leaving,” you throw his arm over your shoulders. “We’re leaving and we’re not turning back.”

Your papa doesn’t fight you nor does he say anything as you two exit the castle.

“How do we get out?”

“I have to go back,” he mumbles.

“No,” you argue. “You are not going back to that dreaded place. It- the beast let you go. Why else would the door open?”

“He didn’t,” he shakes his head. “The beast told me if I leave, I will only have twenty-four hours to see my family again before I have to return.”

“Twen- twenty-four hours?! That’s not enough time to say goodbye.”

The conversation dwindles from there.

You two manage to make it back to your home before it gets dark.

“Rick!” You call out for your brother, “Rick!”

He runs out of the house, the tension leaving his shoulders at the sight of the two of you. He calls out for the two of you as he rushes over to help your father off Peppermint.

“Have the others returned yet?” As soon as you uttered those words, your other siblings rush out the door, calling out for your papa.

Once Rick, Charlotte, and Penny take your father inside, Tom turns to you. “What happened?”

You explain that he was out to get the things from the list you all had given him, and Peppermint was the one to return, leading you to an abandoned castle.

He raises a brow at the mention of the castle. “An abandoned castle?”

You nod, “yes. Why do you sound as if you don’t believe me?”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t need to.”

He clears his throat, “let’s go inside and enjoy the fact that father is home.” He stops, “one more thing. Stop giving your key to that man.”

“Sam? He’s harmless.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“Yeah, well. I do. He’s nicer to me than everyone else in the village other than the librarian Adam or that buffoon Gaston when he’s trying to make Penny jealous.”

“Stop talking to him.” He walks ahead of you, leaving you to look back at the village.

Your shoulders sag, you know what you need to do.

You prepared dinner as you planned and enjoyed what you knew to be your last night at home.

Once everyone cleaned up and went to their rooms, you sneak downstairs, grabbing your coat and bag before mounting Peppermint’s saddle.

“This is the last time you’re going there. I promise.”

And you’re off.

She stops at the entrance once again.

“We need a way in.” You stop for a minute and think.

“I am... trading my papa’s place with me?” You tilt your head when the entrance opens again. You shake your head, knowing you can’t focus on it any longer.

You grip the reins as tight as you can before cracking them.

You hop off Peppermint and pet her one last time before trying to let her go. “Run home, Pep. It’s not safe for you to be here.”

She nudges her head in your hands.

You sigh, “you can’t fight with me on this.”

You can’t resist those eyes, “fine but you stay here until I can find a safe place for you.”

You slowly enter the castle, not expecting to see candles lit or there to be less cracks in the floor, maybe you should have paid more attention to your surroundings before you ran in search of your papa.

The door slams shut behind you, you jump turning around to look at who it was only to find a rocking coat rack. “Odd.”

“You returned?” The low, deep voice says as it echoes throughout the first floor. Your poor heart can only take so much more.

“Uh- yes,” you slowly respond, searching for him.

“You returned in place of your father?”

“I did. He needs to be in a place where he can be properly taken care of and continue to look after my family.” Your hand rests on the pillar, adjacent from the stairs, as you peek around the corner only to find nothing.

“The thief has a family.”

You furrow your brows, taking offense to his comment.

“He is not a thief!”

The beast jumps down a few feet behind you and shakes the ground, your arms circle the air as you try to keep your balance before turning around.

“He stole the one thing that is precious to me. He is a thief,” his voice lower and more menacing than it was earlier.

“He is not a thief! He was trying to get the one thing his youngest child asked for because he knew it would make her happy!” You shout at him, chest heaving, eyes full of fire, something he hasn’t seen in a very long time.

The beast scoffs, ignoring the nostalgia that tries to worm its way into his cold heart. “You are to have dinner with me every day.”

Your head jerks back. “What if I don’t want to?”

“You’ll have dinner with me, or you will starve.”

You furrow your brows not understanding where he thinks he has the right to control you and what you do. “I will do whatever I want to do. You are not the boss of me!”

“Fine!” He whirls around, “see if I care whether you live or die!”

And he runs up into one of the wings, no longer wanting to see you.

You can’t believe the nerve of the- the- your eyes widen. You gave attitude and talked back to the beast from the stories you’ve been told about for as long as you can remember (since you moved to the village). “I just- oh my,” you take a deep breath and try to calm yourself.

“You held yourself together. Better than I ever could,” a male voice says.

You whirl around, finding no one there. “Who said that?”

“I did.”

You look down and find a candelabra there. Your eyes widen and you fall back into the nearest chair. “I’ve lost my mind. I’ve lost it and it’s never coming back.”

“Don’t say that mademoiselle.”

“I’m saying it.”

An awkward silence fills the air.

“Maybe having dinner will take your mind off things?” He weakly offers.

“I think I need to sleep right now. I can’t- I still don’t believe everything I’ve seen today.”

“Follow me.”

You lay in bed, dressed in the night gown that was laid across the bed (after a long fight with your inner conflict about if you should or shouldn’t wear it).

It takes a long time until you can go to sleep and when you do, you dream of strange things such as a man dancing around with a woman in a ballroom.

The pillars look the same as the ones you saw in one of the main rooms earlier.

You don’t know who they are or why you’re dreaming about them or even how you remember them when you wake up. Sitting up in bed, looking around the room, you realize how stuffy it is.

You need to get out of this room and learn more about your new… place of residency.

You barely make it down the stairs to the main room you were in the night before when the candelabra interrupts your thoughts.

“Good morning, mademoiselle.”

You slowly turn, staring at the object. “Good morning,” you slowly say.

“Oh, forgive me. I never told you, my name. I am,” he spins around, “Pete, Maverick to others.”

A smile stretches across your lips, “it’s nice to meet you, Pete. I was going to do some exploring since this is where I’ll be... from now on.”

“Ah, you can visit any place here you’d like but- uh- don’t go to the west wing.”

“What’s in the west wing?”

“Nothing-”

“Lots of damage. It’s dangerous for you to explore.”

You furrow your brows at the sight of the clock. “And who are you?”

He stutters, not entirely sure if he should tell you or not.

“This is Marcus, also known as Sundown,” Pete says, introducing his friend.

“It’s nice to meet you, Marcus. Are there any more of you or is it just you two here?”

“Oh, no,” the candelabra shakes his head. “There are more of us, very few though. Most of them got away before they could be touched by the spell.”

“How many of you are there?”

“Too many to count.”

You fall back into the nearest chair when the tea cart bumps into your side.

“Oh, sorry dear. The young prince isn’t so good with directions,” the tea pot tells you as she offers you a kind and welcoming smile.

“Yes, yes. Sorry, miss,” the second teacup apologizes.

“It’s alright,” you smile back at him.

“You must need something to warm you right up and I know just the thing.” A cup of tea comes towards you.

“Be careful, Chip.”

“Yes, mother.” He turns back to you, “hello there.”

“He- hello. I take it you’re Chip?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Should I be drinking from him?” You turn to the tea pot. “It doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s alright,” she assures you. “It won’t hurt him if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Okay,” you take a sip and pull back when a bubble pops.

“Chip! How many times have I told you not to do that?”

“Sorry, mother.”

“Oh no. It’s okay, he’s having fun.”

“Don’t encourage the two. They’re handfuls already,” she jokes.

A coatrack hops closer to your small group.

“And that,” Pete begins. “Is our favorite of us all, the ever so silent, Leonard also known as Wolfman.”

“I take it he talked a lot?” You ask.

“Yep, you could never get him to shut up.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Leonard.”

He waves a wooden post in return.

“Sorry about them dear. Oh, I almost forgot, I’m Mrs. Potts and the boy blowing bubbles is my son Chip and this one behind me is the young prince, Bradley.”

“It’s very nice to meet you all.”

“You’re pretty,” Bradley gushes before hiding behind Mrs. Potts.

“Thank you, Bradley,” you offer a gentle smile. “And you are a handsome young boy.”

“You don’t know what I look like.”

“You have a kind personality, that makes you extra handsome,” you whisper as if it’s a secret the others shouldn’t be hearing.

He giggles and spins around the other boy.

None of you knew but the beast formerly known as King Nick (Nicholas Bradshaw the II) was in his secret passageway, listening and watching over his boy as he had begun to do after the passing of Queen Carole but more so when the curse was placed on the kingdom.

Part of him wonders if you’ll be the one to break the spell while the other part wants nothing to do with you to spare him from any future heartache.

Maybe tonight he’ll eat dinner with you, apologize for his behavior.

He shakes his head, “no, no. She is not the one. She-”

An earthquake shakes the building, small debris falls from the ceiling.

He runs through the walls, not caring if he makes any noise.

He takes careful, steady steps into the room not wanting his heavy footsteps to cause another petal to fall. He sighs at the small, broken rose.

Once the shaking stops, you glance around the room.

“What was that?” The older woman sighs.

“Another petal has fallen,” Marcus chimes in.

“What- what does that mean?”

“If the last petal falls, the curse takes place and we all become objects while my father remains a beast,” Bradley answers you.

“You’re all cursed?” Your voice comes out as a whisper.

“Sadly, yes,” the tea pot informs you.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, dear.”

“How did-” You glance back at the two boys and decide not to ask now, you don’t want to bring up any bad memories. “When did it happen?”

“We’ve lost count over the years that have passed,” Pete tells you.

“Oh.”

“That’s enough of that,” the clock interrupts. “I think it’s time for lunch.”

“Okay. Am I going to get another dance number with all the utensils and plates?”

“You never know, mademoiselle.”

You narrow your eyes at Pete.

A few days later…

The others have things to do, and you’re left alone so you take this opportunity to venture around the castle. Nothing fun or very interesting in, what you assume, and hope is the north wing. Same thing with what you do know as the east wing (the sign was helpful).

You take careful steps as you walk into this wing since it’s more run down than any others you’ve seen so far. Your head snaps to the left, eyebrows knit together when you see nothing there.

Maybe it was nothing.

You continue and slowly open the creaky door, silently groaning to yourself as the creak echoes.

Once the door is open wide enough you walk further into the room, eyes catching the sight of the not dead rose trapped in a glass confinement.

You tilt your head trying to figure out why because the rose should be dead along with the fallen petals.

Nick’s shoulders sag as he walks up the steps, so much for taking a nap.

This time though, he woke with less heartache than the night before.

He knows he’ll never be able to forget her, his beloved wife, Carole.

She was his everything and always up for an adventure, which coincidentally is how the two found each other in the first place.

If only they had taken precautions and checked to make sure there were no bees.

They knew her family had a history of being allergic to bees, but she was lucky enough to have never come across any… until the search for the most majestic deer anyone could see came about.

Sometimes he wishes he never wanted to try and hunt the creature but then he comes to the realization that there was nothing he could do.

He shakes his head to forget his cries for her and how Bradley would never see her again.

His large body walks through the door without noticing the door was already open, not until he lifts his head to see you staring at the glass with a confused expression, he can’t focus on that for long as his nerves and heartbreak take over.

“No! Don’t touch it!” Nick rushes over towards it. “You were told to stay away from the west wing!” He growls at you, spit leaving his mouth landing on your cheeks and forehead. He takes a step closer, “you could have ruined everything! Ruined my chance to save my son!”

You step back. “I’m- I’m sorry- I-”

He stops moving and lets out everything he was feeling in that moment, what he felt when he lost Carole, when he was turned into this- damned thing, and what (he thinks) it would feel like to lose his boy.

A deep growl comes from the back of his throat. The vibration of the powerful noise is more than enough to cause the room to shake, the slashed painting on the wall rattles behind you, terrifying you to your core.

You don’t wait until he’s finished before running out of the room, down the stairs, and out the doors.

None of the cursed servants and prince can stop you even as they call out for you... not even the youngest of them all.

You hope you're close to the end of this hellish nightmare as you begin to slow your pace, unable to sprint anymore.

You’ve exerted too much of your energy to keep going and force yourself to slow down taking deep breaths as you stand hunched over with your hands on your knees.

Growling comes from your left; your head snaps up.

Your eyes widen at the wolf, and you begin to think. ‘I could outrun a wolf… can’t I? How fast are they?’

Until four more stand beside it.

You blink away your tears, taking slow steps backwards.

Maybe if you moved slowly and cautiously away from them, they wouldn’t see you as a threat, although you know better; the illogical part of you can’t help but take over during this time.

A flash tosses one of the wolves away.

You shout out, “behind you!”

As a wolf lunges at the beast, you were so terrified of before you ran out here and grab a stick, doing your best to quickly shove it off him.

All the wolves leave before the beast could harm another.

You don’t know if you should try and help him not… even if he is technically the reason you left.

“Are you going to help me?” He grumbles under his breath, and you just- you want to smack him.

A heavy sigh comes through your nose before you can stop it.

“Oh, and now she’s mad.”

You scoff through your nose.

“A thank you would be nice.”

“I wouldn’t have been out here or almost died if it wasn’t for you.”

“Ungrateful.”

“Ungrate-” You stand in front of him, one hand resting on his chest while the other latches onto his arm. “You are in no condition to walk back on your own.”

“Oh, am I not?”

You narrow your eyes to him. “And what do you suppose we do? I don’t think either of us have much of an option, right now.”

A familiar neigh stops you before you could answer him. “Perfect timing as always, Pep.” You turn back to the slumping lump of a beast.

“Now, get on.”

“I’ll crush it.”

“You won’t. She can handle it. It’s either this or you die in a blizzard... which won’t happen.”

“Why not?” He asks, lying on the back of your beloved horse with his chest on the saddle.

“I won’t be the one to tell your son his father died because of his pride.”

No other words were exchanged between the two of you that night or the following two nights as he rested.

While you comfort the young prince, your second oldest sister, Penny asks your brothers and father if she could ask Gaston for help, to which they denied her.

None of them wanted to deal with the man whose ego is so big, he can’t walk straight (they make jokes about how he always manages to walk into a mirror, even though that happened one time when he still ate three dozen eggs).

She clicks her tongue in disappointment, stopping her foot for extra flair.

“Penny,” Tom starts. “We don’t need to involve that idiot; he’s done nothing but try to ruin us. Why would we start to give into him and his demands now?”

“He is good. He will help is. He told me so himself.”

“And you truly believe him? Even after he told people of rumors about you.”

“That wasn’t him.”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t the old man that did it,” he looks off into the direction of Sam.

She stomps her foot and walks away, slamming the door to her shared room.

“Nice,” Rick comments with sarcasm.

“I didn’t see you jumping in there to help me.”

“I thought you had it handled.”

“If I had it handled our sister wouldn’t be out there with that- that beast!”

Rick takes a step back, looking at Tom, trying to get a read on him and it’s clear that he feels like it’s his fault even though none of them had control over this situation. “None of us could have ever known that this is what fathers' trip would lead to.”

“I should have known. I’m the oldest, I look out for us. I told him he didn’t need to take this trip.”

“You didn’t?”

“No.” He shakes his head, “but he was sure he did, and it made sense why he thought so.”

“Why?”

“Penny and Charlotte were out of dresses.”

Rick smacks his brother's arm, understanding that his only way to deal with this is through humor, even if it's only temporary. “What do you plan to do?”

“I’m not involving that imbecile, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, but haven’t you heard his story about how he ate three dozen eggs to help him get large and after started to go for four dozen once he was large.”

Tom narrows his eye at his younger brother, “you know I do and that’s exactly why.”

You gently wipe away the blood. “You can go to sleep you know. No one is going to hurt you.”

“I know no one would hurt me.”

“Someone’s cocky,” you mumble.

“What was that?”

You shake your head. “Nothing.”

He hisses and tries to pull his hand away.

“Hold still. I’m almost done and then you can rest some more.”

The others watch as you take care of him, wondering what’s changed for the cold-hearted king to be so… kind to you after everything that’s happened.

You place the wet rag back into the bowl, placing it on the table beside his bed. “I’m going to put this on your wounds.” You lift the bottle Sam gave you a few days earlier.

“What is it?”

“A gift from a friend.”

“And how do I know you’re not actually trying to poison me?”

“If I was, you would know and why would my friend try to poison me?”

“I don’t know.”

“That wasn’t a very good question to ask.”

He doesn’t say anything and grumbles under his breath, low enough for you to not hear what he says.

“You’re not going to complain or anything as long as you want someone to take care of yo-our wounds.” You cringe at the thought of saying “take care of you”.

You barely know him and already find yourself enamored with him.

Oh no.

He doesn’t say much else and moves when you tell him to.

“Now, that your wounds are taken care of. I’ll see myself out. Get more rest.” You rush out before he can try and argue with you.

The others follow in your footsteps, leaving their king and prince alone.

“Papa?”

“Yes, Bradley?”

“Do you think she will be the one to break the spell?”

Nick doesn’t turn to look at his son. How can he answer a question like that when he doesn’t know himself? How can he move on from Carole?

She was the love of his life.

Maybe that’s why he can’t.

He feels that if he does then he and Bradley will forget her and he could never bring himself to do that, even if he does struggle to talk about her.

“She’s a very nice person.”

Nick hums, faintly listening to his boy as he goes on about her family and the sacrifices they’ve made. He furrows his brows, “what do you mean?”

“About what?”

“The sacrifices her family has made. What do you mean by that?”

“Oh. She told me when she was a baby, her mama got sick, and her family had to leave making her papa sad. And her big brother has been working hard to make sure they can all buy things they need while her sisters search for husbands and her other brother stays to help her papa with his creations.”

“And what of her?”

“She can’t leave her family alone. They need someone to look after them.”

“Who takes care of her?”

The boy furrows his painted brows. “I don’t know.”

That’s why you chose to trade your life for his.

Nick holds back a groan thinking back to the number of times he called your father a thief. “When did you find this out?”

“Not long ago.” Nick imagines, if his boy was human again, he would have shrugged.

The boy yawns for the third time today.

It’s as though time is running out faster than he would have hoped for.

The two Bradshaw’s fall asleep, one dreaming of a time when he could have fun without worrying about breaking into pieces; the other, he dreams of dancing with the one he is to call his wife.

You, more or less, have the same dream although this one turns into a nightmare with two women dying.

You push yourself up, no longer feeling the need to sleep. You couldn’t tell who either of the women were at first.

But the more you think about it, you slowly begin to see who it is.

As you sit in bed, analyzing all that you dreamed of, you knew one was your darling mother while the other was Bradley’s mother, the beast’s first love. You still cannot wrap your mind around the fact that you keep dreaming of her.

Maybe sitting in front of the fire would help you fall back asleep.

You take the blanket off your bed and wrap it around your shoulders as you tiptoe out of your room and down the stairs until you make it to the main room.

The fireplace is already going by the time you sit in the chair.

You let your mind wander, curious as to what your family is doing.

Hardly anyone sleeps soundly in your family’s home anymore as they continue to work on a plan to bring you home.

“Why can’t we leave and try to find it?” Charlotte asks.

“Because, as I’ve said before, Char. We don’t know where it is. How many times do I have to tell you that,” Tom tells her.

“I don’t know, I didn’t hear you. Tell me again.”

Mike does his best to clear the tension between your siblings.

“Enough.”

They don’t stop, it’s like they don’t even hear him and continue to bicker at one another.

“Enough!”

They turn towards him, giving him their full attention.

“You two are adults and will act like it because you are not the only ones scared for the safety of your sister.”

They lower their heads, muttering apologies.

“We need to focus on figuring out where that damned castle is so we can bring Belle, home.”

Rick doesn’t want to ask but knows if he doesn’t, no one will. “Do you remember where it is? You said it was surrounded by the forest; how did you manage to make it through?”

“I,” your papa pauses, thinking back. “I just- there was an opening.”

“Where?”

“There was- there was just an opening.”

“We need to know where she went, we need to know how to find our sister.”

“I understand that. I know better than anyone how it is to miss someone but there wasn’t anything significant that could help us.”

“What if we talk to Gaston?”

The three men turn towards Penny.

“He might be able to help.”

“We’re not going the idiot so he can flex his muscles,” Tom explains to her.

She rolls her eyes, “he wouldn’t do that.”

“He does it all the time and it’s annoying because you get distracted and that’s not gonna help us.”

She huffs, “do you want to find her or not?”

“Of course, we do but we’re going to do it without him.”

“Have any of you told anyone anything about Belle’s current... predicament?” Rick asks. He remembers the weird looks the people in town were giving him earlier that day.

“Why do you ask?” Charlotte chimes in.

“You don’t want her to talk to Gaston about this but, I felt eyes on me as I walked through town earlier.”

“But you always have eyes on you. We all do,” Tom argues.

“I know, I know.” Rick starts, “it just- it felt like there were more eyes on me today and I feel like people are noticing that she isn’t home. I think they’re starting to talk about it.”

“Ignore anything they say. We’re bringing her home no matter what it takes, you got it?” Tom gives his siblings a stern look.

They nod, not giving him a verbal response.

Sometimes it’s better to go along with what Tom tells em rather than try and argue with him. “It’s too late for us to go out tonight but first thing when we wake up, we’re searching for her.”

Your papa and younger brother nod.

“We’ll stay here in case she comes back,” Charlotte adds.

It was agreed that this was the plan and if they couldn’t find you tomorrow- they’re not thinking about that because they won’t stop.

They’ll keep going until they can’t any longer.

You wake up to find yourself in the bed that’s been deemed as yours. You furrow your brows, knowing for a fact that you did leave this room at some point.

Part of you wonders if it was a dream or if the beast carried you back here.

You find a book on the nightstand and fight the urge to smile before dismissing the thought, not being able to imagine him doing something so kind… even if you did recently help him with his wounds.

You get dressed and don’t plan on asking him if he did or not, it’d be easier to forget your crazy thought than try and dig for information.

You don’t find anyone in the hallway or near the stairs, other than the echoing putter patter of what you assume to be the hunting dogs, remembering the brief description of how Bradley’s mother passed.

You feel for the boy, knowing how he feels especially since it happened when he was so young and why… Nick acts the way he does.

You consider yourself lucky since your papa never lashed out at any of you. You know what you’re going to do today.

You walk along the lower hallways, stopping when you spot a familiar tall figure speaking to his son.

You find yourself standing beside the doorway, unsure if you should leave or not, knowing that the floorboards would creak underneath you.

“She is a nice person.”

“So, I’ve heard,” his father mutters before setting his son down onto the table so he can search for another book. “You should smile at her.”

“Why would I do that, Brad?”

“She doesn’t have many friends and I know you would like her.”

“I don’t think anyone could befriend a beast,” he mutters under his breath. “That sounds like an interesting idea.”

“She likes to read.”

“Does she now?” He asks as if he doesn’t already know.

If the boy was human, he’d be nodding. “Yep! And she’s read a lot of the books we have here.”

“Oh.”

“I think she’d like to visit our library.”

“Interesting.”

“Her favorite is also yours.”

“Really?”

“I think she’s a good person to talk to… she would understand why you’re angry if you told her more about mama.”

Nick spins around, “what do you mean? Did you tell her of your mother?”

“Only after she told me how her mama died a few months after she was born. Her papa doesn’t talk about her.”

He sighs. “I don’t want to burden anyone else with knowing about your mother.”

“She would be happy to listen. She smiles every time I talk about her.”

“And how many times has that been?”

The boy doesn’t respond for a few seconds, trying to figure something out. “Twice.”

“And she was nice enough to take the time to listen to your ramblings?”

The teacup jumps up in happiness. “She did. She only got sad when she told me how no one from her family can speak of her without getting sad or not wanting to speak of her at all.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Tell her.”

“I’m with him.” Pete pops up out of nowhere.

Nick purses his lips, not liking when the two agree (ever, it never turns out well). “I can’t just tell her. She won’t understand and I- I wouldn’t be able to explain it to her.”

“Then take the time to explain it to her,” Pete adds with a “duh” tone.

“I’m not doing that. She doesn’t like me and I’ve- I’ve grown to accept that.”

“But-”

“Enough Bradley, it’s time for your lessons with Miss Potts and Chip.”

“He’s not wrong, you know.”

“Can it, Mav. It’s not happening.”

“But she still has it.”

“No. No one else has that loving feeling but-”

“You know it’s okay to open up your heart. She would want you to be happy, that’s all she ever wanted.”

“How can I be happy when it feels like I’m betraying her?”

“That just proves you loved her with all that you could.”

“So, that means I have nothing left to give?”

“N- No, I meant that you loved Carole with all that you could. Now, you have a chance to prove to yourself that you’re not the grumpy old man you pretend to be.”

“I’m not a grumpy old man,” Nick mumbles.

“Oh, you’re right. You’re an angry old man who pretends his heart is ice-cold and black, like he’s not worthy of finding someone new to love.”

“I’m done with this conversation.”

“Only because you know I’m right.”

Nick walks out of the room before he grabs his friend and throws him out a window (again). He huffs, debating on walking through the walls today.

‘Maybe I should try and show her kindness? Perhaps the book isn’t enough.’

He walks down the hallway, his ears twitching when Miss Potts' voice echoes through the hallway.

He steps closer, hiding behind the door, watching as the older woman talks to the kids and you.

“I wish I could help more around here. I feel like I’m not doing much.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that deary,” Miss Potts assures her.

“I can’t. At home… at my family’s home we would always be doing some kind of chore especially since our papa is getting older and can’t do a lot without getting hurt and prefers to be working on clocks as well as any other item that need to be fixed,” you smile, thinking about it.

“I hope they’re all okay.”

“I’m sure they are,” Miss Potts tries her best to reassure you.

You shrug, “perhaps.” You push yourself out of the chair. “Excuse me, you two have lessons you should be doing.”

You exit the room in search of something else to do.

The tall beast managed to scurry away before you could get closer.

Nick watches from a distance, realizing how sad you must be... away from your family. He knows what he needs to do.

You stand in the very same ballroom that continues to haunt your dreams. You hadn’t the faintest idea who the woman is in your dreams, and it makes you sad when you think about it because after learning about how Bradley’s mother passed, you believe it’s her.

You just- you don’t know why she’s haunting you in your dreams. You take a second and close your eyes, thinking back to when you would dance with your brothers and sisters.

It was a happy time; none of you had nearly as many responsibilities as you do now.

“What are you doing?”

You flinch, not expecting anyone else to be here. “Uh,” you spin around, staring at him. “Nothing?”

Nick raises a brow, “it didn’t look like nothing.”

“I was- uh- just- uh-”

He continues to stare at you, waiting for your response.

“I was… just remembering when my siblings taught me how to dance.”

“Oh.”

“We always dreamed of being grownups and dancing in such a magnificent ballroom, you know, like yours.”

“Would you…” His words become quieter making it harder for you to hear. “I was wondering if you- if you wanted to dance?”

He hasn’t been this nervous to ask someone to dance in a long time.

Maybe it was a good thing.

Your lips form into an “O” shape. “Or not, I get it-” “I would love to.”

With the way you two stare at one another, it’s clear to see how surprised both of you are.

“Tonight?” “After dinner?” You two ask at the same time, chuckling at one another’s response.

“After dinner,” you nod.

“I’ll see you then.”

You run in the direction of your room, needing to change into something more suitable for dancing.

Dinner was wonderful as always but this one seemed to be more special than any previous meals.

You slowly walk down the staircase, seeing Nick across the way. A small smile gracing your lips, your heart races at the thought of dancing with him.

It scares you, how excited you are to dance with someone who wreaked havoc into your life.

He holds his hand out, waiting for you to come down the last few steps.

You slowly place your hand into his much larger paw, guiding you down the final staircase.

He carefully steps forward, not wanting to overstep his boundaries or startle you.

You step forward, leaving the proper amount of distance between you two.

He leads, taking a step forward, you take one backwards, continuing this until he changes things and spins you around.

You’re free as you continue dancing with him, not thinking of anything else other than the fact that you’re enjoying yourself at this moment, more than you have in a long time.

Once it’s over he invites you to his library, the one place Pete and Bradley were nice enough to show you the other day.

Part of you wished you could have read something with him…

‘Maybe another time.’

“I have something I want to show you.”

You follow him without saying another word, curiosity overpowering any other thought you have.

“The one who cursed me gave me this, along with a few other things as you know.”

You reach out to touch the book but pull away before you could. “What does it do?”

“It’s a cruel joke.”

“Why?”

“It was designed to take me anywhere in the world, show the world of the beast that I am.”

“And you chose to show me, why?”

“I think it’s time I- I show you I can be the person they tell you I am.”

“And who is that?”

“Someone who can brighten someone’s mood when they’re upset.”

You smile to yourself, maybe you haven’t given him the benefit of the doubt.

Yet again, all you’ve ever come to know with him is his anger, you haven’t been given much of an opportunity to see any other side of him.

“Where to?”

You whisper, your family’s old home. Where you lived when you were only a few months old.

You look around, a sad expression on your face as you see the unfinished work, unmade bed, and the closed trunk off to the side.

“Oh, Paris? Interesting choice,” Nick comments, not paying all that much attention to you. “Should we go see the Ei-” He turns around. “What’s wrong?”

You wipe your cheek. “It’s- I- this was my home when I was- uh- when I was younger. This was the last place I ever saw my mama.”

“Why is that?”

You can’t find it in you to answer him as you find a special rose pen that you know belonged to her.

“This is a doctors mask.”

You nod, gulping down whatever spit had built up in your mouth, although you know what happened to her that doesn’t stop you from answering any questions he may have. “She was sick, and we had to leave. We- we couldn’t stay here.”

You wipe the corner of your eye. “I never knew what our first home looked like. I wanted to see the last place she was in before she passed. But I-” You take a deep breath.

“I understand. We can return, if you’d like.”

You nod, “please.”

You two return to the castle.

“I need to- I need-”

“You need to what?”

You spin around, looking at him. “I need to- to- to see my family.”

“What?” He whispers.

“I need to see my family. I- I need to see if they’re alright. I haven’t been able to see them in a long time. I’m worried about them. Please, if… if there is any compassion left in you, let me go see my family just- just this once and I will never ask you for anything again.”

He doesn’t respond nor does he make any movement.

“I- no- forget it, forget I said anything.”

He opens a drawer and pulls out a mirror. “Use this.”

“What?”

“If you wish it, you may see your family.”

“I- how does this work?”

“Another gift.”

You lift the mirror, “I wish to see my family,” you whisper.

An image of your family arguing with Gaston concerns you, more so when it pans on the man forcing your family in the back of a familiar wagon.

“No. No. No,” you mutter. “What is it?”

Nick comes to stand beside you, seeing the traumatizing scene. He knows what needs to happen, deep down, he would do the same if the tables were turned. “You need to go.”

“What?”

“You need to go help your family.”

“But I-”

He shakes his head, “it’s okay. I understand.”

“I will-”

“Don’t- don’t say anything. Your horse is going to get waiting outside.”

“I- I can’t thank you enough.” You bunch up the skirt of your dress in your hands, keeping hold of the mirror.

“Go.”

Your eyes fill with tears because of your family’s current predicament and the fact that you have to leave him.

“Thank you.” You don’t look back as you run down the hallway or down the stairs or out the doors, only when Peppermint is close to the broken forest entrance do you and it breaks your heart to watch the sad beast man hang off one of the roofs.

It reminds you of the first time you saw him.

“Faster, Peppermint,” you crack the reins.

“I was the one who had it all,” he mumbles when your figure gets further away from the castle.

He slumps down, mindlessly wandering through the castle.

“Father?”

He turns, placing one paw on the staircase railing. “Bradley?”

“Where is she going?”

“To her family.” He returns to his previous task and continues up the stairs.

“You let her go?” Pete asks, unsure if he could believe it.

“He loves her too much to keep her when she’s clearly needed elsewhere,” Miss Potts adds.

“Oh.”

“Are we ever going to become human?” Chip asks.

“I don’t know, Chip,” she responds.

You keep your attention focused in front of you.

You don't know how much further you have to go but you know that you're close, you can sense your family is near as Peppermint gallops closer towards the entrance of the village.

As soon as she makes it through the entrance of the village, you immediately hear the cries for help from your family members and the angry comments coming from the villagers (who never liked you or your family ever since you arrived).

When Peppermint swerves around the wagon you immediately hop off with no sense of the possibility of accidentally injuring yourself.

Your only concern is your family’s safety.

You swirl around to face Gaston with an expression of rage clear on your face.

He immediately ignores it, of course.

“I command that you let my family go,” you say angrily as you stare into his cold eyes.

“They've done nothing wrong. Why must you do this to us we've done nothing wrong to you or anyone else. My sister has cared for you for all this time, and you treat her like this? Have you no compassion?”

He lets out an airy chuckle, one that makes you uncomfortable. Of course, he does; he's never taken a woman seriously a day in his life and why would he start now.

His uncaring attitude earns chuckles from a few of the villagers behind you, but you don't pay attention to them. “Why would I listen to a woman like you or your sister?” He grins at you, it’s the kind to send a shiver down your spine, dare you say it appears to be a sinister smirk.

The more he talks the more it annoys you and feeds into your anger, but you stop and think, realizing you can't let this anger get the best of you because if you do, you may lose your family forever, and you will not let it happen.

“Why is it that you’ve locked up my family?” You ask him, thinking it’d be best to ask him straightforwardly instead of waiting for when he’ll throw you into the wagon, leaving you to rot with your family.

You can’t let this happen; you have to return to the one… you hold dear to you. Your heart aches, you have much more to lose than just your family here. Again, he chuckles, now it’s not nearly as evil as the first one and yet it still sends a shiver down your spine.

“You know,” he starts off, “your father- he- uh- he seems to have lost his mind. Why you ask? Well,” he pauses clearly trying to come up with a lie for the villagers to believe.

As much as you hate to admit it, the villagers would probably believe anything he says because he's a war hero, meaning they respect him too much to disagree.

Or maybe because they fear for their safety and their lives since they know what he’s capable of.

“You see,” he begins again. “Mike has begun to say some strange things which raises alarm about his mind.” He fakes sympathy when he says, “we fear for the safety of you and your family.”

You know he's lying, but how can you prove it when none of the villagers have ever liked you?

Is that why he’s saying these things because he knows none of them will believe you if you try to tell the truth?

Why would they believe you when you say it is Gaston who has lost his mind and not your papa?

You gulp down whatever saliva has built up in your mouth, your hands are sweaty, leaving marks on the mirror as you tighten your grip. “Why- why do you think my father has lost his mind?” You weakly ask, having a feeling about what he's going to say.

“Well, it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Gaston starts with a knowing tone and a supercilious stance.

You hate it.

He slaps his hand on the wagon door, alarming your family.

They all look up through the tiny window to see you there with no wounds and not looking as if death is waiting for you (as few have thought a few times since you’ve been gone).

Their concerning expressions slowly diminish at the site of you and soon their brows furrow, you know it's because of the way you're dressed and the fact that you're not dead because of some beast that your father had seen.

They slowly begin to believe him more now.

You immediately rushed towards the wagon; your hands touched the wood door as if you were trying to touch your family members themselves.

You wonder if it would be wise to try and break the lock now but know that if you do then something bad will happen. And you don’t know if the villagers will try to remove you from them or if Gaston will order something else to occur; the thought of any of it happening scares you.

‘Maybe,’ you think. ‘Maybe it would be wise to “listen” to what he has to say and play along with his games until it’s over.’

You lean in whispering, “I will get you out of here, you will be free, and we will be together, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

Tom and Rick glance at one another, they have some idea as to what you may ask of them, but it still raises alarms in their heads.

Maybe it would have been best for you to not ask them for help but what else can you do in this dire situation?

You turned to see your sister’s nod knowing that they’ll follow orders to get out and regain their freedom.

Poor Penny is crying along with Charlotte but the second oldest of the two is more heartbroken than any of you... which, of course, makes sense since she believed that she was in love with Gaston, and he returned those feelings. It pains her to think that he used her.

As much as she wishes to weep, she knows she cannot at this time.

She pushes all her thoughts about him aside, knowing that she needs to be focused so she can listen to what you have to say and help the rest of them get out.

For once, neither of your brothers nor your Papa say anything as you whisper to them a foolproof plan.

The man who can eat far too many eggs (for your comfort), pulls you back and away from your family, you jerk your arm within his grasp trying to get away from him.

As you struggle to remove yourself from him, he manages to grab the one thing that you brought with you from the castle.

When you see what he has in his hands, you gasp.

He’s going to figure out how to use it and show everyone the beast Nick.

You can’t let it happen, they can’t see him; if they do, they’re only going to want to hurt him, and you won’t- you don’t know if you’d survive that. You reach for it only for the irksome man to raise his arm, keeping it away from being within your reach.

“Give it back to me, Gaston. It’s not yours.”

“It doesn’t look like it’s yours either.”

“It is- give it back.”

“No.” He lowers his hand, inspecting it himself. “How do you use it?”

“I’m not going to tell you that.”

“It’ll save you and your family.”

“No.”

“You don’t care about their safety? Some daughter slash sister, you are.”

You groan, reaching for it again. “I need it. Give it to me.”

The same smirk he gave you hasn’t left his face once since you arrived, it only became worse as time went on, just like now. “Show me the beast.”

An image of the sad beast pops up.

“Look,” he spins it around, showing the others.

“Look at his fangs. Those horns. His claws. He will kill us all if we don’t do something about it first.”

“NO!” You cry out.

“Kill the beast!”

“Stop it!”

Gaston grabs your arm. “Le Fou, open the door.”

He does as the larger man tells him to.

“Stop- don’t listen- please,” you struggle to fight his grasp. “Let me go! You’re making a mistake. He is kind and- and he has a family. He wouldn’t harm any of you unless provoked.”

The man scoffs, “you’ve fallen for such a hideous beast. Have you no shame.” He snickers, glancing over at your sisters. “Good thing I didn’t bring myself down to your level and marry one of your sisters. I would die if I was intertwined with such nonsense.”

As soon as you're tossed inside, the door closes, you slam your hands onto the door, not caring about getting a splinter. “Let me out! Let me out! He’s not the beast you think he is!”

“Belle.” “Belle.” Your family calls out for you, pulling you away from the door.

“I think there are a few other things we need to worry about.” Mike holds you in his arms. “Breath, sweetheart. I need you to take deep breaths so we can help you. We can’t understand you, if all you do is scream and plead.”

“He is not who you think he is. He is a kind man who had been upset for a long time and if I don’t get back, they’ll- they’ll-” You wipe away your tears and reach into the corset of your dress, pulling out a small rod. “Use this to pick the lock.”

He gives you an impressive look. “I knew I taught you well.”

“Hurry up,” your brothers say to him.

He shrugs them off and continues to pick at the lock.

Once it clicks open, it falls to the ground.

He pushes the door open, purposefully bumping into the man that Gaston assigned to stand guard.

Your brothers push themselves out and grab the man, forcing him inside.

“Grab the lock,” Tom tells Charlotte.

She grabs it and quickly clicks it into place.

“Not all of us are going to be able to get to the castle on your horse,” says Rick.

“Not all of us have to go.”

“But-”

Numerous neighs disrupt your minor argument.

“Looks like we won’t need to worry,” Penny comments. “Come on.”

“No,” Mike pushes you towards your horse. “You go. We’ll be right behind you.”

“What?”

“I can see it, you know.”

“See what?”

“Your eyes, she had those eyes from the moment we meant up until the very end. You’ve found love within him. You can save him, but you must be quick.”

You crack the reins and take off.

“Please take care of him,” you hear as you pass through the entrance.

You know its late wife calling out to you.

There’s no other reason for her to be doing this, if she didn’t want her family to be happy and the least you could do is respect her wishes.

“I promise,” you whisper.

You arrive at the sound of angry shouts and echoing gunshots.

You look up and find it’s the beast Nick to be the target. “No,” you mumble and run up the stairs.

The cries of a young boy follow behind you, you turn to find the young prince flying, catching him before anything bad could happen to him. “Bradley. What were you doing?”

“I’m defending my home.”

“You can’t be doing things as dangerous as that. What would-”

Another echo.

Your head snaps in the direction of the forbidden west wing. You tighten your grip on the boy and run. “Gaston! Stop this!”

Nick’s head snaps in your direction, he whispers your name before pushing himself back to jump in your direction.

He grabs one of your hands, being careful not to do anything too fast to harm his son. “You returned,” he mumbles, face full of shock and awe.

You nod. “I did.”

He grunts, falling to his knees.

Your head turns to see the smug smirk hanging from his lips.

“Stop,” You place Bradley on the ground before putting yourself between the hunter and Nick.

“What are you doing?”

“I will not let you die at the hands of this man.”

Gaston throws his head back and lets out a hearty, belly aching laugh. “You’re protecting this- this beast but not those of your kind?”

“He has been kinder than you ever have!”

“I doubt that. Now, move out of the way and let me kill my latest prey so I can-” the bridge beneath him begins to crack but he pays no attention to it. “Finish him off and hang his head on my wall.”

Just as his finger touches the trigger, the bridge gives out beneath him; he couldn’t run away if he tried to.

Your eyes widen, not looking down too frightened to see him lay dead on the ground.

Although his personality was brutish and vile, it is still a human being that died today.

You spin around, checking on him.

“You're bleeding too much. We must get you medical attention.”

“I don’t- it’s time.”

“No,” you shake your head, in denial. “We can get you help and-”

He grabs your hand. “I don’t have much time now. I can feel myself slipping away.”

“N- no, you don’t- you don’t feel it. Don’t say that. What about- oh, Bradley,” you lift the teacup carefully before placing him on Nick’s abdomen.

“Bradley.”

“What about the curse?”

“It’s too,” he closes his eyes, letting out a deep and slow exhale. “We’re out of time.”

“But she can-”

“No.”

Sam walks up the stairs, not giving anyone a second glance.

He knows exactly where to go and what’s happened between the two of you, but his curse is in place and it’s up to you now to break it.

The ground shakes violently as the last petal falls.

More than half the staff have become a stiffened furniture version of who they used to be, Pete, Marcus, and Leonard were the last ones.

Leonard waves one last time before rocking side to side as he takes his final form.

Pete turns to Marcus, prepared to make a final speech but can’t find it in him to do so.

“Until we meet again,” he whispers, to the antique clock.

Nick and you begin sobbing as Bradley’s face is wiped away and he looks like a real, non-living teacup.

“Please don’t leave me,” you whisper, holding his cheek, wiping away his tears.

“Could you- could you ever find it in you to love a beast like me?”

You sniffle, “I can’t.”

“I... see.”

The life drains from his eyes after hearing those words.

You gasp, covering your mouth.

The last words he will ever hear from you are a lie.

“I already do,” you whisper as tears trickle down your cheeks, landing on one of the few blood stains of his shirt.

You continue to weep onto him until your family arrives and pulls you away. You lean onto your father and wet his shoulder with your love and grief-stricken tears.

You can’t help but think, had Gaston moved his arm a few inches to the left, he would have killed Nick instantly, forbidding you from having those last few seconds with him.

A gasp is all that enters your ears before your sisters tug on the sleeves of your dress.

“Stop tugging on-” Tom stops talking at the interesting sight.

“Tom, what- holy sh-” Rick stops when he sees what his siblings see.

“Belle,” it whispers.

“No,” you shake your head.

“The curse is fooling me,” you mutter.

“Darling, you need to look up.”

You open your eyes, glancing at your father.

He gestures for you to turn towards where the love of your life lays, dead.

You do as everyone wants you to and your jaw drops. “No.”

“It’s me.”

“No.” He whispers your name. “You’re not real.” He takes a step forward, his hand cupping your cheek.

“You saved me.”

“No- I- I didn’t.”

“You did. You saved us.”

A light tug on the skirt of your dress alerts you. You look down and find a young boy standing there. Your eyes water as you bend down, standing on your knees. “Bradley?”

He nods, a nervous smile gracing his lips. “Oh my- you- your both-” He can’t hold himself back and launches himself into your arms.

You gasp and let out an airy chuckle as you squeeze the boy.

The king kneels on one knee beside you two, petting the back of his son's head. His eyes focused on nothing but the two of you.

You lean over and let yourself fall into his embrace with Bradley since he won’t let go. “You’re here.”

“I am,” he mumbles into your hair. “We need to get up though. I need to see if everyone is all right.”

Tom and Rick help you get up, giving Bradley the ability to maneuver himself tighter onto you.

You all walk downstairs to see everyone hugging. “What happened?”

“The warlock who cursed us, erased us from the villagers' minds.”

“Oh.”

“Shouldn’t he be clinging to you instead of me?”

The man only grins in return. “He likes you.”

You narrow your eyes to him. “Don’t make him sound like a dog.”

A fake beast-like growl comes from his chest. “I’m not. I’d never do that to my boy.”

“Okay.”

He searches for someone in the crowd in front of the castle.

“Goose!”

“Mav!”

The two men run towards one another, hugging each other tightly.

Rick leans down to whisper, “shouldn’t he be embracing you like that?”

“I have Bradley to make up for it.”

“But-”

“Quiet, Rick.”

Your brother raises his arms, backing away.

They release one another and Pete walks closer towards you two. “I knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“I knew it would be you who would break the curse and get the scary beast to become a fluff ball again.”

“Ah.”

“No more talking.” Nick pushes himself between you two. “We have a celebration to plan.”

“We do?” You ask.

“Yep.”

“Like what?”

“The reunion of our people, a potential courtship, and the celebration of Bradley’s birthday.”

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“What you just said there, you know the thing about a potential courtship?”

“Oh,” he lets out a soft chuckle, “you mean that thing? That’s a- that’s nothing,” he quickly adds trying to brush it off.

“It’s not nothing if you felt the need to mention it,” you point out.

The surprised look on his face lets you know he's been caught.

The snickers from your brothers, Pete and Leonard around you don’t help him either.

“I liked it better when you didn’t talk,” Nick tells him.

“We all know you’re lying. And you’ve missed my voice,” Leonard teases him.

Marcus shakes his head.

Part of him feels as though he shouldn’t have mentioned it now, like maybe Nick should have waited but the other part of him was just too excited to hold it in any longer.

He hasn’t felt this way in a long time and he’s going to bask in every moment for as long as he can which is probably why he quickly added the word, potential.

He glances down at you once more and the look on your face tells him otherwise.

Dare he say, you’re happy at the thought of being in a courtship with him? If not that, then he’s putting too much thought into it but, he knows you.

He can’t hold back any longer and takes a step forward, cupping your cheek before leaning in to place a gentle kiss on your lips, slowly deepening until he pulls away for air.

For you, it was more than enough in that moment… until your siblings let out fake gagging noises behind you.

Everyone takes their time returning to the village, wanting to use every moment to rekindle and rebuild relationships that have… been on hold.

The last few to take their leave is your family, only after giving you long hugs, muttering kind remarks while your second oldest brother makes jokes.

You turn to the side and find familiar faces.

Sam and Carole watch all of you with happy smiles on their faces.

The warlock guides the woman closer to the forest before they disappear.

To this day, you still don’t know if what you saw was real or not.

A few months later you and Nick are engaged, the weddings coming up faster than you realize.

Bradley runs around the hallways with Chip, their laughter bringing a sense of peace for you and your fiancé.

“Hello,” he says, reaching for your hand as he kisses your knuckles.

“It’s never going away, is it?”

He chuckles. “I happen to find that to be very rude you know. I’ve been working on this for a long time,” he pets his mustache.

“I know,” you nod. “It was there the same time I was here, maybe longer.”

“And it's here to stay.” He pauses, his lips tugging upwards into a playful smirk. “How would you feel about Bradley having one when he’s older?”

“Did that curse take away your brain too?”

He scoffs, “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” You sigh, “I don’t think he’ll follow in your footsteps.”

The boys come rushing up the stairs, coming to a halt before they could run into either of you.

“Mama, look.”

Your left eye twitches. “Oh, how fun. Please make sure your mustaches are off before dinner.”

They nod and take off.

You turn to him, narrowing your eyes at his pathetic excuse of hiding his amusement. “You are evil.”

“I am not. He got that idea all on his own.”

“He is your son.” You turn and walk away, feeling that enough was said and he would understand.

“I thought he was ours?”

“Until that mustache is off, you’re claiming him.”

He grumbles under his breath, whispering his sons name. “Bradley. Bradley.”

A few months later you and Nick are officially married and during the big dance, Pete and Penny announce their courtship (which was no surprise) before the night was over.

Tom found himself a nice young woman, Sarah, who is his current business partners sister.

They settle down in town so they’re close to family and for him to be able to continue with his business.

Rick met a nice young woman, Antoinette while he went to the neighboring village to get a new saddle for his horse, Wood (gifted to him by your husband).

Charlotte wants to go off and live the life your mother couldn’t, travel and share her art skills with the world, not quite ready to settle down yet… until a year later when she returned home engaged to a man named Adam.

By that time, you had your first daughter, Sydney-Carole (named after your mother and Bradley’s). He was so happy to hold his little sister, always careful and sitting somewhere since he was still a small child.

Pete and Penny married shortly after your second daughter; Aline was born.

Tom and Sarah moved a few towns away when she became pregnant with their second child.

Right around that time, Rick and Antoinette decided it was time to go to back to her hometown when she got word of her sick father.

Charlotte and Adam stay in the same house as your father, helping him and selling her art until he passes.

By the time Bradley and Chip were thirteen, Sydney-Carole becoming an energetic eight-year-old, and Aline barely turning five; it was a big surprise when you found out you were pregnant again, this time birthing a boy, Phillipe.

Nick was happy to hear that there was finally gonna be another Bradshaw boy in family.

Bradley was happy that he would be able to have someone he could pass off his “wisdom” too (a thought he got from his father).

As you watch the kids run around in the garden, you can’t help but wonder how different things could have been had you not asked for that rose and realize, you wouldn’t trade anything in the world to not be where you are now.

Nick exits the back and stands beside you, enjoying the sight of all the children playing together while you bask in the peace of knowing that this is what your papa would have wanted.

All his grown children still having monthly dinners so that parents could bond and chat while the children play.

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adickaboutspoons · 8 months

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📓

Once upon a time, there lived a maid. Not a maiden, mind you. She was married, thank you very much. Maid was merely her job title... Fairytale au in the vein of Hans My Hedgehog/East of the Sun, West of the Moon/The True Bride/Cupid & Psyche. Snipping because brevity? I don't know her.

When Ed's mum wished for a baby, she didn't expect her child would be a strange creature with a beard of black tentacles. She loves and protects him as best she can, but the world, and his father, especially, is cruel to the strange boy, and as soon as he can, he runs away (shortly after the mysterious disappearance of his asshole father), to make his way in the world. The world of piracy is also cruel, but with his prodigious aspect, and rapier-sharp mind, he quickly builds a reputation as the dreaded Kraken - the most fearsome pirate ever to rove the seas. In his travels, he encounters a land East of the sun, West of the Moon, North-by-northwest of the Pole, and around the corner from the Southern Cross, and in it an enchantress who promises that she can take away his tentacles and give him the face he was always meant to have, but in exchange, he must agree to return to her in a year and become her 20th husband. The enchantress Jackie is a reasonable woman, though, and will not require Ed to marry her if he finds someone to love him, and she'll even make the tentacle-reversal permanent as a wedding gift, BUT! he may not reveal to them his un-tentacled face , for if he does, he must return to her straight away. Ed has always yearned for someone to love him and believed that his cursed face has been an impediment to that. Barring that, he's fucking had it with pirate life and all its cruelty, and for all he knows, he may be dead in a year, and doesn't much mind the idea. so he takes the deal. But what the canny enchantress neglected to mention is that the tentacles would only go away in the dark of the night. Sailing away from the enchantress' kingdom, Ed sacks a merchant ship, but agrees to spare the merchant's life if he will surrender to Ed the first thing of his he lays his eyes on upon returning home. Which is how Mr. Bonnet not-quite-reluctantly turns over his worthless son, who was waiting at the docks, searching the horizon for his father's ship, and wishes the Kraken the best of luck. Stede is a bit worthless, in that he has no practical life skills, but he has boundless enthusiasm, insatiable curiosity about every aspect of Ed's life (which, of course, means learning about piracy), charming conversation, the most fascinatingly bonkers way of looking at things Ed has ever encountered, and most importantly, is the first person ever not to recoil in disgust, or fear from Ed's tentacled face. <insert falling-in-love sequence that I certainly haven't spent ages imagining and never actually committing to paper that eventually involves sneaking into one another's beds at night for (of course totally platonic, what else could it be, Stede tells himself) cuddles>. After some little time, Stede becomes curious about why the captain doesn't allow any lamps to be lit after sundown. And Izzy, who knows about the deal and would rather see Ed chained to an enchantress for the rest of his life than whatever is happening here with this fop, tells him that the Captain is under a spell, and nighttime reveals his true face, but it can only be looked upon by the eyes of true love, and it won't be long now before he can return to her in the land East of the sun, West of the Moon, North-by-northwest of the Pole, and around the corner from the Southern Cross, when the spell is done. And Stede (who is absolutely dippy for Ed, but can't imagine the greatest legend of piracy could ever be interested in a worthless wharf-rat like him, so won't let himself even think about being in love), with a curious pain in his chest, wishes Ed the every happiness. To be continued in part II because apparently Tumblr doesn't like how long this is or something.

#ofmd fic #eventually #my modest contribution to fandom #ofmd #our flag means death #maybe in time for your NEXT birthday 😅

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oneoftheprettynerds · 3 years

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Belle Of The Ball: Dark! King! Steve Rogers x Reader

A/N: So this my first ever proper dark fic and I’m so nervous. I finished it but my mind thinks it’s garbage. so I’m gonna post this now when I’m feeling a random spurt of courage and am confident in my work. So here’s my masterpiece, cookies.

This is for Dark!MCU Festive Fic swap hosted by @darkficsyouneveraskedfor and @darkmcuficswap

My giftee is @hermesmaximoff Hope you enjoy it love!

Thanking @firefly-graphics for the dividers: both personalised and general.

There is also an amateur somewhat okay shitty poster I decided to make which is included at the end.

WARNING: THIS IS A DARK FIC CONTAINING DUBIOUS CONSENT BORDERING NON-CON AND EXPLICIT SMUT. YOUR MEDIA CONSUMPTION IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. LOSS OF VIRGINITY, ABUSE OF AUTHORITY, BREEDING KINK ALSO PRESENT.

Summary: Invited to the Royal ball by the benevolent monarch, you could barely control your excitement to visit the Capital. While you were busy admiring his prosperous reign, King Steve was quite occupied getting enamoured by you. As you try to fulfil the King’s demands, secrets find their way out.

CHARACTERS + GENRE: DARK!STEVE ROGERS X READER, SUPERNATURAL STEVE ROGERS X READER (read to find out what), ROYAL AU, HALLOWEEN THEME (I tried for the request, hope you do like it)

King Steve Rogers invites the princes and the princesses of all Kingdoms, near and afar,

To celebrate his several years of reign.

He requests thy kind and noble presence

At the joyous regale

of his auspicious ball

On the thirty first of October,

after sundown, in His Majesty’s finest castle.

Challenging thy with the unique theme of

A Halloween Masquerade Ball,

The King expects exceptional indulgence from all.

The Most Grandiose Halloween Celebration is being organised with the spookiest of events within.

Come here if you dare.

“We have been invited to a royal party! My day couldn’t have been better!” Your elder sister exclaimed, jumping quite unladylike in your chambers, as you went through the details of the venue. You chuckled at her antics, knowing rather well that she would be scolded if someone else was present.

“Emma, Mother has to approve first. As Lady Ava always says, don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

“As if mother would really decline an invite from the King, dear sister.” She rolled her eyes at you, not letting her enthusiasm die as you pondered over her words.

Your sister had a point though, the King summoning your presence was not to be taken lightly. The invitation came up handwritten in a scroll with the King’s wax seal atop it. It was placed elegantly beside a golden mask in a rectangular black box, that bore the Majesty’s sigil on the front.

The theme of the ball wasn’t that peculiar if you reflected over it, the renowned monarch was also recognised for his distinct interest in eerie, unearthly beings. He was known for adventuring into haunted lands, mysterious manors and sinister soils, meeting up with people rumoured to be sorcerers and occultists.

Of course, the reason for his encounters was sometimes rumoured to be because of his familial distress, how he couldn’t find a mate to procreate with and conceive his own heir no matter what. Three females, who were pregnant with a progeny of his blood, none his wife though, had died during the first two or tercet months, reason unspecified why.

Coming to You, you and your sister weren’t actual princesses, rather the daughters of one of the esteemed Ministers in the King’s cabinet. The benevolent King, however referred to the daughters of the town, more exactly, the Kingdom, as noblewomen. He held high reverence for the females and was the sole creditor to the improved condition of the women in this era. No matter how troubled his own life was, the King was the most merciful royal to be crowned to date, his people prospering under him.

Your sister nodded eagerly to your mother, drinking in her words like the fine tea you all had in the afternoons, while you just smiled at her advice.

When you both met your mother for dinner, you were surprised to find her already informed about the invitation. Her conformity to the celebration astonished you even more, but Emma’s zeal was starting to rub off on you too by the end of the meal.

Your mother continued, “Your father mentioned The Majesty is looking for a wife, quite possibly. He has been insistent in trying to get a successor the correct way this time, by courting the lady who piques his interest. Even though this might be a rumour, or some gossip spun by the ladies of the Cabinet, you both should try your best to be graceful and presentable. Among the hundreds of guests, he’d be having over, on the off-chance, if Gods allow, that either of you manages to entice him, it will only promise you the most pleasant of all forthcomings. It would also do me and your father some good, if you managed to find some other suitable bachelor, from a nice background to engage with.”

Your sister had always been one with the more overactive imagination out of you two, while you had been the more serene and poised one. When she’d be out playing with the children in your town, you’d be talking to the younger toddlers, drawing with chalks on the side. For every kid she splashed with water in the nearby sapphire river, you made tots flower crowns. These were the values you both grew up with, and these will be the values you’d die with.

After days of shopping velvet fabrics and silk textiles, and bothering your seamster to make sophisticated and stylish dresses, you both neared your day of departure. After some instructions to you both to represent your father and town well, your mother bid you adieu. It was nerve wracking to not have your mother by your side, for an event as big as this was, but since you both had passed more than twenty name days, you were expected to be proper, independent ladies.

With a heavy heart and some self, positive affirmations, you and your sister embarked on the voyage, which was filled with her chitchat.

You only hoped that the gala was as exciting as your family made it out to be. That it was just a King trying to celebrate his sovereign with some western festival integrated together. That the event would not be as unnerving and creepy as the last line of his invitation made it out to be.

For some unknown cause, it did not sit well with you. Your apprehensive intuition made you wary of the invitation for some reason, but you let your sibling’s zest take you over. What benefit would fretting get you?

The ball was far more pompous than anything you’d have imagined in your little head. All the ideas that Emma had come up with during your journey, to anticipate the extent of extravagance for the ball, were all exceeded with tenfold finesse. You had travelled to faraway, distant lands with your parents, but the King’s mansion, with all the festivity happening, was truly a sight to behold.

Entering The Capital had been the highlight of your excursion, you were sure earlier, but well you were proved wrong. Your father greeted you both when you had arrived, eager to see his angels after almost six moons, and had ensured you both got the best of the accommodations in the well-built, enormous fort. He introduced you to several of his comrades as well as their brooding, young lads and then, left you both to rest for the main event next eve. With two maids at your every beck and call, courtesy of your father, your time went smoothly and now you found yourself at the said Halloween themed celebration, staring around in awe of every little detail that had been so meticulously handled to make the event as dazzling as it was.

The servants were dressed rather ridiculously as cats, wearing some bizarre structure resembling cat ears, horribly short black dresses barely past their thighs and some whiskers draw using either coal or makeup, you weren’t sure. It was a poor attempt to make them appear feline. However, the food was as immaculate as everything else, entirely themed like only blood red wine, candied apples, chicken pumpkins, cheesecake brain, mummy muffins, some appetizer with bell peppers as jack-o-lanterns; these were the few that met your sights.

The hall was so grand, almost the size of three jousting arenas and playing fields combined with pillars having detailed architecture supporting the place. The walls were covered in scarlet, golden and black velvet drapes, the royal colours, and beautiful masquerade masks were pinned atop them, along the walls. Almost hundred round, white clothed tables filled the ballroom, with gold plated candlesticks and utensils upon them. The entire place had entertainers progressing around, the essence of it being magicians, clowns, contortionists, palm and tarot card readers.

In the centre of the hall, was an empty space, reserved for the soon to be ensuing dancing. An orchestra on the side had beautiful instruments, playing soft melodies for now, reserving the upscale beats for later.

You had only read a few books on Halloween to be prepared but nothing could have geared you up for this. Your small-town self was gaping at everything with a childlike wonder while somehow your sister was quite composed and calm, somehow your roles had been reversed.

Emma was wearing a blue gown, having several layers of nets and cloth, each a different shade of azure. She tried to dress as the mythical creature called mermaid, with crystal heels and a beaded neckline. Her masquerade mask had scales like fish, made using shining sequins. She looked so gorgeous, truly managing to look captivating.

You on the other hand were dressed like an angel, which you were against, finding it too mainstream and typical and wanted to dress like an enchantress with violet and jade colours, which your mother immediately negated. On demand of your sister, she let you wear a fluffy white ball gown, and had you made wings with dove feathers, an apparatus which was astonishingly light to wear. Using her art and craft skills, Emma made you a headband with two wires attached to a metal ring, shaped like an angel’s halo. The loop at top made of some special metal that glowed golden in the dark, making it look like a real, floating halo. Your mask had a fur lining on it, and silver sparkles were sprinkled all over you, with pretty makeup on your face, courtesy of your sibling.

The change in music brought you out of your reverie, as trumpets and harps began to hum, signifying the arrival of the King on the grand staircase. He had a crimson red velvet cape descending his broad shoulders, his tuxedo underneath could hide neither his long legs nor his bulging, protruding biceps. His black, shining shoes cost more than your entire apparel, you were certain.

As your gaze ascended his masculine form, you were mesmerised furthermore with his high cheekbones, full lips tainted cherry pink, a Grecian slanting nose, sleek eyebrows, luscious blonde hair, a thick beard and the best of all yet, cerulean blue eyes, the prettiest you’d ever seen in the entirety of your small life. The ladies beside you, Emma included, had the same reaction whether they had witnessed his Highness before or not. Every female’s gaze seemed to flicker between his azure eyes and the Golden crown resting atop his blonde locks, flooded with rubies and emeralds and gemstones you weren’t sure your books had.

For a moment you felt his eyes land on you, which surprised you even more so, that you questioned yourself about it, but his cheeky grin and wink confirmed it, make you shiver involuntarily as heat spread through your face while a titillating stir ran through you, a first for you. His impeccably white teeth were clearly visible now, showing two elongated canines, which finally gave you a sense of his attire, paired with his blush lips, A Vampire.

He spoke a few words, eyes unsteadily wavering, observing different members of the gathering. He let the dances commence, partnering with his most suitable match at the festivity, the daughter of the wealthiest lord. After the first song was over, other couples joined alongside him while you stood at the side, observing everything. Only mere moments ago had your sister been courted by a young man, the two of them shooting each other coy glances since they had entered.

A tap on your shoulder had you puzzled, you turned around focus landing on warm, brown eyes. You recalled him to be Lord Stark’s son, Peter, having met him yesterday at dawn. His familiar brown eyes gave you sense of comfort, which you liked, not being alongside Emma now.

“Shall we?” He asked, his cheeks ruby like yours were, as he extended the palm of his hand towards you. You giggled, smiling like a little babe who got extra cookies for dessert, and accepted his hand. Sauntering to the dancing arena, you only prayed to The Heavens above that Lady Ava taught you enough to embarrass neither yourself nor your guild.

Tracing his steps and following his lead, you did manage to dance without falling, which was a surprise seeing how spread out your wings were. You and him made easy conversation, about your hometowns and interests. You saw your Father proudly looking at you and Emma, dancing with lads, you guessed, he approved of.

As the song ended and the orchestra played a transitioning tune between the melodies, a cough sounded beside you as you and Peter stopped. Your eyes widened as you nervously curtsied beside Peter, A ‘Your Majesty” falling from both your lips.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I share a dance with the most stunning dame here?”

Peter politely stepped back, letting go of your waist, as The King’s wide stature more than filled his place. Your heart was beating rather loudly, blood pumping to your ears as you tried to make sense of what was happening. In your peripheral vision you could see the prying eyes of others looking at you both, ready to criticize you for one wrong move. Your father watched intently, a slight warning in his eyes to not mess this opportunity up while your sister comfortingly smiled at you. You tried to even your breaths and make sense of what he was saying, to not just stand and gape like a fool in court.

As the harmony played out, he swayed you around, lifting you up and twirling you around. Compliments spewed out from his lips, making you crimson like freshly ripened apples. You couldn’t keep up with your expression of gratitude through your words as he admired your eyes, your elegance and your ensemble which just couldn’t make him shift his eyes from you.

After two songs had played out, he left as suddenly as he had come, with a promise to meet you later. You watched him dance with other maidens, who approached him when you were dancing together, entertaining every approaching lady like an excellent host.

You made your way to the side, hoping to get some liquor, or at least some fluid in your veins and not faint right there this moment. Emma came up beside you while you were having wine, and rubbed your back in a parental way. Her eyes communicated her understanding of how overwhelmed you felt at the instant. Her date and Peter soon came and kept you both company for the rest of the night. As duos danced and people got intoxicated, you had to call it a night on behalf of your sister, her incessant giggling make you worried for her inebriated self.

You slipped her out before your father caught her and gave her a stern talking to and tucked her in her bed keeping a glass of water and some fresh fruits for her on the bedside wooden bench. You concluded retiring for the night yourself but only after assuring your father of your whereabouts and well beings. Before returning to the hall, you took off your wings and the halo, also opting to leave the mask behind as the fur tickled your skin. Your makeup hadn’t ruined in the heat of the hall, it was a miracle. You made your way to the Hall, hoping to find your father, assumingly drunk with all his entourage.

Two hallways before the decorated ballroom were you pinned to the wall, one hand of your attacker covering your parted lips while the other held your face delicately, with a lover’s touch. A split second was all it took for you to be immobilised by this man and another by your wavering form to recognise the cobalt blue eyes and blonde curls. When The King was certain you wouldn’t scream, his hand left your mouth slid upwards, mirroring his other hand, with thumbs in front of your ears and palms resting on your cheeks.

“Your Majesty?” You mumbled back, your voice somehow even lower, afraid for yourself and even more so terrified to offend him.

“Say, would you come for a while to my chambers, the view of the creek from my balcony is splendid.”

His choice of words gave you an option, but his eyes, almost hypnotically told you there was only one correct answer.

“You are the one, I can feel it.” He whispered lowly but your heightened senses gladly picked it up.

You meekly nodded, your inner self surprised at your body moving of its accord alongside him, as your mind started voiding of thoughts like reporting to your father, checking up on Emma. You felt like you were trapped in someone else’s form and fought with an invisible force to take over the reins of your own body.

You did not fail to notice the lack of guards outside the King’s chamber and how every entrance managed to open itself. The King wasn’t lying about the picturesque scene though, as you stood in the balcony, hair getting ruffled by the strong breeze that seemingly came from nowhere.

Your body stiffened as King Steve came uncharacteristically close to you and slid his hands around your middle, his nose nestled in your locks, inhaling deeply.

His lips descended your neck, laying feathery kisses on his path as you stood there, unable to even move your hands or turn around. This out of body sensation was broken when you felt intense pain on piercing of your skin where your head met your torso. You suddenly gained all wits and enough strength to flail your limbs around but all your might wasn’t enough to even stir the man from his task. Your throat couldn’t gather enough energy to scream, though you doubted anyone would come. You started getting light headed and only then did he stop, carrying you in his arms to his widespread four poster bed, mattress as soft as sponge and sheets as silky as butter. Too weak to fight him off, you harvested all your energy in staying conscious as your gaze danced around, trying to make sense of every object present but not awake enough to notice too many details. The wine you drank did not make it any better.

As you laid on the stranger’s bed, you felt his body sit beside you, holding your neck; leaning down, his lips meeting yours for the first time. You did not reciprocate, neither did you have the strength nor the will, while his tongue slipped inside your mouth, roaming around like a traveller in foreign land.

As the kiss drew on, you felt some energy sidle inside you, enough for your mind to function again but not ample enough to fight off the brawny thief who robbed you of your first kiss. King Steve broke off the kiss and connected your foreheads together, his indigo eyes turning black in want, leaving you a frightening and gasping mess.

He backed away, sitting more straighter now as his hand drew back from around your neck and slid along your stomach, nearing the most intimate part of your body, even though there were still layers of cloth present. His hands did not stop there, however, and made their way downwards only stopping at the hem of your gown and slipping inside.

You shrieked out suddenly, becoming aware of his intentions quite late and grasped his wrist that rested now on your knee.

“Your Majesty, I……I can’t-”

“Do you wish to refuse your King?”

You looked down, caught in the dilemma of wanting your safety and offending him once again. Your virtue had to be preserved till marriage, your mother had taught you, but on the other hand, the King’s words were the law.

“Answer Me.” The King’s cold voice broke through your thoughts, not a shout but still scarier than a yell.“

Your Majesty, I��ve never engaged in s-” You started tearing up, lower lip wobbling and body shaking at the thought of the future. You did not see this ending beneficial in any scenario. If you lost your virtue, you would never get wed but if you refused the King and he felt insulted, your family and your connections would be in the ruins, he held that much power over you.

Cradling your face with his other hand, he began again, “You think I’m not already aware, pretty one?” The man who was reprimanding you only few moments ago upon not answering him, had a smile on his face this time: not assuring or comforting, but malicious and sinister to its very core. “I could smell your untainted scent from my room, before even descending the stairs.”

“Your e-eyes..” You gaped again as colours morphed in his eyes, red now swirling around in the pools of darkness, his words lost on you as you felt your fear rising due to the inhumane action.

“For an intellectual, bibliophilic girl, you sure are oblivious, sweetheart.” He scoffed, looking unimpressed at you, “Come on, prove to me you aren’t heedless like the rest, draw the conclusion." His eyes held yours, again altering into hues of different colours, seemingly mocking you now.

You don’t know how the thought jumped into your head, maybe because the two holes on your neck stung suddenly or because the automatically opening doors entered your mind, the contemplation that his fangs appeared so realistic and authentic the more you stared at them paired with the blood on his collar, not just the fresh red stain of your plasma but also the burgundy stain present there, giving his lips the cherry red shade you admired hours ago on his arrival at the event.

“This is not a co-costume, no-” You inhaled a quick breath, “you are a vampire.” Your face paled in realisation while he smirked proudly, tapping your knee in a weird, twisted form of appreciation.

“Tremendous, my dear. But only half, you see. My mother was one, yes, but my father, he gave me an even better ability, he was an Incubus.” You shuddered as the words sunk in, your only worry being staying alive now, when your life was in the hands of this sex demon, having the greatest of powers and strength. Your mind did not spend any time mulling over the existence of supernatural beings, only dwelling on possible escapes now.

“That is why even your untouched body couldn’t help but react to my form and it is also the very reason, that I can read what goes on in your mind, all your memories, your hobbies, every book you’ve read, your precious sister, Emma isn’t it? So please, do not even think about fleeing if you don’t want your family to suffer.”

The threat loomed in the air, nasty sobs wracking your body as his thumb came to wipe the tears off. His hands started undoing the lace on the front of your bodice as you sniffled. Managing to quieten down just a bit, you begged, “Please don’t do this, I’ll have nowhere to go if my family found about me partaking in this unholy deed before marriage.” You had little hope about him seeing reason but there was optimism nonetheless.

“Darling, do not fuss that I’ll leave you unhinged and deserted after finding pleasure in your body, you are to be mine now. Essentially, you already are.” His lips claimed yours again as the front of your dress slackened, bundling around your waist.

You pulled back, surprised at his promise, “You mean that?” He nodded, coming to kiss you again. You turned so that his lips met your neck, tongue licking the salt residue of tears there. “In what sense?”

“In every sense you could think of and more. I’ll give you everything, make you my queen, would you like that?” He mumbled in your neck, tongue now soothing the two punctured cavities residing there.

You could feel yourself crossing your legs involuntarily, trying to caress the abrupt yearning in your intimate part, your underclothes dousing with wetness somehow. Steve smirked in your neck, sitting upright and playing his trump card.

“I’ll marry you and we’ll rule together with the plenty of successors you’ll give me. Won’t that make your parents proud? Isn’t that what your parents taught you? Catch the King’s eye?” You meekly nodded, his charisma of an Incubus winning you over. “I’ll make your father The King’s Hand and send your mother the finest of jewels and gems, satins and silks.” He looked over at your submissive form, looking at him with the innocence of a toddler, swayed by his promises.

“I’ll let your sister have a grand wedding with the man she dears. All you have to do is surrender yourself to me and be my Queen, rule alongside me. So I ask, will you?” You cut him off, your lips pressing against his as you tried to mimic his earlier movements. He held your waist, surprised but pleasantly so, crushing the layers of the rolled top half of your dress underneath his hands. You had very little idea about what bedding someone meant but you had this primal urge to not have any skin of yours covered or untouched by him.

Steve shed his cape and threw every cloth on his torso away, almost as eager as you to get skin to skin contact. Your hands tangled in his hair as he lifted you up and sat you in his broad lap, not before sliding your dress all the way down. As he broke the kiss and took in your body, parts of you hidden under the smallclothes, he let out a growl that frightened yet excited you with another shiver down your spine.

He made quick work of his bottoms, his cock standing and reaching his muscled chest almost and you gaped. Your sister, Emma had informed you of men’s parts being far much smaller than what you had just witnessed. His member stood erect and proud, glistening as he pumped it with his fist. His eyes drank in your surprise and trepidation, getting amused and turned on even more.

You still laid stretched across the bed, legs straight ahead of you while your torso rested on your elbows, eyes wary of his every next movement. He eyed your scantily clad body, gaze filled with lust and nothing more and climbed between your legs, one hand coming down on your waist while the other grabbed the back of your head and pulled you into a possessive kiss, robbing you of your breath. Your mind was slowly registering the reality of it all, this was going to happen no matter what. You were going to sin by engaging in fornication. But is it really wrong if your benevolent king demands that of you?

His hand sliding from your face to your bosom distracted you from your chain of thoughts. He slid the cups of your garment revealing your nipples and took one in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it while his other pinched the abandoned one. You didn’t know if you should be more surprised at his actions or the rush of the feelings that ran through you.

He slowly released your nipple and trailed soft kisses down your stomach to your most intimate part yet, kissing it through the cloth there. His delicate touch was abruptly contrasted with him grabbing the fabric, tearing it into two and revealing you bare.

You closed your legs out of instinct but his heavily muscled hand took them apart in a single push. He eyed you with a warning, to not obstruct him anyhow anymore.

“Let me taste that sweet nectar of yours, sweetheart. I really want to find out if it is as addictive as my senses picked it up, as sweet as the aura that surrounds you.”

And with that he dove into your pussy, his tongue roaming your wet cavern. Neither did you understand what he spoke of nor had you sister told you about the activity happening right now. But all you could do was focus on the astonishingly pleasant shivers running through you as you had an out of the body, more accurately an out of the world experience. You had no sense of the time that passed and how long you laid there clutching the silk sheets letting out mewls. But out of nowhere, something in you snapped and all your energy left you.

As your blurry vision cleared and your eyes found his face, he licked his still glistening lips, his beard moist and wet but erotically so. He dove right into kiss again and you tasted your own sweet nectar for the first time ever. His hand roamed your body, grabbing your curves and caressing your soft flesh.

One of his hands made its way down furthermore and spread your fluids along your folds, and then lined up himself along your hole. With a sudden push, you felt yourself being full like never before, and a sudden pain hit you as your face visibly flinched. Steve swallowed your grunts of pain with his kisses and started rubbing your bud above your linked bodies.

The shudder that ran through you once again made you incapable of thinking, the ache slowly subsiding behind the pleasure you felt. When your moans filled the air, Steve kissed your collarbones and sucked leaving bruises there, and started thrusting again. As his movements became faster and consistent, and his callused hands rubbed you and pinched your intimate flesh, you ascended to another world. Each action of his introduced you to a new star in the wide galaxy. The same unknown descended upon you again as something snapped in your abdomen and you experienced pure bliss.

“Going to make you the mother of my children, you will carry my seed and bring the Kingdom several heirs. This time I’ll succeed, you will be mine, my Queen in every sense.” His words made you clench around him and that was all it took for him to achieve ecstasy as well.

Your head lolled and your eyes met his sweating frame lying across the silk sheets as a sinister grin adorned his face again, “I need to fuck a successor into you tonight, you ready?”

#dark!steve rogers #dark!steve x reader #king!steve rogers x reader #king!steve x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve x reader #darkmcufestiveficswap #darkmcuficswap #marvel imagine #dark mcu #darkmculibrary #dark!steve rogers x reader #chris evans #steve rogers #royal au #halloween au #masquerade ball #darkmcufestiveswap #ray writes

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searchingwardrobes · 4 years

Text

Happy birthday, @onceuponaprincessworld ! You are a lovely presence in this fandom, making beautiful picsets often for no other reason than your love for a particular fic. You have supported me and encouraged me personally as a writer, as you often do for so many. I hope your day is wonderful!

As I was contemplating your fic, I was inspired by this song by Grace Potter that plays at the end of Tangled. Tallahassee, of course, is one episode with massive Tangled vibes. A line in this song reminded me of Killian’s line in that episode that everything they need is right in front of them. So here is an alternate ending to that episode. I tried to make sure the character of these two is still intact, especially at this point in their relationship, but I did take dramatic liberty with the plot and dialogue of the episode. I hope you enjoy it!

Summary: There is a treasure in this room that you need but don’t want. Find it, and the way out will be revealed to you.

Rating: G

Words: 2,700

Also on Ao3 and part of my Fandom Birthday Playlist

Tagging the usuals :@snowbellewells @jennjenn615 @kday426 @let-it-raines @teamhook@kmomof4 @bethacaciakay @profdanglaisstuff @resident-of-storybrooke @thislassishooked @tiganasummertree@whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @distant-rose@shireness-says @xhookswenchx @optomisticgirl @spartanguard @branlovestowrite @welllpthisishappening @hollyethecurious @stahlop

It's so easy to make believe,

It seems you're livin' in a dream

Don't you see that what you need

Is standing in front of you?

Everything we need is right in front of us. Emma grinds her teeth at the thought of the pirate’s words. She’s surprisingly gotten over the shock that he’s Captain freakin Hook and has gone straight to complete irritation. Tying that bandage with his damn teeth. Seriously, this guy is so full of it she’s surprised his shoulders can support the weight of his head. She huffs when she sees him lift a gold coin and smell it with a rapturous expression.

“How long do you think giant knock-out powder lasts?” she snaps.

“I’ve no clue,” he replies casually.

“That’s my rush,” she clarifies through gritted teeth.

“Ah, right you are,” he agrees brightly, tossing the coin aside. She’s honestly surprised that he agreed with her so easily.

What happens next is a chaotic blur. Emma sees the tripwire a moment too late, and then the floor is falling beneath their feet. The drop isn’t a long one, but piles of coins, mounds of jewels, and gold knick knacks of all shapes and sizes rain down with them. Her shoulder colliding with the floor doesn’t hurt quite so much as the metal pelting her from above. A hand grasps her other shoulder, and cool metal brushes her bare skin where her shirt has ridden up. Her eyes fly open as the muscular chest pressed against hers registers.

“You okay, love?” Hook asks, his brow creased with surprising concern.

Emma blinks and scrambles backwards, rubbing at her sore shoulder. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Hook groans as he struggles to his feet, massaging his own arm and rolling his shoulders. He looks up at the hole above them with a grimace. “I evidently triggered a booby trap.”

“Ya think?” Emma snaps.

Hook offers his hand to help her up, but she slaps it away. He frowns, his blue eyes turning thunderous. “So this is my fault.”

“Well for a pirate you’re not very good at sneaking into a treasure room.”

“Maybe I would have been more observant if someone wasn’t nagging me to hurry up.”

“You’re not taking any of this seriously!” she’s practically shouting now, her fists clenched tightly.

“Oh believe me, lass,” he retorts, stalking towards her in a predatory way, “I know how serious the situation is. Breaking trust with Cora isn’t something a man takes lightly.”

Emma refuses to back down, even when he comes chest to chest with her. She lifts her chin to meet his gaze. “Or maybe you’re playing us.”

He shakes his head, and Emma almost swears that she sees hurt in his eyes. “You still don’t trust me.”

Before Emma can reply, the ground beneath them begins to shake. More treasure sprinkles down into the hole they are in. Emma reaches out instinctively to steady herself, grasping Hook by his biceps. Very toned biceps, actually -

Get a grip, Emma! Now’s not the time!

Hook’s hands come up to steady her as well, and he leans forward and says in a low voice, “It’s the giant.”

Emma glances up at Hook, and she isn’t sure if her pounding heart is from fear or the amazing bright blue eyes staring back at her. She swallows, then whispers, “Should we try and hide?”

The pounding stops, and a shadow falls over them. Hook presses his eyes closed and sighs. “Too late.”

“Humans after treasure again? After all these years?” a voice above them roars.

Emma turns and tilts her head. She is surprised by two things. One, the giant she had thrown the sleeping powder at earlier isn’t the fearsome monster she had assumed he was. Now that she can really look at his face, he seems more like an ordinary man who just happens to be extremely large. If she isn’t mistaken, that even seems like loneliness and sorrow in his eyes. Two feelings she is much too familiar with.

The second thing that surprises her is the protective posture Hook is assuming, wrapping his right arm around her and pulling her a hair closer while lifting his hook in front of her. Completely unnecessary, of course, but . . . huh. He really is an old-school gentleman.

Emma pushes her way out of Hook’s loose embrace, despite the warnings he hisses at her under his breath. She locks her gaze with the giant above them, hoping she hasn’t read him wrong.

“Look, we’re not here to hurt you -”

“Oh, so knocking me out earlier was what? An accident?”

Emma shakes her head. “Sorry about that -”

“What are you doing?” Hook mutters behind her, but she waves at him to be quiet.

“We heard that you weren’t exactly friendly, so we thought that sleeping powder was our only option. We heard wrong, didn’t we?”

The giant narrows his eyes. “No, you heard correctly, and don’t try to charm your way out of this. I fell for that once. I won’t do it again.”

Emma searches his face carefully. “Humans betrayed you, didn’t they? That’s what really happened here, isn’t it?”

“Victors are the ones who get to tell the stories.”

“Exactly!” Emma agrees. “The war, it wasn’t the giant’s who were the bad guys, it was the humans. They invaded. And now . . . “ she bites her bottom lip as she looks into the giant’s eyes again, “you’re all alone.”

The giant’s face goes soft for a moment, but then his jaw clenches. “I’m still not gonna trust another human.”

“Listen, the way I see it, we could have killed you before when we used the powder, but we didn’t. Aren’t you wondering why?”

“I’m listening . . . “ the giant mutters hesitantly.

“It’s because we’re only here for one thing. We’re just looking for a magic compass. That’s it. We put you to sleep, we get the compass, we’re out of here. That was it. I swear.”

“What do you need it for?”

Emma takes a deep breath and answers with complete sincerity. “To get home to my son. He’s in another realm, and I only just got him back. This compass is my only chance. Please, help us.”

The giant looks at her for a long, silent moment, then he turns away from the hole. Emma glances at Hook, who regards her with an arched brow. Only a moment later, the giant is back.

“Catch,” he tells her, tossing something into the hole. Emma reaches up and grins when a golden compass falls into her open palms.

“You’re amazing,” Killian whispers over her shoulder, “bloody brilliant, lass.”

She turns towards Hook, unable to keep the broad grin off her face. She’s surprised to see his own lips turn up into a genuine smile, his gaze upon her and not the ornate compass in her hand. Flustered, she quickly turns away from him to look back up at the giant.

“Thank you! So, so much! Now could you, um, get us out of this hole?”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Emma frowns. Had she read him wrong this whole time? She’d been so sure . . .

“Why ever the bloody hell not?” Hook cries out next to her.

“Hook,” she whispers in a warning tone.

“I would if I could, believe me,” the giant explains, “but this trap was enchanted years ago, before I was even born, by an enchantress. The only way out is to solve the riddle.”

Hook groans beside her. “What riddle?”

“There is a treasure in this room that you need but don’t want. Figure out what it is, and the way out will reveal itself to you.”

“Are you serious?” Emma rubs at her temple.

“Afraid so,” the giant sighs, “but I’ll bring you some dinner in the meantime.”

Emma frowns up at him. “Thanks. I know it isn’t your fault.”

The giant gives her a sad smile in return. “My name is Anton, by the way.”

“Emma Swan,” she tells him.

“Captain Killian Jones.”

Emma turns her head towards her companion in surprise. He’s even bowing to the giant, the drama queen. She had honestly forgotten that he had given them another name - Killian Jones. His real name. Not Hook.

It suits him, actually.

*****************************************************

Emma tosses aside a string of pearls as she curses under her breath. On the other side of the room, Hook matches her frustration with colorful language of his own. Her jaw clenches so hard her ears almost pop and anger surges through her. She mindlessly grabs a velvet pouch of jewels and hurls it against the rocky walls of their prison.

“We’ll find a way out of here, Swan, I’m sure of it,” Killian tries to encourage her, but he doesn’t sound all that convincing.

“I told Mulan to chop the beanstalk down if we weren’t back by sundown.”

Hook shakes his head, his eyes blinking. “You what?”

Emma rubs her face wearily. “Don’t act so surprised, you’re a pirate. I had to protect Mary Margaret. One of us has to get home.”

Killian’s eyes look thunderous. It’s surprising how often in the last half hour she’s thought of him by his given name.

“I thought we already had this conversation.”

Emma tilts her head. “It really bothers you that I don’t trust you?” What the hell did he expect?!

“What the bloody hell did I expect?” he asks rhetorically, his entire body deflating.

Emma’s jaw drops. Either he seriously has mind reading powers, or -

“Anyone hungry down there?”

They both look up at Anton, who’s grinning down at them. Yeah, definitely not a flesh eating monster. She and Killian affirm that they could indeed use some sustenance, and Anton sends a bucket down on a rope. When Emma grasps it, a thought comes to her. She finds Hooks eyes on her, and he shrugs as if to say, “it’s worth a shot.”

Emma sets the bucket on the ground, and then Killian springs with surprising agility onto the rope Anton is still holding. Yet before he has climbed even a foot up the rope, a pulse of magic emanates from it and he’s sent flying backwards. Anton can’t help a small chuckle as Hook groans and struggles to his feet.

“I should have warned you not to try that,” the giant laughs.

“I’m glad you find it so entertaining, mate,” Hook growls.

Emma shakes her head as she reaches down to help Killian up. “Thanks for the food, Anton,” she calls over her shoulder.

“Wish I could do more,” he tells them as he pulls up the rope, “but enjoy the meal.”

“You don’t hesitate to take risks, do you?” Emma asks Hook as she kneels down next to the bucket of food.

“Well,” he says amiably, “as you said, I am a pirate.”

Emma nods as she takes out thick ham sandwiches, grapes, wedges of cheese, and two jugs of ale. “Yeah, I guess a cautious man wouldn’t make it on . . . what do you call it? The high seas?”

Killian raised a brow at her as he tossed a grape into his mouth. “You don’t know much about piracy, do you?”

Emma settled onto the cold stone floor with a sandwich clutched in her hand. “Nope. Just what I’ve seen in movies.”

He tilts his head at her in a way that reminds her of a curious puppy. “Movies? What are those?” He so sincere, so completely clueless when he asks, that it’s almost endearing.

“It’s like . . . a play, but the people aren’t actually there. They take . . . pictures that move and project it on a huge screen.”

Killian’s eyes widen. “Incredible, and they say your land has no magic!”

Emma can’t help but smile at his awe over something that to her is so commonplace. They fall into an easy silence as they eat and drink. Emma polishes off her sandwich, and after a swig of ale, her gaze drifts once again to the tattoo just peeking out of his shirt cuff.

“Tell me about the tattoo.”

He startles, and she isn’t sure if it’s from the question itself or the silence she has broken. His jaw clenches as he looks down at his wrist, and she knows he won’t answer. Again.

“You loved her, didn’t you?” she says softly.

Killian simply nods.

“And she’s the reason you need to get revenge on Rumplestiltskin?”

He sighs. “Aye, but I don’t really wish to relive that pain at the present.”

“I get that.” Emma munches a few grapes. “Besides, it’s not like you’re the only one with an ax to grind with that guy. I can fill in the blanks, believe me.”

Killian chuckles sardonically at that, and they both fall silent again.

“You know I can’t let you kill him though, right?” Emma adds. “I mean, as the sheriff I have to uphold law and order and all that.”

He studies her so intently, that she as to look away. “You weren’t always on the right side of the law. Were you, Swan?”

Emma’s head snaps up at that. “How do you do that?”

He shrugs. “I may be a pirate, but I’m not stupid. Orphans don’t get the easiest lot in life. I would wager that you did what you had to in order to survive.”

Emma narrows her eyes at him. “I get the feeling this isn’t just something you picked up from a bunch of lost boys.”

Killian rubs at the back of his neck and a light blush stains his cheeks. “Well, perhaps I’ve seen it in the mirror as well.” He shrugs and laughs as if it’s of no consequence, a casual air she knows from personal experience is a defense mechanism.

“Oh,” is all she can manage to say.

They finish off the rest of the food and the ale. They really should get back to figuring out that damn riddle, but she feels drowsy from the meal. She pulls her knees up to her chest and studies Hook’s profile. She bites down on her lip before breaking the silence once again.

“I admit, I have been in love.”

He turns to her, eyes widening slightly in surprise. A small smile lifts his lips, but it isn’t teasing or self-satisfying. It’s just understanding. “I assumed as much.”

Emma sighs and rests her chin on her knees. “It’s hard for me to love. It was even hard at first with Henry. I see my parents- they want me to love them, but it’s hard. I need to try I guess.”

She glances at Killian, and his eyes are piercing in their intensity, but this time she doesn’t look away. He’s an orphan too, and it makes her feel as if perhaps he understands. He’s a pirate, he’s done things that she’s sure are horrific. She knows she can’t fully trust him, at least not yet, but that doesn’t mean he was wrong before. They do make quite the team, and he really does seem to have an uncanny ability to read her.

“They need to be patient,” he finally says, voice low and warm. “Maybe what you need is not someone begging you to love them, but someone who will wait patiently until you’re ready.”

Emma feels a gasp lodge itself in her throat as his words sink deep and take root. The air feels charged, but not with the sexual attraction she’s felt earlier. Before she can analyze it, the room rumbles beneath their feet, the walls shake, and a crack runs down the length of one wall with a loud clap like thunder. Dust and debris rain around them, but when it clears, light pours through a cavernous hole in the far wall. They both scramble to their feet, laughing with joy.

“What?” Emma asks. “How?”

“I don’t know,” Killian laughs, “but don’t question it, love.”

With the compass clutched in her hand, Emma races out into the sunlight on Killian’s heels. What happened in the cave has her mind whirling with so many questions, the main one surrounding the riddle they had unknowingly solved. What treasure did she need even though she didn’t want it? Or was it Hook’s treasure?

She pushes all of those thoughts aside as they scramble to descend the beanstalk. Sundown isn’t far away . . .

She's a girl with the best intentions

He's a man of his own invention

She looked out of the window

He walked out the door

But she followed him

And he said, "What'cha lookin' for?"

#cs ff #cs canon divergence #tallahassee #fandom birthday playlist #for onceuponaprincessworld #on her birthday

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nastybuckybarnes · 5 years

Text

A Broken Fairytale - Three

Pairing: Prince!Bucky x Reader AU

Summary: Sold by your mother, you work as a servant for the King and Queen of Acadia. The Prince, much to his initial dismay, takes a liking to you. When a wicked woman intervenes, your life is nothing more than a prison sentence. With a war on the horizon and a betrothal to a missing Princess that he can’t escape, Bucky is forced to be the Prince -and King- that his father wants. A pawn in a bigger game than the two of you realize.

Warnings: Slow Burn, Fluffy friendly shiz,

Word Count: 4.5K (Big boy)

A/N: Idk man. Sorry this took forever. Plz don’t let it flop

SERIES MASTERLIST MASTERLIST UNEDITED

“You’re sure you don’t need me to go with you?” Wanda asks for the millionth time.

“I’ll be fine, Wanda. Besides, I’ve never gotten to explore the village. I’ll meet you at Uncle Ben’s bakery by mid-day,” you promise. She sighs but lets you go off on your own, watching as you walk in the direction of the blacksmith.

You find yourself entranced by the light atmosphere the morning village market has to offer. The sun is shining brightly over the trees and lighting up the small shops and houses.

It takes you no time at all to find the blacksmith. He’s stoking a fire as you knock on the wooden beam in the doorway.

He looks up and you’re taken aback by his godly looks. He’s tall and very muscular, with blue eyes and long blond hair. “Good morning. How may I help you?” He asks, his voice heavily accented.

“My name is (Y/n). I have a... a locket and I was wondering if you... I was hoping you could possibly tell me where it’s from.” You take off the necklace carefully and hold it in your open palm. He wipes his hands off on his pants and walks towards you, his huge frame towering over your smaller one.

He carefully picks up the locket, frowning slightly as he inspects it.

He quickly drops it back into your hand and rubs his palms on his pants once again.

“Enchanted Silver. From overseas, I’d say. Although, Corona often trades for substances like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if that's where it’s from. I suggest you go to the bookshop. That’s where my brother spends his time. Loki will be able to tell you where the enchainment was placed upon the locket.”

You smile and thank Thor before practically running in the direction of the bookshop.

You push the oak door open and smile at the older man.

“Are you Mr. Banner?” You ask softly. “Y-yes. How may I help you?” You hold out your locket to him, displaying the carvings on the back. “I was told to come to you to see what language this is.”

He puts his spectacles on and looks at the necklace. “It looks Aramaic. Is your locket from Corona by chance? Because that’s the only kingdom within a weeks travel that speaks Aramaic.”

You sigh and look at the short, kind man.

“I don’t know.”

You’re quiet for a moment before snapping your fingers. “Oh! Do you know where I can find Loki?” Mr. Banner chuckles and glances to the back of the bookshop. “Thank you,” you whisper while walking towards the area he pointed to.

Your footsteps are soft as you approach a figure sitting stiffly on a wooden chair, his hair black and his eyes a striking blue against his pale skin. “A-are you Loki?” You ask quietly.

His eyes snap to your face a smile spreads on his thin lips. “Yes. And just who might you be?” He asks while rising from the chair. “I’m (Y/n). I was told you could help me find out where a spell is from.” He gets a mischievous glint in his eyes and licks his lips.

“Where is the enchanted object?�� You show him your necklace and watch as his eyes widen. “A strong spell. Placed by a powerful enchantress. You wish to know where it is from?” You nod your head yes, watching in awe as a green hue engulfs the piece of jewelry in your hand.

“The spell was cast by an enchantress who lives by a stream in the forests beyond Corona. The spell itself was cast in Corona. My, my, you’ve travelled a long way, haven't you?”

You frown at his question, “I’m not sure. Lady Griffon adopted me as an infant.” He shakes his head at the name. “I’m so very sorry you had to endure such things.” You wave off his apology.

“Thank you, Loki, for all your help.” He kisses your hand then sits back down. “Anything for a maiden as fair and as kind as you.” You find yourself smiling as you leave the bookshop, a bounce in your step and a new found light in your eyes while you walk towards Uncle Ben’s bakery.

“(Y/n)! You’re just in time! Uncle Ben’s got us each a dessert fresh from the oven! You’ve gotta try the banana bread!” Peter exclaims. You smile at his enthusiasm. “Alright.” You make your way over to the counter beside Wanda and smile brightly at the older man working in the kitchen.

“Ah! You must be (Y/n). It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” You nod, “and you! I’ve heard nothing but the absolute best things about you and your baking.” He looks down bashfully, a faint pink dusting over his cheeks as he grabs a tray filled with different breads, pies, and tarts. “What did Thor and Mr. Banner have to say?” May asks from Wanda’s other side.

“The metal is silver from overseas, however, it is enchanted and from Corona. The text is Aramaic and the spell was cast by an enchantress who lives in a forest just beyond Corona,” you explain, knowing that everyone in the small shop is listening. By now, almost all of the Palace help know of the burning necklace on the new girl.

“Well, I say learn Aramaic. It’s a beautiful language and may help you to find out more about Corona and where you might be from,” Ben says while bagging the treats.

“I suppose I could gather a book or two from Mr. Banner on our way back to the Palace,” you murmur.

“Wait a minute,” Wanda begins, her eyes wide. “you can read?!” You find yourself giggling. “Yes, I can. I had to know the difference between chemicals and how to properly use them and how to read a recipe. And then I found the books in the Manor library and… fell in love I guess.” You shrug, not seeing the big deal.

“Well, Queen Winifred allows us full access to the Palace library whenever we’d like a book, so long as we return them in pristine condition. I’m positive there will be some on Corona and the Aramaic language,” May says happily, her eyes on her husband as he hands out the bags of treats.

“Speaking the Palace, we should get going. We’re due back soon,” Peter says sadly, hugging his uncle tightly. “C’mon. We’ll come back to visit soon,” May consoles, rubbing his back gently. “I’m going to start walking. Would anyone care to join me?” Wanda asks after bidding Ben goodbye and thanking him once again for the treats.

“I’ll join you. It was lovely to meet you, Ben. Thank you so very much for the bread.” He waves goodbye as you walk out with Wanda, Pietro and Sam not far behind.

“It’s such a beautiful day,” Wanda says softly. “It is. Where are we headed now?” Sam asks. You furrow your brows, “I thought we needed to head back to the Palace?”

Sam winks at you. “We’re adults. We’re allowed to stay out until sundown. I promise we won’t get you in trouble with the Queen or King.” You giggle as he takes your hand. “I saw a flower cart down the road. Could we perhaps go there?” Wanda asks. Pietro takes your other hand, squishing between you and his sister and starts pulling you towards the flower cart.

The two men stand with you and Wanda as the two of you pick out a dozen flowers.

A little pouch of something catches your eye and you pick it up. “What’s this?” Pietro asks from over your shoulder. “I’m not sure,” you reply.

“Herb leaves,” A voice says. You jump and look up, smiling at the greying woman. “I’d like these flowers and the herbs, please.” You point out the flowers you want and she smiles kindly.

“Of course. That’ll be three shillings.” You grab the money from your satchel, your eyes finding a little girl behind the woman.

“Oh, this is my granddaughter,” she says proudly. “What is her name?” You ask while handing over the money. “Annalise.” You beckon the young girl over towards you.

“Here, Annalise. Buy yourself something nice today,” you say while pressing a few coins into her small hand. Her eyes widen drastically. “Oh no, miss! I-I couldn’t… I mustn’t accept this.”

You back up as she tries to give the money back to you. “It’s yours now. I don’t need it anyway.” She looks up at her grandmother with hopeful eyes. “Please, accept it. Buy yourselves something.”

The older woman smiles, “bless your heart, miss.” You offer her one last smile before turning and walking away with the knights and Wanda.

“That was so kind of you,” Sam says. You smile somewhat sadly at him. “I know it would’ve made my day back when I was a child. Judging based on her clothing, her grandmother doesn’t make much money.” Pietro links arms with you and his sister again. “Well, you made their day. Is there anything we can do to make yours?” You giggle as Sam takes your other arm.

“Nothing comes to mind. My day is already going very well. Perhaps you could show me to the library?” Wanda nods and starts skipping, forcing the rest of you to skip along with her. You laugh as both Sam and Pietro stumble around, having no idea how to grasp the movements.

“You go. I’ll be fine,” you insist as Wanda decides between going upstairs to take a bath, or coming into the Palace library with you. “I won’t be long. And then I’ll be here with you, okay?” You roll your eyes playfully but nod nonetheless, knowing she won’t let it go. “Alright. I’ll see you soon.” You nod and wait until she’s down the hallway before pushing open the door to the library. The breath leaves you as you see how huge the room truly is.

There are rows upon rows of bookshelves stacked full of thick books and carefully rolled scrolls.

You walk around slowly, in absolute awe of all the books. “Are you lost?” A squeak leaves your lips and you spin around to face the person, one hand on your heart.

“Goodness! Um… no, I’m not lost.” The blond smiles apologetically, “sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Is there anything I can help you find?” You take a deep breath then nod. “Do you know where I could find the books on Corona and the Aramaic language?” His eyebrows raise. “Um, I truly don’t mean to be rude… but can you really read? Are those books for you?” You smile gently, understanding his confusion. “Yes, they’re for me. Do you know where they are?” He nods, evidently impressed.

“Yeah, follow me.” He starts walking deeper into the library, you following close behind him. “You’re (Y/n), correct? From… from the Griffon Manor?” You sigh, “yes. However, Lady Griffon would prefer if I specified that I am not her child. She brought me in.” He frowns and looks over at you. “(Y/n)… I’ve… there have been rumours that Lady Griffon mistreated her youngest… her adopted daughter. If this is true… you can tell me.”

You ponder this for a moment as Steve stops walking. “Lady Griffon did give me lashings more than she did her daughters. She didn’t want me to step out of line. Because I’m not related by blood she wanted me to act as any youngest sibling would, but with a bit more work to remind me that I am not to assume I can ever be more than the sisters who came before me.”

It’s quiet for a few minutes, Steve mulling over your words while finding the books you asked for.

“Here. These are someone the more basic books on general information about Corona and beginner Aramaic. You can find other books like these over here. If you ever find yourself with nothing to do, the library is always open to you. Often, I’ll be in here drawing or reading. Don’t be afraid to ask me anything.” You smile up at him, “thank you, your highness.” He scrunches up his nose and shakes his head at you. “Please, (Y/n). Call me Steve.” You nod, “thank you, Steve.” He bows his head playfully and walks with you towards a little table.

You sit down across from him and open the book on Corona, eager to learn about where you might be from.

~*~

Steve watches as you read, fairly surprised by how fast you read and the fact that you actually can read.

After a moment more of watching you, Steve flips to a blank page in his sketchbook, grabs his charcoal, and starts to draw you.

You remain oblivious to his eyes on you, far too engrossed in what you’re learning.

He manages to sketch your face, catching almost every detail, before being interrupted.

The library door opens and Wanda rushes in. “(Y/n)! I’m so so sorry it took so long!” She exclaims in a whisper, freezing as she sees who sits across from you.

“Prince Steve,” she says while bowing. Steve chuckles softly, “there’s really no need for that, Wanda.” She smiles and looks back over at you. “Pietro and I are going to be going to Sam’s chambers at half-passed-eight tonight. You should join us. We eat snacks, tell stories, and sometimes,” she lowers her voice, “we try our hand at gambling.”

Steve can’t help but laugh quietly, not looking up from his sketchbook. “Sam was telling me about how he lost ten shillings to your quick-handed brother. I regret not being there to see it.” You and Wanda giggle. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again tonight.” Steve nods with a smile, focusing intently on his drawing.

“I’d better get going to prepare some things for tonight and tomorrow morning. Will you be alright here or would you like to accompany me?” You glance at Steve then back to Wanda. “I think I’ll stay here and read for a while longer.” She nods then bids farewell to both you and Steve.

It’s quiet for about half an hour until Steve speaks. “Are you planning on joining them tonight?” His voice is soft, pulling you gingerly from your book. “Yes, I believe so. I’d like to get to know everyone a bit better.” He smiles at this. “We’re like a very large family here. I think you’ll fit in quite well.” You smile shyly, “thank you. May I… may I ask you some questions? About Corona? I understand that’s where you’ve been this past little while?” He sees down his sketchbook and nods, waiting for you to ask whatever questions you may have.

“What… what’s it like?” He sighs and scratches the nape of his neck. “With each passing year, it grows colder and bleaker. It was once bright and filled with song and dance, a festival every week. But now the streets are empty. The people starving and freezing. It’s poverty-stricken ever since the princess disappeared.” You raise your eyebrows curiously. “Oh yes, the long-lost princess of Corona. She hardly had a name before she was taken. Only a few days after her birth. The kingdom mourns and grows more helpless with each passing day. They miss her. Especially as her birthday nears.”

Something doesn’t sit well within you at this new information.

“How old would she be turning? She must be very young.” He sighs deeply, “it’s nearly her nineteenth birthday. King George has already started planning an attack for her twentieth birthday if she hasn’t shown up by then.” You’re shocked at this. “He’d go to war if the Princess isn’t found by her twentieth birthday? Why?” Steve sighs again. “Because an agreement was made the day she was born. She’d marry Bucky… er… Prince James exactly one week after her twentieth birthday. The kingdoms would be united as one under the Accadian name. We’ve provided for Corona for years, and they’ve given nothing back.” You nod slowly, pondering his words.

“So if the Princess doesn’t marry Prince James to unite the kingdoms, King George will take Corona by force?” The prince across from you chuckles with little humour. “It seems that way, yes. May I ask why Corona interests you so much?” You giggle nervously, “of course you may. You’re the Prince, after all. Today while I was in the village market, I inquired about this.” You gently touch the cool metal around your neck. “Thor, the blacksmith, believes it to be from Corona and his brother Loki this it was enchanted by someone in Corona as well. I can’t help but wonder if that’s where I’m from.” Steve’s heart breaks a bit at the longing in your voice. “I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. I only hope it’s before the war.” You nod your agreement, eyes focused on the corner of the wooden table as you think about everything.

“Miss (Y/n)?” You look up, gasp, then scramble out of your chair to bow for the Queen and her sister-in-law. “Y-your majesty.” She waves away your words. “Oh none of that. I wanted to come to see how you’re faring.” You hesitantly stand up, your eyes trained on the floor.

“G-good your highness.”

She smiles then looks toward her nephew. “Drawing again Steve?” She walks over to him, Lady Sara following a step behind. “Yes. As I sat here with (Y/n) I found some inspiration.” The Queen smiles at you, her gaze dropping to the books on the table in front of your spot.

“Corona? What about it interests you, child?” She asks gently.

You fidget nervously. “I... I’ve had this locket for as long as I can remember. Thor, the blacksmith, believes it to be from Corona. I’d hoped to learn as much as possible about that Kingdom. Perhaps it’ll help me to know if it is where I’m from. I meant no harm.” Lady Sara raises her eyebrows at this then nods. “No harm has been done. We wish you the best of luck on your research. I’m glad you’re liking it here.” You bow to the women as they leave the library, your heart hammering in your chest.

You sit back down after a moment, staring off into space, and Steve flips to a clean page and starts sketching his new favourite model.

“We should be going now, I suppose,” Steve says after what feels like only minutes. Your eyes flash to the windows and you gasp as you see the setting sun. “Goodness. The time just flew, didn’t it?” Steve chuckles as you start piling up your books. Carefully picking them up, you walk with Steve to the door.

Right as you’re thanking him and stepping through the doorway, a hard wall of muscle slams into you, sending you falling to the floor, your books landing on top of you.

“I’m so sorry!” You wince and push yourself up into a seated position, gasping as you see who you’ve run into. “Oh no, it’s my fault! I’m very very sorry, your highness.” You stand up and start picking up the books, dropping them again as your left wrist aches.

“Are you alright?” Both of the Princes ask. You force a smile, “yes. Of course.” You got to grab a book and squeeze your eyes shut as your wrist burns with pain. “What is it?” Steve asks in concern, he and his cousin both taking a step towards you. “I’m sure it’s nothing to be concerned about. Just a small pain.” Prince James reaches for the wrist you’re cradling to your chest, smiling reassuringly at you when you hesitate. He takes your wrist in his large hands and you jump at the warmth of his skin against yours. “It looks like a sprain. But I’d like to accompany you to the medical room to get it looked at.” Your mouth drops open and he chuckles and stoops down, swiftly picking up your books.

“Oh no, your highness! I can take those.” You reach for them only for him to pull away. “Nope. And you don’t have to continue calling me ‘your highness’.” The words leave his mouth before he’s fully understanding them himself. He’s never corrected anyone but his friends. So why then, he wonders, is he allowing some strange servant girl to call him anything but his royal titles?

You bite your bottom lip as he motions for you to follow him, leaving Steve behind at the library.

“So... (Y/n). What gives you the inspiration to attempt at these books?” You blow a breath out through your nose and answer automatically, “probably the fact that the material is interesting and I understand it well. It’s no challenge to read them. I’ve been reading since I was very young.” He looks taken aback but you continue speaking.

“I want to learn more about Corona. It’s where a few people believe I may be from.” You don’t notice it, but his steps falter just a bit. “I see. What brought you to the palace to work?” He hasn’t the slightest idea as to why he’s asking you these questions, especially because he knows the answer to some of them.

“My... stepmother sold me for one hundred shillings. I never thought I’d ever set foot in the Palace before I arrived.” He nods, your words making him rethink any negative assumptions he had of you. “You lived at the Griffon Manor all your life, correct?” You nod your head yes,” Lady Griffon found me as a baby and brought me in as her own child. She saved my life.”

He furrows his brows but drops the subject, opting instead to walk in silence.

His eyes find their way to your face more times than he’d like to admit during the short walk, but he can’t help it. You’re so much more beautiful than he originally thought.

“(Y/n)! So glad you could join us!” Sam says as you and Steve walk through the door to his room. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Peter, Pietro, and Wanda are playing some kind of board game while Sam’s drinking something from a small flask. There’s a redhead next to him and a blond man beside her. “(Y/n) meet Lady Natasha and Sir Barton.” The woman shoves Sam’s shoulder and you jump slightly. “I’m Nat and this is Clint. None of that fancy stuff, please.” You take note of that and hesitantly take a seat next to Sam.

“So (Y/n). What happened to your arm?” You glance down at the fabric wrap keeping your wrist stabilized. “I ran into Prince James and fell on it. It should be healed within a few days.” He nods and Nat snorts. “Of course that huge man knocked you over. He’s the size of a bear!” You widen your eyes at the disrespect.

“Don’t let her attitude scare you off. She’s got a soft spot for that ‘bear’,” Clint says. You smile at him and watch as Steve plucks the flask from Sam and takes a swig. He catches you watching and holds the flask out to you. “Oh no. I mustn’t!” Nat groans and shoves the flask into your hand. “Drink. You’ll feel good, I promise.” You eye her suspiciously but take a sip, coughing as the liquid burns your throat. “There we go!” You offer a disgusted smile to her and she laughs.

“Hey, Sam! Play something on that baby violin of yours. I hear the King is planning a fabulous masquerade ball for the Queen’s birthday,” Nat says while pulling Clint to his feet. “Dance with me, arrow guy.” You giggle as the man rolls his eyes.

Sam grabs the small instrument and begins playing an airy serenade, to which the two people start dancing to.

You watch, absolutely entranced by their movements and the music. “Do you enjoy dancing?” Steve voice suddenly asks from beside you. “I… I’ve never danced,” you admit timidly. His Jaw drops. “Well we can't have that, now can we?” He grabs your good hand and pulls you up to stand. ”This is a basic waltz. Put this hand onto my shoulder and I’m gonna hold this hand up here. Now, I’m gonna lead and you’re gonna follow, okay?” You nod, your heart fluttering at the fact that a prince is teaching you how to dance.

“Okay, now we’re gonna start moving. Back, two, three. Side, two, three. Back, two, three. Outside, two, three. Spin, two, three.”

You and Steve dance to the music, him guiding you.

You quickly get the hang of it, laughing and giggling as he spins and dips you.

“Look at that (Y/n)! You’re a natural. In fact, you should be my guest at the Queen’s masquerade ball.” You gasp and look up at the prince. “Your Highness! I couldn’t!” He chuckles and spins you again. “I insist. Now you have to go. Prince’s order.” You find yourself giggling again. “Well, if you insist then I suppose I have no choice.” He smiles, “perfect. I’ll give Mary the specifications for your mask and gown first thing in the morning.” You shake your head with a smile. “Prince Steve you’re too kind.” He chuckles and spins you twice.

“A beautiful dame like yourself deserves only the finest things, if only for a single, unforgettable night.”

You look down bashfully as he continues dancing with you. “May I cut in?” Pietro asks, wiggling his eyebrows at you. “Why, of course.” Sam starts playing a second, more ethereal piece as Pietro rests a hand on your waist and takes your other hand in his, leading you in a more intimate dance than the one you shared with Steve.

His chest is flush against yours, his fingers flexing on your waist. “His Highness is right. You truly are a sight.” He spins you in his arms and you laugh softly. “You gentlemen flatter me.” Pietro chuckles. “You’ve already become quite the dancer. Lords, Princes, and Dukes will be lining up to dance with you. I guarantee it.” You wiggle your eyebrows, the alcohol making you bold. “Why, Sir Maximoff. That mouth of yours must make ladies all over the kingdom swoon. It’s a shame it won’t work on me.” Nat and Wanda burst out laughing along with Sam and Clint. Steve chuckles, shaking his head, while Pietro just looks shocked.

You free yourself from his grasp and sit down with Wanda, tired of being on your feet. “Hey )Y/n), you up for a bit of gambling?” Peter asks, smiling brightly up at you.

You simply shrug, smiling back at him. “Sure, why not?”

~*~

TAGS:

FOREVER:

@smolbeanbucky @wildefire @inumorph @impalatobakerstreet @nanna022 @mummy-woves-you @m-a-t-91 @wtfholland-blog @bookgirlunicorn @beautifulwisdom2001 @deep-sea-glitter @mrhiddles-81 @iamwarrenspeace @bitchacho25 @escapetheshackles @i-know-i-can @buckyssoul

MARVEL:

@fallenangelfangirl @look-to-the-stars-and-wish @maladaptive-ninja-returns @cliffordasparagus @april-14-blog @potteritis

BUCKY:

@chuuulip @nerd-without-a-cause @natashasnight

A BROKEN FAIRYTALE:

@starkxpotts @barnesandnoble13 @paranoiadestroyah @theonelittleone @the-loud-and-crazy-rabbit-pirate @derekxsammy @nerd-without-a-cause @coal000 @lilypalmer1987 @consumedbyfanfics @tanelle83 @fultimefangirl @apollolikescello @buckysthing @emilysallysmith @krystallynx @unscriptedtimetraveler @buckyinantarctica @the-surviving-revolutionist @seafrost-fangirl @londonalozzy @roxytheimmortal @strawberryblogg @rosariia25 @godsofimmortality @bookgirlunicorn @ign-is @afterglowamsy @doublephoeenix @littledeadrottinghood @jsmith509 @alexaduke @m00nlightdelights @denimandcabernet @crystalchrysalis19

#Bucky x reader #prince bucky x reader #reader x bucky

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