#and also None of her business to 'your sons lying to you' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladyrowrites · 2 months

Text

Promise Part 4

A/N: Ending may be soon.. I have so many fan fics coming up so stay tuned :)

Pairings: Gojo x Afab reader, Suguru x Afab reader

Warning: NSFW!!! Smut! Passionate love making, Lots of angst and some swearing, mentions of cheating, MDNI!!!

Wordcount: 7k+

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

CHAPTER 4: Regrets

Gojo is still haunted by what he did to you - to your relationship. The next morning, he called his secretary to find out who ‘Anika Watanabe’ is and he found out that she was the heiress of Watanabe Corporation. He was also forced to come into the office as his father ordered him because he hasn’t been coming to work the last 2 months, but what did he expect? Gojo was a mess and refused to leave the house.

Everyone was staring and whispering when he came to the building. He nodded at his father’s secretary and she let him in. He was taken aback when he saw the woman he slept with sitting on his father’s leather couch with pursed lips and eyeing him. His mom was also in the office and came to hug him briefly while patting his shoulders.

“So nice of you to join us.” His dad said sarcastically, “Wedding’s off and now there is a child on the way. Have you no shame, Satoru?”

“Uhm, I’m sorry to intercept, but we both wanted this. Even though it was done the wrong way.” Anika said in a soft voice. His mom just rolled her eyes.

Gojo got irritated when he heard her response, “Bitch, I didn’t even want you. Also, that’s not my baby. Stop telling lies to people!” He sternly said.

“BUT IT IS YOUR BABY!” Anika stood up and touched her belly.

Gojo saw red and yelled on top of his lungs, “THAT’S NOT MINE! I DIDN’T EVEN – I REMEMBER! STOP! TELLING! LIES!” While trying to contain his fists.

“Anika, tell us the truth, who’s baby is it? Or else we’re going to conduct a paternity test.” Gojo’s mom said harshly. She had enough of this bullshit. If she wasn’t a Watanabe, she would have slapped some sense into her.

“I…I…” She was stuttering and she didn’t know what to say.

“Even if it’s not Satoru’s child, he will take responsibility for it. Watanabe is now our partner. This will only strengthen our relationship.” His dad intercepted. Anika looked hopeful with his message.

“WHY WOULD I TAKE FUCKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER? I DIDN’T IMPREGNATE HER! I WANTED Y/N!” Gojo protested.

“Well, YOU FUCKED IT UP, DIDN’T YOU? YOU SLEPT WITH HER!” His dad is now pointing at Anika who was disappointed at Gojo’s response.

Gojo’s hands ran into his face and now frustratingly on his hair, “Yes, I made the biggest.. THE BIGGEST mistake of my life, but no dad, I’m not taking any shit from her.” And then he pointed at Anika, “And you! How dare you contact Y/N! This was none of her business and now she’s at the hospital!!! I don’t fucking care what happens to you. I AM NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY!”

At his words, his mom worriedly said, “What? Where’s Y/N? What the hell is happening?” Gojo just told her he doesn’t know either.

Anika quietly teared up and his dad just looked so done with this situation. Their sales are taking a hit because of what his son did and now Anika is pregnant with some other guy’s kid.

“You don’t have the right to cry in this situation! You caused this shit by lying!”

“YOU WILLINGLY SLEPT WITH ME, S’TORU!”

“FINE, I DID!! AGAIN, BIGGEST, WORST, MISTAKE OF MY LIFE! But don’t add up any more lies, Anika! I didn’t even know who you were til today. I’m going to get a paternity test whether you like it or not —”

“OKAY! OKAY! It’s not yours! But, I already told my family, it was you and you have to take responsibility or else the merger will fail.”

“But the merger is already a done deal!”

Anika stood up and went up to Gojo’s face, “Yeah, but I don’t think you read one of the clauses right because it said in the contract that we can back away IF there is something we don’t agree with. Ooooops….”

Gojo’s dad and his face turned white. Ugh shit.

“It’s final, Satoru, you’re going to be a father.” His dad spoke with finality. Anika had the biggest grin and popped her tongue, “I will send you the schedule of my doctor’s appointments.” And touched him by his arm and left. His mom wanted to strangle that manipulative bitch – she really liked Y/N as her daughter in law.

“BUT DAD!!!!”

“Well, son, this is the consequences of your actions.”

Gojo was left stunned and called Utahime. Regrets eating him alive.

---------

You slept for at least 24 hours in the hospital and when you woke up you saw all your friends in your room with Suguru and Shoko. You were surprised when you saw them there as well but you weakly smiled at them. All of them had hopeful eyes at you – but it is “pity” and you feel a gut punch to your stomach.

“Uhm, this feels like my funeral. So what’s new with all of you?” You tried to lightly joke at them to lighten up the mood but they were not having it, “YAH! Stop saying that! You did almost die!” Miwa cries while trying to hug you. You comforted her by hugging her back and tapped her shoulders, “Don’t scare us like that again!”

“I’m sorry guys. I really am. I didn’t mean to. I’m just not in a good space right now.” You apologetically smiled at them while letting go of Miwa.

“As long as you’re okay now, that’s what’s important. We forgive you.” Utahime responded.

The doctor gave you the okay to go home and that you slept for so long because your body was exhausted. Your prescription was to basically rest and not stress too much. All your friends helped you get home and even cooked for you so you can rest as much as you can.

Suguru and Shoko volunteered to take care of you for the night as Miwa, Mei, Utahime, and Yuki needed the rest as well. Suguru was sitting beside you when you three decided to watch a movie but Shoko dozed off.

You can feel Suguru looking at you through your peripheral vision, “Why? Is there some dirt on my face?” You asked but still not facing him. He slowly took your left hand and cupped it with his, “I just want to say I’m sorry for all of this. You really don’t deserve any of it.”

You faced him and he had this apologetic look so you softly smiled at him and squeezed his hands with your right, “Don’t be. You’re not responsible for any of this.” You heard what happened when Suguru had that encounter with Gojo and Utahime flying back to Tokyo just to lecture him from Shoko – she left the part when Suguru talked about stealing you though. Shoko really felt guilty about knowing it first and she said that she should’ve told you right away – she was apologizing profusely but you forgave her because it’s not her fault and you wouldn’t want to know about Gojo’s infidelity through any other person. You also gave Utahime the look when you learned she did all that but she gave you the 'I’m your best friend so deal with it. look' You were thankful for all your friends because without them you could have really lost your life – and now you realize, he wasn’t even worth it.

“I know, but, I’m really sorry my best friend is such an asshole.” Suguru responded, “I mean at least he showed me his true colours before marriage, you know? Because if he did it while we were married, the divorce would be more of a mess.” You sounded kind of positive, “But believe me, Suguru, I will be okay. Just some rough patches, but I will be okay again. Okay? Stop worrying, I won’t pull that shit again.” You reassured him, “Utahime might really kill him this time.”

He weakly smiled at your response and you made a pinky promise to him which he accepted, “Now, enough drama. Let’s finish Harry Potter!” Suguru looked at you once more and focused on the movie.

-Leaving Gojo’s house that night-

“So were you really going to go after Y/N now?" Shoko puffed a smoke before entering Suguru’s car.

“I don’t know. I just said that because he was really an asshole. Like how do you cheat on someone like her? So dumb.”

“Did you really let Satoru take her? Or was it just to rile him up?"

-5 1/2 years ago-

Nanami was actually the first one you met from their group through work and then you saw Nanami at a bakery with Suguru so he introduced you to him. When Suguru first met you, he already knew you were a kind and confident person by how you carry yourself and how your smile was always radiating. From then on, you three would always meet up in the bakery for breakfast or lunch so Suguru asked Nanami to give him your number because he was a bit shy asking you because you were always teasing Nanami about the bakery girl and he was afraid that you might tease him too if he asked.

As Suguru and Nanami wanted you to meet their other friends, they invited you to Korean BBQ as you said you loved it. When you came with them, all of their friends were already there and they introduced you to Shoko, Todo, Choso, and Sukuna. They all seem so friendly and so close to each other as they joke around – teasing Suguru that he was never the type to introduce a girlfriend to the friend group and he even let you sit beside him. Suguru denied that you were seeing each other that way and you just laughed at their teasing, “I just invited her today because we were having Korean BBQ and she said she likes this food.”

“Ahuh, you forced me to book this restaurant!” Shoko teasingly replied. All of his friends went “AYYYYY!” And you can see Suguru turning red, “Don’t mind them, they’re just dumb.” He whispers to you. You just nodded and said, “Don’t wor—-”

You were cut off when a voice came over to your table and yelled, “HOW’S MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE? I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU GUYS IN A WHILE!” He was a tall guy with white hair and a black glasses on – glasses inside the restaurant, weird, you thought. They all screamed his name and Sukuna scooched over so he could sit down but he sat right next to you. His glasses falling over his nose, “And who is this angel? Is God really giving me a gift right now?” Then he smirks at you.

You rolled your eyes at him and said, “I’m sorry, I’m no angel, but I guess you’d have to put down your glasses because this girl has some hidden horns.” Now, it was your time to smirk. Everyone at the table was taken aback but cheered because no one had ever put Gojo in his place. They all said you had guts and even Suguru tapped your shoulder saying you did a good job.

Gojo did put down his glasses and wow, does he have the bluest eyes ever – like the ocean, you're most favourite place in the world. My god, why is everyone at this table so handsome? Did they all meet in a pageant or something? Gojo saw you peeked at him so he said, “Why? You like what you see?” and winked at you.

You turned to him and said, “Yes, I do and as a matter of fact, you look like my mom’s dog.” Everyone erupted in laughter and Gojo was taken aback – your mom’s dog? What the fuck? No one has ever said that to him. Almost all girls will be falling on his beck and call, but you were different. Very interesting, he thought.

Suguru placed his arms over yours and said, “Aight, that’s my girl.” Your heart jumped at what he said and chugged the beer. Everyone was cheering you again as you finished the pint. Gojo gave Suguru the look of, “Oh, she’s yours?” and as they were best friends Suguru understood what he meant and he nodded but also retracted his arms on you. Suguru thought Gojo understood what that nod meant.

Gojo extends his hands to yours, "Gojo Satoru."

You accepted, "Y/N, L/N."

After meeting you, Gojo started to look forward to meeting his friends again because you became a part of their friend group and he wasn’t fazed even though you were talking and laughing more with Suguru - a pang of jealousy, maybe, but he's Gojo Satoru.

Gojo started to talk to you more and even asked for your phone number right in Suguru’s face. You don’t know if this is a good idea but he was so straight forward to you. He began messaging you and even showing up to breakfast or lunch in the bakery with Suguru and Nanami.

After 6 months, just all of a sudden, you were smiling more to his texts and even went out with him once with only the two of you – helping you with your groceries. Usually you would do this chore with Suguru because you felt more comfortable with him because he doesn’t really make inappropriate/flirty comments and the last time he did it was at the dinner and that was it, but getting to know Gojo more, you got used to his antics. And when Suguru actually called you that night, you said you were with Gojo because he was already on his way to do groceries as well even though he didn’t buy anything. All Suguru said was, “Oh okay. Just wanted to see what you’re doing. Have a great night then.”

After that, you haven’t heard or seen Suguru that often and the last time he texted you he said he has a big architectural project overseas that will last 3 months so you won’t be meeting him for a while. You were kind of sad because you were so used to his presence and he was a really great friend. For those 3 months though, you got to know Gojo Satoru deeply – hanging out more, having profound and serious talks with him which you didn't expect in his goofy personality.

And one night, you went over to Gojo’s house because he said he was sick and there was no one to take care of him. You told him to eff off and call Shoko instead because you were going to hang out with your best friend. He said Shoko doesn’t care about him even though she is a doctor and then he called you ‘heartless’. You gave up, canceled your plans and went to his place. It was your first time seeing his crib and it’s huge. When you entered, he was smiling weakly at you so you touched his forehead with the back of your hands to try and check if he really has a fever – he actually is super hot(THE TEMPERATURE, lol). He wasn’t wearing a shirt and his jogging pants were hanging low on his torso. You had to swallow because damn it is getting hot in here! You try to not look at his body so you just said, “Fine, you are sick, now let’s get to your bed, and I’ll make you some porridge and tea.” He then took your hand and led you to his bedroom – his house is on the penthouse and a loft inside it – the second floor was his bedroom and it also had the master’s bathroom.

You asked where his medical kit was and then you took his temperature, it was at 38°C so you went to his bathroom, took a towel and washed it with cold water and you put it on his forehead. He was softly smirking at you – my gosh, he had the nerve to look at you like this despite being sick, so arrogant, you thought, “Yah, remove that wide grin over your face! Your fever is too high for you to be acting like that.”

“Whaaaaat? I’m just happy someone is taking care of me.”

“Ahuh…. Okay, I’m going to go now in the kitchen downstairs okay? I’m going to cook some porridge and make tea for you. Be right back.” Before you could turn, he held your hand once more and told you to sit right beside him, “Uhm, I don’t think so, mister. You need some food so you can get better right away.” He pouted on you – why is he so cute? You gently release his hand, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back okay?” Then you softly smiled and touched his hair that was currently up from the towel in his forehead, “Promise, I won’t take long.”

“Okay cause’ I’ll miss you if you’re gone too long.” You just laughed at what he said and pinched his nose – ugh, stop making me fall for you!!!

After coming back with a porridge and ginger tea, you sat him up on the headboard and gave him the food. He was such a baby because he wanted you to spoon feed him. You just sighed and rolled your eyes and did it. You also gave him medicine for his fever. After this, you really want to go home or maybe sleepover at Utahime’s as you haven’t seen her in a while.

But lo and behold, fate has another plan for you because after feeding him, making him drink the tea and his medicine, you were about to say goodbye to him but he gave you beautiful eyes and said, “Aren’t you at least going to wait for my fever to come down?” Your conscience is too pure so you stayed with him. You dozed off on his side bed while he was holding your hand, but when you woke up, you were lying on his bed – wait, how did you get from sitting on the floor to here? You tried to get up but he had tightened his arms on you so now you’re staring at his face too closely. The towel from his forehead was gone so you traced his eyebrows, the shape of his eyes, and his nose but stopped when he spoke, “So you like what you see. Heh.” He slowly opened his eyes.

“Oh my gosh! You were awake! I knew it! Now, can you let go, mister? I wanna go home.”

“Okay, but do you like what you see?” He was so close to your face that you can feel his breath and it's making you feel things you shouldn’t, “Yes, I do.” You softly said.

He chuckled, “Like your mom’s dog, hmm?”

“No,” You said seriously as you looked at his cerulean eyes, “You’re my type.” And as soon as you said it, you realized you fucked up because now he has the biggest grin in his face and if you think he couldn’t get closer, well he did and now he’s looking at your lips like it’s God’s greatest creation – he slowly put his lips to yours and he sensually bit your lower lips. Being caught in the moment, you open your mouth to receive his tongue and now you two are sharing a passionate kiss, “Hmm.. So I am your type huh?” He said in between kisses, “Don’t.. Be..So” You replied as he hungrily kissed you, “Don’t be so what? He breathed at your neck.

“Arrogant.” You smirked at him when he came up from the kiss to look at you. He just smiled at you and began going on top of you, “Is that so?” Gojo nibbles your neck and you start whimpering – he started to get hazy when he heard your soft moans but you snapped out and said, “Oh my god! You're still sick Gojo! What the hell, are you okay now?” You touched his forehead and he just chuckled at you, “Yes, I am okay now because you were such a good caretaker. Also, it’s Satoru to you.” He groaned in your ears and started to nibble you again because he got interrupted. Now, his hands start to roam under your shirt, but you hold his wrist, “Uhm, Satoru, we… I…”

“Tell me right now, princess, do you want me to stop? Promise, I’ll stop if you don’t want to.” FUCK! You don’t know what to do.

“Do you have feelings for Suguru?” He asks – you were surprised at his question and the truth is, you had a crush on him but it looked like it was one-sided because he never really flirts or gives hints or maybe you just don’t notice it? So you decided to let go of that ‘crush’ and you said, “It kinda went away, because…” Yes, Gojo kind of replaced him because he was giving you his undivided attention and he was such a flirt. At first, you really tried to ignore it with your every being but he was just so enticing.

“I don’t need a reason, princess. No was suffice.” and he comes back to your lips and the longer he was there, he was pressing his lips more onto yours as if it’s not close enough. You feel a bulge on his jogging pants and you were already getting hot below there because he was kissing you so passionately and you’ve been returning it, “Do you still want me to continue? If you want me—”

“Yes, I want you, Satoru.” As soon as he heard your words, he slowly put his hands on your shirt to remove it and also discarding your bra, he grunted when he saw your naked body – “goddess” is what he thought of. He removes his lips on yours and starts to kiss your neck and slowly goes down to your chest. He was sucking and kissing your hardened nipples and his other hand was groping your other bosom. You were losing it as you started to moan a bit loud. Hearing your whimpers, made him kiss your stomach and gently remove your pants. He was putting his lips all over your thighs then he stopped at your clothed wet cunt. He stared at it like taking a mental picture of it so you put your hands on your face because he was looking at your wet cunt so hungrily and you got shy all of a sudden. He groaned and removed your hand from your face, “So wet f’ me. Your pussy is so pretty, just like you angel.” Then he started kissing your cunt with your panties on. He was now using his tongue until you're soaked and then he glided your underwear to the side and starts using his fingers with his tongue, “Toru! Fuck! Ahhh.”

Hearing his name escape from your lips, he went in deeper and faster. Holy shit. No one has ever eat you out like this, “Fuck.. M’ so close, Toru!”

“Yes, angel, fuck, let go, yes, just like that. Cum f’ me.” He brought you to your high and came undone. You were sensitive but he cleaned you up with his tongue. He looked at you so lovingly because you were so beautiful at your fucked out face. Gojo licked his two fingers to taste your remaining cum and that’s where he realized – you were the most delicious meal ever. He wanted to see you messier and fucked out so he removed his jogging pants and spit on his member. You looked at his cock and and went ‘o’ “I do like what I see, holy shit!”

He cackled lowly with your comment but felt so proud. You got up and told him since he’s still a bit sick, you can do the work, he protested, but you made him sit by the headboard and you began touching his abs and started to kiss all over it. He was losing his mind and he started to moan so loud when you spit on his cock and started to roll your tongue on his base – collecting the precum. He wanted to cum right now but he wanted you more so he grabs your hair but you looked at him, “Not yet, Toru.” You savoured him slowly which was killing him but it was so fucking good. You bobbed your head faster – up and down and shoved all of him til his cock was hitting in the back of your throat. You were gagging a little bit but it didn’t stop you from taking him all in and massaging his balls. He was mewling your name and he can’t control it anymore so he grabs your hair again in which you let him and started to fuck your throat.

“FUCK!!! RIGHT THERE Y/N!!! OH MY GOD, YOU ARE SO FUCKING…. UGH GOOD, YES, ANGEL!” He groaned and came in your mouth, “Yes, angel, fuck, take all of it.. Ahhh.” Being a good girl you are, you swallowed all of it and opened your mouth to show to him that you did it, “That’s my fucking girl.” He was still hard from just seeing how you swallowed all of his cum without complaints so Gojo put you on his lap and started to line up his cock to your sopping cunt.

“You’re such a good girl, there.. Fuck, so fucking tight f’ me. Shit.” He was easing into you and he was getting hazy on how your pussy is sucking him in. You tilt your head back, arched your back and were moaning so loud when he bottomed out. “Fuck yes angel, let them hear how my cock is so good to you.” He whispers in your ears. His left hand was on your waist and his right hand is groping your boobs. He slowly moved you – up and down and he was grinning from ear to ear when your boobs moved so beautifully with your ,"Toru!" whimpers. Now, he’s impatient – he fucks you so ravishingly like a starved animal who hasn’t eaten in days and moves his right hand to your waist. He is now pushing and pulling in your gummy walls, fuck your head is spinning and his cock feels so fucking good so you synched your movements with him and you were both getting undone. Loud whimpers and the squelching coming from you both is what can be heard in his loft. You take him in every position and you’ve lost count on how many times you did it. My god, his stamina was something else. You were both panting and sweating like you ran a marathon. And it was now noon.

You faced each other and he cupped your face, “That was the best sex, I mean making love I ever did with someone.” He weakly smiled at you. It was the truth – Gojo’s sex life was just full of one night stands, fuck buddies, and quickies. It was his first time experiencing a passionate love making, “It’s like you weren’t sick though. Were you really sick or were you pretending, hmm? You were suspicious because how can he make you a fckin’ mess with a high fever like that – how is his stamina then if he wasn't sick? GOD.

“I don’t know, you healed me!” He said while drowning you with kisses in your face, “I’m hungry, tho, shall we eat?”

“Sure, I can cook something. Let’s shower first tho.”

You felt butterflies in your stomach when he back hugged you while you were cooking. You looked up at him and he sweetly smiled at you, “Mmmmm, this one looks like it taste so good.”

“Hmm, are you talking about the food or?” You both laughed and then he whispered something to you so unexpectedly that you felt your heart burst with happiness, “Please be my girlfriend. I promise, I’ll take care of you.”

You faced him, “Are you serious?”

He cupped your face – his cerulean eyes peering at your soul, “Never been this serious before. I really, really, really, really like you.” Gojo was hoping you’d say yes. PLEASE SAY YES! (Before Suguru comes home)

You were now smiling from ear to ear, “That’s a lot of reallys.”

“Because I really do like you. You're my type too, Y/N.” Ugh, the way he says your name…

“Yes, okay, I’ll be your girlfriend.” Gojo shouted YES! And starts hugging you tight, “Really?” He asks.

“Really, really.” You respond.

After eating with now your ‘boyfriend’, you texted your friend group chat with Utahime that you have big news and you want to see them tomorrow. You all decided to eat at a Korean BBQ and sing karaoke after. Gojo said yes to all your plans because he really wants to meet all your friends. He did meet Utahime once before but just a quick “Hi, Hello” but it seemed he didn’t vibe with her – she was a bit snobbish at him.

The next day, you introduced Satoru to your friend group and they were all teasing you except Utahime. When you both went to the washroom, she whispered to you, “Are you sure you still don’t want to call this off?”

“‘Utahime!! Girlie, it’s okay. He seems decent and he promised he’ll take care of me. I mean if there are red flags, you know, I’ll break it off.” You reassured her.

“Okay, just want you to be happy and safe.” Utahime did see that he was a decent guy. Satoru was serving you food at the BBQ and making sure your water is filled at all times. He was very attentive which Utahime liked and he was vibing with the other girls – she was still skeptical, but of course it’s your best friend, she wants what’s best for you.

Satoru was down to everything you tell him – even singing some duet karaoke songs and joking with your girlfriends. You felt relieved that it was a great first meeting.

-1 week after-

“Now it’s time to tell my friends, why am I nervous, angel?” You laughed at him, “My baby, you’re okay, it’s going to be okay, they know me already!” You console him.

He held out his hand to lock with yours. You are at the Sushi restaurant and everyone is there – even Suguru… when did he come back? He was sitting beside Shoko and was smiling at you when he saw you but it turned upside down when he quickly looked at your hands interlocked with Satoru. He nodded to both you and Satoru.

“Oh so this is the ‘big’ announcement.” Sukuna teased.

“We were more surprised it’s not sooner.” Choso chuckled.

“Hey come on, give our Gojo-kun a break, he did change a lot. Congrats to the both of you.” Nanami comments.

Shoko just hugged you and said congrats. Everyone was cheering you both on and Suguru was just quiet the whole time. You tried to look at him but he was avoiding you. Satoru noticed it and squeezed your hand so you looked up at him and gave you a reassuring smile. You shake your thoughts off and tell yourself you'll talk to him next time – but that ‘talk’ never happened.

---------

“I did let him take her and that was so cowardly of me. Never again.” He told Shoko and drove off.

He regretted that day he didn't tell you how he felt. Now that Suguru has you again. He will make sure this time, no one will take you. It was 4 years of torture and you really deserve all the good love in this world.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Tags: @username23356-blog @iamrgo @mandysfanfics @shartnart1

NOTE: I will be on vacation for 1 week somewhere by the beach because this girl deserves it. Work has been burning me out lately so yes, I need a rest. I will try to work on the next part of Ex-Boyfriend Nanami and the next chapter of this. Ending is very soon, and it's oh so sweet!

Writing again soon,

Lady Ro :)

#lady ro writes #gojo fan fic #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #gojo angst #jjk fan fic #jujutsu kaisen fan fiction #jjk angst #geto suguru #jjk suguru #geto suguru x reader #jujutsu kaisen suguru #jjk geto #gojo smut #jjk smut #jjk x reader #gojo satoru smut

136 notes · View notes

avaelangel · 5 months

Text

Parents weekend.

LiMoreau blurb. Really, really want Marie to meet Jordan's parents, but I do think we won't get that in the show.

Warnings: None? I don't think I went angsty enough, but I hope it's still enjoyable. Probably not proofread enough. Might fuck around and write more.

~3093 words.

''What the fuck?''

The light went out half-way to Jordan's room and Marie heard them curse from the end of the hall. She kept going, trying not to crush into anyone beside her now boyfriend, assuming by the voice she heard. Feeling for their slightly increased heartbeat, she reached out a hand to touch theirs.

''It's me,'' she heard a sigh and hands wrapped around her, ''What happened?''

''I'll find that electricity-wileding son of a bitch and kill him,'' the moment Jordan said that, light came back.

The looked at each other for a moment. Marie with casual, but growing tenderness, Jordan with worry that seemed to be easying up. They saw Marie blink out of something. She still was tracking their heartbeat, but also, thought like she stared too much.

''What's wrong?''

''What's up?''

They both huffed in annoyance, then laughed.

''I asked first,'' Marie smiled, her hands tightened around Jordan.

''Fuck,'' Jordan tugged her into their room, letting the door close with a bang. A hug became a bit broken, but Jordan still wanted to save it wrapping their arm around Marie's waist.

''The next weekend is the parents weekend,''

''Oh,'' Marie sort of glitched on that. She was lying to people about her parents, who obviosly would be ''too busy'' to visit. Guardian shit died down, so nobody would think to like...hire actors, right? But she said the other thing.

''Already?'' She pulled away to look at Jordan better, ''We should get you and Emma out of school,'' the conviction in her voice made Jordan smile.

''I have to talk to them, probably,'' Jordan sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. They started tapping their leg on the floor and switched, ''I haven't spoken to my dad since the gala,''

Marie's expertise on parent-child relationship started with what little memories she had of hers and promising to beat up Emma's mom. She didn't really know what to say, so she sat next to Jordan, offering them her hand to take.

''I can be there, if you want,'' Jordan took her hand, intertwining the fingers, ''I can beat you dad, if you want me to,'' Marie leaned in closer, whispering. Jordan snorted with laighter.

''As much as I would want you to try that, no. Not this time. Do you really want to meet them, though? Be a distraction, basically. From the fact that my dad would rather choke then call me at least his child, let alone his daughter,'' Jordan's jaw clenched. They looked at their tapping leg and forcibly stopped it.

''I don't mind being a distraction. I'll even fuck around and agree that we are getting married after graduation,'' Marie smiled at horror in Jordan's eyes, ''In like Norway,'' she shrugged with most grace she could master.

''You really expect me to freeze my ass off for you?'' Jordan's default settings popped back in, but they still laughed, ''I hope it won't get that bad,'' they glanced at Marie, ''I mean, with my parents.''

''It doesn't have to be bad,'' Marie squeezed their hand, ''We'll do what we supposed to do, charm them out prying in your life. Or we can pretend that you are dating Emma and make them talk to her when she's a size of a glass of water.''

''I am the only one who's going to be puking when my parents come,'' Jordan fell back on the bed, but did chuckle.

''I'll hold your hair then,'' she settled in next to them on her side, ''Even if metaphorically, I think both of your haircuts are pretty comfortable for puking,'' she enjoyed Jordan's silent fight against laughter.

''I haven't puked since my graduation, I think,'' Jordan softly knocked on Marie's shoulder with their forehead and let out a heavy sigh.

''How much do you have to drink to puke?'' Marie mused, while Jordan untangled their fingers from hers and pushed for her to end up on her back, almost kicking their girlfriend out of the bed. They quickly pulled her back, putting their head on Marie's shoulder. Jordan chose to ignore her giggles.

''You really don't want to be a witness to that,'' they murmured, clearly trying to hug their worries away, ''And don't ask Andre about things like that,'' Jordan's grasp on Marie's waist became stronger.

''Watch me,'' Marie wasn't going to ask Andre , not really, ''It's going to be okay. Hopefully, we won't have to drink ourselves stupid,'' she brushed Jordan's hair away from their eyes.

''It might be, but don't get your hopes up,'' Jordan huffed, closing their eyes, ''Thank you,'' they said with a sigh.

''Too early to thank me,'' Marie decided to drop the topic for now. There is still a week to prepare.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ***

The week passed rather quickly. On Tuesday Jordan's mom texted, saying that they do plan on visiting, but probably for one evening because of work. Some kind of errands to run in town. Texting with Marie at the same time, Jordan told their parents about having a ''special someone'' and allowed their mother to sugesst meeting that someone herself.

By Thursday a reservation for four was made in a very bougie restaurant. Marie became wary of it and doubted her choice of dress. Jordan assured her that there is no constriction. No need to be bougie back, just as normal as possible. It was getting windier outside.

Friday came. Marie knocked on Jordan's door an hour before they agreed to meet. When they opened the door, Marie made a pose, to show off her black turtleneck dress and a nice bag, courtesy of Emma. Black shiny boots boots with a safe heel were bought with her help too.

''Do I need a jacket?'' When Jordan kept staring, Marie felt the need to break the silence.

''No, we are taking my car,'' they sounded irritated, coming back to the desk with accessories spread out. Closing the door behind her, Marie looked over Jordan's shoulder curiosly.

''It's fucking stupid,'' Jordan mutters, picking a gold and black ring. Their burgundy shirt has a couple of buttons undone, favorite chain missing, ''I'm still trying to impress them,'' they stilled when Marie's hand wrapped around their arm.

''I should be the one to impress them, right?'' She asked in a soft voice, trying to make Jordan look at her. They let out a heavy sigh.

''You shouldn't be doing anything,'' Jordan glances at Marie and back at the desk, their fingers toyed with a two different couples of cufflinks.

''I'm already here and I'm not leaving you to explain to your parents that you for sure did not imagine having a girlfriend,'' Marie didn't see Jordan's soft smile when she picked up both kinds of cufflinks, making them choose between a silver circle with black centre and a small red-ish triangle surrounded by gold. Without words, Jordan chose the latter.

They watched Marie intently. Someone who didn't know them both, might have thought that it was a gaze of a hawk. But Jordan was trying to bottle up the moment in which Marie stepped ready to support them regardless. And how she confidently fumbled with the cufflinks, but still managed to get it right in seconds.

''Do you think I'm ungrateful?'' Jordan asked. After the gala, in the dark of their room and their thoughts, Jordan tried to understand what it was like for Marie before she got here. And how their bitching and moaning about parents being mean might sound to her.

''No!'' Marie, when she finally got it, exclaimed, ''No, don't even think about it like that,'' she held their arms at the elbow for some reason, ''After what you told me, what I've heard from Emma and Cate, I can say that bad parents can eat a bag of dicks,'' she raised her eyebrows in mock-annoyance, like she said the most obvious thing.

''But I won't say any of this tonight,'' Marie's fury calmed down and she let go of Jordan, who was trying not to smile too much.

''At least tell them your name first,'' they chuckled. A loose curl fell to their face and Marie brushed it back. She debated commenting on how romantic this hair style looked.

''Anything else I shouldn't tell them?'' Marie asked with some doubt.

''If you call me your 'partner', my dad might joke about us role-playing as cowboys,'' those words slipped with such ease, even Jordan's smirk didn't tell Marie anything about how true this statement was.

''What that phrase was? Save a horse, ride a cowboy?''Marie said it with as much feighed innocence as she could muster. Jordan, browsing their accessory spread, stifled a laugh, pursing their lips together.

''I have a cowboy hat,'' they had to take a breath. They chose a golden ring connected with a delecate chain bracelet with another chain. Marie didn't understand at first that Jordan was offering it to her. So she gave them her hand.

In thickened silence, Jordan slowly slid cool metal onto Marie's palm, the ring fitting her perfectly. They wouldn't accept it back later.

''Never took you as a gold person,'' she murmured, glancing down at the desk.

''Oh, right,'' Jordan held her hand, bracelet already on, ''When I met Luke, he got his first brand deal with some mildly luxury jewelry brand. Took away as much as they let him. Gave it to all of us. Since then I've been giving gold a chance,'' their eyes met. Marie felt a sting of guilt, but also was happy to see them remember Luke fondly.

''Come,'' Jordan pulled her a bit so they both could fit in a mirror. Their squinted gaze examined both oufits. They even put their hands in pockets of their trousers. Then Jordan held one hand on Marie's waist and switched.

''We look good,'' Marie broke the silence, ''Very privileged,'' that did bring out a small chuckle out of Jordan. They made a mental note that Marie should never find out how easy it is for her to make them smile. Too much power.

''Yeah,'' now they had to look up a bit at her, ''Would you mind some redder lipstick?''

''I'm so smearing it all over you,'' Marie gave Jordan a chaste kiss and smiled. This is the best threat Jordan Li would ever face.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ***

When they pulled up to the restaurant, Marie got worried and glanced at Jordan, who was nervous the whole way here.

''Relax,'' Jordan sighed.

''You relax!'' Marie's defensiveness quickly faded and they both laughed.

Not a lot of things truly matter here, beside supporting Jordan and trying to have a nice evening. Marie already blended in once, she can to it again. And her and Jordan still can cling to each other, like they could not do yet back then.

Jordan's parents already waited in a far away booth. The restaurant itself was politely chattering. Every single person busy with their plate or partner at the table. Easy and calm. Marie squeezed Jordan's hand harder, mapping out options she could order here, eat and still hold up the conversation withour getting distracted.

The initial meeting went well. A burst of laughter and hands shaking, slightly awkward introducing each other another time. Everybody sat down and enjoyed a pause while the waiter was giving out the menus.

''So, Marie,'' Kayla started, looking at her child and their girlfriend over the menu, ''What was your first impression was of Jordan?''

''Did he try to kiss you too?'' Paul chimed in. It broke the softness of the first question.

''Well,'' Marie glanced at Jordan and smiled, watching them avert their eyes in embarassment, ''Jordan actually rejected me from a the course I wanted to do. And I was a fan,''

''Oh, that's a love story,'' Jordan's mom really seemed delighted by that, ''And let me guess, everything just fell into place?''

''Oh, yeah,'' Marie got a bit too excited for that answer, ''Jordan couldn't hate me for too long!''

''Even though it was very tempting,'' they remarked, allowing everybody at the table to see their smile.

''Did you hit him for that?'' Jordan's dad sounded a bit too giddy for this.

''No, I only hit people who make Jordan upset,'' Marie did her best to sound like she was joking. Her smile was polite despite Jordan trying stifle a laugh in the background.

The conversation moved towards the dishes and drinks. Some lies were spewed by Marie, like the one about drinking. She had enough beers already amongst friends and, apparently, drunk her head off at a party. She also lied about not having allergies, because frankly, she didn't know or remember. So she ordered a seafood pasta and supressed an urge to whisper to Jordan something along the lines of ''If I die, I'm sorry,''.

''We can switch,'' As if they read her mind, Jordan winked at Marie.

''I can certainly see what Jordan likes in you, Marie,'' Kayla said, taking the kids out of intimate haze.

''Yes, your actions speak for themselves,'' it sounded more wrong that it actually was, coming from Paul's mouth.

''There is a lot of us at God U. Next Guardian or Protector, whatever, is right around the corner. I just don't want anybody to get hurt,'' remembering the interview, Marie felt awful, gripping the side of her chair.

''I was fascinated by Marie's powers first, to be honest,'' Jordan straightened out, their fingers touched Marie's, ''Then, I had to come to an understanding that all of Marie is fascinating,'' they even sighed with dismay.

''To your absolute chagrin,'' Marie really hoped she used that random word she manage to remember right. She will get teased about it later.

''Just a little bit of chagrin,'' Jordan will never forget it.

''What do you like in Jordan?'' Paul asked. His and Jordan's whiskey glasses were identical.

''Oh, many things,'' Marie took a sip of her colorful icey-looking coctail. Nobody was sure it wasn't alcoholic, ''There isn't another Jordan, I think. No one can be that strong and resilient, but also loving and...,'' she had to take a breath, ''breathtaking, really. I like all of Jordan. Every single thing,''

There was silence. Kayla did bless Marie with an ''Aww'', but Jordan leaned in, kissing her cheek.

''You just HAD to outdo me on this,''

The food came and conversaiton flowed towards simpler things. Jordan did their best to stir it away from the topic of Marie's past. Marie, in turn, filled every opportunity for a story of Jordan's childhood to be repeated with her own anecdote about shenanigans at Godolkin. She even offered a memory with her sister, the one where her and Annabeth experimented with food as little kids, as a sacrifice to a nice evening. It kind of worked.

It was very hard to fight off offering of desert. Even with Marie's curiosity to try a fancy desert, between her pasta and Jordna's ravioli, they both were super stuffed. Kayla insisted on choosing something for them to take home, maybe eat in the morning and think of her and Paul. That struck a chord with Marie.

She tried to sort out her feelings during the evening. There was something stilted about the conversation, everybody hid some parts of them, but also really wanted to enjoy what they could show. The saddest part of it. Truth will come out behind closed doors, in half-lit rooms and with hushed voices.

''Thank you so much,'' Marie smiled and held Kayla's cold hands in hers, ''I would never thought to go here,'' she never would have known this place existed.

''Thank you, It was so great to meet you,'' The woman leaned in closer, ''I know I'm glad Jordan has someone to support him at God U,''

Marie nodded, still smiling. She glanced back at Jordan, who was talking about something with their dad. Everything seemed somewhat fine. Wishful thinking almost made Marie will Jordan to switch and for the dad to hug them in the form he's refusing to accept. But the boys shook hands and Jordan turned, noticing that Marie was looking.

''You are staring,'' they chuckled, swinging an arm around Marie's shoulders.

Paul's car got brought out first and after many almost hearfelt goodbyes, they left. Marie and Jordan stood in silence for a few minutes, huddling together for warmth.

''You mom has low blood pressure,''

''I'll let her know,''

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ***

The alarm clock showed 2:54 am. Only one lamp was lighting entirety of Jordan's room.

''That's it, I'm done,'' Marie abandonded the spoon next to the pistachio tiramisu and raised her hands. Giggling like a desert gremlin, Jordan took the rest of it for themselves.

''We probably should bring the macarons to Emma. And hide Emma,'' they remarked, taking another bite.

''Yeah. I should pay her at least in sweet stuff for her help. I still mostly use her make up,'' Marie nodded, glancing at the bag from the restaurant on the desk.

''You can use mine, you know,'' Jordan forgot about their tiramisu, the spoon softly touching their lips, ''Whatever suits you, I mean,''

''Let me guess,'' she moves closer and puts her head on their lap. After coming back, her and Jordan found their oldest and biggest hoodies to wear to bed, pants be gone, ''you have a really steady hand when it comes to stuff like eyeliner?''

''I have you know, I have a perfectly steady hand when it comes to everything,'' there wasn't another answer she could have expected from Jordan. They put their head on Marie's shoulder, their curls falling freely.

''Will you be able to sleep after this?'' Marie tapped the side of desert container.

''After knowing my parents are actually happy for me because of something beside of school? Barely,'' their hand found Marie's wrist.

''I meant the sugar and coffe,''

''Oh. there's barely any. I think,'' Jordan sat up straighter, looking at the container, as if it had the ingredient list, ''Lady fingers soaked in coffee, but cream is...''

''It's time to sleep, smartass,'' with a great effort, Marie dragged herself from the bed, took away the container, closed it and turned to Jordan, ready to bully them into cuddling.

But Jordan was already shuffling under the covers. Deciding not to say anything else, she turned off the lamp and climbed into the bed with them.

''I am smart and I do have a good ass,'' Jordan murmured, putting their head on Marie's shoulder. Her silent laugh made them smile too.

Sleep was sweet and sound untill Emma's distress signal came in few hours later.

#gen v #jordan li #marie moreau #limoreau #emma meyer #so i know it's long and i tried my best #let me know if i should elaborate on things like jordan sharing make up with marie or those two saving emma from her mom #it's a honking huge piece damn #fanfiction i guess #jordan x marie #big thanks to @limoreaulover for helping me remember what cufflinks are #i just hope it's alright #not a native english speaker by the way so sorry if something is horrible

110 notes · View notes

asukaskerian · 3 months

Note

prompt 4 for moshang with the mood "incensed" would be hilarous i imagine

Mythology - Foretold by the gods - moshang

So he might have, maybe, at some point -- some late at night or maybe very early point -- tried to figure out an OC for Mobei-jun to ship w fuck. Dude was so perfect, it was a shame his dump truck ass and sequoia thighs remained unembraced. (Also the whole "he's so mysterious and never opens up and unveils his deep thoughts and tender feelings except for me" fantasy but never mind all that.)

He'd gone exactly as far as 'Meeting: why tf would he notice anyone. Dashing rescue? Why does he need a rescue he's too cool and basically untrappable anyway, what are they rescuing him from socializing with his cousins lmao???' on his notes before giving up on making it realistic. The next scribble was 'cuz i said so ok next'.

There had been no 'next'. His battery had died and when he managed to get home and get his laptop plugged in it was time for another word vomit on the topic of Bing-ge's meat truncheon.

[Secret side-quest: Easter egg! 1/536 discovered. Keep going!][Category: "is it a headcanon if you didn't think it up with your upper head?" 1/413]

'System-bro, what the entire fuck!?!' Airplane screeched inside his heart of hearts; ass on the floor (bruising), clothes askew (from sleeping in them!!), and the most gorgeous, terrifying man he'd ever seen staring down at him from the bed they'd crashed into (Mobei-jun first, because unconscious, Airplane later, because idiot) the previous night.

Because he had expected being sneered at; being talked down to; being attacked on sight. Being haughtily ignored, after sufficient groveling at crotch level.

But his most perfect, most unattainable creation, that Himalayan peak made flesh, saying that --

The problem with Airplane was, he didn't trust people. He didn't trust them to share their feelings and decisions with him freely instead of leaving him reeling at yet another swerve of which he was merely collateral damage. He didn't trust them not to lie to themselves, or even know they were lying to themselves, so even if they did tell him what they thought or felt he assumed they were doing the polite 'the real reason is none of your business but telling you to fuck off is rude' thing at best.

So yes, his favorite game from childhood had been to pick someone in the crowd and tell himself stories about their life. This guy is a grandfather of seven and doesn't know the birthday of a single grandkid and his eldest son just pointed it out to him, but not even angrily which is worse because that's how low the bar he failed to clear was, that's why the fancy package and the gloomy expression. That girl just broke up -- she's so angry though -- he was fucking her sister. No wait, her nails are short, it was a girlfriend for sure; she fucked her brother, a double betrayal. It had evolved into telling himself stories about his classmates and his half-siblings and his parents, since they were never ever gonna bother to invite him to take a real glimpse inside, anyway.

He was fully aware that statistically speaking he was probably wrong a lot of the time, but 1. coming up with coherent narratives was satisfying enough to smother the jealousy and loneliness and 2. as far as he was concerned it was true until proved otherwise, which was never.

But a guy who gave him nothing to work with. That was a challenge. That was fascinating.

....

But a guy who greeted him by "You are to be my husband?" with a tone of dismay?!

What the fuck! What the fuck!! What the flying dick-flapping fuck!!!

He was so shocked, he forgot to kowtow.

"You uh. My king?" He hadn't made the guy so above it all that he landed straight back into a a naive ingenue, right? "Just sleeping on the same mattress doesn't -- people don't have to be married to share--"

The muggy air of the inn room went so cold so fast that condensation rolled cold drops down his back.

(The effect didn't last; there was a haze in the air, briefly, and then a suffocating breeze from outside ruined the surprise air-con.)

"You will not speak to me like an idiot child," Mobei-jun-to-be rumbled threateningly, and then ruined the cool by continuing in that wtf vein. "My husband will show respect to his wife or his wife shall reign as a widow."

Holy shit, now Mobei-jun was the wife???!?!??? What? What! Airplane was dead. Again. For good.

He stayed down there sitting on his ass, waiting for the world to make sense. It didn't happen. The man of his masochistic dreams had crossed his arms over his massive bara titties like a barricade and was now sulking up there like an offended wi-- no, he couldn't even think it.

"My -- my king? It's only, ah, your humble servant doesn't... recall... getting married...?"

Eyes as blue as the afterimage of a lightning strike speared him through, metaphorically.

"Not yet. But we must."

He let out a long sigh; and his face didn't twitch when he moved to aggravate his wound, but the way he stilled for a breath was telling. Shang not-yet-Qinghua winced in reflexive sympathy.

"There is a prophecy."

"... Ah?" A prophecy. About his king. That he hadn't put into the story. That he hadn't even scribbled into the margins or thought about. 'System?!'

[Yes, valued User?]

"There is a prophecy for each generation, and most of them don't matter," the ice demon using that shitty inn bed as his throne said with a bitter tone. "But the eleventh ruler of the Northern Desert will be heralded by his foretold spouse; that is how he is confirmed."

"Ohh," Airplane said intelligently and with characteristic eloquence.

"'You will know them by these things," his king quoted sourly, "first, they will heal you; second, share your bed; third, offer their hand, and service, and their soul."

'Their soul! Their soul!! I was offering my sneakiness and maybe my dick, ah?! System!!! Who told you to mess up my creation with made-up prophecies?!'

[The easter egg category: "is it a headcanon if you didn't think it up with your upper head?" belongs to the third rung of canon : Word of God.]

But he hadn't told anyone--

But he'd written it down, he remembered now. 'Cuz i said so.'

Oh god. Oh immortals ascended before him. Oh little ancestors in both and either worlds. Someone fix this for him. "My king. Haha. My king, that is -- so vague! So vague?! How can there not be a dozen candidates with criteria so -- so stupid? And if the prophecy is common knowledge then people knew them in advance?! How were you not sabotaged right and left--"

...Oh no. He was gorgeous when he smirked like this, slow and feline, satisfied. My king, so unfair.

"This prince has long since made it a point not to sleep where others may catch him." A delicate pause. "He has also made it a point to return misplaced agents to his most obstinate siblings's chambers at a time his elders may not miss them."

"--Oh. Disqualifying them for trying to disqualify you -- so smart, my king!" For a moment, he had gotten enthused. But then he remembered that they were discussing his sudden non-canon matrimony, and then he started poking it for plot holes. "But -- just anybody can share your bed."

"The language is old, and clear. The prophecy speaks of the only person to ever share this king's bed."

... Hhghhhk.

That stare. So hard. Offended. Those cheekbones. So cutting. That nose, regal; that hair.

"My king," Airplane said as he climbed up to his feet, eyes trained on the floor and his knees and the things spread on the table and anything else at all. "Have you ever thought that the 'sharing a bed' section was metaphorical?"

He met the demon's eyes then, incredulous and angry, buoyant with it. "You haven't even shown me your dick and you think I should be making recompense?! What the fuck! Passing out on the same shitty mattress doesn't mean getting deflowered! I didn't knock you up with a snowball ass egg, why the fuck should I--"

Oh, he was tall. Also wide. Especially wide. Flatten me daddy indeed.

Oh, he was angry.

"It is not. Metaphorical. Though if all you need is to see my body--"

His hand landed on his belt. Shang eventually-Qinghua stopped breathing, body hot and bubbling with too much emotion--

It read like one of his waifu plots, the Joan of Arc types, unconquerable holy virgins except via the pressure of greater good.

A vague scrying over some random-ass kingdom, a little prophecy and welp! Nothing to it, just gotta fuck it out for the marital bed and then never again. At least you getting lawfully reamed has saved Bumfucknowhereistan.

'System. Demerit if I say hell no?'

[The bonus Mobei-jun questline remains optional, and brings User no penalties on opt-out.]

'Great.'

Like hell he was jumping into marriage because he liked some guy's face and didn't want to be bothered by geriatric busybodies tittering over his lack of wedlock. Who was he, his mother?

"I'll pass. Sorry, my king, at least I'm ditching you long before the altar?"

And with a sweep of his hand, he dumped all his things off the table and into his qiankun pouch, and was jumping out the window and doing a sick flip trick on his trusty borrowed blade. Airplane over and out, bro!

Thanks for nothing. Now his spank bank was forever tainted.

Three days later he was still dealing with bursts of anger and anguish and other moronic emotions, which didn't help navigating his miraculous return to the sect ("I was so scared!" lost its impact if he broke a sneery judgmental Shixiong's ankle with a well-placed kick) or the medical peak's nosiness ("Who cares about the bruises, my biggest injury is my blue balls and broken heart, thanks!") or Shen not-quite-Quingqiu's scalpel eyes.

His king's eyes were prettier.

His king was never going to be his king. Optional quest line. Yeah. He vaguely wondered how the System planned to make him betray the sect, then, who for, and then decided it wasn't his problem. Fuck it. He was sure it could do blackout poetry with his notes and pull out some contrived justification that would amount for half as much incentive as Mobei-jun's everything.

His fierce determination, his fearlessness, his skill, his -- his body.

His body that was extremely too visible on Shang in-his-soul-Qinghua's disciple bed, shoulders draped in furs and bountiful meaty muscle on full frontal display.

"I will not," he growled low and quiet, "be discarded by my spouse."

"Hhg."

He had snow leopard rosettes on his flanks in dusky blue, secret patterns never appeared in any cover art Airplane had commissioned.

[Secret side-quest: Easter egg! 2/536 discovered. Keep going!]

... Oh god, it turned out Shang Qinghua was exactly as stupid as Bing-ge's most ice-cold chaste wives. Because 'lie back and think of England?' Yeah, he was going to think of England and that dick.

#svsss #asuka writes #writing meme

54 notes · View notes

jcrsctrl · 2 years

Text

— the night sky.

summary: Jacaerys heard his betrothed was bored, so he takes you out to look at the night sky.

pariring: Jacaerys Velaryon x Reader.

w/c: 1,3K words.

notes: Hello everyone! This is my first ever one shot, I hope you'll like it. Don't hesitate to give me some feedback to improve my writing! Also, English is not my first language, I apologize in advance if some sentences/words don't make sense, let me know so I can do better in the future!

warnings: none ?

Lying on the side of your bed, you stared at the ceiling. This room was not the one you were used to sleeping in, but a brand new and temporary one. As a daughter of a Lord close to the royal family, they had decided to betroth you to the eldest son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her Prince Consort, Ser Laenor Velaryon. So here you are, lying on a bed that is not your own, while your family has been invited to spend some time celebrating the princely betrothal. You already knew Jacaerys and were happy to be able to marry him, you knew him to be a protective and good gentleman. You couldn't have hoped for a better fiancé, what bothered you at the moment was the distance.

Not being married, you and Jacaerys could not sleep in the same room, and during the day, you hardly had time to talk to each other: Jacaerys' duties as heir to the Iron Throne consumed much of his time. You only had time to see him when he was training with his brother, Lucerys, in the morning. You could watch him as he made a physically demanding effort, clapping lightly at each of Jacaerys' movements.

Here you were, lying on his bed thinking about Jacaerys, the way his jaw twitched when something upset him, the way the muscles in his arms tensed as he circled around Lucerys, whom he had just disarmed for the umpteenth time, giving him advice so he wouldn't be in the same situation again.

You loved the way his voice would speed up when a new idea came to him, or when he liked one of yours so much that he would lose himself for a moment and forget the mask he wore for other. By now, Jacaerys must have returned from his busy day as heir. What could he be doing? A bath, certainly, after such a busy day, a bath would surely relax him more than anything else. As you imagined Jacaerys' muscles slowly sinking into a steamy hot bath you heard footsteps in your room.

Without trying to understand what was going on, the woman you are raised on her bed and grabbed a jug from her bedside table before placing your feet on the cold floor. The room was silent, and you looked around the entire chamber with an assertive gaze. Your heart pounding in your chest. You knew you were supposed to be alone in the bedroom, so why was someone breaking in without announcing themselves?

The tension made your arm shake as you held the pot in argyle as you felt muscular hands on your shoulders. You didn't have time to turn around before you were already lying on the floor, one hand covering your mouth to prevent you from screaming. Lying on the ground, you felt a heavy body with muscles under heavy clothing holding you down. You then opened your eyes, closed in fear, as you felt the jug being taken from your hand without a struggle. That's when you saw Jacaerys Velaryon over you with a smile on his lips.

"Are you trying to kill your betrothed now?" Susured Jacaerys at your ears remaining in the same position he seemed to like. He then gently removed his hand from your mouth. "Have you gone completely mad Jacaerys?" you immediately shouted out as Jace gestured to you to keep your voice down. "Breaking into my room at such an hour, of course I intended to kill you!"

The two betrothed now standing, Jacaerys stared at the argyle jug lying on the floor before raising his brown eyes to you. "With an argyle pot? Dearest, next time get something more... impactful." He says before sinking into the dark part of your room. "Jace, where are you going?" you ask. "I heard my betrothed was bored, so follow me, I have a surprise for you darling."

You didn't wait long and decided to follow Jacaerys as he went through a secret passage behind a wall, which was where he had entered. A few minutes later you were on the heights of the castle. The stars filled the sky like pale maize in freshly turned ground. It was the promise of life in the night, a touch of warmth out of the cold. It was a humbling immensity and an eternal space that made one grateful for the comfort of home. No matter how many years passed, Jace saw each night sky as a new gift given once again. It was the moment when everyone who knew him saw his eyes smile and his breathing deepen just a little.

"Isn't it beautiful (y/n)?" "It is, Jace... It is."

While you looked up at the sky, which was giving you the most beautiful show, Jacaerys found the most wonderful show in your amazed eyes. He contemplated you in a way that every girl in the kingdom wanted to be looked at by her suitor. Your eyes, your hair, the way your lips pulled apart as you were mesmerized by the landscape that was in front of you.

Everything seemed to spark the interest of the man to whom you were promised. "Jace, are you not scared sometimes?" you asked, as you gracefully turned your head towards Jacaerys. Caught in the act of looking at you, Jacaerys looked away as he quickly wetted his lips with his tongue, almost forgetting to answer your question. Raising his brown eyebrows as he thought about it further.

"Frightened of what, darling ?" He asked as he moved closer to you, staring at your sweet face. "Of the thought of us getting wed. What if it does not work out ? What if we are not meant to be with each other after all ? Even if we're in a true and deep romance now- What could guarantee that the same passion, the same love we have for each other will burn in our veins forever?"

Jacaerys was not upset by this comment of yours. Instead, the prince seemed pleased and proud that you felt sufficiently comfortable to share your fears with him. He allowed himself a few seconds of silence. A silence that seemed like an eternity to you, but was necessary for Jacaerys to answer you in the best possible way. Running his fingers behind your ear, Jacaerys placed your face between his two hands, your eyes focused on him.

"I am not afraid because I love you as if you were the last of my kind. It is as if you speak the same language as I do, and no other was capable of it. Being close to you, (y/n), is like finally not being lonely - as if all my life I've been alone, in a room with no way out... and then suddenly you come in as if you were walking through a summer meadow, you light up my heart. It's because I feel this way with every moment with you, that I know that this feeling that we have will remain intact for the rest of our days. How is it that you are so much more than a ray of sunshine for me ? How is it that you breathe life into me when no one else can? Who could love me more than you ? I don't have the answer to all these questions. But however, (y/n), my betrothed, my love, remember this: as long as I am breathing, I am yours in mind, body and soul."

Jacaerys did not permit you time to answer, as a couple of tears of emotion rolled down your cheeks, Jacaerys Velaryon gently caressed your face to wipe away the tears. The light of the moon high in the night sky came into sight for both of you. Jacaerys finally placed his lips on yours. The kiss was both, electric and soft, doubtful and certain, terrifying and incredibly good. You could feel the romance pass from you to Jacaerys and from Jacaerys to you from the tip of your lips. As your mouths tried to merge and you couldn't even breathe, your kiss was warm and tingly, youthful and antique, and most importantly full of life. Jacaerys was thinking it was true. What they used to say about falling truly in love.

#jacaerys velaryon #house of the dragon #hotd #game of thrones #got #gotjacaerysvelaryon #jacaerys velaryon x reader #jacaerys velaryon imagine #jacaerys x reader #hotd fic #hotd x reader #hotd imagine #hotd fanfic #*mine: writing #jace velaryon #jace targaryen #jacaerys velaryon fic #jacaerys strong

579 notes · View notes

kyojurismo · 1 year

Note

How would Kyojuro feel if he found out his father was being cruel to his (Kyojuro's) wife while he's away on missions?

▸ ANSWERING. i’m sorry for being super slow at replying but i’ve been sick for a few days and i can’t concentrate very well (not that i’m usually that much concentrated, but anyway). i hope you’ll enjoy it and as usual, thank you so much for sending a request <3

▸ FANDOM. kimetsu no yaiba

▸ CHARACTERS. kyojuro rengoku x fem!reader

▸ RATING. sfw

▸ WARNINGS. abusive behaviour, crying, mention of alcohol, well it’s sad ngl… kyojuro is super sweet at the end + i think i got a little carried away lmao sorry if it doesn’t make sense or sum

first of all, none of you (i’m talking about senjuro too) would speak about it with kyojuro, because you know how stressed he is about his missions and you don’t want him to worry about you

so it’s up to you and senjuro getting through it

if shinjuro hits senjuro you try to stop him, but end up being scolded by him for getting too involved in family situations

“hitting your son won’t solve your problems!” that’s what you usually say to him

“you should learn to keep your mouth shut and just take care of the house.”

you know he doesn’t mean to say those things on purpose. he drinks too much and you know that deep down he’s deeply scarred, but still you find it cruel to take it out on young senjuro

you find yourself defending kyojuro too, most of the time

“i don’t understand how he keeps going on missions, he’s useless and doesn’t have talent.”

“i’m so sorry, y/n,” senjuro apologises about his father every single day, even though you assure him it’s not his fault and he shouldn’t worry too much about it

the day kyojuro was coming back from one of his missions, shinjuro completely lost it

“i’m so tired of seeing you around my house! you’re always smiling, you encourage my older son to do his job and tell senjuro to believe more in himself… who do you think you are?! you sleep under my roof, you eat my food, you-you… WHY DON’T YOU LEAVE?”

what’s going on inside his head? well, he sees ruka into you and he can’t stand it, not because he hates her, or you, but because it constantly reminds him that he couldn’t help her

of course you run out of the house in tears, senjuro deeply sorry sends a glance to his father and then follows you outside, finding you sobbing on your knees right in front of the house

“i don’t know how to apologise…” he mutters and starts crying too. “you shouldn’t be the one who needs to apologise,” you say and hug him as soon as you notice he’s crying too

that’s when kyojuro pops up, smiling but clearly tired

“hello there!” his voice makes you and senjuro jump a little, then you’re quick to wipe away your tears and get up, cleaning your kimono nervously. kyojuro notices everything, of course

“why were you crying?” he’s concerned and looks at his brother too, noticing he was avoiding his face. “i was… i think a crow came to the wrong house,” you fake a smile but you were truly grateful he wasn’t injured, he only has some dirt on his cheeks and a little scratch on his forehead

“we’re so happy to see you’re okay, brother!” senjuro joins the conversation, raising his voice a bit too much

“i’m glad to see you’re okay too, but… your frown is still here, darling. i feel there’s something more bothering you,” he genuinely cares about you and you burst into tears once again because you hate lying to him but you also don’t want him to have a discussion with his father

“our father raised his voice again… and said that y/n should leave,” senjuro gave up hiding it and you quickly turn to him. “t-that’s not true… he’s just having a bad day,” you try to convince kyojuro

[he did the right thing, idc]

kyojuro stares at you for a moment before walking straight into the house. he goes to his father, busy drinking as usual, and confronts him about the situation

he’s not one to yell or raise his voice during a discussion [i know he’s pretty loud on daily basis, but you know what i mean] so he’s pretty calm while talking to his father

on the other hand, shinjuro has no problem yelling at him and insulting all of you. you and senjuro find yourselves standing close to the door, hearing everything

when you hear kyojuro getting up you take senjuro with you and sit down, sighing deeply

they come out of his room and all of you sit down to eat together

“i’m sorry,” you hear shinjuro mutter into his rice bowl. “n-no problem,” you whisper and show him a little smile, before staring down at your own food

you and senjuro were able to hear only the end of the discussion, but kyojuro before said to his father that he should take more care of his health and try to drink less. he reminds him that ruka wouldn’t be pleased with his behaviour and that if he needs it kyojuro is here to help, and the same goes for you. he seeks a happy family and wants all of you around

and deep down, he knows his son was right.

part of you was glad senjuro spilled it out but you hope kyojuro won’t spend the time he’s away worrying about it

“you should have told me sooner,” kyojuro kisses your temple and hugs you as soon as you two are alone, comforting you properly. “my mission is also to make sure you’re happy.”

▸ BEFORE LEAVING. reblog and comments are super appreciated. that’s it i guess… 🫣 have a good day / night !!

#📂 — writing !!#kyojuro rengoku x reader #kyojuro rengoku x you #kyojuro rengoku x y/n #kyojuro rengoku blurb #kyojuro rengoku drabble #kyojuro rengoku imagine #kyojuro rengoku one shot #kyojuro rengoku fanfic #kny kyojuro #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba fanfic #demon slayer #demon slayer fanfic

239 notes · View notes

leechanpremacy · 1 year

Text

People You Know

After the death of his wife, he starts a whole new life in a whole new city with his three year old twins only to meet someone from his past. What a way to start something new, right?

pairings: psychiatrist!jeonghan, parent!jeonghan x doctor!reader petowner!reader

tags: fluff, crack, slow burn, exes to lovers, romance, angst (if you think into it really deeply), swearings

word count:

tag list: @sadgirlroo @loyard176

notes: i’ve been dreading to write jeonghan as a parent of twins, now having the motivation and inspiration to write the plot, IM ON CLOUD NINE!!! lmao i’m also planning on posting this as an au on twitter if time, and motivation persists as my alter ego’s such a lazy ass bitch that takes at least half a month to find motivation to do updates on on-going twitter series’ THIS might also be turned in to a series (fuck, my mingyu series long forgotten 💀)

one | masterlist | three

two.

A sweet aroma filled the kitchen as the rays of sunlight slowly ran through the house. Humming as he set the pancakes on the plates, Mingyu then looked at his friend who had been watching him the entire time, “I should wake them up now, right?” Jeonghan asks, still groggy from waking up early in the morning as Mingyu bombarded him with texts and calls that he was coming over to cook breakfast for the twins.

“Why are you asking me? They’re your children, not mine!” Mingyu’s laugh triggered something in Jeonghan that finally woke his whole being. “Damn. Why didn’t you call me a night before this? I just fell asleep when you called you clumsy ass.” Snickering remarks to his friend who kept laughing at him.

“You? Just fell asleep at 4-AM? You’re lying.” Jeonghan ignored him, walking towards his twins’ room. He would be lying if he said that he was just busy doing chores and watching his kids sleep as thoughts haunted him, but he’d rather keep the reason to himself first.

He softly knocked on their door, opening it ever so slowly as he walked towards Yuna’s bed first. “Yuna, wake up. It’s time for breakfast,” Placing a soft kiss on her forehead before tapping his daughter by the shoulder.

He couldn’t help but wear a fond smile as he watched his daughter fluttered her eyes open. The fond smile slowly turning into a grin as her daughter rouses with a smile, “Good morning Dada,” She mumbles, stretching her arms towards him. Jeonghan gladly leaned in to be welcomed by a morning kiss on his cheeks by his daughter.

“Uncle Mingyu’s outside, he made you and Yejun breakfast.” He tells his daughter, amused at how she quickly rose from her bed, giggling as she calls for her uncle Mingyu.

Turning to his son who had his blanket covering half his face, he grins at how his son’s similar to his little habits. He crouched to face his son, smiling to himself as he adored the lines that drew around his face. Yejun got his father’s eyes, nose, and the lips. Almost a carbon copy of him, if he would insist.

His deceased wife would always complain that how come, none of the twins got her genes. And as he would always laugh it off, he would always tell her that they got her personality. But it had never occurred to him that he should’ve told her that they did got her genes. The arch of their brows that were longer than his, the folds of their ears that had the same lines and shape of their mother’s, the structure of their teeth that were relatively small highlighting their gums, they were the small details that he came to memorize as he gazed at his twins every time he remembers her.

Yejun must’ve stirred from Jeonghan’s constant caressing on his son’s brows that were now furrowed. “Dada?” Smiling at his son, “Good morning baby, did you have a good night’s sleep?” Yejun nodded, rubbing his eyes open. “Uncle Mingyu cooked you and Yuna breakfast, let’s go?” Hands in front of his son, ready to pick him up from bed to shake off his sleepiness.

Jeonghan groans, having enough of Mingyu’s glances. “What is it?” He whines, “You do look sleep deprived. Just noticed your bags, they look heavy.” Talking with his mouth that had a small amount of food, making his lisp easier to notice.

“I was unpacking.” Widening his eyes, “Until early in the morning?!” Holding both his hands to his mouth, “Who are you and where is the Yoon Jeonghan that was a lazy bum?!” Gasping exaggeratedly as Mingyu watched Jeonghan throw him a glare after rolling his eyes.

“Anyway, do you know any baby sitters? I have something to do and I can’t bring the twins there.” Grinning like a puppy, “I can babysit them! When is it?” Mingyu’s eyes were practically gems that were flashed with light that shined altogether. “You can’t. Didn’t you say you were busy on October?”

“October? October?! It’s still August though?!” Flabbergasted at how far it still was from the day Jeonghan had to be away.

“It’s on October fourth and I can’t give it a pass. It’s my first day at my new Job after all.” Humming at his answer, “Tell me again why you left the HR position on the firm and became a Psychiatrist instead?” Mingyu asks.

“I didn’t went to Med school to get my Medical Degree and license for nothing Gyu.” Chuckling in between, trying to hide the bitterness that lingered in his tongue.

“Oh, right…” Pursing his lips as he looks at Jeonghan with guilt.

“But where though?” Trying to divert the topic, “At St. Lukes.” A small ‘oh’ came out from Mingyu’s lips. Surprise visible with his slightly widened eyes. “Hoshi already told me, Wonwoo already gave me a heads up, Dino warned me, so yes. I know that Y/N also works there with the others.”

“Have you met her already?” Nodding lightly with a smile, “Yeah. Ran by her at the nearby park with her dog.”

“Talked to her too, and I’ve got to admit it,” Intently looking at Jeonghan with interest, “She’s changed, at the same time, she didn��t.” Jeonghan had this somber look on his face, but he could see that his smile was genuine. “I guess she pretty much matured? It is— or it has, been a long time since I last saw and talked to her causally. It was, warm and nostalgic.” Mingyu notices the smile on Jeonghan’s face but kept silent about it.

“You! Dumbass!” You practically sprawled your arms towards Hoshi who was now trying to get away from you, “You stupid piece of shit ass head!” You kept yelling, pinching his arms, pulling strands of his hair, “How could you loose a dog! A leashed dog to add!” Hoshi kept muttering apologies, still trying to get away from your grasps, coaxing you that’ll he’ll find Manju whatever happens.

“What the hell?” Wonwoo asks, hands full with two plastic bags, full of food. “Hoshi just lost Manju while we were inside.” Dino shares as the two of them watched you and Hoshi run around the block, you trying to kill him and Hoshi trying to save his own life.

“But you’re holding her?” Looking down at the sitting dog that had her tail wagging as it watched its owner chase down her handler earlier. “Y/N saw her the moment we stepped out of the store, thank God no one took the chance to kidnap the dog.” Chortling, “I don’t think Manju would easily come with strangers. The dog’s smarter than you and Hoshi combined.” Earning a glare from Dino, Wonwoo kept on laughing as the other started rambling on how he has the brains as he’s a doctor.

“Are we there yet?” It was the nth time Dino had ask and it looked like Hoshi was getting sick of it as he smacked him from the front seat. You laughed at Dino’s misery but was quickly stopped when you bumped you’re head to Wonwoo’s seat who was driving. “Karma works fast,” Letting out his tongue at you teasingly.

Non stop bickering filled the car with you amusingly watched Hoshi and Dino debate about chicken rights. “Nut heads.” Wonwoo mumbles, joining you as Hoshi passionately defended queer chicken rights.

It took roughly eight minutes before the bickering two noticed that the car has come to a halt. “We’re here?!” Dino excitedly claims, “Please let there be ko emergencies,” quickly mumbling as he went out of the car.

The three of you simultaneously sighed before wishing that Dino didn’t jinxed your outing.

“Are you excited?” Malice hidden within Hoshi’s squinting eyes, the conscious grin he wore made you feel weirded out by him. “Excited for what?”

“See him at work!” Hoshi squeals, sounding like a teenager who rolled on his bed at night just because his crush talked to him. “See who?” Feinting ignorance as you continued to brush your dog’s fur.

“Jeonghan!” pursing your lips, “Why would I? Its not like were still close or ended up in good terms,” still refusing to look to Hoshi’s direction.

“But didn’t you miss him?” Pouting as looked for your eyes, “I did… But that’s all in the past now. I’m happy for him knowing that he has a stable job to sustain his little family.” Refusing to give Hoshi your gaze, you hear him sigh as you felt him straightening from his sit. “You really won’t ask anything?” He sadly says which you nodded earning another sigh from him.

“Well, if you really won’t ask, don’t blame me when he talks to you again! Or when you talk to him again?” Sounding confused at his own words, “Ah! Whatever! Don’t blame me when you two start talking again!”

“Has Hoshi been bugging you again with Jeonghan?” Dino asks which you laughed at whilst nodding your head. He had his brows furrowed at you, hesitating to open his mouth before shaking his head and smiling as if it was nothing.

“If you’re here to tell me about Jeonghan again, I swear to the heaven’s Kwon Hoshi that you’ll be seeing live chickens being cook in front of you.” Laughing at your reaction, “I’m not! I was just going to help you with that,” Pointing towards the fruit that you were peeling.

“Want to go on a blind date? I know someone,” Hoshi offers making you roll your eyes, “Not interested.”

“Why though? Isn’t it time for you to settle down?” He asks, curiosity painting his face. Truth be told, he was right. Among the friends that you have, either they’re already committed, engaged or even married. Slowing down from peeling the fruit in your hand, you could feel a small smile crept in your face. You did want to build a family with someone, but that was a dream you once had in the past.

“I’m fine being a dog lady.” You say jokingly. Abruptly standing from your seat as you’ve already finished half (since Hoshi did say that he wanted to help you) “So please excuse this dog lady to tend to her very lovely dog.” Snorting, “More like very aggressive dog.” You smacked his head and watched him playfully glared at you as you walked towards your dog.

Each of you were busy with what your doing when a phone rang. You four simultaneously looked at each other before looking for who’s phone it was.

“Fuck,” You cursed, seeing the saved contact on your screen flash, all caps, ICU. “Keys!” You yelled, before catching it from Wonwoo. “Take Manju for me!” You say before running off to the car and bolted your way to the hospital.

#Spotify #seventeen #svt #yoon jeonghan #jeonghan #jeonghan dad #jeonghan au #jeonghan drabble #jeonghan parent #jeonghan x fem #jeonghan x reader #jeonghan imagine #jeonghan x oc

195 notes · View notes

throneofsapphics · 7 months

Note

Lysa Dion's daughter arriving home with a hickey in the detail she is secretly dating her son Manorian with gavriel alive seeing the situation later they discover that they are partners but the parents discover that they got married in secret

questionable decisions

Manorian's son x Reader (Lysaedion's daughter)

Summary: Your parents figure out how you spent your week in Perranth.

Warnings: drinking, not proofread

A/N: I love this idea

She adjusted her hair, pulling it over to one side and glancing at herself in the mirror again. That asshole left a mark on her, specifically when she told him to try and avoid it. At least it wasn’t too obvious, hidden behind her ear and easily covered by her hair.

“You said try,” he’d taunted her as she rolled her eyes. That asshole who also happened to be her husband, for gods-sake. They’d been quite drunk one night, meeting in Perranth, and found someone to marry them. Both of them were fully capable of acting sober, and thought it was a great idea at the time. In hindsight … maybe it wasn’t their smartest move. Everyone else seemed to think it was a joke. Still, neither of them had asked for a divorce. Not a soul beyond a few trusted friends knew they were together in the first place.

“Why is there a letter addressed to “Y/n Havilliard?” You stalked over and snatched it out of his hands. Sure enough, a very official looking large envelope with that name scrawled across it rested in your hands. You turned to the side, avoiding eye contact as you held it up to the light, squinting. Probably a marriage certificate.

“Probably a joke,” you laughed, fighting down any nerves and shifting your hair over your shoulder.

“She’s lying.” Gavriel said mildly. “And what’s that on your neck?”

Screwed. She was so screwed. “None of your business.” She snipped at him, and a knowing smile crossed his features. Aedion ignored that, in favor of the letter in your hands.

“Open it.” Gavriel said, not giving her father the chance to tell her. The words were a command, and she knew she wouldn’t leave the room without opening thats gods-damned letter.

“You’re MARRIED?” Lysandra heard Aedion yell, as she walked through the door.

“Who’s married?” She asked, spotting Aedion clutching a paper in his hands - thick official looking paper.

“I was drunk.” You turned with pleading eyes. Both Gavriel and Aedion had slightly murderous looks on their faces and she frowned. Immediately, she spotted the small bruise on your neck and gave you a small smile. Along with the scent of a particularly deceiving perfume. You’d spent a week in Perranth, how the hell had you gotten married? And where did that bruise come from? Well, Lysandra knew how that happened.

“And who are you married to?”

“The King of Adarlan’s spawn.” Aedion said. She cut him a sharp look, now was not the time to bring up old grudges, even if her husband had mostly let it go.

“I didn’t know you two were together,” she mused - eyeing the bruise again as you shifted your hair to cover it.

“We’re not,” you replied a bit too quickly.

“Lying.” Gavriel said from across the room. “Again.”

Somehow, he always knew when she was lying - or even just omitting something.

“Just.” You huffed, “forget about this.”

“I’m supposed to forget that my daughter is married?” She raised a brow, “and didn’t invite me to the wedding?”

“It was hardly a wedding.” She grumbled, snatching the paper back from her father.

“At least you haven’t consummated it, you can still get it annulled.” Aedion mused.

You, very firmly, avoided his gaze. Lysandra cut him a sharp glare, as if to say shut your gods-damned mouth.

“I wonder how Dorian’s reacted.” She commented. “Or Manon.”

Your face paled.

Lysandra debated whether writing to Aelin, or convincing you to shift with her and fly to Orynth, just so you could see the Queen’s reaction in person.

“Shift.” She announced after breakfast, “we’re going to Orynth.”

You groaned and dragged your feet. She watched you exchange a pleading glance with Gavriel, who only shook his head, giving you a look as if to say; good luck.

You both shifted, and took off towards Orynth.

You shot murderous glares at your mother the entire way to the capital, debating if it would be worth her dragging you back if you turned around. Both of you shifted back a mile or so out, grabbing the clothes they’d strategically stored for the two of you. Showing up at the castle naked was not ideal.

Your mother probably wanted to tell Aelin, and to torture you by making sure you saw your Aunt’s reaction. Dragging you to Orynth to share some gossip with the Queen. Although it was rather significant gossip - even if the marriage would likely dissolve or be forgotten.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure?” Aelin asked, meeting you at the gates and exchanging a hug with each of you.

“Y/n’s married.” Lysandra announced, just loud enough for her to hear.

“Mother,” you snarled, but Aelin looked at you, her head tilted to the side.

“To Manon and Dorian’s son?”

Your jaw dropped, but she shrugged. “He didn’t hide his scent from Rowan well enough, we were wondering if you would tell anyone.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Lysandra said, in shock outrage.

Aelin wrapped an arm around you, tugging you into her side. “I couldn’t betray our favorite niece.”

#next gen tog #tog next gen #next gen throne of glass #lysaedion parents #manorian's son #aelin makes an appearance

70 notes · View notes

pengychan · 5 months

Text

[Our Flag Means Death] The Lost Unicorn, Pt. 2

Title: The Lost Unicorn Summary: Weakened by the gunshot wound, Izzy falls behind during the escape and is captured. The good news is that the navy surgeon can keep him alive. The bad one is that he's now live bait for the crew of the Revenge. Characters: Izzy Hands, Ed Teach, Stede Bonnet, Crew of the Revenge, Ricky Barnes Rating: T All chapters are tagged as 'lost unicorn' on my blog. [Back to Part 1]

Unsurprisingly no one is having a good time, but at least they now have extra brain cells on board to think of a decent plan. Also, flashbacks. ***

“Good Lord, Israel, I truly hope that was one of your baby teeth.”

Israel tries to reply, but there is blood bubbling in his mouth and something hard on his tongue. He turns and spits out another tooth. “Think so,” he says, as well as one can manage to enunciate with both front teeth gone. So, not very well.

The innkeeper rubs his face before giving a quick glance towards the kitchen where Israel’s mother is busy cooking dinner, unaware of the trouble her son got into yet again. He can faintly hear her singing. “You’re going to give poor Edith a heart attack one of these days, you truly are.”

“So don’t tell her.”

“I think she’s going to notice either way, boy. Who was it this time? The cobbler’s kid again?”

“I fell down the stairs.”

Callused fingers grab his chin, forcing his face up. Israel scowls before the old man even starts his lecture. Or tries to, because one eye is swollen shut and it makes scowling difficult. “You can’t keep picking fights with everybody.”

“He insulted me,” Israel replies, and it is a lie. But he’ll die before he lets a word of what really happened - he insulted her - past his lips, so he’ll settle for lying. Mr. Doherty probably already worked out that his mother’s ring is all for show and that she’s not a widow nor was ever married in the first place, but it’s one of those things that are best left unsaid.

His mother made sure he understood that very well: a problem that goes unspoken is a less of a problem.

“You should learn to let an insult or two slide, before you lose something more than a couple of teeth.”

“I’d like to see them try.”

“You’re the size and weight of a wet rat. You really do not.”

“You should see the other guy,” Israel replies, even though the other guy barely got a nosebleed out of their fight, and steps past to head upstairs, to the room he shares with his mother, to wash some blood off. Or at least he tries to. He never manages to put one foot down on the steps before Mr. Doherty grapes his wrist, tight.

It’s wrong. Israel can tell right away that it’s wrong, because Mr. Doherty never grabs anyone like this unless it’s a drunk patron that needs to be thrown out of the inn.

And no one alive should ever have hands this cold.

“You’re going to die alone. You know that, don’t you, Izzy?”

Israel looks up, alarmed and more than a little confused, because no one has ever called him anything other than his full name before. Mr. Doherty is looking the other way, even as the grip tightens, colder and colder.

… Or maybe it isn’t that cold. Maybe it’s him who is warm, too warm, feverish. Israel swallows, and now even the blood in his mouth feels boiling hot. “Let me--”

“You’re difficult, you know? You make it so goddamn difficult for anyone to like you. Got it into your head no one could and now here you are, making damn sure no one does.”

The man turns his head now and it’s not Mr. Doherty anymore. Israel Hands is still some fifteen years away from meeting Benjamin Hornigold for the first time, but those eyes still go through him like a knife, make him still and stop struggling to break free from his grip.

A smile, wide, all teeth. “They’re not coming back for you, Izzy. None of them. Why would they?”

Israel’s vision is swimming, and it feels like he’s burning. The grip on his wrist stays, ice cold, while his left knee folds and he falls. The man who’s not Mr. Doherty pulls him up by the wrist, dangles him like a dead rat caught in a trap. Something in his gut hurts, more throbbing heat.

“Because you got dolled up, put on perfume, and sang a little song? That’s it? You think that would make anyone want to risk their lives for a miserable bastard? They wanted to have a laugh at you, that's all.”

A shake, the heat in his gut blooms into pain, and Israel screams.

“Ma--” he tries to call out, but another cold hand grabs his neck, squeezes, and the scream dies in his throat.

“They won’t come, none of them, least of all Ed. They thought they got live bait, and all they have in their hands is dead meat. It’s for the best, you know. If they do, they die. And the last person who was ever willing to give her life for you died shitting her bed while you were fucking around as a powder monkey for the Royal Navy.”

Israel tries to grasp the man’s wrist, to pry those icy fingers from his throat, but his hand is so weak and he feels so heavy. His vision darkens, and the arm falls back by his side.

“Do you want them to come for you? Do you want them to die for you? You selfish little twat.”

None of his words make sense to Israel, but he’s no longer listening. All he knows is that he’s burning, and his side hurts, and he can’t see anything anymore. In the dark he hears voices, faint and far away-- … high fever……bring it down…… doing my best…… keep him alive…-- but when he tries to scream, the grip on his throat makes it impossible. That’s when he knows that he’s going to die, and no one is coming.

A chasm opens beneath him, and Israel falls.

***

“All right. So. The plan. We need to be clever about this.”

“We’re never very clever about anything.”

“Yeah, whose idea was it to send the guy with the obvious wooden leg forth with the hostage?”

“I mean, Prince Whatshisname would have fucked it all up either way, I guess.”

“Still, proves my point. We’re never very clever about anything.”

“And it got one of us captured. So we have to be this time. Like with… remember the lighthouse trick?”

“Oh yeah, that was good.”

“Real good.”

“How’s playing lighthouse going to help with this?”

“It’s not, but what I mean is that it shows we can be clever, and that’s the kind of attitude we need to have again.”

“Oh! If we do the lighthouse thing anyway, can I do the foghorn?”

“Yes, Roach.”

“I say we go and burn the place down until they give Izzy back.”

“No, Wee John.”

“There were the towels, too.”

“Yeah, the drugged towels, when we got away from the Red Flag!”

“That was clever. Wasn’t it, Zheng?”

“... I’ll concede it was. Begrudgingly. But it won’t help us now, since none of those men will let us close enough to smell our towels.”

“I don’t need to get close.”

Jim’s voice was cold, and it caused everyone on deck to turn to them. They were sitting apart from everyone else, sharpening their throwing knives, jaw set and mouth a thin line. There was no doubt that they were already thinking of the moment each of those very, very sharp knives would sink in some pale English throat.

“Probably not what I’m supposed to say,” Archie muttered. “But you look really hot right now.”

“Appreciated,” Jim replied with the smallest twitch of their lips, but didn't stop sharpening the knives for a moment. Stede cleared his throat.

“Very well. So, um. Going back to our clever plan--”

“We split up.”

Ed had been silent almost from the moment they managed to lose the Navy ship at their heels - so silent, in fact, that Stede was starting to worry a little - but now he spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him.

“... Split up?” Pete repeated, and Lucius made a face.

“That sounds like a terrible idea. You know, in horror books someone always dies when the characters split up,” he muttered, gaining himself a look from Jackie.

“What kinda books do you read?” she asked, but never got an answer. Ed walked up to the improvised table they were all huddled around, and tapped his finger on New Providence.

“They gave up the chase now because we had a head start and sailed faster, but I’ll bet they’re not going to just dock again. They’ll be on high alert for any attack after we took down so many of theirs. I’ll bet Frenchie’s right arm their man-of-war will keep patrolling around the island, looking out for any ships.”

“Why does it have to be my arm?” Frenchie groaned, but got no reaction other than a sympathetic pat from Fang.

Stede frowned down at the map. “It makes sense, but how does splitting up--”

“Some of us stay on the ship, the others are dropped on New Providence,” Auntie spoke up, nodding. “Yes, I see. We lead their ship on a wild duck chase--”

“I think you mean--” Olu started, but a glare was enough to make him shut his mouth.

“I know what I meant to mean. Some of us keep their ship’s attention on the Revenge, while the rest get on the ground and scout things out from there.” A pause, and she looked around. “A small group would be best.”

Ed scoffed a little. “A big group kills more English.”

“Yes. But a big group also gets discovered quickly. If your friend is alive, the last thing you want is charging in like a bull without knowing what you’re getting into. For all we know, the noseless rat has him at gunpoint. ” Auntie crossed her arms, and looked Ed in the eye. “You want him back alive, yes?”

“Of course I do.”

“And come back alive yourself?”

It was a more charged question than she realized, Stede knew, and he found himself holding his breath for Ed’s reply. “Yeah,” Ed said, like a man who hadn’t purposefully steer the ship into a storm to go down with it only weeks earlier, and Stede breathed again. “Would be nice.”

“Then you take a small group for reconnaissance. Figure out what’s going on in Nassau, if he’s even alive, and where they’re keeping him. Then get picked up by the ship again, and we reconvene. Makes sense, no?” She turned to Stede. “What does the captain think?” she asked, her tone making it clear she was no huge fan of the fact he, out of all the people on board, was the captain.

Oh dear, now it fell on him to decide, of course. Stede opened his mouth, but Ed spoke up before he could utter a single word.

“... It makes sense. I’m going. Jim?”

A flick of their wrist, and the knife Jim had been sharpening whistled through the air, hitting the mast only a few inches left of Ed’s temple. He didn’t even flinch, and just looked on as Jim nodded. “Of course I’m in.”

“Me too, then,” Archie muttered, and Ed nodded.

“Sounds good. The three of us,” he agreed, and looked back at the others. “We’ll signal you when we’re ready to--”

“What-- no, wait a moment!” Stede protested. “I’m coming, too!”

A scoff. “No you’re not.”

“Yes I am!”

“Are not.”

A bit too outraged to even notice the way several crew members were rolling their eyes, Stede crossed his arms. “Am too!”

“I’m not risking you falling into their hands too. You’re the captain, so you stay on the ship--”

“Well, I am your captain, Edward Teach!” Stede snapped, slamming both hands on the table and causing Ed to recoil, several crew members to flinch, and Lucius’ eyebrows to shoot all the way up to his hairline. “I call the shots here, I am going nowhere without you!”

It was a pretty good outburst, if Stede said so himself. Almost up there with ‘do not try this captain again’, and he liked to think Izzy would be just as impressed. Ed sure seemed to be, because he opened his mouth, stared a moment, and then closed it before licking his lips and clearing his throat.

(Later, after leaving them on the coast some way north of Nassau, Lucius would ask aloud if he was the only one who’d gotten the distinct feeling that Ed had been very close to rawing Stede on the deck right there and then. He was not.)

“... Right. Yeah. So, the four of us,” Ed finally said, and turned to the pile of uniforms they’d thrown on the deck after getting away from the English warship. “Guess we should put them on again.”

Archie tilted her head. “You think that fuckery is going to work twice? Barely worked the first time. It was a bit of a shit plan. No offense, captain.”

“None taken. But to be fair, I didn’t have much time to come up with anything better and I didn’t hear any of you--”

“Shit plan or not, Ed is right,” Jim cut him off, crossing the deck to retrieve their knife from the mast. “Seeing their uniform may at least make someone hesitate a moment before shooting. And a moment is all I’d need to kill them.”

Stede nodded. “Oh! Yes, of course! We only need a moment to strike first, if it comes to it.”

“Not you,” Auntie said. “You need more moments.”

“Maybe two moments, babe,” Ed said quickly.

“More like twenty,” Zheng commented, and Ed crossed his arms.

“That’s not very constructive.”

“No, no, she’s not wrong,” Stede conceded. “I may not be the best swordsman. Or marksman. Or… well… I will be mostly there for, uh. Strategic thinking.”

“Then we’re fucked,” Jim remarked, but turned back towards New Providence, by now only a small dot in the distance. “So, what are we waiting for?”

“Nightfall?” Olu suggested, a bit hesitant, and Zheng nodded with a smile.

“Yes. Nightfall,” she said. A pause, and she turned to Jim and Archie. She pulled something from her sleeve, and held it out to them. A vial, with something viscous in it, like oil. “Take this. It’s a poison. Not of much use if someone drinks it, but if you coat your blades with it, the smallest cut is deadly.”

“Oooh, this is awesome!” Archie grinned, taking the vial. “Can’t wait to try this out.”

“Leave some for me,” Jim muttered, elbowing her side, and turned back to Zheng. “Thank you. We’ll put it to good use.”

“You’d better, because it’s more expensive than this ship.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have said that, man. I’ll get performance anxiety now.”

Archie’s comment made both Jim and Zheng chuckle. It was Zheng to speak again first. “And come back in one piece, both of you. Oluwande would appreciate that, and-- I would, too.”

“We’ll do our best,” Archie exclaimed, all brightness, putting an arm around Jim’s shoulders. “But failing that, do you have any preference on what pieces we do bring back?”

Stede was honestly a little curious to hear the answer, but he noticed Ed walking off below deck and that immediately shifted on top of his priorities. He followed, a little sheepish.

“Um, Ed? I’m sorry I raised my voice.”

It caused Ed to pause, halfway down the steps to retrieve more guns, most likely. He turned just a little, enough for Stede to see his profile. “... It’s all right. You’re the captain.”

“Well, it’s no excuse to yell--”

“The captain gets to yell.”

“That’s not really the kind of captain I wanted to be,” Stede muttered, more than a little bashful, and Ed fully turned to look at him.

“I mean-- I don’t mind.”

“But it’s ru--”

“Kinda hot really.”

“... Oh?”

“Well, maybe-- you know, in other circumstances. In a private setting. Not on the deck.”

Stede’s mind immediately attempted to supply various circumstances where that new bit of information could be used in a private setting, and it took him some effort to chase that thought away. Later, he decided. Once their mission was complete.

“Ah,” he said, and cleared his throat. “Well-- duly noted. But, uh… I think I really should come with you, that’s why I insisted. I’m worried about Izzy, too, and I don’t think I can just sit around while sending you to do this really dangerous thing alone. I mean, I’m the captain. Makes me responsible for all the crew. You know?”

Ed stared a moment, then nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I-- I get that. Just don’t wanna see you in danger if I can help it.”

“Well, that just means you’ll need to be my knight in shining armor if it comes to it,” Stede quipped, and was very relieved to see Ed’s lips quirk in a smile.

“I can do that. Killing is a hell of a lot easier when it’s to protect someone.”

“There, problem solved. But I’ll do my best not to get in the line of fire in the first place.” He stepped closer, and leaned in for a quick kiss that Ed reciprocated right away. “No one’s getting hurt. I mean, no one but the English.”

“... What if he’s already dead?”

“No, hey.” He pressed two fingers on Ed’s lips, looking at him in the eye. “Don’t think like that. Captain’s orders.”

Ed didn’t reply, but he did lean into the touch and kisses his fingertips, and Stede figured he could take it as an ‘aye’.

***

After letting his father’s body drop on the ground, Edward turns around and runs.

He has to run. He can’t go back. His mother will look at his face and see what he did, what he is, and he can’t bear the thought. Rain keeps falling, there’s thunder and he keeps slipping on cobblestones, hearing nothing but his own panting breath, blood rushing in his ears.

He can hardly think but there is one thing he knows, one thing only that keeps him running towards the docks. Father is gone, she is safe, and she doesn’t need another monster to replace him.

So he has to go.

Later, he won’t remember exactly what happened. He will only know that by the time he gets to the docks his eyes are full of-- rain it’s just rain--rainwater and he can’t see the man standing in front of him until he slams against his side and falls back on the ground with a grunt.

“And who the fuck are you?”

The man is towering over him, like his father did earlier that night before-- he --the Kraken got him. He’s pulling back his lips in a grimace, hair sticking to his forehead. There is a boy too, he’s got some kid by the throat and is holding him high up enough his feet don’t touch the ground.

“Well? I’m talking to you!” The man steps forward, and his boot is up to come down on him before Edward can even think of scooting back, but it never comes down. Not on him, at least.

“Eat shit!” the boy in his grasp yells, and his foot kicks out, hitting the man right in the groin.

The high-pitched scream would be funny, if Edward remembered how to laugh. For now he only stares, wide-eyed, as the man drops the boy and falls on his knees, holding onto his groin with a whine. “You little bastard-- you’re fucking dead meat when I--”

He never gets to say another word, because the kid he’s been holding by the neck picks something up from the ground and screams. He swings that something in an arc through the air, heavy and made of metal. It meets the man’s bald head with a sickening crunch, the skull caves in, and he falls back without another sound.

“WHO’S DEAD MEAT NOW, FUCKER!”

Another hit, another, and another. Edward doesn't remember standing, but he must have. Suddenly he’s up and grabbing the boy’s arm, stopping him from swinging the metal pipe again. “Stop it. Stop! He’s dead!”

He’s dead, dead, dead, I did it and I can never go back.

He expects a struggle, but there is none. The boy drops the pipe and turns to look at him, blue eyes wide under a mop of wet brown hair. Only later, when the sun dries them both, Edward will see it’s sandy blond.

“Ah, shit,” he says, and for just a moment his voice shakes. “I killed him, didn’t I?”

Tell them it was the Kraken, Edward thinks, and for a horrible moment he almost laughs.

“We’ve got to get away from here,” he says instead. “Come this way, we can--”

“Well well. That looks an awful lot like what my ship cook would look like after going through a meat grinder.”

Edward stills, and so does the boy. They turn, slowly, to see a man standing over the corpse - and over them. A boot kicks the dead man’s side. “Must have been shitfaced drunk for two runts like you to take him down. How do you plan to pay me back for this loss, precisely?”

Edward says nothing, mouth dry, still holding onto the boy’s arm and looks up. He cannot make out the man’s face.

The first time he sees him, Benjamin Hornigold is nothing but a dark shadow in silver rain.

“I should shoot you both,” the shadow is saying. “But he was an asshole, and I could use another couple of cabin boys who can take down a man if needed.” A sharp tilt of his head. “You, what’s your name?”

“John Rackham,” Edward hears the boy say, and the shadow scoffs.

“Well, I already have a John on board. So you’ll be Jack from now on. Objections?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Do you have a family to say goodbye to, Jack?”

“... No,” he says. It sounds like a lie even to Edward’s ears, but the shadow doesn’t insist.

Honestly, he probably wouldn’t have let him say goodbye either way. He just smiles, a flash of teeth in the dark. “Just how I like my men,” he mutters, and turns to Edward. “And you, what’s your name?”

Edward licks his lip, mouth dry. He has seen ships come and go his entire life, merchant ships as well as the occasional pirate ship port authorities turn a blind eye on for a bribe, but he’s never been on one. Still… he has no choice now, does he? This is why he was running to the docks in the first place. He has to leave, and the only way is by sea. By ship. This is his chance to disappear.

And it only cost another man’s life.

Laughter almost bubbles up his chest and throat, but Edward holds it down because he knows that if he laughs now, before this man, he’s as good as dead. So he looks up, face wet with rain, and speaks.

“Edward.”

“Edward what?”

“... Just Edward. I don’t have a family,” he adds. Somewhere out there is a woman nursing a bruised face, wondering when her beast of a husband and her son are coming home, but now they’re both gone - the Kraken got them - and there’s just him left, and he can never go back.

She’s better off without.

As with Jack, the shadow doesn’t question him. “Hm. Well, damn common names you’ve got. I’ve got another Edward too, and it seems much too long for a shrimp like you. So Ed it is.” A wave of his hand, beckoning them to follow, and they obey. They will keep obeying for a long time. What choice do they have?

Benjamin Hornigold walks to the docks in pouring rain, and Ed follows.

***

When Izzy woke up, he was still feverish and he could hear rain.

There was no window in the room he’d been put in, but rain was drumming loud above him, so he could only guess he was put into one of the rooms in the attic. Not a stupid decision: the only way in there would be up the stairs, and a few men with rifles could easily fend off an attack from the vantage point.

And he was sure Pinocchio had placed plenty of men on each floor, weapons at the ready. They’d taken down plenty, but the bastard had brought in half a fucking army. If the crew tried to storm in, they’d be utterly fucked.

They won’t. They’re not so stupid, he thought, but even as the thought crossed his mind he knew there had to be a limit to willful delusion. They’re probably not so stupid. But they won’t come. They must think I’m dead. Someone must have seen me get shot.

It was what he wanted to believe, sure enough. The best possible scenario: not one member of the crew would die for his sake, not because they didn’t care but because they didn’t know he was alive. He could go with that, hold onto that thought until the trapdoor opened beneath him and he hung by the neck for a crowd of cunts in Kingston.

Or maybe they know, and still won’t come.

Enough. Don’t go there.

Izzy shook his head, trying to dispel the thought, and tried to shift on the bed. He was still sluggish, much too warm, and whatever the ship surgeon gave him must have worn off, because his bandaged wound was hurting like a bitch. But he was alive, mind passably clear, so it looked like the fever was not going to do him in after all.

Bit of a pity, that. He’d have loved to stop being a chess piece in Prince Cunty’s hands.

Izzy groaned and let his head drop back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. What time was it? What day was it, how long had he been out? He had absolutely no idea. He could tell he was still really fucking thirsty and now also really fucking hungry, but he had probably pissed Noseless off enough he’d leave him to--

“What are you doing here?”

A voice on the other side of the door, barely muffled. Izzy craned his neck to look at it, not too surprised to find there were officers standing outside it, too. There was another voice, lower, more mumbled.

“Ugh, so we’re feeding him now?”

“Guess little Prince Ricky doesn’t want to hang a corpse in Kingston. Let him through.”

The door opened, and some kid walked in, closing the door behind him. Well, not quite a kid, but not a man either. The uniform didn’t quite fit him right, he had pimples across both cheeks, and was avoiding his gaze. He was carrying a tray with a glass of water and some bread. Izzy sneered.

“Do I get my own maid now?” he muttered, and the boy looked up.

“I’m no maid,” he protested, with a thick yet annoyingly familiar accent Izzy could place in three seconds flat. Look at that, all this way from London - another dweller of the city’s shit pits beyond the Tower. “I’m--”

“A powder monkey,” Izzy cut him off, and the boy flushed red.

“I’m learning to be a seaman--”

“And until you do, you’re the monkey fetching gunpowder on the ship. Now give me the tray or fuck off.”

A sharp intake of breath, and for a second the brat looked like he could cry, but in the end he placed the tray on the bed, where Izzy could reach with his free hand, and quickly stepped back. They had told him he was dangerous, more likely than not, but even if he’d been in any condition to harm him, Izzy couldn’t be bothered.

All he could do now was make an effort to sit up as much as the manacle and his wound allowed, grab the glass of water, and drink. His parched throat almost spasmed, but he forced himself to swallow and then drank more, to the last drop. Maybe seeing him drinking so desperately made him look less dangerous, after all, because the monkey gathered the courage to speak out, standing to his full height.

It was not a lot, but it wasn’t like Izzy was the one to speak there.

“I’ll have you know,” he declared, trying and failing to imitate the way of speaking of much higher class officers, “that my duties on the ship take skill.”

“No, they don’t,” Izzy replied, grabbing the piece of bread and biting into it. It was stale and rubbery, but he’d take it. He heard the monkey’s protests over his own chewing.

“What would you know!”

“That’s how I started out,” he replied through his mouthful, and swallowed. “A powder monkey on the HMS Riptide.”

“Ah.” A pause, a little uncertain. Izzy had time enough to chew and swallow another couple of bites before he spoke again. “I heard some men say you used to be in the Navy.”

“... It was a long time ago.”

“Then what happened?”

Izzy didn’t reply right away. Another bite, and the bread was gone. Hunger was somewhat quelled, but the thirst sure as hell was not. “If you want the tale, get me more water,” he said. “Or you can fuck off.”

A scowl, and the monkey want to take the tray, once again stupidly skittish for someone dealing with a bed-bound man who’d been deliriously feverish until that morning, with a hole in his gut, missing a leg, and with a wrist manacled to the bed frame. He hesitated a moment, glancing at the pitcher on a table at the far side of the room… then set his jaw and marched to the door, not sparing him a second look.

How easily offended, kids those days.

Izzy leaned back with a groan, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep. Listening to the rain helped, to some degree; it kept his mind from wandering to the crew, what they may be doing, whether they may be foolish enough to return and fall right into a trap.

And it kept it from memories of a very long time ago, when he’d looked up at Captain Benjamin Hornigold and - still tied to the mast, back a bloody mess from the interrupted flogging, the corpses of his comrades littering the deck - he’d asked if he happened to be hiring.

***

[Back to Part 1]

#ofmd #our flag means death #izzy hands #edward teach #stede bonnet #crew of the revenge #lost unicorn

14 notes · View notes

unhingedhearties · 13 days

Text

Vast Amounts of Copium

I see Lucas fans are already getting triggered about this shirtless Kevin scene.

Disturbed... FFS

Is there anyone on this show Erin isn't friends with? Also, maybe, JUST MAYBE, the reason Erin and Ben go on trips with Kevin and Kayla is because none of them have kids. Am I wrong, or are almost all the other cast members parents and have responsibilities to their kids and can't just hop a plane to Europe?

Is that too big brained of a take for some of you or do you just want to keep seething about dumb shit?

"Emotional cheating doesn't fit Hallmark". You're either lying or you've never watch a Hallmark movie. Almost very Hallmark lady leaves her BIG CITY BUSINESS™ boyfriend for the rugged guy in flannel because he works to much and doesn't love Christmas or dogs.

A HISTORICAL INACCURACY IN WCTH!?

You know what, I agree with Sherisa. They need to make When Calls The Heart more period accurate. Let's start with more racism and wife beating. Rosemary has no place being that bossy and running a business. Kill off some of the kids to. That Spanish Flu never made it's way around, it might be time to rectify that. Hey, the Encephalitis Lethargica epidemic should be starting up to. Let's have a scene of Little Jack losing control of his hands before going into a blank faced coma for 60 years. Erin can really put her acting skills to use in a scene where they take her son away to live in an asylum for the rest of his life. World War 1 never really happened. Maybe they can retcon that and have it happen a few years later. All the men can be sent away for a few episodes before coming back with their limbs blown off and their faces half gone. Maybe while Fiona's gone she can send a letter to Faith telling her she got a job painting radium on watch dials. When she gets back she can have Faith check her oddly sore teeth right before her jaw detaches from her face.

Oh wait, you just want the cutesy, fluffy parts of history to be accurate, not the harsh reality. Not the actual history that shaped the modern day rights we take for granted. Ew, gross. Icky.

Guys! One of the actors is going to sing. On When Calls The Heart. Literally never been done before. Disgusting nepotism is what it is.

I bet it's totally going to be a real show stopping scene. The whole town will stop what they're doing to stare at Kevin while he sings for 10 minutes Disney Princess style and makes it all about him. It's totally not going to be some minor, brief scene that's over in 20 seconds.

So you just pulled that out of your ass? Hush child, the adults will do the talking now.

"Different lifestyles"

And there's the dogwhistle. So was it the Gays, the interracial couples or the Hanukkah celebrating Jewish families that raised your blood pressure?

They really have a bug up their ass about Nathan singing. Almost everyone on that show sings. I really doubt they're going to make this a big deal like when Mei was self conscious about singing.

And I'm just going to say it. If Lucas was going to have a shirtless scene these same people wouldn't be shutting up about how excited they were. If Lucas spilled tea on his clothes and went to his office to clean it up and Elizabeth accidentally walked in on him topless scrubbing his clothes they'd be going ~*~UWU SOOOOOO CUTE ~*~ and making 20 different gifs of it.

"Disturbed" again. They really do just latch on to one word and drive it into the ground.

Life Rivers asking the real questions. Of course no one responds because then they might have to walk it back and admit "mention in a few interviews" ≠ "promote".

What the hell does Lucas owning a saloon have to do with Nathan not wearing a shirt? These two things have nothing to do with each other.

They're acting like Nathan's going to rip his shirt off and sell himself or go skinny dipping in front of the tourists and not like it's going to be some mundane action.

Personally I'm hoping he wrestles a grizzly bear and uses his shirt as a tourniquet.

Say the people who get in heat over their hoarded stash of photos of a grown man drinking from a china tea cup.

#when calls the heart #wcth #hallmark #fandom drama #hearties #unhinged fans #wcth season 11 #team lucas #team nathan

5 notes · View notes

queen-scribbles · 7 months

Text

Constant

Happy birthday to the Sith Son, have just shy of 6k Tragen/Jaesa fluff that was pure joy to write. :D

---

Force Bonds made it blasted hard to keep secrets.

You had to bury them very deep and hide them very well. Maintain control always to not let anything slip. Tragen had quite a lot of practice burying things deep and hiding them well, and even more not letting things slip.

But never from her.

At least Alderaan had gone smoothly, despite Vette's knowing smirk why she was along instead of Jaesa. Who was conveniently busy helping Sana-Rae with something.

Tragen deflected any attempts to pry, and he wasn't lying to say he wanted to spend more time with Vette. It went without a hitch--official and unofficial missions both--and they were back on Odessen in short order, where a potentially much more difficult negotiation awaited.

"Lana, Jaesa and I need a week."

She arched a brow. "For what?"

"For ourselves," Tragen clarified.

"And I'd love to say we can manage without you so you could have it," she replied, lowering her datapad. "Stars know you deserve it." She cocked her head. "Romantic getaway?"

"In part," Tragen said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been promising all parties she and I would visit my family again, and as my birthday is nearing, I thought it would be fitting if we could get the timing to work out."

"You mother, sister, and girlfriend all together for such an occasion?" Lana chuckled and steepled her fingers. "Brave man."

"Oh, I feel like Vette would also need to be present for it to be a true test of courage," he deadpanned with a fond smile, before sobering. "We've been doing so much for so long. Jaesa needs a break. I need a break. And as there's no current major crisis, just multiple smaller issues, this seems as good a time as we're going to get."

"You're not wrong," Lana said wryly. "This sounds more like you're informing me of plans you have no intention to change than asking to be accommodated..." She sat back with a sigh. "...You are the Commander, I suppose you don't truly need to ask...."

Tragen shrugged. He hadn't been planning to say it, not so bluntly, anyway. "I'd never intentionally leave you and the Alliance in the lurch."

"Diplomatic as always." Lana smiled, staring at him as if attempting to divine why he was so insistent in this. He wondered if she found it. "I appreciate that, Commander. The two of you do indeed deserve some time. We'll make it work."

"It won't be long; I'm sure you will manage just fine. And thank you." He inclined his head in a polite and grateful farewell as he took his leave. With the harder pieces now in place, he could find Jaesa to tell her he was whisking her away.

---

Jaesa was all too happy to be whisked away, particularly to visit his family over his birthday.

"Glad you finally learned how to be a little bit selfish," she teased.

"Such sage Jedi advice today," he returned lightly, leaning in to steal a kiss.

Jaesa giggled--"Touché"--and cupped his face in her hands, mirth dancing in her eyes. "But it would be a shame for the Alliance Commander to burn himself out," she murmured, claiming another kiss. "Your mother will be elated with this development."

Tragen hummed an agreement. "She's going to pop my spine again, I know it," he chuckled ruefully. They'd only managed one visit back to Stenos prior to the Wild Space expedition, and none since, only comm calls. Elated was likely an understatement.

"You hug like her when you're excited, you know," Jaesa said, sliding her arms around his waist.

"High praise." He kissed her forehead. "Would you like to be present when I comm her?"

"Would I," she grinned. "I can pack after."

His mother's excitement was indeed palpable, even over a holocall. "Of course, we'd love for you to visit! And over your birthday?! I'll have to see what we can--"

Tragen chuckled, bit back a smile. "Mother, please don't make too much of a fuss."

She snorted and the flickering blue holo turned to Jaesa. "D'you hear him?! First birthday at home in over twenty years and he wants me to not make a big fuss."

Jaesa's laugh shook her shoulders and rippled across their bond. It was endearing.

"What was I thinking," he drawled. "No presents."

"I'll try to keep it somewhat low-key," his mother said with a teasing sigh. "You know it would just be the family, regardless."

Jaesa slipped away to pack as the talk turned to logistics and Tragen's gaze drifted to watch her go. His mother was smiling when he turned back to the holo. "What?"

"I know you're very busy, darling, but how are things going there?"

"Very well." He smiled as his gaze drifted back to the doorway. "Very, very well."

"That sounds promising."

Tragen smirked at the hinting in her voice. "Aren't you normally much better at subtlety?"

"That's for work," she gestured dismissively, "not family."

He almost told her, but this was more fun. "A man has to have some secrets, Mother." Besides, Jaesa might pick up something through their bond if he let his hold slip. "We'll see you soon."

"Oh, fine," she laughed. "Have your secrets. I'll look forward to prying them out of you in person."

"You're welcome to try," Tragen couldn't resist countering before he ended the call. He bit back a smile, buried certain thoughts very deep once more, and left to follow Jaesa's example in packing.

---

Much to his relief, no galactic crises arose in the interim, and he and Jaesa were able to depart for Stenos on schedule. The journey was uneventful, though it was still slightly odd having the Dawn entirely to themselves. Tragen used the trip from the spaceport to his family's estate to mark what had changed since his childhood, and indeed since their last visit. Landmarks and buildings that were gone or altered, a gap in the view that used to show rock spires, new business that looked weathered--from the Eternal Empire's conquest, he assumed.

Not everything had changed, however. The parliament chamber façade was still the same, if bearing some signs of skillful repair work. The starter school he'd attended before looked largely as he remembered. And just before they reached the family estate, the far edge of the city came into view, and Tragen gave a reflexive sigh of relief.

The observatory was still there.

Jaesa cocked her head. "Everything alright?"

He nodded, interlacing their finger to squeeze her hand. "Just grateful some things remain the same." The speeder cab came to a stop and they climbed out. Tragen indicated the unmistakable silhouette as they retrieved their bags. "The observatory is one of the lynchpin memories from my childhood."

Back before the war, and the Sith, and everything going to hell.

"Oh, you'll have to show me at some point while we're here," she said with a smile. "If it was that important to you."

Her enthusiasm made his heart squeeze. "Definitely," he promised, sliding one arm around her waist to pull her in for a kiss. "I would share everything with you."

"Mmm, romantic," Jaesa hummed, leaning into the kiss. "But your family should come first."

"Of course." He was eager to see them, the occasional holocoall over the last few years was nowhere near enough. "Shall we?"

Jaesa stepped back, sliding free of his arm to intertwine their fingers. "We shall."

The door opened as they reached it, only the first sign how eagerly anticipated their arrival was.

The second was his mother waiting in the vestibule to hug them both. She did pop his spine. He sent Jaesa an amused look over her head that made a surge of mirth dance across their bond.

"I feel as if I'm missing an inside joke," Mother commented, stepping back to look between them.

"Instincts sharp as ever. But no." Tragen kissed her cheek. "We'd discussed your enthusiasm at the visit beforehand and I'm grateful to see it unabated."

She laughed and hugged him again. "We haven't seen you in... eight years, darling. The spires would crumble before my enthusiasm does."

"A fair point. Are Father and Jeniyha--"

"Equally excited? Yes. Home? Also yes." She gestured down the hall. "They're just down there. Alternately, if you'd like a few minutes to settle in, there a room prepared upstairs...?"

"Oh, I'd much rather say hello first," Tragen said, sensing Jaesa's assent even before she nodded. "I've missed you all."

Mother beamed and summoned a housekeeping droid to take care of their bags, then led the way down the hall.

---

His mother had been correct; Father and Jeniyha's greetings were equally thrilled--if slightly more reserved in comparison to her own. Jeniyha was clearly following Mother's example when it came to hugs.

"Leadership suits you," she commented, looking him over. A sly and mischievous gleam filled her eyes as she glanced at Jaesa. "As does being in love."

"Correct, on both counts," Tragen agreed easily. "Very intuitive, little sister."

She rolled her eyes (admittedly, his intention) but didn't deign to react beyond that. "Being able to read people does help with security work."

"Hm, and has it helped you find a special someone I can tease you about?" he deadpanned.

"Not yet." Jeniyha smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid you and Jaesa still get that spotlight. I am, as some say, married to the job."

"Ah, yes, I have some friends like that," Tragen drawled.

"Do you nag them as much as Mother and Father do me?" she asked with a laugh.

"Likely not," he laughed in reply, "but only because I'm too busy myself to nag as often as I'd like."

Mother smiled as they all took a seat. "That does come with the territory of leadership, I'm afraid."

"Mm." Tragen smiled when Jaesa hand slipped into his. "I don't mind it, for the most part. It's good being able to help." --rather than harm. Finally.

"And I imagine you get to see end to end of the galaxy while you're about it," Father commented, his first interjection since they exchanged greetings. He had always been one to observe, to listen, before speaking.

"Frequently." Tragen couldn't keep the wry note out of his voice. It lost some of the luster after you bounced around enough. "Most recently Dantooine and Alderaan."

There was a flicker of surprise from Jaesa.

He squeezed her hand. They're fine.

Relief and gratitude twined with wistfulness answered his assurance, but she didn't say anything, letting the conversation carry on.

It largely stayed on surface topics; what they'd all been doing--Jeniyha had a recent promotion, Father had handled a couple different trade negotiations--plans for the next couple days, how the journey had been, until it naturally started to wind down. There were still a couple hours until dinner, so Tragen and Jaesa took their time to settle in. This visit, unfortunately, wasn't long enough to warrant unpacking, but they could get comfortable in the room.

Tragen did, at least. There was something... hesitant to Jaesa's sense that finally prompted him to ask. "Is everything alright, Jaesa? You've been quiet."

She nodded, running her fingers absently along the edge of the bedclothes, and flashed a sheepish smile. "I think there's a little of the handmaiden left in me; grand houses like this" --she gestured to the large room with its rich furnishings and balcony-- "leave me a little... off-balance? Remind me who I was before everything." She laughed and ran a hand over her hair as she looked out through the colored glass of the balcony doors. That I don't fit anywhere, she thought and he heard. "I suppose I did revert to... fading into the background, didn't I?"

"Not for me," Tragen answered the words spoken and not. He circled the bed to wrap an arm around her waist.

"Yes, well, that would be the Force Bond," Jaesa said playfully, with a grateful smile all the same, clasping her hands at the back of his neck.

"In part," he conceded with a laugh, "but it's also because I love you" --kissed her forehead-- "and care about you."

"Is that why you checked on my parents?"

In part. He nodded. "I know they're important to you. And they're settled in well, back somewhere familiar. It appears Baras didn't get much chance to... interact with them before paranoia made one of his apprentices an all-consuming focus."

She hummed a small laugh at his dry tone. "Well, thank you for being distraction enough to save them from his tender mercies."

"Seems only right, since I'm the reason they were at those mercies to begin with," Tragen muttered.

Jaesa smiled, her thumb caressing arcs against his scarred right cheek. "It worked out alright. They're alive, settled in from what you said."

He nodded. "Though I think they're still adjusting to having so much space just for the two of them."

Her smile turned wistful. "I wish I could have gone."

"As do I." Tragen tucked her hair behind her ear with his index finger. "Had my mission been less urgent, I would have waited until you were free to accompany me."

"What was your mission?"

Tragen tugged her toward the balcony as he answered. "We'd received intelligence Rist was manipulating some of the other houses into conflict so they could play all sides to increase their holdings, but it would have destabilized the entire planet had they succeeded."

"The usual Alderaanian politics, then," Jaesa sighed and leaned against the rail to take in the view.

"Mm. Vette was more than happy to tag along, but" --he stepped up next to her, so close their shoulders touched, and took her hand-- "I'm sure we can work something out for you to visit."

The warmth that flared across their bond was more than matched by her smile. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "My birthday's in a couple months, you think that's enough time to work it out?"

"Yes." Tragen kissed the top of her head. "I'll discuss things with Lana, do what needs doing to accomplish it."

"Just like that?" Jaesa straightened to arch a brow.

"For you? Of course."

She bit her lip, looked out at the horizon and back, then leaned in to kiss him. "I love you, you know."

Tragen shifted, leaning his hip against the rail and cupping her jaw with one hand to kiss her back more deeply. "And I love you, you know."

The temptation was strong. So very strong. But he had a plan, and if he debated changing it too long, something would surely slip across their bond.

As it was, Jaesa was giving him a What are you hiding? look when he fought off the temptation. Nothing bad. And nothing you won't learn in due time.

Curiosity was replaced with trust, so easily it made his breath catch, and she tucked herself close with her back to his chest. "We should enjoy this view a bit more before dinner, don't you think?"

"Yes, we should." Tragen wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rested his chin atop her head.

Not much longer, he promised himself, and hoped he could keep it.

---

Dinner was a light-hearted affair, with conversation that flowed as easily as before. What started as a group discussion worked its way around to breaking off; Tragen talking to his parents and Jaesa with Jeniyha.

He was thrilled the two of them were hitting it off(even knowing they were probably talking about him). The sense of warm amusement at Jaesa's end of their bond made him smile and he missed a question his mother asked. "Sorry?"

"Plans for tomorrow?" she repeated, playing with the spiral pendent of her necklace.

"Nothing set in stone," Tragen said, arching a brow at the jewelry. "My time is usually very full and scheduled, I wanted to take the day as it comes. The only intention is to take Jaesa sight-seeing. We didn't have time on our last visit and she wants to see where I grew up."

"Makes sense," Mother nodded with a small smile.

"There's no set time for that, however, just when it fits in the day. " He tipped his head toward the pendent. "When did you start wearing your engagement necklace as everyday jewelry? That used to be for your anniversary or fancy occasions only, if I recall."

Father smirked. "Told you he'd notice, Jamilah."

She laughed. "It isn't everyday jewelry; you and Jaesa visiting is hardly everyday."

Tragen chuckled. "Dropping hints, Mother?"

"Perhaps, son," she replied with a mischievous smile.

"Always the diplomat," he smiled back, dodging the hint. Perhaps you don't need to. "Saying even more without words than with them. I'm sure you had designs for some of our time tomorrow. What do I need to plan around?"

For half a moment, he thought she was going to dig further, a tricky situation with Jaesa right there. But she accepted his redirect with a wry smile. "Aside from planning to include some favorites at meals, we were thinking dinner out, and--if you want--we have a reserved box at the theatre."

Tragen paused to work out the timing in his head. Stenosi evenings lingered this time of year. "Depending on the showtime, that sounds perfect." It was about as 'toned down' as he could expect her to go.

"Evening plans?" she arched a brow looking at Jaesa.

"Possibly. But they are also... flexible." To an extent. "I'll discuss it with Jaesa, but that should be a lovely evening."

"Discuss what with me?" Jaesa's head swiveled their direction hearing her name.

He relayed the proposal for his birthday evening. "We can also take the day as it comes--"

"No, that sounds nice, long as someone has a dress they can lend me; I didn't bring anything fancy."

"I can definitely help there," Jeniyha chipped in. "I work security at a lot of upper class places, so it'll be stunning" --smirked at Tragen--"and comfortable."

With that settled, their conversation turned back to more general topics until it petered out for the night and they all turned in.

---

He woke on his birthday with Jaesa snuggled atop his chest. Warm brown eyes and a small smile, as she'd clearly been watching him sleep.

Tragen matched her smile with a lazy one of his own. "Good morning." He ran his fingers up her spine. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mm." She nodded, resting her chin on his chest.

"What?" he asked, still lazily rubbing her back, when she continued studying him.

"I love your nose." She traced one fingertip down it, along the curve of his lips, "...your smile..." up the side of his face. "...your eyes. All of you, really." She pushed herself up to kiss him and Tragen hummed gratitude as he leaned into it.

"I love you, too," he said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she settled back on his chest. He would be... quite happy to spend most--if not all--of the day right here, watching the colored light from the balcony window play green, pink, blue across her hair, her skin. "Very, very much."

Jaesa kissed his collarbone. "Happy birthday, Tragen."

He chuckled, slightly breathless. "Thank you."

They lay in silence, simply enjoying the comfortable bed and each other's company.

Until Tragen's stomach growled.

"Suppose that's our cue to go get breakfast," Jaesa teased, stealing another light kiss before she rolled away out of bed.

"Suppose so," he muttered, disappointed it had come so soon regardless, as he followed her example. They dressed and headed downstairs, just in time to catch Jeniyha on her way out.

"Quick consult job this morning," she explained, darting back to give Tragen a hug. "But I should be back by lunch, and happy birthday." She was gone before he could open his mouth to thank her.

"Did everyone in your family choose... demanding careers?" Jaesa asked, sliding her arm around his waist.

Tragen laughed and rested his arm around her shoulders. "Mine was more... thrust upon me, but yes. Busyness was always something of a constant for us."

Mother was waiting for them in the dining room and joined for breakfast, though from the little she took, Tragen suspected she'd actually eaten with Jeniyha. They chatted, confirmed the loose flow of plans for the day, and then Tragen and Jaesa set off.

He hadn't realized how many places there were he wanted to show her until he started listing destinations for the speeder cab's droid pilot. "How much do you want to see...?"

"Everything important to you first," she said, with barely a hesitation, "then the more sightseer-tourist type places."

"Noted." There were a couple that fit both descriptions, and he plotted for those first.

---

Their timing worked out perfectly, and they arrived at the Gerida spire observation platform just in time to watch the skimmer cranes' daily departure. After watching the iridescent birds disappear toward the horizon, they spent some more time enjoying the magnificent view. (He told her how he and Dieq used to sit with their feet hanging off the edge and drop pebbles, to watch the way the spire sparkled when they hit and broke.)

Tragen had forgotten how breathtaking some of his homeworld's natural vistas could be. Watching Jaesa's face as she moved along the platform to take it in at different angles was a study in wonder that made his chest tight. He waited until she was satisfied and asking where to next before they moved along to some of the more personal places.

---

The midschool he'd attended was gone, which was a surprise, but he could show her some of the museums he'd enjoyed visiting as a child. And by some miracle both the crystalline lake of summers off and the arcade of childhood weekends were still around. Tragen chuckled for a moment at the irony of the arcade outlasting the school. They passed by the street with Dieq and Norra's house--any closer would have felt odd, but this way he could point out where his best friend had lived--before turning back toward the family house.

"What about the observatory?" Jaesa asked, confusion evident even if the angle of her head resting on his chest hid her face.

"That's best visited later, sunset or further into the evening," Tragen explained, linking their fingers and idly playing with her hand. "I thought we'd return home for lunch, have some time to relax before dinner and the theatre with my family. There's also tomorrow for seeing anything we don't get to today."

"I like that plan," Jaesa said with a contented sigh. She settled their linked hands in her lap. "You're very smart, that's something else I love about you."

"Is this going to be a pattern today?" Tragen chuckled, kissing her temple. "Randomly mentioned things you love about me?"

"Yes." She giggled. "It is. It's your birthday; I can be a little more vocal about my very long list."

He rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I'll return the favor on your birthday."

---

The afternoon passed quickly, despite them not doing much of anything. Lunch, which was delicious, then sitting on the balcony of their room to read--which turned into a nap for Jaesa, and Tragen wouldn't have moved for galaxies with her head on his shoulder--then a meandering tour of the Xo'ric family home. The latter lasted until Jeniyha tracked them down to kidnap Jaesa for dress selection. Tragen sat in the far-flung garden gazebo, enjoying the peace until it was time for him to get ready as well.

He found himself fending off the first vestiges of nerves. Almost time. He'd waited long enough for this. Too long, part of him grumbled.

That part got louder at his first sight of Jaesa 'all dolled up' as she bashfully called it. Jeniyha had been correct; she was stunning. Breathtaking. Her borrowed deep blue dress draped in an off-shoulder fashion, supported by narrow straps covered in delicate silver beading. A wide swirling, swooping design was likewise beaded around the midriff, and the skirt fell in silky folds below it to just above the ground. Her hair was side parted, showing off a silver filigree ear cuff.

The feeling was mutual if her expression was anything to go by. Or the way her hands settled on his arms; caressing the near-black-purple jacket sleeves.

"Jaesa, you..." He made himself take a breath, arms sliding around her waist. "I fear I won't catch a moment of this show." He tipped her chin up when she started to duck her head. "You look lovely." He kissed her, light and almost chaste.

"Thank you," she murmured against his mouth. "You're... I think I'll be distracted, too."

Tragen smiled, thumb rubbing her cheek. "We'll be a source of great amusement for my family, I'm sure."

"Speaking of which, we should go." Despite her words, Jaesa rocked up for one more kiss before turning toward the door.

His prediction proved correct; while conversation with his family was enough to keep him focused during dinner, his attention kept drifting to Jaesa from the moment they took their seats at the theatre. He tried to watch the play, he really did. But Jaesa's thumb was rubbing soft, absent arcs against the heel of his hand as they sat with fingers loosely tangled atop the armrest between them. And what he could sense from their Force bond... She was happy, she was content, she was occasionally distracted by him(as she'd predicted).

His family didn't seem surprised when he said he and Jaesa would return separately afterwards. "I promised to show her the observatory."

"Of course, this is the best time," Mother said with a smile at their linked arms, glancing up at the red, gold, and pink just starting to fade from the sky. "We'll see you when you get back."

"How much of the show did you catch?" Jaesa asked mischievously once they were in their cab.

"Bits," Tragen admitted with a sheepish laugh. "It was a drama, yes? Star-crossed lovers?"

"Mm. They got a happy ending."

"Good to know." He selected the option to reserve the cab for a set amount of time rather than single trip before giving the destination. "In case Mother asks."

"Oh, I'm not helping you fake it to her," Jaesa said with a laugh. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear where your attention was instead."

"Minx," he grumbled--not an ounce of heat in the word--as he leaned in for a kiss.

"And you love me," she grinned, hand sliding to the back of his neck.

"More than I can put into words."

"That honesty's another thing I love about you," Jaesa murmured just before their lips met.

Ironic, since when they met he'd been living a lie. But not to her. Never to her. The truth was a constant, he was an open book where she was concerned.

The trip felt ages long and far too short all at once before the cab slotted into one of the idling spaces near the observatory doors and they exited. Tragen left his jacket on the seat.

"There's no one here," Jaesa commented, looking around.

"According to Mother, while still open to the public, the observatory has largely fallen into disuse, save nights of 'extraordinary celestial events'," Tragen explained, rolling up his sleeves before taking her hand to walk inside. "A shame, but I'm grateful we should have the whole place to ourselves."

Jaesa smiled shyly, bit her lip. "You mentioned it was important to you...?"

"Mmhm." He briefly released her hand to pass the turnstile in the lobby, squeezing it once they rejoined. "There was a school trip here when I was... seven? eight? We stayed overnight to observe a meteor shower, and I was entranced by the stars as a whole. I started visiting whenever I could, learned all the constellations, how they tracked across the sky." Their steps echoed in the dim, empty space as they climbed the stairs to the main observation galley. "This was one of my favorite places," Tragen continued (heartbeat matching the echo of their footsteps), "I'd come for quiet, to watch the stars, to clear my head after fights with friends or my sister..." They reached the platform and he rested a hand on the railing. "The stars don't change. They're always there, whether or not you can see them." He nodded toward the large, wispy clouds obscuring half the sky, hiding the moons. "And that's been no small source of comfort through my life."

Jaesa studied him for a long moment, sense dancing with a mix of emotions and she reached for him through their bond, before, softly, "Thank you for showing me something that's so important to you."

"Of course." He tugged her closer, kissed her forehead. "Seems only fitting to share one constant in my life with another."

Jaesa rocked into the kiss, then pulled away to lean against the railing with a small, rueful laugh. "Constant aside from the seven year gap."

"Which was no more your doing or desire than my own," Tragen countered, resting his hip against the rail and studying her profile. "And I knew you were there, even when we were not together." Much like the stars. "I thought of you often, and that was its own source of strength."

"I'm glad," she said, so quietly he barely heard, a whirl of emotion surging through their Bond that did little to slow his pounding heart. She glanced at the 'scopes, the softly flickering information terminals scattered around, then up at the sky. "You have a lot of good memories here," she commented, tracing one finger along the railing in front of her.

"Quite a few," he agreed, chest tight and his own emotions too high to contain any longer. "I'm... hoping to add another."

I've waited long enough.

Jaesa's head snapped toward him, reading something in his eyes or the intention he could no longer hide through their bond.

"Yes," she said, voice breaking, eyes bright. She leaned in, grabbing the loosened collar of his shirt to pull him close enough for a kiss, mumbling, "Yes, I will," against his mouth.

His fingers dug into her hair, relief and joy and too many other emotions to parse escaping as a laugh, and Tragen couldn't help teasing, "Not even planning to let me ask properly?"

Jaesa pulled away enough to meet his eye, her hands cupping his face. "Tragen, you were asking on your birthday, in a place you called a lynchpin memory from your childhood. Do you honestly expect me to believe you didn't know I'd say yes?"

He chuckled, still breathless and giddy. "Alright, you've got me there."

She smiled coyly and slid her arms down around his waist. "I'd like to think I have you everywhere."

"That, too," he laughed, fingers carding through her hair as he kissed her. Yes. She said yes.

"The Force Bond also helped," Jaesa added when they broke away, eyes dancing.

"That did make it rather hard to keep secret as long as I did," Tragen said with a wry smile.

"You did a good job," she said. "I know how hard that is, and you only slipped right at the end." She kissed the tip of his nose. "Can't really blame you for that."

"For which I am most grateful." He hummed another small laugh and tucked her hair back so he could see her face. Stunningly beautiful, the stars and his own joy reflected in her eyes. A sight well worth committing to memory. "So then, Jaesa Willsaam, you will marry me?"

A shiver of delight ran along the bond as she smiled--and oh, he'd unseated emperors and that smile was enough to make his knees weak.

Jaesa slid her hands up to link behind his neck. "In a heartbeat, Tragen Xo'ric, and for all the heartbeats I have left." She pulled him down for a kiss. "You've been my constant at least as much as I've been yours," she murmured. "Steady as the stars."

Tragen smiled and rested his forehead to hers. "That makes this seem even more fitting..." His slipped his hand in his pocket for the small box he'd been all-too-aware of since they departed for dinner. "It is Stenosi tradition, upon committing to an engagement, for the asker to seal said commitment with a gift."

He drew the box from his pocket as he spoke, and Jaesa gave a small gasp as she took and opened it. "This is... beautiful."

The cresting wave of her emotions made clear the word's inadequacy. He understood.

Words in general felt... not enough right now.

"By tradition, the necklace's design is things that unite the couple," Tragen said as the softly glowing lights caught the etched circle of stars with a lightsaber crystal in the center of the roughly thumbnail-sized pendent. "The stone is merezite, carefully harvested from a small cluster of the spires; light, delicate, and far stronger than its appearance suggests." He tipped her chin up with his knuckle and smiled. "Very fitting, I think."

Jaesa smiled back and bit her lip. "Could you... help me put it on?"

Tragen nodded, willing his hands not to shake as he freed the delicate chain and fastened it around her neck. He brushed a kiss to the curve of her shoulder once the clasp was fastened.

She gave a small, whining hum at the gesture. "Should we... head back?"

He chuckled and kissed just behind her ear, relishing her delighted shiver as he tugged her back against his chest. "Much as I like the thought of having you all to myself under the stars..." He wrapped his arm around her middle to hold her close, "...I suppose we can do so just as easily in our room."

"The balcony is nice," Jaesa said softly, leaning her head back against his cheek. "And we'd have privacy and could be in more comfortable clothes" --her hand rested on his forearm, tracing light patterns over the skin--"much as the dressed-down-fancy look suits you."

Tragen kissed her temple for the compliment. "A compelling case. Let's return home."

They descended the stairs in content--giddy--silence, his arm around her shoulders, and her hand raised to link their fingers. It was after they were back in the speeder cab, whisking toward his family's estate that Tragen spoke again.

"Just to prepare you," he began, playing with Jaesa's fingers as their hands sat tangled together between them, "my mother will very likely notice the necklace and piece together what happened within moments of our entering." He huffed a laugh. "And if she doesn't, Jeniyha will."

"We'd be telling them anyway, so..." Jaesa shrugged and stilled his hand to give it a squeeze.

Tragen chuckled. "Just wanted you to be ready."

"Consider me braced," she teased. "And you looking out for me in things like this is another reason I love you."

"Squeezing in one more before the end of the day?" he drawled.

Jaesa gave him a mischievous smile. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be reminded of a few more before it truly ends," she said, not breaking eye contact as she raised their joined hands to press a kiss at the base of his thumb. "At least."

He didn't need the bond to take her meaning.

Tragen grinned. "I'll look forward to exceeding your expectations-"

The words were partly cut off as she closed the distance to kiss him, and he laughed into it, grateful that he could now focus on enjoying the benefits of a Force Bond on the best day of his life.

God, do these two deserve this, and there was much "Oh god it's happening.gif"-ing on my part while I was writing it.

Cannot WAIT until they tell Vette. :3 The whoop of joy will be audible from space(impressive, with how vacuum works and all).

#queens fic #tragen xo'ric #jaesa willsaam #tragen/jaesa #otp: my north star

7 notes · View notes

theroyalsims · 2 years

Photo

A ROYAL BETRAYAL: PRINCESS INGRID’S BOYFRIEND ANNOUNCES *SURPRISE* ENGAGEMENT WITH HRH’S FORMER ROOMMATE

Eagle-eyed royal fans spotted a suspicious engagement announcement from none other than Princess Ingrid’s boyfriend, Caspian Ruiz.

Ruiz’s engagement to Miss Abigail Nochtrunne was announced via The Brindelton Daily, under the “Upcoming Weddings” section, along with a photo of the couple (see top photo). The announcement reads:

“Quintillan and Augusta Ruiz proudly announce the engagement of their son, Caspian Ruiz to Miss Abigail Nochtrunne, daughter of Sir Herbert Nochtrunne and Lady Nicoletta Braun-Nochtrunne. The couple will wed at St. Agatha Church later this year.”

However, the head-scratching thing about the announcement is the fact that up until the announcement was made public, Caspian is known to be dating Princess Ingrid and the two have not broken up. One insider spills:

“This is just remarkably heartbreaking for Ingrid because she was left in total darkness by her boyfriend of almost two years. Things were okay between the two. While they’re not spending as much time together - Ingrid’s been busy, especially since she’s taking on official engagements now - they’re in constant communication, and they most certainly did not split or break up. There was no fight, no argument. Everything seemed great... and then this. Ingrid literally went to sleep thinking she was in a relationship with this great dude, and woke up single.”

Even more terrible for Ingrid, her boyfriend (or should we say ex-boyfriend) is now engaged to her university roommate and close friend, Abigail Nochtrunne. Ingrid and Abigail started off as dorm mates and then they decided to live off campus and rent a flat together. They became really good friends, and they both featured quite heavily on each other’s social media accounts.

(Above: Princess Ingrid was good friends with the bride-to-be. The two shared a flat together when they attended university. The two featured quite regularly in each other’s social media accounts. However, upon checking, Princess Ingrid’s account has been purged of all photos with Abigail, while the latter’s account has been set to private.)

And perhaps to drive the knife even deeper and make the betrayal far worse, Abigail is confirmed to be pregnant and surprise, surprise, Caspian is the father. The insider further spills:

“The wedding is a shotgun wedding, because Abigail is pregnant with Caspian’s baby. She’s well into her second trimester and both families are starting to panic because they don’t want the baby to be born a bastard. The Nochtrunnes are old rich and the Ruiz Family may be an immigrant family, but they’re immensely wealthy, too - a union of the two families would be a decent match, and more importantly, the child would not be illegitimate.

Ingrid knew, of course that Abigail is pregnant, but she wasn’t privy to the fact that it was her boyfriend who knocked her best friend up.

You know what makes things even worse? Ingrid sent Abigail a gift when she found out the latter was pregnant.”

(Above: File photo - Princess Ingrid exits a friend’s flat, walking hand-in-hand with boyfriend, Caspian Ruiz.)

Princess Ingrid and Caspian have always been public with their relationship. They were last seen together over three weeks ago, having dinner at a posh restaurant downtown. The two also flew to Arendahl some months ago to visit Prince Nicky back when he was still training.

Well, we suppose congratulations are in order for Caspian and Abigail, but our hearts go out to Princess Ingrid who appears to have been betrayed by two people she loved and trusted.

At least you dodged this bullet, Your Royal Highness! You deserve far better than a lying, scumbag cheater.

What is it with our Brindleton royal ladies and broken hearts? Maybe there’s something in the water back at the palace?

#ts4 #theroyalsims #ts4 story #ts4 legacy #simblr #ts4 royals #ts4 royalty #ts4 royal family #ts4 royal legacy #ts4 royal story #ingrid #mystory

56 notes · View notes

peaterookie · 1 year

Text

Lupin III Chapter 40 Review

hi tumblr it's me day 2 let's see how long i can go for once again never take any of this seriously this is just for fun ok thanks

this chapter starts out with a sussy looking man trying to escape out of prison!!! who the fuck is he????

from the left bottom panel over there we can see that he's been caught by the police, who then escorts him in a car with two other people who seem to know him

look at their faces thats very sus

then we switch to kid lupin in his mansion listening into the convo happening in the police's car it seems to be connected to the police's walkie talkie but suddenly! he is in shock and bolts out the house what did he hear in the walkie talkie?? and where is he going???

well well well the walkie talkie speaks of the various prison escapees... and one of them, the man whom we saw escaping earlier WAS NONE OTHER THAN LUPIN II, HIS FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!

i hate him so much anyways ahem ahem Lupin iii on the other hand runs out to a cemetery, which houses the gravestone of his father?? he is equally just as shocked to hear this chapter plot twist, his father whom he thought was dead was alive all along!?

apparently it was arsene lupin that told him that his father was dead, we never get told why he did it, but i wonder maybe because a lupin who fails at his job is no longer a lupin in his eyes, so since lupin ii was captured and thrown in jail, he is nothing but dead to him it can also possibly explain why lupin iii got put in so much rigorous training at such a young age and become conditioned to pass on arsene's legacy because his son couldnt but enough with overanalyzing the plot, let's move on

ANOTHER lady (i dont think its been the same one since this entire kid lupin series???) appears and says that she's known the truth for years now and i guess they just go back to the mansion ah yes ive learned that my father is actually alive lets not do anything about it nah jk hes probably trying to process everything poor kid

going back to lupin ii's side, the police turns out to be one of his allies and gets them out of prison along with handing them guns n shit then one of his friends just shoots the police??? and lupin ii is reasonably pissed like wtf you killed the dude that worked with us then the guy reasons that the guy is still a cop and they still shouldnt trust ok whatever fine lets go with that then

i cant bro is so angry apparently in this panel he says "HE WAS MY BEST CONTACT!" and im just wondering what he meant by that maybe its just tokyopop translation spouting bs again but it may just be something from the og manga im thinking maybe he was trying to monitor lupin iii? currently the plot isn't at the point where i can explain my idea though

now his next plan is to find lupin iii, whoom he claims is posing as a fake and his son was supposed to be dead???? shits getting wild

theres so much shit to absorb in just these panels

the cityscape looks so fucking cool???? i want to draw like that…

LUPIN III IS JUST LYING ON HIS COUCH HOLDING A TV UP TO HIS FACE??? HES JUST USING IT AS AN IPAD HELP IF THAT ISNT THE FUNNIEST WAY TO WATCH TV EVER IDK WHAT IS

LUPIN II JUST FUCKING POPS OUT OF NOWHERE??? IS BRO FLOATING PYCAL STYLE????

anyways lupin iii gets attacked by them prison men! lupin iii sees his dad and hes like you're not my dad prove it to me then lupin ii is like you're not my son!

then they like fight or something

lupin ii holds the woman earlier hostage and is about to rape her, then lupin iii says that they're surrounded by the police and hes about to get arrested anyway (this is so stupid) then lupin iii leaves thinking hell get arrested, and it turns out that the woman and lupin ii were just faking it and this was just a test for lupin iii

Panel 1: "You can put your clothes on." "Oh, are we done now?" Panel 2: "He's not ready to take over the family business." "Well, at least tell him the truth, you owe him that much." Panel 3: "Not yet." "Not until he proves his worth."

the lupin family is just like a traditional asian family you better start burning at least 90 houses until you're allowed to eat dinner again then lupin ii retreats and dresses up as a police officer, he tricks the detective guy (from the earlier chapter) into thinking that he has escaped into the mountains

then he hops on a motorcycle to escape, and oh? it seems like lupin iii already found out his plan and was camping in the sidecar to wait for him but unfortunately… his father rams him onto a tree.

great job lupin ii great treatment of your son you havent seen in years :thumbsup: but this is the end of the kid lupin chapters! we will be resuming back to the monkey man tomorrow. (nevermind i have something else planned for tomorrow no chapter 41 til thursday) lupin ii will never been seen in the lupin manga for a long long time…

also i like how this chapter singlehandedly explains why motorcycles with sidecars are no longer a thing anymore today.

#lupin the 3rd #lupin iii #lupin the third #lupin ii #local lupin manga fan screams about the manga as per usual

31 notes · View notes

howtodrawyourdragon · 2 years

Text

As Thick As Thieves

Flufftober 2022 Day 3!

Summary: Written for Flufftober 2022 Day 3. Set after Httyd 1. Hiccup and Toothless are as thick as thieves, though no one would ever suspect them of being thieves. And frankly, neither did Hiccup.

Warning: /

Rating: General

Characters: Hiccup, Toothless, Stoick

Pairing: /

Words: 1 000

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon

Prompt: Thick as Thieves

Author’s Notes:

Not that I have a lot of Kinktober prompts, but I still had to take a bit of a break because last week was just too busy for me. But it's here now!

I had so much fun writing this one!

Also, I love the wordcount for this one. Just a nice round number!

Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Enjoy!

AO3

Hiccup and Toothless, they are seen as the most responsible of the Dragon Riders or they are certainly supposed to be. One is the village heir, the other his unwavering shadow. After ending the Dragon Scourge together and one vowing to act as a bridge between human and dragonkind, a lot is expected of them.

Hiccup isn’t used to high expectations, before Toothless, people didn’t expect anything from him. So forgive him for sometimes actually trying to live up to them. But Toothless has other ideas.

With nothing to do at the academy, Stoick brought his son along to Silent Sven’s. His sheep keep escaping through mysterious means. Stoick calls bull, of course. How can sheep disappear from a “perfectly good pen” and end up in the village or the nearby forest if the pen really is as good as the sheep farmer claims it is?

So far, however, Sven’s claims may not be as silly as they once seemed. Stoick brought Hiccup along and neither of the two seem to spot any way for the sheep to escape. The pen was well-made, not a single gap too big for either one of them to get out through.

“Didn’t I tell you, Stoick? I just have no clue where they might be coming out of!” Sven’s wife translates the silent man’s gestures. She understands him like very few people do.

The chief hums thoughtfully. So it appears there is a mystery indeed. No broken fence, fallen wood, no gaps too big, and no holes in the ground. There are dragons, for sure, but the farm animals they stole to feed the Red Death. Their prefered food is fish, of which there is plenty.

So what’s the matter here?

At first, Hiccup came here to watch his father mediate, instead, he has to help come up with a solution. And Toothless? Well, Hiccup takes a look around when he notices he’s lost sight of his dragon.

He finds him quickly, just around the corner where Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd left fish out for cooking. A big juicy salmon, untouched, and so very, very irresistible.

As quiet as the night- though it’s daytime now- Toothless stalks closer, his tongue licking his lips. What kind of dragon would be able to resist?

He feels a pair of eyes on him and finds Hiccup staring at him with a shocked face.

What does the dragon think he’s doing?! Just because the fish is lying there unattended doesn’t mean it’s up for grabs!

Toothless licks his lips again, then gestures with his nose at the fish. He’s shamelessly telling the boy that he’s going to grab the fish.

“No!” Hiccup mouths at him, shaking his head. Luckily, none of the adults are paying attention to him.

“Hmprf,” Toothless says and stalks closer.

The boy looks back at his father and the other adults and then back at his dragon. He’s going to get caught!

Toothless’ tail accidentally startles a sheep.

“What’s that?” Sven’s wife asks while the sheep herder grabs his pitchfork tight.

“Uh, what if it’s the twins?” Hiccup blurts out without thinking. All eyes are on him, quietly asking him to elaborate. They’re backs are turned to Toothless.

“I mean… the pen is just fine and you say that the gate is always closed-”

“It is closed! We’ve been doing this for years, boy, for much longer than you’ve been alive!” The wife states and crosses her arms.

“Oh-okay… The-then what if someone’s letting them out?” Hiccup asks, very aware of the hole he’s digging for himself. Ruff and Tuff are not going to be happy, even though they do make it a habit to terrorize farm animals.

“And you think the Thorston’s twins are responsible?” Stoick asks, trusting his son’s word. He would know, after all. Those two are probably bragging about their mischief to their friends!

“Uh…” He sneaks a peek at Toothless, who’s just finished downing the salmon. “Maybe?”

His father hums gruffly while Sven slams his pitchfork down, demanding something be done.

“Don’t worry, I’ll see to it that their mother hears of this.”

Meanwhile, Toothless rejoins Hiccup’s side, licking his lips and pushing with the flat of his head against his back.

“I think Toothless wants to go for a flight,” he says.

“Go ahead, son. And perhaps, you can tell those friends of yours that their mother will want to speak with them tonight,” his father tells him, dismissing him with Silent Svent’s problem seemingly solved.

Without another word, not wanting to say anything that might incriminate him, the boy climbs into the saddle and Toothless takes off, giddy that he got away with it.

----------

“That was so risky, I can’t believe you did that!” Hiccup exclaims as the two walk up on their loft.

Toothless laughs and the other whirls around.

“This isn’t funny, Toothless, you stole from them!”

Toothless makes a long noise that sounds argumentative. Everybody knows to protect their fish, why didn’t the sheep humans protect theirs if they wanted to keep it?

“Ugh, yo-you’re impossible.”

Toothless makes another noise before he headbutts Hiccup so hard he falls with his back onto his bed and that’s where the dragon pins him with his head.

“Toothless!”

He snorts in Hiccup’s face. The boy is just as complicit as he is, he is much more familiar with human rules and yet he still covered for him.

As if able to read it off his face, Hiccup groans.

“You know I’d never sell you out, you big lump of lizard!” he tells him, to which Toothless responds by giving him a faceful of tongue. He sputters, spits, and coughs, the dragon on top laughs.

“Okay, you-you know what? Now I might actually consider selling you out!” Toothless licks again in retaliation.

“Toothless!”

The Night Fury figures… maybe Hiccup will be in a better mood if he shares some of the fish with him.

He begins to retch.

“TOOTHLESS, NO!” Hiccup shouts and the other laughs again.

#flufftober2022 #day 3 #thick as thieves #httyd fics #fics #httyd movies #httyd 1 #how to train your dragon 1 #rob #dob #riders of berk #defenders of berk #hiccup haddock #toothless #hicctooth #stoick the vast #the haddocks #my fanfics #as thick as thieves

32 notes · View notes

sparkler-sleet · 7 months

Text

coffee or tea?

Archie Jones knew that, from a distance, he most likely looked like what could only be described as an arrogant old bastard.

But, he countered, anyone else who had to sit in the minus temperatures of the British coast, at a bus stop, alone, waiting for the B1 bus that was so notoriously late that they may as well change the timetable...

would also be an arrogant bastard. If they were seventy five, seventy six next week, old would be added to the list.

But the folk around here weren't like him. Not any more, kids weren't brought up the way they used to be. He could feel eyes on him at that bus stop, aye... young, little, wide eyes, watching him through the window from the warmth of their cottages with their mammies telling them to come away, the soup's ready. There was none of that when Archie was young; his mam called him once for tea and if he didn't listen, he went without.

His shopping sat in two plastic bags on his left side, his stick on the right. His wife wrote the list for him; she sent him down to the corner shop every Friday afternoon.

H'away, Archie, get y'self down that road. If you're still sat there when I come back down those stairs, I'll kick you so hard you'll be needing next week's list instead. The paper was still crumpled in his fingers, scratching his skin through the thinning areas of his gloves. Mary would have to knit him another pair, maybe for Christmas.

He had been in a good mood when he'd left the house, he really had. He was whistling, and Betty next door called over to him that something must have gotten into your tea, Archie, you've got a skip about you this morning! See, Archie Jones only whistled when he was in a particularly good mood, but now, he felt like doing nothing less.

Archie hadn't brought enough change to buy his cigarettes. He'd brought the notes for the food shop and, normally, he would pick up a couple of coins from the holiday jar when Mary wasn't looking. But this morning he had been so busy cursing the snow and the washing he had left out last night (most of which was now frozen to the line) that he had completely forgotten his cigarette money. And, to make matters worse, the lad behind the counter wouldn't let him put them back.

"I'll pay the difference, Archie," he insisted. "Get y'self away home, now, before this weather gets worse."

"No matter, son, Mary will have a couple'a pennies lying about, I'll come back th'morrow."

"H'away. Take 'em."

Archie tried to leave them on the counter, but the bloke took it upon himself to swing around the counter and push the cigarettes into one of the bags. So Archie gritted out a thank you.

No more than ten minutes later, as he was making his way along the promenade, Archie ran into Susie. She was only a little'n, no more than seven. He had been in hospital after his fall the day she was born.

He asked where her mam was. Making dinner.

"Y'shouldn't be out in this weather, lassie, you'll take off your boots and leave your toes in 'em."

"My da says you should be in a home."

"Nonsense," Archie barked, consequently sending the girl staggering as he waved his stick. "Me wife makes me tea and that's all a man needs." A little more waving and Susie scarpered, crying.

"Everything alright, Grandad?"

Archie peered around the edge of the wooden bus shelter, watching as Bethany appeared through the thick-falling snow, schoolbag slung over a shoulder, tie low, skirt rolled up. Bairns these days...

"Hiya, love."

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing," she remarked as she sat down - which, to Archie, seemed a little hypocritical, because she was only sporting a blazer and that thin shirt.

"Getting me shopping, clearly."

"I thought I might come for some tea. Help you with those bags."

"Away with yourself, I can manage. Come another day. The game's on, and I want no distractions. Mary's bad enough, yapping on as soon as the good bit starts."

He didn't look to Bethany for a reaction, because he knew what it'd be. A smile, but a sad smile. An empty one.

He knew his family worried for him, no matter how many times he insisted they needn't. Well, if they had that much worry, they might as well use it for something useful, not an old dog like him. He was fine; his heart was still ticking and he could still watch the game with the dog at his feet. All was well. Except-

"Grandma's dead, Grandad," Bethany reminded. "You remember that, don't you?"

Archie sighed, hastily reaching up to hold his hat down on his head as a gust of wind made through the shelter. "Aye, lassie, I remember."

The B1 pulled up and Bethany watched him get on, and she made him let her buy his ticket because he had slipped to her that he hadn't any change on him. She waved him goodbye through the frosted window and made her way down the street towards her house.

The B1 chugged on and Archie sulked. He pretended he couldn't hear the woman asking him to give up his seat for her to sit by her pram; she had enough kids by now that she should be well trained in holding the bairn with her god-given arms.

He got off at the fourth stop like clockwork; he had taken this route every week for so many years that he could keep on thinking about all of his woes and to-dos, and his body would just heave itself up, arms gathering up the bags, and his legs would trudge him off that piece of metal and back onto solid ground. He also pretended not to hear the driver asking if he needed a hand up the hill. The first time, anyway.

"Archie, I said-"

"Aye, I heard ye!" He found himself shouting and, all of a sudden, the kids at the back of the bus stopped throwing bottles and the old dears stopped gossiping and the baby in that godawful pram stopped wailing. "I hear ye all! Talking all your nonsense, saying I cann'it look after myself. I'm fine, y'hear me? I don't need your money, and I don't need your damn help!"

No one seemed willing to contend so, with that, Archie departed from the B1.

He huffed his way up the hill to his red front door, heart thumping on like a steam train. His cold fingers fumbled with his keys and he let himself in, calling out that he was home. Jack bounded up, just a little furry thing that could only jump up to Archie's shins. Away with yourself, boy, and the dog left him be.

He considered, not for the first time, whether everybody else was right. Maybe he did need that lad's change for cigarettes, maybe Susie's da knew he really should be in a home, maybe he should have let Bethany help him with his bags so that he wouldn't be huffing and puffing quite so much now, a hand gripping onto the kitchen counter. But he never felt so bad when he was here. And anyway, who would take the pup? Who would take care of all of Mary's things? Likely no one. He supposed they'd get sold to fund Brian's next flashy car.

Anyway. It's no help to worry.

He packed away the groceries one by one and, when he had finished, Archie leaned against the sink and watched the boats swaying in the dock down below.

He sighed. "Well," he spoke. "What's it to be? Coffee or tea?"

No one spoke back. Not a footstep sounded throughout the whole house, not even a breath.

The only movement at all was the kettle flicking itself on - but that was enough for Archie to know that his wife was still around, even if no one else believed him.

So he smiled and plucked two mugs from the draining board.

#writing #short story #creative writing #writeblr #writers

2 notes · View notes