#big sky fan fiction | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elbiotipo · 2 months

Text

Worldbuilding: Galactic Empires

My only complaint about the Prequels is that they needed MORE politics

If you've watched Dune recently, you must have noticed the whole Emperor and space noble families thing. And yes, it's likely you heard that in WH40k too… and I HOPE you know that's where the God Emperor came from, since WH40k took "inspiration" from everywhere from Dune to Star Wars. Which also has a Galactic Empire. Like so many other science fiction franchises.

In fact, if you're a science fiction fan, it's very likely that you're familiar with space or galactic empires, they seem to be common as dragons in fantasy. Despite the fact that an empire doesn't sound very futuristic, does it?

Where did all these Galactic Empires come from? Are they just a narrative tool or are they an actual possibility? How would states and societies work in space? Let's find out, and maybe I can give you some ideas on how to write fun galactic "empires" from both a narrative and plausibility perspective.

This is going be a long post. Perhaps my longest yet. But I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Click down to continue.

First of all, where did these space emperors come from? In another post, I've talked about the influence of the idea of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire in English-language fiction. However, in science fiction, I would say the influence is more direct. The Foundation trilogy of Isaac Asimov, one of the foundational (lol) works of science fiction, was intended by the author, very explicitly, as a retelling of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon in a science fiction setting. He probably wasn't the first to think about a space empire, I'm very sure the term is older, but he certainly popularized it as a staple of science fiction. Now, if your contact with science fiction comes from movies, when you hear Galactic Empire you're of course thinking about Star Wars. But yes, Star Wars is also the same retelling, because Lucas was inspired in both Asimov AND Gibbon, even though I think we should appreciate Lucas' ability to bring it to life in the screen. Certainly, Isaac Asimov wasn't the first or the last to take inspiration in history to tell stories about the future.

The most influential science fiction work of all time.

At this point you're probably telling me (or not, I don't know you) about all other sorts of science fiction works that DON'T have galactic empires, or better yet, those that don't just transpose historical societies into the far future and imagine something entirely new (my personal recommendations on this area are Banks and LeGuin). And you'd be right. But the concept of a space empire seems popular and long-lived, much like feudalism in the fantasy genre, everyone has a picture of a sorts when a videogame or a book talks about a "galactic empire" or "galactic republic" or a "federation", an "empire" much like a shorthand name for "a country In Space", regardless of the presence of an actual Emperor or not. And so, it's worth exploring how this trope could, or not, work, so we can see the possible alternatives or more fun ways to approach it.

Besides, that's the title of the post. Galactic Empires.

So, let's approach this from the perspectives of Space, Time (or to keep with the theme, Spacetime) and Technology, and lastly, the most fun part, we'll explore some fun variations on this idea of galactic empires and societies.

Space:

Space is big, and I won't quote the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy here, it would be groanworthy at this point. Let's do a quick exercise instead. Let's image a "modest" space empire, not even galactic, 2000 light-years across. Sounds quite big, it encompasses most of the visible stars we can see from Earth… however, if you project it into a galactic map, it's actually a very small piece of sky, actually 2% of the entire galaxy which is about 100.000 ly across. Now, according to the Atlas of the Universe, there are 600 million stars in a 5000 ly radius from the Sun. Jesus Christ. This is actually hard to estimate accurately as the true number of red dwarfs and brown dwarfs, the dimmest stars, are hard to count, but we already know those have planetary systems as complex as our own Solar System, even planets that could bear life. Let's scale back to our 2000 ly across space empire, again, just a small cozy corner of the Milky Way Galaxy, something that would look like a small, even tiny, nation in any setting of a galactic scale. This gives us 240 million stars (from the estimated 200 billion stars of the galaxy) in this space, which is still completely insane but let's work with that.

From Atlas of the Universe, so you can compare and contrast, the stars 2000 ly from the sun (ONLY the brightest ones), and the entire Milky Way. Notice how small 2000 light years truly are at that scale.

Even if I just told you that all of those systems might be as complex and rich as the Solar System, let's rather arbitrarily say only 5% of those 240 million are worth of note. Not necessarily having life (no way I'm getting into that yet), just worth visiting or living in for the resources or the views or the cantinas… whatever. That's 12 million star systems. Okay, let's refine this further. Let's say of those 12 million, most of them are the equivalent of gas stations or farmsteads, a couple thousand people at most. The REAL places where the action happens are the systems or worlds where millions of people live, and those are few and far between (this makes both common and narrative sense, as people tend to cluster in population centers where trade, resources, etc. are). Let's say, and let's refine this further so I don't get outrageous numbers, the average population of those systems is 100 million (about the size of Mexico, Vietnam or Japan. Many sci-fi works throw worlds of billions like Earth like nothing). And those systems are… uh, like 2% of THOSE 5% 'systems of note' (a flimsly concept already but play along). That's 2% of 12 million. We got 240.000 systems or worlds the population size of entire countries, with all that implies (economy, culture, politics). Of course, 240.000 multiplied 100 million gives this speculative fictional empire a total population of… (Jesus Christ, not the scientific notations), 2.4e+13, or TWENTY FOUR TRILLION PEOPLE.

Let's wind back and remember I tried my best to make a "small" empire for a galactic-sized setting, 2000 light-years across, that's just from here to Orion's Nebula for Gagarin's sake! A trillion people is just outside the realm of my imagination, or pretty much anyone's. Can you imagine any kind of goverment system that would be enough to provide any kind of meaningful governance to 24 trillion people? In the case of a space empire, can you imagine a single space emperor, a single person, deciding over them? Keep in mind that emperors don't rule on their own (we'll talk about that), they need bureacrats to make their will done, and vassals to govern their territories in their stead. This would apply even in democratic systems, you need representatives and civil servants and more.

Let's scale back a bit before I go insane. Instead of assuming territory, let's go with population. Assume a spherical cow space empire of… 40 billion people, that's reasonable right? You can picture that in your head? Five times the population of current Earth, no biggie, we can work with that, it's all cool. Now, how big would a goverment for such a population would have to be? We actually have reasonable answers. China has about 10 million civil servants for a population of 1.4 billion people, but that's only the administrators, not including all the teachers, healthcare workers, security forces, laborers, etc. employed by the state. India has 6.4 million for about the same population. Okay, so easy math, let's say that this space empire has 6 million bureacrats for 1 billion people, for our empire of 40 billion people, that gives us a total of 240 million… just bureacrats, nothing else. Yes, you could reduce that with technology by say, half. It still means an entire Mexico-sized country of bureacrats. Imagine.

Entire worlds of this.

NOW I WILL STOP THROWING NUMBERS AT YOU, and let's just think about what this means. If we assume a space empire like the ones common in science fiction, or just any kind of… goverment at all, we're talking about, at the lowest estimates, entire countries worth of state employees, if not whole EARTHS of bureacrats. You can guess how things can get really weird fast. Current goverments as we know them just won't work at all it even if technology gets more powerful. Leaving aside, for now, things like god-like AI adminstration (yeah, have you seen what they are like now?)… to exhert ANY kind of control, FTL or not (more on that below) you would need a very, very autonomous empire, to the point it might as well not exist at all. Why take orders from A Guy who is not only far away but also has no hope at all of actually enforcing them in any meaningful sense? Why call yourself part of his "empire" that not only cannot enforce anything upon you, but also cannot benefit you in any way? Big question, of course, the benefit of a galactic or even smaller empire, but we'll discuss that later.

What could work, however, is that instead of a centralized state like we concieve it today, or even a loose confederation, even loose alliances, even pretty much anything… 'empires' (as in 'countries') In Space could be "united" by common ideas and culture instead of any institution. Perhaps not even a written delcration or constitution, but shared ideas: a culture, a religion, an ideology. Lots of different strong mini-states (that might mean billions of people…) that all claim to be part of the same "civilization", but share no goverment at all at all, just the same 'idea', in a looser way that even the most decentralized goverments you can think of. You can say "well all countries are made up" but these would barely qualify as even that. Not even the Holy Roman Empire was this fake.

Perhaps even a single person as a symbolic focus point of unity? Which would be actually a score for the proponents of galactic empires in the most literal sense. But at the same time, such an Emperor would be completely powerless to interact with the entire galaxy. His plans for, I don't fucking know, education reform or tax breaks, would have to be filtered by literal millions of bureaucrats and vassals that at that point might do whatever the hell on his name. Military-wise, his armies would count as nations of their own. However, the overall guidance of a single person (or constitution…) as a symbol might make otherwise disparate worlds to collaborate on the same causes, being part of the same greater whole no matter the distance. So maybe, instead of a Galactic Emperor, a Space Pope?

OH MY GOD-EMPEROR WAS THE IMPERIUM REALISTIC ALL ALONG? Probably not, but also yes, let's keep talking.

By the way, I'm sure you're tired of big numbers now, but I did one possible calculation for the whole galaxy, a true Galactic Empire. Asuming just 0.2% (400 million) of the 200 billion stars are populated, with an average population of one million, the size of the smallest countries that aren't micronations. The total galactic population would be 40 trillion, or 40,000,000,000,000. Five thousand Earth populations.

Time:

Or rather, space-time. We'll talk about both, because what concern us is the speed of information and trade, and that also limits the size of our empires.

I'm sure you know by now faster-than-light travel is impossible. Most of space based science fiction has it, of course, for narrative purposes. We don't want Our Heroes to spend two thousand years to get to the lair of the Evil Space Tyrant, I don't either, and I'll discuss FTL soon. But let's start with no-FTL here, just like in real life, and a smaller "empire", much, much smaller than my previous examples. A mere 250 light years across. Let's not even calculate population now.

This, quite logically, means that the fastest your communications would flow is at light speed. So if your emperor issues orders to a nearby world, say, 5 ly away, you will get an answer 5 years later. For a more reasonable distance of 60 ly, you would know the results 60 years from the descendants of those who recieved the order (now, assume however they keep in constant conversation, just with a 60 year delay), and by then, things there would have changed 60 years from the capital. You get the idea, Einstein sucks, don't need to elaborate more. At first glance, this might be another point for old-style feudal star empires, though. What better way to guarantee your empire is working well over centuries than by having an hereditary class of nobles loyal to you, no matter how much time passes (results may vary). Of course, how would you even enforce that? Rebels might overthrow them and you'll learn about it a century later, and you'll have to send ships to quash the rebellion… or would you?

Is there a point to send ships to conquer other worlds in such a situation? What kind of resources (ah, the lifeblood of empires) could you control with such an empire where transport takes decades and industry is so developed you could, theoretically, make manufactured goods yourself? I'm assuming you can, because you can build spaceships to get there in the first place (not unreasonable), but what would justify creating an interstellar goverment controlling people, trade, resources, over light-decades? Normally, it's at this point where sci-fi authors make up Something (what Atomic Rockets calls "McGuffinite") to justify interstellar trade. In Dune, for example, it's Spice, which is kind of like, to steal a joke, petroleum mixed with cocaine. But otherwise, in a no-FTL setting (so, real life as far as we know) there isn't really the incentive to conquer or even form a goverment of any but the looser kind with other worlds. Trade, maybe, but those are long-term investments, it's difficult to think what kind of good or service would be so in demand would justify it. Especially when you consider that light-speed is your upper limit, and ships might be actually way slower than that. And I'm not even gonna begin to touch relativistic effects.

I was going to make a joke about blowing a quarter of your GDP in Star Destroyers, but have you heard of the South American Dreadnought Race? One of our dumbest moments down here, surely.

Add FTL, and things change, of course. Even very slow ships, that would take months to transverse a dozen light years, would be able to justify trade in luxury goods and passengers, for instance. This is not too far from real-life either, after all, European colonial empires had travel times in the months, and they had to install local administrations such as viceroys because of this, yet rhose places they were considered part of the same empire (most European empires could be rather considered a collection of "countries" and colonies, look at all the divisions of the Spanish Empire for instance). Faster and cheaper ships would of course, mean even more trade (here, I'm using 'trade' as 'communication between worlds', not necessarily implying capitalism, it could be mercantilism or even a command economy) between worlds, even perhaps the classic trope of agrarian and mining worlds feeding the rich core worlds. The Open Veins of Latin America In Space. Fun.

The speed of your ships and communications not only determines trade, but the power projection of your state (we can discuss 'stateless' societies too, there's plenty of fun to be had). If, again, your Galactic Emperor makes a Galactic Proclamation from the Galactic Palace near the Galactic Core (let's roll with that) and he has no FTL communications of any kind, it means that his commanding voice would reach the outer edges of the galaxy 100.000 years after, that is, almost ten times the history of agriculture on Earth. If he, however, has access to ships that can cross the galaxy in say, months, yes, perhaps he can have a series of vassals all over the stars (perhaps, we'll see…), and the faster things are, the closer they resemble our current fast-paced society, but not quite, given the available resources and space in… SPACE and the possible population, as we discussed above. As you can see, the speed of your FTL or lack of it determines everything.

There is another, more *realistic* option. Instead of individual FTL ships, you could have wormhole portals connecting worlds. This is more realistic in the sense that it's theoretically possible (though we have no idea on how to make one), but it also has some interesting implications. First of all, there is an implication that such a wormhole network would be expensive to build and maintain, requiring highly complex technology, material (I'm not sure what the hell exotic matter really is) and production methods, well, more high than what you'd expect from the usual. Second, it would be something preferably fixed, with hubs, planned routes and regular transit (and for writers, it easily allows you to map your universe). Such networks would be vital pieces of infrastructure, built and maintained by central authorities, drawing routes and transport hubs in space. Yes, indeed, almost like… space railroads.

OH MY ASTRAL EXPRESS WAS HONKAI STAR RAIL REALISTIC ALL ALONG? (last joke I promise)

There is also a very strange effect about wormhole networks. Time is relative, as you know, and this is not a metaphor, it literally "flows" differently on how fast you're moving. The "universal" "speed" of "time" "seems" to be the speed at which matter moves in an expanding universe (red-shift and blue shift) as I understand it, but as you approach light-speed, time flows differently in your frame of reference. Wormholes are strange in the sense that they connect space AND time, the observable time in both sides of a wormhole would be the same, and as such, places connected by a wormhole network will "be" at the same "time". This has been talked about by some authors who have considered about wormholes in the context of space civilizations, and it's called (STOP!) Empire Time. So a space empire might not only imply a state ruling over a population and a territory, but also over a time. I have no idea how this works and it frankly makes my head hurt, but here is an analysis of transversable wormholes if you want to indulge or hit your head against a wall.

Technology:

As an extension from the previous section: Of course there is no working FTL method known in real life, as far as we know, light-speed is the upper limit for everything. Instead of constraining you as a writer, this can be one of your biggest assets.

Because if you're doing a space setting, the existence of faster-than-light travel and its speed is the most important decision you can take about it.

Got that? Did I emphasize that enough? You don't need to actually explain HOW your FTL system works, you can do some research and invent something, but you need to be clear, in your head, what it can DO: How far and how fast it can take you. A FTL system that takes months to go from star to star will be very different to one that takes hours to span the Galaxy like the hyperdrive of the Millenium Falcon. A FTL system that is cheap and can be installed in any tiny ship like in the Elite videogame would be different from the ones in Dune where interstellar travel requires enormous motherships and lots of drugs, or a wormhole network that needs massive infrastructure maintainment and probably a railway starway worker's union, or the case of no FTL at all. This is, again, the most important decision you could make for your setting, bar none. Got that? Let's continue.

FTL is perhaps the only place in science fiction where I don't care about how it works, only about how fast it goes

Now, technology. Space empires, are of course, not possible without space travel being cheap enough (not talking about FTL, just regular space travel): shipping stuff to space should be about the same as shipping stuff by airliner or, well, ships. This is not unreasonable. Efforts are being made right now to lower the cost to access space, and while space agencies like NASA might look expensive, they are not NEARLY as expensive as the money wasted in say, stealth jet fighters or fucking advertising (people who say 'why spend so much money in space when we could fix our problems on Earth' seem to forget about that all the time. But I digress.). A technologically advanced, wealthy (as in production, not literal dollars) society could easily afford as much space exploration as they wish with no real effect at all in their quality of life, indeed, it would improve it. Space isn't as expensive as it seems. At its very, very core, a spaceship is just steel and propellant.

And steel and propellant are very, very easy (once you got the technical research to do it) to get in space. Asteroids are MADE of iron and metals, a single asteroid is richer than all of Earth's mines combined. Hydrogen is literally the most abundant element in the universe, and water is on plentiful supply (no need to steal planets for water) on comets and icy asteroids and moons. Carbon is apparently widely available in carbonaceous asteroids, and in our own Solar System, Titan, the moon of Saturn, is basically covered in hydrocarbons (yes, OIL IN SPACE). All those resources could be very much in demand for manufacturing on a planet like for example, a future Earth that has taken its industry up to space. What's more, it's only bringing stuff up from Earth/an Earth-like or more massive planet (fun sci-fi term for you: "down the gravity well") that's really expensive. Once you get there, you can get anywhere with enough acceleration and propellant. Once there is space infrastructure and industry (and I get a feeling that it might get up fast, given that space technology would need to be very autonomous and reliable), it can sustain itself without a mother planet. In fact, if there's something I imagine would be considered a luxury in spacer life, it would be truly organic things; plants, wood, meat, wool, and so much more.

i am average astronaut man i work 15 hours in the asteroid mines to buy one burger

Which brings us to the big question; what kind of life would be out there? After all, I gave you numbers of millions and millions of worlds, it's hard to imagine at least a few of those don't have alien life. This is the biggest outstanding question in astrobiology currently and so I won't pretend to even try to answer it (my personal opinion, if you must, is that complex Earth life is extremely rare, but by sheer number of planets, it might exist by hundreds of thousands in our galaxy alone). Instead, let's try to see how science fiction looks at it.

Heinlein, another of the foundational writers of science fiction as a genre, saw alien worlds as just another frontier to be settled. Rich alien fruit, fertile arable lands, and huntable or tameable creatures just waiting to be exploited, and alien species to trade exotic goods with (or conquer). While Heinlein was not the only and probably not the first to write this subgenre, he certainly got it popular, and lots of works on his same vein follow this "frontier spirit" kind of writing, where space is seen as the last frontier to be tamed by hardy colonists in a very yeehaw cowboy western setting, and you can actually see this replicated in many modern science fiction like Firefly and the more cowboy-ish parts of Star Wars. And yes, this is balantly an expression of the 'manifest destiny' Usamerican imperialist worldview.

lots of Politics all over this Science Fiction Adventure

And yes, this idea of 'habitable' planets ready to be colonized like in a 4X videogame is also not very realistic either. We haven't found any alien ecosystems yet, but as a biologist I can tell you they would be very different from us in ways you probably won't expect. We can discuss how convergent evolution could be, a world with oceans would probably have equivalents of 'fish', 'algae' and 'worms' (I can GUARANTEE there will be A LOT of worms), we could even find very, very similar life to our own down to the body plan. However, we most probably could not eat them at all (which might sound silly at first glance but is needed to have you know. agriculture.), or perhaps even live in the same planet as them. We live in a society planet where most of the plants and animals which evolved with us can't be eaten, and many of them are toxic. It's possible, entirely likely, that the alien equivalents of carbohydrates (ever heard of L- and D-Glucose?), proteins and other substances would be indigestible to us, allergenics, or outright toxic, probably in ways we can't even think off. It's likely we won't catch alien diseases, but that's because our cells (if they even have cells) are completely incompatible with their diseases, just look at how different animal, plant and fungi cells are, now imagine whatever the fuck might evolve in a completely different biochemistry from us. There would be no farmsteads and cowboys like Heinlein wrote, living in Mars would probably be more pleasant that living in a world where everything might be toxic, not because life evolved to be toxic, just because it didn't evolve with you. If anything, these' habitable' worlds would be treated like giant nature preserves instead, you can look but don't touch.

(In one of my own settings, I sidestep this by proposing panspermia, that is, the idea that life spreads across the universe by means such as comets (or aliens) and thus shares similaritites and can eat the same stuff. A bit of a cop-out, but it does allow one to get with similar kinds of life.)

NOOO ANAKIN DON'T EAT THAT PEAR IT EVOLVED HIGHLY TOXIC ALKALOIDS IN A DIFFERENT EVOLUTIONARY CONTEXT NOOOO

But humans, if the biophilia hypothesis is right, will need nature in their lives. This is where orbital habitats come in. You know, like the ones in Gundam? Orbitals such as O'Neill Cylinders, Standford Torii (yeah, that's the plural for Torus) as well as bigger and more complex thingmajings I will write their own post about someday, have been proposed since the 1970s with technology available then, and there is no reason why a civilization with an advanced space infrastructure wouldn't try building them and even be better at it. What's very nifty about orbitals is that you can really make them your own personal custom miniworlds. Designs like the O'Neill cylinder are big, able to house hundreds of thousands, even millions of people if build to the top, but why do that? Mess with the lightining, the rotation, or the interior to make them a winter wonderland or a tropical paradise. I expect that they would be built to feed space communities at first with food that isn't imported from Earth or grown in hydroponics, and later as places to live and customize however you wish; perhaps a community would pool resources together and say, hey, we want to make an habitat that looks like a Colombian cloud forest, or the Okinawan Islands. Once they get cheap enough, and given how abundant resources are in space they might be not even as expensive as most engineering projects here on Earth, I expect actually many, many people would want to live in them, and it could be probably be very affordable, and just natural for the people who are born and raised and live and die in them. Another thing about habitats is that they are mobile. Like I said, as long as you got enough propellant and propulsion, you can move anything anywhere in space. Even whole habitats could move and cluster together depending on the local politics. Perhaps, much like city-states were the basic building block for countries in antiquity, in the future, the basic organization bloc would be the Orbital. You could have alliances of orbitals forming complex political intrigue inside a single solar system (yes, like in Gundam).

OH MY PLASTIC MODELS WAS GUNDAM REALISTIC ALL ALONG? (I lied)

This all might make space empires pretty much an unnecessary anachronism. Habitats can grow their own food and resources are plentiful once you have the right technology. They can also be mobile, so they could act like migrating cities at will, choosing to stay with like-minded "constellations" or strike out on their own without the dictates of a central state. It almost looks like an ideal anarchist society.

Or does it?

There is something very important to keep in mind about life in space. The technology, that is, habitats needed for life in space will require lots of maintainance and resource management, which implies there must be strong coordinating bodies with very, very strict rules so that shit doesn't blow up and you lose all your air into space, or the resources of an habitat are mismanaged and you end up with a food or water or even oxygen crisis. There is a reason why space exploration is done by state agencies or corporations with huge state backing. Another of Heinleins's favorite tropes, Libertarians in Space, would be impossible in such a situation. Actually, in ANY space situation, and this is why this section is in technology. Living in space requires you to be able to maintain complex technology and manage resources. None of this can be done ad-hoc or be left to individualism, you have to have Rules and follow them to the letter. And also, the effect of living in your 'own little world' would probably mean people have a strong indentity sense towards their home habitat. This will mean a more communitarian attitude. But before you think I'm waxing poetic about utopian habitat cultures, keep in mind that this also can mean an authoritarian mindset. After all, cults and authoritarian regimes do have "strong communities" too. An habitat could be everything from a well-managed place with responsible citizens who look for the welfare of all, to a closed society where everybody does as they're told as long as the tech works. On the other hand, I doubt habitats in a single star system would stay isolated. They'll probably trade and communicate with other habitats, forming constellations and power groups, that would prevent this 'closed system'. However, I doubt they would be too amenable to interstellar authority. Who the hell do those people from another freaking star think they are to tell us what to do in our habitat?

To be serious for a moment, habitats can be really cool places in science fiction. Especially if you imagine they could host all sorts of enviroments, from the tropical to the polar.

As an addenum… what if you really want to live in a planet? In places such as Mars or the Moon, things would be… pretty similar to orbitals actually. Habitats separated by vast expanses of barren nothingness, only now a planet instead of space (better for maps, at least). But that isn't what you're thinking, right? What if you wanted to feel the open wind and sky instead of a canned world? Well, this is where terraforming comes in. Transforming whole planets is something theoretically possible, but that would require massive investments of resources, more massive than anything we can imagine, and time, centuries at the very, very least. So stupid ideas like "terraform Mars to escape Earth", which as far as I know is only held by dumbasses like Musk, just don't make sense. It doesn't mean that terraforming itself is a worthless idea, it is a very appealing one. No matter how cool you can make your habitat, it won't ever be Earth. It won't ever be a self-sustaining biosphere with its own ecosystem that could last millions of years. For that reason, terraforming is attractive, it's something way more than an artificial "can" orbital, it's a new living world. There is a certain mystique into bringing lifeless worlds to life, but I expect that instead of the dumb Musk "ESCAPE EARTH" idea, the motivation for terraforming would be to recreate Earth, perhaps for conservation reasons (you could have whole planets as natural reserves), perhaps for tourist reasons, perhaps for spiritual reasons or even artistic reasons. On the other hand, the methods you can use to terraform a lifeless planet can also be used to 'terraform' living planets, as we've long seen in our own world… this could be done with hostile purposes. I would expect us to be better than that, but we simply don't know.

To close this section and give this post an conclusion, I think that, since there are no real borders in space, then empires, countries, polities, whatever you wish to call them, will be formed by stacking building blocs in loose alliances or confederations. The most basic would be habitats, then constellations of habitats, then inhabited planets (though I doubt any but the most populated ones would qualify), and then star systems, but little above that, and I expect up to a certain, difficult to calculate limit of population and area (though way, way below even a fraction of a speculated galaxy), things would be just impossible to manage. The effort in bureacracy, infrastructure and state control needed to project power out of a star system and the sheer scale of space probably won't ever justify empires, much less galactic empires, but you could have very interesting variations on the theme.

Fun Stuff!

So, let's play a little with what I've told you. I'm going to write a few short scenarios that might be fun takes on the "Galactic Empire" or "Space Empires" you might be familiar with already:

The Poleis Model

When the Greeks established their colonies around the Mediterranean, they didn't do it with the expectation they would be part of the same state or empire. They founded new poleis, new city-states, based on the constitution of the mother city (hence metropolis) but fully independent. The Phoenicians were much the same, with some of the daughter cities (Carthage means literally "new city") eventually becoming new cultures far from their home cities. Similarily, why should interstellar exploration mean the spread of a united state with a capital and all? Imagine that when interstellar ships depart, they do with the idea that they are going to create a completely new home, a new poleis, not an extension of the nations or organizations that sponsored them but rather more of a 'child' culture light years away from their motherland. As they develop in mostly isolation from each other, they will become new cultures on their own, while retaining ties to the ones most similar to them. This is, in my opinion, the most realistic scenario without FTL. With FTL, however, things get more interesting, as of course, Greek and Phoenician and other poleis didn't remain isolated light-years from each other, they had permanent contact. With FTL they could organize in leagues, perhaps even alliances for the ocassional military campaigns, trade and exchange of ideas, tourism and industry, and of course the Olympics.

The Wormholes Always Run In Time Model

As I've said, wormholes are pretty much like space railroads. Railroads, like other big infrastructure projects, need a centralized authority to be built and maintained. And once you are the central authority that does so, you're already in charge of the biggest arteries of trade and communication. Which makes you basically an empire, officially or not. In fact, this is the closest I imagine a space society would resemble the states we're familiar with here on Earth. If you have control over transport and the hubs of trade and politics, and that transport and communication network allows you to implent your policies, your rule might go very far indeed, and indeed, your main hub might be a great capital, the main station of known space. Now, perhaps you might be imagining a literal space empire with nobles and all that. Why not instead something else? The Socialist Interstellar, connecting the many worlds of the galaxy through a five hundred year plan of railroad wormhole construction in the path to communism... However, this would mean that people outside of the wormhole network might develop in different ways, perhaps the equivalent of nomads to the great settled empires of antiquity. And given what I've briefly touched on Empire Time (*breakdances*), the expression "the portals always run in time" might imply even more than just an aphorism.

The Civilization Cluster Model

I'll admit this is taken from Poul Anderson, as quoted in Atomic Rockets, to which I owe an inmense debt for this post and so much more. The idea is this; space is big, as is well established. Even with FTL to shorten the distances, even if you could cross the galaxy in a few weeks, the sheer number of stars is still insanely massive. Why should any civilization 'colonize' those stars dot by dot, what value is there in invading or colonizing planets with incompatible biochemistries? And how could even begin to think how to administer a thousand different worlds, each one as complex as Earth itself, let alone an entire galaxy? In this case, civilizations, instead of spreading across the galaxy, would mostly remain in their own 'civilization clusters'; even with FTL, there are so many issues closer to home that the idea of projecting power outside is ridiculous. There would be trade, exchange of ideas, and so much more between these clusters, but never constant enough and never with the authority necessary to create a "Galactic Empire"… the worlds are too many, too diverse, too populated and too far away for that. An interstellar traveller could roam the Galaxy for years exploring these clusters spread away from each other, with their own unique idiosyncracies and civilizations inside, and then a vast expanse of mostly nothing outside them. Basically, space is too big. I like to see them as constellations among the dark sky, hence the artwork.

The No Man's Sky Model

To live in space, you need complex technology, but also resilient and durable technology ready for any kind of situation, easy to repair and replace. So eventually, I believe designs would be standarized so much that every astronaut will carry or own a collection of standarized tools (somehow this reminds me of prehistoric tool cultures). Now, even with FTL, there's perhaps little material incentive for people to leave their comfortable homeworld or habitat to live in cold space. But some will, perhaps because of the sheer thrill of it, perhaps very small bands of families or friends. With a standarized tool kit for any ocassion, these small bands would spread across space, much like ancient humans spread across the world. But instead of creating space empires, without a fixed industrial base, they would be nomads. Which doesn't mean they would roam aimlessly, they would be seeking new biospheres, new resources and new cultures, and gathering in temporary or permanent market places, festivals and pilgrimages. Perhaps they could even be the majority of humans in space, while most others stay cozy on Earth.

...

This was a very long post and it took a lot work to make, so I hope you had as much fun reading it as it was for me to write it. If you did, and if you would like to see more, I would be very, very grateful if you donated to my Ko-Fi below. Anything helps a lot especially since my country is not doing great at this time governed by a libertarian idiot (not even the fun space kind), and even a little tip encourages me to post more, I'm always working on your suggestions! You can also contact me by DM or asks if you need any help with your worldbuilding or just want to rant with me a bit! See you next time, and thanks for reading.

#worldbuilding #science fiction #sci-fi #writing #writing advice #space #history #cosas mias

249 notes · View notes

angels-fantasy · 22 days

Text

Top Secret Fiction Ch. 3

Grass Talks (Literally)

Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Description: After meeting the one and only pro hero Dynamight on a dating app, you two begin to see each other. Because of the dangers that come with his hero work, you both promise to be completely honest with each other from the beginning; though you can't help but keep one big secret from him.

You write fan fiction, mostly about him.

Chapter Details: Soft, lowkey ooc Bakugou but thats bc I imagine him to be a lot more mellow as an adult. Little bit of a serious talk, but nothing crazy. Readers quirk is also mentioned

Word Count: 1k

previous chapter

The date had been going well so far, and the sun was even beginning to set since now it was almost 7:00 pm.

You two were currently lying on your backs together, looking up at the sky filled with clouds, stomachs full of yummy food.

"That one looks like a giraffe, or something else with a long neck." You said point up at a cloud.

Bakugou hummed, "Nah, I think it's a flower or something. Don't you see the stem? And there's even petals around it."

Tilting your head at a different angle, you tried to see what he saw.

"I don't see it! I thought I would, since I'm used to seeing flowers all the time..." You said while still looking up in wonder.

Bakugou sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, "That's right. You're a florist ain't you? What made you wanna do that?"

You stayed lying down and answered him, "Yeah, I've been a florist for a few years now. I chose it because of my quirk."

"What is your quirk anyways? Is it something with plants and all that crap?"

"Yep. I can talk to plants, so taking care of them is much easier and I love being able to help others that are struggling with their own plants."

Bakugou rubbed his hand along the grass, "So me doing this... is it hurting the grass?"

You closed your eyes and listened, hearing the grass ask what it was that was rubbing all over them.

"It's not hurting them, but they can feel it."

He pulled his hand away. "What about walking on the grass. Does that hurt 'em?"

"Sometimes it can. If you're walking normally, then no. But if you're stomping all over them, then yes it does hurt them." You said, finally sitting up and facing him.

You leaned over and ran your hand along the top of the grass very lightly, hearing the voice of the grass sigh at the feeling. You learned early on after developing your quirk that most plants actually enjoy being pet, if you can call it that.

"They like it when you do this to them. Just make sure you do it really gently." You said while showing him how to pet the grass.

He followed your directions with a grunt and did the same motion as you.

You laughed lightly, "Petting grass is kind of silly now that I think about it. I guess it's different since I know that the grass likes it."

He shook his head and pulled his hand away, "It's not. I think it's interesting. I have some plants at home, now I'm wonderin' if they're happy with me."

You giggled at that, "I'm sure they are. But thank you. I always felt like my quirk wasn't super useful since I couldn't be a hero, y'know?"

"You don't gotta be a hero to have a useful quirk. Everyone can find a way to use their quirk, trust me."

You smiled softly, "You know what, you're really sweet. You don't portray yourself like that on the media at all."

"I ain't sweet." He said looking away shyly.

"If you say soooo." You cooed.

He smirked lightly and looked at you, "Thanks for uh, being genuine by the way."

You furrowed your eyebrows, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be genuine?"

"I mean like, almost everyone I've met just wants to be with me because I'm a hero. It just makes dating a lot harder, I guess."

You frowned at his words. You knew there were people who were out for money, but to play with someone's feelings like that? That was just heartless. You knew Bakugou was a grown man and fully capable of handling himself, but you couldn't help but feel bad.

You place on of your hands on top of his and said, "I understand what you mean, and I want to let you know that I don't have any bad intentions at all."

"I won't lie and say I'm not a fan of you as a hero," You continued, "but right now I'm getting to know you as Bakugou. So I hope you'll continue to allow me to."

Bakugou genuinely smiled. No smirk, or sly remark following it. Just a smile.

"Thanks. That means more than you know. But on that same topic, I also wanted to talk to you about a boundary I have if we're going to continue seeing each other." He said seriously.

You nodded your head and listened attentively.

"Because of my line of work, I just ask that you be honest with me about things. I fuckin' hate liars in general, but I really need you to understand that I can't have someone around if they're gonna be keepin' secrets and shit." He said frowning, almost as if he was thinking of a particular person when speaking about liars.

You nodded and smiled. "I promise, I'll be completely honest with you. I really wanna keep seeing you and if that's all it takes then I'm willing to do it."

He grunted. "Good. Let's clean up now, I'll take you home."

Just as you were about to start cleaning up, your phone went off. You picked it up quickly and saw that it was an email, a notification from the site you write fan fiction on.

You bit your lip and thought about what Bakugou just said. Deciding to ignore the notification, you just continued to clean up.

...

After Bakugou had dropped you off back at home, you quickly changed into your pajamas and got comfortable.

You said goodnight to Cheerios and your plants, who said goodnight back.

When you got in bed, you looked through your emails and at the notifications from HeroFiction.com that you had received earlier.

You began to think about Bakugou's words again.

"I fuckin' hate liars."

You shook your head and tried to rid away any negative thoughts you had. This secret wasn't that big of a deal, and it was probably for the better that he didn't know.

Keeping one secret wouldn't hurt, right?

authors note

i had fun writing this chapter :) i hope you liked it! i also hope you liked softer bakugou here, hehe.

taglist: @doumadono @54fangirl @andysdrafts @dagger-dragger @lovra974 @l4rsun1vrrse @emmab3mma @littlkittenfan @tatiquichi @cloudxluv @seonne @shonen-brainrot @the2ndl @gold24fish @cxp1d @rv19

(those in pink are not able to be tagged unfortunately)

#@angels-fantasy #fanfiction #writers on tumblr #fanfic #anime #bakugou katsuki #my hero academia #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #topsecretfiction #bakugou x you #mha bakugou

163 notes · View notes

ellephlox · 2 years

Text

Obstinacy

Summary: You get sick and refuse to let Matt help you because you don’t want him to get sick, too — the question is, how long can you keep him away?

Pairing: Matt x fem!reader

Warnings: Some gross pneumonia descriptions, light swearing, nothing else!

A/N: So I’ve been away for awhile, and I’m really sorry about that. I’ve been trying to write my own book and I finished the second draft, so taking the time for fan fiction has been on the back burner lately. But of course with the RETURN OF OUR BELOVED KING on She-Hulk, I had to take the time to write something because IM STILL FREAKING OUT GUYS MATT IS BACK AND HES SO AMAZING AND HOT AND ALLSKJF LSDKFJLSKDJFLSDK

You felt the chest pain on your way home from work — the kind that arrived out of nowhere, as though it dropped from the sky into your lungs, and seriously made you wonder how colds were able to work that quickly.

Of course, maybe it wasn’t a cold. You kept your hopes up as you cooked dinner, testing your chest a few times with a few large intakes of breath, but each time was the same result: a small tickle in the back, like a little voice saying, Hey, I’m here, and you’re going to be miserable for the next couple of days!

Which really stunk, if you were being honest. It was getting towards mid-October and you were hoping to carve pumpkins with Matt or do some other corny autumn activity that every other normal couple did in the city. Not that you two weren’t normal. But other couples didn’t really have to contend with the whole I’ll-see-you-later-honey-after-I-beat-up-some-bad-guys-tonight, and you figured it must make movie nights a lot more frequent for most people than it did for you and Matt. That was another thing on your list, too — watching a horror movie to get into the Halloween spirit.

“I’m not into horror movies,” Matt had said when you’d pitched the idea to him. “Audio commentary kind of kills the whole scary aspect.”

“Then you’re watching the wrong movies. I don’t mean movies with gallons of blood and cheap jump scares. I mean psychological horrors, the kinds that make you stay awake at night because they’re that freaky. We’re doing it, Murdock, whether you want to or not.”

Whether you want to or not, however, didn’t include the extenuating circumstances of getting sick.

It took longer than usual to get up the stairs to your apartment. You felt so drained that you wouldn’t have minded showering and then crashing into bed, if you weren’t hungry. The wind rattled at your windows as you cooked a big pot of rice, enough to last the next few days. You’d bought fixings yesterday to make a homemade curry with it, but one look at your pantry and you scrapped those plans in exchange for half a jar of pesto with a dubious expiration date on it. Matt wasn’t supposed to be over until after seven in the evening, thanks to the unforgiving hours of lawyering, but you called him as you stirred the pesto in with the rice.

“I was wondering when you’d call,” he said. His voice was lighthearted.

“Hi,” you said, as casually as possible. “How was your day?”

“I officially reduced the pile of paperwork on my desk from ten inches high to eight inches high, so I’d call it a success. You at your place?”

“Yeah. Hey, I wanted to let you know that I think I’m coming down with something, so maybe you should stay at your own place tonight.” Before Matt could ask, you added, “I’m fine. Just one of the colds that’s going around. But I’d feel horrible if you got it.”

“What about the pumpkins?”

“Pumpkins can wait. I haven’t even bought them yet.”

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed, and your stomach flipped. What a way to boost my self-esteem that he actually likes me. “How about we just don’t share sodas, then?”

You frowned. “Last time this happened, I told you to stay away from me and then you just ended up kissing me. The next day, lo and behold, you started coughing. So, no. Not happening.”

“You kissed me, if I remember correctly.”

“Excuse me? What kind of a lawyer are you? That’s gaslighting, sir.”

He continued, ignoring you. “Maybe I’ll just hear some suspicious noises coming from your apartment tonight. And then I’ll have to investigate, because it’s my civic duty as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. And when I see a beautiful girl, sitting on the couch and pathetically eating rice and pesto alone, I’ll just have to join her. Accidentally, of course.”

“What I’m interpreting from that is that you go cuddle up with any girl that you find eating alone in her apartment.”

“What I’m interpreting is that Matt says he’s doing all these dangerous things at night but really he’s just chilling out while enjoying the lavish praise of being a local superhero,” Foggy said, his voice distant in the background.

You snorted. “Am I on speakerphone?”

“No,” Foggy answered, sounding far too cheerful for someone working far beyond sunset. “Matt just keeps his phone volume weirdly high for someone who supposedly has super-hearing.”

“I do have super-hearing, Foggy.”

“Then how are you not shattering your eardrums? Between your phone volume and crashing at girls’ apartments to eat rice and pesto, I’m really doubting this whole Daredevil façade,” Foggy said.

“Anyway,” Matt cut in, “I’ll pop in tonight, just to bring over some food and meds. Do you want anything specific?”

“Matt, really. I don’t want you catching this. And it’s late, you should get home and actually get some sleep for once. I’m fine, it just feels like a cold.” You would have elaborated, but your chest decided to seize at that moment, and you had to trail off quickly before it became apparent in your voice.

He sort of listened to you that night. He had swung by (through the window? Or with the spare key you’d given him? There was no way to know) and dropped off food, but it was while you were asleep, and it looked as though he’d only gone into the kitchen then left.

You’d only found the food when you wandered in blearily at three in the morning, sweating and freezing at the same time. There was no point for the thermometer; a fever was obvious and you didn’t particularly care what the number was. The cough was worse, though. It made it hard to fall back asleep — every few seconds you’d feel as though your lungs were spasming, and the back of your throat felt as though it had been bitten by fire ants.

Sirens rang in the distance. You hoped it wasn’t for something Matt was involved in; not because you didn’t trust him to handle it, but because it was three in the morning and you’d kick his ass if he wasn’t sleeping at this point.

Then the headache hit you. Maybe you wouldn’t be kicking his ass anytime soon.

The pressure was enough to make you stumble into the counter as you rummaged for a glass of water. Everything about your arms felt off, as though your muscles had been crushed into powder, and you misjudged your grasp on the glass. It fell, crashing to the floor and skating outwards like a nebula of knives. Automatically you reached for the paper towels, and in your haze you stepped forward.

Barefooted.

Glass crunched under your foot and you swore, not at the pain but at your own stupidity. It took another half an hour to bandage up the bottom of your foot and at that point you were too exhausted to finish cleaning up the glass.

When you woke up next, sun was filtering through your curtains and your mouth was as dry as though you’d swallowed ten cotton swabs. Dazed, you picked up your phone, and squinted at the notifications; one missed call from Matt and a followup text. Quickly you sent him an I’m okay message and then fell back onto your pillow.

The fever felt worse. Goosebumps ran up and down your legs, but you were simultaneously sweaty under your sheets, so you threw them off to go shower. Only then did you remember the glass you’d stepped on because your foot protested angrily as soon as you placed it onto the carpet.

Hopping was the only option remaining, and that expended just about every ounce of energy you’d garnered while sleeping, so that you just about collapsed against the bathroom wall, wheezing, by the time you’d made it. And of course that was when your phone rang, so you hopped back to your room, and barely made it in time before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?” you croaked.

“That’s all I need to hear. I’m coming over.”

“I... what?”

“Yeah. You sound terrible, Y/N.” Matt’s voice was overly concerned, and you didn’t like it at all; you could practically feel the pity coming off of him. At least, it felt like pity. And that wasn’t what you wanted.

“Matt, not only will I personally make you rue the day that you step foot in here while I’m sick, but—” You broke off, coughing, and wincing at the same time because you could imagine Matt’s expression on the other end.

“I don’t like talking to you over the phone,” he said in a low voice. “I hate not hearing your heartbeat, hearing your lungs, feeling your temperature. You’re being overruled. I’m coming.”

“Don’t you have to be at the court today?”

“Not until ten.”

Defeated, you flung the phone on the other side of the room. That conversation sucked out everything you had, and you gave up on the idea of taking a shower. The bed looked much more comfortable. It didn’t help that your breaths were getting alarmingly short, and it was difficult to draw in anything more than a quick inhale. Your eyes were closed for about five seconds before they popped back open.

Matt was coming. Damn it, damn it, damn it. You went to the windows and locked them all, then crossed to the front door. He had a spare key, but you also had a bolt, and you slid it across, feeling somewhat proud of yourself for having made the trek to the entryway. The bar is very, very low at this point.

You’d run a marathon right now before letting Matt get anywhere near you. That resolve was the only thing penetrating the fog around your head, and you double-checked the windows again. It wasn’t as though he’d be leaping and climbing up to them, anyway; he was coming from the office, and would therefore be in his lawyer suit. With the number of people down on the streets and the broad daylight, Matt would be hard-pressed to make it up to your fire escape without the newspaper headline being BLIND ACROBAT BREAKING AND ENTERING IN HELL’S KITCHEN the next day.

Sure enough, ten minutes later Matt was outside your door, and his sharp rap on the door did nothing to make you move. You sat at the counter, sipping on some water, and shook your head. “Nope. Not happening.”

“Y/N, I can hear the crackling in your lungs,” he said, his patience more intact than you would have expected. He thinks he’s going to win.

“My lungs aren’t crackling. They’re just... not feeling so hot.” Now overly-conscious of your breathing, you tried to make your breaths smoother and less obviously sick.

There was a pause on the other side of the door. “You’ve got too fast of a heartbeat. Unlock the bolt or I’ll kick the door down.”

“Yeah, my heart’s racing, because there’s a man threatening to kick my door down,” you said, and feeling inspired, you clicked the on button of the remote next to you. The television flashed to life, showing the weather report, and you turned the volume up. Take that, Matt. “See? No more lung crackling or racing heartbeats.”

The only issue was that now you could hardly hear him. You barely made out his next sentence, it was so faint on the other side of the door. “I can still hear both, you know,” he said, muffled. “You know how many televisions there are in the average block of apartments that I have to filter out every single night?”

“Shit.” You shut the television off. “Listen away, then. It’s not going to change anything because I’m not letting you in.”

“I wasn’t kidding about kicking the door down.”

"And I’m not kidding about not letting you in. Plus, you’d have some tough questions to answer when my neighbors report you for kicking down my door, Devil Man.”

“Why won’t you accept help when you need it? You really need a doctor.”

“Hypocrite,” you said under your breath, relishing the fact that he could hear you.

“I can hear you.” Just as you’d expected. “And what I do is irrelevant to the fact that you’re currently sitting in your apartment with what’s probably pneumonia.”

“Oh, it’s not pneumonia,” you said dismissively, though you felt awful enough that he was probably right. At least, your lungs seemed to concur with that diagnosis, and as if to verbally agree with him you coughed, wheezing and choking for air.

“If I didn’t have to be at the court in half an hour, I’d go home and get into the suit just to have an excuse to come through your window right now.” Matt was pissed, that was for sure. There was a dangerous undertone to his voice, softened only by that ever-present concern in what he was saying.

“I know, Matt.” You rolled your eyes. “It’s a lost cause, alright? Tomorrow I’ll be feeling a lot better and then maybe — maybe — I’ll let you come in. And that’s if we keep all the windows open for fresh air and—”

“Why do I smell your blood?”

You glanced down at your foot. Traitor. It had stopped bleeding ages ago, but you should’ve changed the bandage again one more time before Matt showed up. “I’m... doing acupuncture. On myself.”

“Y/N.”

“Fine. I made a blood oath and pricked my thumb to assure myself that I will never, ever let you catch a sickness from me.”

“In ten seconds this door is coming down unless you tell me. And if you could hear my heartbeat, you’d know I’m not lying.”

“Fine! I just stepped on some glass, okay? But my foot is fine, it’s seen worse days. I mean, you should’ve seen that time that I got a pedicure and the lady told me my heels were the most cracked she’d seen in a long time.” You were rambling, and that wasn’t a good idea, because it made you lose your breath and then you were gasping for air.

After another five minutes of arguing that ended only when you swore to call the doctor if you got any worse, he left, grumbling that Foggy would kill both of you if he was late for court, and that was the only reason he was giving up — “temporarily”.

Only when it was too late did you realize that was a mistake, and that you should have let him help.

It was past two in the afternoon when you woke up from a nap, and every muscle in your body felt as though it were frozen. You were trembling slightly from the cold, but couldn’t muster the energy to even sit up and grab the blanket at the foot of your bed. It was difficult to swallow, and you clutched at your throat, certain that someone must be standing over you and clasping their hands around your neck, but there was no one there.

“Matt,” you whispered, expecting him to be there, or to hear you, but there was no one. Taking slow breaths, you tried to calm down on your own. One, two, three. One, two, three. All you could manage were short, raspy breaths that hardly got enough air, and your head pounded. Blindly you reached out for your glass of water, and nearly dropped it again, your hands were shaking so much. The feeling of your lips against the rim was like pressing a dried sponge to the edge of a bowl and the water tasted sour in your mouth.

And then you tried swallowing. It was as though someone had blocked up your throat, because you couldn’t swallow, and you gasped, heart racing as panic flooded through you; for a moment you couldn’t breathe and then you finally coughed up the water, chest heaving from the sharpness of each cough. You grabbed a tissue, hacking into it for at least another thirty seconds, and finally a glob of mucus came up and your airway cleared up just enough that you could breathe a bit more.

You almost tossed the tissue to the floor without looking at it, but a flash of red caught your eye.

Blood. In the mucus.

That was the tipping point for you. Didn’t people die shortly after coughing up blood in the movies? That was how it went. A character coughs, looks into their hand, and then resignedly tucks it away without the other characters seeing. It was like the knoll of death, ringing in your ears.

You hardly knew what you were doing as you dialed Matt’s number, not even thinking about what you were tapping into your phone but allowing muscle memory to guide you.

“Hello?” He picked up almost immediately.

“Matt—” You started to speak his name, but halted; it was too painful. Dropping your voice to a whisper, you started over. “Matt, I think I need you here.”

“What? What is it?”

“I’m—” You glanced down at the tissue. Literally dying here? That was a surefire way to make Matt have a heart attack. “I’m not doing so well. I might take you up on your offer to help.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be over in five minutes. Did you call the doctor already?”

“No.” The thought of calling the doctor was exhausting on its own.

Matt seemed to notice that. “I’ll call,” he assured you. “Can you breathe alright?”

“Not really.” Tears were spiking in your eyes and you brushed them away. “I just coughed and... there was some blood in it.” You wheezed for breath, the drawing in of air rattling everything inside of you and getting caught at the top of your throat.

“I’m taking you to a hospital.”

“But—”

“No, sweetheart. You need a real doctor. I’ll be over in a minute.”

Somehow you must have fallen asleep again, because Matt was lifting you from the bed and you wrapped your arms around him. “Can’t breathe,” you whispered, gasping for breath.

“I know. I can hear your lungs,” Matt said, voice strained. “I’ve got a cab waiting on the street. Can you walk or do you need me to carry you?”

“I... I can walk.” You slung an arm around him and made your way slowly out of the room, limping with every step on your bandaged foot. Matt, to his credit, allowed you to do what you could. His tie was loosened and his suit jacket was gone, but he still wore a button-down, tucked into his pants.

“Bet you won your case, then,” you whispered, hardly even aware of what was coming out of your mouth. “No one can... say no to this.”

“This?”

“Hm. This.” You meant to nod up and down at Matt, but it came across as more of a head shake. “You.”

And then your assertion that you could walk proved difficult to fulfill, so you redirected your efforts to not face-planting in your living room, despite the strong, steady hands Matt kept on you the entire time. Once you reached your stairs he took over for the most part; your feet were hardly touching the ground with the amount of support he was giving.

That was where your memory cut out. You must have passed out, because the next time you opened your eyes, it was in the hospital bed, and Matt was reading next to you, his long gaze fixed on the wall in front of him as his fingers danced over the text.

“Hi,” you whispered lamely. Everything about you was groggy and it was hard enough just to focus on him.

Him. Only he could look handsome in a hospital. At some point he’d exchanged the suit for a tee shirt and sweats, and his hair stuck out at every angle possible. You wondered vaguely if he’d come from Fogwell’s.

He set the book down, relief evident on his face. “Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?”

You ignored his question. “How do you always manage to look good?”

He nudged you. “I should be the one asking you that.”

“That’s... the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. Even if you weren’t blind, it’d be a lie.” You closed your eyes, then opened them again. The ceiling was too white. “What happened?”

"Aspiration pneumonia.”

“Hm?”

“You have aspiration pneumonia,” he said. “Which just happens to be a type of pneumonia that’s not contagious.”

You meditated on this. “So?”

“So you could’ve let me into your apartment, that whole time,” he said, looking distinctly indignant, and it was enough to make you laugh. The laugh was short-lived, because it quickly transformed into a wracking cough that made your entire chest throb, but Matt was on his feet in an instant, holding your hand.

Only when the coughing stopped did you remember the bolt on your door. “Matt?”

“Yeah?”

“How’d you get in?”

“Broke down the door, like I promised.”

“Are... are you serious? What about the neighbors?”

He laughed. “You know, breaking down a door isn’t incriminating evidence that I’m Daredevil. I told them you were having an emergency, and when they saw you, they believed me.”

“They saw me?” You didn’t remember an audience when Matt was helping you out of the apartment.

“Well, you were taking your sweet time on the stairs, and coughing loudly enough for anyone in a mile radius to hear you, so yeah, they wanted to see what was happening.”

You buried your face in your hands. “That’s just great. And now, what, is my apartment wide open for anyone to go in?”

“No, I called in a favor with Foggy, and he’s hanging out there until someone can come in and fix it.”

“Even better. Now I’m indebted to Foggy.”

Matt smiled coyly. “Oh, and I should mention—”

“Oh, no. What?”

“—that there’s something else you’ll love about all of this.”

“Stop smiling like that. Why are you smiling like that?”

“Aspiration pneumonia is commonly associated with the institutionalized elderly. In other words, it’s a nursing home problem.”

“A nursing home problem?”

“A nursing home problem,” he confirmed. “I was thinking that maybe for your next birthday I could get you fitted for dentures.”

“Hilarious. Really, so funny. You really should have been a comedian. I swear to you that the next time you get sick, I’m going to make fun of you and you’ll never hear the end of it. Got it?”

He grinned and squeezed your hand. “Murdocks don’t get sick.”

“That is the second biggest lie I’ve ever heard. I seem to recall that time you projectile-vomited off of the Ferris wheel.”

“Because I was motion-sick, not sick-sick.”

Your eyelids were already getting heavy just from the five-minute conversation. You beckoned him closer and leaned onto his shoulder, pressing yourself into his warmth. He smelled like fresh deodorant and coffee. “Pumpkin carving as soon as I can leave?”

“Definitely,” he said, placing your fingers onto the pulse that drummed under his wrist. “And this time, I’m not lying.”

#matt murdock #matt murdock x reader #Daredevil #daredevil x reader #marvel #MCU #hurt/comfort #reader #reader insert

3K notes · View notes

playasmo · 1 year

Note

IM BRAINROTTING ON THE OBEY ME CAST AS FATHERS,

how would they name their children???😩😩😩

how the obey me brothers would name their children

disclaimer; these are my personal headcanons, feel free to tell which names you liked the most!

edit;;i posted the side characters version too! go check it out if you want <//3

genre; fluff

lucifer;

lucifer would either name the baby with a variation of his name, or homage somebody or something dear to him

if it’s a boy, lucian or lucius. both names means light, if it’s a girl, he would call her lilith. danica is a second option: the name means morning star.

mammon;

he would either name his baby after something expensive. another option is mashing up your names together

if it’s a boy he would go for midas, which means touch of gold, or straight up fortune,

if its a girl, esmeralda which means emerald. or diamond, the name speak for itself.

leviathan;

definitely name his baby to reference something he likes. some people may think he would name his children after an anime character he likes, but that is not the case

if it’s a boy, henry without a doubt, the name means house ruler. he would also like christopher, to simeon’s joy, which means bearing christ. very very ironic.

if its a girl, mira, which means ocean. he also likes umiko, a japanese name that means child of the sea.

satan;

he takes inspiration from human literature and would name his baby after a character or author he particularly likes.

if it’s a boy, william which means protection and desire. he chose it because of william sherlock scott holmes, probably the most famous fictional detective in the history of literature, it’s also a reference to shakespeare. another boy name is dante which means everlasting, after the italian poet dante alighieri, that wrote “the divine comedy”, which is set in heaven, purgatory and then hell.

if it’s a girl he would name her juliet which means youthful, another tribute to shakespearen literature. emma, after jane austen’s book, is also a name he likes, it’s means whole or universal.

asmodeus;

he only choose the name if it’s pretty. often goes for floral and fancy names that sound aesthetically pleasing to him.

if it’s a boy, narciso which means of narcissus, named after the myth.

he briefly considered cupid but he threw away the idea and choose a simple but pretty name like prince, which means royal son.

if it’s a girl, regina which means queen, or bellerose which means beautiful rose.

beelzebub;

he is a family-oriented person, and will try to pass his values to his children.

if it’s a boy, titan which means defender. despite being the name of a fruit, he also likes açaí which means weeping fruit.

if it’s a girl, ohana which means family in hawaiian, another name he consider is belarmina which means beautiful armor, he choose it because it’s starts with ‘bel’, just like his and belphegor’s name.

belphegor;

big fan of space-related names, it’s even easier for him since there are a lot of stars and constellations he can get his inspiration from. like lucifer, he would also try to pay homage to lilith.

if it’s a boy, sirius which means glowing, named after the brightest star in the earth’s night sky. he also likes badar which means full moon.

if it’s a girl, a name variation of lilith, something like lilithe or just lili. he also likes alrisha, one of the brightest star of the pisces constellation, since pisces is his and beelzebub’s zodiacal sign.

561 notes · View notes

devouringdevoutly · 21 days

Text

007: Singaporean Sling [G!P]

Summary: She was never this cock drunk before she met her.

Horny? Yes.

Wanting to be dicked down every time of the day? Absolutely not.

But as the seasons change so does Audrey's sexual appetite.

Note: This is a self-indulgent fic, crossposting it here on tumblr is basically a birthday gift to myself. Again, this is a work of fiction and does not reflect real life situations and relationships. Originally posted on ao3. CW: Smut, Drunk Sex, Vaginal Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Futanari, G!P/Girl Penis, Vaginal Fingering, Unprotected Sex, Pregnancy Kink, Lactation Kink, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Lemon. Pairing: Audrey/Bada Language: English Words: 2,676

"You wore my clothes again."

Bada says with a sigh and it was hard to discern whether it was meant to be one of annoyance or lust. Maybe it was both but who knows, really.

They just came back from the nightly company dinner their manager relentlessly dragged them to, every single night without fail since they both arrived in the country. It was beginning to feel like it's quite the chore no one wanted to do. But who were they to refuse and complain? When they were getting sumptuous yet equally scrumptious food for free.

"And what about it?" Audrey cheekily responds as she plops down on her hotel room's sofa. The mix of the high end liquors and the cheap cocktails they basically chugged under the provision of their flagrantly drunk labelmates and staff, was definitely getting to them. Thankfully, Bada had managed to take the both of them back to Audrey's suite before they went insane from the loud music and just overall embarrassment of having to deal with their drunk co-workers' high jinks.

Audrey's suite was big. Big enough to accommodate two tipsy and touchy girlfriends that is. The room overlooked almost all of Singapore's best sites. The view was to marvel at and any person of whatever standing would've been in an awestruck, as the city's bright lights beautifully contrasted the dark empty sky as it was already deep into night.

Under usual circumstances, Bada would've taken a picture and posted it on her Instagram story with some cheesy music she had been listening to recently, and then paired it with some banal ass caption to cater to her deranged fans who would overthink what it meant. But she was in no mood for that tonight, not when a literal goddess was laying right in front of her. The view just paled in comparison. If there was anything that should be captured by her in the first place, it was to be Audrey and only Audrey.

"Take it off." The older one demanded.

"No." The younger defies playfully, recklessly pushing her girlfriend's buttons as she lounged on the sofa and stretched her body like a cat.

"No?" Bada chuckles in disbelief with Audrey's antics. She then easily swooped her off the couch. Throwing her on her shoulder, and walking to the bedroom with her body in tow without breaking any sweat. Normally, Bada wouldn't even be able to lift that much weight with her almost lanky figure, but her vigor when it came to her beloved girlfriend was not to be underestimated nor questioned. One look at her and anyone would think, "Damn, that's a face men used to go to war for." And that only fueled her primal desire to claim her, if she were to be honest.

Audrey doesn't squirm or try to get out of her grasp, instead she enjoys it as it lasts before she gets gently thrown on her queen size bed. She hits the duvet with a barely audible plop! as she giggled—it was all going according to her plan so far. Bada then crawls over to her body, her taller frame almost covering her whole and she fucking loved it. The thought of the older woman patently enveloping her, just sent a different kind of excitement down to her already soaked and stimulated cunt.

She then gets closer to her neck, inhaling every bit of her scent like a hound about to devour its prey. And god did Audrey smell so fucking good. Her sweat due to the Singaporean sun pitilessly toasting them as they walked around the amusement park earlier, and her strawberry gourmand fragrance that was still clinging onto her lightly tanned skin, only managed to turn her on even more.

Bada then placed chaste kisses along her neck before placing her plump lips against hers. Their lips met as if waves crashing into shore, her hands roaming around Bada's back wanting to pull her closer than their current position. She then grinded her body against hers, not failing to notice the older woman's hardening length underneath her khaki shorts.

"Fuck. I told you not to wear that hoodie and jogger pants, it's hot as shit here in Singapore." Audrey only giggled at the older's sudden reprimand. She knew that from the start but she insisted in still stealing her clothes and wearing it, parading herself around the city as Bada's to those with heedful eyes and letting them souse in their own surmisings. Bada then hastily removed her clothing only to be taken by surprise.

"You're not wearing anything?" Bada asks as she stares at Audrey's body, all in its naked glory. Her eyes then lingered on her girlfriend's already hardened tits, the brush of the hoodie's fabric on her chest all day making it so.

"Nope." Her younger girlfriend replies with a lustful grin.

"You're such a fucking tease, you know that right?" The older woman complains before latching her mouth onto one of Audrey's pink buds, earning a loud gasp from her.

"Y-yeah… Fuck, are you trying to milk me or what?" Audrey finally responded, her voice heavy and thick with bafflement as her girlfriend hungrily sucked her tit. Her other hand playing with the unoccupied one, basically encompassing her whole breast. It wasn't that big in the first place so it was easy to do so. She never had a problem with it as Bada constantly reassured her that it was the perfect size for her to grab and hold, like it was her personal hand warmers in winter.

"What if I am?" The older woman finally lifts her head, her mouth finally detaching from her now sore nips. Audrey whines as her dampened nip was met by the cold breeze of the room's air-conditioning.

"I wanna fuck you pregnant." Bada says thoughtlessly and Audrey could only raise an eyebrow at her. The constant boob grabbing and massaging, the incessant hand placement on her stomach and her thumb rubbing circles on the soft yet flat surface, the pull out method… It all made sense now.

"Then do it." Audrey says unthinkingly, green lighting whatever was bound to happen from then on.

"What?" Bada asks dumbfounded.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" The sudden change of tone from Audrey could only put a devilish grin on Bada's face. She could only respond by going down on Audrey and suddenly inserting a finger inside of her, earning a loud moan from her girlfriend.

"You're quite loose." Bada plainly says as she inserts another finger inside of Audrey. Her cunt had welcomed her so easily, that it wasn't much of a struggle pumping her fingers in and out of her hole.

"P-repped myself e-earlier… Do you not like it? A-ah!" The younger woman cries out as Bada sped up her pace. Her long and slender fingers were an absolute godsent to anyone who has had the opportunity to be fucked by her. Each plunge was met with a sickly sweet sound of Audrey's pussy spewing out her own juice. The younger woman then tightened around her digits before wetting and totally coating it with her cum.

"No, thank you baby. It just means that I can fuck you much easier." She then pulls her fingers out of her wetness, sucking every single bit of Audrey's sap that was discharged on her fingers. She tasted salty, a bit sour with a hint of sweetness… She tasted like ripe mangoes and peaches dipped in sea water. If she had to go through hell and beyond like Dante did, just to get a taste of her every single day then she would do it in a heartbeat. Bada then gently grabs the back of Audrey's head, before pulling her into a beguiling kiss to distract her from what would happen next.

Bada would've eaten her out with no shame if her cock wasn't throbbing painfully at this point, screaming at her about wanting to be let out of its clothed imprisonment. She quickly got out of her own hoodie that matched with what Audrey was wearing earlier and zipped down her khaki shorts. Clearly not wanting to waste any more time and miss out on fucking her girlfriend like a dog in heat.

Bada then teased her by rubbing her raw cock on Audrey's wet folds, letting her feel the hardness and every vein of her length. Dampening the side of her dick with each glide. She slides herself a few more times before slipping inside of Audrey's burrow which warranted the younger to claw her back. It stung like a bitch but the feeling of her tight walls around her cock was just too much for her to notice anything else at the moment. Bada let out a sigh of relief as her cock was now fully engulfed by Audrey's cavity.

Her younger girlfriend could only smile with pride as she salaciously gazed, ogled even at Bada's reaction. She knew that only her pussy could emit such a reaction from the famous dancer. Those bitches can desperately hop on her girlfriend's dick with their shriveled meat curtains all they want, but Bada would only want to fuck her cunt.

She then moved her hips in a lackadaisical manner, wanting to take it slow and ease the both of them to the rhythm of each thrust.

"F-fuck… forgot how big… y-you were…" Audrey comments, panting and stammering in between words as she physically feels her cunt adjust to Bada's girth and length. Bada swore she could die then and there. Her cock just sandwiched between the gummy enclosure felt sublime. She silently thanked all the gods that had blessed and guided her ancestors to have led her to this moment. Pounding the absolute sanity out of Audrey, their skins slapping with each slide of her cock in and out of Audrey's drenched cunt. Their moans and grunts of pleasure bouncing off the hotel bedroom, making a harmonious melody of their own even without singing.

Audrey was just like a limp vegetable at this point, unable to do anything but to tighten her grip on the sheets under Bada's roughening. She asked for it and so she'll take it like the champ she is. Her resolve was long gone the moment she had landed in the familiar South East Asian land, after her excruciating seventeen hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore anyway. It had been almost two weeks since she had been physically near her girlfriend. Two weeks of not being able to hold her hand, not being able to hug her human equivalent of Poby from the cartoon show Pororo the Little Penguin, not being able to yap her pretty little mouth off about the most stupid and chronically online of things as she listened to her despite being tired from work and practice. And most importantly… not being able to get fucked by her handsomely gorgeous and charming girlfriend, whom she's convinced was written by Sappho herself.

The last time they had sex was on the night of their last concert, which coincidentally was also Audrey's birthday. Audrey didn't want any gift as she was more than grateful to have had Bada beside her on such a momentous occasion of her life. But it would be a grievous lie to deny that the birthday sex wasn't the cherry on top, as her birthday candles weren't the only thing she had blown that day.

She was never this cock drunk before she met her.

Horny? Yes.

Wanting to be dicked down every time of the day? Absolutely not. But things do change with time like the seasons do, Audrey realized that with the time she had spent flying back and forth from the U.S. to South Korea. Her sexual appetite only being heightened further once she entered her relationship with Bada.

Bada was her forthcoming. And the reason she had blossomed like a flower in spring, finally receiving its much needed tending after months of ruthless winter snow.

Audrey was then pulled back from her thoughts as Bada hit her spot again and again, she could only pull her closer to her as she moaned shamelessly. She secretly hoped that Emma snuck out of her own hotel room to go clubbing once again. The last thing she wanted to face in the morning was to be bombarded by her teasing. In which she admits, she rightfully deserves for their impudence as a young robust couple with a high libido to keep up with. But she won't let Emma have her win so easily, after months of bickering and play fighting with each other. She wasn't going to back down now.

Soon enough, Bada's body trembled as she thrusted into her one last time, unabashedly painting her walls white and coating her warm with her cum. And holy fuck did it feel good to her senses. She then followed Bada's high with her own, coating the older woman's cock with her own slick.

Bada laid on top of her for a while in which she didn't mind, it felt great even. To hold her close and so tenderly. Audrey then wondered if she would feel the same way once their own baby is placed on her chest, when she finally gives birth in the future. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She felt butterflies in her stomach just at the thought of her possibly carrying their child a few weeks from now. Audrey then accidentally clenched multiple times around Bada just from those thoughts, earning a moan from the older.

"Babe. Shit. Was that not enough?" Bada asks, her ears heating up from the possible suggestion of a second round. Audrey's tightening cunt was basically draining her of every drop of cum from her cock at this point.

"Maybe." Audrey then brazenly grins at her like she's a Cheshire cat. Her big brown eyes gleaming with want and desire.

"Shush, that's enough princess. We still have work tomorrow." The older woman rationalized, Audrey wanted to protest against her decision but she was quite tired herself as it had been a long day. And so, Bada carefully spooned her and pulled the duvet over their naked bodies before the both of them headed off to dreamland.

A few days later…

It was time for Bada to go back home. Her schedule in Singapore was finally done and she had no excuse to overstay her welcome in the foreign country. She also had her own share of responsibilities waiting for her back in Seoul that she needed to attend to as soon as possible, so staying for a few more days was out of the conversation. Audrey had to stay behind and send her girlfriend off at the airport. She wanted to cry right then and there and Bada knew it. She hugged her and savored the warmth of her embrace one last time.

"We still have Vietnam in March. So don't miss me too much, babe." Bada says cheekily once she sees the tears threatening to fall from Audrey's eyes. She then cups her pretty girlfriend's face and gives her a goodbye kiss on both cheeks, forehead, nose, and finally her lips before Audrey leaned into her ear to whisper something.

"I'm not gonna miss you too much when I have my own miniature version of Bada Lee to accompany me." The younger slyly says to her before she was playfully pushed onto the entrance gates. Bada stood there dumbfounded, unable to say or confirm anything from Audrey as their company van drove off to her girlfriend's next agenda for the day.

She boarded her plane with the image of a pregnant Audrey clouding her mind, a smile formed on her face as she embraced the adorably amusing notion of her actually knocking her girlfriend up. God knows more than anyone else that she'd be more than grateful if it actually turned out to be true and not just some silly yet kind of cruel jest by Audrey.

66 notes · View notes

waywardxwords · 7 months

Text

The Fix - Part 1

Summary: Everyone has a past, but yours seemed to haunt you. You've tried to move forward with a normal life, but the day comes when that's not possible anymore. When Sheriff Beau Arlen enters your life, you're certain he is going to judge you just like everyone else in town does. But something about Beau is different.

Pairing: Beau Arlen x Female Reader (Reader has a daughter in this story; also--slow-ish burn)

Warnings: Brief mention of child abduction, very brief mention of domestic violence (non-descriptive), slow burn

Word Count: ~1.5k (This is meant to be a little shorter, but it will pick up as we get into the story!)

The sun had started to settle just behind the Montana mountains as you took a sip from the steaming cup of tea in your hands. The warmth from the cup sent a pleasant shudder over you as you took a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet. The sound of tires upon your gravel drive interrupted the silence and made you inwardly groan. You recognized the truck almost instantly.

You stayed planted on your rocking chair, but offered a small smile as he opened the car door.

“Sheriff,” you greeted blandly. While you would never admit it out loud, your heart couldn’t help but flutter when you were graced with Sheriff Beau Arlen’s presence. The man looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ, for God’s sake. But you knew better than that.

“How’s it goin’, ma’am?” And then there was that sweet, sexy Texas drawl. God, you loved Texan men. But you’d do everything in your power to not let him know that.

“Well, it was going well, ‘til I heard that truck pull up,” your lips were tightened in a straight line and eyebrows raised in his direction.

He chuckled softly as he put his hands in his front denim pockets. “I hear ya,” he sighed. After a moment, he continued. “Where’s he at, darlin’?” He somehow managed a sympathetic look, but you couldn’t help but feel like it was covered in pity. He felt bad for you—hell, this whole town did. You heard the rumblings while you were out; you knew everyone and their mama knew your story, and you hated it.

“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t keep a tracking device on my ex-husband,” you sighed. “I haven’t seen him since we all went to court three months ago. That’s a promise, Sheriff.”

He nodded as he glanced around your property. You weren’t sure if he was looking for something suspicious to accuse you of not being honest, or if he was looking to make sure you were safe.

“I believe you,” he reassured. “I know I don’t have to tell you, but he’s dangerous. He’s gone off the deep end now that the FBI is lookin’ for him, too.” His green gaze was back on you again.

“Like you said, you don’t have to tell me,” your stomach churned as you processed his words. You knew now that your ex-husband was on the run, there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to cover his own ass. “I was married to him, remember?”

“I know,” he tried to appease. “You still have my number?”

“On speed dial,” you nodded as you used your feet to rock on the chair.

“If you see him, you use it. Got it?” His eyes bore into you in a way that made your heart flutter again. You tried to swallow the feeling away.

“Yes, sir,” you nodded once more.

“Good,” he said, his boots crunched against the gravel again as he headed back to his truck. As he opened the door, he looked back at you with a smile. “And how many times I gotta tell you, darlin’? Beau’s just fine. You have a good night, now.” He tipped his hat at you.

You hoped between the glow of the setting sun and the distance between you, he couldn’t see the rosy blush that crept up your neck into your cheeks.

“Night, Beau,” you called back. You didn’t miss the way his smile grew as he climbed into the truck.

Mondays were the worst. The weekends just never seemed long enough. And now that the temperatures were cooling off for autumn, it made it a hundred times harder to get yourself out of bed. This morning felt more like the start of winter—a bitter 39 degrees outside. But you had gotten up because you had to, and practically had to drag your 5-year-old daughter out from the comfort of her bed as well.

The day had crawled by. Working in real estate was something you loved, as it allowed you way more flexibility and the opportunity to be a mom and still provide for your small family of two. But with winter approaching rapidly, things had slowed down at work. Everyone was settled and planning to wait out the brutal Montana winter, so your days felt even longer.

You watched the children find their parents’ cars in the car line and tapped your manicured finger against the steering wheel of your 1996 Ford Bronco.

There was an uncertainty that crept over you as you watched for your daughter—the lavender colored puffy coat you had put her in that morning, the jeans with a daisy patch she had begged you to sew on. But she wasn’t there. Fewer and fewer students exited the building until the trickle stopped.

You moved your truck into a parking spot and shifted the gear into park. The feeling of your heart pounding in your chest made you want to vomit, but you pushed it aside. Between the cold air and the tears that had already settled, your eyes burned as your feet carried you to the sidewalk where you spotted her teacher.

“Ms. Lang,” you called out to her as your steps quickly approached. She turned to you with a wide smile across her face.

“Oh, hi! How are you?” She smiled. “Bailey’s mom, right?”

“Yes,” you nodded with a breath. “Where is she?” The words sounded frantic, but you couldn’t help it. Your mind had traveled to the worst possible scenario, even though you hoped reality was that she had just gotten caught up with something in the classroom, or maybe had needed a bathroom break.

Ms. Lang’s smile fell and her eyes widened slightly. “Her Uncle picked her up from school early, he said she had a dentist appointment.”

With her words, you felt your heart begin to sink–down your chest, through your ribcage until it crumbled in the pit of your stomach. “H-her Uncle?” As you stuttered, you realized your mouth had run dry.

“Yes,” Ms. Lang waved you on to follow her as she walked towards the reception area of the elementary school. The both of you moved quickly around the remaining students waiting for their parents to pick them up. “Her Uncle Shawn. He was on the approved sign-out list.” She pulled open the glass door to the secretary’s office and waved you on ahead of her, but you were frozen in place. It felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of your lungs. Ms. Lang looked at you, unsure why you weren’t moving.

“My brother, Shawn, has been in Pennsylvania for the last two weeks...he's not in town,” you barely whispered.

Ms. Lang looked to the secretary as fear bubbled into her voice. “Call 911.”

There were multiple police officers in the lobby now. All of them had the same questions: what was your daughter wearing, her age, was there anyone that may want to harm her. You knew your ex-husband was considered dangerous, and you knew that better than anyone. But you never thought he would hurt your daughter. He wasn’t able to see her anymore, ever since he had become a fugitive. Prior to his conviction, he still could only have supervised visitation, which he hated. But harm her? Even though he had harmed you, you would never believe he would hurt her. But then your therapist had gently reminded you that you were broken and bruised, and he was unhinged. You didn’t know what to think anymore.

“Ma’am?” A young female officer approached you gently. “Your husband—“

“Ex-husband,” you cut her off quickly.

“I’m sorry,” she paused and corrected herself. “Your ex-husband fits the description of the man who picked up your daughter. The school followed protocol—he had a fake license that had your brother’s name on it.” You had figured as much.

“Jackson’s a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them,” you muttered as your eyes blurred for what felt like the hundredth time today. You picked at a loose string on the edge of your denim jacket. It wasn’t nearly warm enough, but you hadn’t planned to be outside for long.

“Because he’s a fugitive and wanted by the FBI, we’ve been asked to pass them the case,” she spoke gently. You should've known as much, but your head jerked up to look at her. She gave you a sympathetic smile—one you had seen from almost every damn local these last few months—and put a hand on your shoulder. “I promise they’ll do everything they can. The whole state will be on alert looking for your daughter.”

Her words didn’t bring you much comfort. You had gotten to a point in your life where you didn’t trust many people. The FBI hadn’t been able to find your ex-husband all this time, so how could you possibly have hope they would find him now?

As the officer walked away and people began to disperse, you grabbed your cell phone. You didn’t know what else to do, so you pressed the contact you had never dialed before.

It rang twice before you heard his southern drawl. “Sheriff Beau Arlen,” he answered gruffly.

“Sheriff?” You meant to sound strong, but the emotion had made its way to your voice. “Jackson took her…he took Bailey.”

Alright, so, I haven't written anything outside of the Supernatural fandom in a very long time (we're talking like, 10+ years). But I've had this idea poking my brain for the last two-ish weeks or so, and finally decided to write it out. I would be forever grateful if you let me know if you loved it or hated it. I'm new to Beau Arlen, so not sure if I am capturing his ~essence~. Thanks for taking the time to read!

New installments will be posted on Wednesdays and Saturdays!

A preview of the next chapter:

Beau had met you at the entryway of the elementary school within minutes, concern etched across his face in the way of worry lines that likely matched yours.

“You alright, darlin’?” He asked gently as he approached with a tentative hand on your shoulder blade.

Under the weight of his hand, you felt the ultimate collapse. Everything tumbled out of you in a way you didn’t expect (nor did he, by the look on his face). But either way, he used that hand to pull you flush against his chest and wrapped his other arm around your waist. He held you as you sobbed into the lapel of his brown jacket. The material was cool from the bitter wind just outside the door.

“It’s gonna be alright,” he coaxed softly with his mouth close to your ear. “We’re gonna get her back.” You tried to nod and speak, but only shaky breaths came out. Beau pulled you to his side and stepped forward towards one of the agents. “Beau Arlen, Sheriff,” he put his hand out to greet the agent.

Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

Tag List:

@jackles010378 @ladysparkles78 @zepskies @lyarr24 @deans-spinster-witch @djs8891 @globetrotter28 @deans-baby-momma @k-slla @nancymcl

Want to join the Tag List? Click here!

#big sky fanfiction #big sky fan fiction #big sky fan fic #big sky fanfic #big sky ff #beau arlen fanfiction #beau arlen fan fiction #beau arlen fanfic #beau arlen fan fic #beau arlen ff #beau arlen x reader #beau arlen x female reader #beau arlen x you #beau arlen x ofc

214 notes · View notes

dean-winchester-is-a-warrior · 1 year

Note

Do you think there could be any significance in Beau living in a trailer? I would guess he has enough money to live in a house with better feasibilities, still he is stuck in an almost nomadic life. Can it be connected to the trauma he has from his past, or just a production decision for better aesthetic camera view?

That's a little spooky that you mentioned this actually, cause I am just starting to incorporate a very similar idea into my Only the Strong Survive Beau Arlen series.

It's an interesting idea, cause I mean, you're right, it may just be a production design decision. But I do think it speaks a bit to Beau's feeling of living a transitory life. I feel like, there's a part of him that still expects to "return" to his old life with Carla and Emily, and if he settles down somewhere, permanently, it's like he's admitting defeat. At least, that's the angle I'm going for in the story! 😁

Glad I wasn't alone in thinking this! 😊❤️

#beau arlen #big sky s3 #big sky fan fic #beau arlen fan fiction #only the strong survive #ask answered

1 note · View note

eadanga · 2 months

Text

Valentine's on the Ranch

Maddie sat on the porch admiring the view she sighs as she smiles This place is so beautiful I love it She rubs her pregnant stomach What do you think baby? Isn’t it beautiful? I can’t wait to show you all this when you finally arrive

The front door swings open and Sawyer comes out with a cup of hot chocolate “For my beautiful wife”

Maddie grins as she takes the mug from him “Thanks” She takes a sip “Mmmm this is good”

“I’m glad you love it”

Maddie smiles “The baby loves it too she just kicked with glee”

Sawyer smiles as he leans down to kiss her stomach “I’m glad you’re enjoying it little one” He kisses her cheek “So listen it’s Valentine’s day and I want to take you to the most romantic spot I knew in high school”

“Really?” She smirks “Who did you bring there?”

Sawyer chuckles “No one you’re the first”

“Oh really? Well I can’t wait to see your high school romantic spot”

Sawyer chuckles “Great there’s also a little Valentine’s day festival going on in town I wanna stop there get a couple of things for us”

“Ok this is gonna be fun”

“Make sure you look amazing tonight”

Maddie giggles “Oh you know I can’t fit into my dresses anymore”

Sawyer smirks then heads back into the house then comes back with a garment bag “I think this will fit you”

“Awww Sawyer you got me a outfit”

“Just wanna make sure my date look even more stunning than she already is”

Maddie stands then kisses him softly “Thank you I’ll see you tonight”

****

Maddie gets herself ready in the bedroom she admires the dress Sawyer got her and smiles I bet Brooklynne helped him picked this out but it’s amazing I love it She heads downstairs and soon as she approaches Sawyer grins

“Wow…”

“Yes?”

“You look so gorgeous I can’t believe I married a beautiful girl like you”

Maddie giggles “And you look handsome too”

Sawyer takes her hand “Let’s go beautiful”

Maddie blushes then follows him out the door they drive into town and see the festival going on. Sawyer walks up to a booth and orders two hot chocolates and cookies then he heads back “Got what I need”

“Great we’re gonna have a dessert picnic”

“Yup what till you try these the best in town”

“I can’t wait”

They get back into Sawyer’s truck and drive to an overhead pass Sawyer gets out the car grabbing a blanket from the back “Welcome to Kissing Point”

Maddie giggles “Is that what you guys called it?”

Sawyer chuckles “Yeah the football team used to bring their dates here”

“What about you?”

“Naw I didn’t have anyone to bring here the girls were really shallow and annoying”

Maddie laughs “I’m glad I’m the first you brought here”

“Yup” Sawyer lays out the blanket and sits patting next to him “Seat for you my queen”

Maddie laughs as she sits she admires the view in front of her “Wow this is amazing you can see the high school and all of Sweetridge”

“Yeah that’s the only reason I came here for the view of course when no one was around I really didn’t want them questioning me about who I kissed”

Maddie giggles then smiles “Well you can kiss me”

Sawyer smirks “I’d love to” He kisses her deeply then pulls away “So glad I got to finally do that here”

“Me too such a romantic night”

“It’s not over yet” Sawyer brings out a bouquet of roses from behind his back

“Oh Sawyer” She smells them “This is so sweet”

“I’m glad I actually grew them for you”

“You did?”

“Yeah I wanted you to have something meaningful”

“Aww Sawyer” she kisses him “I love you”

“I love you too” He rubs her stomach “And I can’t wait till we become a family of three”

Me too and the baby agrees”

Sawyer chuckles as he kisses her again in the moonlight

Tags: @mfackenthal @indiacater @the-soot-sprite @choicesgodfanatic

#choices fanfiction #choices fan fiction #choices fandom #sawyer x mc #sawyer oakley #big sky country

5 notes · View notes

theidiotwhowritesthings · 1 year

Text

The Asgardian Way

Pairing: Thor Odinson x Reader

Warnings: fluff, pining, cursing

Word Count: 3,072

Summary: When a human hits puberty they get the name of their soulmate written on their wrist. You got the name of a mythological figure and assumed it meant his parents were real big fans of Norse legend. Then aliens fell out of the sky and everything changed.

“Oh, I win this. Hands down.” The girl sitting across the table from you said between bites of her food. It was Saturday morning, which meant brunch with the work crew, and the name of the game was, ‘Who had the weirdest name written on their wrist?’. You were still relatively new, having worked there a couple months now, but the girl across from you had started only a week ago. She held her wrist out, “Robert McDick. McDick. You know this boy got bullied in middle school.”

The table burst out into a round of laughter, and you couldn’t help but shake your head. When it quieted down, you brought attention to yourself, “Actually…”

“Oh, come on.” Hanna, the secretary to your left, chuckled, “She’s gonna be Mrs. McDick one day. You gotta let her have this.”

Joni, your boss’ personal assistant, raised her hand curiously, “You know what, I’m realizing that…you’ve never shown us your name.”

“Because it’s bad.” You chuckled.

“Worse than McDick?!” The girl cried in shock.

You pulled up your sleeve and held your wrist out for the table to see. Everyone leaned in eagerly to see the train wreck that was your soulmate’s name. Hanna narrowed her dark eyes as if she was second guessing what her eyes were seeing, “Does your wrist say… Thor Odinson? Like the fake Norse god dude?”

“Yes. Yes, it does.” You replied with a tight smile. “I assume this means his parents were just super big fans of Norse mythology? Or maybe it’s a common name amongst Scandinavians. I don’t know a lot about over there.”

“You better learn quick because apparently you’ll be Mrs. Scandinavian.” Joni snickered and the others laughed at that as well. The joke wasn’t very clever, you had heard better growing up with this name on your wrist, but enough mimosas had been passed around that everything was deemed funny enough to laugh at.

The conversation drifted back to work drama and you glanced down at your wrist again. The moment it showed up on your wrist at the start of puberty you and your entire family had been thoroughly confused. It definitely pushed you to read up on all that mythology as a kid and you had to admit, if someone was going to be named after a god there seemed no better god to be named after than Thor. He was the god of thunder, lightning, and strength and the fictional character had quite the list of accomplishments.

“Hey, do—do you guys see that?”

You turned in your seat to see what the new girl was pointing at. In the distance, over what looked like Stark Tower, was a bright blue light shooting straight up into the sky. You narrowed your eyes wondering what the hell the billionaire genius was up to now, but the line of thought died as some sort of creature flew out of the spot where the light seemed to end.

“Oh my God!” Someone screamed and you pushed up from your seat in shock as more things poured out of the sky. The first sounds of destruction filled the air, gunfire, explosions, and screaming, and as the crowd around you began to panic you came to the realization that the world would never be the same again.

37 DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK

Your eyes were glued to the television screen while you used a ruler to try and scratch a spot under the cast around your leg. It was supposed to come off two weeks ago, but apparently the break had been worse than doctors initially thought so you were stuck in this damn thing for longer. Hopefully, it’d be off by the end of the week.

“Stop with the ruler, idiot.” Your temporary roommate, Jihyun, slapped the back of your head as they walked by. She was still in her pajamas despite it being past noon, but the building she worked in, just like her own apartment, had been decimated by aliens a little over a month ago so…

“It’s itchy.” You whined without letting your eyes drift from the news channel that was still talking about the Battle of New York. You weren’t entirely sure why they called it a battle. It was more an invasion that New York barely managed to survive. If it weren’t for the Avengers then New York City would be a crater in the ground.

Speaking of the Avengers…

“Are you still stalking your soulmate?” Jihyun came back in the room with her phone. Her dark hair was a mess around her shoulders and her dark eyes were definitely sort of judging you.

“It’s not stalking.” You mumbled.

The Avengers were a group of superheroes, because that was apparently a real-world thing now, and they consisted of six special people. Iron Man, aka the infamous billionaire playboy, two mysterious agents of some organization, the media was still speculating on them, Bruce Banner, who was a doctor and could also apparently turn fucking green, Captain America, who was apparently not dead, and then of course there was the Norse god who was apparently very, very real.

Thor. Thor Odinson. The god of thunder, lightning, and strength. Your motherfucking soulmate.

To be honest, you weren’t sure how on a day where aliens invaded Earth, the biggest surprise you faced was that the name on your wrist had been very literal. It left you in the weird position where you knew who your soulmate was exactly, but you had no way to reach him? Thor Odinson had left the world, if the interviews with Tony Stark were accurate, and you didn’t think an email would reach him out there.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jihyun asked.

“Very good question.” You sighed and went back to trying to scratch your leg with the ruler in your hand.

402 DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK

The next time Thor popped up on the news was the next year. He was in London fighting some other wild thing. Elves? The media definitely used the word elves a lot. It happened so fast that you didn’t even know how to react. By time you heard about it, the next thing you were hearing was that he was gone again. You found yourself actually disappointed.

Early on when you discovered he existed you spent a lot of time in self-doubt. Thor was a god. Literally, not figuratively. You felt comfortable in your skin, but you were very aware that you were human. You were human and technically he was not. What if he didn’t even see humans as like the same as himself? What if humans were the equivalent of like a pet dog?

You didn’t know anything about gods.

When you moved past the ‘does he even see humans as equals’ fear, you moved onto the ‘does he even have a soul mark’ fear. Thor was a god from another world. Humans were given the name of their soulmate on their wrist during puberty, but what if that was just unique to Earth? For all you knew, his kind didn’t even believe in soulmates. Then what?

The worst part of not getting to meet Thor was the not knowing. It left you with a lot of overthinking which was never good for anybody. You were on the fence on whether or not you should try to email someone like Tony Stark. A part of you figured the email wouldn’t ever even get to him.

The world was saved again, but your soulmate was gone as quick as he came.

1132 DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK

Three years had passed from the moment you found out your soulmate was a real person. All the fears you had, all the worries, concerns, reservations, were pushed to the side. Somewhere around year two you had fallen into the ‘fuck it’ mentality. You were not going to be one of those people who never met their soulmate. You refused. So you made it your actual mission in life to get an audience with the god whatever it took.

You sent an email to Tony Stark that, like you assumed, was ignored.

You traveled out to places you knew he had been before in hopes to meet someone that knew him. That’s how you met a woman named Darcy, who was super great and you still texted here every once in a while, but she had no way to get in contact with Thor. She said he kind of came and went whenever he wanted.

You tried and tried and tried, and everything came up as a failure.

Until today that is.

Thor was on Earth, there had been sightings of him, and you knew he would be at a party being hosted by Tony Stark in the tower. The party was Avengers, Avengers families and friends, and then a local Veterans group. Unsurprisingly, you didn’t get an invite, but you did know someone who worked for Stark Industries as an intern and she said her badge would get you to where you wanted to be.

That’s how your night was going. You were standing in an elevator, rising up the skyscraper that was Avengers Tower, wearing an outfit that filled you to the brim with confidence. You literally went out and bought an entire new outfit for tonight in hopes that it would make you brave enough to follow through on the plan and hopefully hot enough to make you stand out.

When the elevators opened, a wall of music and laughter hit you. You slid the badge into your purse and hesitantly stepped out. Nearby eyes looked over at you, but you were dressed nice enough that they assumed you were part of the party. Swallowing the lump that had suddenly formed in your throat, you readjusted your clothes and made a beeline for the bar. From there you could look for your soulmate while also maybe taking 3 or 4 shots. Maybe 7. You hadn’t decided yet.

The bartender gave you a bright smile and you quickly ordered your favorite shot. You threw two back before turning around and scanning the room. Avengers Tower was as elaborate and amazing as you assumed it would be. The room was made up of multiple levels and people mingled on every single one. You could see Captain America by the pool tables. Tony Stark was entertaining a crowd of people around him. Bruce Banner was a few steps away talking to a smaller group of people and—

Thor. There he was.

He was sitting on a couch and the way he moved his arms made you think he was telling a story of some kind. His long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and he had on a form fitting red coat that draped past his hips. Thor was… wow. You had seen pictures of him, seen him on the news, and so you knew he was a good-looking guy. That shouldn’t have been a surprise but seeing him in person was different.

You turned around and asked for one more shot. The bartender gave you a curious look but was quick about it. All this time you had pictured various things you’d say, different ways you’d greet him, but none of them seemed right anymore. With your hands on the bar, you closed your eyes and took in a slow breath like a crazy person. The bartender was without a doubt definitely judging you now, but you had bigger issues at the moment.

When you turned back around it seemed like fate was throwing you a bone. Thor had risen from the couch with a bright smile and said a few more words before moving away from the couch. This was it. This was your chance. You grabbed that ‘fuck it’ motto and pushed off the bar to walk in his direction.

You were a couple feet away when he turned his head and noticed you. Don’t get lost in his eyes. Don’t get lost in his eyes. Thor must have realized your path was leading you right to him because he stopped and offered you a curious smile.

“Hi.” You blurted when you stopped in front of him.

“Hello?” Thor replied. God, you could listen to his voice all day.

“This might sound rehearsed and a little crazy, but I’ve kind of been thinking about this moment for the past three years so I apologize in advance.” The words fell out of your mouth and you were too stunned to even be embarrassed by it. Thor raised an eyebrow at you, and it only made you panic more, “You’re…you. I…”

Thor gave you a polite smile, “Have we met before, my lady?”

“I’m your soulmate.” You blurted. Thor’s smile fell and his eyes widened. If he didn’t think you were insane before then he definitely did now. He opened his mouth, and you held your wrist out for him to see. Thor’s mouth snapped close, and his eyes stared down at your wrist. Thor reached out to lightly hold your hand in both of his. His gaze stayed on his name, but yours were now able to see his wrists from the way he held your hand.

His very bare wrists.

You felt your heart drop to your stomach, and you pulled your hand back quick, startling him, “You don’t… Your wrists are…” Your mouth felt dry and a part of you just prayed the floor beneath you would open up and swallow you whole. “I have to go, I’m sorry.”

Without waiting for a reply, you spun on your heel with full intentions to sprint out of this penthouse everyone else be damned. You’d be the weird girl running out a party for half a minute and then they’d never see you again. Your plan failed before it even began though because you only got three steps away until a hot hand grabbed your wrist and stopped you.

Thor spun you back around, but the moment you were facing him again he let go of you and held his hands up, “I apologize. It was not my intentions you grab you like that, but I’d very much appreciate it if you stayed for just a moment.”

“Dude, I kind of feel like my world is imploding.” You replied back quickly. “I just want to drink in shady bar alone right now.”

Thor chuckled, but his smile looked hesitant, “May I ask you for your name?”

You mumbled it out and tried to look for an escape route. What were the chances of you successfully fleeing from a god? They couldn’t be good.

Thor repeated your name and it sounded so good in his voice that you wanted to cry. He held one hand out to you, “I am Thor Odinson, though…I guess you are aware of that.” He chuckled and he almost seemed nervous. “May I see your hand once more?”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was this moment not ending? Unfortunately, though, looking into his gorgeous blue eyes, you realized it might be physically possible for you to tell this man no. You nodded once and held your hand up for him.

Thor took it into his again, holding it delicately, and gave you a tight smile, “I am going to bring your hand to my chest now.”

“You’re going to what now?” You replied in surprise. He brought your hand to his chest and if you weren’t in shock enough then your brain definitely broke the moment he slipped your hand under the collar of his black, v-neck shirt so you were touching the bare skin on the left side of his chest, “Uh…”

His skin was warm, and if this was anyone else you would’ve punched him by now. The spot under your fingers grew hotter for a moment and you stiffened in surprise. Thor realized your hand, in his own state of shock, and your hand just hovered in the air between the two of you. He took in a shaky breath and pulled the collar of his shirt to the side so you could see his skin.

On his left pec, a few inches under his collarbone, you watched as glowing red symbols began to form on his tan skin. The symbols were Norse, you recognized the shapes from all the research you had done over the years, and slowly the glow faded away to leave black marks there. You lifted your eyes from the spot up to his eyes and found him already staring at you with a soft look on his features.

“Wh—What was that?” You asked, your voice a whisper.

“Asgardians do not have the name of our soulmates on our wrists.” Thor replied. He took a step closer, and you couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath at the motion. “This is our legend. How we find our soulmate.”

Your eyes widened as you motioned between the two of you, “So we are…?”

Thor grinned, his hands lightly reaching out to touch your arms, “Yes. Yes, we are.”

“Cool, cool, cool. Not to sound any crazier than I probably already have, or potentially insult Asgardian culture by skipping steps, but, uh, I’ve been picturing this moment for a while and I’m just gonna ask it.” Your own lips curled up into a broad smile that you couldn’t help. “Can I kiss you? I would love to kiss you right now.”

Thor smirked, one hand traced up your arm to cup your face tenderly, and you pushed forward to meet him halfway and press your lips to his. Your own arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer and words couldn’t describe how it felt to have his warm lips molding to yours. You felt the tip of his tongue trace your lower lip and it brought a laugh bubbling out of you.

“Typically, laughter is not the response I try to gain from this.” Thor mumbled against your lips with a smile of his own. You pecked him on the lip once more and when you pulled back he followed to prevent any space from forming between the two of you. His forehead rested against yours as his thumb traced back and forth on your cheekbone.

“You just have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

#thor odinson #thor x you #thor x reader #thor odinson x reader #thor odinson x you #marvel #soulmate au

859 notes · View notes

redrose10 · 4 months

Text

I’ve had this idea for a story in my head for a while and I just need somewhere to put it out there. This is a little teaser of one of the chapters. So far I have four chapters written with plans for several more. The first chapter should be posted in a couple days. I’ve never written a multi chapter fan fiction so I’m excited to do this. Hope someone out there likes it!

Yoongi X Female Reader. CEO/Arranged Marriage AU

Warnings (May get updated as chapters progress): Arranged marriage, cheating/infidelity, hints of smut (Probably won’t get very explicit but we’ll see how it goes), Sexual Assault, Brief mentions of death, Reader grew up an orphan, General Angst, Swearing

Teaser Below

On the last night you decided to treat yourself to a nice dinner out. Yoongi had been gone all day and you knew he wasn’t going to spend the evening with you anyways. The food was incredibly delicious and you had a really nice time with the waiter, Hoseok. He was like a big ray of sunshine and for that one dinner you were able to forget everything that had been happening. The two of you exchanged numbers so you could get together for lunch next time he visited his parents in Korea. As you were walking back to your room you came across two people all over each other in the hallway. The man’s hands were slowly going farther up the shirt of the brunette he was with. Soft moans could be heard between the two of them. Normally you’d be pretty off put that two people would be so open in public but you were happy that someone was getting intimacy. You were craving any sort of touch and these two just made you want it more.

That is until the woman accidentally dropped her purse and bent down to retrieve it revealing the man that she was with. Yoongi looked at you with his classic unreadable expression. The woman standing back up realized you were now present. She was understandably confused as to why you were waiting right there.

“Oh I’m sorry. Is this your room?”, she asked looking back at Yoongi for an explanation.

Deep down you had thought he’d tell the truth. Let her know that you were his wife. That she needed to leave. That this was your honeymoon. That he wouldn’t bring another women into your hotel room while you were there with them. Instead he just sighed,

“Yeah this is my sister Y/N. She’s sharing a room with me unfortunately.”

You felt your heart crack. The woman looked a little shocked pulling away, “Oh I’m so sorry. Maybe we should continue this elsewhere.”

You watched the smirk spread across Yoongi’s face, “Nah she won’t mind. Right Y/N?” In your head you screamed, “Yeah of course I mind. You’re my husband and you expect me to just sit there while you fuck some other woman.” But instead you gently shook your head and watched as Yoongi pulled the woman back into the room with him kissing her as he went.

You stood there and watched the door slam shut. The faint scent of cinnamon and vanilla the only thing remaining in the hall with you. You couldn’t do it. You couldn’t sit in that room with them. So instead you made your way down to the lobby. At this time of night all the restaurants were closing up and you weren’t much for the bar scene so you grabbed a water bottle from a vending machine and walked out to the beach to wait it out. Once you felt you had a safe spot chosen you took a seat down in the sand. As you stared up at the sky you felt the exhaustion taking over your body. Slowly you laid back allowing the warm sand and the sound of the ocean waves to lull you off to sleep. The smell of the salty air a welcoming change to the cinnamon and vanilla that was slowly driving you crazy.

#yoongi x reader #bts #bts yoongi #yoongi #yoongi angst #min yoongi #yoongi au #bts fanfic #yoongi fanfic #yoongi fic #suga #agust d #ceo au #arranged marriage au #yoongi x y/n

73 notes · View notes

euphor1a · 1 year

Text

Yin to my yang | jjk

↬ pairing: jungkook x f!oc

↬ genre: best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, hurt/comfort, fluff, smut.

↬ summary: “I don’t wanna sound cliché or anything, but you are the yin to my yang, y’know what I mean?”

Or, Jeon Jungkook was your knight in shining armor since the moment he entered your life. From being your rock during the toughest times, to being the most supportive and proud best friend imaginable, he was everything and beyond. Until now, that is, because you need to tell him how you feel before it’s too late, and the more you look at Jungkook, the more scared you are of messing it up. Little do you know that he’s on the very same boat.

↬ rating: 18+ (minors dni)

↬ word count: ~8.9K

↬ warnings/tags: character death, grief/mourning, mentions of controlling partner; explicit sexual content: profanity, dom/sub undertones, praising, dirty talk, pet names, breast play, fingering, cunnilingus, big d*ck!jk (cause yEAH), unprotected penetrative sex, creampie, rough sex, etc. — this is a work of fiction, and it doesn’t represent jungkook in any way!

↬ navigation

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🌺 a/n ꒱ this is something i’m really proud of /srs 🥺! happy holidays everyone, i hope this sweet little story reaches your hearts 💗! be mindful of the pov changes and flashbacks though (hope they are not too confusing)! and, enjoy! (banner cr.)

[You, 9:42 pm] gguk? can you come over, please?

[You, 9:44 pm] well, if possible…

He must be busy packing and preparing for next week. Your grip on the phone tightens at the thought, eyes taking in the intricate details of its protective case with a thrumming pain in your chest. This artsy case was made by Jungkook several months back. He’s always been amazing at painting and craft, and when he saw the trend of hand-painted phone cases, he just had to make matching ones for his and your phone. You remember the proud smile on your best friend’s face when you told him that you loved it so much.

“This is… perfect, Gguk. I’m at a loss of words. I love this. I love you.”

He wraps you up in a tight hug, chin resting on your head as he rocks you both side to side. “I’m so glad to hear that, muffin. I love you very much too.”

Letting out a shaky breath, you look up at the dark expanse of the night sky above you. The half-moon shines bright with almost no clouds around, paired up with countless stars embedded like diamonds on the dark velvet. It truly looks so mesmerizing, crafted with such care, as if nature knew which collective placement will be the best beforehand. A small smile curls your lips gently. It reminds you of his eyes. You can go on and on about how Jungkook has the most beautiful eyes. On the other hand, Jungkook strongly disagrees, debating that yours are much more hypnotic and gorgeous. A fond sigh escapes your lips, the heaviness inside your heart seemingly increasing.

Your right hand unconsciously takes hold of the yin locket placed right over your chest, which dangles from a silver chain. The yang one belongs to him, and you mindlessly wonder if he’s wearing it right now. When he bought these last year on valentine’s, he made it clear that he wants to wear them always and forever. Something you had agreed to do too. You can still vividly picture the wide grin plastered on his face during the whole ordeal.

An involuntary shiver runs down your spine when you remember how his hot breath had fanned over your neck, his long fingers closing the clasp of the chain before gripping on your shoulder. He was beyond happy and proud of himself.

Within a certain distance between each other, the magnets inside the pendants lock them in; putting yin and yang where they belong — together.

Last year, on Valentine’s Day

“Yin and Yang, huh? God, that’s so cheesy,” you mutter shyly, avoiding his gaze at all costs. You’re certain if you look up at him, you’ll get that mushy feeling in your chest again.

“Yeah. I don’t really wanna sound cliché or anything, but you are the yin to my yang, y’know?”

“... Gross.”

Jungkook smacks the side of your head playfully, mocking your tone, “Gross! Yeah, gross. That’s why you’re not looking at me. Because you don’t want me to see your kawaii ass happy eyes.”

Shit, busted.

You try to change the topic immediately, knowing that he’ll most likely continue calling you out. “Why… why are you suddenly giving me this, Gguk? And today out of all days? Don’t tell me that you’re in love with me.”

He groans at that, earning a snicker from you. “Relax, relax, I was just teasing you.”

You don’t notice, but his shoulders droop subtly. Oh, how he wishes that you weren’t just teasing him.

Done and over with small talk, Jungkook is quick to put the accessory on both of you. Before you can comprehend further, he’s standing just a few inches away from you, those pools of honey looking at you earnestly. “Ready to see the magic?”

It’s like he knows how to make you weak in the knees. You just nod, not trusting your voice with this one. There’s this knowing smirk on his face you absolutely despise. God, you’d kill to kiss that smirk off his face. If you just lean in a little right now? Your lips will press perfectly against those pretty pink ones.

Click.

Broken out of your reverie, you blink rapidly, remembering why you two were standing so close in the first place. The yin and yang pendants he bought.

When your eyes find his, you suddenly feel the urge to pull him closer and maybe touch your foreheads together. But you really shouldn’t. He’s still your best friend, after all.

“Look how cool!” Jungkook squeals, eyes wide with astonishment and awe. You tilt your head down, watching the joined yin and yang gently dangling in the air between you two.

Why does he gotta be so endearing?

As you look up to meet his eyes again, you freeze. Is he… leaning towards you? Swallowing nervously, you look down again, praying that he’s not able to hear the frantic beating of your heart.

“I think I should disconnect them. Unless you wanna stay like this.” There’s a certain suggestion in his tone that makes your stomach jump.

“Um— yeah. You should. I’d rather get stuck in a basement alone than what you’re saying.”

“Wow. And here I thought you liked me.” He pouts, his hands coming up to hold the yin and yang.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” You try your best to look away from his hands but struggle to do so. Lord, why did you have to make him so perfect?

You don’t know how long it has been, the only thing you know is that you are not going to look at Jungkook. You won’t look at his furrowed brows and his little pout, or his veiny hands that work hard to pull on the pendants.

“See how hard it is to separate them? Just like us.” Laughing amusedly for a moment, Jungkook refocuses onto the joined yin yang. He really is trying his best, using all of the core strength he can muster. You giggle, noticing that his face is turning red from the effort.

“What happened, muscle man?” You tease, hands covering his bigger ones that hold the yin and yang. He grumbles, lips forming into his signature pout — completely unaware of your heart that melts on point. Squeezing his hands in your hold, you huff, “At least let me try? You’ve tried for long enough now.”

Jungkook looks up to meet your eyes. “Fiiiine. Only because you’re being whiny and it’s distracting me.”

Who is he kidding, again? Being this close to you affected him much more than he’d like to admit. And then you had to come even closer and hold onto his hands like he’s the most delicate thing ever. Fuck, are you doing this on purpose? Can you hear his heartbeat? Dang it, he probably looks like a fool right now.

Slipping his hands out of your grasp hastily, Jungkook motions you to try. “Don’t chicken out now, will you?”

“In your dreams,�� you clap back, trying to turn the locked pendants in separate directions. He snorts, proceeding to criticize your approach until he hears a gentle click.

“F-fuck, how did you—”

“I guess working out in the gym for hours didn’t really pay off, tsk tsk.” You pout at him in a provoking manner, eyes glinting as you lean down to touch his firm chest. Jungkook freezes momentarily, tongue wetting his lower lip while he watches you tuck the chain inside his hoodie. “There you go.”

He shakes his head, unsure if he’s relieved or disappointed. However, just as you start to retreat, his reflexes kick in, strong hands curling around your waist to hoist you up in the air. “You break my heart; I thought you liked that I go to gym.”

Ignoring him completely, you shriek, “Put me down!! Oh my god, you’ll drop me. AAAAA!” You are unable to see the knowing smirk on his face as you writhe against his hold. “I swear to God, Jeon— you either put me down or you get kicked in the nuts.”

“Mm. You may try,” Jungkook hums, face subtly resting against your chest. “But you keep forgetting that I’m the one here with a taekwondo black belt.”

“Fuck you.” You frown at him. He really has a way to get on your nerves. Here you are trying to save yourself from further embarrassment, and he’s being a clueless dumb little boy about it. Oh, why is he like this? You’re quite sure that he can feel your pebbled nipples pressing into his skin.

Jungkook snickers, loosening his grasp around you. “I’d love to, baby.”

There it is again. The most infuriating shit-eating grin that Jeon Jungkook masters. You take a deep breath to compose yourself first, thoughts jumbled up from being this close to him.

“You’re so insufferable, you know that?” A huff escapes you, hands defensively covering your chest. You really hope that he didn’t register it. You’ll most certainly want the Earth to swallow you alive if he mentions anything about your—

“Don’t act like a diva.” Jungkook rolls his eyes in the cutest way possible, making you scoff.

“You’re talking about yourself, right?”

“Pffft, you wish.”

Friendship and love. These two are very different, yet strikingly similar. True friendship is about trusting each other intently, caring for them unconditionally, and being ready to help your friend through life’s hardships. Strangely enough, love itself consists of all these things… but you just feel them harder, almost like a fever that numbs your senses.

Over the years, you’ve always thought of friendship and love very separately. But right now, you wonder if they are the different sides of the same card? Because the way you’ve been feeling for your best friend for more than three years now, sure isn’t how you should feel about a friend, best or not.

The biggest possibility is that you have, in fact, fallen in love with Jungkook and it ignites strange emotions inside you, which are probably led by some crazy hormones you don’t even know about. As exciting and ecstatic that makes you feel, you can’t deny how the constant fear of losing him makes your heart clench uncomfortably. You simply can’t afford that, he’s the only one you have at this moment.

Oh Jungkook… if only…

At first, your initial thought was that you’re just super attached to him after all these years. And that’s why you suddenly started feeling protective of him when Jungkook talked about a female colleague who impressed him by her skills, or the sweet barista girl who always flirted with him.

But as more time passed, it slowly became clear to you that it was not because you’re attached to Jungkook as a friend. It was… much more than that. And the thought scared you. Because you knew that you shouldn’t feel this way for him.

After all, he isn’t just your best friend of almost six long years… he’s also that person who helped you through your toughest times and till this day, there is no one else in this world who can understand you like Jungkook does.

The story of how you two met isn’t exactly what people will consider as convenient. But it’s something you are, and you will always be grateful for. For him, because you wouldn’t be here otherwise. His endless support and care are the reason why you are an aspiring geologist today, following your childhood dream. You wonder if your mum and papa are watching you from heaven, feeling proud of you as you’re doing something you’ve always loved.

Six years ago, early March,

You sit in complete silence, yet you can hear the sound of your heart beating in your ears. For a moment, you just wish for this cruel world to take you away… just where it took your parents — your family, your best friends.

It’s been more than a month since you saw your universe collapsing in front of your eyes. And you couldn’t do anything about it. You were only able to tumble on the ground pathetically when you heard the policeman informing you about the car accident that snatched your world away from you.

The sudden sound of the front door opening alerts you, making you sit up straight. Mr. or Mrs. Jeon must be here with the food supplies along with other household items a teenage girl would need. Mrs. Jeon texted you about it nearly an hour ago.

Mr. Jeon was one of your father’s colleagues, but they were very close friends outside of their professional relationship. With no immediate family left after your parents’ death, Mr. Jeon and Mrs. Jeon immediately took you under their wings. Though, you insisted that you live in your home, where you grew up, instead of moving in with them. You provided the explanation that you were already fifteen and some years later you would have to move away for higher education anyway; so, you wanted to learn how to be on your own. Both of them were hesitant at first, but they respected your wishes. Jeons had their own conditions, of course, visiting you thrice a week and providing everything they could possibly think of.

You are grateful, obviously, but deep down you can’t help but feel like a burden to the Jeon family. They have two beautiful sons, as you had learnt from your late father. He told you how amazing both of them were, especially the eldest one, Jungkook. Eight-year old yourself had felt stupidly jealous of this twelve-year old guy your father was praising. So, you pouted and complained that you were a very good daughter too. You remember how he chuckled, ruffled your hair and kissed your forehead. Following up with, “Damn right you are! My princess is the best!”

A lone tear runs down your right cheek from that memory, and you rush to dry it with the back of your hand. This is not the time, you think, knowing very well that they’ll be knocking at your bedroom door soon. Surely enough, the sound of knuckles rapping against your door can be heard seconds later, stopping the train of your thought. “Wait a second,” you mumble, standing up and making yourself presentable.

Opening the door timidly, you look up, ready to greet Mr. Or Mrs. Jeon, but—

Who is this? Did someone break into your house? Is he carrying weapons?

You carefully size up the tall guy standing in front of you cautiously. Sporting an all-black ensemble and with the visible part of a tattoo on his hand, he surely gives off the dream emo boy vibes girls drool over. However, that is just the start. When you finally meet his eyes, you notice just how beautiful he really is. Long and wavy black hair casually falling over those big doe eyes, striking jaw and a beautiful mole right under his bottom lip, skin so beautiful that it can make you jealous… He looks like a Greek god, crafted with love. You are so busy admiring that you don’t realize that Mrs. Jeon is standing right behind the stranger.

“____, sweet baby, how are you today?”

You snap back to reality, noticing her right behind this… alluringly handsome stranger. “Oh! Mrs. Jeon, I’m– I’m alright, I guess. How are you?”

She smiles warmly, “Do you still feel uncomfortable with calling me by my name? I’m good, thank you, sweetheart.”

You nod wordlessly, indeed uncomfortable by the thought of calling a mother figure like her by her name. She reaches out to squeeze your shoulder. “C’mon, let’s head downstairs and meet your new friend.”

Your body freezes, eyes locking with the guy who is now standing by your door frame. He offers you a shy smile, rubbing the back of his head and looking down nervously.

It was awkward, to say the least. You were certainly sure that Jungkook’s mother had set you two up because you mentioned that you felt lonely. However, he was very kind and caring towards you from the start, even when you weren’t sure how to feel about him. He never gave you false hopes about how it will get easier for you like everyone did. Whenever you two were spending time together, Jungkook was always incredibly considerate towards your feelings. He held both of your hands whenever you were having a breakdown, never once asking for a reason, or telling you some bullshit about being strong. He would tell you that your emotions are valid, that grief is hard to handle, and you were trying your best, always making sure to buy you some comfort food later. It took you a few months, but you were starting to trust him, slowly letting him in until you two turned out to be inseparable within nine months.

Picnics with him on weekends was the thing that basically kept you going. He would take you to the best spots he knew around the town, treating you with his homemade sliders and cupcakes because you really liked those. Sometimes he’d buy you ice cream or hot chocolate depending on the weather. You remember walking side by side and holding hands. Jungkook often complained about how cold your hands were, but he held them anyway because he liked the fragrance of your hand cream.

You remember the sleepless nights spent crying in his arms. He let you sob into his embrace, rubbing your back soothingly as you told him how much you hated this world. He would hold you all night, whispering sweet validations while rocking you back and forth. Jungkook made you feel secure and loved no matter how worse you had been feeling on the first hand. You thought of him as your guardian angel. And you quickly realized how easy it is to love him. So, you did. Loved him with your whole heart, not knowing what that feeling would turn into.

Four years ago, On Jungkook’s birthday

You let out another hiccup, leaning onto your best friend’s firm chest for support. It’s presumably your first time consuming any sort of alcohol, and that too, mistakenly. After one glass of this extremely strong drink, you feel like the world around you is spinning. “I promise I ask– *hiccup* asked for a mocktail. I dunno what they gave– to me.”

“Who gave you the drink, muffin? That asshole is gonna catch these fists, I swear to fucking god.” He pulls you closer protectively, his eyes scanning the crowded living room of his downtown apartment for an empty space. Jungkook needs to get you out of here. “Think you can walk to the bedroom? You can rest there for the rest of this party,” he murmurs into your ear, brushing a stray lock of hair away from your face.

“Yeah... I think *hiccup* so…”

“Okay. But hold on tightly, hm? You’re wearing heels so you need to be careful.” You nod, arms tightening around his waist as he guides you to the end of the room. But soon enough, you trip and hit your head hard against his back, a pained whimper escaping you.

Jungkook turns around immediately, cupping your face in his hands. “Are you okay, ____? Where is it hurting?”

Extremely tired and not able to stand on your own anymore, you rest yourself against him. His strong hands hold you steady by the waist, your head falling back in the comfort of his chest. “Ugh… ‘m okay don’t worry, ‘m sorry Gguk… I– *hiccup* I don’t want to move.”

“It’s okay, shhh, I’ll take you.” Without any other word, he picks you up in bridal style. You wind your arms around his neck, nuzzling his neck affectionately and inhaling his musky cologne. People give you weird looks while Jungkook swerves through the crowd.

Once inside his bedroom, he settles you down on his bed gently. You smile at him gratefully. “Thank you so much… and ‘m sorry for being such a bother.”

“Shush and try to sleep. Your body has given up entirely.” He shakes his head, helping you out of your shoes. Soon after, Jungkook grabs a hoodie from a nearby chair and hands it to you. “Change to this. I don’t think that dress is… comfortable.” He points at the red bodycon you are wearing.

“Oh. Um… I’m not wearing a bra underneath.” You lower your head immediately, clutching the soft clothing to your chest. From the corner of your eye, you notice how his ears are turning red. He opens and closes his mouth several times, failing to get any words out. It makes you even more flustered.

The door to his bedroom files open suddenly, catching both of you off-guard. Jungkook’s girlfriend walks in with fire in her eyes, slamming the door shut behind her. “I literally cannot believe you two. I trusted you, Jungkook. I trusted ____ too, but I guess I have been too blind!”

“What the fuck? Are you seriously implying that right now? Don’t jump to any conclusions, baby. You’ve misunderstood.” Jungkook is out of breath as he looks at Lulu, but her attention has already shifted towards you.

“She is underage, Kook! What the fuck! What were you two doing? Oh my god I’m — didn’t know that you’ve already turned into a homewrecker whore, ____.”

“LULU! Watch your mouth!” Jungkook stands between you and his girlfriend, blocking her vision as she was glaring at you bitterly. Even though you feel numb, the burn of your tears is painful.

“I.. I was feeling unwell, so Gguk carried me here. I was just about to lie down and rest when you barged in, Lulu. Please don’t throw accusations without knowing what actually happened.”

“Yeah. Definitely. I can see that. I should’ve asked Jungkook to distance himself beforehand when I noticed how touchy touchy you can get. But Jungkook? I really thought that you’re better than this.”

He inhales a shaky breath, and from the way his hands form into fists, you know that he’s struggling to contain his anger. “Do you really mind calming the fuck down, babe? Because you’re not making any sense. We’re best friends, of course we will hug and hold hands and do stuff that best friends do! What do you mean by that phrase? You know damn well that I’ll never distance myself from her because of some insecure person’s paranoia! And you wanna know the truth? I thought that you were better than this too.”

A pained mewl escapes you, your eyes blurring with tears as you feel the throbbing pain in your head increasing tenfold. Jungkook looks at you immediately, reaching for your side and holding your shoulders. “Hey, hey it’s okay, muffin, everything will be okay. I’m here. Shhh.” Those are the last words you hear before blacking out.

After who knows how long, you feel your senses coming back to you. The first thing you register is that your throat is extremely dry and burning. “Water…” you mumble almost inaudibly. But, when a cold feeling against your lips surprises you moments later, you open your eyes.

“Drink it,” Jungkook encourages, his hand holding the glass steadily close to your mouth. You nod before downing some of it, a sigh escaping you as the cool liquid soothes your throat.

“Are you okay, muffin? I was so fucking worried, gosh.” He places the glass on the bedside table, not once looking away from you.

“I’m sorry,” is the first thing you whisper, reaching for his hand and squeezing it in your hold. You’ve never felt more ashamed in your life before.

“For what? If it’s about the whole scene with Lulu– I swear—”

“For everything. I ruined your birthday party. I ruined what you had with Lulu. I ruined everything. I’m… I’m so sorry. Did you manage to talk it out with her?”

“We broke up.” His voice is strangely cold.

“Oh my god— I– Gguk I’m so sorry?! It’s my fault. Gosh, I… hate myself.”

“I’m glad she broke up with me. And I don’t regret anything.” Jungkook smiles at you. “Try to get some sleep now, okay? It’s late.”

“Gguk… what are you saying? I have seen how happy you two looked together– aren’t you, like, upset?” you press further, not believing your own ears. What is he saying?

“You need to rest, muffin. We’ll talk about this later.” He stands up from his bed, and you just notice that he has changed into a simple gray tee and a pair of black shorts.

“I won’t be able to sleep if you don’t tell me.” Your voice is surprisingly firm, a sigh escaping him. He takes a seat beside you on the bed, looking at you with gentleness in his eyes.

“Lulu… I was happy with her. Until she started to get really controlling. You remember how she was talking about telling me to distance myself beforehand? … Yeah. A month back she said that my friendship with you makes her uncomfortable. We argued and it ended up being a huge thing. She’s been quite toxic since then.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry that you had to face that. And I’m sorry for being a problem.”

Jungkook grumbles, his face inching closer to yours until it’s hovering just a few centimeters away. “Say that again and I’ll shut you up. You’re one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I’m not gonna lose you for some stupid ass relationship!”

You giggle at that, reaching out to stroke his jawline. “Stupid ass relationship? Says the man who can’t go a day without whining about some sort of intimacy. ‘It’s not my fault that physical touch is my love language, I feel lonely if I’m not being touched!’”

“You little minx!” Jungkook pretends to pounce on you, starting a playfight. You giggle and try to dodge his blows. He grabs a nearby pillow in response, hitting your head with it.

“Oww,” you whine, falling back on the bed. That, however, makes him roll his eyes.

“Such a drama queen.”

Two years ago, Christmas Eve

The warmth from the fireplace does absolutely nothing to make you feel warm. The hollowness in your chest feels bigger with all these festive decorations around, but thankfully, he’s still here.

“Listen, if you want me to fight that asshole you just need to say the word.” Jungkook pulls you to his chest, fixing the blanket you’re wrapped up with. You just shake your head and snuggle up to him. He only huffs, complaining, “Fine. Whatever. I’ll break his nose either way.”

“He doesn’t even deserve that. I don’t want you to waste your time on him like me.”

“Ooo, sick burn. That’s my girl.” He pats your back before checking the clock, sighing. “My family will come over soon though… Are you gonna stay here with me or go back to your apartment?”

“I’ll go back to my apartment. And no, you’re not coming to drop me off. It’s literally a block away.” You detangle yourself from his embrace, folding the blanket neatly before fixing your sweater.

“I know you hate anything family related, but would it be really bad if you spend it with me?” He holds onto your hand, giving you those big, doe eyes. Another wave of sadness hits you and you look at your feet.

“I’m sorry Jungkook. I just… can’t. Plus, I promised my roommate that we’ll be having a movie marathon and loads of junk food. She hates Christmas too.”

“We’ll still have our 3-hour call though, right? I’ll text you after midnight.” He stands up, hugging you tightly and dropping a kiss on your temple.

“Of course. That’s our tradition. There’s no way that we’re breaking it.” You smile, closing your eyes from the peace you feel. Jungkook always knows how to make you feel better, no matter how bad the situation is.

Back to present

At this moment, you realize just how much you hate yourself for not telling him before. Could it have ruined your friendship? Maybe, maybe not; it’s impossible to tell. But at least, that way you wouldn’t have to cry over him a week before he’s moving away. To another country where he has many more opportunities as a freestyle dancer.

You should be happy. For all these years, you’ve seen Jungkook working his ass off, doing what not to follow his dreams. Although a part of you is immensely proud of him, it’s shadowed by the part which seeks his presence near you forever, refusing to budge.

As you’re completely lost in your thoughts, you fail to notice the tall figure standing a few feet away from where you are seated. Rustle of clothes and soft padding sounds of naked feet drift closer, breaking you out of your reverie.

“Gguk. You came.”

It’s hard to recognize your own voice as it rings in your ears. So broken and nasally that it makes you cringe internally. Gosh, how much did you cry?

Plopping down on the soft blanket you had laid out hours ago, Jungkook shakes his head with a snort. “Why are you so surprised? We literally live in neighboring buildings, and I own a spare key to your apartment.”

With an affirmative hum, you wiggle closer to him, desperate to feel his warmth. A strong, tattooed hand wraps around your shoulders automatically, pulling you closer as if on instinct. Once settled, both of you sigh in unison.

“You were crying again, weren’t you?” The question seems a bit accusatory, but there’s only worry laced in his voice.

Your chest tightens, Jungkook knows you like the back of his hand and lying most certainly won’t work. That’s why you opt to choose silence, nuzzling his shoulder for a moment before resting your head on it. The musky scent of him engulfs you like a tight hug almost immediately.

Jungkook huffs out a breath, his left hand cupping your cheek. Your eyes meet his enticing ones, stealing air from your lungs and leaving you slightly breathless. He hesitates to break the fragile silence between the two of you for several moments before giving in. “I promised that we’ll keep in touch regularly and do facetime when needed, didn’t I? I know it’s hard for you, hell, it’s hard for me too, but it hurts so much to see you like this. Please, ____. Be strong for me?”

“I’m trying my best,” it’s almost inaudible, followed by a mumbled admission, “I can’t live without you. I don’t have anyone else.”

Jungkook reaches out wordlessly, taking the hold of your other hand and interlacing your fingers together. The comfortingly gentle warmth of his touch makes your heart flutter, an involuntary shiver running down your spine. You notice how your smaller hand fits perfectly in his large and slightly calloused one’s grasp.

Inhaling a shaky breath, you cast your eyes down in an attempt to hide the emotions that might be displaying on the blank canvas of your face.

He has no idea what he does to your poor heart, does he?

But then, Jungkook brings your hand up to his lips, your whole body alight with anticipation as he drops a chaste kiss on your knuckles. “We’ll be alright. I promise,” he whispers against your skin, offering a half-hearted smile.

You can feel the way you are slowly crumpling under the pressure of your own emotions. A part of you yearns to tell him everything right here, right now, but another part, which carries the fear of messing everything up is enough to make your heart stop beating.

Being in love isn’t as easy as people make it look like, you think, struggling to hold back tears that fight to break out.

“Excuse me for a second,” you manage to choke out while standing up, dashing towards the bathroom. You don’t know if he has followed you or not, but you quickly lock the door, turning the shower on to muffle any type of sounds from you.

On the other hand, Jungkook stands in front of the bathroom door silently. His heartbeat is so loud that one might say that it’s gonna beat out of his chest. He’s anxious, fuck, he’s scared. What if you do something stupid? He’ll never be able to forgive himself if something happens to you.

He knows you and how your mind works. He knows that you feel like a selfish piece of shit for wanting him to stay here with you. And he hates that. He hates it because even after knowing exactly what you’re going through, he can’t help.

There’s a constant battle going on in Jungkook’s system — a battle between his heart and his brain. The logical side of him still wants to move away and follow his dreams. Why? Because what if you don’t reciprocate his feelings? What if he’s just a friend to you? Will he be able to continue living his life normally if that happens? Will you be willing to continue this friendship?

But, the part of him that is blindly in love with you, that wants to be with you forever, begs him to stay here and never let you go. He can’t possibly breathe air properly without you by his side. Maybe he sounds like a fool, but he doesn’t care. He needs to make a decision, and he needs to do it soon.

Devastating sobs wreck your body, your knuckles going numb from the pressure on them. You clutch on the sink for dear life, struggling to breathe properly as you feel the world closing in on you. Your head hurts and it feels like every single cell in your body is screaming at you. Do something, do anything. Please.

With the last ounce of strength you have left, you turn off the shower. Your sweaty palms slip on the door lock. So, you wipe them in a towel, fumbling with the lock again. It takes a while but the door creaks, announcing its opening.

Jungkook wastes no time to get you out of the confines of the bathroom. His heart breaks when he notices your state, body shaking, eyes red and clothes soaked. “Muffin…” he trails off, his own eyes tearing up.

“I– I want to tell you something. Before you leave this damsel in distress behind for good. Just promise that you won’t hate me.”

“You’re not a damsel in distress! Shut up! And you think I can hate you? Wow. I don’t even know what to say.” A few tears escape his eyes, and you reach out to brush them away with your thumb.

“Why are you crying?”

“Are you kidding me right now? Do you know how fucking scared I was? I thought— I thought—”

“Shh.” You press your index finger against his lips. Jungkook stops breathing for a second, watching you come closer. His hands wrap themselves around your waist instinctively. Your chest is heaving, wet clothes uncomfortably sticking to your skin as you lean into his touch. You let your lips press against his neck, his arms tightening around your sides. “I love you, Jeon Jungkook. And before you be a dumb little boy and say that you love me too, ‘m gonna tell you that I don’t mean it in a friendly way. I’m in love with you. I want you to kiss me whenever you’re in need of intimacy, I want you to cuddle me to sleep at night, I want to go out on our dream dates and cook our meals together, I want to be yours. Body and soul.”

When you’re done whispering your confession against the sensitive skin of his neck, you realize that he’s still holding his breath. “Say that again.” He clenches his jaw, his heart rate dangerously high.

“I love you. I want to be yours. I want to do cute couple shit with you and make everyone jealous.” The next thing you know is that you’re pressed up against the nearby wall, hands pinned over your head. Jungkook looks at you like he’s looking at a newly found ____, his breathing uneven.

“I love you too. So fucking much. I’m gonna make you mine and give you the whole fucking universe because you fucking deserve it.”

You lean in to press your lips against his, to which he eagerly complies. Although it starts off as a cautious and sweet kiss, it doesn’t take much time to turn heated and incredibly needy. Jungkook growls, sucking onto your lower lip before prying his tongue inside the hot welcoming pool of your mouth. You moan immediately, euphoria coursing through your veins when your tongues start fighting for dominance. He wins the battle soon enough, controlling the pace while his hands explore your body.

He takes his sweet time to explore your mouth as well as the sensitive spots all over your body. Discarding your clothes hastily to feel your skin against him, he rips off your bralette. But you don’t care. You too, follow his lead and pull away slightly so that you can remove the layers of clothing from his body.

Jungkook has you entirely naked except the yin necklace in seconds, his muscular arms throwing you over his shoulder in a frenzy and carrying you to the bed. You whine as you still try to pull off his pants, and he chuckles.

“You’re unreal, baby. Look at you, so beautiful,” he coos, looking at your splayed form on the bed. The more he looks, the more it makes you feel shy. You cross your legs and cover your chest with your hands, closing your eyes and whining again. “No, no. Don’t hide yourself. Let me see you, please. I’ve waited for so long, baby.”

You feel the bed dipping, his weight joining you on the bed as he hovers over you. You feel his yang chain dangling in the air between you two. He gently pushes away your hands and legs, leaving you bare and vulnerable under him. “You’re so pretty, my pretty little babygirl.” Jungkook notices the yin pendant resting next to your head, a wide smile blooming on his face. “Oh. You’re wearing it too?”

“We promised that we’ll always wear them,” you whisper, fluttering your eyes open. Two pools of honey look back at you fondly, leaning down while placing the yin pendant on your chest.

Click.

“Yin to my yang.” He nuzzles your nose before touching your foreheads together. You smile, pulling him in for another kiss.

Jungkook trails wet, open-mouthed kisses over your jaw, neck and collarbones. You moan when he finds a majorly sensitive area. He lets his right hand massage your breasts, breathy whimpers falling off of your lips. His mouth sucks on the nape of your neck, wetness gathering between your legs from his ministrations.

“Oh, Gguk…” Threading fingers through his hair, you pull him even closer, desperately wanting him as close as humanly possible. The groan he lets out vibrates against your skin. He finds your lips once again, fingers pulling and pinching on your hardened nipples.

“Fuck, oh god,” you moan when Jungkook briefly licks on your stiffened peak, gauging your reaction before diving in. He presses your tits together, hungrily licking and sucking onto them while kneading the soft flesh.

“So responsive, fucking hell.” He mutters under his breath, his eyes trained on your movements as you writhe under him from pleasure. Your fingers are still buried in the strands of his dark hair, pulling on them for dear life. He grunts and groans, grazing his teeth teasingly over your nipple.

“Oh my god!” your body shudders, a sudden release catching both of you off-guard as you cry and moan in pleasure. Jungkook watches you ride out the high lustfully, a guttural sound leaving his throat.

“Already? But I didn’t do anything yet, baby.”

You try to catch your breath, stuttering a reply, “Sorry– ugh, ‘m sorry— I didn’t know that I–”

“It’s okay, I liked it. It was sexy,” he nudges his nose with yours, fingers running up and down your sides.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been touched like this… I’m sorry.”

“Shh.” Jungkook shushes you, unlocking the yin and yang and letting your locket slide back on the bed. “Want to taste you.” Giving you one last kiss on the mouth, he continues to press butterfly kisses on your skin, following the path between your breasts. He smiles when he feels your hand reaching to intertwine with his. He places random kisses all over your tummy, inching downwards until he’s finally facing your mound.

“You’re glistening, baby, already so wet and ready.” He hums, parting your nether lips and admiring the slick flesh hiding under it. “Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long now,” Jungkook mutters, flattening his tongue against your core to lick a fat stripe.

“Gguk!” you whimper, thighs spreading further on its own accord. His nose briefly presses on the swollen nub as he provides you several kitten licks.

“You taste so sweet. Like a muffin.” His voice is dangerously low, and it goes straight through your cunt. You shiver and mewl. If he doesn’t pick up speed, you might just lose your mind.

Thankfully, he himself is losing his patience. Jungkook enters your dripping cunt with his tongue. A groan escapes him when he feels your gummy muscles squeezing him appreciatively.

He grunts, pushing harder and deeper, your essence filling his mouth. Your toes curl, and he softly brushes his thumb on your clit. You moan loudly, hips bucking up. As you try to move with him, tongue delving in and out, he thumbs your clit and rolls it in tight circles.

Your back arches, effectively pushing your pussy more into his face. Jungkook groans at the feeling. Your whimpers paired up with the sound of him eating you out bounces off the bedroom walls.

Your hand tightens its hold on his hand, the spare one balling into a fist. He softly plucks his tongue out, eagerly licking you like you’re water and he’s been thirsty for a long while now. He leaves the warmth of your cunt to wrap his lips around your clit, sucking and grazing his teeth on it.

“Fuck!”

You pull on the bed sheets, and he gives your clit a soft bite. Before you can comprehend anything else, two of his fingers slide inside you. It’s a rather tight fit, but he’s not bothered.

“I’m gonna stretch you out so well, baby.” Jungkook purrs, starting to move his fingers in and out of you. The first few thrusts have your knees buckling even though you’re lying down. He somehow manages to brush most of the sweet spots inside you, a string of incoherent words leaving you.

“That’s right, it feels amazing, doesn’t it, babygirl? You feel so good around my fingers.” He increases his pace to see how you react, and he’s blessed with a needy whimper that has his dick throbbing in the confines of his boxers.

“Please…” you close your eyes, craving more. You can feel his lips curling up against your skin.

“Please what? You have to be more specific,” Jungkook hums, teasingly running his tongue over your slit while his fingers halt inside you. You whine out of frustration, trying to move but his iron grip on your hips stops you from doing so.

“I need more. Please, Gguk… Oh—” He curls his fingers inside you, starting to move them again. His mouth latches back on your clit, coaxing a moan out of you. He scissors his digits in your cunt and you gasp. “I’m– I’m gonna come!” you cry out, head lolling back.

“Then do it. Cream my fingers like a good girl.” Jungkook grunts, adding a third finger inside your wet heat. The feeling has you screaming his name, eyes flying shut. “Look at you. Making such a mess and I haven’t put my dick in yet. Can you hear how fucking wet you are?”

You let out a wanton moan, your inner walls squeezing his digits as the squelching sound seemingly increases. He curses under his breath, suckling on your clit and keeping up the ruthless pace of his fingers. You shudder and writhe, his name falling off your lips like a prayer. Dangerously close to your release, you feel the pleasure coil inside your stomach tightening.

“Holy fuck!” Jungkook rests his forehead against your lower belly. Your cunt clamps down on his digits, heartbeat going crazy as you reach your peak without any warning. Chest heaving, you try to catch your breath.

“Look at me, ____.”

You struggle to open your eyes, but eventually, you manage to meet his gaze. A whine escapes you when you see his chin glistening under the soft light of your bedroom. Adding more to your devastation, Jungkook extracts his fingers from your core, immediately putting them inside his mouth.

“Gguk,” you whine, averting your eyes. He climbs back up on you, tapping on your lips with his index finger.

When you look at him confusedly, he murmurs, “Open up.” Your cheeks heat up from embarrassment, realizing the reason behind his actions. You bite down on your lower lip, taking a deep breath before you finally part your lips eagerly.

“Mmh!” you flutter your eyelashes at Jungkook and start sucking on his digits, the scene making his cock twitch inside his underwear. Tongue gliding across his fingers sensually, you let out several moans and whimpers, making him groan out of frustration.

“Stop giving me those eyes, baby, I won’t be able to control myself.” He grunts, removing his fingers from your mouth. He gets rid of his pants immediately. You gulp, noticing the massive bulge between his legs. Inhaling a shaky breath, you let your eyes take in the glory of his thighs, your pussy clenching around nothing.

“Like what you see?” Jungkook smirks, lips finding yours in a heated kiss. You cry out, holding onto his tattooed forearm for dear life. He grunts when he feels your wetness rubbing against his clothed cock. “So impatient.” His mouth catches your earlobe, his own hips starting to move against yours.

“Gguk… please, I need you in me.” Your voice is barely a whisper. With an impatient growl, Jungkook pulls down his boxers, his hardened cock springing out and slapping against your stomach.

A whine escapes you at the sight of his veiny, huge member. You rub your thighs together, watching the precum dribbling down on your tummy. He notices how flustered you’ve become, a chuckle rumbling in his throat. “I will ruin you babygirl, gonna fuck that innocence out of you.”

“Yes, fuck me!” You are straight up desperate at this point, cunt aching to feel him inside you. Jungkook huffs, suddenly remembering that he doesn’t have any protection with him.

“Baby… I don’t have a condom.” His lips form into a pout, and you wonder how he can be so cute and sexy at the same time.

“I’m on birth control.” Your reply is quick, legs wrapping around his waist to pull him closer.

“Fuck! You want me to go raw?”

“Yep. Want to feel you.” Jungkook doesn’t waste another second, his hand gripping on his length to slide it along your wet slit. You let out another cry, eyes snapping shut. “Please don’t tease me, I can’t.”

“Shh,” He shushes you, and soon enough, you feel the blunt, velvety head of his cock poking at your entrance.

“Oh my god!” A scream escapes you when he starts pushing in, his forehead resting in the crook of your neck as he waits for you to adjust. His girth stretches you out much more than you’ve experienced before. You writhe and whimper, feeling like it’s your first time all over again. A few tears wet your cheeks and Jungkook hurries to dry them.

“It’s okay, you’re okay. Relax, baby,” he murmurs against your skin, slowly sinking all the way in. “Let me know when you feel ready, okay?” He presses a kiss on your knuckles, threading your fingers together.

It takes you a while, but you eventually manage to adjust to the foreign feeling. Jungkook hisses when he feels your hips trying to rock against his. “Can I move now?”

“Yes! Fuck,” your voice is heavy with need which makes him groan. He grips onto your hips, starting to pull away. Just when you’re thinking that he’s gonna pull out entirely, he slams back inside, eliciting a high-pitched moan from you.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, “I’m so sorry, I don’t think that I can be gentle right now.”

“Ahh– it’s– it’s okay, I like it rough.”

“Good god.” Jungkook growls, hips slapping against yours rhythmically. You take a hold of his right hand, trying to wrap it against your throat. “Fucking hell. Is that what you want me to do to your cute body? Fuck! Such crude actions from an angel like you.” He gently grips on your throat, applying minimal pressure that has your head spinning.

“Jungkook!” Your scream is muffled by the sound of his cock pounding into you. His eyes stay fixed on your breasts, that jiggle with each thrust of his length.

He laughs breathlessly into your hair when you tense around his cock, his thrusts hitting your cervix, deeper than before. It doesn’t take long for the pressure to coil low in your body, your skin tingling with warmth.

“Gguk—”

You don’t manage another word, but you don’t really need to. Jungkook slips a hand between your legs, finding your clit with unerring accuracy and rubbing it in tight circles. You scream his name, writhing as the waves of bliss roll over you. Through the haze you notice that he is still inside your cunt, hard and throbbing. He kisses you fervently, hissing when he takes in your debauched state.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he mutters, dropping his forehead to yours and ramming his cock into your pussy. You curl your arms around his shoulders, mesmerized by his darkened eyes and the way they are focused on you. He keeps his movements rough, but there is a new, fragile intimacy between you two.

You glue your mouth over his, your breaths mingling as you taste each other. Jungkook moans when you buck your hips, meeting him halfway and grinding your clit over his pelvis. His hold on your legs tightens and you know that he is close.

“____– fuck, babygirl, I’m going to come so hard.”

You rake your nails through his fluffy hair, nodding frantically. “I’m all yours,” you whisper, voice breaking. He gives a few more hard thrusts and shudders, reaching his orgasm with a low groan and coating your walls with his thick, milky load. The feeling sets you off as well and you bury your face in his chest, whimpering with each spurt and twitch.

Blood pounds in your ears as you stroke the length of his back, your cheek resting on his racing heart. Over stimulation makes you feel a bit dizzy, soft whines leaving your parted lips. Jungkook caresses your thighs and nuzzles your locks, panting slightly. It takes a few moments for both of you to shake off the high – you raise your head first and look up at him. His eyes are warm, expression content.

“Please tell me that I’m not dreaming,” He mumbles, cradling your body in his arms.

Your eyes soften at his words, and you kiss his temple, reassuring, “You’re not, Gguk. This is very much real. We are together.”

“Let me take you out on a date tomorrow.” Jungkook presses a lingering kiss on your chest. “And the day after tomorrow.” Another kiss. “And the day after that too.” Another kiss.

“Sure… I’d love to go out on dates with you.” You manage a smile, his warm breath fanning over your neck. Before you know, your eyes tear up, a sob tearing itself from your throat.

“Oh my god— what happened?! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

You shake your head violently, taking his right hand and kissing his body art. “We only have six days left together… Isn’t it so tragic?”

Jungkook frowns immediately, remembering that he’s supposed to leave for another country within a week. His heart breaks, arms clutching on your body tighter. “Baby…”

“I’d ask you to not leave but that’s extremely selfish.”

“No no, it’s selfish at all, sweetheart. I promise to have a long, hard thought about this. I– I don’t want to leave either. How am I supposed to survive all alone, now that I finally have you?”

“Gguk… you don’t have to–”

“Shh, let’s not think about it right now. Just… I love you so much, muffin. You’re my world.”

“And you’re my universe, Jungkook. I love you too.” Your eyes glisten with unshed tears, his brown orbs looking back at you fondly.

You don’t know what the future has in store for you, but you do know that he is in it. That is everything you’d ever want.

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💌 end notes ꒱

aaaa congratulations for making it to the end! thank you so much for reading, lovely! this is actually a repost from my old blog, but i don't think anyone remembers 😅! sorry for any mistakes left in there! and of course, i hope you enjoyed reading it! ❤️‍🩹

reblogs and comments are extremely appreciated! it helps a lot to keep writers like me motivated🌷✨; and you can also send feedback through asks if you’d prefer that <33

happy holidays once again, i’m hoping to come back with new content soon!

592 notes · View notes

the-travelling-witch · 2 years

Note

Uh...Hi 👋🏻

I'm not sure how this 'ask' thing works since I'm new to Tumblr, but my friend recommended reading one of your fictions and it was really well written, I don't usually like fan fiction since majority of the time its really OOC.

But I'd like to ask for one please, I'm a really big Xiao and Kazuha lover, so may I request a scenario where the reader {could it be female if thats okay?} is sitting in a nice little scenery with the lad, and she just admires them wholeheartedly and compliments their features like I for one love Xiao's eyes so much.

That's all for now, your creative brain can think up the rest. Thanks <3

Admiring them [anemo version]

summary: you´re busy admiring your anemo boyfriend when he catches you staring

pairings: xiao x gn!reader; kazuha x reader; heizou x reader; venti x reader; aether x reader

warnings: kazuha´s and heizou´s parts are a little suggestive but nothing too bad; otherwise just fluff

a/n: thank you so much, nonnie!! hearing that my writing is in character is one of the best compliments i could imagine (also shout out to your friend) ♡ these are just some short scenarios bc my brain didn´t have the stamina to write long scenes but i might come back to this idea bc i, too, could stare at xiao´s eyes for hours~ and, as you might notice, i´m down bad for heizou

genshin impact masterlist

XIAO

Doesn’t notice at first but gets so shy when he catches your starstruck gaze

His gorgeous features are highlighted by the rosy blush dusting his cheeks as he turns his face away and tries to shield himself with his hand

But you don’t miss the way his curious amber eyes flit back to you to gauge your reaction

You were comfortably settled on one of the hilltops surrounding Liyue Harbor, granting you a grandiose view of the city below. The Lantern Rite Festival was in full swing and every street and house was lit alight by a multitude of colourful lanterns. From where you sat, the people carrying lanterns were unrecognisable, making it look like a thousand fireflies were dancing through the night.

Leaning your head against Xiao’s shoulder, you let out a deep sigh “Isn’t this beautiful, dear?”

“I guess so,” he mumbled as he hesitantly brought his arm around your waist. When you snuggled into him more, his action gained more confidence though and he lightly tugged you further against him. “People don’t believe in the adepti as they used to but they still throw festivals for them. How ridiculous.”

“I think that’s the case with most traditions. Their original meaning fades over time but because people grow up learning this way, they’ll continue to do it like that in the future. And their kids will grow up learning it too…and so on and so forth.” Xiao merely scoffed but you knew he wasn’t as averse to the people of Liyue Harbor as he let on.

You sat in peaceful silence for a while, letting the bustling of the city mixed with the sounds of nature from the mountains serve as background noise. Then, the first light of a xiao lantern floated into the night sky and thousands followed its path. The sea around the harbour was set ablaze as people set lanterns out on the water. Reaching for your boyfriend’s hand, you intertwined your fingers and gave them a playful squeeze.

As more and more lights filled the air, you turned to Xiao who was curiously watching the scene unfold before him. The lanterns’ shine was perfectly reflected in his gorgeous amber eyes as they seemingly glowed from the inside out. The night breeze gently twirled the strands framing his face and you couldn’t help but be in awe “Truly breathtaking…”

“Aren’t you exaggerat—“ Xiao faced you but was cut off by you already looking at him. “Why are you giving me that look??”

“What? I’m admiring the view, that’s what we came here for after all,” you teased, giving him a gentle nudge with your elbow.

“I will never understand you mortals”, he grumbled without any malice as he whipped his head to the side to hide his rosy cheeks from you, of which you had already gotten a glimpse.

Sitting up on your knees, you draped yourself over his back, your head resting on his. “It’s true though. You’re absolutely stunning, whether you can see it yourself or not. But that’s what I’m here for, right? I’ll remind you everyday if I have to, that you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever had the luck of meeting, both inside and out. If you know that, then it’s okay.”

Tentatively, Xiao slipped his fingers between yours, tenderly returning the affectionate squeeze you gave him earlier. He needen´t express himself with words when you knew it was a grateful "I know."

KAZUHA

Kazuha’s pleasantly surprised, his features soon morphing into a serene smile

Conveys how much he appreciates your affection before returning the favour and showering you with the most eloquent of verses

He’s always been very secure in your relationship and has never been shy to voice how charming you are to him, so catching you admiring his features feels very intimate in a non sexual way

You were sitting beneath a crimson maple tree a few kilometres away from Liyue Harbor as you watched the falling leaves dance in the breeze before gracefully landing in a gentle stream carrying them away. But this wasn´t the only view to marvel at. No, if anything, the sight which caught your eye was even more beautiful than the landscape surrounding you.

Enraptured, you followed each elegant move your boyfriend executed as he practised his sword technique. He might have discarded the title of samurai but he was still diligently improving his fighting prowess and you certainly didn't mind “reviewing his form”.

The polished silver of his blade gleamed as it passed through the sunrays filtering through the tree crowns above. He had tied back both sleeves of his haori jacket and his hair, the short ponytail exposing the curve of his neck. Every now and then, you were even granted a peek of his collarbones when the garment slipped slightly open at the front. The muscles in his forearms flexed with each rise and fall of his katana, which subsequently made heat rise to your cheeks.

“You have a curious way of observing my technique, love.” Kazuha´s low chuckle brought you out of your daydreaming fantasy and you quickly averted your eyes, your face and neck practically burning in shame. The action caused him to laugh a little more as he lowered his sword and slowly approached your sitting form. “It´s alright, darling. After all, you need to get a very close look to help me with the fine details of my practice, isn´t that right?”

“Point taken, now stop embarrassing me!” The measly cover your hands provided only lasted a couple of seconds before two hands -one bare and one bandaged- gently closed around your wrists and exposed you to the inquisitive gaze of your lover. As your eyes found crimson ones, your heart beat started irregularly jumping up and down at the depth of emotion you found swirling within.

“There we go, that's much better.” Light as a feather, Kazuha trailed millions of fluttering butterfly kisses first across your wrists, palms and fingers before making his way up your arm until he had pulled you close enough, so his warm breath fanned your neck. If he couldn´t hear your heart before, he certainly could now. You were surprised it hadn´t leapt out of your chest and into his hands, where it metaphorically had already made its home.

More kisses bloomed along the skin of your collarbone and up your neck, stopping right underneath the sensitive spot behind your ear, his low hum sending shivers down your spine. “You needn´t be embarrassed, my love. On the contrary, I quite enjoy having your attention on me, considering how your alluring charms occupy my mind nearly every waking second of my day. Even at night, your magnificent figure follows me into my dreams, so it seems only fair that this feeling is shared by us both, don´t you think, darling?”

“None of this is fair!”, you whined as the vibrations of his voice seemed to reach even the deepest part of your soul. As if to prove your point, Kazuha cupped your cheek with one hand to keep you in place while his soft lips worked their way up your jaw. Yes, you were certain: whatever game this was, your boyfriend was definitely cheating.

“Ah but don´t you remember, love?” The skin around his eyes crinkled lightly to reflect the scarlet mirth staring back at you, the small smirk he adorned tangible against the corner of your lips.

“´All is fair in matters of love and war.´ But if you think this is foul-play,” he contemplated while his thumb traced the arch of your lower lip, “I might have to throw my morals to the wind more often.”

HEIZOU

(Why would you do this to yourself? /j)

The smug smirk he wears when he catches you staring tells you that you’re in for it now

It’s nearly impossible to slip anything past his trained detective eyes and when Heizou studies your expression, he’s naturally quick to put two and two together

But don’t you dare look away while he’s cooing at how adorable you are, he’ll tilt your face back towards his with two fingers placed on your chin to further continue his investigation~

You’re not sure if either of you had moved within the last hour. And you’re not sure if either of you wanted to move for that matter.

For context, your boyfriend was completely absorbed by a new puzzle he had gotten, so much so that you doubted he could see or hear anything that was farther than 10 or 20 centimetres from reach. By now you were used to his moods and just let him be, having learnt the hard way that there’s no way to get him back to the real world in a time like that.

As for you, well, you were completely absorbed by…him. The way his brow creased, how his teeth worried his bottom lip when he was stuck on a certain part, his bright eyes that narrowed in deep concentration and his moles…those goddamn moles!!

For now, you were torn between admiring him and scowling at him for being so beautiful it was maddening. Frustrated, you scoffed under your breath.

“Drives you that crazy, hmm?” he said without looking up from his work, mischief swinging in his voice. Chuckling when your head snapped up in surprise, he raised his eyes to meet yours, amusement evident amidst olive green. “What, you thought I wouldn’t notice when you’re basically burning holes into my head with how much you’re staring, baby?”

“I’m glad at least one of us finds this amusing,” you grumbled, defiantly looking away from him. If you had kept your eyes on him a little longer though, you would’ve noticed how he rounded the table and came up behind where you were sitting. But because you didn’t, his voice ringing out directly besides your ear nearly made you jump out of your skin.

“For someone who’s been so observant up until now, you’re quite easy to sneak up on, you know.” His teasing snicker set the back of your neck and most possibly also your cheeks on fire. When you turned around to give him a piece of your mind, you were playing right into his hands, which came down on either side of you as he crowded you against the table, his smug smirk even wider now. “Tell me baby, what’s got you so upset?”

“No.”

“Oh come on. I’m your boyfriend, remember?” he cooed. One of his hands cupped the side of your jaw, high enough for his thumb to trace circles onto your cheek. “But I’m not a mind-reader. I can’t make you feel better if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. My, with how you’re burning up, I might just think you have a fever.”

“Oh, shut up,” you mumbled and turned your head away again. “You know exactly what’s going on.”

“Mhm, I do.” His voice low, barely above a whisper and oh so close to you, made goosebumps rise along your arms. “But I like to hear you say it.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Aww, you’re breaking my heart, sweetheart. Say,” two of his fingers rested under your chin to tilt it back to his, making it impossible to escape his half-lidded gaze, “am I really that bad?”

Your eyes flitted down towards his lips as Heizou leaned in. Winding your arms around his neck with one hand settling comfortably in his auburn hair, you straightened to meet him halfway.

As your lips nearly touched his, you whispered “Yeah, you drive me out of my mind.”

VENTI

Cheeky, cheeky bard

Thrives with your attention on him and will tease you about it

As he flirts back and returns your compliments tenfold, his bright eyes seem to hold an even livelier spark than usual

When he shows you the most recent song he wrote, you’ll find the person who inspired it feels rather familiar

The fresh breeze curled around your face and tugged at your clothes but it didn’t chill you. On the contrary, it was a welcome sensation that brought with it the scent of flowers and apples.

You were sitting on the stone parapet surrounding the plaza in front of the cathedral. At the foot of Mondstadt’s Barbatos Statue there was a little get together of bards from all over Teyvat, swapping stories and presenting their newly written works.

And in the midst of it all was your lovely boyfriend, who naturally attracted the people around him. Whether it was because of his charms, his talent or because he was literally the patron of bards you didn’t know but you were happy he could share his passion with like-minded people. In fact, it was your idea to come here in the first place. But at one point you had taken a step back from the conversation and let Venti do his thing.

Your attention was drawn back to the crowd though when the familiar tune of a lyre reached your ears. From how often you got to listen to it, you’d be able to pick this instrument from hundreds of its kind each time. Or maybe it wasn’t the lyre but the person playing it.

Slowly you approached the bards and pushed your way to the front, where you had perfect vision of Venti strumming his lyre with lithe fingers and humming a new yet comfortingly familiar melody. With his eyes closed and a serene smile on his face, he swayed in time with his piece. Although it was an action so simple, you found you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the sight of him so in his element, as if nothing or no one else was there.

You were so lost in him that it took you a couple of seconds to notice he had finished performing and was making his way over, teal eyes already fixed on you. There was a playful grin tugging at his lips, getting more excited the closer he came.

“Did you like it, dove?” Venti immediately grasped both your hands within his and brought them up to his lips to press quick pecks to your knuckles “Or were you too busy staring to notice who this song was dedicated to, ehe~?”

“Well, I can’t help it that my boyfriend is so beautiful, can I now?”, you teased back, one hand straightening the cap on his head before twirling one of his braids around your finger.

“It’s a tragedy, really,” he sighed, wiping a fake tear from the corner of his eyes. Then he lifted his hand to your face and gently smoothed the knuckle of his pointer finger across your cheekbone, all the while giving you the softest look you’d ever seen a person muster “But this does not even compare to the hardships I go through, all because my partner is so gorgeous. Especially when they look at me with eyes so full of love, how can I keep myself from writing a million songs about them? How do I endure the constant thoughts of them crossing my mind? The burden, it’s near impossible to bear!”

“Oh, woe is us! Fate can be so cruel,” you mock sobbed before you both erupted into a fit of giggles. When you calmed down you fixed him with the most loving gaze “I love you, Venti.”

“I love you, too, dove.”

AETHER

A smile so bright it could replace the sun and the matching warmth on his cheeks

Followed by the most adorable giggles which envelope you like a cosy blanket

Very expressive about his gratitude and even more vocal about his adoration for you

Expect more ‘random’ compliments and small gestures from him from now on

You were lazing around on your shared bed as you waited for your boyfriend to grace you with his presence. And luckily for you and your ceiling, which you probably would've turned into a donut if you had stared any longer, the characteristic sound of the front door opening, followed by the hopeful call of your name, had you sitting up straight fast enough to make the room spin.

Aether had been away on commissions for too long in your humble opinion. So, when the bedroom door opened to reveal your sunshine of a boyfriend, he thanked the Archons for his fast reflexes, otherwise both of you would´ve gone down with how you threw yourself at him. But luckily, Aether is Aether and twirling you around upon catching you was one of the easiest parts of his life.

“You're finally back! I missed you so much!”, you exclaimed while throwing your arms around his neck. You couldn't help but giggle when he returned the sentiment as sincerely as you gave it. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, you slid back down and intertwined your hands. “Come on, you must be tired. Let's get you washed up and then let's eat!”

No matter how often you saw it, there was something entrancing about the way Aether carefully removed piece after piece of his armour until only his pants and crop top remained. When all his discarded clothes found their way into the hamper, he sat down in front of your vanity and reached for the end of his braid.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Aether offered no protest as he relaxed fully into the chair and basically melted as your fingers trailed up his arms and massaged some of the tense spots around his shoulders. Then, just as carefully, your fingertips brushed along the expanse of his spine and you prided yourself on the little shiver that visibly ran through him. “Relax, honey. Let me take care of you.”

By the time your fingers gently removed the hair tie from his blonde strands, Aether had his eyes closed while his breath had evened out. If it weren't for the little hums he left out as the pressure on his scalp ebbed away when you slowly undid his braid, you'd have thought he was asleep. After tenderly running your fingers through the entirety of his hair to get out the biggest tangles, you reached for the brush on the vanity.

Making your way from the ends of his hair to the roots, you found that there wasn't much to do actually. Sure, there was one or the other tiny knot but otherwise his hair had inexplicably remained pretty tangle-free. You couldn't help but wonder how your boyfriend managed to do that because you were quite sure if you had his hair, you´d have brought at least half a forest worth of twigs and leaves home with you.

So, who could blame you that you kept smoothing over his beautiful locks long after you were done brushing them out, especially when the sinking evening sun turned them into liquid gold between your fingertips. A few more minutes wouldn't hurt right?

“You´re so cute, you know that?” You tore your eyes from the strands in your grasp to the mirror, wide eyes meeting his half-lidded ones. In your surprise you had let go of the hair you were holding as you fumbled for something to say. But Aether beat you to it. “Please, keep going. This feels so nice.”

Who were you to deny him? He needn't ask twice before your fingers had picked up their earlier ministrations again as the light falling through the window made your boyfriend glow brighter than any treasure ever could.

„How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?“, you mused, small smile visible in the vanity mirror. At that, Aether craned his neck to look up at you, his eyes wide and curious at your sudden declaration. But then an equally adoring grin tugged at his lips as he turned around in your arms.

„Isn’t that my line?“, he chuckled. Looping his arms around your neck, he cradled the back of your head in his palm as he pulled you down to his height. Every kiss you shared didn´t last long as you both smiled into them, leading to you breaking apart after only a few seconds. Giving his nose a quick peck, you settled for resting your forehead against his, basking in your boyfriend's contagious giggles.

You´d often heard people say that home was not a place but a person and while you understood the meaning of the statement, you could never reflect the sentiment. But after meeting Aether and travelling Teyvat with him, you started to see the truth behind the phrase. After all, you couldn´t care less about where you were as long as you were with him.

974 notes · View notes

writingcold · 6 months

Text

Why hello there!

I was looking over @hearts-hunger writing prompts for her Halloween Event and I thought to myself that I’ve never, ever tried to write spooky. I doubted that I would ever — wait. What was this? #18 Visiting a Graveyard? Oh really… I started to sketch out this just to play with it and let me tell you - shit happened. My brain would not stop. My hair may have caught fire. Wow.

So, in this process, the story that I thought would be a quick one, has possessed me and has turned into a much longer, multi-chapter fiction. And you know that I’m not a big fan of posting while still in the writing process - but! I really want to share this opening chapter of this very gothic, paranormal romance that somehow went from exploring a graveyard to a cursed love that will span across five lifetimes, and over 300 years. Yeah. You know it, I’ve been at the research again. Lol I say that like it’s an addiction. You might want to check in with @jakekiszkasbuttsweat as I’ve been torturing her with all of this mess and some pretty out there ideas. Thank you, my friend! I so appreciate you. And a big thank you to @allieisacrybaby for putting together the amazing Jake collage together for me! It's so pretty.

I’ll shut up now, but I hope you enjoy this first chapter. I’m hoping to begin posting this as soon as the story is completed. Be sure to check out all the other stories that are attached to this project. They are by some of the best writers and brains. You can find the masterlist here!

Contents Warning: None. Just gothic overtones and a smidge of blood.

Word Count: approx. 3300

The Dead, Part 1: The Entity in the Graveyard

It was a season of newness. Rebirth. He had slumbered for a spell. Of that he was certain. His vision started out blurred, but sharpened as the human days passed, allowing him to grow in form. He sat, perched like a gargoyle on his headstone when the sight of the church across the road came into focus. Ah. The familiar white boards were still full of peeling, toxic paint and were cupping from years of weathering and neglect. The stained glass still caught the morning sun to reflect out onto the unkempt blades of grass and weeds, albeit was not as vibrant as it once had been. The bell still clanged its ghostly chime if the wind screamed from the north or south.

He could feel the air did not welcome his presence. Why had he stirred? He should have slept through the years until the time of the Thinning. He stood straight up on his stone, face trained to the muted colors of the night sky. He watched the music of the cosmos twist and twirl amongst the stars. His senses had finally begun to stretch across the graveyard, assessing his, for lack of a better word, kingdom. He was, after all, the oldest resident of the grounds. There were no new ghosts to speak of but there was a scent upon the air that he could not place. It was close to his stone and carried the heaviness of iron. It carried the rapacity of cells. It carried life. He began to move, seeking out the source of that life. Surely no one of the living had visited the grounds, aside from him - the caretaker. It had been years since anyone new had been planted into their grave, and all of the families of the rotted in the ground were long, long gone. So why would…

He paused when he drew upon the edge of the rock bordered path. Iron. Cells. Life. He moved down against a particularly sharp stone, his spectral fingers drifting across the surface as wonder touched his thoughts. Life. Actual life that had fueled a living human was spilled across the smattering of rocks. He moved his face in close to feel the faint vibration that was still carried in the blood. It is a joy to feel this. A joy to know that a life had passed across the grass and taken in the space of his graveyard. The corners of his mouth curled and stretched as he retreated back to his headstone. There had been life present. Was that why he had been roused? He felt his essence tremble over the possibility. Instead of resuming his slumber, he decided to wait; watch; contemplate the oddity.

His hand pushed through the headstone that had anchored him nearly every day of the human year, save the thin times when the fabric would fail and allow those of the living to confuse those of the dead as one of their own. His index finger traced the deep cut ‘J’ in the polished stormy granite that marked the first letter of his name. The letters no longer truly held meaning. No one was left to mourn him. No one was left for him to remember through faded fondness and cooled over warm memories.

It was an odd feeling whenever it struck. No one was left to remember him. How many ancient cultures believed that if the soul was remember by those of the living, then in fact the one who was dead lived on? And wasn’t it also believed if the one who was dead, and not remembered, the soul would cease to exist? And yet, he was there, chained to the stone his melted corpse resided beneath. Chained to the grounds that only the dead could dare to know on such an intimate level.

He was by no means alone. Although many had disappeared, embracing the light or welcoming the fire when the solitude gripped too tightly for too long, or perhaps when their patch of ground grew too putrid and obnoxious that either joy or damnation would be accepted readily. Not him, though. The radiance was never offered, while the hellfire never beckoned like a lover either. He truly was part of the in-between. Not that it bothered him. The Thinning time was his glory, even though it was rare and erratic.

Each Thinning, she would appear. She was neither of the living nor of the dead. He wondered if she was a goddess - eternal like time, ethereal like nature. Perhaps she was a forgotten entity, purged to make way for man and his foolish and mostly stupid beliefs that he was any better, any smarter, any stronger. If there was one thing he understood from his centuries of life and death was that man was nothing but juvenile. Juvenile in their handling of life. Juvenile in their handling of grief. A woman on her own understood life, understood grief. She could survive alone just fine.

Time flowed beyond his attention. The grass began to push through the patches of stubborn snow that clung to the hope that the cold would remain. There was a brightness that curled and sweetened the sky with a life’s breath that only the dead and those of the in-between could appreciate enough to see. The vibrant peach and lavender of the sun’s trail caught his eyes long enough to push wildflowers from the earth to bring forth the swarming of the crickets and bugs of the early summer.

‘A’. The letter had a chink in the cross where the stone cutter botched it up. He dragged his finger across the flaw for human hours at a time, grimacing over the tortured frame of what it meant to be the letter ‘A’. The fog was growing thicker as the supposed witching hour of the night drew forth. He often wondered over the purpose of such an hour. Time never affected the dead or those of the in-between. The so-called witches that the time was meant for never were concerned to wait for the practice of their sacred rituals. Perhaps it was used for those who were of the veil but not of his own likeness. He smiled as his sight passed over those who were his incognizant companions in the graveyard. They never acknowledged his presence, nor that of each other for that matter. It was a point of contention when he first discovered himself in the cemetery. Why would there be such division beyond the veil of the living? Was it the casting of purgatory to punish those who were arrested in the frozen state of death before the larger powers to claim their own dead beings? Baffling.

He lazed before his stone; his thoughts stretched out beyond the land he was bound to, images of lives he had lived projecting out of him like a film, though he scarcely could remember what he could only identify as vague memories. How could he have sailed the Great Lakes and trod across virgin land, and travel the earth in search of great knowledge and culture, and stain his hands in a vineyard as a farmer and strummed his fingers against the frets of a guitar for the enjoyment of many? Surely not just in one lifetime. There were overwhelming moments of fragility, pain, love and… ugliness.

Frustrated over the toil of his thoughts, he moved across the fractured landscape to the wrought iron gates. The chain of his headstone gave him a gentle tug with each inch that he passed along. He could feel the air of the living billowing on the other side, dancing in the sunlight of the day. Wasn’t it just night? He glanced back to find indeed the sun had risen and passed overhead. A wanton expression passed over his otherwise unmoving lips.

He drifted north, following the chinks and twists and flaws of the neglected fence as if he could ever leave the boundary of his world. He paused at the edge and forced his vision to dim to nothing so that he might feel nothing. It would be easy enough as only fields of early crops and a singular road stretched out before him in an endless roll of land. But…

A light beckoned. It sparkled on the very horizon like a star, but cooled as it drew closer until it faded into a human form. A human-shaped woman in all her fragility and vigor was walking along the broken asphalt of the road. Dressed in a flowing fabric drenched in light, she demanded his attention through her silence. He trailed behind her until finally, he stopped, face to face with her, discovering her reaching for the cemetery gate as if reaching out for him. Her skin, smooth and without the tarnish of age, shimmered with a perfume that he is sure is beautiful like apple blossoms, or perhaps delicate lilacs. Her graceful gait makes her appear to be floating over the hidden rock and fissures of the ground. He was compelled in his interest by the creature as the corners of her eyes began to fade and signs of aging began to whisper across the skin of her hands and throat. Her hair began to thin and lose its luster. He had never come across such a human as to grow old before him. Perhaps she was wraith, untethered and unseeing of his being.

He followed her step for step through the graveyard. Her body grew small and bent by gravity. Her face becomes ancient and heavily marred by time. Her eyes cloud over as is always the case of the elderly, as if they can take in more of the world around them. And yet - she is beautiful. Delicate. Alluring. He was drawn to her like a lighthouse calling him to shore.

“What are you?” he whispered into her scraggle of hair that had loosened from its tether.

She appears to nearly tumble across the stone path and he is in awe that she comes to a stop before his headstone. Her body is ancient. Her clouded eyes blur and close as her breath labors to enter and leave her body. A badly twisted hand snaked out from the woman’s shroud and landed against his name. He watched silently as she lowered herself to her knees, resting her forehead to the granite before her. Her breath became shallow… unmeasured.

“Are you dying?” he asked, his eyes wide as he came to rest beside her.

She stretched out onto the hardness of the ground, cheek resting upon her arm. He lays beside her like a forgotten lover. He longs to touch her. To ease her pain as a mumbled sting of ache bubbles from her mouth. For a span of minutes, there is nothing. No breath. No sound. No… life. He watches her in utter fascination, finding himself unable to do anything other than lay beside her.

“Are you…”

His words fail in a crackled mess as a note stirred within him. A note of bitter familiarity that clawed and scratched at his mind like it was trying to force him to remember something that refused to be revealed. The creature gasped and sputtered and choked, startling him. One gnarled hand, followed by the other, began to push against the earth. He rose up over her, stunned as in painfully slow fashion, she gathered her knees beneath her once more. Her noises are guttural and deep as she uses his headstone to make her way back to standing. He moved around to the back of the stone as she paused to capture her breath once more. He looked into her face and a pang of awareness crashed upon him like a wave. The knowledge of this person was a blackened spot to him, but there was a sense of familiarity that he could not place. She began to turn away, the brittleness of her bones crinkled and popped against his ears.

Achingly slow, she began her journey back towards the gate. He drifted around her, looping his mist through her fingers and against the exposed skin of her cheek. The breeze tickled shades of blush and orange against her hair and he noticed the age that had tugged and blurred and swirled against her to bend her was reversing. Her back became straighter with each of her steps. The deep lines of wisdom and life were fading. The full curve of her lip and striking beauty of her skin bloomed before him and fully returned by the time her hand pushed open the heavy gate.

For the briefest of moments, he stood before her. Her eyes appeared to be locked upon only him. Had she known of his presence all along? He wondered if she could see him as he had been - wisps of chestnut strands that floated across his shoulders and the hair that curled around its tie that fell between his shoulder blades. The coy ghost of a smile that always seemed to be present upon his mouth. Did she see the dark swirl of earth tones in his eyes and the caramel tint of his skin?

Her eyes shimmered as he dared to reach his spectral hand out to brush against the heated flesh of her cheek. He pretended to press the palm against the plump flesh and smooth the pad of his thumb across the ridge of her cheekbone. For a fraction of a second, she even seemed to lean into his hand like a welcomed lover. And then…

She walked away from him, dragging a light that grew brighter the further away she moved. He watched the light, beaming like a star until it disappeared beyond the horizon.

The ‘C’ of his name was the most elaborate, but most shallow of the cuts into the stone. It scrolled with a flourish that left him to wonder if it was created to remind him of a flamboyant moment that he had once lived. Or perhaps the stone cutter thought he was being funny, perhaps cryptic with such a deliberate act. Regardless, it could keep him enthralled for days, tracing the intricate loops and noticing how quickly the craftsmanship faded over the years.

There was not much of his human self he remembered. Perhaps he was rather insignificant and there was nothing of notoriety to remember. He could not recount the number of spirits who cried over their being, only to wail as their loved ones drifted through the tall grass and treacherously uneven grounds to mourn their passing. He wondered if time had given him so much distance from his human self to no longer realize that simple magic of the world and thus, released his mortal memory to allow the wonderment of the dead in.

The days were stretched to the limit, gobbling up each extra second like a greedy tick. He felt the air shimmering fat around him with a heat and kiss of life that he seldom took the chance to relish. His fingers pressed into the center swirl of the ‘C’ as his thoughts bent to the creature. She was not present on the mortal daily, but her appearance had become fixture - stretching from the horizon, her light bellowed in like a tidal wave. He could not help but to follow as she tread through her aging process to stoop and drop a lily. He tried to grab her attention. He tried to test to see if she could see him. Each time, he would be left to wonder. Her reaction was always the same, one that could be construed as the human tilt of her head, a longing look to join him, maybe. There was no definitive proof that she offered in her visits.

‘O’. Never ending. No beginning. No ending. Maybe the ‘O’ was like himself in that manner. How a blink of his eye could find him removed and forwarded by whole earthly seasons. The air had turned. It no longer held the breath of warmth and sunshine of summer. Instead, it held the darkening, faded breath of life. The line between those of the living and those of the dead was thinning. He could feel it against where his skin once resided. If he were amongst the living, he would inhale this air until his lungs could hold no more. To the point of it burning and almost painful but the perfume too beautiful to not relish in such a manner. Alas, his body required no lungs, no skin.

The creature’s visits were growing more sporadic. He watched from up close and from afar. He tried to touch and tried to ignore. It did not matter. Her tread was always the same. Her return to the horizon was unfettered by whatever antics he would attempt. To say that it was maddening would admit to feeling something of his residual humanness. Was it impatience? Curiosity, perhaps. Whatever it was, he did not like being centered around this being that could come and go, taking his attention and thoughts with it.

‘B’. His final letter allowed him to return and finish his own name. The letter resides just as deep as the ‘J’, but the flag at the top bends backwards in a trail that weaves through the loop of the ‘O’ and tangles with the flair of the ‘C’, like a tree branch. It skews the ‘A’ and hovers over the ‘J’, providing a fancy little cap to the name he had known as his own for all his time. Jacob.

It was not the first incarnation of his name. There were older forms of the name that he had known. All meaning the same thing - the surplanter. He wondered if he had been a good man. Had he been evil in a good world? The fuzziness of his memories were mere echoes of what could have been but never concrete. Never accurate.

The brittle leaves of the poplars and birch rattled like an old, sick man��s breath and were yellowed like his teeth. He tilted his chin upwards, looking into the gray sky beyond the dense canopy above and caught sight of the swirl of the cosmos that only those beyond the veil were privy to. The stars were dancing and singing, though no human could ever hear the beauty that was always wrapped around them in their ignorance. And yet, he tapped his toe and hummed along like a human would to their most favorite tune. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened over the idiocy of the moment, but then, who was he not to enjoy a little morsel of what it was like to be the human he once was? Music stirred deep within him like nothing else. It saddened him, maddened him, and filled him with the feeling that he once had been real, although he was unsure of how long he had indeed been dead.

Days were shortening. They were becoming like a careworn silk belt on a robe. He enjoyed sitting on his headstone, watching the wind play against the grass. Humans couldn’t see the colors that are pushed around flying like dandelion fluff, carrying the fallen leaves and bits of life too dry to survive upon its host. Perhaps it was one of those things that were put forth to mesmerize the eye of the dead to distract from the living. He didn’t care. If the colors of the world and the cosmos of the sky were placed there to keep him from terrorizing the grander scale of the world, so be it.

Divider by @cafekitsune

I hope you liked this intro chapter. If you would like to be added to my taglist, let me know - reply or send an ask. The Dead will probably not be ready fully for posting until after the first of the new year. I really have a lot of work to do on it. In the meantime, I do have a new fiction starting soon that is rather angsty. See you again soon!

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @streamingcolors-gvf @gretavanbitches @samsurfgreenbass @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatchercarol @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @lightmylove-gvf @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter @sammysvanfeet @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @jaketlove @redsierra1960 @gvfmarge @becinabubblegvf @wildbluesorbit @sinarainbows

#jake gvf #jake kiszka #greta van fleet #gvf #jake kiszka x reader #jake kiszka fan fiction #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet au #the dead: gvf fan fic #gvf fan fic #gvf fan fic au #gvfhalloweenfics

54 notes · View notes