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snelbz · 3 years

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Tempting the Fates {Chapter 9}

Summary: It’s the final semester of Aelin Galathynius’ collegiate career and she is so beyond ready to be done. Her schedule is packed full of nursing classes and labs designed to test her knowledge and hone her skills for the real world and her “big girl” job. However, she needs one last elective to graduate, so she decides to study a subject she’s always been fascinated by: Mythology. Who would have thought that a class about gods and goddesses living complicated lives would end up complicating her own in such an unexpected way?

A @snelbz X @theladyofdeath collaboration.

Word Count: 3378

Chapters will be posted every Wednesday.

Tempting the Fates Masterlist

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***Announcement! *** After the completion of I’ll be Seeing You and Tempting the Fates, all of Tara and I’s joint fanfiction will be posted on a separate blog that we run together > @snacmc. Be sure to follow the new blog as we will start posting on there soon!

Hestia

– Goddess of the hearth, home and family

Mondays and Wednesdays always seemed to drag.

Thanks to her lack of Rowan in class, Aelin’s classes were boring and she found herself thinking of other things, rather than the notes she was supposed to be taking. Like the way Rowan’s eyes had been on her as she went down on him in the shower earlier than morning.

At his insistence, she’d begun using his shower for more than just sex purposes, as she’d so eloquently explained to him the week before. She was regularly staying over, getting ready for her own classes in the morning, just as he was. But whenever one of them followed the other into the tiled shower, it was used for practical reasons.

As well as sexual ones.

Suppressing a whine as she thought of the way Rowan had pinned her up against the cool tiles that morning, Aelin crossed her legs and checked her watch. Only another twenty minutes and then she had her break between classes. She wasn’t hungry, thanks to the protein bar she’d eaten just before this class started, and she was close to the gen ed building, so she decided she would drop by her mythology professor’s office. She had a few questions about the homework he’d assigned yesterday and face-to-face was always better to her than an email.

Once her anatomy professor was wrapping up, Aelin was tossing her books into a bag and hauling ass across campus. Rowan’s last class was wrapping up, too, and she didn’t want to miss him before he hurried off to do whatever else.

She could’ve texted him to stay put, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

She made it to his building and dodged by those who were hurrying off to their other classes or their beds, and stopped at Rowan’s office door before giving it a halting knock.

It took him a second to answer, but when he did, he was handsome as ever.

His shirt sleeves were rolled up, the button down tucked into his trousers. When he saw it was Aelin at his office door, a silver brow lifted.

“Aelin,” he began, clearing his throat. “How may I help you?”

“I have some questions about the homework,” she began, voice low, even though no one else was around. “Can I come in for a second?”

Rowan moved aside before she had finished her question. With one last glance down the hall he shared with a few other first-year professors, he shut the door, sealing them into his office. The blinds were open, but on the third floor, it wasn’t like anyone could see the private meeting he and his student were about to have.

Even if he didn’t know what kind of meeting it was about to be.

“Are you on your lunch break?” She asked, leaning back against his desk.

He nodded. “Didn’t plan on taking lunch, but I’ve got a couple hours before my next class. Was going to work on some grading. Why?”

He had stepped closer, pausing beside one of the chairs he kept in front of the desk for students to sit in.

Aelin clearly had other ideas of where to sit though. With a smirk, she reached out and lightly gripped his shirt, pulling him towards her.

“You had questions about the homework,” he breathed, leaning away as she tried to kiss him.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t kiss her. He just wanted to see her squirm.

And squirm, she did. “You know very well that I turned in the homework yesterday afternoon.”

She tried to kiss him again, but he fell away, even though his arms were around her waist.

“I don’t recall that,” he taunted. “Maybe you could remind me.”

“I turned it in just before I did this,” she crooned, and her lips found his.

Aelin kissed him, slowly, her arms snaking around his neck. She swore she would never tire of the feeling of his mouth on hers.

“Oh yeah,” Rowan muttered, against her lips. “Now I remember.”

It only took him a second to grab her hips and set her on top of his desk.

There was a clattering of something tipping over, probably a cup of pens or paper clips from the sound of it, but neither of them cared. Not as he gripped the outside of her thigh where her legs were wrapped around him, or her hand found its way into his hair. He was both frustrated and very glad she’d worn leggings today. While he wished she was wearing something with a bit easier access, it was probably a blessing in disguise that he couldn’t get his hand between her legs.

Or his mouth.

Or any other body parts.

That wasn’t stopping Aelin from rubbing against him, looking for friction, as their tongues battled and teeth occasionally clashed. She let out a quiet moan and he tugged on her hair, pulling her lips from his.

“We’re not fucking in my office,” he breathed, looking her in the eyes. “It is way too dangerous.”

She nodded, knowing and accepting the fact, but it didn’t mean she was done kissing him.

“Was this morning not enough?” He smirked, trailing his lips down her throat instead of returning to hers.

“It’s never enough,” she gasped. “Every time I’m away from you…”

Her words trailed off as their lips met. It was true. It was never enough. She was so fulfilled with Rowan, and the second he was gone, she longed for him.

“Come over tonight,” Aelin begged. “Stay with me tonight.”

Rowan groaned as his tongue slipped between her lips.

They stayed at Rowan’s nearly every night. The only times Aelin stayed at her own apartment was when she had an exam or homework she had to work on, without Rowan distracting her. Lysandra and Aedion had met Rowan over dinner a few nights before, though Aelin had insisted take out was much more her friends’ speed than a fully home cooked meal. However, Aelin had a lab due the following morning, so after dinner, Rowan had gone back home.

Alone.

“We have class tomorrow,” he replied, lips still on hers.

“So we’ll make sure we get up early.” Dragging her teeth across his jaw, she gripped his shoulders. “Bring over everything you’ll need to come straight to class.”

Rowan hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“We don’t live on campus,” Aelin said, quietly. “It’s not like I live somewhere surrounded by students.”

Rowan pulled back and met her gaze. “It’s important to you?”

Aelin nodded, arms still wrapped around the back of his neck. “I love being cooped up in your apartment. I really do. But, sometimes I wanna be cooped up somewhere else, too.”

Rowan huffed a laugh. “Alright.”

“Yeah?” Aelin asked, a soft smile painted across her light pink lips.

Rowan couldn’t help his own smile forming as he leaned forward and pulled Aelin closer to him as he kissed her, softly. They went on like that, dwelling in those slow, prolonged kisses. There was something personal, something exceptional about a long, slow kiss. Something sensual that made Aelin’s stomach feel like it was going to explode, even though it lacked that animalistic passion they had come to find within one another.

A quick knock at the door had them jumping apart, Rowan dragging a quick hand through his hair, not having a chance to reply before the door opened.

“Hey, Rowan, I was hoping you could— Oh.”

The pretty woman froze in the doorway, taking in the scene in front of her.

It was innocent enough, though Aelin’s lips were swollen from their kisses. That could easily be explained away, especially as her teeth found the bottom lip and gnawed on it.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had an appointment,” she said, eyeing Aelin, who had thankfully gotten off the desk before she’d entered.

“It wasn’t officially booked,” he explained, slightly stepping in front of Aelin to keep her shielded. “Miss Galathynius had a few questions about the homework I assigned in class and about an upcoming project. She stopped by during her lunch break, since her schedule is so busy.”

Silence built in the office, and after a second, Rowan cleared his throat. “Did you need something, Remelle?”

“Maeve sent out an email about a mandatory department meeting for Thursday night,” she said, slowly, still looking at them both suspiciously. “A couple of us in the building were going to get drinks after, wanted to know if you wanted to come.”

Rowan cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I’ll plan on it.”

“Good,” Remelle said, a little too quickly. “And check your mailbox in the office. It’s full.”

With another look at Aelin, then at Rowan, Remelle left and the door fell shut behind her.

Silence enveloped the room.

Rowan slowly turned around to look at Aelin, whose face was pale.

“You couldn’t have locked the door?” she whispered.

Rowan scoffed. “Yeah, because that wouldn’t have been suspicious, being locked in here with a student.”

For some reason, the word student felt like a jab coming from him in that moment. Aelin’s back straightened. “I wasn’t aware that the receptionist randomly barges into your office. If a student found it locked, they probably wouldn’t think it was weird, at all. Offices around here are locked all the damn time.”

Rowan sighed and nodded. He stepped towards her and ran his hands up and down her arms, pressing a soft kiss to Aelin’s forehead. “You should go. There’s only so much we can talk about homework.”

Nodding, Aelin wrapped her arms around his waist, and he wrapped her up in his own. “I’ll see you after class?”

“I’ll run by my place to grab some things and pick up dinner on the way,” he promised, tilting her chin up to look at him. “I’ll see you later.”

She nodded and rose up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. Grabbing her bag from the chair, she adjusted her messy bun, which was only a little messier than it had been before and slipped out the office door.

Leaning back on the spot Aelin had just been sitting in, Rowan took a quick moment to breathe before setting his desk to rights and heading down to check his community mailbox. It wasn’t full as Remelle had implied, but there were a few things in it, mostly department memos and notes from other professors. He ignored her suspicious look as he made his way back up the stairs to his office and settled behind his desk to work on the grading he’d planned to do during his lunch.

He was halfway through an essay from one of his upperclassmen when his email dinged on his laptop. It had gone off a few times since Aelin had left, but he’d ignored them, assuming they were automatic replies to Maeve’s email about the meeting.

Tapping on the track pad of his laptop to wake it up, he kept reading over the essay as his email came to life, but he waited until he was done to look over at the most recent notifications.

Freezing, Rowan’s eyes flashed over the subject of the email from Maeve three times before he actually had the nerve to open it.

Meeting in my office after your final class of the evening.

We need to have a talk.

Aelin felt as if she had been holding her breath for hours.

Which was exactly how long it had been since she had received her text from Rowan.

As someone who was not nervous or paranoid by nature, she hated the feeling of being so freaked out that she was nearly about to vomit. She had already cleaned her apartment once, and was pouring herself a glass of wine as she was deciding what she could clean next. Maybe she would clean out the fridge.

After downing her glass of wine, she did just that, throwing open the refrigerator door and emptying out what had been in there for over a week.

She didn’t even hear the front door open, nor did she hear her roommate and cousin walk into the kitchen.

“Ace?”

Aelin yelped, jumped, and spun around, nearly knocking over her glass of wine on the counter nearby. “What the hell?” she yelled. “You can’t just sneak up on people like that! Doesn’t anyone realize how fucking rude it is to just barge in?!”

Aedion’s brows shot up as Lysandra stepped forward. “Uh, everything okay?”

Aelin’s face fell into her hands as she leaned against the countertop. “Does it look like everything is okay?” she asked, words muffled.

“What happened?” Lysandra asked, gently prying Aelin’s hands from her face.

Her eyes were still shut, as if she could shut out the world. Taking a deep breath, she released it, answering in one, quick burst. “I think Rowan and I got caught.”

She heard something hit the floor, clearly dropped by Aedion, but Lysandra’s hands went slack on her wrist. “What do you mean?”

Letting her head fall to the countertop, she groaned once before standing up straight and looking at them. Aedion had indeed dropped the bag of pretzels he’d pulled from the cabinet.

“We both had long breaks today, so I stopped by his office to see him for a minute. I didn’t mean for anything to happen. I mean… Yeah, I kinda did. I kissed him first.”

“I don’t need to hear about this. Lys can fill me in,” Aedion muttered, scooping the bag of pretzels off the floor and heading for Lysandra’s bedroom.

“We didn’t fuck or anything,” Aelin sighed after he left. “But we did make out on his desk a bit. It was barely even PG-13.”

“So what happened?” Lysandra asked, getting another glass down and refilling Aelin’s glassed wine and filling one for herself. “How did you get caught?”

“The secretary walked in,” Aelin said, staring at a spot on the hardwood. “She didn’t see anything, we broke apart before the door opened, but… I don’t know. She sounded suspicious, looked suspicious.” Aelin took a sip from her glass. “I mean, seriously, who knocks but doesn’t wait for a come in before they open the damn door? It’s rude as hell.”

“I don’t wait before coming into your room,” Lysandra said.

“That’s different, we live together,” Aelin said, unable to control her chuckle.

Lysandra smiled, but it faded as she shook her head. “That man needs to learn how to lock his office.”

“That’s what I said!” Aelin agreed, and topped off her glass before it was even halfway empty.

“So, what?” Lysandra went on. “She came in but didn’t see anything. Maybe she just always looks suspicious. I’m sure nothing will come out of it.”

Without another word, Aelin took her phone out of her pocket and slid it across the counter. Lysandra slowly picked it up and read Rowan’s text.

Got an email from Maeve. I have to go to her office tonight. Says she needs to talk to me. Sounded urgent.

Aelin had texted back. Did she say what it was about?

No, Rowan had replied. But it doesn’t sound good.

“Have you heard from him since he sent these?” Lysandra asked, setting the phone down.

“No, but we’ve both been in class.” Aelin let her head fall to the countertop again. “He’s supposed to come over after he gets out. But now I’m wondering if that’s such a good idea. What if someone sees him getting here?”

“It’s not all students, and we’re not exactly social butterflies. We don’t know any of our neighbors,” Lysandra said, clearly trying to soothe her.

Aelin just shook her head. “I like him, Lys. A lot. I can see a future with this guy, but… What if this is all too much? It’s too dangerous. We’re jeopardizing our futures.”

Lysandra’s eyes softened. “The secretive part of your relationship is only temporary. Besides, he’s head over heels for you, too. Would it really be worth it to give that up?”

“What if Rowan is about to lose his job?” Aelin shot back. “Lys, I would never be able to forgive myself. I have to do something.”

“Always the hero,” Lysandra muttered. “Look, the best thing you can do right now is stay here, drink wine, and let it all play out. Rowan is a big boy. He can handle himself.” Aelin said nothing, so Lysandra went on. “I just want to see you happy. Does he make you happy?”

“Beyond. Happier than I’ve been in a long time,” she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the counter. “I know it’s only been a few weeks, but… I care about him.”

“And it’s pretty damn clear that he cares about you, so sitting and waiting sucks, but that’s what you’ll have to do.” Lysandra crossed the kitchen and wrapped her best friend up in a hug. Aelin’s forehead fell to her shoulder. “I can send Aedion to get more wine if you want.”

Aelin nodded.

Lysandra chuckled and said, “Then that’s what we’ll do. Why don’t you—?”

A knock on the front door had Aelin’s head snapping up and she hurried from the kitchen. Throwing open the door, she found Rowan standing on the other side. Before he could say anything, she pulled him inside and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. “Gods, I’ve been so fucking worried.”

To her surprise, he laughed quietly, and it only caused Aelin to lean back, eyes wide. “What could possibly be funny right now?”

“I’m not I’m trouble,” he whispered, arms going around her waist. “We’re safe, we’re fine.”

Aelin blinked, all anxiety fading from her body only to be replaced with confusion. “Why did Maeve call you into her office, then?”

“She just wanted to check how things were going.” He shrugged. “Being new, and her nephew, she just wanted to check in.”

“Gods, Rowan!” She shoved his chest, lightly. “You couldn’t have texted me that? I’ve been a nervous mess!”

“She’s not exaggerating,” Lysandra mumbled from behind them. “Hi, Professor.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Hi, Lysandra.”

As Lysandra headed towards her room, he looked down to where Aelin was staring at his chest. He tilted her chin up until she was forced to look at him. His brow furrowed and he was surprised to see silver lining her eyes. “Everything is okay, baby. Why are you crying?”

She shook her head and blinked, but wasn’t able to stop the single tear that spilled over. He wiped it away with his thumb. “I thought we got caught, that I had ruined your life.”

His heart nearly broke. “Aelin…” He wrapped her up in his arms again, holding her as tightly as he dared, as if he could keep her from falling apart. After a second, he leaned back so he could look at her, but didn’t let her go. “Being together isn’t a decision that just one of us has made. We both went into this relationship knowing the consequences. If something were to happen, if someone finds out, you aren’t ruining my life.”

Aelin snorted, and framed his face in her hands. “So we’d both be ruining your life?”

“No one’s life will be ruined,” Rowan promised. “I’m going to be with you, Aelin. Now, and when you graduate, we can have a normal relationship, whatever the hell that means. If you’ll have me, I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s a big promise to make so early in our relationship,” Aelin breathed, running her thumbs across his cheeks.

“I have a good feeling about us,” Rowan followed, melting into her touch.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers, but pulled back and smirked. “But maybe I’ll start locking my office, just in case you decide to make another unexpected visit.”

Aelin threw her head back and laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as she rose up on her toes to kiss him again.

The day had stressed them both out, but throughout it all, there was only one thing Rowan could think about: he didn’t know what his future held, but there was one thing for sure.

He wanted Aelin in it.

#rowaelin ttf #snacmc ttf #tempting the fates #throne of glass #aelin x rowan #rowan whitethorn #aelin galythinius #snacmc collabs

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shirbertshitposts · 3 years

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10 Shirbert Moments from Anne of Green Gables series I think about a lot

In honor of Valentines Day I thought I would post a list of some of my favorite Anne and Gilbert moments. It was hard to narrow it to just ten as I have been going through all nine books and trying to queue posts about all their iconic moments through the series; However I decided to pick the ones that I remember even when I haven’t read the books in a while. I didn’t have the heart to rank them properly so they’re just listed in chronological order.

1. His future must be worthy of its goddess

In the twilight Anne sauntered down to the Dryad’s Bubble and saw Gilbert Blythe coming down through the dusky Haunted Wood. She had a sudden realization that Gilbert was a schoolboy no longer. And how manly he looked—the tall, frank-faced fellow, with the clear, straightforward eyes and the broad shoulders. Anne thought Gilbert was a very handsome lad, even though he didn’t look at all like her ideal man. She and Diana had long ago decided what kind of a man they admired and their tastes seemed exactly similar. He must be very tall and distinguished looking, with melancholy, inscrutable eyes, and a melting, sympathetic voice. There was nothing either melancholy or inscrutable in Gilbert’s physiognomy, but of course that didn’t matter in friendship!

Gilbert stretched himself out on the ferns beside the Bubble and looked approvingly at Anne. If Gilbert had been asked to describe his ideal woman the description would have answered point for point to Anne, even to those seven tiny freckles whose obnoxious presence still continued to vex her soul. Gilbert was as yet little more than a boy; but a boy has his dreams as have others, and in Gilbert’s future there was always a girl with big, limpid gray eyes, and a face as fine and delicate as a flower. He had made up his mind, also, that his future must be worthy of its goddess. Even in quiet Avonlea there were temptations to be met and faced. White Sands youth were a rather “fast” set, and Gilbert was popular wherever he went. But he meant to keep himself worthy of Anne’s friendship and perhaps some distant day her love; and he watched over word and thought and deed as jealously as if her clear eyes were to pass in judgment on it. She held over him the unconscious influence that every girl, whose ideals are high and pure, wields over her friends; an influence which would endure as long as she was faithful to those ideals and which she would as certainly lose if she were ever false to them. In Gilbert’s eyes Anne’s greatest charm was the fact that she never stooped to the petty practices of so many of the Avonlea girls—the small jealousies, the little deceits and rivalries, the palpable bids for favor. Anne held herself apart from all this, not consciously or of design, but simply because anything of the sort was utterly foreign to her transparent, impulsive nature, crystal clear in its motives and aspirations.

-- Chapter XIX, Anne of Avonlea

2. For the first time her eyes faltered under Gilbert’s gaze

“What are you thinking of, Anne?” asked Gilbert, coming down the walk. He had left his horse and buggy out at the road.

“Of Miss Lavendar and Mr. Irving,” answered Anne dreamily. “Isn’t it beautiful to think how everything has turned out . . . how they have come together again after all the years of separation and misunderstanding?”

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” said Gilbert, looking steadily down into Anne’s uplifted face, “but wouldn’t it have been more beautiful still, Anne, if there had been NO separation or misunderstanding . . . if they had come hand in hand all the way through life, with no memories behind them but those which belonged to each other?”

For a moment Anne’s heart fluttered queerly and for the first time her eyes faltered under Gilbert’s gaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face. It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities. Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.

Then the veil dropped again; but the Anne who walked up the dark lane was not quite the same Anne who had driven gaily down it the evening before. The page of girlhood had been turned, as by an unseen finger, and the page of womanhood was before her with all its charm and mystery, its pain and gladness.

Gilbert wisely said nothing more; but in his silence he read the history of the next four years in the light of Anne’s remembered blush. Four years of earnest, happy work . . . and then the guerdon of a useful knowledge gained and a sweet heart won.

-- Chapter XXX, Anne of Avonlea

3. I just want YOU

“I have a dream,” he said slowly. “I persist in dreaming it, although it has often seemed to me that it could never come true. I dream of a home with a hearth-fire in it, a cat and dog, the footsteps of friends—and YOU!”

Anne wanted to speak but she could find no words. Happiness was breaking over her like a wave. It almost frightened her.

“I asked you a question over two years ago, Anne. If I ask it again today will you give me a different answer?”

Still Anne could not speak. But she lifted her eyes, shining with all the love-rapture of countless generations, and looked into his for a moment. He wanted no other answer.

They lingered in the old garden until twilight, sweet as dusk in Eden must have been, crept over it. There was so much to talk over and recall—things said and done and heard and thought and felt and misunderstood.

“I thought you loved Christine Stuart,” Anne told him, as reproachfully as if she had not given him every reason to suppose that she loved Roy Gardner.

Gilbert laughed boyishly.

“Christine was engaged to somebody in her home town. I knew it and she knew I knew it. When her brother graduated he told me his sister was coming to Kingsport the next winter to take music, and asked me if I would look after her a bit, as she knew no one and would be very lonely. So I did. And then I liked Christine for her own sake. She is one of the nicest girls I’ve ever known. I knew college gossip credited us with being in love with each other. I didn’t care. Nothing mattered much to me for a time there, after you told me you could never love me, Anne. There was nobody else—there never could be anybody else for me but you. I’ve loved you ever since that day you broke your slate over my head in school.”

“I don’t see how you could keep on loving me when I was such a little fool,” said Anne.

“Well, I tried to stop,” said Gilbert frankly, “not because I thought you what you call yourself, but because I felt sure there was no chance for me after Gardner came on the scene. But I couldn’t—and I can’t tell you, either, what it’s meant to me these two years to believe you were going to marry him, and be told every week by some busybody that your engagement was on the point of being announced. I believed it until one blessed day when I was sitting up after the fever. I got a letter from Phil Gordon—Phil Blake, rather—in which she told me there was really nothing between you and Roy, and advised me to ‘try again.’ Well, the doctor was amazed at my rapid recovery after that.”

Anne laughed—then shivered.

“I can never forget the night I thought you were dying, Gilbert. Oh, I knew—I KNEW then—and I thought it was too late.”

“But it wasn’t, sweetheart. Oh, Anne, this makes up for everything, doesn’t it? Let’s resolve to keep this day sacred to perfect beauty all our lives for the gift it has given us.”

“It’s the birthday of our happiness,” said Anne softly. “I’ve always loved this old garden of Hester Gray’s, and now it will be dearer than ever.”

“But I’ll have to ask you to wait a long time, Anne,” said Gilbert sadly. “It will be three years before I’ll finish my medical course. And even then there will be no diamond sunbursts and marble halls.”

Anne laughed.

“I don’t want sunbursts and marble halls. I just want YOU. You see I’m quite as shameless as Phil about it. Sunbursts and marble halls may be all very well, but there is more ‘scope for imagination’ without them. And as for the waiting, that doesn’t matter. We’ll just be happy, waiting and working for each other—and dreaming. Oh, dreams will be very sweet now.”

Gilbert drew her close to him and kissed her. Then they walked home together in the dusk, crowned king and queen in the bridal realm of love, along winding paths fringed with the sweetest flowers that ever bloomed, and over haunted meadows where winds of hope and memory blew.

-- Chapter XLI, Anne of the Island

4. Gilbert, I'm afraid I'm scandalously in love with you.

"Gilbert darling, don't let's ever be afraid of things. It's such dreadful slavery. Let's be daring and adventurous and expectant. Let's dance to meet life and all it can bring to us, even if it brings scads of trouble and typhoid and twins!"

Today has been a day dropped out of June into April. The snow is all gone and the fawn meadows and golden hills just sing of spring. I know I heard Pan piping in the little green hollow in my maple bush and my Storm King was bannered with the airiest of purple hazes. We've had a great deal of rain lately and I've loved sitting in my tower in the still, wet hours of the spring twilights. But tonight is a gusty, hurrying night . . . even the clouds racing over the sky are in a hurry and the moonlight that gushes out between them is in a hurry to flood the world.

"Suppose, Gilbert, we were walking hand in hand down one of the long roads in Avonlea tonight!"

Gilbert, I'm afraid I'm scandalously in love with you. You don't think it's irreverent, do you? But then, you're not a minister."

-- Chapter 9, Anne of Windy Poplars

5. Suitable Places

"(Are you sure you kiss me in suitable places, Gilbert? I'm afraid Mrs. Gibson would think the nape of the neck, for instance, most unsuitable.)”

-- Chapter 12, Anne of Windy Poplars

6. He narrowly escaped bursting with pride

"Anne, this is Captain Boyd. Captain Boyd, my wife."

It was the first time Gilbert had said "my wife" to anybody but Anne, and he narrowly escaped bursting with the pride of it. The old captain held out a sinewy hand to Anne; they smiled at each other and were friends from that moment. Kindred spirit flashed recognition to kindred spirit.

-- Chapter 6, Anne’s House of Dreams

7. Queen of my heart and life and home

"Gilbert, would you like my hair better if it were like Leslie's?" she asked wistfully.

"I wouldn't have your hair any color but just what it is for the world," said Gilbert, with one or two convincing accompaniments.

You wouldn't be ANNE if you had golden hair—or hair of any color but"—

"Red," said Anne, with gloomy satisfaction.

"Yes, red—to give warmth to that milk-white skin and those shining gray-green eyes of yours. Golden hair wouldn't suit you at all Queen Anne—MY Queen Anne—queen of my heart and life and home."

"Then you may admire Leslie's all you like," said Anne magnanimously.”

-Chapter 12, Anne’s House of Dreams

8. Annest of Annes

But the best of all was when Gilbert came to her, as she stood at her window, watching a fog creeping in from the sea, over the moonlit dunes and the harbour, right into the long narrow valley upon which Ingleside looked down and in which nestled the village of Glen St. Mary.

"To come back at the end of a hard day and find you! Are you happy, Annest of Annes?"

"Happy!" Anne bent to sniff a vaseful of apple blossoms Jem had set on her dressing-table. She felt surrounded and encompassed by love. "Gilbert dear, it's been lovely to be Anne of Green Gables again for a week, but it's a hundred times lovelier to come back and be Anne of Ingleside."

-- Chapter 3, Anne of Ingleside

9. I couldn’t live without you

Anne felt like a released bird . . . she was flying again. Gilbert's arms were around her . . . his eyes were looking into hers in the moonlight.

"You do love me, Gilbert? I'm not just a habit with you? You haven't said you loved me for so long."

"My dear, dear love! I didn't think you needed words to know that. I couldn't live without you. Always you give me strength. There's a verse somewhere in the Bible that is meant for you . . . 'She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.'"

Life which had seemed so grey and foolish a few moments before was golden and rose and splendidly rainbowed again. The diamond pendant slipped to the floor, unheeded for the moment. It was beautiful . . . but there were so many things lovelier . . . confidence and peace and delightful work . . . laughter and kindness . . . that old safe feeling of a sure love.

"Oh, if we could keep this moment for ever, Gilbert!"

"We're going to have some moments. It's time we had a second honeymoon. Anne, there's going to be a big medical congress in London next February. We're going to it . . . and after it we'll see a bit of the Old World. There's a holiday coming to us. We'll be nothing but lovers again . . . it will be just like being married over again. You haven't been like yourself for a long time. ("So he had noticed.") You're tired and overworked . . . you need a change. ("You too, dearest. I've been so horribly blind.") I'm not going to have it cast up to me that doctors' wives never get a pill. We'll come back rested and fresh, with our sense of humour completely restored. Well, try your pendant on and let's get to bed. I'm half dead for sleep . . . haven't had a decent night's sleep for weeks, what with twins and worry over Mrs. Garrow."

--Chapter 41, Anne of Ingleside

10. Old love light

DR. BLYTHE:- “The old, old love light that was kindled so many years ago in Avonlea ... and burns yet, Anne ... at least for me.”

ANNE:- “And for me, too. And will burn forever, Gilbert.”

-- Page 189, The Blythes Are Quoted

Feel free to respond to this post with any of your favorite shirbert moments that I missed!

#Shirbert #Anne Shirley #Gilbert Blythe #aogg #anne of avonlea #anne of the island #anne of windy poplars #anne of ingleside #anne's house of dreams #the blythes are quoted

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the-broken-truth · 3 years

Note

I love all your headcanons with the Dimitrescu daughters, so hats off to you, if it doesn't bother, can you do a headcanon about the 3 daughters with a male S/O on their wedding night?

Broken Truth: Hmm, that sounds simple enough. Let the words...

*STATIC*: Broken, wait. I have an idea.

Broken Truth (Looks at the mask): Let me hear it, *STATIC*.

*STATIC*: Do you remember the ask you did for Lady Dimitrescu meeting her daughters' partners: Th Village Painter, The Village Jeweler, and The Village Blacksmith?

Broken Truth: Yes, what about them?

*STATIC*: Here's my idea. (Whispering something)

Broken Truth: Oh! I like that idea! Let's go with that. Let the words weave together! - Names - Bela's Partner - The Village Artist - His name shall be Magnus. Cassandra's Partner - The Village Jeweler - His name shall be Matias. Daniela's Partner - The Village Blacksmith - His name shall be Maximus.

[At The Wedding of Magnus Vilkas & Bela Dimitrescu]

The Court of Castle Dimitrescu was decorated with the finest exports all across Romania - The Vilkas Lord spared to expense when it came to making his future wife happy; she was the very light of his life.

He stood in the room allowed her future son-in-law to use to prepare himself, looking himself in the mirror as he adjusted his tie.

The gleam of his Family Ring shined in the light when he secured his tie around his neck. He holds out his dominant hand, looking upon the colored gems that created his Family Crest. This ring gave him so much power and standing as a Noble Village House but at the same time, it brought back a very painful memory.

Before the Lord of House Vilkas could think back on it, there was a knock at the door. He spoke to the other person on the other side of the door, commanding them to enter: The door opened and a familiar face stepped into the room - The Village's Jeweler, Matias.

"Greetings, Lord Vilkas." The Jeweler bowed but it was met with a scoff from the Lord.

"Do not bow to me, Matias. You are a Vilkas as well, besides you're my twin brother; no formalities." The Lord said as he faced his brother.

"Regardless of our blood bind as brothers, you are still the Lord of House Vilkas and must be treated as such, even by blood,

" Matias said.

"Speaking of blood..." Magnus inhaled and exhaled before asking his question, "Did he come?" He asked.

"No. When I went to his house to see if he would attend, he slammed to door in my face; he says he wants nothing to do with the Vilkas Family." Matias explained causing the lord to turn his gaze to the ground in what looked to be heartbreak, "My Lord, it was not your fault." He said.

"Oh, really? Then why is he not here? It was my birth that ruined his life and...it's not fair - we were both robbed: Him of his rightful place and me an older brother." The Lord of Vilkas said.

"Brother, you and I were born on the same day but you are the only one he blames. If anyone is to blame, it's father; he was the selfish bastard that robbed us both." Matias said as he walked over to his elder brother and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Try not to think about this today, it's a very special day."

"Yes, you are right. Today is the day I marry the most amazing woman on the face of the Earth." Magnus smiled.

"Second best, Brother - My Cassandra is the most beautiful." Matias said with a smirk

The brothers argued over which sister was the most lovely when they saw the time and finished up before heading down the Courtyard.

The music - composed by Matias on the keyboard - began to play as Bela - wrapped in the finest silks that made her dress - walked down the aisle by her mother with her youngest sister walking behind her with a basket of black rose petals, throwing them in the air.

Once Bela reached the front, her hands locked with Magnus', who looked into her eyes with tears in his own.

"You are a true gem, my beloved." He said.

"Thank you, My Lord."

Mother Miranda - who took the position of a power of a priestess - called out to the guests: The Lords, The Daughters of Dimitrescu, and the residence of House Vilkas.

Once the vows were read and the 'I Do's were side, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

And he did, with all the love in his heart - which was endless.

[At The Wedding of Matias Vilkas & Cassandra Dimitrescu]

The Famed Jeweler of the Romanian Village smiled at himself in the mirror as he fixed his suit's jacket with a wide smile on his face - the Vilkas Family Crest Brooch secured to his chest over his heart and soon, he was going to place the crest of the Dimitrescu Dragons beside his own.

"You smile as if you are the cat that devoured creme." His elder brother chuckled from his place by the dresser, "You are really happy, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I am going to marry the most incredible woman on the face of this planet - a true goddess given human form." Matias beamed as he fixed his tie.

"We've been through this, Little Brother - Bela is the most incredible." Magnus scoffed.

"Your opinion - Not Fact. Besides, My Cassandra shall always be the most amazing woman in my eyes; she is just too perfect to explain with words. I'm glad Madam Dimitrescu allowed me the privilege of marrying her daughter, I don't deserve her." Matias said with a smile as he thought back.

"I thought the same thing when I was getting married to Bela - she still is a wonder I shall never really deserve but I will always treasure." Magnus smiled.

"Oh, speaking of you two - I heard Madam Dimitrescu told you she wanted a grandchild soon." Matias said as he looked back at his brother, whose face was bright red.

"As much as Mother-In-Law would want a grandchild, I told her that I was waiting on Bela to be ready - we shall have a child when Bela is ready, not a moment before then." Magnus said.

"Good to know you treasure your wife's decision, did she finish redecorating the Family House?" Matias asked.

"So far, she can't seem to choose what she wants to change or what rooms she wants to make into her private rooms. On a better note, the staff willingly let Bela fed off them if she gets hungry and I'm not around. How's your construction going?" Magnus asked.

"Almost done, Cass held me draw up the plans so I know she's going to love the place. It will be ready in a weak." Matias said.

The brothers looked at the clock and saw it was almost time for the bride to come. They finished up with their own preparations and headed down the courtyard.

The violinists that Magnus hired began playing the song as Cassandra walked down the aisle with a bouquet of black roses in her hands & a smile on her face with a gleam in her eyes.

Matias stood at the altar with Mother Miranda with a smile on his face as his future wife came up and they linked hands.

"You are so breathtaking, My Beloved." Matias said.

"Thank you, you're very handsome yourself."

Mother Miranda began her rites - blessing the young couple before her and everyone else with long life, eternal love & endless happiness before the 'I do's were said and the marital bond sealed with a kiss.

Everyone was so busy celebrating the newly married couple that they didn't notice a large cloaked figure walk to the table that held the gits and place a small envelope on the table.

The feast began and the presents were given, The Lord of Iron found the envelope and didn't remember it being there at first and gave it to the new couple.

Matias opened it and turned it upside down, a pair of shiny keys landed in the palm of his other hand.

"Are those house keys?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes, but they told us that the house wasn't going to be done for another week... did they lie so that it would be a surprise?" Matias questioned.

"Well, looks like you'll be living together sooner than expected." Magnus smiled as he placed his hand on his wife's hip to pull her closer.

"It would seem so." He looked to his wife, "Darling, what would you like to decorate the house with?" He asked.

[At The Wedding of Maximus & Daniela Dimitrescu]

Alcina already didn't approve of Maximus' relationship with her youngest daughter - but this proposal filled the Lady of the Castle with rage.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to stop her daughter from loving Maximus, but she could prevent the wedding from happening on her Castle Grounds.

Daniela was upset that her mother was against her marriage just because her lover wasn't as rich as her sisters, but he loved her and he was willing to be hurt if it meant she was going to be safe.

Maximus told her beloved that it didn't matter - he could make them a great wedding, all he needed to know was where she wanted it to happen and what she wanted for it.

Daniela wanted her wedding to overlook the ocean at sunset - the light would be perfect. Maximus would give her everything she wanted but there was only one thing he asked for.

"I don't want the Vilkas Lords at the wedding."

When questioned by his future sister in laws, he told them 'I have a bad history with that family and I don't want them at y special day."

The Elder of the Dimitrescu Daughters had nothing to say about that and agreed.

On the day of the wedding - The site was lovely and everyone came in attendance; even Alcina. She didn't want to come up she wanted her daughter to be happy.

The Dimitrescu Daughters were there without their husbands and they were crossed with it.

Maximus waited for the arrival of his fiancee and when she did arrive - it was by carriage...a very familiar carriage.

The door of the carriage opened and Daniela stepped out...but she wasn't the only ones.

The Lords of House Vilkas - Magnus & Matias - stepped out in suits and had uncertain expressions on their faces.

"You?!" Maximus glared at the men, "What are you two doing here? Why were you in a carriage with my fiancee?!" He roared at them.

"I was on my way here with Aunt Donna when they pulled up and asked me where the wedding was taking place, I didn't tell them and they rushed us in the carriage." Dani said as she walked over to Maximus and Donna was getting out of the carriage.

"You forced my fiancee into a carriage?! For what reason?!" The blacksmith growled.

"Please, I know you are upset but we just want to speak with you - I want to speak with you." Magnus said as he took a step forward.

"I told you that I wanted nothing to do with your family, Lord Vilkas!" Maximus said with a glare.

"Stop calling me that! I'm not Lord Vilkas right now, I'm your little brother!" Magnus shouted with sadness in his voice.

Everyone looked wide-eyed at that confess and all eyes looked at Maximus.

"You're the Eldest of the Vilkas Family?" Daniela asked as she looked at the man she loves.

"I share their DNA and nothing else." He glared at his brothers, "I am not a Vilkas., that was taken away from me the moment they were born."

"What is he talking about?" Bela asked her husband.

"We grew up thinking that we were the only children but when we found a birth record for a son that was older than us, we asked our parents about him." Magnus began.

"They told us that he was an accident, an unwanted child, a placeholder for the Vilkas Heirship until a true heir was born..." Matias said.

"Then the moment the twins were born, my father disowned me, beat me to a pulp, and tossed me into the snow during a blizzard with dagger - the insignia of the family I once had was scratched out. I begged them to let me back in, I cried that I didn't want to die, but they ignored me and I began to walk into the forest, looking for some kind of shelter." Maximus' eyes looked to the ground at the pain of the memory.

"Brother..." Magnus said but he didn't know what he could say to his older sibling. All the pain he's been through, all because he was planned.

"It wasn't our fault. It was father and mother's, they were the ones who did that horrible thing to you! They robbed you of your place as The Vilkas Family Head & they robbed us of an older brother. Please, Maximus...We need our brother." Matias said to him.

Maximus looked at the two of them before he told them to sit beside their wives so that they could begin the ceremony. They took their seats, Daniela and Maximus took their places and the rites were read, the 'I do's were said, and the kiss was sealed.

Alcina just sat there with a stunned look on her face - the one she wanted was related to the family she respected, what's more, he was the rightful head?

Maximus looked at his brother and wondered - could he really have a relationship with them after their births took away his life?

[End]

#resident evil 8 #alcina dimitrescu #bela dimitrescu x male reader #cassandra dimitrescu x male reader #daniela dimitrescu x male reader

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sellyoursoulforagoodfic · 3 years

Text

Fated Part 1

Ares x Nemesis!reader (as in the goddess)

Word Count: 1496

Summary: The Fates had a plan War and Revenge, here is their story.

Note: Gods age weird, don’t worry about it.

Like any soul that existed, you were born with your future written in metaphorical stone. Whether it would be Aphrodite herself or one of her kind that was going to you with Love’s arrow, you didn’t know, but what you and your entire family did know due to some poor secret-keeping was that you were destined to marry the God of War, Ares himself. It wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone once it was leaked, either, especially once your affinity for Revenge started showing itself. Wars with that particular motivation were a dime a dozen, after all.

Still, even knowing that you and he were destined, you found yourself frozen in place the first time you laid eyes on him. No amount of preparation could have braced you for his beauty, the unique beauty of an Olympian that was so vastly different from any of the Chthonic gods you called your family. Silvery hair was streaked through with blood as crimson as the eyes that scanned the battlefield for his next opponent.

“What’s the matter, dear sister?” Thanatos’ voice teased from next to you.

You didn’t bother to move your gaze to look at him; the smug look on Death’s face was something you were already very familiar with. “Not all of us were raised with our Fated, little brother. You and Zagreus were lucky.”

“That is true.” Fortunately, you and Lord Ares are still quite young, comparatively speaking. There will be plenty of time for you to grow close.”

“Be that as it may, we will not begin that today,” you announced. Your heart raced as those red eyes finally landed on you. A small upturning of his mouth pulled his fine face from a bloodthirsty scowl to an amused smirk. “I must take my leave.”

“Until next time, then.”

The next time you met Lord Ares was a much more private--but equally surprising--affair. You’d just finished blessing a woman who’d been praying for your aid at a small temple of yours far in the woods--her husband was a right piece of work that thoroughly deserved what was coming--when the quiet clanking of armor drew your attention to the door. And there he was, glancing around to take in the modest sight.

“Quaint place.”

You scoffed. “There aren’t many people that call upon my services, Lord Ares.”

“A shame. Perhaps we would be meeting before now if that weren’t the case.”

“You could have sought me out.”

“You could have done the same.”

“Ah, but I am a possessive creature,” you informed him. “I will have you to myself or I will not have you. Humans are one thing, but gods are another.”

“So you waited.”

“Until the Fates predictions about your godly children had passed, until all of them were born.” You didn’t bother to reveal how you knew the details about them. The answer was simple; your weaving sisters sometimes had poor ambrosia tolerance.

“A patience I can admire.”

“Impressive considering how impulsive your family claims you are.”

He chuckled. “And you should know that those that say such things have little grasp of the truth of war. Ones such as you and I know that the sweetest battles simmer for a time.”

“I couldn’t have phrased it better myself.”

He stepped closer. “Have you any pressing matters?”

“Not for a time. What are you scheming?”

“Come with me to my House. We have stalled our meeting for far too long. I have a fine vintage I’ve been saving for this occasion.”

“Ambrosia?” you let your tone slip into mock-surprise. “Suddenly I don’t think your intentions are as pure as getting to know one another.”

“Well,” his smile showed off unnaturally sharp canines, “perhaps those rumors of my impulsive ways aren’t as false as I’d like to believe.”

Perhaps it was rash, but the pair of you married the following day after having spent the entire night just talking--despite any promises to do much more physical things. It was a small, quick ceremony with the only outsiders being your mothers. Hera, being the Goddess of Marriage herself, officiated while Nyx simply observed with a fond smile. Then the pair of you promptly vanished from everyone’s awareness for a honeymoon of sorts, one spent in the House of War Ares called home, the one far away from Olympus and its prying population.

It was only once you resurfaced that you realized six human months had passed. Oh well. Let the mortals enjoy their peace. It was unlikely that the gods of Olympus noticed either of your absences anyway.

You parted from your husband with a lingering kiss after placing his black laurels on his head for the first time in all that time.

You could still smell the iron and ash scent of Ares on your clothes by the time you crossed paths with your favorite brother. Part of you hoped he noticed your absence--you longed to gush about your newfound love--but the rest of you prayed you got to keep the secret and your privacy just a bit longer.

“It’s been a while, sister,” Thanatos greeted after he reaped the man whose wife poisoned him under your influence.

“We all need a break from time to time, Than. Remind me, how long was your first vacation with Zag?”

His cheeks colored with a blush. “Fair enough.” He cleared his throat. “Was your break restful?”

You fought the urge to touch the small vial of Ares’ ichor he’d given to you as a symbol of his vow at your wedding, the one that hung under the silver collar you war that was so similar to Than’s, the one that Ares had the match to on a cord under his breastplate. “And then some.” Your heart longed for your lover already, but you both had a job to do and secrets to keep from enemies that might try to use your bond against each other.

“I am glad. Truly. You deserved to relax for a while.” With that, he nodded at you and vanished in his customary green flash.

Time, as demonstrated by the six month leave of absence, passed differently for gods than it did mortals. Years passed in the blink of an eye without you really noticing. Here and there your strange schedule aligned with his and allowed the two of you the time to thoroughly enjoy each other’s company once more. So it was no big surprise when you went a while without seeing him.

‘A while’ being roughly a human year.

In that year, you had noticed a few odd things. The wars you saw taking place held none of the ferocity that Ares brought with him like a perfume. The vial of ichor seemed cooler against your skin rather than brimming with the heat that always seemed to radiate off of him. You’d assumed it was due to Ares staying at House War to spend time with his sons, the twins Aphrodite didn’t lift a hand to help raise.

You only learned how wrong you were when Hermes suddenly skidded to a stop in front of you, blocking the temple door you’d been about to leave through. It was only after you snapped, “This had better be important, boy; I have things to attend to,” that you noticed the panic on his face and the alarming amount of golden ichor on his hands.

“Hera ordered me to fetch you,” he rushed out in that speedy way of talking he always had. “You must come to her at once!”

“What’s happened?” Your hand drifted to the silver colored dagger at your hip, another gift from Ares, this one from the last time you saw him. Worry lanced through your heart in the seconds before he answered. Still, you tried to reason with yourself that the fear was for naught. Ares was a god after all. The iron and ash smell wafting around you was your imagination, nothing more.

“It’s Ares.” Or not. “Hera told me to get you because he’s your Fated. I thought it was strange since the two of you hardly know each other, but with the shape he’s in there really wasn’t time to argue--”

“Hermes!” you cut him off. “What. Happened?”

“Giants caught him!” he yelped, fearing retribution from the goddess of the concept. “Kept him in chains for a year. She’s not sure he’ll pull through.”

Your blood chilled in a way it hadn’t since your little brother, Death, had been brought into the world. “Where is he, Hermes? Has she taken him to Olympus? Or is he home in Thrace?”

The fleet-footed god faltered. “I-I’m not sure. She mentioned something about moving him--”

“Find them, boy,” you snarled, vision clouding red around the edges with rage at the lack of information. “Go to Olympus and find out where my husband is!”

With wide eyes and another yelp, Hermes vanished. Only to reappear a breath later panting, “She’s moved him to Thrace!”

“Take me to him.”

#ares x reader #ares imagine #ares hades imagine #ares hades x reader #hades imagine #hades game imagine #hades supergiant imagine #reader insert #nemesis!au

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latte-fairytaekwoon · 3 years

Text

❥𝓔𝓻𝓸𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓟𝓼𝔂𝓬𝓱𝓮

𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝐸𝑟𝑜𝑠! 𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑌𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑔 × 𝑃𝑠𝑦𝑐ℎ𝑒! 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 (𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑒)

𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: 𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑓𝑓, 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡, 𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑆𝑚𝑢𝑡, 𝐹𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑦/𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑀𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝐴𝑈.

𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 11.8𝐾

𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝, 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑚𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠/ 𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒, 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘, 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡.

~"𝑀𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑡.

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢.

𝑌𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠." - 𝐴𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝐾𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑧𝑎𝑛.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

"Eros, my darling son.......come here for a minute."

The golden haired goddess gently stroke the dove that was nestled in her embrace, her eyes fixated on the ray of light that shone through the crystal windows of her palace.

She heard the footsteps of her beloved child stop right in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him bend down in obeisance to her, his arm rested across his chest.

"Yes mother?" The snowy white haired deity awaited her instructions.

"I've been rather uneasy lately my love. Very uneasy." She waved her hand and he slowly rose up, eyes meeting hers.

"Why is that?"

The Olympian got up from her seat, sending the little dove flying away to perch itself on one of the trees that decorated the room. Gracefully, she paced around the room, her hands folded in front of her abdomen, fingers tapping against each other as she mused about the current situation.

"There's been....some unsettling rumors being spread in the mortal world and it has reached Olympus..."

Eros waited for her to continue. It must have been something very grievous for her to be so out of sorts, and this was the same goddess who didn't fear the consequences when her long life affair with his father, Ares, was discovered.

She peered down the window, sneering at the city below that was barely visible with all the clouds covering a vast majority of it.

"Apparently one of the daughter's of the King of Athens is said to be remarkably beautiful....."

She paused as she took a deep breath, jaw clenching as she sputtered out the next words.

"So enchanting that they dare compare her to me....Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty itself....

They've even begun to bring gifts and worship her on the day they're supposed to pay respect and praise to me!"

Eros flinched slightly when she hastily turned around and marched past him, tipping over a table that held a tray with a golden tea set. But he didn't stop her, so used to his mother's infantile tantrums, although he was pretty shocked to hear the severity of the issue. To worship a mere mortal, one who was so far below one of the gods, and not just any god, but one of the 12 Olympians themselves, was inconceivable.

Aphrodite clenched and unclenched her fist, trying to control her fury threatening to seek vengeance.

"I need you to go down there and find out who she is. And when you find her.....shoot her." She commanded him.

Eros nodded, understanding what she was asking of him.

"Who would you like me to have her fall for?"

Aphrodite groaned in annoyance.

"Oh! I don't know! Anyone or anything! An old haggard beggar, a toad, have her go mad over a tree stump for all I care! Just make her go insane!" She threw a cluster of grapes across the room, scaring the flock of doves who flew away to different parts of the room.

"As you wish my goddess."

Eros bowed to his mother one last time before retreating out of the hall, and going to his own chambers to prepare his necessary equipment for the journey. He too was curious to find out just how captivating this woman really was.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

The young girl sighed softly as she looked at all the smoke coming out from the temple, the light scent of incense could be made out from her bedroom window. She was well aware and against what was going on in there. It was utterly disrespectful of her father to allow them and even encourage his citizens to offer sacrifices to her in Aphrodite's sacred temple, and on her very own yearly celebration. Had they no fear of a wrath from the gods?

She simply looked away and went to her own little corner where she made a small shrine dedicated to the goddess of beauty, love and fertility. She admired the small marble figurine of the goddess herself, and straightened out the roses and pearls surrounding it. She lit fire to a few myrtles and let them burn in a small ash tray as she murmured one of the many hymns in devotion to the deity. If she wasn't so soft hearted, she would have finished it off with sacrificing one of the best doves that were kept in the stables, but she could never bring herself to do that. She hoped the goddess would understand and forgive her, or at least, try to appease her for all the foolishness her father was causing.

She straightened her nightgown and crawled under the blankets of her grand bed. She was exhausted from the day's festivities and from the guilt and fear eating her alive. She shut her eyes, secretly hoping it was nothing but a bad dream and when she awoke, everything would be fine and back to the ways it was meant to be. She soon was fast asleep, only movements coming out of her body were the rising of her chest, signaling her breathing.

A soft thud landed on her balcony. The being looked behind him, making sure nobody had seen him. Not that it mattered, even if they did, they would tremble away in fear. Pushing the window open, he let himself inside the girl's bedroom, the one they reverenced as Psyche. His eyes scanned the room, landing on the bed which he cautiously approached. His hand reached out to pull away at the drapes covering the sleeping figure.

"Let's see who is it that is said to rival Aphrodite."

Eros pulled the drape away, letting the moonlight behind him shine on the face of the occupant on the bed. His arm fell to his side, slapping slightly against his thigh as he took in the beautiful countenance of the woman sleeping peacefully in front of him. He blinked slowly, trying to decipher if what he was seeing was indeed real. She was absolutely breathtaking, almost ethereal, never had his sight been blessed by such radiant and magnificent beauty, and he'd spent some time around Poseidon's Nereids.

Without realizing it, his hand reached out to caress her face or simply push back a lock of her hair, he himself didn't know what he was doing. But a small shifting of position on her part made him retract his hand, elbow grazing on the leather of the pouch on his back.

That's right. He still had a mission to carry out.

His arm reached back and grabbed an arrow from the pouch. He then proceeded to hover his hand above the tip, humming the soft incantation that would allow him to pierce the girl's heart and render her insane for the first object she saw. As he chanted, she began to stir in her sleep, putting Eros on guard, hoping she wouldn't wake up. He took in how her once peaceful expression, showed now sorrow and pain. It somehow pained him to see such a beautiful girl seem so troubled. He was so lost in her gaze that he didn't realise it until it was too late...

Until he felt the sharp tip of the arrow prick into his palm, even piercing the skin. Eros widened his eyes as he quickly yanked the arrow out, flinging it across the room. He looked at his hand, no blood coming out because he was an immortal, but he still clutched it as he felt an overwhelming pain and flutter course through his entire body. His heart started to pump at a faster pace, and his breathing became heavier. He tried to look away, but his mind forced him to look back at the unsuspecting girl on the bed.

"Oh no......what have I done?" He whispered softly.

Feeling dizzy, he scurried out the window, not caring anymore about being seeing in the dark of night, he just knew he wanted to back in Olympus as soon as possible. He flew back into the heavens, discarding only a few white feathers on his desperate flight back.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

Psyche stood in front of the mirror, trying not to gaze at her own reflection, which she thought of as more of a curse than a blessing. She simply let her maids comb and adorn her hair as they wished and wrap a golden belt around her lilac colored tunic.

"My lady would you like breakfast brought to you or would you prefer to go down to the dining room?" One of them inquired.

She shook her head.

"I won't be taking breakfast today thank you."

The maids exchanged a puzzled look between each other but decided not to pry any longer. They simple allowed their mistress to wander off to the castle's pavilion located in the center of the gardens.

She preferred being alone these days, avoiding as many people as possible, but especially her father. Lately he had been rambling and complaining non stop at the lack of suitors coming to propose marriage to her. It'd been almost a year since he put out the announcement that she was of age and ready to be betrothed to any suitable prince or monarch, he had even raised the dowry triple what it was originally worth, but still, no one had come to claim her or propose.

"Perhaps it's just as well." She thought to herself. It wouldn't surprise her if this was how Aphrodite was showing her anger, by making her face the humiliation of being unwedded and childless.

Perhaps the biggest thing bothering her was the fact men just came to admire her beauty, but seemed to never really fall in love with her, and she herself couldn't fall in love either. Was she just a pretty face for people to gawk and fawn over? Was she destined to feel lonely and empty for the rest of her life?

"Little Psyche out here all alone?"

She stiffened when she heard the voice of her eldest sister, Amara, from behind her. Small steps let her know she was entering the pavilion and soon enough, she felt her presence stand right next to her.

"I wanted to be alone. That's all." She explained, although she really didn't feel the need to.

Her sister hummed softly.

"Would one really think that to be such a good idea? Father would be concerned if anything happened to his precious and beautiful Psyche, especially after that incident of the arrow in your room."

She was getting irritated at this point, her hand gripping harshly at the side of her tunic, creasing it slightly.

"That was many months ago Amara.....and I've said before that I don't like the title given to me by my father and the people....."

She took a deep breath before stating firmly:

"My name is Y/N and I shall be referred as such."

Her sister was taken aback by her sharp tone, but paid no attention to it. She opted for plucking some of the little violets that surrounded one of the pillars.

"As you wish....after all, anything you say is practically law. Anything you desire, you'll get." Her voice was laced with envy.

Y/N shook her head.

"Not everything."

Although she was referring to the fact her father refused to listen to her in the matter of Aphrodite's temple, her sister wrongly thought she meant the matter of matrimony.

"Oh don't worry little sister. Father is to go visit the Oracle of Delphi to seek help from Apollo in regards to your.......shameful circumstances."

Y/N couldn't stand it anymore. It's not that she hated her sister, but lately she seemed to enjoy in taking delight of her misery and pain, hurting her with her mock pity and double sided remarks.

"If you'll excuse me Amara, I shall go back inside."

Y/N was barely 4 feet away when her sister dismissed her.

"See you later......Psyche."

Y/N refused to eat during the entire day, worrying her loyal and trustworthy maids.

"But Miss....you must eat at least a little. Whatever shall you do if your beauty fades away?"

'Then I shall be content.'

She only thought those words but didn't say them out loud. She felt bad about her maids attending to her with such tenderness that she forced herself to at least eat some of the grapes in front of her. It seemed to put her maids more at ease and Y/N was happy about it.

"Anything in particular you wish for us to do Miss?"

There was one thing she really wanted. Something everyone around her never seemed to do anymore.

"Could you......could you please call me Y/N?"

The two women looked back and forth at each other, unsure of whether to refer to the princess in such an informal way.

"Please?"

Y/N was just craving to be reminded of who she truly was, be assured about her existence and her true person. Both women smiled fondly at her before curtsying to her.

"Lady Y/N."

She felt her heart full with warmth and felt happier in that moment than she had felt in the last 8 months that had gone by. But that happiness was short lived when her door swung open, her other sister, Melia rushing in, looking out of sorts and with fear in her eyes.

"Melia? What's wrong?"

Y/N stood up, but it was her sister who clutched onto her and sobbed on her neck.

"Oh poor Psyche! Why must this have happened to you? To my dear little sister?"

Y/N didn't know what to make of this, but it must be something dreadful if her usually composed and quiet sibling was hysteric. She pulled her back to take in her countenance.

"Tell me. What is it?" Y/N pleaded.

Melia pursed her lips before recounting what she heard and witnessed.

"Father came back from meeting with Apollo's Oracle......and Psyche, it's dreadful!"

Y/N gulped slightly. Although she was expecting the answer to not be a favorable one, she was not expecting this outburst.

"Tell me Mel.......am I not to get married ever?"

Y/N braced herself for the negative response.

Melia shook her head though.

"No Psyche.....it's much much worse than that."

Y/N felt her heart drop at that. What could there possibly be that was worse than not getting married?

"The Oracle told father that your husband has already been chosen for you. He gave us instructions that we are to deliver you to the top of Mount Lycabettus, dressed in black and to leave you there...."

She sniffled and held her handkerchief to her mouth.

"Will my husband meet us there?" She questioned.

Melia shook her head no.

"Well- then how can we be married?" She was beyond puzzled at this point.

"We don't know Psyche, the Oracle only said to deliver you. One thing is sure Psyche. Your husband is not mortal."

Y/N would have rejoiced at the information would it not have been for the terror in her sister's eyes.

"Melia tell me.....who exactly is my husband?"

Melia seemed troubled to reveal more information to her, but she knew she had to say it.

"We don't know. He refused to tell father. All he mentioned was that he flies through the skies and even the gods are terrified of him.....

"Psyche....I fear you're destined to marry a monster..."

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The girl watched as her parents, sisters and their husbands disappeared from sight, not even leaving behind their footprints to keep her company. Crouching down, she settled herself onto the ground, her arms wrapping around to hug her knees. She sighed in despair as she thought about what was going to happen to her now. Was her new husband really a monster? It seemed to be the only logical explanation if even gods were afraid of him. The only thing she could think of was....

A titan?

'No it can't be.'

She quickly discarded that thought. All of the titans were locked away in Tartarus. And the world would have definitely known if a titan had gotten out.

She anxiously waited for a sign, a movement of some kind, but nothing ever came. All she had to accompany her besides her solitude was the light breeze that blew some of her hair in front of her face. She shivered slightly, her arms crossing over her chest as she rubbed them with her hands. She faintly noticed that the wind seemed to be getting a little more heavier, and it seemed as though fog started to appear around her. But Y/N couldn't really pay attention to it as she felt herself getting drowsy and tired. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but the feeling was overtaking her. Her eyes ended up closing as she fell back onto the moss underneath her, falling fast asleep without even knowing why.

While asleep, she felt a strange sensation of being lifted up and carried up into the sky, almost as if though she were flying.....but that was surely impossible? But it felt so real. She had a fantastical dream of flying above the peak of mountains, drift through the clouds in the sky and somehow even be close to the stars. She felt as if she were being carried in the arms of some strong entity. And at the end, she could faintly hear a voice assure her:

"Have no fear little one, for you are truly loved."

Awakening hours later, when it was even darker and more deep into the night than before, she sat up and looked around at her surroundings. The green moss from before was no longer accompanying her. Instead, she awoke to find herself placed on an ivory marble resting bench. Beautiful varieties of roses surrounded what she guessed to be a very beautiful and luxurious garden. Her hand reached out to caress one of them, its petals being one of the most soft things she'd ever felt.

Standing up, she followed the stone path that was right in front of her. A tiny river flowed through the garden, a slight trickling sound was the only noise that was heard. She stopped when a grand and extravagant mansion stood before her. It was 10 times more beautiful and seemed more expensive than the very castle she grew up in. Cautiously, she over to the front door, which seemed to be made out of pure gold, pearls adorning the edges of them.

Y/N was about to knock on it, but to her surprise, the doors opened by themselves. She slowly stepped inside, her eyes bulging out as her eyes took in the hall in front of her. Clean and neatly polished marble floor, crimson red silk drapes covering large and vast windows, the furniture looked unlike anything she had ever seen before. Her hand was gliding over the ottoman in the center of it when a voice called out:

"Welcome mistress! We have been expecting you!"

She whipped her head around, then looked at all directions, but found no one standing anywhere near her.

"Who...who are you?" Y/N fearfully looked at the ceiling then at every corner, wondering where the voice was.

"We're your servants mistress." A chorus of at least 5 women rang out, puzzling her even more.

"Where....are you?"

The invisible women giggled amongst themselves.

"We are right here next to you mistress. I'm afraid you just can't see us."

Y/N watched as a silver pitcher was lifted up in the air, pouring what seemed to be wine in a glass cup, which was then hovered right in front of her.

"Wine mistress?"

Y/N hesitantly took the cup, indeed feeling someone's weight let go of it. She took a small sip of the wine, its rich and crisp flavor enticing her to drink more of it.

"Would you care for any fruits?" A platter holding strawberries, grapes, cherries and blueberries were held up in front of her. They looked so fresh and ripe, Y/N couldn't help but reach for one of the grapes, her tastebuds becoming completely engaged at how delicious and juicy they were.

She no longer felt disturbed by the faceless voices talking to her, nor about the objects floating around, carrying articles that were being offered to her, and she did not get startled when she heard music filling the room, playing the most sweet and beautiful melody her ears were blessed to hear. She just let her invisible attendants feed her some exotic foods that she never even knew existed. She also didn't mind them guiding her to a lavatory, where there was a bathtub, the size of a large pond already waiting for her. She nearly slipped into another deep sleep when she stepped inside, the warm water relaxing her muscles while the scent of lavender calmed and eased her mind. After washing her body, her maids oiled and scented her body with vanilla and jasmine while they dried her. She saw as a periwinkle blue robe was extended towards her and Y/N slipped into it, her hands caressing the soft, velvet material, smoothing the folds on her waist and hips.

"Oh mistress! You look so beautiful!" One of them cheerfully exclaimed.

"You're the most beautiful creature we've been honored to serve." Another piped in.

"We're so happy to have you here with us. It shall be a lot more livelier now." She heard someone chuckle.

"I think our job for tonight is done. My lady, please step into the room behind the other door. The master will join you shortly."

Y/N was so filled with bliss and contentment, that she had completely forgotten why she was here in the first place. Recalling her sister words, she begged her maids not to leave her, but they apologized and retreated to who knows where, leaving her by herself once again. Her hand reached for the doorknob, turning it slowly before she stepped into the next room.

Y/N tried to move around in the space, but it was extremely difficult because the room was pitch black. She could barely make out the outlines of the chairs, the bed draped with curtains or the dressers. On the corner, she saw a single window, but the curtains were drawn, and even if it was open, the dark night would hardly help her see any better. Y/N out stretched her arms, grabbing onto the empty void around her to maneuver herself to the bed, where she settled down into, hugging her knees like she did back when her family left her on top of the mountain.

She rocked herself back and forth as many thoughts ran over her mind:

'When will he arrive? Will he be kind or not? What will he look like....

And who was he?'

Y/N rested her hands on her arms that were hugging her knees, her eyes closing, but she wasn't tired at all. She just wished time would speed up faster and someone could explain to her what was going on. She felt a light breeze suddenly pass through the room. Looking up, she saw that the curtains by the window had been moved, pushed slightly open, letting just the dimmest sliver of light pour in, but she still couldn't see anything.

She felt something .....someone else in the room with her. On edge, she quickly sat up from the bed and tried to make way back to the other room.

"You have nothing to fear my dearest Y/N."

She halted at the sound of her name. She was expecting to be called that odious title she was often referred to, but instead, she heard her very own name.

"How....how do you know my name?"

The deep, baritone voice spoke again.

"It wouldn't be fitting for a husband to not know his own wife's name, don't you think?"

Y/N eased slightly at his words but still felt nervous.

"Where...are you?" She took small steps, eyes squinting to see something, anything.

She felt a rush of warmth fill up her body when a gentle hand placed itself on her shoulder.

"I'm right here beside you, where I shall always be."

She didn't tremble at his touch, on the contrary, she relaxed and her fear was suddenly gone. Whoever the stranger was, he slowly turned her around to face him. She could make out a bit of his outline, but still couldn't define any of his features or details.

"Why aren't there any lamps? I can't see you."

Lifting her hand, he placed it on his cheek, his skin feeling as soft as a petal.

"See me with your touch my love."

Her hand delicately traced his features, trying to imagine what he looked like. He had a very sharp jawline, a well defined nose and delicately carved lips that tempted her to reach up and kiss them. She was still confused as to why she couldn't see him though. As if on cue, he spoke:

"I know it must be difficult for you to understand this Y/N. But please don't be afraid of me. I would never hurt you."

Y/N retracted her hand.

"My...my sister said you're a monster."

He chuckled heartedly, his voice full of music and splendor.

"Do I feel like a monster or sound like one?"

Y/N giggled softly, realizing it did seem silly.

"If you're not a monster though......why can't I see you?"

She could feel the man in front of her think about how to answer her. Sighing softly, he took her hand again, holding it with his two hands and running a thumb on the top of it.

"I'm afraid I can't give you the answer to that question yet...."

She felt her heart sink at his words. She lowered her head in disappointment. Not wanting to upset her more, he kissed the palm of her hand and swore:

"Just please trust me Y/N, and I'll promise to love you forever......can you trust me?"

Maybe she was mad or delusional, but in spite of all the mystery surrounding him, she sincerely felt the veracity of his promise and had no doubt in her mind about trusting him. She moved closer to him, accidentally stepping too far and colliding with his firm chest.

"Umph!" Y/N groaned slightly.

He giggled softly at her cute action. He saw as she tried to reach out again to feel him, but instead pulled her hand away.

"You can touch me love."

Her hands once again traced his smooth face, traveling down his neck before resting on his broad shoulders. Although he felt somewhat slim, his body seemed very toned and vigorous. Y/N wanted to drop her hands further but she felt to shy to do it. Once again, he read her mind.

"Y/N....it's ok. We're married." He drew out that last word, more to himself than to her.

Her hands pressed down across his chest. She could tell his tunic was made out of fine linen, even if she couldn't see it. His chest felt strong and sturdy, she bit her lip slightly as she pictured what it would look like in the light, without his garment.

She gasped when she felt him pull her against him, his breath against her lips, just wanting to close the space between them and kiss her. His finger traced the curve of her luscious and plump lips. Although she was content with everything he'd said so far, there was just one more question she had:

"I....... I don't know what to call you."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean....you know my name....but you never told me yours." She pulled away slightly.

He realized she was right. She felt him smile at her as he brought her face close to his again.

"Please call me Yeosang." Her heart fluttered when she heard his name.

Yeosang brushed his lips against hers.

"Trust me my dear. I love you with all my heart."

Y/N melted at his words and before she knew it, she whispered back:

"I love you too....Yeosang."

As soon as she spoke out those words, Yeosang could no longer control himself as he enclosed his lips over hers in a passionate and loving kiss. Y/N blushed at being kissed for the first time in her life, but happily returned the gesture, surprised that she easily could. Even though she couldn't see him, she knew Yeosang was beautiful, ethereal and very kind...

And she was already falling in love with him.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

It had been roughly 4 months into their marriage and Y/N was extremely happy. He'd visit her in the dead of night everyday, as usual, in the pitch black so she couldn't see him, but she had grown accustomed to that. He'd usually leave before she was even awake and before the sun would even start coming out. He'd always leave a red rose by her dresser everyday, attached with a small note filled with terms of endearment and vows of love and adoration for her, always succeeding in making her blush.

Y/N was more than content. Now, whenever she looked in the mirror, she wouldn't turn away nor hate the face she saw. She came to love her appearance now, because there was light and love in it. She was in love, she was loved and there was no greater feeling than that.

During the day, she would either spend time outside in the garden or inside, her maids, or rather, their presence, always keeping her company. She loved listening to their stories about the world she was now a part of, finding them extremely fascinating. They were all so gentle and caring towards her, attending to her every needs and overall staying by her side so she wouldn't get lonely.

"Won't you tell us something about where you are from for once Mistress?"

Y/N was elated, happily telling them all about her home, her family, how she grew up and various other aspects of her life.

"You seem very close to your family Misstress." One of them observed.

"I am. I love them very much, and I have such fondness for my sisters...."

She stopped at the moment. It hit her how she hadn't heard from her family since she got there, nor did they have any idea of her whereabouts or her fate. Her heart suddenly felt sad as she began missing them terribly.

"Mistress is something wrong?"

Y/N quickly plastered a smile back on her face, not wanting them to be concerned at all. Instead suggesting they all play a game together so she wouldn't think about it. But it was futile. Her mind kept thinking back to her family. She missed them more and more. She hardly ate anything else for the rest of the day, instead opting to go to her room rather early, even though it'd be hours before Yeosang got there. She wept silently, her tears staining the pillow underneath her face. She tried to keep a positive and cheerful attitude when he did finally got there, but he could sense that something was troubling his beloved wife.

"What's bothering you my love?"

Y/N sighed softly.

"I miss my family...."

Yeosang tightened his embrace around her, his lips kissing her temple. Y/N nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, drinking in his scent that always calmed and soothed her mind.

"They must be so worried about me. They probably don't even know if I'm alive or not." She continued to pour out her distress.

Yeosang was pensive for a moment, wondering what he could do to help his sweetheart.

"Would you like to write to them? I can have someone give it to them." He offered.

Although Y/N found it kind of him to offer it, more than anything, she wanted to see them.

"I was actually wondering......if maybe they could come see me?" She reluctantly asked.

She very well noticed how Yeosang tensed up. Even in the darkness, she had learned to read his body language and knew he was hesitating about what to respond.

"I......I'm not sure that's a good idea love..."

Yeosang's heart felt when he heard a disappointed sigh escape her lips. It hurt her to see her in such a state. All he wanted was to make her happy. So although there were going to be risks, he agreed.

"They can't meet me. But if you wish, I can have Zephyr bring them here just like he brought you."

Y/N became so happy at the thought of seeing them again. Cupping Yeosang's face, she kissed him fervently, her reaction making Yeosang chuckle.

"Does it really make you that happy?" He questioned as he caressed her face.

Y/N nodded happily.

"So I take it you won't need anything else tonight?"

Well....there was actually one more thing. Y/N bit her lip as she stared up at Yeosang with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Oh.....I see."

Y/N could hear the smugness in his voice, but she didn't care. Not when he lips made her melt, when his hands caressed and fondled her tenderly and especially not when he slid in and out of her in such a passionate and loving way, bringing her into such a euphoric state. Another thing she discovered about Yeosang: he was an amazing lover, she almost felt drunk in his love whenever his body became one with hers.

Yeosang let out a grunt when he spilled himself inside of her, enjoying the feeling of her walls tightening around him as she also reached her own high. Without pulling out, Yeosang bent down to kiss her again, his hand reaching down to press against her stomach.

"I can't wait until you become pregnant with my child. I bet you'll look even more lovely than what you already are."

Y/N felt her face flush at his words. Suddenly feeling confident, she teased him.

"How about we try again? Just in case."

Yeosang sucked in a breath, his hands gripping at her hips.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Y/N's hands clutched at the sheets underneath her, moans slipping out of her lips as Yeosang moved inside of her once again, this time at a more fast and rough pace than before.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

Y/N offered more pastries to her sisters. Melia excitedly accepted them, loving how rich and exquisite the foods at her little sister's place were. Amara however refused, her eyes still looking around at the place. She was very put off by how strange Y/N's circumstances were. The weird wind that transported them there, the invisible servants, the fact they could not meet her husband? It was extremely confusing. But most of all, she was insanely jealous of how Y/N was living. Her mansion was 10 times better than hers, the food was of better quality than what was served at her castle and everything was just so much more expensive.

"You seem to be...very happy here." Amara pointed out, her lips pursed tightly.

Y/N couldn't help but smile.

"I'm more than happy. I love it here. And I love my husband."

"Such a shame we couldn't meet him. Do you know when we will get the opportunity?" Melia asked.

"Oh...umm.....the thing is...you can't meet him..." Y/N fumbled with the sash across her dress.

Her two older sisters looked at her incredulously, then they looked at each other with a suspicious look.

"So is it true then? That he's a monster with scaly skin, serpent tongue and sharp teeth?" Melia looked frightened.

Y/N slammed her fist on the table, outraged that they'd dare think such things of Yeosang like that.

"He's not a monster! He's beautiful, absolutely handsome and the most kind being I have ever met!"

Her outburst made them even more curious.

"Then tell me Psyche, what does he look like?" Amara raised an eyebrow.

"It's Y/N! My name is Y/N. And.....I......I don't know! But I just know he's beautiful!"

Melia seemed puzzled.

"You don't know? What does that mean?"

Feeling cornered, Y/N had no choice but to tell them how her husband would only visit her at night, shrouded in darkness and whisper loving words in her ear. That only served to sprout out more questions from her siblings.

"How can you possibly be in love with him if you've never seen him?"

"I just am!" Y/N exclaimed.

"If he doesn't see you during the day, where does he go to?" Amara pressed on.

"I don't know." Y/N answered.

Not wanting to miss the chance to hurt her younger sister, Amara smirked wickedly at her.

"I bet I know where."

It took Y/N a few seconds to comprehend what her sister was implying, but when she did, it only served to further anger her.

" You're wrong. I know What you're thinking and you're wrong. Yeosang loves me!" She was fuming at this point.

Amara however rolled her eyes at her foolishness.

"All right. Let's say he really is as handsome as you say he is. Why must he be so stubborn about not letting you see him nor know where he goes off to?"

Y/ N crossed her arms.

"I don't know. He asked me to trust him and I do".

Melia now seemed concerned for her.

"Psyche... do you not realize that maybe ...... he could be seeing other women while he's away?"

Y/N now froze at what her sister said. Her brain kept telling her not to listen to them, that Yeosang was faithful to her and would never lie to her. But then she remembered how her own sister's husbands behaved and she couldn't help but think if perhaps Yeosang would do anything similar like them.

"No..... it can't be true...."

Amara suspiciously came up behind Y/N, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"If he really did love you.....why would he force you to live with such doubts?"

That was the final drop that made the glass tip over. Y/N had to find out who exactly it was that was sleeping with her every night.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

Y/N waited until Yeosang was fast asleep, his breathing calm and serene. Carefully, she peeled herself from his grasp and crept out of the bed and to one of the dressers. She silently took out a candle and match that she had secretly hid inside. Walking as cautiously as she could, she stood by the edge of the bed where Yeosang was. Taking a deep breath, she striked the match and lit up the candle, holding it up so she could finally see him for the very first time.

Her eyes grew wide as she stared into the most beautiful face she had ever seen. He was absolutely glorious. His hair was white like the snow in winter, skin fair like marble ivory, his jawline was chiseled to perfection with a nose that seemed to have been carved to perfection. And he layed there, sleeping soundly with absolutely no clue that she had just betrayed his trust.

"Oh no.....what have I done?"

Y/N was so horrified with herself that she unconsciously tumbled backwards, hitting herself on a piece of furniture. Suddenly Yeosang awoke, his eyes painted with agony once he realized what was happening.

"I.....I can explain!"

But Yeosang simply sat up without a word, already reaching for his tunic. He sighed as he stood up and walked towards the window.

"Please forgive me Yeosang! I beg you!"

Y/N dropped to her knees, tears pouring out her eyes. Yeosang pinched the bridge of his nose, head full of turbulent thoughts that he couldn't place in order.

"Please just say something!" She cried out, desperate to hear his voice.

"I knew it would be a bad idea to let you see your sisters. I knew they'd turn you against me and actually betray me...."

If they were still in the dark, Y/N would have still been able to recognize the hurt and pain in his words.

"I'm sorry Yeosang! I'm sorry for not trusting you! But I kept thinking about their words, they said you were probably visiting other-"

"You could have chosen to not listen to them! No one forced you to believe them! You chose to act on your own accord!".

It was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her, and it boomed all over the room, making her tremble in fear. Yeosang opened the window and stepped out into the balcony.

"No no! Please!"

Y/N ran after him, her hands wrapping around his neck in an attempt to keep him there. Gently, he pried her hands off him, looking somberly at her.

"My mother told me not to trust you. That you were a mortal woman and would never understand me or us, and break my trust. I could never believe that she was right....."

Y/N saw as tears filled on the brim of his eyes.

"But I was too madly in love to listen to her..... I guess I truly did get a taste of my own medicine."

Yeosang made way to leave again, but Y/N held onto him.

"Please don't leave me! I'll die without you! I love you Yeosang!"

Not able to contain his feelings anymore, Yeosang pushed her off him and turned sternly to her.

"Don't.....ever say such lies again...and don't address me so informally you lowly mortal. I am not your equal and I am no longer Yeosang to you..."

Y/N covered her mouth in terror and astonishment when ethereal and shiny wings sprouted from his back, making him look even more heavenly than he already was.

"I am Eros, son of Aphrodite and Ares, the god of love ......... and you......."

He sniffled as tears streamed down his face.

"I can't stay here knowing that I want to hold you..."

Without any other word, speedily flew out of there, disappearing from her sight. Y/N shouted for him, going mad at the thought that she had just lost the love of her life. She was so erratic that she didn't think twice before she flung herself down the balcony, not wanting to live without her love. Unfortunately for her, a large gust of wind stopped her fall, placing her gently on the ground, thwarting her plan.

"Let me die!" Y/N pounded the ground.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that Psyche. Aside from being tasked to bring you here, Eros appointed me to make sure no harm should ever come to you."

Although it was supposed to be calming, Zephyr's voice only angered her.

"So I can't even die?!"

Zephyr sent a small breeze, the only physical way of comfort he could bring her since he was invisible.

"Psyche, we both know you don't actually want to die."

"Yes I do! My heart is broken. My love is gone and it's because of my foolishness. I have nothing else to live for!" She declared.

Zephyr sighed.

"My lady....all hope is not lost. I may perhaps.....know a way of helping you."

Y/N perked her ears at his words.

"But first, allow me to tell you a little story, one you don't know about but in which you were the main protagonist."

Y/N watched as a swirl of clouds formed above her, Zephyr trying to make his presence manifested as he began recounting a story:

"Now...it all began when the people began to worship you instead of Aphrodite. I know, we all do you tried to stop them. We weren't blind to it. But Aphrodite is a jealous goddess. She could not stand someone being compared to her. So she sent Eros to you with the task of making you fall in love with a toad or something similar."

Y/N didn't seem too surprised by that. She knew fully well who Eros was and why he was feared even among gods, because no one was immune to his arrows that made them fall in love.

"He came to you one night while you were sleeping. He was so distracted by your beauty that he ended up pricking himself with his own arrow."

Now it made sense to her what he meant when he said he had gotten a dose of his own medicine. She was shocked that this actually happened.

"Eros had fallen in love with you. Curious isn't it, that while you were the most admired woman in the country, no one proposed. Wanna know why? Because Eros stepped in every time, making any suitor fall in love with someone else so they wouldn't take you away from him."

Y/N remembered all those months where no one approached her. Now it all made sense.

"Poor Eros was also begging his mother to let him marry you. But of course, being as stubborn as she is, Aphrodite refused. It became such a quarrel between them that Eros refused to obey her anymore if she didn't agree. Of course, she couldn't have that, so she allowed him to marry you on one condition: your love had to be put to a test....which....I think you know what it was."

Y/N nodded. He asked her to trust him even if she couldn't see him, but she betrayed him.

"Aphrodite probably isn't surprised. She expected it all along. But Eros......he was so in love with you that he put all his faith and trust in your love. And now.....he's probably back home again, moaning and crying just like when he came back that night he met you."

Now the guilt began to eat her up.

"I don't deserve him. I never did. I deserve to die."

Zephyr sighed once again.

"Now now child. As I said. Not all hope is lost. Listen very carefully to me Psyche. Here's what you're going to do."

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Y/N waited for the goddess to arrive. Her fingers fidgeted nervously, playing with the belt on her tunic. She suddenly felt a gush of wind pass by her. Light started to emanate from the ground. Y/N stared in wonder as a powerful entity appeared before her, looking so radiant and angelic that Y/N froze in place before remembering who was standing in front of her. She fell to the ground in honor and respect for the goddess in front of her.

"My goddess Aphrodite. I am your humble servant who has offered sacrifices at your temple and-"

"Oh stop groveling like a little bitch and get up." The goddess sneered at her.

Y/N slowly got up. Aphrodite stepped closer to her, one of her slender fingers tilting her chin up as she closely scanned her rival's face. Bewilderment took over her features, a scoff coming out of her mouth.

"Impressive. Very extraordinary. ..."

She let go of her and backed away.

"Pity though that your eyes are still red and puffy from weeping like a child. It really does not suit you....nevertheless, even I acknowledge you're beautiful and pleasing...."

She crossed her arms.

"No wonder my son is so smitten with you."

Y/N glanced up at the mention of Yeosang.

"Tell me, how is Yeosang? How is my husband."

Aphrodite lifted a hand.

"First of all, you have no right to call him by his birth name. You shall only address him by his godly name you mortals know. And second, he isn't your husband anymore, not after you broke your end of the marriage."

Being reminded of her acts, Y/N once again felt remorseful and ashamed. But she was not about to give up.

"If there's anything I can do to mend things, I'm prepared to do it."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"Yes yes I know very well you are willing to. Zephyr didn't bring you here just for giggles or a cup of tea. And either way, sooner or later Zeus and Hera would have been on my ass about intervening, not to mention that his father wouldn't leave me alone if he saw the state his son was in."

Y/N beamed with joy at the thought of being able to mend things with her love.

"Thank you oh most merciful goddess!" Y/N resisted the urge to throw her hands around the goddess and hug her.

Aphrodite, however, dismissed her thanks.

"Don't get so happy yet foolish girl. I haven't even told you what the tasks are yet."

Beckoning her to follow, Aphrodite lead her through a meadow and deep into a forest. There, she approached a tall laurel tree and pointed at something on the floor.

"Before your eyes, you see a pile of different types of grains. Your job is simple: separate them all and arrange them into piles."

Y/N's jaw dropped at the task.

"That's impossible! It's not simple!"

Aphrodite merely shrugged. "If you truly love Eros, you'll find a way."

She turned away and began walking back to where she came from, but not before telling her:

"Oh and Psyche? You have until sundown to finish."

Y/N knew the goddess was probably laughing by now, already gloating in her failure and inability to finish such a task. She slumped down on the ground and began picking at the grains. They all looked too similar, there was no way to tell them apart. Y/N flung the grains back in the pile.

"It's hopeless..."

She wasn't offered a second chance, she was merely being humiliated for the own amusement of Aphrodite. Y/N couldn't help but wonder if she deserved this....

Suddenly she felt something crawl up on her hand. Looking down, she saw a tiny ant perched on one of her fingers.

"Hello most beautiful mortal. Please don't cry. Let me assure you that this grain will be sorted before Aphrodite comes back."

If Y/N hadn't already seen so miracles and fantasy sightings since she arrived, she would have seriously thought she was insane for thinking an ant was actually talking to her. She watched as thousands of other ants crawled up and began carrying the grains out of the pile, effectively assorting them into neat and tidy piles.

"How are you..?"

The tiny ant let out a squeaky laugh. "This is our specialty my lady. We do this every year."

"But...why are you helping me?" She couldn't understand why they would help her.

"Don't fret about that right now. Leave this all to us and just worry about being reunited with your loved one."

Y/N was touched by their tremendous kindness, thanking them incessantly as they eagerly finished what seemed to not an impossible task for her. True to their word, before the sun set, it was already finished. 5 piles stood in front of her. The ants bid her farewell and good luck for any upcoming tests Aphrodite was going to put on her.

When the goddess came to inspect the work, her eyes nearly bulged out when she saw it was accomplished. Scoffing, she crossed her arms.

"I see you finished it....very well. Tomorrow I shall take you to do the second task. But trust me, you won't get very far."

The goddess was so sure Y/N would never be able to finish them, but she didn't count on the fact someone was pulling strings behind the scenes to make sure Y/N would be successful. When Y/N was tasked to collect the gold fleece from the magical sun rams, the mystery person asked the reeds growing on the riverbank near her, to tell Y/N to wait until the rams left the pasture to fall asleep in a meadow, then she'd be able to collect fleece that would usually get caught on the brambles where they often played or fought in. On her third task, she had to collect water from a pit that was guarded by a fearsome dragon. Y/N dared not approach the beast, but once again, the hidden figure sent an enormous eagle to help her by flying her down the pit while the dragon slept so she could fill up the bottle Aphrodite gave her. Y/N asked the eagle, like she did the reeds and ants, why were they helping her, but all of them remained silent, not answering her question. They only wished her luck and encouraged her to stay determined to win back her husband.

Aphrodite took the bottle in her hands, fury in her eyes as she flung it across the room in pure outrage.

"I don't know what kind of tricks you've pulled to accomplish these tasks so easily, but I will not stand for it any longer!"

Determined to make sure Y/N would never see her son no matter the cost, she declared her last mission:

"You must go into the Underworld and bring me Queen Persephone's beauty cream, the one she makes herself. I was going to go there myself....but you can do it for me."

Aphrodite's eyes did not hide her malice or her hatred towards the poor girl.

"But....no human can descend into the Underworld and return!" Y/N exclaimed.

"Then I guess you shall have to be the first."

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Y/N touched the ground softly as Zephyr dropped her down.

"Psyche listen to me very carefully. There is a way for mortals to go into the Underworld and return alive. But pay very close attention or you'll never see the light of day."

Out of thing air, Zephyr made 2 coins and a loaf of bread apart before her.

"The coins are for Charon. He's the boatman that will take you to the Underworld and will also bring you back. The bread is for Cerberus."

Y/N gulped at the mention of the dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld.

"You mean.....the one with 50 heads?"

Zephyr laughed.

"You humans sure do like to add charm to stories. No Psyche. Cerberus only has 3 heads. He won't do anything to you while going in, it's when you're getting out that'll be the problem. You see, he's not guarding souls from going in, he guards them from leaving."

Y/N nodded, drinking up all the information he was feeding to her.

"When you're leaving, give a piece to each of the heads, it'll put him to sleep long enough for you to get out of there as fast as you can."

"Got it."

Y/N began walking into the foggy mist, trembling slightly as she realized she was about to be in front of the gates of hell very soon.

"Another thing! Accept no food or drink and do not rest at all! Just go in, take the cream and get out. I'll be waiting here for you."

"Thank you Zephyr."

Y/N wandered through the dense and humid mist that blurred most of her vision. She spotted a light looming out of the water and headed towards it. She stopped when she reached the end of the dock and stood face to face with a dark cloaked figure. Its face was completely hidden by the hood, the only thing she could see were its hands that were holding a staff that was no doubt used to row out boat.

"Are you.....are you Charon?"

The cloaked figure simply nodded very slowly.

"Can you take me to see Queen Persephone?"

Charon did not respond either that time, instead he held his hand out. Y/N now could clearly see that his hand was only bone, absolutely no flesh or skin surrounding it. Although startled, she handed one of the coins to him, which he put into a small purse that he kept tied to his waist. He signalled for her to get in. Y/N had some difficulty getting into the boat, slamming down on it, her bum hardly hitting the wood floor. She was sure if Charon was able to, he'd probably be laughing at her. He waited until she was settled into the boat before he began rowing down the Styx river.

Y/N hugged her knees as her eyes scanned everything. So far only the splashing of water and the silent boatman kept her company. And then a foul and putrid stench filled her nostrils, making her want to gag. As she kept looking around, she noticed what seemed to be people standing by another dock, looking pitiful and some even crying.

"They're the souls of people whose families didn't pay the fee or didn't have a burial upon death." Charon spoke up for the first time, his voice sounded hollow and had somewhat of an echo in it.

She understood what he meant. All people usually put a coin under their deceased loved ones tongue as payment for a ride to the Underworld.

"Will they stay there forever?"

Charon let out a raspy breathe.

"They'll stay there for a hundred years before they're allowed to cross over. Our master is not that cruel as you mortals depict him."

Mention of his master sent Y/N into panic. She was about to meet the actual god of the Underworld and his wife. She shivered as she remembered all she was ever taught about him: her teachers often painted him as a cruel, evil and wrathful god that loved tormenting the souls that were sent to him. The only reason he had a wife was because he kidnapped her, only allowing her to spend time in Olympus for half of the year. Y/N feared seeing him.

"This is the end of your journey."

Y/N saw a colossal black door in front of her. She lifted her hand to knock on it, but wondered if it was even possible for them to hear her. She felt someone or something sneeze by her right side so she turned. First there was only a gigantic dog head that soon turned into three, Y/N almost fainted when it began approaching her. This had to be Cerberus. The hellhound merely scanned her, puzzled as to why an alive human would be there. But he went back to his job and used one of his heads to push open the door for her. Y/N was prepared to see a sea of tormented souls being stirred in fire or some other kind of torture, but instead, she walked in a long and regal corridor, much like the one back home in Athens. Everything was decorated in either black or a deep purple color. At the very end, she saw two thrones side by side, black and made out of hard iron and steel. 2 figures sat by them and when she reached close enough, she was face to face with the rulers of the Underworld.

As per custom, Y/N bowed to them, trembling in the process. The monarchs looked at each other in confusion.

"You are not dead nor dying, what business do you have here?" A male voice inquired.

Y/N swallowed harshly, trying to speak but fear made her paralyzed and unable for recall what she was there to do. Noticing how scared she was, the queen stood up and walked over to her. She gently lifted Y/N up, her hand cupping her chin to look at her. Y/N finally had a glimpse of the Underworld queen and she was mesmerized. She wasn't as beautiful as Aphrodite, but her beauty was so haunting and eerie, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It made her very unique and therefore more interesting in her eyes. Y/N felt self conscious now. She hadn't properly cleaned up or slept ever since Aphrodite had her do all those tasks, so she probably looked like a mess in front of the beautiful queen.

Persephone merely smiled at her, a genuine and kind smile.

"You're Psyche aren't you?"

Her eyes widened at the mention of her name. The man behind her also became curious at him mention of it.

"How do you know who I am?" But Y/N soon wanted to slap herself for asking that. She was a goddess, of course she'd know.

The lady chuckled. "Not everyday one meets a face that rivals Aphrodite's. I've heard so much about you."

She turned back and Y/N assumed she was going to take her place on the throne, but instead, she shocked her when she opted to sit on her husbands lap, her arms wrapping around his neck. He visibly stiffened, and Y/N was surprised to see him......blush?

"So tell me. Has the mighty goddess of beauty sent you here for another task?"

Persephone looked back to see Y/N with a mouth wide open.

"We know all about your endeavors to win your husband back. News reaches here first before it reaches Olympus. Gives a little entertainment to us and our subjects you know."

She waved her hand and instantly a grey and cloudy figure appeared before her, offering her wine or food from a platter. She didn't want to seem rude, but she remembered what Zephyr said and thus refused any of it. Persephone chuckled softly.

"Very smart." Persephone observed. She above anyone knew what eating food from the Underworld would mean.

"So tell me Psyche. What has she sent you here for?"

Y/N began explaining how the goddess wanted some of her beauty cream. Persephone rolled her eyes, knowing all too well how vain Aphrodite was. Her fingers stroked through her husband's hair, puzzling Y/N more. If she was kidnapped and forced to marry him, how could she be so....in love with him? Persephone only took her attention away from her husband when another grey figure brought out a box to her. Thanking the servant, she held out the box to Y/N.

"Take this to Aphrodite and be reunited with your love."

Y/N thanked the merciful queen and walked back, now more happy at the thought of seeing Yeosang again. Persephone watched her with a motherly gaze, feeling somewhat nostalgic.

"You seem to be very interested in that human." Hades' voice broke her trance.

"She's an extraordinary girl if you ask me. And she's doing everything for love."

She smirked as she cupped her husband's face.

"Reminds me of a certain someone who also went to great lengths to win the person he loved the most."

The Underworld God cleared his throat.

"Love makes us do crazy things sometimes." He justified himself.

Persephone nodded and leaned in.

"I know. That's why am going to vouch for her when Zeus holds the meeting."

Hades looked puzzled. "What meeting?"

The queen let out a hearty laugh before kissing his lips.

"Married life has made you lose some of your sharpness my dear lord." She teased.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

Y/N successfully fed the bread to the demon hound and made it back across the Styx with Charon's help.

"Thank you Charon." She handed the other coin to him.

"First time anyone has thanked me to the work I do." Although he tried to be neutral about it, Charon's voice had a lighter and more grateful tone to it.

Y/N crossed the swamp again and came back to the meadow where Zephyr had left her. She called me to him, but he did not answer. Y/N sat on the grass and waited for him, growing tired in the process. It had been 4 very long and tiring days and she was beginning to feel the intensity of them. Her eyes began to flutter, trying to stay awake, but tiredness began to overtake her. Her gaze fell on the box she was holding. Feeling curious, she slowly opened the box to peer into its contents. A sudden burst of light shone right in front of her, the power being too much for her and instantly, she fell unconscious on the floor.

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

Eros sighed softly to himself, the longing for his wife becoming too unbearable.

"Would you please stop that moaning? It's getting on my nerves." His mother said from the doorway.

"I miss her...." He covered his face with the pillow.

Aphrodite scoffed.

"Seriously this lovesick fool."

Eros ignored his mother, all his thoughts were about Y/N and the last time he saw her. He recalled the harsh words he said to her, regretting them so much, each letter feeling like a stab to his heart. Although it hurt him to have her distrust him, it hurt even more to be separated from her. He wanted her back in his arms, he wanted to kiss her, he was going even more insane than the first time when he pricked himself on his arrow.

Suddenly he heard a commotion coming from the living room, with the way a voice roared like thunder, he knew who had just came in. He got up, ready to intervene in case the two individuals in front of him started getting physical. Not noticing him, they just continued their screaming match.

"I've put up with so many of your antics, but this my dear goddess, is low even for you!"

The anger in his father's voice was unmistakable, but it was even more serious than all the other times he'd quarreled with his mother.

"Oh shut up Ares! I did what I had to do for our dear son."

Aphrodite twirled her hair on her finger, batting her eyelashes at her longtime lover, hoping to seduce him and get his mind off the subject, but this time it didn't.

"No, you did this because you're a selfish, conceited and cruel woman! Putting an innocent girl through so many hardships just for your own amusement! Don't you think Psyche and Eros have been through enough already?"

Now it was Eros' turn to make his presence known.

"What about my wife?"

Both of his parents turned to look at him, one in shock at being discovered and one in sad pity for him and his love. Ares crossed his arms.

"Well? Tell him Aphrodite. Tell him all about the tasks you made Psyche do these past days." He challenged her.

Eros looked at his mother, waiting for her to answer, but she kept her lips shut. Getting fed up, Ares spilled everything to him. Eros immediately got worried.

"Where is she now?"

Ares looked to the goddess in front of him as he did not know what the last task was. Gathering some of the rage he inherited from his father, Eros harshly grabbed his mother and shook her.

"Where is my wife?!"

Aphrodite pushed him off her.

"I sent her to the Hades and Persephone."

Eros wasted no time and grabbed his bow and arrow. The Underworld was dangerous even for a God and he knew he had to go get her before anything happened to her.

"Eros! Don't you dare go after her! She isn't your wife anymore!"

Turning back to his mother, he looked at her in defiance.

"She is my wife. She'll always be my wife. I love her.....and I'm going over to her now."

Spreading his wings, he flew as fast as he could to the swampy forest where she had been hours earlier. He asked the boatman if he had seen her, but Charon only said she had completed her voyage and was headed back home. He breathed a sigh of relief, at least she was alive. He flew back to his mansion, bursting the doors open, alarming the servants who were no longer invisible. He didn't spare a glance at them, he simply ran upstairs to his room. Slamming the door open, he saw as Zephyr, now in his physical form was hovering over an unconscious Psyche.

"No..."

Eros ran over to her side, taking her hand in his.

"The power inside the box her majesty gave her is too much for a mortal to bear. I've tried everything, but she still shows no sign of waking up. Her body has also been weak these past days due to exhaustion. ....and heartache." Zephyr said somberly.

Eros spilled tears when finding out all she had been through and how much suffering he had put her through.

"I'm so sorry my darling."

His arms encapsulated her in a tight embrace, almost crushing her from the intensity. Eros sobbed uncontrollably. Zephyr decided to retreat from the room, giving him the space he needed.

Brushing out some of her hair, he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Please don't leave me.." he whispered before pressing his lips against hers.

He heard as she started breathing slowly, pulling away to check on her. Y/N's eyes slowly opened, thinking she was dreaming when she saw her love's handsome face in front of her.

"Yeo- Yeosang?"

His heart started beating faster when he heard her call him by his name.

"Oh Y/N thank Zeus you're all right!"

Y/N held him tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Yeosang I'm so sorry! I should have listened to you but I was so stupid!"

He hushed her, his hands caressing her arms.

"It's ok. I've forgiven you my darling. I don't care anymore. All I want is for us to be together again."

Y/N hesitated.

"Will we be allowed to?"

Clearing his throat, they both turned their attention to Zephyr who came back.

"Even if Aphrodite won't like it, she'll have no choice but to allow you two to be together after a power greater than her allows it."

Yeosang and Y/N looked at him in confusion. Zephyr once again began explaining:

"I'm sure Y/N..." He smiled when he called her by her real name for the first time.

"You've been curious about why so many creatures helped you while you were performing the tasks for Aphrodite."

Y/N nodded, none of them had told her why they'd help her.

"They were all sent by none other than Zeus, who had been watching all this happen and agreed it was unfair of Aphrodite to put you through such hardships."

The couple couldn't believe their ears. The king of the gods himself intervened on their behalf.

"He looks favorably upon your marriage and has even called a meeting to determine if Y/N should be allowed to become an immortal herself."

Y/N's mouth dropped unable to comprehend his words, but Eros was delighted. He could finally be together with his wife for all eternity, not fearing that one day he'd lose her in death because she was human. He felt so grateful to Zeus.

"It shall be put to a vote and needless to say, your mother won't say yes."

Of course they expected that.

"But fear not. There's already many who are willing to vouch for you. Persephone and Hades for example, Ares, Apollo, Demeter and I'm willing to bet that Dionysus will show up drunk and will agree to anything."

They all let out a chuckle at that.

"I'll let you know what the results are. Zeus agreed it'd be better if you two weren't there. He wants a peaceful meeting without Aphrodite throwing a tantrum."

Leaving them alone, the two lovers stared at each other for a while, unable to believe how lucky they were. Y/N reached up to touch Yeosang.

"It's ok Y/N. I'm real and I promise I won't ever leave you again."

His hand cupped the side of her face, thumb drawing circles on her cheek.

"I love you and I promise to love you my heart......

For all eternity."

━━━━━━━༺۵༻━━━━━━━

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chironshorseass · 3 years

Text

part 1 read on ao3

“So you’re telling me that you haven’t Iris Messaged Annabeth in a month?”

“She was with her cousin, Ma.”

His mother stopped the car right next to Goode—the high school he would (hopefully) be attending in August.

She turned to look at him, that motherly stern look that always came up when she knew he wasn’t telling her everything.

“What?”

She shrugged. “Whatever you say. But physically, you haven’t seen her since last January! I’m just worried that—”

“We emailed each other, though—”

“Yes, but it’s not the same.” At Percy’s roll of the eyes, she held her hands up in surrender. “All I’m saying is to…see if there’s anything wrong. I have a feeling she didn’t want to IM you for some other reason. And I know you, Perce. You have the same feeling as I do.”

He did, but that wasn’t the point. So he kissed his mom on the cheek and stepped out of the car.

“Good luck on your date! And with, um, school!”

He threw her a thumbs up and shouldered his backpack.

Too bad that luck wasn’t on his side that day.

She saw him before he saw her.

He’s grown, was the first thing that came to Annabeth’s mind.

His clothing peppered in burn holes, the smoke wafting further back, and the pretty girl chasing him was registered later.

She saw him before he saw her, and so Percy bumped into her in the alleyway. Her hands went to his shoulders, steadying him.

“Whoah!” she said, laughing. “Watch where you’re going, Seaweed Brain!”

Maybe he thought he’d be late for our date. That’s why he’s in such a hurry.

It didn’t matter. Because he was here, and he was just a bit taller than her—his hair was longer than she remembered, but his green eyes were the same, beautiful color, and...

Then she caught his panicked look. Then she caught the girl behind him and the smoke and his burnt clothing.

“What happened?”

Before he could reply, the redhead called out, “Percy! Wait up!”

Her flip-flops echoed across the relatively quiet street, interrupting Annabeth’s thought process.

“And who‘s she?”

Percy turned to the other girl and waited until she arrived next to them. He glanced at Annabeth, wincing. “It’s uh…it’s a long story.”

“You promised to explain,” the girl insisted, breathless. “About the monsters and the gods and everything.”

“Wait,” Annabeth said. “She’s a demigod?”

“No.”

At the same time, the girl tilted her head and said, “So you’re one of them, too, huh?”

Annabeth felt her mouth fall open in disbelief. She met Percy’s eyes. “You told some mortal about us?”

“My name’s Rachel.”

And my name’s I-don’t-give-a-fuck.

“She can see through the mist,” is all he said.

She shook her head. Out of everything that could happen today…and this was what Fate had decided on.

“Come on.” She tugged on Percy’s arm. “We’re leaving before whatever attacked you comes back.”

He followed her, but not without gazing back at Rachel as though he wanted to stay with her. As though it were easier than being with Annabeth. There was something bubbling in her stomach at that, something that boiled her insides.

“Wait!” Rachel shouted. “You promised to explain!”

She sprinted toward them and took out a sharpie marker she’d sprung out from thin air. Annabeth rolled her eyes. Rachel grasped Percy’s arm and began writing something that looked like numbers.

She wasn’t rolling her eyes anymore.

“My phone number,” Rachel explained. Then she winked at him. “Whenever you can, call me.”

“What was all that about?” Annabeth said. She’d already stormed ahead, taking the lead.

He tried to explain. He’d gone to Goode’s orientation tour, just like she knew he would. There, he’d been attacked by empousa cheerleaders, and thanks to Rachel’s Sight, he’d survived.

“I’d be dead if it weren’t for her,” he said, eyeing his marked arm. “I have to repay her in some way.”

“So now you have her phone number,” she said lightly.

“Uh…yeah.”

“She’s really cute.”

Percy stopped in his tracks. She stopped as well and looked back, realizing that he was staring at her exasperatedly.

“Aw, come on, Annabeth. You and I are literally dating, and I just saw her today—well, except for last year—”

“You’ve met her before?”

He scratched his head, shifting from one foot to the other. “I, uh…yeah. Last year at Hoover Dam.”

Right. When he was looking for me.

She kept walking again.

“Are you seriously upset because of her?” He tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away. “‘Beth, I never—”

“Anyway, I don’t think we can go on our date anymore.” Her tone was scathing, like sharp, twisted knives. But she didn’t care. The gods hated her, apparently, because she and Percy could never be a normal teenage couple.

“Oh, so now you can get all angry with me when we couldn’t even call properly because of your cousin? Not even a single call?”

“That empousai said that the camp would go up in flames, we need to—”

“Don’t change the subject.” He ran up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her halt. The few baby fat he’d still preserved back in winter was gone, replaced with the hints of someone older; with a harshness akin to his father, the Sea God. “How much time did you actually spend with your cousin? Honestly. He couldn’t have been with you all the time, and I tried to be nice and understanding, but did you really—”

“If what that empousa warned you about is true, then we need to head to camp. Right now.”

She left before he could talk about anything else involving her pathetic lies. Left before he could see her blinking back tears. She ran directly into Argus’ van, and once Percy had closed the door, she told the bodyguard to drive directly to camp. No detours.

They didn’t talk on the way there. She stared out the window, watching the passing farms and the cotton sky.

Her first meeting with Percy after months apart and it couldn’t have gone better.

The thing is: Annabeth had changed her mind about camp. In her plans, she’d stay in San Francisco for longer than usual, just to be as far away from Camp Half-Blood as possible. Then, she’d go to New York City, and her and Percy would be taken to camp by Argus.

But plans changed.

Her mother had come, weeks before Annabeth would leave as initially intended. For some strange reason, she’d knocked on her door like Luke all those months ago.

A spluttering Frederick had answered this time. Annabeth trailed behind him, cautious for anything.

Cautious for anything didn’t mean she’d thought Athena would ever consider stopping by.

“Mom?” she’d said, eyes wide.

After greetings were made, Athena had insisted she go to camp immediately. “They are counting on you to be there, Annabeth. You must go. Before it’s too late.”

Annabeth recalled what she’d told Luke:

“People are counting on you—on me”

But hearing it from her mother, seeing her so insistent—enough so that she’d come, personally, to her porch steps—made Annabeth reconsider.

Anyway, this was Athena. Her mother. Who was she to displease her?

So she buried all her worries about Luke and Percy and followed her; in the blink of an eye, she’d arrived at camp, Athena nowhere to be seen. Annabeth hadn’t even had the chance to ask her about why she’d decided to help, out of the blue.

But Athena was right; camp needed her. Apparently, Clarisse’s top-secret quest from last winter had to do with venturing into the Labyrinth. She and Chiron had rescued Chris Rodriguez, an ex-camper who was scouting it in the hopes of finding an entrance to camp for Luke’s army. He’d fallen victim to madness in those dark, underground walls. No one knew why—only that he needed help.

Not only that, but throughout those few weeks, she’d felt as if her mother’s face was implanted in her mind like a brand; she swore she saw those grey eyes everywhere. While she got familiar with Quintus and Mrs. O’Leary. While planning with Clarisse and Chiron. While hanging out with Silena. While scouring the forest with Grover and his new girlfriend, Juniper—searching for an entrance to the Labyrinth.

It got to the point where she lit a match and watched as dozens of olives burst into flames, in the hopes that Athena would respond.

“What do you want from me?”

“Please answer.”

“What do you know that we don’t?”

Everything.

That’s what she’d say, probably. But Annabeth would never know, because Athena never answered. She nearly burned down cabin seven because of this. In her frustration, she scooped up the remaining olives, stomped across camp, and threw them into the sea.

“Thanks for everything,” she muttered, watching the waves greedily drag the olives away.

She didn’t feel eyes burning into her neck after that, but coming back with Percy restarted the process all over again.

An owl was perched on Thalia’s tree. She ignored it, only for it to come back while her and Percy both sat to hear what the Council of Cloven Elders had to say about Grover’s search for Pan.

“Mom. What do you want?”

“Lovely way of greeting your visiting mother, I see.”

Annabeth sighed.

After reasurances to Grover that, ‘Everything will be alright. Don’t worry. I know you’ll find Pan before the Council’s deadline,’ she’d taken to the trees. To where that grey owl was perched.

The owl disappeared, however. Replaced by the goddess of wisdom. So now both mother and daughter stood, a few feet apart, while everyone else gathered on the other side. No one noticed the secret meeting.

“You prayed to me,” Athena said. “Of course I would answer. Even if you did throw the offerings away.”

To where Annabeth threw them away was left unsaid; Athena knew. She knew, and she’d likely come because of it.

Annabeth shrugged.

“You’re angry with me,” Athena observed. “Anger must be controlled, or else unwise decisions happen. Like throwing a prized possession into the sea.”

“Well, Mother,” Annabeth said, jaw tense. “You haven’t exactly been clear about why you’re following me around. Or about why you wanted me to go to camp early in the first place.”

Athena was rarely quick to anger. She calculated everything, patient and firm, just like now.

“Knowing the intentions of the divine can either be a blessing or a curse.”

“But you’re about to tell me something. About to answer me. Am I cursed, then?”

Athena cocked her head, considering.

“No,” she finally said.

There was a glint in her eyes, something that told Annabeth that she was holding back.

“Well, then...I am asking again: why are you here?”

“Because I foresee that you shall lead a quest.”

A pause. Her comment was precise, abrupt as a frigid wind. Annabeth felt herself gaping like a fish. Quickly, she clamped her mouth shut. That was all she wanted, wasn’t it? To lead a quest? But then why did she feel such a profound sense of dread?

“I came to warn you. It won’t be easy.”

She restrained the urge to roll her eyes. “Quests aren’t meant to be easy.”

“Never stray from the plan,” Athena said, ignoring her comment. Her eyes were grey as granite, face hard as marble. “I know that you can…manage your hubris, but this time, it’ll be the ultimate trial for what you can or can’t do. If you can yield or not. You and Perseus both. Hubris can be controlled, but if control itself is the problem...that is very dire, indeed.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I may have made a mistake in assuming Perseus’ fatal flaw. Maybe not. In any case...you must be careful.”

“You assumed what his fatal flaw is?”

Athena regarded her carefully, like one does when studying an ancient scroll. “You can ask him about it. Since you two are...close.”

She said close as if it was a foregin word on her tongue, something she wanted to get rid of.

Of course she knew.

“About that, I don’t care what you—”

“I give you the benefit of the doubt,” Athena said, an eyebrow raised. “My children are known to make wise, rational decisions. I can only hope that you won’t become an exception to that rule. I do not approve, but it is your life. Your choice.”

Annabeth’s mouth felt like sand. Choices. She’d begun to hate them, now.

“What’s Percy’s fatal flaw?”

“Even to me, it’s uncertain.”

“But you have some idea.”

“As do you, my daughter.”

“I thought knowledge is power.”

“Yes. Knowledge is power. But how do you know that the knowledge you possess is true? How do you know if it’s not? Fate, however, is already decided; all we can do is prepare for the worst.”

“What’s going to happen, then?” Annabeth felt like she was barely able to grasp for something to hold on to, waiting— begging —for the ground to steady itself. “What will happen to Luke? What’s my role in all of this?”

Athena only shook her head. “Knowing something and having the wits to use it are two separate things.” Then she turned around, her time at camp over as well as her vague and unreliable warnings. “I must go. Good luck, Annabeth, on your quest.”

“A quest no one has even mentioned —”

“And watch for Percy Jackson.”

She vanished into the canopy, morphing into that same, grey owl. A single feather fell from the sky and settled quietly into the ground next to Annabeth’s sneakers. It mocked her, that feather. She kicked it away, then thought better of it and rubbed it into the dirt with her heel, destroying every single trace.

Your choice.

Neither her nor Percy mentioned their earlier fight. It became a discarded page, ripped off and torn into pieces like an old math textbook. It gave her space to breathe, to start over. A part of her knew that it wasn’t right, and that eventually, they’d have to talk about it—but that was eventually. This was now.

During the “now,” she filled Percy in on the Labyrinth.

(The Labyrinth will be the quest your mom mentioned. It can’t be about anything else)

He listened to everything she had to say and stayed even while Clarisse was there, too.

(Probably because they’re friends. They just hate to admit it.)

They ignored the catcalls and the teasing. She expected it, anyway.

(“So the rumors are true,” Malcolm said, wiggling his eyebrows and making her roll her eyes. “You and Percy are a thing, now.”

“Uh…yeah.”

“And you never thought to tell me? Like, I’m not surprised or anything, but—hey! Don’t hit me! Okay, fine, everyone knew since you two held hands and made gooey eyes at each other and stuff last January—stop hitting me!”)

Later, her and Percy sat together by the warmth of the campfire, roasting s’mores. She enjoyed laying her head on his shoulder and kissing his cheek. She laughed at his horrible singing and held his hand later that night, swinging their arms up and down as they walked toward cabin three.

Joking around and taking comfort in the sound of the crickets, Annabeth understood what it was like to love someone. It was a different kind of love than that of Luke. She watched him smile wide, watched the way his eyes crinkled as she rolled her eyes about Clarisse and Silena. That’s when it crossed her mind: their friendship hadn’t changed. Not really.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for six months or so, and even though their newest step to their relationship had started weeks before that, their esense stayed the same. He was still Percy and she was still Annabeth. And that would never change.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Percy said, squeezing her hand.

“Oh, um. Just...thinking.”

“Well duh.”

“Shut up.”

He grinned at her, even as she shoved him off.

“No but seriously,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

She sighed. Her meeting with Athena had slipped into her mind like passing sticky notes and secret messages. “I want to talk about fatal flaws.”

She felt his hand tense. “What about them?”

“Just, I dunno, like...do you know yours?”

He was looking straight ahead when he said, “Your, uh, mom told me. Is personal loyalty even considered a flaw?”

“That’s what she said? That your fatal flaw is personal loyalty?”

He shrugged. “Guess so.”

So it’s true. She thinks she’s wrong.

“I mean, personal loyalty is considered a flaw, but...do you think it could be something else? Maybe?”

They locked eyes. The faraway hearth lit up his face, sharpening his features.

“Do you think it’s something else?”

“I don’t know.”

Another lie. Or was it? Could personal loyalty be his fatal flaw or could it be something else? Was Athena right? Was she wrong?

Percy raised his eyebrows. “You know something. You have that planning face look.”

“I don’t have a—”

“Uh, yeah you do. But whatever. It’s not like you know what my fatal flaw is.”

“I’m...yeah. I was just wondering since, well, I know about mine. And we’re so close to the Great Prophecy, and if you don’t know by now what your fatal flaw is, well—”

“It’s good that I know, then,” he cut in. “Good that I know my fatal flaw by now.” His eyes flicked to her. “Right?”

“Yeah. Right. Good.”

Nothing else was said after that. He stopped by the porch steps of cabin three and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, comforted like she had throughout the singalong. Comforted by Percy.

Until he closed his door and left her in the dark.

The next day, Quintus’ strange game involving scorpions and ribbons began with her being paired up with Percy. It was just their luck that they’d stumbled into the Labyrinth, of all places .

“So we’re stuck here.”

“Yep,” Percy confirmed.

“You’re not helping.”

“I’m only here for moral support. You’re the brains of the relationship.”

“Am not,” she grumbled. “You’re smart; stop pretending you aren’t.”

It was no use, anyway. She couldn’t find the mark of Daedalus in the darkness. They took a break from searching and calling for help to sit down, bunching up against a wall and leaning against the other.

“I never apologized.”

Percy’s voice in the hollow chambers nearly made her jump. She lifted her chin and tucked it into his collarbone.

“For what?” she said.

“The Rachel thing.”

“To be fair, I’d nearly forgotten.”

“Exactly. So I just…want to clear the air before it comes up again. And to say sorry for doubting you about your cousin.”

She shut her eyes tight. The truth was coming like undigested food; she was ready to spill it all out. But she swallowed the words instead—hating herself and loving this beautiful, selfless boy all at the same time. Round and round. Round and round it went.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“What are you sorry for? You were right to be angry with me. Like, all this time apart and suddenly a girl writes down her phone number on my arm , and then we can’t even have a normal date because I seem to mess that up, too.”

You’re perfect, she wanted to say. You’re perfect and I’m the one who messed everything up. Not you.

“We both reacted in stupid ways,” she said instead. “And anyway, I should’ve found the time to IM with you.”

He kissed the top of her head and mumbled into her hair, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah. I know.”

He pulled away from her. She could feel his gaze but couldn’t see him clearly. “Something’s bothering you, Annabeth. What’s wrong? What’s actually wrong?”

She pursed her lips.

“What if…what if we don’t make it?”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper, but in the drifting silence, it sounded like ringing bells, there for everyone to hear.

( “What if you don’t make it?” She could never dare to say that out loud, however. )

She felt Percy lace his fingers through hers. “We’ll be together. That’s something I know for sure.”

They chose silence after that. Annabeth rested her head against his shoulder once more, listening to the constant creaking and shifting of the Labyrinth.

“Hey,” Percy murmured.

She glanced at him. “Hmm?”

Suddenly, she was aware of his hand resting on her arm, of his breath warm against her cheek. She froze, just for a second.

“Can I kiss you?”

Now that she thought about it, they’d never kissed properly—just a quick peck here and there. She nearly laughed at how nervous Percy sounded, at how this was just like last winter as they asked permission for a simple kiss like the awkward teenagers that they were.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and leaned in. He didn’t need to look far, not even in the darkness; she was already inches apart, closing her eyes and feeling their breaths slip by.

When their lips met, she decided that surrender tasted sweet and pure, something she’d willingly do over and over again. He kissed her and nothing else mattered, not Time or the dark or choices.

He was the first to pull away.

“We’ve, um, we’ve been in here for too long,” he said. “Let’s keep trying to find a way out.”

It wasn’t long until they did.

By the time they’d managed to slip out of the Labyrinth, hours had passed. Night had fallen like autumn leaves, though she swore that they’d been in the maze for thirty minutes at most.

By the time the campers and Chiron found them, she already knew that a quest would have to be made.

Just like her mother had promised, she was chosen to lead.

From what the oracle told her, she wished she could hide in her cabin and never come out. She wished that all of this was a dream and that absolutely nothing would happen—to anyone.

“The child of Athena’s final stand,” she’d said, repeating nearly all of her prophecy once Chiron asked her about it.

She paused and didn’t say the last line. The worst line. That line had cut to her bones. A rusted knife against her throat.

“And lose a love worse than death.”

She gazed at Percy. Innocent green eyes gazed right back at her, unwavering. What a terrible person she was, that she’d lead him to this fate because she couldn’t leave without him. How weak.

“Will you come?” she breathed.

He agreed without a second thought.

He found her in her cabin. They were alone, for once. And when he asked her what was wrong, when he looked at her like that, she couldn’t take it anymore. She surged to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and secure, so he could never go away.

She breathed in his scent, feeling tears already trickling into his shirt.

“Hey, it’s—it’s okay. We’ll survive.”

“But what if we don’t?”

His hands drifted up to her back, steadying her.

She lifted her eyes, pulling away slightly, if only to see him clearly. A varying amount of emotions crossed his face. Concern, fear, love. Until he settled on concern and flicked away her stray tears with the pad of his thumb ever so gently. His eyebrows were pinched together.

“I just…” she said, looking away. “I just don’t want anything happening to yo—to any of you.”

“I’ll be here,” he said softly, cupping her cheek and moving it in his direction so that she could understand. “We’ll be okay.”

She wished she could believe that. Wished she could believe it with the same amount of heart that she poured into the kiss that followed. Her hands tugged at his hair, lips moving along with his like they never had before. They were warm and sure, his lips. But they could easily turn blue and cold, as easily as a flame could cease to exist. So she kissed him with everything she had so that his lips would stay warm like this, forever—passed her oxygen to him until there was nothing left to give.

Annabeth also chose Grover and Tyson to join her quest. With two more people, the quest team turned up as four instead of three; a feeling told her that she needed them all.

But three is a sacred number. Not four. This is why Zoë and Bianca passed on.

Three, not four.

And lose a love to worse than—

She strolled past the moving walls, the footfalls of the rest echoing behind her. Until she stopped. They were in a lavish room with a muraled painting of the gods, but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was the two doorways, the two paths.

“So?” Grover asked. “Which one do we uh…which one do we pick?”

Before she could answer, a man formed—or rather, a man with two faces. They stood in between the pathways, leering at her.

“Yes, Annabeth,” said one face.

“Which one do you pick?” said the other.

She kept mulling it over, what Hera had said. They’d encountered Janus, the god of doorways and beginnings and endings. And choices.

“Choose,” they’d said.

Instantly, images had painted themselves in her mind. In one, she was looking for Daedalus alongside Percy and Grover and Tyson. In the other, she was looking for Luke. “He can be saved,” her imaginary self muttered as she trudged through the Labyrinth alone, on the brink of madness. “If I save him, there will be no more death.”

But then more flashed through her mind. Choose one pathway, and she’d lose Percy, and soon after that, she’d lose Grover and Tyson. Choose the other, and she’d lose Luke instead.

“Choose.”

Everything had come to a pause when Hera arrived. She wanted to help them, apparently—only that that wasn’t true. Gods didn’t help. They only left you confused and disoriented, spinning around with no control.

She hadn’t helped, not that it surprised her.

None of them had any clue how to navigate the Labyrinth, only that supposedly Percy knew the answer. And also that they had to search for Hephaestus if they wanted to find Daedalus.

As a parting gift, she’d said, “I delayed Janus’ visit, but be careful, Annabeth. Your choice will come soon enough.”

“Let’s rest here,” Percy said, sensing her waning steps.

Despite her exhaustion, she insisted on taking first watch. She had to think. Pray. Slowly, everyone else fell into a slumber, but her mind was wide awake, gazing at Percy’s motionless form.

Prophecies had double meanings, didn’t they?

Her world was turned upside-down once she heard the explosion, once she went airborne for a few seconds only to hit her shoulder on a jagged rock. Immediately, she felt the sharp sting of pain. She clutched her shoulder, biting her lip. Her hand came back slick with blood.

“You chose this,” the two-faced god taunted her.

Then she heard a strangled scream. Percy’s scream. She inhaled sharply and scrambled to stand up, ignoring the scuttling spider that was getting farther and farther away and the stabbing pain traveling from her shoulder to the rest of her body.

“Percy!”

She ran in the direction from which she’d come from. Too late. Searing heat slapped her in the face before she understood what was happening. Another explosion came, and this time, she wasn’t so lucky.

Her body stumbled back, rocks caving in on her.

The sky. This is like the sky—

And everything went dark.

The darkness formed into a memory:

“No! I can’t leave you!”

“I’ve got a plan—promise!” he insisted. “You follow that metal spider to Hephaestus' lair, tell him about what’s going on.”

“But you’ll be killed!”

This was the choice; leave him or stay. Stay or leave.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. From the look in his eyes, Annabeth knew that she couldn’t convince him. He was decided. “Besides, we’ve got no choice.”

Yes, they did have a choice.

No.

Yes.

She kissed him instead. A quick kiss, a promise.

“Come back to me,” she said, fighting back tears. She pulled on her Yankees cap and left, then ran.

Her sobs escaped from her rib cage by then, finally free.

She woke to that memory and nothing else, head pounding like drums. The spider was long gone, and she stumbled around, drunk with grief. It was a miracle she found Hephaestus at all.

Hephaestus, thank the gods, understood her unintelligible blabbering. He took pity on her, perhaps, because he healed her physical wounds and dropped her off at camp. Never mind that Grover and Tyson were gone, on their own path looking for Pan. Never mind that Percy…

She broke down crying for the thousandth time that day when Chiron asked her what had happened. Why she’d staggered into camp all alone. Her heart, her entire being, spilled to the floor like water from an overfilled cup.

“Four went in and one came back. Only Annabeth came back,” the campers whispered among themselves. She saw their faces, saw their horror at realizing that Percy was likely dead, Grover and Tyson gone as well without much of a trace.

It drove her to hide. She stayed in bed for the next three days, not daring to close her eyes in the fear of what she may find there.

She thought that she’d run out of tears long ago, but they came anyway. She clamped her mouth shut so as not to alert any of her siblings who were asleep.

Your choice.

For the first time in the past two days, her eyes fluttered closed. She didn’t dream of anything at all.

Clarisse came barging into cabin seven the next morning.

“Come on, Princess,” she said, staring down at her. “You’ve gotta eat.”

Malcolm stood behind her, likely the one who had told Clarisse to come in the first place, since Annabeth hadn’t listened to any of her siblings about eating.

She tried to protest, to fight. But Clarisse was strong and had a purpose; Annabeth had nothing at all. So she sat in the dining pavilion, taking her time with her breakfast and ignoring everyone’s eyes on her.

Clarisse sat next to her, making sure she finished her food.

“Slowly, okay?” she said, then murmured, “Gods, when was the last time you ate something?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Annabeth snapped.

A few minutes passed in relative silence before Silena came to their table, offering solace.

“Hey, girlie,” she said. “How are you?”

Annabeth didn’t respond. Silena softly laid a hand on her shoulder, then decided better of it and pulled her in for a hug.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?” she said gently.

But it was.

Annabeth chose to leave him.

It took everything in her not to break down in Silena’s arms. Annabeth gave her a weak smile once she proposed to do something to pass the time. Like weaving, something she knew Annabeth enjoyed, being Athena’s daughter and all that.

So they did. Silena was good at it—good at making beautiful things. In the arts and crafts station, they spent most of the afternoon knitting and sewing as well, with Clarisse begrudgingly accompanying them.

She felt herself forget, her hands the only thing working. Not her mind. Not her subconscious or her guilt or her worry and fear.

It lasted only a moment. Because then she saw what she’d been working on for the past hour. Subconsciously, Annabeth had created a shroud. A beautiful one at that, with different hues of blue and green—just like his eyes. Just like the sea.

As if sensing her distress, the two girls looked up from what they were doing.

Clarisse said, “Is something wro—”

She didn’t need to say the rest, because Annabeth found her legs already moving, racing out the door.

“Let her,” she heard Silena say. “Give her space.”

She didn’t look back, sprinting to the one place where she knew Percy’s presence still thrived. Where she could be reminded that he would come back, just like he promised.

“I’ll be here.”

Cabin three didn’t look like much. Granted, she could barely focus on anything but her breathing—which was rapidly increasing its pace—but even so, she was reminded of how simple yet welcoming cabin three was in comparison to Zeus’.

It smelled like him. Like walking down the beach on a sunny day. Everything was as it always had been—clothes splayed haphazardly on the ground, bed unmade, stray papers adorning his nightstand.

She crumpled to her knees on the worn wooden planks. A great sob escaped her, and she covered her face with shaking hands

“He’s gone, Poseidon,” she cried. “He’s gone, and—and I’m so sorry.”

That night, she threw up everything she’d eaten.

“It is time,” Chiron said, his eyes dim with pity.

He preferred demigods dead, it seemed, than to try and look for them. She’d begged. Pleaded. Fallen to her knees until they bled. But it was no use; her teacher was convinced he was dead, and by the time the second week passed without Percy showing up, he was declared as such.

“He’s powerful,” Clarisse had told her. “I trust your instincts. He’s not dead. Can’t be, or else I’d have to beat him up.”

She helped Annabeth try to talk Chiron out of the funeral but to no avail.

And he wasn’t. Annabeth knew, in her heart, that Percy wasn’t dead. Barely anyone believed her, however. She didn’t blame them; no one knew about the last line of the prophecy for her quest.

But a pestering voice reminded her of something else: Percy was not, by any means, her only loved one. That voice sounded eerily like Janus.

What if it’s Luke?

He was nothing to her, now. She swore that he wasn’t.

What if Percy is dead?

That’s when Silena squeezed her shoulder, repeating what Chiron had told her the day prior.

“It’s time.”

Everyone who had gathered by the Amphitheatre waited for her to give out her statement, grim-faced. Chiron stood at the center of it all, the shroud she’d made at the arts and crafts cabin in his hands.

She hated that shroud with all her being, but she took it anyway once she stepped the last of the stairs. The fire next to her kissed her cheeks like the warmth of the sun. But inside, all she felt was cold. His body hadn’t been found…yet the shroud that she clutched in her hands would burn with Percy’s life.

“He…” Her eyes drifted to the shimmering cloth. How could she ever describe Percy Jackson? How could she ever put him into words? “He was kind,” she began. Her voice was unrecognizable, even to her. “He was probably the bravest friend I’ve ever had, and…”

And then she saw him, grinning like an idiot behind everyone else.

“Bravest friend you ever had?” was the first thing he said, after their bone-crushing hug.

She wiped her tears away and laughed. For the moment, she didn’t care that he hadn't answered her frantic questions.

“Where have you been?”

“What happened?”

He was here and he was alive. Her arms still clung to his neck; she wasn’t sure she’d ever manage to fully let go.

“You’re my friend above everything else, Seaweed Brain. And yeah, I guess you’re pretty brave.”

A question formed at the tip of her tongue—the one asking once more about what had happened in that explosion, where he’d been all this time; she knew that Percy could tell.

He was about to say something when Chiron interrupted them.

“My boy,” he said, mainly addressing Percy. “We need to talk.”

Percy’s demeanor changed like the shock of icy water to the face.

“Uh, yeah.” Something passed through his eyes; he glanced at her, then at their teacher. “I know how to navigate Labyrinth.”

Her relief became a ghost of the past once he explained himself. He told them the plan for the next part of the quest—for finding Grover and Tyson and finally Daedalus—but all she could hear was her ears ringing.

“I was marooned on an island.”

“I uh…I stayed there for some time, healing from the explosion.”

She was almost certain about where he’d been. And then he’d mentioned his plan to find Rachel, the pretty redhead who wrote her phone number on his arm. Supposedly, she could help them.

“A clear-sighted mortal,” Chiron had said. “Clever, indeed.”

Only it wasn’t. It was her quest. Her choice. Not his.

Annabeth stood from her chair. The screeching noise made Percy wince. “I can’t believe you! You’re asking me to go to that mortal for help?”

Chiron’s eyes were soft when he said, “Annabeth, calm down—”

“No, I’m not calming down, because Percy here wants—”

“It’s the only way,” Percy said, hands wrung together.

“Ohh don’t tell me what’s ‘the only way’ and what isn’t when you could’ve easily come back sooner.”

Percy opened his mouth, but she talked over him.

“You think I’m stupid? You think I’m dumb?”

“No, ‘Beth, I—”

“You were with that goddess,” she said, her voice taking a hard edge. “Calypso, isn’t it? Was she nice company for you? Did you have a good time while I sat here, waiting for you, as my life spiraled out of control because one of the most important people in my life was gone?”

Percy stammered, “‘Beth, please…just—just let me explain.”

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “You’re not denying it, either. That’s why you didn’t recount the entire story of your fun little vacation in a beautiful island with a beautiful goddess who was probably all over yo—”

He stood up then, leaning over the table, face inches apart from hers. “Don’t act so high and mighty with me when I know you lied to me about your cousin.”

“Percy, this isn’t even about—”

“No, no. You’re hearing me out. Okay? Hey, stop. Look me in the eyes. Nothing happened between us. Okay, nothing. She liked me, yes, but that is literally her curse! I knew you’d react that way because I’m realizing that you don’t fucking trust me!”

“What? Percy, I trust you with my life—”

“Then how come you never told me what was bothering you?”

“Because I don’t know what was bothering me!”

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you! You know exactly what bothers you. But guess what? You won’t tell me! So like, don’t even dare accuse me of not revealing where I was when you do the exact same thing, ‘Beth!”

Annabeth felt like falling, but this time, she found no branch to hold onto and crashed to the ground, bleeding out and breathless.

Meanwhile, Percy kept talking, throwing javelins her way. “When you didn’t want to communicate via IM last semester, I agreed because I wanted to give you space to whatever the fuck was going on with you—and something is still going on, but you won’t tell me—and like, all that time while I was with her on that island, I wanted to go!

“I wanted to be with you! Shit, I don’t even know what I’d do without you, but I couldn’t fucking leave because that place is cursed! And when I did, it’s because she’d…she’d fallen in love with me! But I…but all I wanted was you!”

Silence fell over them with the remnants of Percy’s hard breathing. She blinked a few times, telling herself that she would not cry.

Chiron saved her before that could happen. “Now, children. Settle down. Percy. Give Annabeth some space to think about this.”

He obliged, much to her relief.

“This time, it’ll be the ultimate trial for what you can or can’t do. If you can yield or not.”

It all came down to that, to her mother’s words. She understood what they meant, now.

With just enough drachmas in her bag and a bluster assuring her that she would not fail, she grabbed Percy by the hand and crossed the camp border. Argus was waiting down below.

#pjo fic #percabeth #percabeth fic #pjo au #the battle of the labyrinth #look mom i can write #omg me updating?? so soon?? unheard of

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theinvisibledreamergirl · 3 years

Text

Sweet dreams, TN

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Helena Craig) x M!OC (Clay Banner)

Words count: ~2.1k

Category: Smut/Angst/AU

Warning: 🔞 content/Language

A.N: I really wanted to picture something else. What if my MC didn’t get her place at Edenbrook Hospital in her first year and her boyfriend did? And what happens if she comes as a surgical resident in the 2nd year? Also I’ve decided that in this fic I’ll call MC in her middle name Helena or shortened Helen/Ellie. It’s the alter-ego of Klaw so it has nothing to do with her. After posting this I’ll log off from Tumblr ‘cause I know it’s a disaster😭😭😭😭

Song: “Sweet dreams, TN” - The Last Shadow Puppets (pls hear this first to understand it better ❤️)

MASTERLIST

———————————————

I just sort of always feel sick without you baby

I ain’t got anything to lick without you baby

Nothing seems to stick without you baby

Ain’t I fallen in love

“Do you have the keys for the handcuffs?”

“Whoa. Is someone getting a little afraid hm?”

“Well I don’t want to be useless without my hands. So I can touch you.”

“I do have the keys darling.” The two faces were closer breathing into each other’s air. “But I need you to be quiet now.”

“Show me then.”

It’s just the pits without you baby

It’s really just the pits without you baby

It’s like everyone’s a dick without you baby

Ain’t I fallen in love

The command was clear and both of them entered to the inevitable path.

Feeling each other’s skins in the most obscenely way and falling to that wild imagination that both of them had been restraining for a long time.

It was a heavenly and a desirably emotion that led themselves to be part of this trap.

They could hear their accelerated heartbeats as more and more they looked hungrily and darkly like animals fighting for domination.

Blue vs Brown.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

And all my pals will tell me is that I’m crazy

You bet I’m loopy alright

And I just don’t recognise this fool

That you have made me

Whoa I ain’t seen him for a while

Panting breath wasn’t in their expectations and shared a laugh before they reached the culmination and he unlocked her handcuffs to fall completely in his arms.

Their strong embrace fitted perfectly the curves of their bodies despite their sweat. When he was about to pull off she pouted in a whisper.

“No. Stay.”

“I will.” He promised with a searing kiss.

“But you did left me.” Her expression changed completely and in a mere of seconds she wasn’t there.

He blinked. “What?”

The sound of the alarm woke him up and suddenly he felt his underwear soaked.

“Holy shit I did this again!” He growled in frustration as he rubbed his face.

He made attempts to get up but his knees were too weak to keep his balance. Another attempt and he slowly started to walk. Or better a crawling you may call it.

He turned on his bathtub to make a quick shower and to clear this mess of himself. But the hot water made him feel again those goosebumps of that sweet dream and closed his eyes again.

She looped his arms around his waist and start to kiss his shoulders slowly and gently while moving her hands up and down his bellybutton. He let a content sigh while drifting again to that imaginary scene.

And as your shrinking figure blows a kiss

I catch and smash it on my lips

Darling I can’t seem to quit.

When there wasn’t a shoulder to lean on his head, he slapped his face growling loudly and continued his shower in disappointment.

Completely falling to bits

I really might be losing it

The idea that you’ve existed all along is ridiculous

I don’t know what to say

He missed her.

Not longer after that he arrived at Edenbrook gladly on time thanks to his fast BMW vehicle. He carried his bag through the hall of the hospital and a megawatt smile that he recognised it very well stopped him.

“Yo yo look who’s back again. My mann!” They clapped their backs.

“Ooff Bryce!” He was breathing hardly. “We were celebrating yesterday for the end of our intern year. I’m sure that we didn’t miss each other that much.”

“C’mon Banner can’t you just be funnier person in your life for once hm?”

Clay rolled his eyes. “Anyways I have to change my clothes unless you don’t have anything else to say.”

“I do actually.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I met someone today.”

“So?”

“You have no idea whom I have met.”

“Let me guess did President Biden come here?” He snorted when he saw Bryce’s not amused reaction. “Okay fine go on.”

“As I was saying I met today a female but let me tell you man... this woman is not like the others. She’s like a goddess that entered to this building and blessed my life when I made eye contact with her.”

Clay was really trying his best not to laugh to this exaggeration. “You have met plenty of women and it’s not your first time Bryce.”

“Tsk. It is my first time. And may I add she was like queen Cleopatra that summoned everyone when she walked here.” Bryce added in a wandering gaze while he was doing his usual ministrations. “Black stilettos clicking and wearing those black leathery pants revealing her curves...ohh I’m thinking I’m going to fall in love man. She had a long coat on her shoulders and that white shirt mmhmm.” He closed his eyes. “She truly was the boss and I’m betting on this... her elegant body will be in my bed. But-”

“And there’s always a but right?”

“Can you believe I didn’t get her name?! Not even her number!”

His friend squealed in laughter. “What did you think fool? That she was going to follow you straight into the on-call room?”

“Yes!” Bryce exclaimed. “That’s what I thought too man but I lost her because that damn nurse came to me for signing a patient in a surgery.” He sighed and shook his head. “I lost the most perfect chance today and I don’t even know what she was doing here... she can’t be a doctor though ‘cause she’s too beautiful for this job.”

“Well then good luck on finding her ‘cause I have to go now. See you.” He trailed off to the direction of the elevator.

“Yea see ya.” He waved back at him before he muttered. “Go back to surgery Bryce before Tanaka cuts you off.”

————————

“This is going to be your office.”

“Thank you so much Mist- Dr. Tennant!” She corrected herself briefly before she would say another embarrassing thing. “I really don’t know how to express my gratitude for this.”

He scoffed. “Please can you just talk normally Dr. Craig? I think at the first time we met the rule was by names. Call me Simon.”

“Sure. Simon.” She really wasn’t used to it though. First no title of Miss/Mister and now calling by names. USA had really big differences with UK not only in titles but also in medical policy and legacy.

“And now I must say to you congratulations!” They shook hands. “And also I’d like to introduce you to our Diagnostics Team.”

She nodded in agreement.

When they finally arrived at the front door Simon stepped first to get the attention of his colleagues who seemed to be occupied as they were studying a case so he cleared his throat loudly. All of them turned their gazes to him except for an attending who didn’t even have to recognise his friend’s voice.

“What now Simon?”

“Hello to you too my pal. You know everyone that there was going to be a resident in the absence of Edgar’s, right?”

“Yes we know that.” The Japanese-British woman spoke.

“Have you brought him here?!” Judging by his accent it was an Indian man who exclaimed happily.

Simon chuckled. “Yes Baz but it’s her.”

“Ooooohh.”

“Let’s hope she’ll be useful for this job.”

“Don’t worry Ethan. She was selected as the best surgical intern in Imperial College of London Hospital and many other things among but I’ll let her to present herself.” He made her a signal to come inside.

“Everyone this is Dr. Helena Craig.”

“Please you can call me Helen or Ellie if you want.”

“I like Helen better.” The woman got up and shook her hand. “Dr. June Hirata.”

“Me too! Hi I’m Dr. Sebastian Mirani but everyone calls me simply Baz.”

“Ethan?” Simon asked quietly to get up and greet with her but he wasn’t moving any inch.

Helen gave him a knowing smile and said without breaking her gaze to him. “It’s alright for me if we don’t shake hands. I feel the same way too when I meet people that haven’t given me a good and a reliable impression at first so I completely understand your condition now.”

She caught him off guard. Ethan Ramsey expected her to scowl or glare into his eyes but instead she was killing him with that radiating smile.

Fuck.

The same smile that was reserved for him yesterday at Donahue’s bar.

In the corner of his eyes there was an unfamiliar face that stayed some stools away from him.

She lit up a cigarette even though Reggie had been strictly to every client not to use it but it seemed she didn’t care about it.

Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun revealing her constructed jaw and her long neck.

She had also earrings pierced. Was she a troublesome woman? Or maybe a drugs dealer judging by her extravagant outfit. But what caught his attention was that she didn’t look amused or happy.

She was sad. And exhausted.

Along with her was a small luggage that she had carried with herself here. She called Reggie to bring her a strong scotch and found by the latter that she was British and it was her first time in Boston.

She had also asked him for a hotel nearby this place and Reggie suggested some of them including “La Vista” Hotel which was the best. She thanked and left him the payment.

Now her eyes landed on the icy blue that had been staring on her for a long time and gave him a wicked smile. She raised her glass in purpose and licked her lips after drinking bits of it.

She was really gorgeous in all of his honesty and they didn’t break their eye contact for maybe a couple of minutes. He could do it every time without any hesitation just to rest in those piercing brown’s.

He was a very handsome man and even though he seemed older than her, she didn’t give a single shit. She could imagine his toned muscles and abs beyond those pesky clothes. She was marveled and could sense that he felt the same too.

It was like they both understood each other.

No words needed.

Only looks.

But she knew who he was. Ethan Ramsey. And she was glad that made him completely at her mercy and was enjoying it.

Poor man she thought.

She couldn’t wait for his reaction tomorrow when he would find out who she was actually.

His colleague.

Helen could imagine his flustered face and transfixed into her with his mouth agape.

She got up from her seat slowly in a tantalizing move while he drank in one gulp his scotch and called Reggie again for another fill.

She walked past him but before leaving with her luggage she lowered her head to his ear whispering dangerously. Her breath was a tingle in his ears and could almost feel her lips brushed.

“Thank you for the distraction. I really needed it.”

She left unceremoniously when something dropped from her and he immediately caught it.

It was one of her earrings with the initial ‘H’. He was about to call her but she was gone.

Maybe he would find her tomorrow again. Here.

And he really found her. In the most obscenely and the most embarrassing way if he could describe it. Instead of what she said he got up with his smuggling look.

“Wrong observation.” When she heard his deep voice for the first time she gulped and could see his eyes glimmering triumphantly. “I hope you don’t ruin this opportunity.”

He caught her off guard. While they were touching each other’s palms an unknown heat coursed down in their bodies. Bullshit they thought because he was just an attending and she was a resident. Suddenly another voice was approaching to them.

“I’m terribly sorry for my lateness but I was-”

He abruptly stopped himself when he saw her.

His eyes were widened and his breath hitched.

She was here.

Baby we ought to fuck

Seven years of bad luck

Out of the powder room mirror

Could I have made it any clearer

She saw him too.

But not with a happy or a grateful face that always had welcomed his heart.

This was a mere seconds of glaring and then a plastered smile that he knew too well.

Clay Banner had screwed things up a year before he entered Edenbrook Hospital.

And now the woman of his dreams was standing right in front of him with his attending.

His girlfriend.

His Helen.

Or... was?

It’s love like a tongue in a nostril

Love like an ache in the jaw

You’re the first day of spring

With a septum piercing

Little Miss Sweet Dreams, TN

—————————————————————-

TAGS WILL APPEAR IN A REBLOG!

Ps: if this fic doesn’t surpass The Grinch Girl fic notes... there’s not going to be a part two😂😂 sorry...and Happy (late) International Women’s Day💪🏻💋🥰🥰

UPDATE: Part two is posted and it’s called- She’s thunderstorms

#open heart fan fiction #open heart choices #open heart fan fic #oh au #n*fw #ethan ramsey #my mc #ethan ramsey x mc #clay banner #clay banner x mc #triangle of love series #part one #my writing

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akari-urokiri · 3 years

Link

**~**

Spring / Twenty-three and twenty-one.

- … If there is going to be a peace between our clans – elder Saruya said with her stern and in the same time also mocking tone, her gaze never left Madara face for a moment. – we want a marriage between Uchiha main house and Senju Clan. As the show of good will to both sides. – after her sentence there was a silence and everyone was looking at the Uchiha siblings, waiting for the reaction. ‘It’s obvious that it was a slap on their face elder Saruya. And judging by Izuna body language he is the first to jump at you and destroy it… So, this was the thing that anija didn’t want to tell me, huh.’ As Tobirama though, Madara put his gloved hand on Izuna knee to calm him down and looked at the elder Senju woman with a gaze, which could kill.

- Very well then. – he started, not looking at Hashirama, his black gaze still locked on the woman, with pride of the predator. – So, please inform me of my spouse then…

Tobirama sighed, as he came back from their first meeting when the Uchiha Madara was informed that he will marry one of Senju people. And then, because he couldn’t allow his people to suffer that, he told Hashirama that he will do it. ‘I still don’t know what just got into me, to just went into his office after we came to our land and propose myself as that Omega consort!’ and he once more sighed, and stood in front of the shrine in Uchiha compound, waiting for Madara and priest to show. ‘I’m going to starts and hate the May. Maybe I could start to try and think about a new jutsu? But I’m little curious if he will show up in white shiromuku or not….’ His though stopped when he saw his soon-to-be-husband, indeed in white shiromuku and Tobirama wanted to snort at it.

- Something to say? – Uchiha asked in calm tone not looking at him and this time he snorted.

- I thought I will see you in black not in white. It’s not your colour.

- It’s good that we agree on at least one thing. – Madara informed him, his black gaze focused on the Amaterasu shrine, waiting for the priest to come and take them. – But if you forgot, Omegas always are put in white ones no matter if “pure” suites them or not. – and after he told that, Madara for the first time looked at him and Tobirama saw that he had a little make-up on his face.. and well, he saw his full face not the half of his face like always. ‘And I must say, he really is a good looking under that mop of hair. But it can be thanks to the make-up. And kimono.’ – How long do you wait here?

- Probably an hour. No one came to check.

- Really… - at this he sighed and looked at one of his people who stood in front of the shrine, because only the closed family could take part in ceremony inside the shrine and some important elders. – Oi! Ami! – and after that one of Uchiha children came to them, a girl with black hair, terminating in pink tips, tied in two tassels, wearing black kimono with a purpure butterfly motive on it.

- Haai, Madara-sama? – she asked when stopped on his right side and when Tobirama took a deep breath he finds out she was also an Omega like Madara.

- Go fecht me a priest here. Your payment will be the stay on the ceremony inside the shrine, what do you say?

- Really? – at that he nodded and the girl went to the shrine leaving them alone in silence..

- Nii-san… Are you sure about that? – Itama asked when they packed his things, and Tobirama looked at the teen with fondness.

- Yeah.

- Bbut! Iit’s not fair that only your marriage is like that! I mean anija and Mito-nee…

- Itama, I got it. My marriage will be a hell because I nearly killed his brother, is what you wanted to say, right? – Tobirama finished and Itama nodded. – Don’t worry. He won’t kill me. Probably.

- Nii-san! – Itama said turning around to look at Tobirama and he sighed.

- Look, Ita – he started and sealed another packed inside the scroll and also turned around to look at Itama. – I know that you are worried and all, but please don’t, okay? Let’s finish with this before Hashirama finish with his work and got any stupid idea to go to kitchen and start to make a dinner for us or something like that…

Tobirama came to his sense in the moment when it was his turn for the third cup of sake. And when he was allowed, he brought o-choko closer three time to his mouth and with the three last time he drunk the sake, and then like the last two times he gave the cup to the shrine maiden who then gave the o-choko to Madara and then he also repeated the process. ‘Now will be mikushi azuke no gi, huh? Like there are any Gods who needs those stupid accessories or in this case a comb. But well…’ as Tobirama though they stood from the floor, Madara hold the comb between his hands and then both turned to face each other, before Tobirama carefully took the comb away from Madara hands and then put in on the place designated for her. ‘Now the seishi hodoku.’

- Listen Senju. – Madara told him as they waited for the priest to come and take them to the shrine. – As for the seishi hodoku..

- Don’t worry, anija gave me the letter you send and I wrote it, want to see it before the ceremony? – Tobirama asked and Omega glared at the Hyper Alpha.

- Can you be quiet and let me finish? – he asked still looking directly into his red eyes and Tobirama nodded. – Then, as I was saying, at seishi hodoku… Let’s forget about the vow we wrote. It will be better if you give me that, right now and I will turn it to the ashes in this moment. And when the times comes to tell our vows let’s go with the flow..

‘That idiot! And he really turned the vow into the ashes! Like now I can see why he and Hashirama became friends. Both are idiots, damn it!’ Tobirama glanced at his nearly a husband whose face didn’t showed anything just like his own, for which he was grateful. They moved closer to each other, Madara took his left hand and Tobirama was shocked because for the first time today he noticed that Madara doesn’t have his glows on his hands.

- In the presence on the Amaterasu – Madara started and no one dared to move or say anything, or question why the “wife” is “reading” the vow and not the “husband”. – we are grateful for this day. – ‘Not for the ceremony but the day, huh?’ – Our Goddess who like mother which watch over Uchiha Clan, with her love, kindness, silence and her anger when we do the wrong things. – his gaze came to Tobirama. – Please accept this marriage with your open and living embarrass as you done with the day I was born. And the same with this peace that will come with a love, happiness and trust. – with each word that Omega said, Tobirama felt that he couldn’t take his eyes from him. And when he finished, he knew it was his turn to go and finish the vow.

- The Goddess of the Sun, the mother of Uchiha Clan – Tobirama gaze was still locked with Madara gaze when he started and his second hand took the other one of Madara. -, I humbly ask you for accepting me into your clan as one of your children, as I’m going to marry the one you are cherishing the most. – Madara looked at him and Tobirama swallowed before he continued. – As a mere child to you, every action that was done until now was only a mere fight between children, but now – he brought one of Madara hands to his mouth and left a kiss on it. – we swear to stop it, along with this marriage and your blessing our Goddess..

***

#MadaTobi #omegaverse #Omega Uchiha Madara #the moment i knew #Alpha Senju Tobirama #Read on AO3 #my work #@madatobiweek2021 #madatobiweek2021

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fatefulfaerie · 4 years

Text

Castle

Linktober Prompt Day 9/31

Incarnation: Breath of the Wild

Word Count: 2,018

Triggers: Anxiety

“Do you think strong hands can be gentle?” Zelda asked, her chin in her hand and her gaze out the window.

“Depends,” Urbosa said before looking from the book she read to the princess, trying to find where the question came from. The reason came quickly.

Outside the window of the Sheikah lab was Link, slashing the air with the sword that seals the darkness. Urbosa continued to lounge in comfort eyeing the princess, who had obviously gotten distracted from her own studies.

Urbosa coughed a small laugh.

“You’re really head over heels for him, aren’t you?” She asked, expecting from the princess a hurried, insistent, and embarrassed regret that she ever told Urbosa of her feelings for her knight attendant.

“Mm,” Zelda hummed in reply, obviously not paying attention to Urbosa’s words in the slightest.

Urbosa stood up with a smile, her heels clunking and her Gerudo fabrics swaying as she made her way over to the princess. Urbosa waved her sun-shaded hand in front of the princess’ green eyes.

Zelda blinked herself out of her trance and looked up at Urbosa.

“Did you say something, Urbosa?”

“Nothing worth repeating, little bird.”

Zelda shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know where my head is today,” Zelda said.

“Right up against your knight attendants, I’m sure,” Urbosa stated, with that signature Gerudo frankness. Zelda’s cheeks blushed pink almost immediately.

“Urbosa!” She said in a whispered exclamation. “He’ll hear you!”

“Unlikely,” Urbosa argued with a glance out the window at how he fought, before returning her gaze to the pair of youthful green eyes, which soon averted themselves.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Zelda asked, Urbosa listening attentively. “Studying guardian schematics here in this lab when I know father is in his afternoon meeting and using you as my alibi that I spent the hour praying. No wonder the sealing power won’t come…I haven’t been praying enough. Perhaps my father is right, perhaps the goddesses want me more devoted to the practice.”

“Zelda if you were any more devoted—”

“I’d have the sealing power,” Zelda interrupted with lifted eyes.

Urbosa exhaled an exasperated sigh.

“So you spend an hour a day out here studying Sheikah technology. Everyone needs a break, especially people who spend the rest of the day praying to a cold and silent statue. It’s no big deal.”

“Then why don’t I have the sealing power after so many years?” Zelda asked. Urbosa inhaled to answer, but it seemed Zelda wasn’t yet finished with her panicked monologue. “And then on top of my studies I do something as frivolous as to ogle over my knight attendant? Hyrule is frankly screwed.”

“Zelda—”

“I’m a curse!” Zelda exclaimed, standing up. “A curse to Hyrule wearing the mask of a blessing! I’m fated for failure, aren’t I?!”

Tears had gathered at the bottom of Zelda’s eyes. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, letting a tear fall down her cheek.

Urbosa’s heart was breaking as she looked at the princess, her little bird locked in a cage. She wanted to free her from her prison, but she knew the kingdom needed her sealing power. Zelda would have to withstand the pressure tomorrow, there was no choice. But today…

“We travel to Lanayru mountain tomorrow,” Urbosa said, her soothing voice like honey. “Your father expects you to unlock the sealing power at the Spring of Wisdom and that pressure is eroding at you.”

Urbosa placed her warm, comforting hand on Zelda’s shoulder. The princess looked up.

“You need a bigger breather than just an hour out here, especially before tomorrow. Take the afternoo—“

“Urbosa, I can’t afford to—”

“Take the afternoon,” Urbosa insisted slower. “Travel somewhere with your knight attendant, not too far from the castle but somewhere distant from it. I will make an excuse to the King.”

“I haven’t seen my father since he forbade me from studying the technology,” Zelda said. “If I squander the rest of the afternoon, he will only hate me more, not to mention the goddesses will never forgive me.”

Urbosa looked up to the doorway at the sound of soft footsteps, Zelda did the same with a soft gasp and, at the sight of who it was, turned away and attempted to wipe her tears to make herself presentable. Urbosa had already paced towards Link.

“Take her away for the afternoon,” Urbosa commanded, “somewhere distant from the castle.”

“Is she okay?” Link asked. His eyes danced with concern and Urbosa wondered if he too, harbored feelings for his companion.

“She will be,” Urbosa said. “She just needs a break. I will make an excuse to the King.”

Link nodded as Urbosa departed, his piercing blue eyes watching her leave before they settled back onto Zelda, who had a hand on the desk and was facing away from Link.

“We will leave when you are ready, Your Highness,” Link said, turning to leave and prepare their horses.

——————————————————————————————————

“I’m trying to bit a bit more empathetic,” Zelda said. “Benefit of the doubt, you know.”

Link’s gaze lingered on her as their horses paced calmly to Sanidin Park, even as Zelda returned her eyes to a forward gaze.

“Towards me,” Link prompted as he did the same.

“Yes.”

“Not yourself?” Link asked.

Zelda looked to Link immediately. She wanted to reprimand him for his bluntness, his bluntness that brutally exposed her vulnerability, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She was beginning to love every part of him, and beginning to understand that his words were meant to expose her in a way not meant to hurt but to help.

“No,” she finally said. “You deserve empathy, I don’t.”

Link took such a long pause that Zelda figured the conversation was over.

“I can’t think of a way to convince you that you deserve to give yourself empathy, so I suppose I’ll have to give you all the empathy I can muster to make up for it.”

Zelda’s heart swelled and she cursed it. Her feelings for Link were a distraction she couldn’t afford, but she couldn’t deny that every passing day she found another reason to be in love with him. She tried not to think of his statement as meant in a romantic way until she kidded herself that it could have been.

The princess, freed from the castle for just the afternoon, had cheeks adorned with a warm blush.

They dismounted their horses in silence, Zelda taking the lead as they approached the falling sun. Link paced behind her with eyes that swam with an unrelenting focus on her. Call it concern, call it lust, call it empathy, whatever the word was, he was definitely distracted from his role protecting her.

If a Yiga came up from behind them, they would be screwed.

“See that mountain?” She asked. Link looked out at the horizon, the view aglow with an orange sunset, the mountain ranges outlined in the warmth of the sun. “That’s Mount Lanayru. It takes its name from the goddess of Wisdom.”

“Lanayru’s decree is very specific. It say no one is allowed under the age of seventeen…for only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain.”

“I’ve prayed at the Spring of Courage and at the Spring of Power, yet neither awoke anything inside me. But maybe up there…perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one.”

“To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there’s always the chance that the next moment will change everything.”

“Tomorrow…is my seventeen birthday.”

Zelda turned around and Link’s heart skipped a beat. The horizon was beautiful when coated with the sun, but the princess had a beauty that ached his heart, the sunset behind her making her resemble an angel, a goddess, a divine entity Link wasn’t worthy to see, let alone exist alongside, let alone protect, let alone be in love with.

Yes, love.

That was the word.

Love.

How could he not love this girl, her shining green eyes, her resplendent golden hair, her lovely voice, her immaculate mind, her soul that was as troubled as his, her heart that didn’t know its power.

Her lips moved and Link heard no words.

“I-I’m sorry what?” Link said with a couple blinks of his eyes, breaking away from his trance.

Zelda narrowed her eyes, swearing she saw a blush on his cheeks but soon attributing it to the way the sun shined upon him. He wouldn’t betray his emotions so easily like that, especially not for a failure like her.

“You weren’t listening?” She asked. Link could hear the sadness in her voice, he could hear her heart breaking and panicked. He didn’t know how to explain his way out of this one without confessing right here and now, or lying and saying he spaced out because he didn’t care for what she was saying.

Link parted his lips. He didn’t know what to say and hated more than ever how he always lost his words at the worst time.

Zelda’s eyebrows furrowed, her balls fisted and she stormed off towards her horse, Link inwardly fearing that they had regressed to the tension of their very first interactions.

He wanted to stop it, find any word, as he turned around to her angry silhouette, walking towards her horse. Any words but ‘I love you’. Any words but ‘I love you’. Any words but ‘I love you’.

“I’m sorry,” Link said. Zelda stopped in her tracks. Link in particular looked at her hands, watching for when they would soften from tight fists. “I was listening…intently…but…I got to worrying about tomorrow and I spaced out for your last sentence.”

Zelda showed no change from what Link could see.

“I do care about what you have to say, Princess…more than you realize.”

“Because it has to do with the calamity?” She asked with a turned head to her shoulder.

“Because it has to do with you,” Link corrected.

Zelda exhaled a sigh, her hands finally softening.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she turned back around. “I’m just stressed out and I’m afraid I’ve taken it out on you. I merely said that we would be going up the mountain tomorrow. It is a fearful prospect, my potential failure, and that is something you understand.”

She shook her head.

“You didn’t deserve my anger,” she said. “You never did."

Link nodded.

There was only twice in those beginning times where the distance between Link and Zelda was any less than eight feet.

The first time was a ceremony subdued, where Zelda recited old tomes about the sword that seals the darkness with Link kneeling before her. The King hoped the ceremony would wrest the sealing power from where it slept somewhere within Zelda.

The second time was when Link rescued Zelda from the ruthless blades of the Yiga Clan, the gallant knight just in front of her and scaring off the insect-like Yiga footmen with nothing but his piercing blue gaze.

After that they became closer, physical and emotionally, bonding over their shared burdens and gradually, Zelda became comfortable with Link being right up against her. It wasn’t long before that comfort became flat out lust.

The closest they had ever been was when they danced together at the ball, Zelda and Link fearing their hearts would beat out of their chests and expose their feelings for the whole court to see, let alone each other.

So when Link walked forward with the intention of comforting Zelda, she didn’t move. She guessed at what he would do when, for the first time ever, he hugged her.

They spoke no words as they held each other, hands all at once gentle and rough. For longer than either of them expected, the other clutched tight.

“We’ll face tomorrow together,” Link finally said. “I will be by your side no matter what.”

Link felt her nod.

“Just promise me one thing,” Link said. “That you won’t forget it’s your birthday.”

Zelda smiled.

“I promise.”

#linktober #tloz #breath of the wild #the legend of zelda #botw #zelda #link #zelink #urbosa #hyrule #to mount lanayru #memory 14

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quillandink333 · 3 years

Text

Sunrise

BotW Link X Zelda

Rating: M

Word Count: 4.5k

WARNINGS: suggestive themes, implied sex

Summary: Ten long years after her return to the land of the living, the queen of Hyrule takes her first steps out of her comfort zone with her groom’s hand in hers.

Masterlist

“Tighter.”

I suffered through my struggle to breathe as my lady’s maid tightened my corset to its limits. This was for an occasion that would occur once and never again. If ever had there been a time when I’d needed to look my absolute best, it was now.

My eyes constantly kept returning to the clock on the wall. There was only one hour left before the ceremony was scheduled to commence. I wasn’t even at the Temple of Time, and yet I already felt close to fainting. I looked in the mirror, and I still had the waist width of an obese hynox. “Honestly, can’t you make it any tighter?” I snapped.

“Your Majesty, please try to remain calm,” pleaded one of my maids. I nodded; she was right. I was really letting my stress get the best of me. “My deepest apologies if I’m speaking out of line, but, ehm...I feel it necessary to mention something that your lover spoke to us about.”

When had Link possibly found the time to seek out my own group of personal attendants to tell them something? “Not at all. Go on.”

“Yes. He told us to put your comfort at the highest priority rather than your appearance. He said, quote, ‘Today means more to us than any other day of our lives up until now, so it’s imperative that her memory of it is not plagued by discomfort.’ He was quite insistent about it, I tell you.”

My heart fluttered. It was just like him to go out of his way like that for my sake. I swallowed my pride. “Very well.”

“Would you like me to loosen your corset then?”

“Yes, please,” I heaved. “Thank you.”

I’d recently been blessed with the rare opportunity to be freed from my royal responsibilities for a few days. This was something that only happened for me once or perhaps twice a year. Luckier still, Link had managed to secure a week-long leave from his duties as general of the Calamity Defence Brigade in conjunction with my time off. Since it had been ages since we’d had the chance, we decided to go on a proper adventure like we’d used to in the days when our kingdom had still been in its early stages of restoration. I suggested we spend our few days of freedom in Kakariko Village to pay a long overdue visit to our old friends who lived there, and he proposed that we set out on a hiking trip as well just to make things more exciting and to get outside for a change.

However, I‘d neglected to discern that ‘hiking trip,’ in Linkish, translated to ‘long and arduous climb up a near vertical mountain range.’ It was now an hour or so past midnight, and the two of us were making our way up the side of the cliff just south of Lanayru Road. As one might expect from someone who’s spent roughly the last half decade cooped up in the castle and filling out scroll after scroll of political documents, I was remarkably out of shape. My partner, however, was just as full of energy as he’d been in those olden days, scrambling up the rocky hills with ease. Even by the time we’d reached a level where he was able to stand and walk, I was still trudging along on all fours, barely able to carry my own weight. The gracious gentleman he was, he offered to carry me on his back for a ways when he saw what a sad state I was in.

Not long after I’d recovered strength enough to walk on my own, I started to feel a chill in the air. It was already quite cold to begin with on account of the high altitude, but now my snowquill tunic was beginning to fail me. I stiffened, watching my breath come out in billowing puffs of fog. With Link just a few steps ahead, he looked over his shoulder and came to a stop, nearly causing me to walk straight into him. He smiled mysteriously.

I turned in the direction he faced and spotted the cause of the sudden drop in temperature. In the distance, but steadily drawing nearer, was none other than the spirit Naydra. My eyes probably looked like they were ready to pop out of my skull in that moment.

Before I could fully grasp the situation, he’d already begun retrieving his paraglider from his bag, which he’d propped up against one of the monumental stone pillars dotting the hillside. “Hold onto me.” He held his hand out, holding both handles of the glider in the other. The dragon of ice and snow continued her rapid approach. “Zelda, quickly!” I rushed to his side. He hooked his arm around my waist, and I clung to him tightly by his shoulders.

“Link, are you sure this—ahh!”

A biting gust of wind came our way, and then the feeling of solid earth beneath my feet vanished.

I cried out in terror as he and I were swept upward. I’d used a paraglider before—I even had one of my own—but I’d never considered the thought of sharing one with another. And yet, to my surprise, we were still alive. I summoned the courage to open my eyes, and the moment I did, I was mesmerized.

Naydra was gliding around the two of us, encapsulating us in a vortex created by her flowing, river-like body that shined in a brilliant array of colours the likes of which I’d never beheld up close before. Silently, I gazed up at Link, whose cheeks were coral-coloured from the cold and whose locks danced about his face in the breeze. He wore the serene expression of one who’d had many a chance to experience this sort of thing, but was still just as awestruck as he’d been the first time. Despite the arctic winds nipping at me constantly through my clothes, feeling his arm around my waist holding me fast to his familiar frame filled me to the brim with a tangible sense of warmth and safety.

Naydra guided us with her winds to the top of the stone pillar, and I relaxed at the feeling of the ground beneath me, which was covered in iridescent blue flowers of all different kinds. The spirit of wisdom looked at us with respect in her ancient eyes. Link’s arm stroked up and down my back passively, still wrapped around my waist. Her icy breath touched my face gently and gracefully before she turned and disappeared into the sky.

“Zelda...?”

I turned around in his hold and bumped noses with him on accident, making us both crack a smile. I hadn’t quite finished laughing when he cupped my face and touched his lips to mine. Our embrace lasted an age. A symphony of strings had burst into song deep within my heart. It almost felt like we’d left the ground again as the sound of the wind caressing the flora flew into my ears.

When we parted, he touched his forehead softly to my own. I mirrored his blissful smile, whispering an, “I love you,” and laying my palm over his hand which rested against my cheek.

“I love you,” he echoed. Behind him, the sky was awash with tears of the Goddesses. Down below, the lights of the village shined just as brilliantly. I no longer felt any hint of the cold.

Link let go of me and knelt down on one knee. He then reached into his pouch and pulled out a small box, which he opened to reveal a ring. My hand flew up to my parted lips.

“Will you be my wife?”

My eyes became damp with tears. Of course, there was only one answer.

“Yes.”

Six tireless months of preparation had passed, and the ceremony was now underway. My whole body was more tense than the string of a bow. After an eternity of holding my breath as I waited outside in my carriage, watching the parade of participants walk one by one through the temple doors, my moment had arrived. I made my way up to the looming Doors of Time, and I peered in to see a grand sanctuary decked from one end to the other with stunning floral decor courtesy of Magda, a lovely lady Link had introduced me to with a passion for gardening and flower arrangement. At the far end on either side of the Goddess statue were our bridesmaids and groomsmen all standing in a row. At Her feet stood the priest and, in front of him, my soon-to-be husband whose jaw had dropped to the floor at the sight of me in my full regalia.

I tried my best to keep breathing normally whilst I took in the vast number of attendees filling up the main floor and the gallery through my peripheral vision. They were all trusted friends of ours, of course. However, my level of acquaintanceship with them did not change the fact that most were important figures of society who had high expectations of me, the queen of Hyrule. It was with this in mind that I held my head high, staying vehemently focused on my posture and the way I put each foot in front of the other as I walked down the carpeted aisle.

I held my bouquet in one hand and lifted the skirt of my dress with the other as I ascended the stairs leading to the altar, my train trailing gracefully behind me. I took my place beside Link and turned to face him, allowing him to remove my veil. It was subtle, but I’d without a doubt caught his lips forming the word, “Breathtaking.” I wanted to comment on how he looked equally as stunning in his regal, ivory attire accented by the various bits of gold decorating him from head to toe, but I’d save that for later.

At this time, the priest opened with the customary “Dearly Beloved” speech. I spotted the blur of court painter Pikango’s brush out of the corner of my eye. Although photographs were commonplace nowadays, I’d requested that he do a small-scale portrait of the ceremony with the reason being simply that Link and I were fond of his paintings.

Once the priest’s heartwarming introduction had reached its end, he looked to us and requested that we declare our vows to one and other. We’d worked out ahead of time that Link would go first. Yet if I could have predicted the true depth and authenticity of the words that were about to pass his lips, I would have taken the lead, for his vows would set the standard for my own far, far above what I could possibly meet.

“My dear Zelda,” he began in earnest,

“I still often find myself looking back on the days when I knew nothing but the sweet sound of your voice. In those days that I spent scouring the land for little scraps of my life from one hundred and ten years ago, the thought of seeing your face with my own eyes and hearing your voice with my own ears was what gave me comfort during sleepless nights. I may never regain most of my memories of our past relationship, but that no longer bothers me, because since then, I have made countless precious memories with you that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Like the time we spent living in our little house in Hateno Village, where every morning I would make us breakfast while you’d try and think up new ways to use me as a test subject for your research.”

This earned a collective chuckle from the audience and put a crooked smile on my face as I tried not to laugh.

“Although I said, ‘Yes,’ when you first asked if I still loved you despite everything, I didn’t realize just how many things about you that I would later discover and fall in love with one by one: your brilliant mind, your kind and affectionate heart, and the true depth of your inextinguishable passion, just to name a few. These past years that I’ve spent by your side are what have shaped me into the man standing before you now. My hope for the future, as well as my promise to you, is that we will continue to set out on new adventures and forge new memories together for the rest of our days as husband and wife.”

To say his words had hit me straight in the heart would be an arrant understatement. It was all I could do to hold myself back from prematurely tossing my bouquet over my shoulder and kissing him to death right then and there. Instead, however, I retained my composure and proceeded to recite what I had prepared.

“Link,

“As you may have noticed, we are surrounded by silent princess flowers, a once rare breed that hadn’t yet found a place to thrive amongst civilization a century ago, but has now flourished into a prospering species that can be seen from every window in this beautiful kingdom of ours. Now, since I know you’re already renowned for your role as the hero of Hyrule, I’ll talk about something a little more personal between you and me. And that something is that you’re not just a hero to Hyrule, but even more so to me. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never once left my side willfully and I’ve always been able to rely on you in times of need. It’s thanks solely to your undying support over the years that my dream of taking a fallen nation and rebuilding it into something greater than ever before has since blossomed into reality.”

It was around then when I looked up to see tears forming in his eyes. He nodded curtly, urging me to continue.

“I promise to be there for you whenever you’re being too hard on yourself, and to turn to you for guidance when I do the same. I promise to remind you, when you lose sight of who you are, that you are perfect in every way no matter how many doubts you may have. I promise to always make time to spend with you, and to respect your need to be alone at times. And above all, I promise to you absolute love and trust, for although today marks the start to the rest of our lives together, I know it will not be enough time to spend with you.”

Link’s face was fixed in a sentimental smile that mirrored my own. He’d managed to hold back his tears, but it was clear to see how moved he was. Glancing around the room, I realized he and I weren’t the only ones who had gotten emotional.

With that, the time came for us to exchange rings and join hands.

“Link, please place Zelda’s ring on her fourth finger.” I raised my hand out, and he held it with the utmost care while he slipped the ring onto my extended finger. “Do you, Link, take Zelda to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in the good times and the bad, treating her as your equal for as long as you both shall live?”

He never took his eyes off me as he gave his answer. “I do.”

“Zelda, please place Link’s ring on his fourth finger.” I did as instructed, glad to hear the priest drop the honourifics for the occasion like I’d asked. Link’s ring fit perfectly on his slim, calloused finger as I put it on for him. “Do you, Zelda, take Link to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in the good times and the bad, treating him as your equal for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“Very good.” The priest closed his tome and placed it under his arm. “With that, by the power vested in me by the Goddess Hylia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”

Of course, we couldn’t just stay in our current positions and have a light, chaste kiss—absolutely not.

Link just had to set fire to all established formalities by sweeping me off my feet and dipping me almost to the point where I was parallel with the floor. Only then did he dive in for the kiss. Roaring applause ensued. Flower petals showered down from above. In the midst of all the excitement, I could’ve sworn I heard a stifled chuckle before someone mumbled the word, “‘Seal,’” under their breath.

During the procession following the ceremony, my subjects—soon to be our subjects—were all lined up along the route to the castle, waiting to get a glimpse of the newlywed royal couple in their specially fashioned horse-drawn carriage. Upon arriving at our destination, the butterflies in my stomach began fluttering up a storm when I noticed the throngs of people that had gathered. For years, I’d hesitated announcing our relationship to the public for fear of their disapproval. But seeing their smiling faces and hearing their joyous cheers from the balcony filled me with hope. On top of that, the proud smile worn by my husband as he waved to the crowd from beside me was infectious.

The reception was spectacular, which only made it all the more terrifying. For the whole of the afternoon, the castle grounds were open to the lucky winners of a raffle that people from all over the world had been given the opportunity to participate in. To kick it off, Link and I each gave a brief speech encouraging guests to make merry and celebrate to their hearts’ content. From then on, the great hall was alive with music coupled by the din of friendly conversation, and every so often, the names and titles of new arrivals would be announced from the main entrance.

My aversion to large social gatherings like this was no secret to Link. If not for royal traditions, we both would’ve preferred to have a nice, simple wedding in the countryside and to keep our invitations limited to a select few of our closest friends. Even so, he would not accept my perfectly appropriate inclination to simply preside over the festivities from my throne. Instead, when people were beginning to partner up in the middle of the ballroom, he dragged me down one of the soaring flights of stairs by force straight into the heart of the crowd. Everything came to an abrupt halt. My stomach sank. Link, clearly pleased as punch to be the centre of attention, bowed and offered me his hand as if to say, “May I have this dance?”

Given that all eyes were now glued to us, I was left with no choice but to digress and take his hand. The moment he drew me closer and placed his other hand on my waist, the orchestra raised their instruments and began playing, which prompted the dancers to begin dancing. The tumult of twirling and sidestepping and switching of partners that then ensued had my head spinning.

At some point when Link and I were back in each other’s arms amidst the whirlpool of dancers, we’d gravitated toward the rim of the ballroom floor where a few steps led up to an expanse of tables and chairs beyond which stood a doorway leading outside. My partner was looking around the room with intent. I glanced over my shoulder to see whatever he had seen, but I was swept off to the side as soon as my head was turned.

Half of me was filled with relief to be away from prying eyes as I followed him to Hylia knew where. The other half was filled with doubt that our absence would go unnoticed for long. And the second half was prevailing over the first. He didn’t answer any of my continuous demands to know just where he was taking me. All he did was continue along on his happy-go-lucky way. Perhaps even he didn’t know where he was going.

We hadn’t gotten far when we’d reached a small pavilion overlooking the castle gardens. He turned to face me with a worrying glint in his eye. “Wait, what are you doing?” He gripped my shoulders. “Link—”

Before I could get another word out, he backed me up into the banister and began slowly ravishing my mouth. I gave into him, my fingers weaving themselves into his modestly groomed locks out of habit. He drew away sooner than I’d anticipated, and my eyes fluttered open.

“Kissing my wife,” he finally answered, flashing that charming smile of his. My shoulders shook a little in laughter as I pulled him in for another kiss. He crooned happily, taking me by the waist. His hands roamed across the bodice of my gown, feeling every little intricacy embroidered onto its surface. “I must say,” he muttered, “I couldn’t have imagined something that‘d make you look so gorgeous.”

“Well, you really have the tailors to thank for all this,” I blushed, playing with the pleats of my elegant skirt. “I’m quite pleased with their work myself.”

“While it looks magnificent on you, darling,” he began, running a finger under where it scooped up and cupped my breasts, “I am looking forward to seeing you take it off later this evening.”

I pushed him away gently. “Stop it. Someone could hear—ah!” He grabbed my behind through my dress, without warning.

“Sorry,” he lied, snickering. “I just can’t help myself around you.” He gave me a quick kiss to the temple. I glowered at him, praying he’d get the message that this wasn’t funny to me anymore, but he paid no mind as he bent down and started hiking my skirt up my leg. My face burned as hot as the touch of his fingertips trailing up the skin of my thigh. I looked around frantically for anyone we might’ve been in plain sight of.

“Link,” I whined, “for the love of the Goddesses—”

“Hey, does anyone see the newlyweds about?” He and I both froze at Prince Sidon’s jolly and boisterous tones booming all the way from the great hall. “I figure it’s about time to roll out some old Hyrulian traditions!”

The next thing I knew, I was sat on a big throne that had been set up in the dead centre of the ballroom, and my groom was kneeling at my feet with an utterly victorious smirk on his face. Kass and the other musicians had stopped playing. All of the guests—every single one as well as some staff members—had gathered in front of us. I cursed Sidon under my breath, making Link’s grin grow wider. Everyone was cheering and whistling like they were watching the semiannual shield surfing tournament. I laughed halfheartedly, feeling humiliation sinking in.

With no hesitation, Link raised my right leg over his shoulder and ducked his head under my dress. I didn’t have time to react before I felt him nip gently at my inner thigh. I jumped, biting back a yelp. The audience hollered out in excitement. The ten seconds or so that it then took him to take my garter between his teeth and inch it along the length of my leg seemed like a century. When he emerged, he looked up at me with a sultry gaze that made my blood boil.

With the garter still in his mouth, he stood up and tossed it over his shoulder like a dog with a stick. This did me in. I erupted into uncontrollable bouts of laughter, and Link and the rest of the audience followed suit. Regrettably I was too hysterical to notice who had caught it.

The rest of the reception went on without a hitch. Immediately following Link’s grandiose display of shamelessness, I performed the long-awaited throwing of the bouquet. This time I remembered to take note of the catcher; it was none other than Impa’s granddaughter, Paya, whose complexion had taken on a shade similar to that of her Sheikah facial markings. After that, there were one or two more traditions that needed to be taken care of, such as the cutting of the cake. Link and I had to be given a ladder to stand on in order for us to be able to reach the top tier. Even so, the amount of effort needed was befitting of the delectable prize waiting for me at the end. My lovely husband even offered to feed me the fruits and berries off of his slice, and who would I have been to decline his generosity?

A short while later, I was out on the dance floor again. Compared to before, I was feeling a great deal more relaxed as I mingled with the the many, many partygoers.

Then I heard the thunderous crack of an explosion.

I looked out through the great hall’s lofty windows and witnessed the shimmering hues of fireworks painting the night sky. My plans for them had completely slipped my mind. By the time they’d begun, many people had already made their way outside. I scanned the room for Link and, upon spotting him, asked my current dance partner to excuse me and made my way over to him. Then he followed me to the balcony where we’d enjoy the show for as long as it would last, until the clock struck midnight and the celebration was drawn to a close.

The night had already progressed into the small hours of morning when my husband and I had made it back to our shared quarters. Our lavish ensembles were folded neatly away inside a box in our wardrobe, probably never to be worn again. I’d never revelled so much in the sensation of lying down on my bed and feeling all the tension in my body melt away. What a day it had been.

“I love you.” Link’s voice was low and warm as his fingertips combed delicately through the roots of my hair.

“I love you too,” I smiled, idly tracing each of the scars littering his chest one by one. “Be honest. How long did it take you to write those vows?”

He donned a prideful grin, saying, “Made them up on the spot.”

“I said, ‘Be honest,’” I giggled, giving him a light shove.

“I am! It’s the truth!” And yet his ear-to-ear grin did little to back up his claim.

“Really?” I gave him an incredulous look, which he challenged with a raise of his brow. “Well, I, for one, wrote out draft after draft and spent hours of my precious time memorizing and rehearsing them.”

“I figured as much,” he chided into my neck. A chill raced through my blanketed body followed by another bubbly laugh.

I rolled my eyes. “If you are telling the truth and you really did improvise that whole thing, then...I admit, I’m impressed.”

“Am I not brilliant?”

“Oh, yes,” I smiled, craning my neck to kiss his jawline. Then with a slight yawn as I laid my head back down on his shoulder, “Absolutely.”

#my writing #fanfic #botw #zelink #botw zelink #zelda x link #botw zelda x link #link x zelda #botw link x zelda #zelink fanfic #zelink ff #zelda pov #new era #i tried not to overdo all the little references to other characters #but i think i ended up doing that anyway lol

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blackberry-gingham · 3 years

Note

Can I request a ringo imagine where he’s IN LOVE with reader and reader has a bunch of guys fawning over her at a restaurant or something because she’s beautiful and ringos there too and he just can’t stop looking at her? And maybe reader is bothered by all the men but then she looks up from her table to see Ringo and then they make eye contact and it’s just MAGIC?🥺✨💞💕😍🥰❤️✨✨ and then just it goes from there and their love just blossoms?

AAAAAA YES YES YES YOU CAN DEFINITELY REQUEST THAT !!!! Djsjsjsj I LOVE THIS!

Phew, Ok idk but I went straight into mini fic mode for this, so I hope that's alright!! Off the top of my head, I can't remember who requested protective/jelous George and Paul but to that person and everyone else, all I have to say is, may I interest you in.... Protective/jelous Ringo!?! 👀👀

It was kind of a trip writing Ringo minus the peace and love ✌🏻❤️☮️🕊️😌 lmao but honestly, I think it worked out alright! Plus we got a touch of height difference Ringo bc I'm weak lol, and voila!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy ❤️

---

It's a typical afternoon in the ice cream parlor. You're enjoying a little sundae and a book as you unwind from the week, and a small crowd of men are barking up your tree. There's three today, all making fools of themselves hoping to grab your attention with the same old lines you've heard a thousand times.

You look up, bored and annoyed from all the attention. A little ways away, hunched on a barstool sits a complete stranger. He stirs his milkshake, looking very bored himself, but then, as though he can feel your eyes on him, he looks up and catches your gaze.

Ringo's heart drops.

The first thought to enter his mind is that yours are the loveliest eyes he's ever seen. They're bright and witty and his very soul feels bare before their light. You crinkle your nose in a little smirk as you look from your ensemble to him, then roll your eyes.

Can you believe these guys? They say.

You rest your chin in your hand and look at him whistfuly for a moment. He has a rather funny face compared to those that you're use to getting attention from, yet all the things that make his different give him a certain cuteness and friendly charm too. In fact, you almost wish he'd...

"Hellooo! I said, how about a movie love?"

A pair of hands come crashing down onto your table as one of the boys surrounding you snaps your attention back to the vacinity. His tone is dancing a fine line between aggressive and demanding, and suddenly you feel quite trapped.

Your eyes dart over to the young man at the barstools, a dash of fear hampering their brilliance. Truth be told, you're not sure what you're expecting to happen, but what you do know is that from the look the young man is making, he saw everything.

Ringo doesn't rightly know what's going to happen either, but he's going to do something, that's for certain.

It's a short stomp from his seat to your booth, but it's enough for him to have formulated a plan. He clears his throat loud as he can and makes sure to puff up his chest. He's easily the shortest of the other men, but it doesn't seem to deter him one bit.

"Hey now, what are you blokes doing with my bird?", Ringo shoves back the lad who's resting his knee on your booth seat and then backs up a little himself, giving you an exit route should you choose to bolt.

The ringleader of the boys looks from you, to Ringo, and back again in comical disbelief. He turns to you, "This guy? You can't be serious love, he's a dog!" The other two men howl with laughter, clearly in agreement with their boss.

Ringo's stern face falters to a frown for just a moment, but only you seem to notice.

Well, that simply won't do.

You stand up, shooting daggers, "Well that's a fine thing to say to my man isn't it?" You glance quickly at Ringo and smile, letting him know you're on his side.

Ringo straightens back up and is about to give his two cents, when one of the men bothering you cuts in. "Oh forget him! What a girl like you needs, is a nice looking lad like me...", he trails his fingers up your arms as he leans close to you.

Without even a moment's hesitation, you raise your other hand up with the full intent of slapping him, but Ringo has already jumped to action. "Hey!" He shoves the creep off you and positions himself defensively in front of you, "I said leave her be! Now are you lot going to sod off, or are we going to take this outside?"

Ringo readies his fists, bracing them up front and even jerking forward a second, to show that he means it. His eyes dart between the three men, all larger and very obviously more muscular then him. He gulps, suddenly not very confident in this uncharacteristic act of aggression he's putting on. But... He thinks of you just inches behind him and so he stands his ground, refusing to waver.

The other three look amongst themselves and then burst out into patronising laughter. One even wipes a genuine tear from his eye. Then, as soon as things escalated, it all just... Dissapaites. The three boys leave, not even bothering to give Ringo the time of day, and a trail of laughter follows them out.

Despite the slight ding to his pride, Ringo lets out a huge sigh of relief and scratches his neck. He turns around slowly to face you, moving out of your way once more.

"Sorry 'bout all that, but um... Are you alright miss?" He looks up to your eyes for a moment, then casts his gaze away shyly. You're even more beautiful up close. He didn't think that was possible.

You smile brightly at your little knight. It's nice to have someone else chase off the unwanted attention, especially when things get hairy like that. You couldn't be more fine.

Without a word you step out and give the strange man a hug. You're a mite taller then him, but you blame it on your heels. You pull back but leave your hands behind to hold his shoulders, "Oh yes, fine! Thank you!"

Ringo's mouth hangs agape as he stands and stares back at you. He feels as though he's been blessed by a goddess.

"I- uh... Y-yeah"

You daintily cover your mouth, trying to suppress a giggle. In the meantime, Ringo manages to recover. He dusts off his shirt and straightens the fabric, then his hair.

He clears his throat softly, then introduces himself properly, to which you do the same. Ringo repeats your name back to you, letting it roll of his tounge. He loves the way it feels as he says it.

"Really though, thank you for getting rid of those blokes for me"

"Oh uh, no problem yeah", he chuckles, still a touch nervous.

You can't help but smile. It's so rare to meet a guy who's so genuine with you after all. Hm...

"Say? How'd you like to get out of here?", you grab your book and hold out your delicate hand to him. You look at him warmly, making a little grabby gesture with your extended hand.

Ringo looks from your adorable hand to your radiant face, as though he can't believe you're serious. Without even thinking, he hears himself respond. "S-sure!", He clasps his hand to yours and grins back at you.

"Brilliant! I want to get to know my knight in shining armor after all!", you give his hand an excited squeeze and bounce out the door with him beside you.

"So... Tell me about those rings!"

Ringo has to squint a bit as he looks up to see you in the open light. The sun is casting a halo around your hair, illuminating your face in gold. You're absolutely radiant, he thinks.

He answers all you want to know about him, but all the while he just can't stop thinking about how he can't wait to get to know you.

#the beatles #beatles fic #ringo starr x reader #beatles x reader

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artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Galactica, Chapter 64 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet was not pleased by Team Adult’s discussion about Courtney, and Katya tried to grit her teeth and smile through her anxiety.

This Chapter: Katya continues to fake it, Tati rescues Courtney from Team Adult, Bianca makes nice, and Violet finds joy with an old friend.

***

“Katya! How are you, girl?” asked Alexis, giving her a tight hug that smelled like sweet florals.

Even though Katya had barely worked in Fame’s office, the entirety of the Galactica staff absolutely loved her, the crew always welcoming her back with open arms ever since the first time Trixie brought her back, everyone delighted to see her.

“Hi! I’m good, how are you?” Katya replied, touching the ruffles of her dark red skirt, doing her best to keep the smile on her face. “Love this dress.”

Alexis looked at her for a long moment before tilting her head and lowering her voice, asking, “Are you okay?”

Katya bit back a sarcastic reply. After all, Alexis couldn’t have guessed that she was about the 40th person tonight to ask her that question. Katya was trying her best, she really was, but simply maintaining her sanity all week had been hard enough.

She just didn’t have the energy to be her usual effervescent self, and she knew it.

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” Katya shrugged, the words an absolute lie since she honestly felt exhausted. “You know, this time of year the six year olds are a bit out of control. Christmas cheer and all.”

Alexis laughed, patting her on the arm. “Well, bless you for taking care of the little monsters.”

When Alexis left a few minutes later, Katya felt a familiar arm wrap around her shoulders. “You know, if you want to leave early, we can.”

“That’s okay, sugar butt.” Katya turned around, placing a kiss on Trixie’s cheek, her fiancé wearing a sparkly silver tuxedo. “I know it’s important for you to bond with your team.”

“Yeah, but it’s even more important that you’re okay,” Trixie told her softly, holding her against his side, his voice low and full of concern.

“Have I told you today that you’re my favorite?”

“No…”

Katya wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him flush against her, Trixie immediately responding to her dominance. “How about this...you go chat up whoever you need to, and I’ll go prepare a sampling of every dessert they have...then we can meet back at that table in 10 minutes for a taste test?”

“Oh, you’re so on, baby.”

He gave her an enthusiastic high-five before scampering away, Katya smiling at his jaunty little walk. She’d been feeling so guilty for days now, wondering if she’d ever be enough for him. If she couldn’t handle kids, would he still be happy? She supposed there was no way to truly know for sure, and that thought plagued her like no other.

“Hey Katya. Are you okay?”

Katya closed her eyes, taking a brief moment to center herself before forcing a sunny smile and turning towards April’s voice.

***

The Galactica party was a lot more fun than Tati expected, everyone so much sweeter than she had hoped. She had bumped into Violet, the two of them actually talking this time, and Ivy had said hello to her earlier, Tatianna still beyond grateful for how kind the redhead had been to her at the holiday show. And then of course, there was the lovely Max, who had taken some photos for Tati’s portfolio after they’d met in September.

“Hi Max!” she exclaimed, greeting him with a bright smile. “It’s great to see you again!”

“Tatianna, hello!” Max said, gesturing for her to stop and pose in front of a big glittering Christmas tree, snapping a few shots of her, laughing as she hammed it up, giving him her best poses. “Well done.”

“I feel so honored to be in front of your camera again,” Tati said.

“Not for the last time, I hope.”

“Oh god, me too. I honestly can’t thank you enough for that session we had.”

“So they were useful then?” Max asked.

“You’re kidding, right?” Tatianna didn’t want to say that the simple photos Max had taken of her in his studio were a million times better than the meager gigs her agency had booked for her. It had been so much fun to shoot with him, Max guiding her with his calm voice and clear vision, the results speaking for himself even though Tatianna had just been doing what he asked. “They’re the best photos in my portfolio, hands down.”

“I know it’s tough when you’re starting out,” Max said, “But I’m sure you’ll find your niche; you’re very talented.”

“Thanks,” Tati said, hoping it wasn’t just something people said. It felt like she’d spent months pounding the pavement with little to show for it. Thank god for Courtney for getting her in with Galactica, because the holiday show had been her first major job for a real label, and she had her fingers crossed about walking for them during fashion week, hoping she’d done enough to prove herself.

She glanced towards Courtney once again, standing with Bianca and Miss Fame and what looked like a whole group of their high-roller friends, including the supermodel, Raven, who Tati still couldn’t believe she’d worked with. (Not that they’d exchanged two words, but even being in the same backstage area as her had been exciting.)

Tati knew that she should probably go over and say hi, but you couldn’t pay her to interrupt that group. Although from the look on Courtney’s face, she might have welcomed the interruption--poor girl looked stressed, clinging to Bianca’s hand for dear life.

Max followed her gaze, chuckling to himself. “Courtney’s new girlfriend is certainly a good person to know.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve met her before and I don’t think I left a very big impression. Although to be fair, she was real busy eye-fucking Courtney the whole time.”

Max laughed some more at that and said, “That sounds about accurate.”

Finally, Courtney glanced back in Tati’s direction, her eyes lighting up when she saw her. She leaned in, murmuring something into Bianca’s ear, then came bounding towards Tati, a relieved expression on her face.

“Augh, you look so fucking pretty!” Tati squealed, pulling Courtney in for a tight hug.

“Look who’s talking, golden goddess!” Courtney cried, taking her whole ensemble in, then turning to Max to add, “Hi Max, how are you?”

“I’m well, thanks,” Max said, picking up his camera again and snapping a shot of the two of them, Courtney on her tiptoes. “I should probably leave you ladies to catch up. Have a lovely evening.”

“Bye!”

“I love these shoes!” Tati said, spinning Courtney around.

“Thank you, they’re Bianca’s,” Courtney said, beaming up at her.

“So...how’s that all going? Are you having fun?”

“Tonight?” Courtney asked, smile fading, the look on her face betraying exactly how much fun she was not having. “Tonight’s been...interesting. I mean she’s amazing. And walking the red carpet together was just the most exciting moment of my whole life.”

“Aww…” Tati grinned, then asked, “...but?”

“But...her friends are...not quite in favor of it. I think they think she could do better.”

“Fuck them! You’re a goddamn catch.”

“Thank you,” Courtney giggled, then waved to someone excitedly. “Oh! There’s Alaska! She’s the best, she’s in charge of the makeup department and she told me they’re gonna be casting the next campaign in January. Let’s go say hi!”

“I love you…” Tati said, letting Courtney pull her over to a striking blonde woman in a blue gown with sky-high heels and even higher hair.

Tati stood up straight, hoping to make a good impression, but their exchange with Alaska was quickly cut short when a swarm of people flocked over to hammer Courtney with questions about her scandalous date.

“Are you guys actually a couple?”

“Is Miss Fame mad?”

“How long has it been going on?”

“Are the rumors true?”

Courtney laughed, taking the questions in stride and giving very diplomatic answers along with a few knowing winks, finally able to loosen up and have fun.

***

Shangela loved the annual Christmas party. Sure, it was a pain to put together, Fame’s attention to detail and demand for perfection almost impossible to keep up with, and yet, they managed it every single year, the result always worth it.

“Mmh!” Rita moaned, her eyes closed. “God, this gelato is magnificent!” The HR director was dressed in a sparkly blue suit, her hair twisted in a tight updo.

“Do you two want a room?” Jaida raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed, her white nails tapping against her brown skin. She was dressed in glittery royal purple, and looked like a million bucks.

“Do not be jealous of those of us who have chosen comfort over beauty,” Rita smiled, her accent coming out. “You might be skinny, but I, I have gelato.”

Shangela snorted, Jaida hitting Rita’s shoulder and leaning in for a taste.

“Guys!” Shangela looked out on the dance floor, Kiara standing there with her arms over her head decked out in sparkling gold, Laganja next to her in gorgeous yellow. “Get on out here!”

“Come on!” Laganja cupped her mouth, “or are you scared you can’t shake it?!”

“Ugh!” Shangela gasped, holding a hand to her chest. “Girl you did not just say that to my face! Move aside!”

***

Bianca loved her friends, but she knew how intense and judgmental they could be, and so she was glad to see Courtney finally having fun on the dance floor with Tati. She smiled slightly to herself, watching as Courtney twirled and laughed--the lowkey shade she’d gracefully endured earlier seemingly forgotten.

She turned back to the group, catching Fame’s eye and giving her what she hoped was her most charming smile. Fame narrowed her eyes slightly, lips pursed, and Bianca sidled up to her, putting an arm around her waist.

“So on a scale of 1 to 10...how mad are you?” Bianca asked softly.

“A 7.” Fame’s voice was cold, but she didn’t push on Bianca’s arms, didn’t try to wiggle out of her embrace.

“I’ll take that,” Bianca laughed, a moment of relief fluttering in her chest.

“You know I hate being blindsided,” Fame told her.

“I know, I know...but be honest. If I’d called you and told you that I was bringing her, what would you have said?”

“I’d have said the same thing I told you a month ago.” Fame looked at her, her blue-gray eyes filled with annoyance. “Absolutely not. Stay away from my staff, and for damn sure don’t bring them anywhere near a red carpet.”

“Exactly.”

Fame rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Bianca, but not making any move to get away from her gasp. She was definitely peeved, and wanted Bianca to know, but they’d be okay. And Bianca had no doubt that once her friends realized that her relationship with Courtney was serious--and even better, than it was making her so absolutely happy--they’d all get on board.

Bianca leaned in and pressed a kiss to Fame’s cheek, then inquired, “Still a 7?”

Fame gave her some side eye before admitting, “Maybe a six and a half.”

“Hey, progress!” Bianca said, clinking their glasses together, Fame not pulling away which Bianca took as another win. “That’s barely more than usual.”

“If you ever,” Fame pointed at Bianca, champagne twirling around in her glass, “pull something like this again,” Fame’s voice was firm and hard, a warning tone in it that left no room for arguments. “I might not be so forgiving.”

“So you’re saying don’t propose at your Spring runway show?” Bianca asked, a mischievous grin deepening her dimples.

“Bianca, that’s not funny,” Fame sighed, exasperation radiating from her and Bianca laughed, hugging her tight. “If I thought you’d still be together in February, you’d be on very thin ice right now.”

“Good one, blondie,” Bianca said. Given the circumstances, she decided it was better to let her have that one.

***

Courtney had never liked her coworkers more than tonight, on the dance floor. She was so used to seeing everyone in their serious, professional modes, but getting tipsy and a bit silly with them was a much-needed reprieve.

However, as much fun as it was, her eyes kept getting pulled towards Bianca, and her dimples, and the hand that was wrapped around her glass that Courtney wished was wrapped around her thigh. At one point, she glanced over to find Bianca gazing back at her, tingles rushing up her spine as their eyes met.

She smiled slowly, giving her best hair toss and bedroom eyes, hips moving in a slow, lazy circle. Then, for good measure, just to really hammer the message home, she took her fingers and slid them slowly up her thigh, lifting her skirt ever so slightly.

Bianca’s expression barely changed, but Courtney was watching closely enough to detect the slight quirk of her eyebrow, the smile tugging on her lips. She also saw Bianca’s eyes flick over to the exit, then back to her, and gave the faintest nod of agreement.

“Tati? Would you hate me if I took off?”

“What?” Tati yelled over the music, laughing as Bob took her hand and spun her in a circle. “No, go get laid, girl. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

And with one last air kiss, Courtney headed for the door, nearly skipping towards the exit.

Bianca took longer than her to extricate herself from her friend group, and by the time she made it out to the lobby, Courtney was already waiting, posed, leaning against a table covered in poinsettias.

Bianca threw open the door, striding towards her quickly, taking her face into her hands and kissing her hungrily. When she pulled away, she was already breathing hard, one hand wrapped around Courtney’s waist, the other tangled in her hair.

“Did you have fun in there?”

“It was alright,” Bianca murmured, lips trailing down her jaw. “Fuck, why didn’t I get a hotel room for us?”

“Um, because you live four blocks away?” Courtney ventured as her eyes fell closed.

“Four long, endless blocks,” Bianca moaned softly, fingers gripping her waist tighter.

“Come on…” Courtney giggled, pushing off from the table and heading for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

***

“Uh!” Pearl’s eyes widened as she swallowed, an explosion of deliciousness in her mouth. She reached down, stabbing another piece of the passion fruit mousse on her fork. She had spotted Violet sitting by herself, her friend clearly not having a good time, so Pearl had done what any great bro would do, which was kidnap her, the two of them now tucked away in the darkest corner she could find.

“Try this one Vivi!”

“What?” Violet looked at her like she was crazy, a raspberry tart on her half of the plate and Pearl couldn’t help but laugh. Their legs were intertwined, the seat they had taken not nearly big enough for two adults. Pearl had grabbed them a plate of the teeny tiny desserts that had been put out, the treats resting on Pearl’s thigh and Violet’s skirt.

“Come on,” Pearl grinned, raising the fork, “Here comes the airplane.”

“You’re insane,” Violet laughed, the frown of her beautiful face completely gone.

“Open wide!” Pearl moved the fork forward, making an airplane noise, Violet hitting her hand to get it away from her face.

“Pearl!” Violet cried, outrage in her voice, even though she was still laughing, their plate almost toppling over, Pearl popping the bite in her own mouth.

“I’ll get you next time.” Pearl wiggled her brows, swallowing the mousse down.

“Please,” Violet sounded exasperated, but she was adorable when she was upset, Pearl knowing few things that were more fun than ruffling Violet’s feathers. Pearl was just about to go for Violet’s raspberry tart, stealing it a surefire way to get into another play fight, when she saw light coming out of Violet’s clutch.

“Umh, Vivi?” Pearl pointed to the ground, “Your bag is glowing.”

“Shit!” Violet’s eyes widened, and she lunged for her clutch, nearly tipping over the plate as she fished her phone out.

***

“Fuck!” Courtney exclaimed, Bianca all but hurling her onto the bed, her dress tossed to the floor the second they’d stepped off the elevator.

Courtney was already on edge from the ride home, Bianca driving her absolutely nuts in the backseat of the town car, sucking wet kisses into her neck, toying with the little decorative buttons on the front of her panties. She sprawled on the bed, legs danging over the side, looking up wild-eyed at Bianca standing above her, tugging her down by the skirt.

“Please, B...”

“Please what, angel?” Bianca asked, flashing her a wicked smirk as she slowly knelt down between her legs.

“I...I…”

“I love these practical undies,” Bianca said, fingers trailing over the edge of Courtney’s gray, boy-cut panties. She dipped her head, teeth pulling at the little buttons, the pressure against Courtney’s clit even better than it had been in the car, immediately making her grasp the covers in her fists.

“I love seeing you all wet like this, baby.” Bianca nuzzled into the front of her panties, then began to kiss down her thigh.

“So wet,” Courtney echoed, thrusting her hips up, begging, “Take them off, please.”

Bianca pressed one more kiss to her inner thigh, then began to slide her panties down. She let go of the covers, hands going to her tits, playing with her nipples to release some of the pressure building up in her abdomen.

“In a hurry?” Bianca teased, lips ghosting over her.

“I need…”

“What do you need, angel? Tell me,” Bianca urged, nibbling gently on her thigh, mouth moving higher. “Tell me.”

“You tongue…” she whined, not caring how needy and strung-out she must have seemed.

“Uh huh...where?” Bianca licked her, so gently she thought she might scream, right at the crease of her thigh.

Courtney let out an impatient, strangled moan, pinching her nipples hard, hips rolling faster now. She could feel Bianca’s hot breath against her, and all she wanted was that mouth, that tongue, but words were failing her. The only thing she could manage was a gasping litany of, “Please please please please…”

It seemed to work, though, Bianca swirling a tongue over her, finally, strong hands holding her shaking legs apart. Her body responded fully to every generous touch, arching up, whimpers turning soon to full-throated moans.

***

“You know,” Sutan reached out, closing the cab door, Violet’s crutches against his chest as the car pulled out, juggling everything while tipsy a huge pain. “I can’t wait for these,” Sutan moved his arm, the crutches clacking, “to be obsolete.”

It had taken forever to find Violet, her phone going to voicemail the first three times he had tried it, and while he wasn’t proud of it, it had taken a few deep breaths not to panic.

Apparently, the vibration on it had died months ago, the fact that he had a 23 year old girlfriend who actually had the sound turned on on her phone in her everyday life deeply bizarre.

“I’m sorry that me getting around is such a huge inconvenience for you.” Violet was leaning back into the seat, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll tell my broken bones to hurry up.”

Sutan realised how stupid he had just been, Violet’s struggle so much grater than the hassle he felt.

“Sorry.” He went for an apologetic smile, hoping it was clear on his face that he meant it. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Mmh?” Violet looked over at him, and Sutan put her crutches down against the window, hoping that they’d stay in place.

“Yes mmh.” He moved closer, their driver ignoring them completely as his hand touched Violet’s knee, his arm sneaking around the back seat, boxing her in. “Can you forgive me?”

“Hmm,” Violet hummed, the sweet lavender scent that had become synonymous with her filling his nose, the prettiest blush dusted over her cheeks. “I’ll consider it.”

“Good,” Sutan grinned, “because I am very, very, very sorry.”

“Oh god,” Violet rolled her eyes, a chuckle leaving her. “You absolute idiot.” She reached out, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss, their lips touching as Sutan pressed her against the car door, their trip home a lot more interesting now.

***

“Go go go go!” Alaska laughed, clapping her hands together as Kandy and Ivy slammed back shots. Most of the non-staff guests had left by then, staying once the cameras had disappeared not that interesting. It was, of course, the best part of the night, as the lights went down and the bass turned up.

“Yeees!” Alaska cheered as Ivy finished the 5th shot and slammed the glass down seconds before Kandy.

“Everybody!” Shangela grabbed Ivy’s hand, “We have a winner!” She thrusted it into the air, making everyone laugh, and Alaska felt like she was flying high.

She grabbed her vodka soda, looking around the room, only just spotting Kim Chi who was bent over a couch, drawing a moustache with lipstick on Amy who had passed out. As their boss, Alaska had a fleeting concern, wondering if she should intervene, but then shrugged, realizing how hilarious it was, and turned back to Shangela to take another shot.

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the-soupiest-artist · 3 years

Text

Legend of Zelda: Lost and Found

Chapter 2: Choosing to Follow the Call

This series of fics contains spoilers for SOH! You have been warned!

Also thank you to all who have been supporting me through this endeavor!! This wonderful story wouldn’t have happened without the beautiful minds of @s-kinnaly and @ridersoftheapocalypse

~~~~~~~~

A quiet hum filled the courtyard of the palace, as the citizens of the grand capital started to fill the courtyard, and as the people gathered the quiet hum, turned into quiet singing. What was at first a small gathering turned into a choir of Healer and Hylian voices. All singing, waiting to see their chosen leader.

The singing never ceased even in the grand hall of the palace. The walls lined with the elders of each district, each one singing, waiting for the leader and her family to enter. As the side curtains to the main hall parted, the singing seemed to crescendo as the three daughters of Orlaithe entered. All dressed in white and gold but each had their own accented color.

The eldest daughter present, Lilija. Dressed with accents of a cool purple. Her jewelry and flower details shimmering with an almost iridescent shimmer and complimented her brown curls. The youngest, Camelia, accented in a mixture of bright fuchsia and soft pink, her reddish hair dotted with her patron flower, Camelia. Finally, the Leader entered. The middle child and 3rd child of Orlaithe. Amaryllis, Her black ringlets under control and pulled up into her gold crown. Her dark indigo waste scarves flowing down to the floor, much like the statue of Din.

The elders bowed, their singing didn’t falter, the stone-faced leader outstretching her arms towards the crowded hall. The oldest of the elders, Sister Zillah, stepping forward. The other elders following, they all met in the back of the hall, Sister Zillah ahead of them, and in her aged freckled hands sat Akane’s Token. The necklace was gold, as was the color of the healers and of the divine goddesses who breathed them into existence. A beautiful green gem, set in the center of the gold metal of Akane’s Token, glinted in the light streaming through the curtains of the hall. Amaryllis stepped down from the marble platform she was standing on, meeting Zillah in the center of the hall. The Sister smiled and before her frail hands dropped the token into The Leader’s hands, she leaned in a whispered, “es deveenes weorkin behere fores netortum tore cheorsere hera.”

The goddesses would be fools not to choose her

As the gentle touch of cold metal fell into Amaryllis’s palms, the leader nodded. Her eyes still cold and serious, as Amaryllis turned around and went back to the platform, the line of elders parted, yet they did not hug the walls as closely as before, instead, they lined the aisle.

The double doors to the great hall opened, three young girls, entered. Each represented the golden goddesses, all of them dressed with their patron colors. As they walked down the aisle, each girl tossed a handful of colorful petals on the aisle. The girl representing Din, throwing petals of red. Nayru, petals of deep blue, and the girl adoring the green of Farore sprinkled her green leaves and flower petals. The young girls bowed towards the leaders as they came to the end of the great hall, the group giggling quietly to themselves and lining up against the wall. One of the elders, Oryn, shaking his head with a smile as he continued singing with his brethren, knowing the girl dressed in blue was his daughter and probably started the giggling.

Entering last, was the chosen girl. The one whose entrance everyone anticipated. Stepping into the dim hall, Mara. Dressed beautifully in the garments Camelia designed and crafted for her.

Her palms sweaty, and nervous. The outside much more graceful than the inside, Mara felt like she was going to puke. She wanted to run by GODS RUNNING AWAY SOUNDED SO MUCH MORE FUN THAN THIS

ANYTHING BUT THIS

But it was her duty….what would her mother say?? She was doing this for her, and her family. As she continued to walk down the aisle Mara couldn’t help but miss her parents.

The warm smile of her mother and the strong hugs and words of affirmation she used to give. Her father’s kind but determined voice telling her that she was the greatest thing since sliced bread. She missed them….she wished they were here, encouraging her..telling her that everything would be just fine.

She thought all these things to herself, then stopping at the platform her aunts looking down at her with so much pride and hope. Mara knelt as Leader Amaryllis started whispering the sacred prayer, Akane’s token held high above her head as the words of blessing in their native tongue were whispered on her lips.

Amaryllis finally unhooking the clasp and attaching it around Mara’s neck her aunt tilted her chin up by her fingers with a proud smile. “I’m so very proud of you,” Amaryllis whispered.

Amaryllis was never one for feelings of any kind. So when Mara heard those words and saw her smile, she knew her Aunt was telling the absolute truth. Mara did well.

In fact, she did very well!!

That approving gaze and smile was all she needed to make her believe, for that moment, that she was ready for this weight that seemed to settle on her as soon as the little necklace hung around her neck.

As Mara rose from her kneeling, Amaryllis composed herself as if that split moment of actual emotion was never there presenting her nice before the eyes of their goddesses and people. “GREAT COUNCIL OF OUR PEACEFUL NATION!” Leader Amarylis’s commanding voice boomed, “I PRESENT TO YOU OUR CHOSEN LEADER! MAY THE GODDESSES LIGHT HER PATH WITH COURAGE, WISDOM, AND POWER!”

Amaryllis raised her arms to her court as Mara stood before the council with her head lifted high, although her eyes flickered with anxiety.

“AND WHEN HER TIME COMES MAY THE GODDESSES CHOOSE HER TO CARRY OUR PEOPLE INTO A BRIGHTER FUTURE!” The council cheered in response, “WE ACCEPT HER SHOULD THE GODDESSES CHOOSE HER!! LONG MAY SHE REIGN!” ~~~ The party and celebration went on without a hitch! Camelia got very drunk and ended up staying the night at some unknowing suitor’s home, which was not surprising to any of the family.

Amaryllis went to bed as soon as making the required appearance was met. She wasn’t a fan of parties, or rather any fun for that matter.

Lilija made sure everything went according to plan after Amarylis went to bed, she even straightened out the beginnings of a drunken fight between a Hylian and a Healer. Lilija of course escorted the Healer to the infirmary while she healed the Hylian instantaneously with her magic. Although it seemed all the authority had excused themselves to other matters the celebrating did not stop, even the guard was off duty and spent their time drinking laughing, and singing harvesting songs with tankards in hand. The same songs their ancestors, and even the people still sang today while harvesting their herbs from the hanging farmland built into the side of the mountainous valley the Healer Capital was birthed in.

As Mara laid in her bed the echoes of joyful singing rang in her head as she drifted off to sleep with a smile. Although she was forced to socialize without Link by her side, she still had a good time. Which she spent in the courtyard of the palace, watching the dancers and various magical shows of the many other talented citizens of the city.

Her head full of good dreams and the Healer CIty went to sleep for the night, all windows dark and the mood shining at its full beauty, there was an unsettling air that started to settle, even Din’s fiery light flickered and went out as the winds of change kicked up and swept through the palace or more specifically in the room of their newly Chosen. The call

There it was again…

Like a beautiful call to war, or an eery temptation the sound echoed and interrupted the slumber Mara had just started to drift into. She pushed the noise away, turning over in her blankets trying to fall back asleep. Again the voice called out to her, a bit louder. Mara groaned and snuggled her head beneath her pillow, hoping that would stop the intrusion into her pleasant dream.

But the determination of this call penetrated all logic and shattered the state of unconsciousness that Mara really wanted to fall into. With a frustrated sigh, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking sleepily around the room. “I can hear you,” Mara mumbled. “I don’t want any trouble I just want to sleep.”

Looking around the room, seeing as it was still empty, and yet the curtains that swayed with the eerie wind, the wind beckoning her to leave her room and into the hall.

“Whoever you are…”

Giving in to the voice’s alluring demand she slid off her bed, her white nightgown joining the curtains in their trembling dance. Mara peered into the hallway, it was empty, dark, and quiet. A little too quiet for Mara’s liking.

The call tempted her father into the hall, she followed the call that seemed to resonate and shake her soul pulled her body outside of the palace. Not in the courtyard, but in one of the side entrances. It was like a secret meeting as if whoever was calling her wanted to lure Mara in private. Like an assassin, or thief in the night. Mara’s breath hitched out of a new fear from her anxiety’s newly formed thoughts. Even still she followed. “What do you want? Is this a trap?” As if whatever this call was could sense her unease, a trail of Healer Flowers, her people’s symbol, appeared and lead her exactly in the direction in which the alluring call in Mara’s heart wanted to go. Mara’s eyes grew wide as her mind tried to make sense of what it was seeing, and what magic was being displayed. “Honorable Goddesses…” she exclaimed quietly, “Hylia is this your doing?” She touched the token that hung around her neck, there was no answer, she followed farther into the unknown. The voice guided her farther up the mountain and to The Great Thorn wall. The wall that secluded their city from whatever the outside world held. There the path that was once lit faded behind Mara and trapped her in a ring of Healer Flowers. Mara does a quick turn to determine the fact that she was indeed in the center of these flowers.

The voice echoed its trill

Mara waited silently for something else to happen. The notes the voice sang echoed again, begging her to sing. Without thinking for one second she sang the melody the calling had been repeating to her. The call harmonized with her as Mara sang with it. As she sang the golden flowers, Mara noticed, they were releasing their pollen, at first in a gentle sprinkle, and then in a thicker sheet as Mara felt herself fill with magic. Is this supposed to happen after The Choosing??

Are the Goddesses asking her to lead NOW??!!

OF ALL TIMES NOW?? Before her mind could swell with more anxiety Mara was given several obscure visions. She seemed to run on another force as she was frightened but the song still carried out through her lungs without any interruption. War

A land scorched, hurt, and trampled by battle, she could feel the very earth in the vision weep in sorrow and pain.

A towering king with fiery hair and yellow eyes and his queen, wise and sure. She looked an awful lot like some of the paintings her people displayed in their palace. Several Other figures she didn’t recognize but all of them stood in front of the king and queen.

The Three Goddesses. Din Nayru

And Farrore, split in half with a single swipe of a blade.

Famine

And…

And Spring, with petals of pink, new life, and a promise for a bountiful harvest. That image stayed strong in Mara’s head as she sang, the power that seemed to course through her veins grew in its potency and Mara had no way to channel it, it was too much. She was a weak Healer as it was and this divine power, if she couldn’t get it out of her system fast, it could tear her apart from the inside out. As she belted a final note, all of that power was released. Mara forcing her hands down and a forceful golden flash scattered across the space. The divine power leaving her and Mara felt normal once more. The Healer Flowers disappeared as if they were never there, to begin with. Mara stood there, panting. She...she wasn’t dead, she even pinched herself to prove it. Mara lifted her head from staring at the ground, her jaw-dropping and her blue eyes glowing with excitement as she saw what laid before her. The Great Thorn Wall had been compromised.

As there, caused by Mara’s blast of power, stood a small gash in the wall. It was enough for a horse and rider to pass through. Whatever mysterious call she followed and whatever divine power it gave her in that moment, it gave her and Link their guaranteed safe passage to the kingdoms beyond the Healer Capital. If there even were Kingdoms anymore in the land beyond.

#spoilers for soh #the soupiest fiction #soup makes fics #soh #the legend of zelda: lost and found #legend of zelda fanfiction #LOZ #legend of zelda #legend of zelda fandom #lost and found

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lechugana · 3 years

Text

ρωμαϊκός

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Words: 6681

Categories: F/M, Gen

Tags: roman!percy, percabeth, no beta read, capture flag game, nico has a new pet, it’s a mouse skeleton

Summry:

AU where Percy is roman and Annabeth is searching from him. "But you still listened to me, Jackson" Annabeth replied with a small smile on her lips. "But I still listened to you, Chase" he repeated copying her smile, the boy's smile was predatory, the smile of a boy who knows he's going to get in trouble ... and he doesn't care.

Read it also on AO3

Romans exist Annabeth repeated over and over again as she walked beside Nico.

They were both leading the Greek camp, walking the streets of New Rome. As much as Annabeth wanted to pout, she couldn't stop admiring the columns, the buildings, the marble stairs… all the classic architectural elements that Annabeth thought would be in Rome, they were here, in San Francisco. The whole city exorbitated wealth and classicism, the people wearing a mix of robes and modern clothes, the streets lined with shops that had the smallest campers trotting from window to window. Among the people walked what were lares, spirits - ghosts - of the home, Nico had already warned them of them when he had visited the camp for the first time together with Jason and with the blessing of his father, becoming an ambassador of Hades ... Pluto .

Now that they were in Rome, Hades is Pluto.

And Athena, Minerva. And Minerva has no children and is not a strategist goddess. Here is a simple virgin goddess of the arts.

On the Field of Mars were two people shoulder to shoulder, dressed in purple, white and gold robes, like the ancient Roman emperors. One was blond-haired, and Annabeth knew instantly that it was Jason, his hair shining in the sunlight, while next to him was a Latin girl, with long dark hair in a braid.

"Annabeth. Welcome to New Rome” Jason welcomed, as he spread his arms before them, his blue eyes narrowing at his smile. “She is Reyna, the second praetor of Rome. Nico, you already know her. "

"Daughter of Minerva " Reyna reached out to Annabeth. Annabeth could notice how her siblings were tense, Malcolm was behind her trying to calm the little ones.

"Athena" Annabeth corrected in the calmest way possible, her body seemed calm, but she was watching every movement of the praetor. Annabeth had realized that the girl was just like her, a strategist ready for an attack at any moment.

"Welcome to New Rome" Reyna slightly moved one of her eyebrows. “Jason's friends are our friends. We hope that your instance here is as placid as possible. I'm leaving my colleague Jason to take you on a tour of our city, I have to attend to some business ”Reyna gave Jason a look, one of those looks that is only understood among familiar people, gave him a squeeze on the arm and left followed by her two metal greyhounds.

"Really, Jason? Minerva?"

"I know I'm sorry. I've told her- Hello to you too Travis, yes Connor, I haven't forgotten about you, I'm talking to Annabeth for a moment, can you-? Thanks, Malcolm” Jason tried to get rid of the Stoll brothers, Malcolm who was seeing everything from behind, grabbed the two brothers by their ears and led them to the other end of the Field of Mars. "As I said. I told Reyna, I told her everything I needed to know about the Greeks and Camp Half-Blood, but she is…” Jason waved his hand in the air trying to find a word. "Difficult?"

Annabeth studied Jason for a few more seconds, making him more nervous than he was, his hand kept moving his glasses and his feet moved slightly from side to side. Annabeth rejoiced knowing she made Jupiter's son nervous.

"I don't blame you Jason, you're just trying to do what you can." Jason's shoulders immediately relaxed at those words. Annabeth may have been proud but not a masochist. "Now show us where to stay, oh preator."

"Now do you know Latin?"

" I've done a bit of research."

---

Their rooms were simply a camp built by a group of Roman demigods on the outskirts of the city of New Rome, as far away as possible.

Big tents with all their amenities arranged for the campers, the smaller greek campers were hopping around, excited about a night of camping out in the open, the hut bosses were running after them to calm them down, though many of them gave up even before chasing them.

"I never would have thought the Romans would exist," Malcolm whispered next to Annabeth. They were both a bit away from the chaotic camp watching them. "I wish Chiron was here." Annabeth nodded slightly; Chiron had been her father since he ran away from his family in San Francisco. The two had been inseparable since she arrived at the camp shortly after Thalia's death, Chiron always came to her when she had a problem, always counting on her opinion in any matter that arose. “Do you think he will be here? Come on, Annabeth, don't look at me like that, we have the same mother,” he laughed. “You haven't stopped looking for him since the battle, and I know you're waiting for the right moment to tell Jason. Have you ever considered that maybe he is a fugitive demigod? "

Annabeth had indeed considered that this boy had become a fugitive demigod. A demigod without a camp, who wandered from one place to another away from monsters and without having a stable place.

“Yes, I have thought about it, but…” Annabeth could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment, “it's a hunch, okay? I know it's stupid, but I feel like it must be around here."

Annabeth wanted to drown in humiliation, Athena's children didn't follow hunches, they followed clues and logic.

Malcolm stared at her for a long time, until his shoulders sagged in defeat, “Of course it's not stupid. I just want you to remember that there is a possibility that he is not here…” Malcolm shifted between his own feet, unsure. "Or that you will never find it."

---

The Romans dining room was not disappointing either. Long wooden tables adorned with fruit bowls, silver jugs filled with drink and glasses of the same metal. The Romans were talking and throwing jokes as well as food, some were speaking louder, while others were observing their companions.

The image itself was a shock to Annabeth, she didn't know why, but she had imagined the Romans as stoic people, eating meals without laughter or talking, but the image in front of her showed her that she had been wrong.

The sound of a glass silenced everyone in the dining room, Reyna was up with a small golden dagger and a glass of the same colour, "We want to officially welcome, both my partner Jason, like me" Jason like Reyna , raised and with a golden glass in his hand, but instead of being next to him he was at the table of the Greeks with his friends Leo and Piper. “We hope that your stay in Nueva Roma will be as comfortable as possible and that our relationships for the future will be strengthened and grown for prosperity. Iubentium."

“We are very grateful that you have allowed us to stay in your camp, we hope that, like you, our relationship grows and strengthens over time and for future generations, in order to have a powerful ally among us. Cheers.” While making the speech, she tried to look around to find the boy without attracting much attention, but not locating him, Annabeth focused only on Reyna. When she finished Annabeth raised her glass at the same time as Reyna, both looking at each other as they drank from her glass, calculating each other's every move.

"Nice speech" Nico murmured next to her.

"It's sarcasm?"

“Pf, yes and no. The speech was fine, but you could tell in the air how you were throwing knives at each other” he said simply as he swallowed four chips at the same time. Clarisse who was listening nearby snorted proudly at Annabeth.

"I do not like her. She’s hard to read,” Annabeth admitted as she tossed her food back and forth without much appetite.

“Normal” Nico drank from his Coca-Cola, “her mother is Bellona, the Roman goddess of strategy. She is also watching you Annabeth and can't figure you out. You both collide by nature- Will, I'm not going to eat a pear, I hate pears."

Annabeth let the two boys argue about nutritional values and her gaze began to search among the many heads of the Romans, but as before, no clue of that boy.

"Oh Hazel. What good find "Annabeth looked up listening to the voice of Jason. Hazel, she supposed, was the girl with dark skin and curly hair, the girl was very short in stature, maybe she was not over thirteen. She was dressed in a purple T-shirt and gold breastplate, her matching helmet carried under one arm, and a sword slightly too large for her hung from her hip. "Ah, I didn't know you were talking to your brother, I'm sorry Nico, but do you know where Jackson is?"

Hazel was thoughtful for a moment, but then shook her head, “He wasn't on watch today, and from what Frank has told me, I don't think he's in the stables. Maybe in the bathrooms? I do not know."

“Ah… don't worry, it doesn't matter. I just wanted him to meet the Greeks.” He turned to Annabeth when he saw her confused face. "Jackson is a ... how to say, a free spirit?" Jason laughed at the comparison. "He does not like to follow the rules very much and he always gets into trouble, surely you would get along well."

"He's my kind of man," Connor blurted out from behind his brother, his hair full of roots, growing little by little around his neck.

"Susan, please don't strangle Connor at lunch." Piper scolded Demeter's daughter from the other end.

"Susan, don't stop," shouted a son of Aphrodite from the other end.

The cries of the Greek demigods filled the air of the dining room. Some encouraging Susan to strangle Connor, Hermes cabin maliciously clawing at Connor's face to break the roots. Other campers rose from their seats to watch the show between Demeter's cabin and Hermes. Hazel who was still present next to Nico giggled at the ruckus that had formed in a very short time.

"I can't imagine what your camp will be like day by day."

Annabeth smiled at the teenager with pride warming her chest as she saw the scene that had been lovingly formed.

---

Ares's cabin exploded into cheers upon hearing the news that they were going to fight the Romans, at the same time, Hermes's cabin joined in the cheers, leaving the other campers staring at each other with terror in their eyes.

Annabeth studied Jason's proposal, she knew that it was tradition to have friendly fights (in the case of the Greeks to capture the flag), but after meeting Reyna, Annabeth expected any trap to catch the Greeks and give an excuse to the Greeks. Romans to attack them.

Nico and Piper were next to her, studying her reaction.

"Annabeth, I think Jason wouldn't have proposed this to us if there really was a trap." Piper tried to reason with her, inadvertently using her charmspeak.

"It doesn’t matter if he is a praetor, that doesn’t mean that they tell him everything" she murmured stubbornly, the two have been friends for a long time and her charmspeak no longer had that much effect.

"Nico, tell him that nothing is going to happen."

Nico, instead of answering, was silent with his two hands in his pockets, hunched over, looking at the ground, a small mouse skeleton curled up at his feet.

"What do you want me to say? What Chase said is true. ” Nico reached down and scooped up the mouse skeleton in the palm of his hand. “Jason is… a visionary. And visionaries tend to have a lot of ideas, and those ideas cause change. The Romans don't like change. They like tradition. And right now, the tradition is that both Greeks and Romans are separated, as they always have been. "

"You're no help, death boy," Piper growled, earning an angry scowl from the smaller boy.

"Can you feel if something bad is going to happen?"

"If someone is going to die?" Nico frowned again, but this time in concentration. "No. Everything is still fine; nothing feels out of place. "

"You see? No carnage is going to form,” Leo exclaimed jovially from behind Piper. "Don't look at me like that mija, it's a good thing!"

"But that doesn't mean there is going to be a catch."

Piper threw both hands in the air, finally giving up on this conversation. Annabeth was too stubborn to change her mind.

The girl from before, Hazel, came back together with a boy much taller than her and leafier, they both greeted Nico happily and he responded dryly, as always, too focused on his new skeleton pet. The two Romans were there to guide them to the weapons room, where they can equip themselves for the afternoon games.

Hazel was talking animatedly to Nico, her curly hair trotting as she walked, the boy a little further behind the two demigods, always keeping a safe distance from the son of Hades. Annabeth raised an eyebrow when she noticed that the boy was afraid of poor Nico.

The leaders of the huts tried to line up their brothers to give them the necessary weapons, but as always, no one was listening to anyone, so everyone ran to get the best weapon they could find. Both Annabeth and Nico stood at the gate watching, both carrying their weapons on their hips, Annabeth watched her brothers giving advice to the other campers on which weapons would suit them best in battle, while Nico watched Will trying to calm her down. his brothers when it came to catching arrows and bows, a small group from Apollo's hut stayed behind Will, hinting that they would be the paramedics on the battlefield.

When everyone was already armed and protected with armour, they followed the two Roman boys to the Field of Mars.

“Wow, why do they have a battlefield? I also want one!" Ares's hut began to protest as they admired the battlefield.

"And have you seen his armoury?"

"I do not like. It's all outdoors, I prefer to be in the forest. "

“So you can tangle me with roots again? No thanks."

"I told you it was accidental!"

"Unintentionally does not mean catching someone with roots and hanging them from a tree."

"Mathew is trying to cast a spell on me!"

"The Romans are going to crush us," Nico muttered.

Annabeth didn't have the mind to worry about the campers, she already had different routes and strategies in mind to fight the Romans. Yes, the Romans may be very meticulous and were known worldwide for their formations on the battlefields. But the Greeks had a factor that they did not have, they had no order. The Greeks were neither orderly nor organized, in the battles each one went on his own, without following any training, and that freedom when fighting could give them an advantage right now.

The Romans were already in the middle of the field, all standing in ranks and cohorts, dressed in golden armour and red shields. The image gave Annabeth chills.

In front of the five cohorts were the two praetors, both dressed in purple capes and like the other Roman campers, in gold armour. Whereas Jason had an excited glint in his eyes as he spotted Leo and Piper amid the tide of demigods; Reyna, on the other hand, her gaze was not as friendly as that of her partner, with her arms crossed and her back straight she watched as the mestizo camp arrived at the place.

Annabeth wanted to get rid of the bad feeling she had in her body, she could imagine what the Romans were seeing when they arrived at the place, a group of unstructured demigods walking scattered around the place, some were running around, others were on top of others, some they were lagging in the back. Annabeth shook her thoughts, the Greeks defeated the army of Cronos, a titan, they were not weak.

When Annabeth arrived at the scene, standing in the front row, with the entire camp behind her, she watched Camp Jupiter, some of the campers who were there laughing at each other as they shot them glances.

“As you are smaller in number, a cohort will help you during the games. Fifth cohort."

The first cohorts began to laugh among themselves as they looked at the last cohort, in it, the two centurions in front were visibly discouraged. One of them took out a flask and began to drink from it, while the other centurion tried to shake him off.

"Each group go to your place."

And with that said, each group went to one side of the field. Annabeth waited for the Fifth Cohort to approach them.

"Good luck with the graecus."

"In the end, the outcasts gather among themselves."

"How many victories are we going to have already?"

"I think twenty-seven."

"No, thirty."

Despite the comments from the campers, one of the centurions tried to liven up the atmosphere, cheering up his subordinates, giving smiles and patting on the back, while the other centurion continued to drink from his flask while visibly leaning on his companion.

“We are the fifth cohort. Jason has told us a lot about you” the centurion introduced himself. "I'm Gwendolyn, and this is my partner Dakota ... don't worry he's drinking Kool-Aid", slapping her hand on the flask caught his attention.

"I hope you like losing." Dakota lifted his flask and took a sip. Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Annabeth. I guess you know who Nico is. She's Clarisse… There is Will… Oh, this is Piper…” Annabeth rummaged through the other campers with the cabin leaders, but seeing that the Stoll brothers were doing their thing, she stopped naming with a sigh.

"Are you all the praetors?" Dakota exclaimed upon hearing the number of names Annabeth had named.

"Mn? Oh no. We are the cabin leaders. A cabin by God. "

The Fifth Cohort gaped at them. Apparently, they did have more differences than they imagined.

“We are always defending ourselves. It's easier to accept defeat.” Gwen shrugged.

"Pathetic" Clarisse snorted. Both Ares's and Nike's cabins supported her.

"You don't know who is in the first cohort!"

"Of course, we don't know, we are new, remember?" said Fred, a Hermes boy, who bore a horrible resemblance to the Stoll brothers.

"And we do not care, we are going to crush them" a girl from Nike jumped up from behind, hitting her fist with her hand for more emphasis, both Nike's cabin and Ares's hut jumped in cheers at those words.

"Let’s not get so excited, they are not monsters ..." A child from Iris tried to quietly calm the other campers.

"Shut up Eugene."

Annabeth sighed and looked sideways at the Romans, "We never stare." Annabeth turned to be seen by both Greeks and Romans. "We are going to attack. Romans and Greeks. Will, choose one of your brothers to go into battle for medical help. Nico, I think you already know what to do. Nina, she will give you some inventions from Hephaestus's cabin, listen to her well what they are for. You Romans, stand in the front row, shields raised and prepare to defend. "

Annabeth watched as everyone fell into place. Will named some of his faster brothers to go to the field, while Nico caught some of the Hermes and Demeter campers explaining the plan. Piper, in the background, was practicing her spell-talk with Leo. Nina was handing out small gadgets to some of the campers followed by Hecate's children who were giving some explanations of how they worked. Clarisse, along with Nike's hut and Ares were sharpening their weapons, looking with sharp smiles at the Romans scaring them.

"How do you know we are going to win? She is nothing but a daughter of Min… Athena. And they are Romans, and they always play dirty, no matter what you do, we are going to lose” Annabeth made out Dakota's voice behind her as she fixed her golden bib.

"Athena always has a plan." Annabeth smiled at Malcolm's voice.

---

Ugh. Annabeth hated fighting in the open field, she preferred to fight in the woods of the half-blood camp, it was easier to hide there, and the trees helped her to form even more convoluted plans than usual.

From his place he could see how Reyna flew over the fields of Mars on the back of her pegasus, even from there he could see her frown and how she judged them from the sky. On the floor and sitting in a box, Jason was looking at them with bright and expectant eyes, Annabeth couldn't help but think that Jason looked like a labrador retriever, wagging his tail from side to side excitedly.

On the other side of the field were the other cohorts, preparing for battle, from her place, Annabeth could see as they were placed in an attack position, prepared to fight.

"Are you sure it's going to work?" Malcolm appeared behind her.

"I hope so." Malcolm glanced at her, looked like he wanted to say something, but at the last moment he closed his mouth and hunched his shoulders in defeat.

"They look prepared," he simply said. "I'm scared."

"For us?" Annabeth this time looked at him raising an eyebrow.

"Mn? No way. For them. I don't think I've ever seen Clarisse so excited in a battle, I think I've heard her say she's going to try to split the Romans in two. The Romans have never had to endure the fury of the sons of Ares. "

"And the Nike ones," Annabeth recalled.

"Don't remind me, ugh."

Both Annabeth and Malcolm laughed as they watched the Romans on the other side moving from side to side.

A trumpet sounded from overhead, Annabeth raised her head and saw Reyna look her directly in the eye. All of this was challenging. A challenge to see if the Greeks were worth it. And Annabeth already knew.

Taking one last look at the Romans already in position, she went to hers, raising her eyebrow in recognition of Reyna.

---

“Gwendolyn, I need you to help us form defences. Get into position swinging line, on the left flank, not right. Put the archers in the first row, not in the last, and then in the second row put an arrow line. "

Gwendolyn looked at her with wide eyes, shocked to hear the Greek know the Roman techniques and embarrassed that she did not know any Greek techniques. With a nod of his head he ran after his fellow Romans giving them Annabeth's orders.

Seeing that her zone was in motion, she braced herself. Praying that he hadn't been wrong.

From her spot she could see how the fifth cohort got into the position she had said, thanking herself for her curiosity in having studied Roman defence tactics. The fifth cohort advanced from their position, alerting the Romans to their orthodox attacking position, the archers should be behind not in front, and it was the right flank that was more protected than the left, just as soldiers with arrows should be in the front row. Annabeth heard the confused sounds of the other cohorts when she saw that position, cracking their positions and hesitating when attacking, she could hear the confusing sounds of the enemy cohorts from her place. That made her smile.

After appreciating their tactics in action, Annabeth jumped into action. Picking up her dagger, she jumped to the right flank, seeing that the defence of that area was weakened, running between the Roman and Greek campers.

From her place she could see Nico's signal, probably aided by his sister Hazel, a lump, almost imperceptible on the ground, with a silver coin gleaming in the sunlight. Taking a deep breath, she lunged for the signal, dodging and kicking the Romans, and the Greeks pulling away with experience. She could see the silver coin shining brighter every time she got closer, but halfway there she saw a group of Romans rush over the sign, taking it to the other side of the field.

"Shit," Annabeth blurted out after someone tackled her.

"Minerva's daughter," a Roman hissed. The boy had a shield almost the same height as him and was covered by golden armour. His face was covered by a helmet of the same material. Annabeth snorted at those words. Right now, he didn't feel like fighting an angry idiot. "You are going to learn to respect our goddess-"

Without letting him finish the sentence, Annabeth lunged towards the boy and he raised the shield reflexively, just before she hit the shield, Annabeth turned to the side, surprising the Roman with a kick to his back, throwing him to the side. From above, Annabeth raised her dagger to threaten the boy at her feet, but when she raised her hand, she realized that his dagger was gone. Looking everywhere for it, she acknowledges that the poor dagger had disappeared at the time of the tackle.

Annabeth wanted to hit a wall.

"Annie!" Piper yelled from her right throwing something at her. Annabeth reflexively raised her arm and saw that what Piper had thrown at her was nothing more than a stick in the shape of a 'y'. “Don't look at me like that, it was you who asked me to look for him if there was an emergency. Hey you! You are very sleepy ... be careful! oh, he fell head-on, do you think he'll be okay? That had to hurt. "

Annabeth shook her head and took the stick in the shape of an 'y' and with a calculated blow she hit the boy at her feet on the head knocking him unconscious. Taking the stick by its shorter sides, she put the longer stick in front of him, pointing her way. Pointing it to the ground.

The stick had not yet moved, leading Annabeth to despair, the Greek kept pacing back and forth, sometimes in circles, looking for the stick to vibrate. Was she wrong? She was seldom wrong, and she was too proud to accept that she was wrong. In addition, she was the daughter of Athena, she could find another solution, every problem has a solution. A small vibration went up his arms, jumping from his place he saw the long stick vibrate to the ground. Releasing the air that she did not know she was holding, she followed the vibrations of the stick, following the path that led to the stick vibrating even more. She stayed above a point where the vibrations had made her arms not stop shaking.

It's here. Annabeth thought.

A clash of metal made her raise her head.

"Do you want to become a skewer or what?" The boy in front of her yelled from his helmet. That boy had stopped an attack from the other side, an attack that was going for her. Snorting, Annabeth ignored him, but marked with her foot where the stick had pointed. "I've saved your life and that's how you thank me-"

Annabeth pushed the boy away when she saw from the corner of her eye that another Roman was going after them, throwing the boy to one side, she dodged the spear by turning on herself, grabbed that spear at the same time, pulling the Roman towards her and knocking them out with one of his elbows.

Turning around, she saw how both the boy and she were cornered by a group of Romans with their spears pointed at them. They both unconsciously approached each other, touching each other back to back, noticing their breaths. The boy's helmet fell right next to the two boys, Annabeth imagined that the boy had thrown the helmet out of frustration.

"You are surrounded" shouted one of the Romans.

"Really? I didn’t see it” the boy behind him said slightly, the boy resting his head on the crown of Annabeth's head, thanks to the fact that he was at least half a head taller than her.

"Surrender."

The group of Romans stepped forward, further closing the circle that the two boys had around them.

Annabeth surveyed her surroundings, still noting the weight on her head. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the boy was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, revealing his tattoo on his arm. Annabeth's heart leapt at the sight of him.

"I have a plan."

"Huh. It's going to be suicide."

"Maybe. But I'm not going to lose to the Romans."

"Do I have to remind you that I am a Roman?"

Annabeth wanted to kick him. "There is water below us. Use it."

Annabeth noticed how the boy tensed behind her. "I cannot."

"Yes, you can. I've seen your tattoo."

The boy gulped, his breathing shallower and faster. "I've never done."

You're must be kidding me, Annabeth thought. "That's not what I saw in New York, seaweed brains."

"Gods, you're wise girl" Seaweed brains let out a slow breath, Annabeth could tell how the boy shook his head slightly. "I still remember you, you know? That back kick hurt too much."

"I took a stab for you."

Seaweed brains laughed shaking his shoulders, "I still owe you one, now that you mention it."

"Well, if you owe me one, use the water." Annabeth nudged him in the ribs as he hissed between her teeth.

"It’s not that easy. The Romans hate everything that surrounds my father, remember? Give thanks that they let me be in this camp" little by little, both Annabeth and the boy were placed in attack position.

"And what difference does it make if they hate you, all the more reason for you to use your power, they won't change their opinion of you."

"They can kick me out of the camp."

"You have another camp on the other side of the country."

Seaweed brains turned, making her pull with him. The breath of Annabeth stayed in her throat. The boy was just as she remembered, if not, even better. He had grown in recent years, his hair, which was short before, was now longer and even blacker if that was possible, making his long hair tousled as if he had walked by the sea. His sea green eyes shone with that expression of melancholy and sarcasm that captivated Annabeth the first time she saw him. Even his skin glowed a golden hue in the San Francisco sun, and he had grown in recent years, becoming taller than her.

"You're still as eloquent as the last time I saw you, wise girl."

"I didn't know you knew that word."

"I've done a bit of research. I still remember not understanding half of the words you were saying."

"But you still listened to me, Jackson" Annabeth replied with a small smile on her lips.

"But I still listened to you, Chase" he repeated copying her smile, the boy's smile was predatory, the smile of a boy who knows he's going to get in trouble ... and he doesn't care.

Seaweed Brain put his hand into a fist and instant water came around the couple, drowning the group of Romans who were around him. Annabeth heard the screams behind the wall of water, she also saw how the Romans tried to swim among the torrent of water, dust and sand, spears and shields sailed without an owner. Lowering his hands, the water calmed down as the tidal wave of Romans, weapons and shields fell to the ground.

"Here" Seaweed brains threw a dagger in his direction. Annabeth took it instinctively, realizing shortly after that it was her dagger. "You had lost it."

A scream sounded behind Percy, causing Annabeth to act quickly, making the Roman a hold on his arm and throwing him with all his might to the ground.

"Ugh, that had to hurt" Percy giggled, scratching his neck slowly. Walking towards the Roman he leaned out so he could see his face. "Now someone has suffered what I had to suffer. I still don't know how you can lift all that weight like nothing. You told me you were going to teach me, wise girl."

A horn sounded from the sky, ending the battle. Annabeth rose from the ground, stepping over the fallen Roman and standing by Percy's side, staring at the mess he had made. The water had formed a diameter of at least two kilometres, washing away all the opposing combatants, leaving the allies dry. Awesome.

"The Greeks have won" Reyna's voice rang out over the entire battlefield.

"Wow. As always your plans work" Percy glanced at her. "I thought you were going to be more excited to see me. It's been a few years now that I think about it, how's Grover doing, I tried to talk to him, but-"

Teary-eyed Annabeth silenced him with a fist on his jaw.

---

The first time Annabeth saw Percy was in New York, a few months before the battle against Kronos. The boy had run into her while on the run against a monster. Annabeth, out of sheer instinct, grabbed his arm and helped him escape from the monster, both working in perfect coordination, which caused Annabeth to have chills all over her body.

Annabeth and Percy had been partners ever since, both working shoulder to shoulder to defeat Cronos. The only problem was that Percy was never at Camp Half-Blood, always making excuses when Annabeth told him to visit.

It was when Grover showed up that Annabeth got her confirmations on Percy. He was a Roman demigod, not a Greek, he was the son of Neptune, not Poseidon. A strange sensation had risen up the girl's back, she could even notice her mother looking at her with accusing eyes.

You have joined the enemy. With the enemy.

She even noticed how a bubble of hatred grew when he thought of the Roman demigod, but when he saw those green eyes, the bubble exploded. The boy was looking at her fearfully, his eyes staring at the ground, preparing to leave her sight, but he also had a defeated look, as if he already knew what was going to happen. Annabeth shook off the feeling of that bubble of hatred and smiled at Percy, making that look the boy had disappear in a moment.

From that day on, Percy, Grover and Annabeth were inseparable, always staying at the boy's house to make plans, although it was more like Annabeth making plans and Grover and Percy eating Miss Jackson’s cookies. Part of her time she was asking about the world of the Romans, her curiosity floating around as she listened to the information the boy gave her. She learned that Neptune was not as respected as in the world of the Greeks, she also heard how Percy told him the threats he suffered when he tried to use his control over the water. The only person he got along with was Jason, a son of Jupiter, they were both in the same cohort, and now they were more than friends, both always together, despite the voices of the lares and the other demigods, all of them wanted to keep the great Jason away from the son of Neptune, a boy who only brought bad luck and trouble.

Annabeth and Percy grew closer each day, somehow Percy complemented her. On the outside it seemed that he was nothing more than a handsome boy without a head, but being almost living together in the boy's house, Annabeth realized that it was only the boy's personality, he was much smarter than he seemed, filling in the blank holes of Annabeth's plans. He also had blind faith in her, something that caused her mixed feelings. His fatal flaw was loyalty, Minerva had told him on one of her missions.

And the day of the Battle of New York arrived, they decided it was better than Percy did not speak about his Roman lineage, both say that Percy is a fugitive demigod, and had seen the danger had formed in his city and he had come to help.

They both fought shoulder to shoulder, as if they had grown up a lifetime together. Both protected their backs and threw themselves for the attacks that went to the other.

In the battle of the bridge, when Rachel came to speak about the prophecy, Annabeth stood in front of Percy, blocking a lunge that went for the boy, falling seriously injured. Annabeth did not remember much of what happened next, she only noticed painful palpitations in her body, how little by little her body became cold, but at the same time the wound was burning. There was a moment when he opened his eyes and looked Percy in the eye.

“You are cute when you worry, with your sulky eyebrows. "

Thanks to the great work of the Apollo children, Annabeth was at 75 percent of her abilities, and ready to fight Kronos. The three friends, Percy, Annabeth and Grover went to Olympus to finally fight Cronos.

The memory of Eric still hurt Annabeth, she remembered how she had given her life to betray Cronos, despite the fact that his betrayal was useless, since Luke's body was bathed in the Styx river. Eric's words echoed in their ears, asking for their help so that the next generations of demigods were recognized by their parents. After Eric's death, Percy had given the knife to Luke, having full faith in Annabeth and that her persuasion would bring Luke to light. The knife entering the demigod's body caused Kronos's body to turn to nothing but dust, leaving Luke's dead body.

Annabeth had fallen to her feet, clutching Luke in her arms, Percy and Grover on either side of her. Annabeth knew that Percy couldn't stay in this place for long. Rising up with a force she didn't know where she had gotten it from, she had escorted Percy to the elevator, leaving Grover by Luke's side and helping Thalia somewhere on Olympus.

"I have to go back to Camp Jupiter," Percy whispered, they were both about the same height, their eyes being on the same level. Percy's eyes were red, and pockets of water accumulated in them. Annabeth's eyes were surely worse.

"Before the gods return," Annabeth whispered as well.

"We will see each other again" the phrase sounded more like a question, green eyes searching for something between grey eyes.

Annabeth didn't answer him but kissed him at the elevator doors. It was a soft and loving kiss. Annabeth didn't know when she was going to see him again ... or if she was going to see him again. Before the boy could say anything, she pushed him into the elevator.

"Chase, we'll meet again." This time it didn't sound like a question, but rather a statement. The sea green eyes held great determination.

And the doors were closed.

And it took two years for me to see him again.

---

The Romans around her gasped as Annabeth knocked Neptune's son down with a punch to the jaw. Annabeth didn't let him get up, getting on top of him putting an arm around his throat, hinting that she would strangle him without a doubt.

Percy, instead of revealing himself, laughed under her. His green eyes sparkled with new light, tearing at the wide, white-toothed smile he now wore. Some of his freckles that came out from the sun were hidden among his wrinkles. From above Annabeth could see the resemblance he had to Poseidon, both with black hair and brown skin, and both with the same wrinkles next to their eyes that appeared when they smiled.

"You're cute when you worry." Percy held up a finger, putting it in the same place Annabeth had put it two years ago, between her eyebrows. "With your brows furrowed."

Annabeth whimpered and lunged toward the boy, hugging his shoulders and neck. Annabeth could hear the boy giggling as he hugged her back. Raising her head, through the tears she only recognized those green eyes that had haunted her for years and without thinking twice she kissed him.

#AO3 fanfic #pjo fanfic #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabeth #roman!percy au

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thegoodgayshit · 3 years

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Luz’s mother really doesn’t want to send Luz to camp. She knows once she leaves, there is no going back. But Luz has a knack for getting into trouble, and one day she stumbles into the same type of people her mother would have preferred she avoided. After helping Luz dissolve her high school bully into dust, Eda and Lilith know right away that this kid is just like them - a child of the gods. So Luz hops on a Pegasus and heads to Camp Half-blood, where she embarks on a dangerous quest that makes her both friends and enemies... and she might even save Olympus along the way.

Chapter 10 - The Magic Map Shows Me the Way

The taxi driver, who had told them that his name was Davide, was more than happy to lend them a ride into Cincinnati for free, just like Antheia promised. Despite the ride being longer than an hour, he insisted they not pay him. Feeling guilty, (Luz imagined his kindness was likely due to Antheia’s effect on people) she left a twenty in the backseat, hoping it would cover gas.

Luz had never been to Cincinnati before, and she didn’t get a ton of time to see much of it. The three of them rushed to the nearest train station, ducking inside and getting out of the street.

“Keep your voices down, and try to avoid talking about anything from… our world,” Gus said quietly to Luz. “It’s bad luck, and could send out signals to… things we would like to avoid.”

Luz suddenly remembered the phone in her backpack, and she wondered if she should have told Willow and Gus she brought it. The morning she left for her quest she had sent her Mami a text saying where she was going. She was likely working overtime during the day and wouldn’t read it until she got home, but she probably was going to have a lot of questions. She doubted she would buy that she had gone on a “field trip” with the rest of camp to Colorado Springs.

If even mentioning monsters could attract them, Luz was starting to feel paranoid about what having her phone might mean.

Willow had grabbed a route map off the wall and opened it, peering over her glasses at the options before her.

“We can either take a train or a bus. Regardless of which one we take, we have to stop in Indianapolis. The train will go to Chicago first and then Denver, but then we have a couple of options for busses…”

“The train sounds like it would be a lot of money,” Gus said, leaning over to look. “We can’t spend too much or we won’t have enough for a way back.”

“I don’t think we’ll have enough for the way back anyway,” Willow said, her mouth set in a firm line. “Especially if Amity is with us.”

Luz had been internally battling with if she should tell her friends about her phone, but something on the page caught her attention, and the thought completely slipped her mind. When she looked over at the map, the highlighted sections showing the routes were so bolded with color it’s like they stood out on the page. Luz blinked and leaned in. She didn’t understand why Willow and Gus were talking about money either. The prices were right there on the map, and they even showed the cheapest seats they could get highlighted in red.

The right course of action was obviously to take the next bus to Indianapolis and from there to Kansas City, before finally stopping in Denver. The map even said that the next train left in an hour at 2:00, and after that, the next bus would leave at 6:00.

“We should take this bus,” Luz said, pointing to the line with her finger. “The train leaves soon and they have four seats left. We can get the tickets for fifty bucks.”

Willow and Gus paused, looking over at Luz like they couldn’t understand.

“What?” Luz said, feeling her cheeks pink in embarrassment. “Did I say that in Spanish or something?” It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d gotten excited and done that.

“Luz, where are you seeing these prices?” Willow asked, turning the map over in her hands. “It just shows the routes.”

Luz shook her head in confusion. “They’re right here! Look, it’s one of the legends on the left side of the page.”

Willow and Gus’s mouths dropped open, and Luz’s stomach began to flip. She wondered if they were making fun of her.

“Luz, there’s no legend on the map,” Gus said seriously, and Luz felt herself begin to get frustrated. She took the map from Willow (maybe a little too quickly) and pushed through her friends walking further into the station.

“Look, I’ll show you what I mean.”

She walked up to the counter where there was a middle-aged man in a dark blue uniform standing there at the computer. He was hunched over his desk, drinking a coffee while looking at the screen. When he heard Luz approach, he didn’t even look towards her and away from his computer.

“What can I do for ya?” He said in a thick midwestern accent. Luz threw the map down on the counter and looked up at him.

“I need three 2:00 tickets to Denver with a stop in Kansas City.”

“Sorry, we’re sold out,” the man drawled, and Luz huffed in annoyance.

“No, you’re not! It says that you have four left right here,” Luz exclaimed, pointing down at the map.

“Watch your tone, kid,” the man grumbled, still not looking at Luz. “I don’t do this to deal with brats like you.”

“Excuse me?” Luz said, leaning forward angrily. She was not usually a violent person, but this man was really starting to piss her off. She had half a mind to draw Aletheia and scare the daylights out of him. Willow and Gus rushed forward, holding her by the shoulders.

“Just forget it, Luz,” Willow whispered firmly. “He’s not worth it.”

“No, it is not okay for him to talk to people like that!” Luz exclaimed angrily. “His job is to help people like us, not be rude. He won’t even turn away from his computer to look at me!”

“You want me to turn away from my computer?” The man said in annoyance, finally looking at Luz. The second his eyes met hers, he blinked, before collapsing into his chair. While he’d previously been hunched over, his back straightened and a calm, easy-going look passed over his face.

“I… I don’t remember what I was saying there. But my apologies for being rude,” he said, in a much softer tone. “Let me look into those tickets for you.” Luz relaxed her posture out of surprise, the anger leaving her body, and Gus chuckled under his breath.

“The flower crowns,” he whispered to them. “He’s compelled to be kinder.”

Luz, for what felt like the fiftieth time today, silently thanked Antheia. She really didn’t want to deal with annoying customers on top of Willow and Gus not being able to properly read the map.

The man turned back to his computer, typing for just a moment before turning back to them with a nod.

“You are correct, I do have four tickets available for 2:00 to Denver, with stops in Indianapolis and Kansas City. They are currently priced final sale at seventy dollars.”

Gus frowned. “But Luz, I thought you said they were supposed to be fifty?”

The man shook his head. “Unfortunately, seventy is the lowest these tickets will go to.”

The three of them shared a look. Luz knew they were all thinking the same thing. That barely left any money between them in case something happened.

Willow cleared her throat, doing her best at a smile. “Is there any kind of youth discount we can get?”

The man frowned, like this situation personally affected him too. Gods bless these flower crowns.

“I’m sorry, miss. But no.”

Luz groaned, leaning forward and pointing at the map. “But sir, look right here! The tickets are supposed to be fifty dollars.”

“Luz, there’s nothing on that map-“ Willow tried, but the man looked down anyway, he clicked his tongue, and when he looked up at Luz, something had changed. His eyes had gotten misty, and his mannerisms had slowed.

“Ah, yes… the tickets are indeed priced at fifty. My apologies, Miss Noceda.” He reached down and typed at his board, his gaze flickering back to Luz one more time. “And for the trouble, I will bump it down to forty. This was my mistake.”

Willow and Gus were stunned. But Luz just broke out into the biggest smile and squealed in excitement, bouncing up and down on her toes.

“There we go! I told you guys the tickets were cheaper.”

Luz went into Willow’s backpack and took out the hundred and twenty dollars, paying the man who took it without another complaint, handing them three train tickets.

“The Greyhound will leave from the University, there is a city bus heading there in a few minutes.” The man said, and Luz and her friends nodded.

“Thank you for your help!” Luz said with a grin, and for a second the haze cleared, and the man smiled.

“Not a problem, kids.”

Luz and her friends rushed out the door and hopped on the city bus outside the station, and through the window, as they left, they watched the man’s smile fade into a frown, and the last they saw of him was the rubbing of his head before the bus started moving and vanished out of sight.

They paid the bus driver, (who insisted a single five was fine for the three of them, thanks to magic flower crowns) and sat down, and Luz shot her friends a happy smile.

“See, guys? Everything worked out! We’ll make the bus with fifteen minutes to spare too!”

Willow and Gus did their best to smile, but Luz knew something was bothering them. She frowned, looking back and forth at them. “What?”

“Luz,” Willow whispered. “What exactly did you see on that map?”

Luz frowned, knowing that it was wide open and they saw it too, there was no need to pretend they didn’t anymore. But regardless, she told them everything she saw, all the way down to ticket price.

“Luz, I swear to Zeus, when we looked we didn’t see any of that!” Willow exclaimed.

“That’s what you’re focused on right now?” Gus scoffed to her, turning to look at Luz with big eyes. “That man knew Luz’s last name. She never told him! I don’t think whatever hazy thing happened to him had to do with the flower crowns.”

Luz was stunned. She hadn’t realized that any of what had just happened was unusual. She figured he’d been nice because of the crowns, and she thought everything she’d done was just because she’d shown him the map.

“But… the map had all that information on it!” Luz’s stomach swirled uneasily, and the three of them sat in tense silence for the rest of the bus ride. When they got off at the university and waited outside the bus station for the GreyHound, she felt Gus poke her to get her attention.

“Look across the street.”

Luz looked and frowned. She saw a boy who was about the same age as the Blight twins, maybe a little older, standing across the street in one of the University of Cincinnati sweatshirts. He had a deep tan and curly brown hair shaved at the sides, and there was a book bag slung over his shoulder. He saw them looking and smiled, adjusting a notebook in his left hand and a pen in his right. He started to cross the street, and Gus inhaled sharply, but Willow just shot him a look.“Gus, what’s wrong?” She said quietly, so the boy wouldn’t hear. Gus just shook his head, too anxious to respond.

“Are you waiting for the bus too?” The boy said as he approached them, standing a little awkwardly across from them. Luz smiled and nodded.

“We are! You can wait with us if you want,” she offered, and Gus’s breath caught in his throat. Willow nudged him, giving him a pointed look to be nice.

“That’s very kind of you,” the boy said with a smile. Luz’s heart fluttered a little in her chest, and she hoped her cheeks weren’t turning pink. He was very cute. His pearly white teeth poked out when he smiled, and his shoulders were wide and broad, Luz had no doubt underneath his sweater he was likely very toned. Willow seemed to be feeling similarly because she shuffled her feet anxiously and wouldn’t look at him.

“It’s no problem, we’re all going the same way, and we’ll be on the bus together for a while! You know, since we’re going the same way and everything…” Luz said with a laugh. Oh, gods, she was rambling. Clearing her throat, she stuck out her hand. “I’m Luz. These are my friends Willow and Gus.”

Thankfully the boy laughed, reaching out and shaking her hand. “I’m Theo. It’s nice to meet some new people before a long journey.”

The bus took that moment to roll up, and Theo gestured for Luz and her friends to walk on first. The bus driver looked at their tickets and nodded for them to go on. They made their way to the back of the bus and took the back row of empty seats, Luz sitting between Willow and Gus. Theo got on just after them and said a few words to the driver, before heading in their direction. Gus practically stabbed Luz with his elbow, and she hissed in pain.

“What, Gus?” She said in annoyance, and he turned to her in panic.

“He didn’t have a ticket!” Gus whispered urgently, “he just got on without a ticket! I know you don’t think anything is wrong, but this guy is not human!”

Willow rolled her eyes at him but didn’t remove her gaze from Theo who was closely approaching. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’re telling me this guy is a m-o-n-s-t-e-r?” Luz said, spelling out the words, and Gus swallowed hard.

“I don’t know if he is I’ve never read about one like him. But I know things from our world. He is not human!”

Luz hummed in the back of her throat, not sure what to think. She knew Gus was smart, and that he was rarely wrong, but Theo seemed like your typical guy. Not a cause for a reaction like this.

Theo approached them and smiled. “Is this seat taken?” He asked, gesturing to the one next to Willow. She shook her head, practically melting as Theo sat down.

The bus started rolling, and soon Gus had no choice but to accept that Theo was now a part of their conversation. The four of them talked back and forth, Luz and Willow asking a ton of questions about Theo and his life. Luz and Willow told Theo they were visiting their friend Amity in Colorado, (not really a lie) and he said he was going to Denver and then taking another bus south. They learned he lived with his dad in San Francisco, and that he’d been away for a long time and was heading that way to see him.

“Because you’ve been busy with school?” Gus asked, unable to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

“Kind of like that, yeah,” Theo replied with a smile that was almost wistful. Gus must have not liked that answer, because he crossed his arms. “To be honest, because of other stuff we’ve been away longer than I would have liked. But I’m back now, and I’m going to make sure I see my dad. I just have something to take care of in Denver first.”

“What do you have to do?” Luz asked curiously.

Theo shrugged, but he had one of those mysterious smiles on his face Luz had grown to be familiar with. “Stuff.”

Soon, they had passed the first stop in Indianapolis, and a decent-sized group of people got off before they left again and were rolling into Illinois farmland. The whole back was practically empty, and they could talk as loud as they’d like without disturbing the other passengers. Gus had slowly come around to acknowledging Theo’s existence, and instead of sulking quietly, he was now half-engaged into the conversation.

Around the time it was getting dark, and the conversation had whittled down into quiet silence, they were well into Missouri, and Luz was getting so hungry her stomach growled.

Theo turned his head to look at them. “You guys haven’t eaten?”

The three of them looked at one another before blushing in embarrassment.

“We had tea around early lunchtime, but the day kind of slipped away from us,” Willow admitted in embarrassment. “We’ll have to wait until we stop in Kansas City to eat, which wont be until tomorrow afternoon probably.”

Luz fought the urge to groan. She already missed the meals at camp, and honestly, she didn’t like the idea of going a whole day without food.

Theo adjusted the notebook and pen on his lap and reached into his bookbag, pulling out four Tupperware’s stuffed with food. “I packed extra food if you guys want to share. If you like PB&J anyway.”

Luz and Willow eagerly accepted, thanking Theo profusely, but Gus gawked, sitting up so quickly in his seat he almost fell over.

“There’s no way you could fit all that in your bookbag.”

Theo shrugged, reaching over to hand a container to Gus, who just stared at it like it was poison.

“No way,” Gus said with a frown. “This is weird. This is so so weird. Who are you?”

“Gus!” Willow hissed, and Luz turned her head to him in shock. There was no way Gus was going to reveal them to Theo, not after they’d gotten on so well.

“No, Willow! There’s something weird going on here,” Gus insisted, turning back to Theo who was watching him humorously. Gus leaned right in, staring him down. “I’ve been watching you this whole time. You haven’t once moved that notebook or pen from your lap. Your stories are so weird, like half the pieces are missing. You’re acting very nice, but it’s not because of the flower crowns. You know who we are, and I want to know how right now.”

Willow and Luz shared a look of panic, realizing that Gus just outed them to Theo. But when they turned, Theo wasn’t confused. In fact, he laughed, gesturing for Gus to take the container from him.

“Alright, you caught me. You sons of Athena were always too smart for your own good.”

Luz, Willow, and Gus froze, all of their mouths dropping open comically. Luz felt her heart come to a complete stop. Willow full on dropped her Tupperware. Even Gus, who looked satisfied he’d gotten it right, recoiled like he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

Theo was still holding out the container. “Will, you just take this and eat it? It’s not poison. I would never hurt another half-blood.”

This news built slower until Gus tentatively took the container and sat down. Theo smiled, looking at them with an unreadable expression on his face.

“I have to admit, I was naïve to think I could get away with keeping this a secret,” he said airily. “Being dead for thousands of years really makes a guy overconfident.”

Willow leaped away from Theo, and Luz and Gus were quick to reach for their weapons. Right before Luz drew Aletheia, Theo held out his hand, laughing.

“Sorry, sorry! Bad way to start I guess. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to bring you a message.”

Luz slowly lowered her hand away from her ring, and tucked herself closer to Willow and Gus. Theo sighed, running a hand through his perfect soft hair. For a dead guy, Luz thought it was very stylish.

“My name isn’t really Theo. In Athens, I was Theseus, the son of Poseidon. I have a message from my boss. Amity is not with him.”

#the owl house #lumity #luz x amity #Percy Jackson AU #shelby speaks

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