some lore for my vampire thing. vampire hair is strange indeed

Idea : you’re fooling around with Ted and discover a never before mentioned tattoo. What is it? Where is it?

I think this will be short 'n sweet and cute. I am not even gonna go into with an idea of what it could be until I get to that part. So let's see what happens, lol. Let's gooo!

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Relationship: Ted Lasso x reader

Warnings: Light smut/making out

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It was the first time you and Ted had let things get hot n' heavy. You had been dating a couple weeks, and besides a couple passionate kisses, you were mostly taking it slow.

But one pint, and then two more at the pub, and walking back to Ted's house arm-in-arm, and you found yourself on his couch, under his warm, gorgeous dad-bod while a movie played softly in the background.

His lips trailed down your neck, to your ear, then your collarbone, and you were squirming under his touch and lustful gaze.

As his hands went under your shirt, he saw a little hip tattoo you'd gotten with your best friend years ago.

"Oh I like that," he smiles, his fingers tickling over the music notes.

You blush. "Got it with a good friend years ago, for our love of music."

He smiles and kisses it, his mustache tickling your skin (and unlocking a new kink, because you really, really liked how that felt).

His hands kept traveling your body, up and down your sides and to your neck, where his big hands cupped your face to kiss you.

Why is that so sexy when men do that? It's so...sexy.

As your hands travel under his shirt, he sighs and groans, your hands feeling like magic on his body.

"You're so goddamn beautiful, Ted," you murmur to his ear. "God, you make me crazy."

He blushes at this, never feeling particularly attractive but feeling like a million bucks under your hot stare.

His lips find yours in a heat of passion, his tongue sliding against your mouth, your shared moans and deep breathing driving the energy between you.

You manage to work his shirt off, then his undershirt, and...

"My, my, my Ted, what's that?" you ask with a flirty tone.

He looks down at his own hip and you spot some ink. A tattoo. On Theodore Lasso.

He blushes immediately, tucking his face into your neck, his mustache grazing your skin again.

"Uh, yeah, I also got a tattoo with Beardo," he chuckles. "A few too many drinks and he talked me into it."

Your fingers dance over the yellow and black ink. An angry little...man?...with wheat for hair in a WSU sweater.

"Witchita State Shockers," he mumbles. "Our team."

You smile and kiss him. "I love it."

Ted looks at you with a raised eyebrow.

"YOU DO?"

You nod. "I do. I love it. I know how much coaching there meant to you, and even if it was a drunken tattoo parlor visit, you chose well."

He blushes again, looking down at it.

"My body's changed a bit, and it's a bit worn off..."

You smile. "I love it all the same because it's on this delicious body of yours..."

His eyes darken again with a mischievous grin.

His fingers trail under the waistband of your pants just a little.

"You got any other works of art under there? Or just the rest of your body, which is its own work of art?"

You giggle and pull him back to your lips.

"I dunno. Why don't you find out, Coach?"

---

Had to find a photo of the Witchita State University mascot. Unfortunately their football program was retired in 1986 in real life, but I still think it make sense that Beard would come up with this idea and Ted would agree. Personally I love it. lol Thanks for the prompt, friend!

“They were expecting to find Miguel Diaz. What they weren’t expecting to find was love.”

Imagining of Season 5 in which Demetri and Eli go on a totally straight and totally heterosexual Dudebro road trip to Mexico to find their best friend. Unfortunately, when you’re trapped in a car with someone for hours on end, you might have to start confronting some feelings you wish weren’t there.

Well, everyone, I caved. I fucking caved. I said so many times that I wasn’t going to write CK fanfiction because GODDAMN if I don’t have too many WIPs in other fandoms, but like. The desire to write a homoerotic road trip fic was just too damn much.

I’ve never tried formally writing these two before, so I have no idea if it’s any good, but GOD did I try lol. Not much plot here, mostly just Vibes, gay tension, and missing and worrying about Best Boy Miguel!!! Also written partly out of spite because I’m just constantly seeing Miguel/Demetri friendship erasure in the fandom and it’s gotten me HEATED, so now I’m writing about Demetri going off to find Miguel in Mexico and internally monologuing about how worried he is and y’all just gonna have to deal with it. Fun fact: Miguel and Demetri love each other, and I will not hear otherwise under any circumstances :D

Also I can’t believe I’ve been in this fandom over a year and it took fucking writing this fic to realize Demetri has an extremely bad case of generalized anxiety disorder D: Like he worries about every all the time and honestly? Same

Uhhhhh CW for mentions of human trafficking, even if it’s done in jest (they’re teenage boys after all, this is the kinda thing teenage boys joke about lol) and some zesty...physical references, but the sauciest thing they do is make out because I’m asexual and do not wish to write smut XD

Fic is under the cut!!! Be warned, it is a 4k word longboi!!!

EDIT: There is now a sequel here as well!!!

***

“I cannot even begin to tell you how unsafe this is.”

“Uh huh. Go on.”

“I’m serious, Eli! We’re parked out in the middle of nowhere in a desert that never ends and the only signs of civilization are those cars going by on the highway at like 90 miles an hour. This is how people get kidnapped. And used for…I don’t know, human trafficking or something.”

Eli rolls over from where he lies next to Demetri on the car roof, scowling at him. “You think the traffickers are going to want you?”

Demetri scoffs, offended at the implication. “I’ll have you know I am a catch! The hottest girl in school thought so for a while.”

Eli breaks into a smirk. “Didn’t Yasmine like…use you as a beard, dude?”

“That’s not—she’s not—she didn’t—look, it doesn’t count if she didn’t know she was lesbian until after we got together!” Demetri splutters, gesturing vaguely as he attempts to arrive at a point.

“Wouldn’t that make it even worse?”

“Still speaks volumes to my suave disposition that she had no issue appearing to be dating me.”

“I’ll never understand it.” Eli turns away, gaze flicking back up to the stars.

“As I was saying.” Demetri stubbornly goes on. Someone has to knock some sense into Eli Moskowitz—access that logical coding brain he knows is in there somewhere. “Just because we’re a little ways off the main road doesn’t mean someone isn’t going to see us parked out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. They could still come out here, break into the car, and do—well, whatever they want! It’s not like anyone would hear us yelling for help. We should have gotten a motel room.”

Eli snorts. “What, are we throwing hundred dollar bills around like we’re Terry Fucking Silver? It was hard enough mooching enough gas money off my mom. Besides, we know karate. If anyone comes after us, we could take them.”

Demetri rolls his eyes. “Right, my bad. I forgot I’m under the protection of the latest AVT champ.”

“Damn right.”

“I’m holding you to that, by the way. If we get kidnapped, and you can’t fend them off, I’m going to be really mad.”

“Completely understandable.”

A lull passes over the boys. For several moments, there’s no sound but desert wind, the hum of crickets and cicadas, and the sound of distant traffic. They had pulled off onto some dirt service road and driven for a while before they arrived and parked at what Eli decided was “the perfect sleeping spot.”

“I can’t believe you’re not tired,” Eli pipes up. “You’ve been driving like…all day.”

Demetri shrugs, car roof cool against his neck and shoulders. The sweltering daytime heat has long since faded from the metal.

“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to stargaze again. It’s kind of hard with all the light pollution. I remember we used to try on your trampoline, and whenever we’d get excited about a particularly bright one, it would turn out to be LAX’s newest outgoing flight.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot more going on out here. Might as well enjoy it.”

Demetri scans over the flickering shape of the Milky Way before stealing a glance over at Eli. He can’t help but smile.

His friend’s eyes are filled with a kind of shameless awe and wonder he hasn’t seen in years. Eli has always been drawn to the sky—day, night, or otherwise. Sometimes in elementary school, when they were all out of game ideas, they would spend recess cloud-watching. Eli would get so wrapped up in it that sometimes when the lunch bell rang, Demetri would have to poke him several times to get his attention. How appropriate that his eventual karate nickname would be bird-related.

He’s beautiful when he’s like this. And right now, it’s particularly aggravating.

Unfortunately, Demetri’s admiration has not gone unnoticed. Eli turns and gives him a disparaging look.

“Dude, why are you staring at me?”

Demetri snorts, trying to sound as scornful as possible. “I was not! Don’t flatter yourself. I just haven’t seen you this relaxed in a while.”

Eli shrugs. “I guess so. Kind of peaceful out here. Nice to get away from all the city noise. Too bad Sensei LaRusso isn’t around to make us do katas or some shit.”

Demetri snickers. “Yeah, I’d like to see him try and meditate in downtown Guadalajara. Or wherever the hell he and Sensei Lawrence are now.”

“You think they made it to Guadalajara already?” Eli whistles. “That is generous, Demetri.”

“Is it really that far?”

“A good 900 miles from here. I would know—my eyes still hurt from staring at the map app all damn day.”

Demetri considers for a moment before nodding.

“You’re right. Sensei Lawrence probably broke the GPS. Somehow.”

“Either that, or he and Sensei LaRusso spent more time arguing over what route to take than actually driving.”

The boys break out laughing, the noise of it heavy in the quiet desert night. Hours of tense driving drain out of Demetri’s body all at once, and suddenly he feels so carefree he could be 7 again.

It isn’t all that different from how they used to be. Laughing at the stupidest shit, making fun of everyone whose life was just as much a mess as theirs, being wrapped up in their own little world. All a constant that had always given Demetri some semblance of security…before junior year, anyways.

Now, he can finally have that security back. Eli isn’t going anywhere, especially not in the middle of the Sonoran desert. What would he do, tie a little bindle to a stick and run off to live in a cactus?

As the laughter dies down, Demetri turns his head back to the stars. It’s not hard to see how Eli could get entranced by them. They’re stunning—silver on black, with the white puffs and clouds of the Milky Way blotched out above distant mountains.

A blinking red light and a distant hum indicates air travelers passing through the area. Demetri chuckles, something distant resurfacing.

“Remember when we were like…9, and we came up with that big, elaborate plan about what we would do if aliens invaded?”

“Sure,” Eli says. “You wanted to fight them off with swords. I didn’t have the heart to tell you that would be stupid.”

“Ah, yes.” Demetri hums thoughtfully. “That was during my Lord of the Rings phase. In my defense, I thought it would look really cool to fence with an alien. I still maintain it would be…well, interesting.”

Eli snickers. “Dude. They’d just blast you in half with a laser gun. It wouldn’t even be a fight.”

Demetri can only scoff. “Who says they have laser guns? Maybe they’re not that technologically advanced!”

“But they can pilot spaceships multiple light years to other planets?! Bullshit. You just wanted to be Aragorn.”

“Who doesn’t want to be Aragorn?!”

“Uh, Gandalf is way cooler, man.”

Demetri snorts again. “Oh, so now we’re going to defeat extraterrestrial invaders with ancient wizardry? Which we’ll acquire where?”

“Still more likely than you learning how to wield a sword properly.”

“How dare you! I used to watch so many YouTube tutorials! Anyways, it’s ambitious to claim you’re Gandalf, Eli. I think you’re more of a Gollum, personally. You know, with the corruption arc and the conniving and scheming and all.”

“Oh, you take that back!”

Eli pounces on him, shoving him hard to the side. Demetri bursts out laughing, sides aching as he slides toward the edge of the car roof.

He starts to slip. He barely has a moment to panic before strong hands are grabbing his arm.

There’s an awkward moment as their eyes meet, Eli’s fingers still fastened around Demetri’s wrist. Demetri slowly lets out his breath, heart starting to pound.

Always best to diffuse the situation, Demetri figures.

He takes his free hand and presses the back of it against his forehead. “Oh, my hero! My brave, brave Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz! You saved me!”

He expects Eli to make a snide comment, but his eyes instead flick around the way they always do when he’s nervous. When he’s caught off-guard.

“It was instinct,” he mutters. “I…should’ve let you faceplant in the dirt, actually. That would’ve been funny.”

The beginnings of a smirk returns, and the moment is lost.

“But you didn’t.” Demetri smiles shrewdly. For Eli, actions have always spoken a little louder than words.

Eli groans. “I’m going to shove you off for real if you don’t wipe that shit-eating look off your face, man.”

“Doubt it.”

Demetri rolls his eyes, but he’s laughing as Eli pulls him the rest of the way up. When they lay down on the roof again, they’re a little closer than before.

“You know…” Demetri chuckles softly. “I’m actually kind of glad Sensei Lawrence and Mr. L didn’t let us tag along.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Eli turns to face him, smirk widening. “You think they would’ve taken a wrong turn and gotten us all lost in Chihuahua?”

Demetri shrugs. “I wouldn’t put it past them. Even Sam couldn’t save them from their own ineptitude.”

“Still can’t believe she persuaded them to let her come,” Eli mumbles.

“Samantha LaRusso is a firecracker. Also probably one of the most stubborn people I know. You’re very lucky I persuaded her to take you off her shitlist.”

“You did?” Eli sounds surprised. “How did that go?”

He shrugs. “Well, she nearly punched me a couple times. But I guess when both your boyfriend and your best dojo buddy vouch for a guy, it helps soften the grudge a bit.”

“I was surprised she went after him, to be honest. I guess I was wrong about her. She’s more loyal than I thought.”

Demetri rolls his eyes. Like Eli has any room to make judgments about romantic loyalty, considering Miguel told Demetri that Eli planned on having “an entire rotation of girls” after he broke up with Moon.

“Well, anyways,” Demetri says. “Not that I’d want to get mixed up in our Senseis’ complete lack of competence, but I mostly just like having you all to myself.”

He reaches out and pokes Eli in the chest, earning a glare.

“That so?” Eli’s glower fades, his tone teasing. “So what are you gonna do when we find El Serpiente and you have to share me again?”

Demetri gasps in mock horror. “Excuse me, bold of you to assume I’m not the one graciously lending out my best friend Miguel Diaz to you. If it weren’t for my impeccable sense of humor, he never would have even sat at our table.”

Eli chuckles. “I remember you looked so frantic when you waved him over. Like ‘oh god, when will anyone else ever want to be our friend?’ If only you knew it would be the greatest mistake of your life.”

Demetri snorts. “Hardly. I’d been waiting for ages to see Kyler get his ass handed to him. Besides, finding another person who actually gives a crap about you after, like, 10 years of most everyone hating you is well worth a karate war or two. Even, yes, if it means I don’t get Eli Moskowitz all to myself on occasion. Honestly…” He laughs, feeling suddenly hollow. “Neither of us deserve that kid.”

“Yeah.”

Eli’s smile begins to slip. Demetri knows the feeling.

It’s the same feeling he got when he went to Miyagi-Do practice and saw Amanda LaRusso hugging a sobbing Carmen Diaz. It’s the same feeling he got when he ran up to Miguel after watching him win the All-Valley, only to be almost immediately brushed aside.

The fear of losing Eli had always been loud and vicious and ruthless. It tore at him in the night and left his body trembling until morning. It sent him running to the bathroom, dry-heaving until his stomach ached. It sunk its claws into him and rooted them there. Punched them down harder when he saw Eli in the hallways with rage and hatred and cruelty in his eyes. It was a constant agony that followed him wherever he went

The fear of losing Miguel was different. Quieter. Like a parasite slowly eating its way through his insides, a small but ever-present ache in his gut. The tiny but profoundly persistent feeling that something was very, very wrong. Brief trembles and a few quick breaths and momentary bouts of nausea that seemed to be the opening act for something much worse. His mind dancing through a thousand “what ifs” and eventually drifting to the worst ones, whirring louder than an overheated laptop as it churned out hypothetical disaster after hypothetical disaster. An eternal gnawing, chipping away at him like he was a gemstone being cut for a ring. It was the storm on the horizon—thunder that made him uneasy, but didn’t scare him. Not yet.

If the fear of losing Eli had been a jump scare, or the gory, lethal slice of a killer’s axe, then the fear of losing Miguel was the slow buildup to a horrifying reveal, accompanied by a disquieting soundtrack. The constant anxiety that every corner had a monster behind it.

And right now, it’s carving a tunnel through him that’s only getting wider and wider. Demetri wonders how long it will be before he’s completely emptied out.

“I don’t think I deserve either of you,” Eli says. “Miguel always tried to be there for me. You never gave up on me. And I just…” He trails off.

Demetri snorts. “Well, only one of us was able to stomach having their back repeatedly stabbed with needles for 10+ hours. Or had the absolute balls of steel to dye their hair bright purple.”

Eli chuckles. “That’s true.”

The pit in Demetri’s stomach doesn’t take long to return.

“I’m worried about him,” he admits. “From what I picked up from Mr. L, his dad’s not a good guy. I can’t stop thinking about something happening to him out there. And especially after…”

Demetri trails off.

He knows Eli knows what he means. The fall that shattered Miguel’s back shattered both of their lives, too.

The shorter boy frowns. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?”

Demetri forces a smile, trying to contain the unease leaking through his veins again. “Come on, Eli. If anyone can handle himself out there, it’s Miguel.”

“Are we going to find him?”

Demetri senses him slipping back into the old Eli, timid and soft-spoken and waiting on his loud-mouthed other half to call the shots. It’s a tell-tale sign, he’s learned over the past few months, that his friend is stressed. Or scared.

Often both.

Demetri reaches out, giving Eli’s shoulder a squeeze. “Yes. I promise.”

Demetri Alexopoulos is not usually one to reassure. He’s always turned his nose up at idealism, dismissing anything that could turn out to be false hope. It’s hardly worth indulging in when there’s a high probability you’ll be let down.

But now…

For both his and Eli’s sakes, he needs Miguel to be all right. He needs Miguel to be safe.

Fucking hell, he needs it so badly it hurts.

He isn’t sure if it will ever be quite as bad as worrying about Eli in Cobra Kai, and whatever fucked up training and battle-conditioning and mind-twisting they did to people in there. Still, worrying about Miguel is the kind of soft torment that could kill Demetri slowly if he let it.

“I miss him,” Eli says.

“Me, too.”

“I’m scared for him, Demetri. I’m scared for him and it’s eating me up.”

Eli’s voice shakes as he says it. His eyes are slowly growing wide with terror, tears brimming in the corners.

It reminds Demetri of the olden days, for better or for worse. When he had to be the strong one. And seeing the past cycle back around unexpectedly shakes him to his core.

For all his complaints about ‘Hawk,’ the persona had given Eli a brazen, fearless streak that filled him with the fire to charge into battle. Protect his friends, crush his enemies. Now, it seemed he’d lost hold of the belief he could do either.

“Eli.” Demetri lets his voice soften as he gives his friend’s shoulder another squeeze. “You won the fucking All-Valley Karate Tournament. I made it to the semi-finals. If we find out anyone’s been messing with Miguel, we can—and will—destroy them. No mercy.”

Eli smiles weakly. It’s small, but it’s something. “Never knew you had such a Cobra side to you.”

“Well, don’t get too excited. It only comes out on special occasions.”

Eli sighs, popping his jaw a little. “It would be easier if we knew what we were up against. Like is this guy a drug lord? Some kind of mafia boss? Does he have like…a Mexican karate gang?”

Demetri chuckles. “I know,” he huffs. “Doesn’t help that I’m pretty sure Mr. El Serpiente has not answered a single text since leaving LA. The least he could do is send a courtesy ‘I’m still alive’ text.”

“Probably worried you’ll track his phone.”

“I mean yes. I would. It’s just practical. But that’s beside the point.”

Eli laughs briefly before his face slips back into a frown. He lets out a small sigh.

“It’s just a lot,” Eli says. “To deal with. Um…emotionally, I guess. That might be weird to say. But I had to tell someone.”

“Perfectly understandable. If it helps at all, this whole thing’s been hard on me, too. I’m honestly surprised I’m holding it together as much as I am.”

Demetri realizes his hand has never left Eli’s shoulder. Almost automatically, he squeezes it again.

Eli needs it tonight.

“I’m going to give Miguel the biggest lecture of his life when we find him,” Demetri mumbles. “Who does he think he is, continuously scaring the living crap out of us like this?!”

Eli gives him a courtesy chuckle, but his smile quickly fades again. A sort of heavy melancholy settles over them, like El Segundo fog under cloudy skies.

“Do you think we’d feel better if we kissed?”

Eli speaks, and the fog abruptly clears to make way for a lightning bolt of pure confusion. Demetri blinks several times, stunned into uncharacteristic silence.

“Wh—Eli, what—uh…”

He’s stuttering, completely lost for halfway articulate words. Eli lets out a frustrated sigh, like he’s explaining some complicated math concept to him for the 15th time.

“I’m just saying. You’re sad about Miguel. I’m sad about Miguel. Maybe if we got each other a little hot and bothered, we could take our minds off it.”

“You…want us to kiss?” Demetri has to actively hold back the enormous grin threatening to explode through his cheeks. “As a distraction?”

“Yeah, y’know.” He can tell Eli is trying to sound nonchalant, but his eyes are glancing anywhere but Demetri’s. “Just forget about our friend for a few minutes and indulge in some primal urges and shit. Get off for a bit. At least something can make us feel good.”

“And you’re confident enough that we’ll both be into it to the point it’ll significantly lift our spirits?”

Demetri feels panic begin to crawl through him. Panic, because he suddenly has to act nonchalant. Relaxed. Like this isn’t everything he’s ever wanted.

He’s had hope a few times, over the years. The sensitive streak. The colored hair. The over-the-top theatrics. The girl Eli was most drawn to turning out not to be straight herself.

But Eli pined over Moon and talked about picking up chicks and loved a good brawl and could yell louder than anyone and got manly tattoos of birds of prey and omens of death. None of these things seemed anything but heterosexual.

Demetri always tried to push it down. The sadness, the longing, the desperation to know what the other boy’s lean form felt like cradled in his. These past few months, Demetri had been so relieved to have Eli’s friendship back that he’d forgotten to yearn for more. He thought maybe the feelings would finally die—he could take a step back and appreciate his relationship with his best friend for what it was.

No such luck.

“Hey, I mean.” Eli scoots closer, and Demetri’s trembling so badly that he wonders if he’s going to fall off the car again. “If it helps at all, you can pretend I’m Yas.”

Demetri makes a face, whatever spell Eli was sending his way abruptly broken. “Eli, ew! What kind of pervert do you think I am that my fantasies involve kissing women who aren’t even attracted to men?”

“A pretty standard pervert, actually.” Eli smirks, and Demetri can only shake his head.

He takes a breath, hoping it doesn’t bleed through how anxious he is.

“So, uh…getting off with another guy is sufficiently badass enough for you?”

Demetri has to make sure this isn’t a joke. That Eli isn’t fucking with him. He doesn’t think he could handle it if he was.

Eli’s smirk only widens. “Is it really gay if we’re out in the middle nowhere, and no one ever sees?”

Demetri shrugs. “Yeah, all right. I’m surprised you’re down for it is all.”

“A man’s got needs. And your mouth works just as well as a chick’s. Now should I start or do you—”

Eli doesn’t finish. Demetri clutches his other shoulder and pulls him forward, slotting their lips together.

Demetri is not at all prepared for how hungry Eli is. He feels a sturdy hand work its way into his hair, yanking him closer. Eli’s other arm wraps around his waist, holding him in place more stubbornly than a roller coaster safety bar.

He slides his arms around Eli’s neck, and the other boy uses it as an excuse to push them together even further. It’s as though if he’s not touching every inch of Demetri’s body, he’ll dissolve away.

Demetri doesn’t mind. He just hopes Eli doesn’t feel his heart hammering against his ribcage. That would be embarrassing.

Demetri remembers Moon telling him about her guilt after kissing Eli at the tournament. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, an impulse driven by sudden pity and jumping on whatever she believed would help him feel better. It did its job well enough. Like a video game power-up, it gave Eli the extra boost he needed to smash his way to a victory. Maybe if pretty girls wanted to kiss him in front of an audience, Eli was still the shit.

Moon told Demetri later that she never felt hollower. It was all for show—a simple gesture done out of love for a friend, but nothing with any real feeling or desire behind it.

This didn’t feel like a pity kiss. This didn’t feel like a “just trying to make each other feel good so we get the extra serotonin” kiss. There’s no one to show off to, no tournament they need to hype each other up to win. And Eli is clutching him too tightly and pressing against him too fiercely for this to be about nothing more than momentary pleasures.

Eli is almost kissing him like he’s been desperately longing for this, too. Almost.

Then again, Demetri knows better than to cling to false hope.

At some point they roll over, Demetri sprawled over the top of Eli like the world’s boniest blanket. They keep going, and Demetri is relatively sure he’s ascended into paradise. The dopamine soaring through him is better than the rush he gets winning a karate match. Or beating a particularly hard level of Crucible Control. Or staying up all night bingeing a new season of Doctor Who.

Sad that this is going to be the peak of his life, though. Only 17 years old, and he’s already had what is undoubtedly the best experience he ever will. It’s all downhill from here.

Demetri finally pulls away, panting and gasping for breath. Eli smiles up at him, and Demetri realizes he doesn’t need the desert sun to feel like he’s melting.

It’s faint, but there’s starlight in Eli’s eyes. A tiny piece of the endless cosmos above.

Demetri wants to cry.

“You’re pretty good.”

Eli’s smile widens as he says it—a beautiful, genuine smile, nothing like the smirks and the leers that he used to wear so well.

“So are you.” Demetri laughs softly. “I’ll give it to you, Eli. This was a good idea.”

“Yeah, obviously. Like I didn’t catch you sneaking glances to check me out the whole car ride.”

“Like you didn’t do the same with me.”

He can’t help himself. He leans down and kisses Eli again.

Apparently, it takes quite a while to get it fully out of their systems. When they’ve finally tired themselves out, Demetri pulls back and lays his head on Eli’s chest.

He feels well-muscled arms, once thinner than twigs, wrap around his torso.

His eyes slide shut, and he focuses only on the sound of the crickets, the feel of Eli’s breaths rising and falling below him. The warmth of Eli against him. The breeze drifting across his arm. The dusty smell on the wind, drizzled with the faint aroma of prickly pear. The twittering of nightjars. Cars catapulting by on the distant Carretera Hermosillo-Nogales. The occasional soft hoot of an owl.

He’s slipping into a lull when a coyote howls eerily in the distance. He lifts his head, turning to look at Eli.

“We should probably head to bed,” he says blearily. “We have to make it all the way to Mazatlán tomorrow.”

Eli groans. “Okay, okay. Get off me.”

Demetri obliges, and Eli sits up and crawls to the edge of the car roof. He tenses his legs and leaps off, disappearing from sight and landing on the dirt with a heavy thump.

When Demetri follows, he finds Eli standing below with his arms spread wide and another shit-eating grin on his face. “I’ll catch you, babe.”

Demetri rolls his eyes more dramatically than he has all night. “Right, let me just throw myself off my princess tower.”

He hurls himself off the car roof. Eli catches him, but not well.

They both land in a shrieking mass in the dirt. Before long, they’re laughing again.

Demetri stands up, offering a hand to his friend. Eli takes it, and Demetri tugs him to his feet.

Eli doesn’t pull his hand away as Demetri leads them back to the car.

Demetri wants it to mean something, his fingers locked around Eli’s. It probably doesn’t. But maybe it does.

He’ll have to hold on to that maybe.

A new prompt for you! (Finally :3)

I'm picturing multiple couples or a family group (4+ adults) who share a cottage together in the middle of nowhere, living off the land. Winter is coming, bringing with it its chill winds and early dustings of snow. The people are hard at work every day, chopping wood and putting aside the last of the food for winter.

It's the worst possible time to get sick, yet someone does, coming down with a miserable, streaming cold and high fever. What do they do about it? How do the others respond?

Could have definite cottage core elements, or fantasy (since you're so good at writing that!) or contagion if you choose. Can't wait to see the results :)

It’s been so long since I’ve written a real, honest to god fic, so this will be my debut back into snzfucker favor!

Okay, okay, who to include in this house of contagion?

We need a soft healer boi that takes care of everyone before themselves, of course. A very strong, stoic, hardworking warrior with muscles of steel - but the same can’t be said for his immune system. A hyper comic relief (like if Scout from TF2 was in a fantasy setting) that insists he isn’t sick, but can’t keep back his sneezes long enough to prove his point. And, of course, a tall, thin scholar whose cold heart is only melted by his fever.

Adventurers packing it in for the winter and preparing for journeying in the spring, now only at most a few yards from each other and having shot immune systems from the exhausting work. Illness doesn’t have to travel far to infect…

Oh, this is gonna be good.

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

“Look look look! Otto, you’re not gonna believe this!”

Barlow skidded to a halt, almost tripping over his own two feet before regaining his balance. Otto chuckled.

“Alright, alright, que pasa? What is so exciting?”

Barlow fumbled with his cloak before pulling a shiny coin out of one of the pockets.

“I got this off a path when I was pickin’ berries! Must’ve been a merchant or something…”

Barlow’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Or maybe a warrior! Ooh, or a knight! Definitely somebody with a cape.”

He flung the back of his cloak behind him and stood tall, crossing his arms with a self-satisfied grin. However, Barlow couldn’t keep the pose long - the frigid air made him close the thin burlap around himself again, shivering. Otto knitted their brow.

“You’re wearing your summer cloak,” they said, looking Barlow up and down. “You must be freezing, chiquito!”

Barlow waved his hand, as if batting away Otto’s concern.

“Don’t worry about it, doc. It’s gonna take more than a little wind to get me down.”

As if to prove a point, he spread out his arms and spun around, laughing at the many leaves he kicked up.

Otto would usually be charmed by the sprite’s antics, but their concern soon outweighed their amusement.

“Just make sure to change into your winter clothes soon, okay? I would hate for you to get sick.”

Barlow stopped spinning, coughing a bit as he caught his breath with chilly autumn air. His hot breath clouded around his face like smoke.

“Okay, okay,” he panted, “I’ll grab it when I go by the cottage. Forgot my basket anyway. See you around, doc.”

With a quick salute, Barlow ran off, cloak billowing behind him, still clenching the coin in a tight fist. Otto shook their head and sighed. They knew that Barlow just didn’t want them to worry - but that only made them worry more. The healer in them couldn’t help but notice red-tipped fingers, congested voices, and pallid complexions. Besides, with a harsh winter underway, a cold could very quickly rear its ugly head, turning into bronchitis, pneumonia, and even infect a person’s magic…

Otto took a deep breath. Their thoughts had run away with them - and now, more than ever, it was important to stay focused.

The doctor gathered up their scrolls, pulled their coat close, and started back to the cottage.

Perhaps a little tea would calm their nerves.

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

“it’CHEW! CHEW!”

“Salud.”

“Ugh…thanks, doc. Snf!”

Otto looked up from his knitting to see Barlow rubbing his long, pointy ears with a pained look on his face.

“Do your ears hurt?”

Barlow put his hands in his lap. “No! Just, uh, a little itchy.”

Severin, who had been reading on the sofa across from Otto, hid a smirk behind the yellowed pages.

“Someone must be talking about you,” he drawled smugly. “Considering the way you conduct yourself, I’m not surprised.”

Instead of snapping back, Barlow still scratched at his ears. Severin slit his eyes and continued to read. He almost seemed disappointed.

“Could be thragweed,” Godric rumbled from a large wooden stool, rubbing his beard in thought, “but they usually shrivel up by the first frost. Didja see any three-leaved plants while you were out foragin’?”

Barlow shrugged, wincing as he rubbed harder. “Um…maybe?”

Otto frowned. “Be careful. You’ll hurt yourself if you keep scratching like that.”

“S-sorry, I…huh-hold on…”

Barlow buried himself in his cloak, with only his mop of red hair showing.

“hit’SHEW! Huh…it’TCHEW!”

The sprite continued to let out sneeze after sneeze, his wrinkled, pink nose only showing when he needed to come up for air. Otto got up from their chair, and they were soon holding him by the shoulders to keep him from knocking himself over.

Barlow finally finished, snuffling into his sleeve. He looked up at Otto with bleary eyes.

“Sorry, doc, I don’d dow whad’s gotten into be…”

Otto hushed him with a gentle pat, using their free hand to feel Barlow’s forehead. They clucked their tongue.

“Oh, mijo, you have a fever...”

Barlow’s breath caught, and he coughed into his shoulder. “Nah, I…I’b okay, Otto, really. I’ll be…snrk…fide in the morning. Just gotta sleep it off…”

Otto smiled gently. “Well, you’re right about one thing. A good night’s sleep is exactly what you need. And maybe a little salve for your poor ears…”

Their hand still on Barlow’s shoulder, Otto guided the sprite to his bedroom, mumbled protests and miserable sneezes trailing behind them.

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

Barlow’s fever never grew very high - his burning ears and nose, however, kept him up for most of the night. By the time morning came, he was too exhausted to even feign health. Otto had to put him back to bed, which was only met with pitiful murmurings.

“‘M fide, doc, I…hetch’CHIIIEW!”

“Pobrecito! You sound even worse than yesterday…”

“C’mon, Otto, I…”

“I don’t want to see you out of bed today, okay, cariño? You need to rest.”

“Nngh…”

Otto and Severin split the foraging work, since their respective jobs were mostly planning and budgeting the winter ahead of them. Godric promised to keep a good eye on the patient, but that didn’t lessen the doctor’s worry any.

“I wonder how Barlow’s doing,” Otto murmured, probably for the umpteenth time since they’d begun their work.

Severin scrutinized his severely pricked thumb. “Children always carry around such nasty things. It’s a wonder he hasn’t caught the plague instead of a simple cold.”

Otto froze mid-pick, and Severin hurried to correct himself.

“Peace, my friend. It is just a cold, after all.

He grimaced.

“One I dearly hope he keeps to himself.”

They both continued to fill their baskets with berries, wiping the frost off their shiny, black skins. However, Otto’s mind continued to race.

I shouldn’t have left him. Godric only knows so much. What happens if his fever spikes? I’m a healer, I’m not supposed to leave the sick behind. Should I go back? I should go back. No, I promised Barlow I’d get his foraging done. But I can’t keep a promise if he’s dead. What if he’s already dead? What if Godric’s on his way right now to tell me? What if I’m already too late? How will we bury him, the ground is too hard. Otto, your friend has died and all you can think about is how to bury him. You must be the most selfish -

“Otto.”

Otto snapped back to reality to see Severin giving him a fierce side-eye.

“It’s only a cold.”

Otto took a deep breath. “Right. Gracias. I…I lost myself, didn’t I?”

The afternoon went by in a quiet fervor, both of them trying to fill their baskets before the sun went down. With Otto’s quick fingers and Severin’s thin ones, it was an easy job, and the managed to get back before it got too dark.

Otto wasn’t two steps through the door before they were at Godric’s heels, wringing their hands and stammering through the worries that had built up through the day.

“Are you sure…how…did he…should I…?”

The warrior just chuckled and put a gigantic, calloused hand on the their head.

“He’s on tha’ mend, doc, on the mend. Sneezin’ his head off, sure, but gettin’ better.”

As if on cue, two loud sneezes interrupted them from one of the bedrooms, followed by a mumbled curse and a few wet sniffles. Godric shook his head.

“Been like that all day, poor tyke. When he wasn’ dozin’ off, tha’ is.”

Severin took a few scrolls out of his dragon-scale satchel.

“I understand you have a more…pressing engagement. Why don’t I take the calculations tonight?”

But Otto was already on their way to Barlow’s bedside, medicine bag in tow. Severin only lifted his eyebrows and turned on his heel, setting up the many notes he had taken and a few quills on the oaken table.

“Besides,” he murmured to himself, “I don’t want to get near whatever affliction that sprite’s come down with.”

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

Barlow was scratching at his drooping ears, which were now covered in a red, peeling rash. Otto gently pushed his hands back under the quilt.

“I know it itches, but you need to try not to scratch.”

The healer took a small glass container out of their bag, dipping two fingers into the greenish-gray ointment inside. They began to apply the salve to Barlow’s ears, taking care not to put on too much.

“Tell me when you need a break,” Otto said.

Barlow nodded, eyes squeezed shut. After a few minutes, his nostrils started to twitch, and he held up a hand.

“G-gudda…huh…!”

He jerked forward into his knees.

“hit’CHEW! hhhit’SHEW! Uh…hut’SHIEW!”

Barlow snuffled into the quilt, and Otto handed him a tissue.

“Salud.”

“Ugh…sorry, doc…”

Otto put the cork back into the glass bottle and set it on the bedside table.

“It’s alright - most sprites have the same reflex.”

“No, I beant…for…”

Barlow bit his lip, his ears drooping even lower.

“For geddin’ sick.”

Otto put a hand on the sprite’s back.

“Oh, mijo…”

“I-I didn’d mean to,” Barlow whimpered. “I…I should’ve god by coat like you told be to…and dow w-we’re - hic - gudda starve…”

Otto hushed him, pulling Barlow into an embrace and rocking him slowly back and forth.

“We will be fine, mijo,” they whispered, their voice soothing Barlow into a sniffle. “We will forage until you are better, and not a day before. That is what friends do. They protect each other, they take care of each other, and they love each other like family. And that is how I love you. Like my family.”

Barlow hiccuped, trying to speak through his tears.

“Shhh, mijo…it’s okay…”

Otto wrapped the quilt tighter around Barlow and laid him down, pushing hair damp with both tears and sweat out of his face. The sobs quieted, then dissolved into shaky breaths. Before Otto even made it through the doorway, they could hear small, congested snores coming from the pile of blankets.

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

Scritch scritch scritch…scriiiitch…

Harried quill scratching filled the air as Otto entered the living room, putting on their tweed coat and wool gloves. They stretched out their arms.

“Buenos días!”

Godric lifted his coffee mug as a greeting, his famous half-smile dancing over his lips.

“Well, aren’tcha bright as tha’ north star this mornin’!”

Otto beamed. Barlow had slept soundly through the night, and he was still fast asleep when they had checked on him. Not a sniffle or a sneeze came from that room.

“Severin, I was thinking we could pick up acorns today,” Otto thought aloud, buttoning their coat. “There is a beautiful place in the forest…”

Silence. The quill scratching only grew more manic. Otto glanced up.

Severin was hunched over the table, writing madly on several open scrolls, only pausing to move a few beads on his abacus. Otto went back to getting ready. Sometimes it took a while for Severin to answer if he was engrossed in his calculations. He would respond when he got to a stopping point.

After about fifteen minutes of fidgeting with their scarf, though, Otto tried again.

“From what I’ve seen, we should be ready for winter in a week, maybe less. All that’s left is the dried vegetables and a few more logs for firewood.”

Again, there was no answer. But now that Otto was a little closer, they could see why.

Severin’s eyes were inflamed and painful, as were his gaunt cheeks. His long, usually well-preened hair was matted against his forehead, with stray hairs sticking up this way and that. Thin shoulder blades came together with each labored breath. Long fingers shivered around a red quill, leaving stray marks on the parchment.

“Mi sombro,” Otto breathed.

The shadowling blinked, raising his head stiffly. Pools of sweat, shaken loose by the movement, streaked down their face.

“I…couldn’t sleep,” Severin croaked. “Have I…have I been awake…?”

Godric looked up from his mug, finally noticing the sorcerer’s state. “Stars above, lad! Ya look like hell frozen over!”

The shadowling stared straight ahead, his breath coming in ragged strains.

“Could someone…please put out the fireplace…?”

Otto clucked their tongue, putting their hands on either side of Severin’s neck. His dark eyes fluttered shut, as if with great relief.

“Mm…”

“Ay, tu cabeza,” Otto cooed, putting their hand on Severin’s forehead. “You’re burning up.”

Severin finally looked down at the doctor. His tense gaze was now dazed, vulnerable - even afraid.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said again, hoarsely.

Otto rubbed their thumb on Severin’s feverish cheek. “I know, cariño. I know.”

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

It took a lot more doing to get Severin to bed than it did Barlow. Not only did he insist he was perfectly well, only warm from the unlit fireplace, but that he had seen terrifying visions outside the window.

“Their eyes, doctor…they stared into my very essence…a…a beast of some kind…we’ll be killed…”

“Shhh, my love. It’s only a nightmare from your fever. You will feel better soon.”

In the end, the only way Otto could leave the cottage was by taking a small talisman Severin had in his cloak. They weren’t superstitious, but Otto wanted to do anything they could to put the sick sorcerer at ease.

Now with one less healthy person in the group, Otto rushed to get the last of the supplies for the cold winter ahead. The first snowflakes were beginning to fall, which made finding acorns that much more difficult. Before the sun reached its peak, the ground was completely covered in a thin layer of snow. But, for once, Otto’s anxiety was an advantage.

They plowed through every task as if their life depended on it. Another of their friends falling ill had kicked their healer instinct into high gear; whenever they were fatigued or sore, all it took was a few words of the healing oath to get them going again.

“From the monsters of the cave, of the sea, of the heart,” they whispered while peeling wild wolf onions, “I shall protect and provide for those who cannot.”

As morning turned to afternoon, the light flurry of the morning became a bitter gale that howled through the trees like a hungry animal. The world was silent except for the frigid wind - all the creatures of the forest knew well enough that the winter ahead would not be kind to them.

But Otto knew nothing of this.

And so they marched forward.

It was quite past dark when Otto returned to the cottage. Much to their delight, a fire was flickering in the fireplace, and a wonderful, familiar smell lingered in the air - a mixture of tender meat and spices.

As Otto had hoped, there was a pot of stew left over the flames. The broth still bubbled with warmth, and the chicken and vegetables gave off a heavenly steam. Their stomach suddenly felt very hollow.

They hadn’t eaten all day, had they?

With raw fingers, the doctor tried their best to use the ladle, which was as big as their entire arm and weighed twice as much. Gripping the handle with both hands, they brought the brew to their lips, taking care not to burn their tongue.

A beautiful, soothing flavor poured down Otto’s throat. They leaned their head back and closed their eyes, making sure to drink up every last tasty morsel. It was a long time before the ladle was empty again.

Once they were finished, the healer felt a heaviness collect around their eyes. Finally, at long last, they could rest. The cottage was fast asleep - and now it was time for Otto to follow suit.

Sleep came upon Otto too quickly for them to retire to their own bed. Like a hound after a successful hunt, they crawled onto the sofa and curled into a ball, dead to the world before their head hit the soft cushions.

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

Otto wasn’t sure how long they slept. They remembered bits and pieces of dreams, of words, or memories - but mostly a comforting darkness that lulled them into a deep drowse.

When they finally awoke, the first thing they saw was the flitting of the fire. The flame had all but burned itself out during the night. Otto rolled over, stretching and sighing with satisfaction. That was the best they had slept in several days.

They indulged themselves in a large yawn and shifted off the sofa, cringing from cold stone against their bare feet.

The cottage was still silent with sleep - not a thing stirred but the creaks and groans of the wooden beams. A frigid wind had picked up outside, and bits of snow swirled in the air.

How cold Godric must be this morning, Otto thought as they padded towards the hallway. The warrior was always up and working by first light - quite before anyone else was awake - but came back inside to drink some hot coffee and see how the preparations were going. Godric made a strong cup of coffee. One could smell it and be ready for a new day; that’s usually all most could stand without sputtering.

Today, however, there was no earthy aroma of it brewing. All Otto could smell was a hint of the stew they had eaten the night before - the husk of a beautiful, delicious dream.

The doctor peeked his head into Barlow’s room. The sprite was laying on his stomach, eyes closed and breath soft. Though they had been feeling better for the past day or so, Barlow’s nose frequently ran away with him, and was still very pink and sensitive. His upright ear twitched ever so slightly, but there was no sign of him stirring any time soon.

Severin, on the other hand, had fared much worse. Despite the many wet rags coating almost every inch of his febrile body, his breathing was still heavy and labored, and his eyes darted under closed eyelids. Bite marks covered cracking lips. Otto made sure they made little noise as they tiptoed from the doorway. Severin needed all the rest he could get.

Otto turned from his patients, a familiar heaviness weighing upon their heart. Such misery in what was supposed to be a warm season of reaping and feasting.

Perhaps it came back with them from market, or from the many travelers that take the nearby road into town. With how hard everyone had been working, and how many nights were left unslept…

Otto massaged the bridge of their nose, dashing from one possibility to the next, feeling more and more ashamed by how little they prepared, how stupid they must have been, how utterly selfish! They had been so busy with preparations that they had barely noticed that their journeymates were wasting away!

They could have done something. This was all their fault, wasn’t it? How could they be a healer if they couldn’t even keep the ones they loved safe?

Otto was roused from their guilt by the sound of harsh coughing. They peeked their head into the past two rooms, fearing that one of them had been awakened by their footsteps. However, both of them were still out cold. Or out warm, in Severin’s case.

No, the coughing wasn’t coming from their rooms, Otto realized. It was coming from the third bedroom - the one that they and Godric shared.

The door creaked open as Otto shuffled inside, already knowing the worst was yet to come.

“Doc? Is tha’ you?”

Godric was sitting up in bed, quilt wrapped around him, his chest heaving with another hacking fit. His cheeks were flushed with effort and fever. Otto went to his bedside, their heart dropping into their stomach.

“Real nice ‘a this cold to leave the healer last, eh?” the warrior joked before laying back down with a quiet groan.

Otto pushed the hair off Godric’s neck and felt his lymph nodes, which were not only hot, but terribly swollen.

“I can chop those few pieces ‘a wood, an’ then I’ll-”

“You are not getting out of this bed,” Otto said sternly. Then, with a kinder tone, “I know you want to finish your work, but you are very sick. You shouldn’t be out in the snow.”

“But how-”

“I will take care of it, cariño. Just rest.”

Godric opened his mouth to say something else, but just coughed and covered himself up with his quilt.

“Take care of yerself, doc,” he said before Otto went to check on the others. “There isn’t anythin’ I can’t do after I’m back on m’feet.”

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

Between taking care of three sick creatures and the final preparations, Otto ran themselves ragged over the next few days. None of their friends were particularly hard to take care of - especially after Severin’s fever broke - but the heaviness of their heart continued to weigh upon them.

With no other options, they threw themselves into work.

If they chopped enough wood for an extra week, they chopped enough wood for two extra weeks. The larder was more than full. Their fingers and hands and back and everything else was sore, but they couldn’t stop for long without feeling their guilt gnaw away at them.

One frigid morning, Otto had taken to the axe, splitting wood and putting them in the shed to keep them dry. They had run out of pre-cut trunks a long time ago, so they started cutting sticks in half for kindling. Out of the corner of their eye, mid-swing, they saw a figure marching through the snow - lifting their foot high before stomping it down again with a crunch.

After a few minutes, Otto could finally see a pair of long ears fluttering in the cold wind.

“Barlow!”

The sprite grinned as he approached Otto, holding up a steaming container of something in his mittened hands.

“I got soup!” he called out, trying to move faster in the deep snow. “Godric felt a lot better today, so he wanted to try somethin’ new. It’s real good! Even Severin ate a whole bowl of it, so you know it’s gotta be great.”

Barlow sat next to the chopping block, and patted a mound of snow next to him. Otto sat down, wincing as their sore muscles twinged.

“Godric says we’re all packed up for winter,” Barlow continued as he handed Otto the food. “And we’ll even have stuff to eat in the spring, too.”

Otto didn’t answer, but tucked into the soup, not even blowing it off before putting the spoon in their mouth. Barlow thought for a little bit, then spoke again.

“Doc, Godric told me that we got more than enough food and wood to last through the winter. If you wanna come inside, we’ve got a checker game goin’…”

Otto didn’t respond, but they had started to shiver from the cold. Barlow took of his coat and draped it around Otto’s shoulders.

“C’mon, let’s get back. Everybody’s waitin’ for us.”

Barlow took Otto by the hand and pulled them up, then led them back towards the cottage. Otto trailed behind like a quivering lamb, both exhausted and numb. They couldn’t think of much else than putting one foot in front of the other.

When the pair finally got back to the cottage, a warm, cozy scene awaited them. Severin was on the couch, doing needlepoint with half-open eyes and content look on his face. Godric was above the stove, stirring a pot and putting one seasoning or another into it. The fire was blazing in a lovely orange hue that painted the scene with a beautiful glow.

While Barlow went right inside and was greeted by the others, Otto stood in the doorway, weary eyes closed, soaking up the light and warmth as much as they could.

“Doctor?”

Severin was up now, his quiet wisdom regained. Before Otto could answer, the sorcerer started to remove their soaked outer layers with quick fingers.

“If Barlow didn’t bring you here,” Severin said, “you would have worked yourself to a frozen skeleton.”

Otto suddenly jerked his head to the side.

“het’TCH! TCH! TCH’UH!”

“Many blessings, doctor.”

Severin smiled and tilted his head.

“Many, many blessings.”

Otto sniffled, rubbing their nose with stiff fingers.

“Nngh…gracias. Just a little…heh…htch’CHU!”

“Aye, I don’ like tha’ sound of that,” Godric rumbled from the kitchen, turning his head to see the sickly healer.

Otto waved their hand. “Just a li-hih-ttle sdiffle…”

“One that is long overdue, I think,” Severin said, putting the last of their wet things away.

Otto was ushered in front of the fire, still at the mercy of his nose. With each sneeze came a chorus of blessings and, if need be, another handkerchief.

“That’s a real nasty cold, huh?” Barlow commented after a particularly forceful fit. “Even I didn’t sneeze that much.”

As the day came to a close, the group all gathered on the couch, listening to the wind howling outside and treating themselves to Godric’s famous roast and sweet apple tea. Otto didn’t eat very much, but the hot tea soothed their sore throat.

“Tank you for taking such good care of be,” Otto snuffled.

Godric chuckled. “Ya care so much about us, doc. It only makes sense that we’s care an awful lot about you, ‘specially when ya aren’t feelin’ well.”

“And after you tended so well to us, may I add,” Severin said, leaning his head back.

“Yeah!” Barlow agreed, not exactly as good with words as the others, but still just as thankful.

Otto, overcome, buried their face in Godric’s side and began to cry, letting out everything that they had felt in the past few days. They wanted to stop, they wanted to explain, but it was lost in desperate sobs and hiccuping. Godric held them closer to him while the others offered quiet support until the doctor quieted.

“There ya go,” Godric said, putting a large hand on Otto’s head. “It’s gonna be alright.”

Filled with comfort and warm food, Otto quickly dozed off, and the others weren’t far behind. The only sounds were the falling of fresh snow, the crackling of the fireplace, and the snores of deep, contented sleep.

And, as winter finally settled into Harbinger Woods, they all settled down for their long winter’s rest.

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

Not only do I want to dedicate this to @perfectpaperbluebirds , who gave me the prompt, but also @sneezytomatosquish , who has been feeling emotionally and physically under the weather lately. That may have changed by the time this fic is finished, but I shall gift it to you anyway. You are one of my favorite creators, but I want to create something for you for a change. You deserve it.

Get well soon!

Assumptions [Chibs Telford x Fem!Reader]

I honestly don't even know what this is. A v long one-shot? Also, the ending is not my best work, but it is what it is. I just love Chibs. So, here's approximately 4,250 words about it.

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, smut (like, literally a third of this is just smut): oral sex (M receiving), fingering, P in V sex; language

As you pulled your car into one of the few remaining open spaces of the Teller-Morrow lot, you took a few calming breaths and wiped your damp palms on your bare thighs. In the passenger seat, your best friend Luci looked over at you with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Unlike you, she seemed completely at home. It made sense; Luci was dating Juice, a patched member of the Sons, and she spent a fair bit of time at the clubhouse. This was the first time she had been able to successfully drag you along, thanks to your hectic work schedule.

You were excited to be attending a SAMCRO party, but you’d be lying if you said that you weren’t also a little nervous. A clubhouse full of rowdy bikers, surrounded by alcohol, drugs, and half-naked women? As juvenile as the thought felt, you wondered briefly what would happen if they didn’t like you. If you were unwelcome. If Luci abandoned you and then you had no one to talk to. If you embarrassed yourself somehow.

“Babe, it’s gonna be fun!” Luci said reassuringly on your right. She opened her door and hopped out. Not wanting to get left behind, you got out and followed close behind her to the front of the clubhouse, where the party was already raging.

A couple guys were inside a big boxing ring out front, beating the shit out of each other with bare fists, and a small crowd gathered around to watch. Some others were sitting at picnic tables to the left of the front door, smoking and drinking beer. You let your gaze wander, trying to take in as much of the surroundings as possible. It was mostly men around you, and most of them were wearing kuttes. There were also plenty of scantily-clad women roaming around, hanging off of the bikers. You were suddenly glad you let Luci pick out your outfit. You weren’t showing off as much as Luci in her tight black bandage dress, but your short, blue, bell-sleeved baby doll dress advertised a ton of leg and complemented your bright red lipstick. You fluffed your hair nervously as you walked past the men out front. No one really paid you any attention, which simultaneously made you feel better and worse.

Luci grabbed your hand with a reassuring look and tugged you through the door into the clubhouse. Inside, it was… chaotic, in a word. Music pulsated through the room over the chatter of a throng of people. Inside, there were more men in kuttes; standing around the pool table, crowded around the bar on the side of the room, seated at tables or on couches. There were also more women inside, sitting on men’s laps or flitting around flirting with anyone wearing a kutte. They all seemed a little drunk, all giggles and teasing touches. A few people glanced over at you and Luci as you walked in, but paid no other mind.

Luci dragged you over to the bar, squeezing her way in between two men sitting on barstools. They made space for her and greeted her cheerfully, pulling her into tight hugs and kissing her cheeks. Luci reached around for you and dragged you up beside her.

“Bobby, Piney, this is my best friend, (Y/N)!” she exclaimed, thrusting you into her spot. (Y/N), this is Piney,” she motioned towards the man on your left, who wore a nasal cannula attached to an oxygen tank. He nodded gruffly at you as Luci continued, “and this is Bobby!”

Bobby smiled warmly at you. “Nice to meet you, sweetheart,” he said. He had a welcoming presence and you already liked him. He had long, wild gray hair and an unkempt beard. He reminded you of a big teddy bear.

“What’ll you have?” he asked you and Luci, flagging down a guy with a prospect patch working behind the bar.

Luci leaned over your shoulder to answer Bobby. “Two whiskeys, rocks,” she said cheerfully. The prospect turned to get them as Luci squealed behind you. You turned to see Juice grabbing Luci up into a giant hug and spinning her around him. She laughed, a look of pure joy on her face. You couldn’t help but smile. You knew Luci deserved the happiness she had with Juice. Somewhere deep inside, you felt the dull tick of loneliness, but you shoved it down like you always did, and your smile didn’t even falter.

Bobby tapped your upper arm with a knuckle, handing you a whiskey.

“Oh! Thank you,” you chirped. Bobby handed Luci her drink, but she was already lost in Juice’s presence, and he chuckled at the sight of them. You couldn’t help but giggle alongside him. They were pretty cute.

Bobby turned back to you with a grin. “So, how long have you been friends with Luci?” he asked conversationally.

“Oh, god,” you snorted, “basically forever. We met in kindergarten. We actually hated each other at first, but then I punched her in the face over a boy, and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

Bobby laughed aloud. It was a good laugh, and it put you at ease. “Well, we like her here,” he said. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’s good for our Juicy.”

Your smile widened as the pair moved onto the makeshift dance floor and you nodded at Bobby. “Juice has been really great for her, too,” you admit quietly. “She’s been through a lot, and he makes her really happy. Treats her right.” Bobby nodded slowly and gazed out over the crowd in the clubhouse. Your gaze followed his and you noticed a Son rising off one of the couches and approaching the bar. You turned a little more towards Bobby to study him out of the corner of your eye as he approached. The man wore all black beneath his kutte. The first thing that registered in your mind was his undeniable handsomeness. He kept his graying hair swept back from his face, but a few strands fell forward around his eyes. He also had silvery facial hair and long scars that climbed from the corners of his lips up to his cheekbones. He carried himself with an easy confidence, clapping Bobby on the back as he finally reached your bar companion.

You ducked your head and took a long swig of your drink nervously, but Bobby was already introducing you, and you glanced up with a smile, trying to mask any apprehension.

“(Y/N) here is a friend of Luci’s! (Y/N), this is Chibs,” Bobby supplied.

A blush crept slowly across your cheeks under Chibs’ gaze, but you squared your shoulders and threw him a bright smile, trying to will your nerves away. You held out your hand and Chibs shook it firmly, his hands large and calloused. You wondered unexpectedly what they would feel like on your body before you flushed deeply and glanced away from Chibs. You were suddenly reminded of just how long it had been since you’d slept with anyone, and you instructed yourself mentally to cool it. Bobby cleared his throat with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Headin’ out for a smoke,” he said to his companions. “You need anything, (Y/N), come grab me,” he added.

“Thanks, Bobby,” you said sweetly.

As Bobby made his way out the door, Chibs took the bar stool beside you and smiled. You could feel the warmth in your face, despite your desire to play it cool. Chibs’ eyes were intense and perceptive and the feeling of him watching you had your heart thumping in your chest.

He motioned to your almost-empty glass. “Wha’re ye drinkin’, lass?”

Your breath caught in your chest at the unexpected presence of a Scottish accent, and you tried to recover quickly, not wanting to embarrass yourself in front of this incredibly handsome man.

You cleared your throat nervously. “Uh, whiskey,” you responded. He grinned almost approvingly and you ducked your head quickly to hide your smile upon the discovery that Chibs had dimples.

“Oi! Sack!” he called to the prospect at the other end of the bar. When he had gotten his attention, he motioned towards your glass and held up two fingers.

He turned back to you. “So, firs’ time a’ one o’ these?” he asked conversationally, gesturing vaguely towards the raging party beside them.

You nodded, tossing back the last of your drink. “Luci’s been asking me to come with for like a month,” you said with a chuckle, “but I’ve been working a ton, so this is the first time I could come out.”

Chibs’ eyes didn’t leave yours as you answered him. You liked that. He didn’t leer or openly ogle you.

“And wha’ is it tha’ ye do, darlin’?” God, that accent.

“I, uh, I own a photography company,” you told him sheepishly, but some of your apprehension abated when you realized he looked fascinated.

“So, ya do weddin’s an’ the like?” he asked as the prospect set two glasses of whiskey in front of them.

You nodded eagerly. “Weddings, milestone birthdays, maternity shoots, family photos… All kinds of shit,” you said, earning a chuckle from Chibs.

You greatly enjoyed conversing with Chibs. It felt easy. He listened attentively and appeared engaged. Periodically, you wondered if he was simply entertaining you, as you couldn’t wrap your head around what an attractive man, wearing a sought-after patch, wanted with you. But he continued to ask you questions and he seemed genuinely interested. You sat at the bar chatting with Chibs for what felt like a long time. As you spoke, you found yourself leaning closer to him, taking comfort in the low lilt of his voice. His eyes followed yours at all times, an easy smile on his lips. You realized after a while that he had begun leaning closer to you as well, his elbow propped on the bar. You saw him glance very briefly towards your crossed legs on the barstool, your skin on display as your dress rode up over the course of the evening. His eyes found his way back to yours almost immediately, not wanting to be impolite, but that glance, probably in combination with the alcohol and the long night of talking, sent heat flooding to your core. You bit your lower lip and took a chance, gently sliding your hand onto his jean-clad knee as you laughed at a story he was telling about Juice. He didn’t break stride in his tale, but you saw the hunger flash in his eyes as he registered your hand on him.

By this point in the evening, your heads were practically touching, tilted together conspiratorially as you spoke to one another. You were swooning at the scent that wafted around Chibs, a mix of leather, cigarette smoke, and good whiskey. Perhaps it was the alcohol (although, to be honest, you hadn’t had that much to drink), but you were suddenly desperate to know what it felt like to have Chibs touching you. Your earlier apprehension had been wiped away by his demeanor and company over the course of the evening. You hadn’t been with anyone in the year since you had returned to Charming, and it had been a long and lonely time. You knew that this would probably be a one-time thing, which wasn’t normally your style, but you hadn’t felt this kind of pull towards anyone in a while. Maybe it would be good for you to see it through?

So when Chibs brought his arm off the bar and placed his right hand at the top of your thigh, his thumb resting in the bend of hip, you tipped your head forward just slightly, resting it against his with a small sigh. And that, apparently, was enough for him. Chibs rose from the bar stool and you uncrossed your legs to give him space to stand between them. Both of his hands found your hips and your heart thundered against your ribcage. You bit your bottom lip and didn’t try to hide the desire in your eyes as you met Chibs’ burning stare.

“Not too old for ye, lass?” he asked, his voice tinged with such a slight edge of uncertainty that you weren’t actually positive you had heard it.

You shook your head vehemently, wanting to reassure him without openly telling him you had a thing for older men anyway. “With age comes experience,” you responded coyly. He grinned at that, his hands tightening on your hips. He grazed his nose gently against yours before capturing your lips in a soft kiss. His mustache tickled your lips and you smiled against his mouth before bringing a hand up to cup his cheek, running a thumb along his jaw. With that touch, he deepened the kiss, a low rumble in his throat. He snaked one of his hands up to the back of your neck, keeping you pressed into him as your tongue danced against his tentatively. He pulled away for a moment, his brown eyes on fire. You were both breathing heavily and, as embarrassed as you would have been to admit it, you were already soaking wet.

You let him pull you off the barstool and guide you gently towards the back of the clubhouse, where you had seen Juice take Luci. The dorms, you remembered. His hand never left yours, and you inspected the reaper patch on the back of his kutte as you followed him. Were you really about to do this with a Son? With an outlaw biker? Chibs pulled you into a sparsely decorated (but blessedly clean) room with a large Scottish flag hanging behind the bed and closed the door quietly behind you. You studied the need in his eyes, the comfortable set of his shoulders, and you knew the answer. Yes, yes you were.

He glowered at you hungrily, and you gripped the leather at the front of his kutte, letting your hips grind forward into his. You felt the firm grasp of his hands on your ass, still over your dress, and you couldn’t wait until he got underneath it. He brought his lips greedily to your neck, kissing and nipping and biting until you were whimpering under his ministrations. Your hands traveled from the front of his kutte to his sides, sliding them underneath his black t-shirt and caressing the soft skin there. You ran your nails lightly up the front of his chest and he shuddered slightly at your touch. As he growled against your ear, you couldn’t help the moan that escaped your lips. That seemed to send Chibs into overdrive. He gripped you tightly around the waist and hoisted you up so you could wrap your legs around him, his hard length pushing against you beneath his jeans. You couldn’t help the little roll of your hips, rubbing your core against him, eager to feel him against the thin fabric of your soaked panties. He moved you to the bed before setting you down with a little bounce. His hands grabbed the hem of your dress and he tugged it over your head, tossing it to the side. He stared at you for a moment, reclining on his bed in nothing but a bra and thong, a bit of wonderment in his eyes.

You watched as he shed his kutte and pulled his boots off, then tugged his shirt over his head. Before you was a strong, sturdy man, broad in the chest. The kind of man you imagined would have no problem manhandling you in bed. The thought had you squeezing your thighs together, increasing the pressure there. You studied the strand of wooden beads around his neck and the tattoos scattered across his chest and arms, licking your lips suggestively. You were a sucker for tattoos. You sat up on the bed, scooting yourself to sit on the edge and pulled him towards you by his belt loops. He grunted and exhaled hard as you deftly unbuckled his belt and undid his jeans, pulling his pants and boxers down. His cock bobbed in front of you, hard and uncut, twitching slightly with the sound of Chibs’ breath. You gazed up at him through your eyelashes and he stared down at you almost pleadingly, his jaw clenched. You wasted no time in bringing him into your mouth, swallowing as much of him as you could, letting your tongue trace the veins and ridges along his length. He groaned and wound his hands into your hair, gripping gently. You could tell he was trying not to pull or push too hard, but you wanted to hear him make more of those delicious sounds. You took him deeper, until you were gagging and tears were pricking at the corners of your eyes. You used one hand to grip and stroke what you couldn’t reach with your lips, and the other to roll his balls lightly between your fingers. Groans and growls flew freely from Chibs’ mouth and you smirked. You had always been a little cocky about your oral skills and were glad to know you hadn’t lost your touch.

“Fuck, darlin’, if ye keep on like tha’ I’m no’ gonna las’ long,” Chibs growled, his hands moving to rest below your jaw, motioning you upwards. His alluring Scottish brogue thickened in the throes of your playtime together. You hollowed your cheeks and pulled your mouth off him with a loud pop before coming to stand before him again. He guided your lips to his, kissing you fiercely, his hands snaking behind you to unclasp your bra. As it fell to the floor, he tugged your thong off, gripping your ass forcefully, his erection pressing between your bodies. You whimpered, desperate to have him inside you. His hand slipped between the two of you and he ran his deft fingers teasingly along your folds. He touched you so lightly, so tauntingly, that you actually whined, a keening sound that flew out of your throat unbidden. He chuckled darkly, then thrust a finger into you, his thumb circling your clit firmly.

You cried out, finally getting some release for all the tension you’d been holding between your legs. You buried your face into Chibs’ shoulder, dragging your nails down his back. Your hips rocked against him and he added a finger, thrusting harder, circling faster.

“Ahh – Chibs, fuck,” you hissed, your chest heaving against his. “I need you.”

“Tell me wha’ ye wan’, love,” he mumbled against your ear, his lips ghosting over your temple. Heat expanded between your bodies where you clung to him, trying to stay upright through the waves of pleasure shooting through your abdomen.

“I – Chibs, I need you to – to fuck me,” you stammered, your brain overloaded by sensation. You ran your fingers gently along his cock, still pressed between you, and through the fog you felt the clenching of his jaw against your cheekbone. You groaned quietly as he pulled his fingers from you and brought them to his mouth, tasting you. Fire burned in your cheeks, turned on beyond comprehension, and you twisted your hips against him involuntarily.

A moment later, Chibs backed himself up the bed, coming to rest finally with his back against the headboard. He leaned over towards the bedside table, his gray hair falling into his eyes as he plucked a condom out of the top drawer. He curled a stern finger and motioned you towards him. As you crawled up the bed, he handed you the packet. You wasted no time ripping it open and rolling it down his length, gripping him firmly and eliciting a sharp hiss from him. You straddled his lap, the slickness between your thighs gliding over his cock as you leaned forward to wrap your arms around his neck. His hands once again found a home on your ass, the metal of his rings warm now, and he gripped you tightly, guiding you upwards as you positioned him at your entrance.

Pleasured groans tore from both of your throats as you sank down onto him. He held you still for a moment, letting you adjust to his size, and your foreheads grazed as you leaned in to kiss him again. You thought hazily that you might never grow tired of kissing this man. Slowly, you surged higher, then ground down again, pulling another moan from Chibs. His grip on your ass tightened as you rode him, and you were sure you’d have bruises the next day. You felt incredible. He felt incredible, filling you deliciously and hitting you in just the right spot. You tossed your head back, your hair cascading down your spine as you chased your peak. Chibs attached himself to the curve of your shoulder, his lips and teeth savoring every inch of your skin.

Your thighs burned with the effort, melding with the heat building in the base of your belly. Chibs brought a hand to the back of your head, pulling your face closer to his, his lips crashing onto yours fervently.

You rode the wave higher, quickly approaching the brink that you would happily throw yourself off of under Chibs’ care. You panted against his lips, your foreheads joined as you rocked together, words tumbling incoherently off your tongue.

“Chibs – I, fuck – almost there. Please, I need – gonna come –” you whined, the pleas snatched from your mouth unchecked.

“Come for me, darlin’,” he whispered huskily, flattening one hand against your lower stomach, his thumb pressing roughly on your clit. Sparks flashed behind your eyelids as you peaked, crying out Chibs’ name. He slowed his hand on your clit, letting you ride it out, groaning under you as he continued to thrust. The feeling of you clenching around him was too much and he snapped, burying himself deep inside you one last time, a guttural, rolling grunt erupting from somewhere deep in his chest.

You remained settled in Chibs’ lap with your arms wrapped loosely over his shoulders as you both caught your breath. Your chests heaved in tandem and Chibs traced his fingers up and down your side gently.

“Jesus, love,” he finally managed to huff out.

You gave a breathy laugh and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. As your breath evened out, you gingerly climbed off of Chibs’ lap and began searching for your clothes, your unfamiliarity with this type of situation beginning to creep in. It had been a very long time since you had had a one-night stand, and you didn’t want to overstay your welcome. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Chibs remove the spent condom and toss it into a trash can by the bed. You grabbed your dress off the floor and tugged it quickly over your head. As you circled the bed in search of your bra, Chibs watched you keenly.

“Where ye goin’?” he inquired from his spot on the bed, where he had pulled the comforter over himself.

“Oh, I just… I figured I should get going,” you answered, a flush rising to your cheeks. Was that not the right thing to do? You couldn’t imagine a scenario wherein he wanted you to stay.

You glanced back at Chibs, who was wearing a smirk that made your knees weak. “Was it that bad, love?”

Your jaw dropped and you stumbled to reassure him. “No!” you exclaimed. “No. It was – honestly, Chibs, it was amazing.” You paused, twisting your fingers nervously and staring at the floor, balking slightly at being this vulnerable. “I just figured. I don’t know. I guess, that you wouldn’t want me to stay. Just sort of a one-and-done kind of thing,” you trailed off feebly. As the words left your lips, you realized that he hadn’t actually ever given you that impression. You had just assumed. You wiped a hand over your face, even more embarrassed now.

“(Y/N). Look a’ me.”

You forced your gaze back to Chibs’ face. His eyes were soft, watching you with a small smile.

“I don’ wan’ ye to go anywhere,” he admitted. “I don’ know wha’ you’re lookin’ for, lass. Fuck, I don’ even know wha’ I’m lookin’ for.” He ran a hand through his hair, sweeping the graying strands back before continuing. “Bu’ I know tha’ I like ye. And I had fun tonigh’. So, maybe ye can come back to bed wi’ me, and we can figure the rest ou’ in the mornin’. Wha’ do ye think abou’ tha’?”

The tension that had been winding tighter and tighter in your chest suddenly unfurled, and warm relief flooded your limbs. You didn’t want to have to admit that you perhaps liked Chibs more than he liked you. You had been determined to see it through, even if it was just a one-night stand, but hearing that he was at least a little interested felt nice after such a long time alone.

Whatever was going to happen in the morning could wait, and you weren’t in any hurry to make more assumptions about Chibs anyway. So, you shot him a rueful grin and climbed back into the bed beside him, letting him slip your dress back off and pulling you into his arms.

First kiss with the hiliker brothers separately

Aww first kisses with the booooois UwU 

4111 word count

 hopefully you guys enjoy it ^ ^  -------- One-Eye: 

Soft. 

He is so soft, his skin, his hair, his hands, his gaze and gosh his lips, those were the most softest part of this adorable man. But also stinky, sweaty and a little slimy that smelt of sour cheese, no matter how gross he was, One-Eye was like velvet, smooth and soft to the touch, very unlike his two brothers that seemed to be so hardy and covered in wrinkles and calluses. 

So it was no surprise to you when you first placed your lips against his, they were amazingly soft, gentle and inexperienced. You hadn’t really meant to kiss him at the start, it truly was an accident that turned into something you have secretly been desiring ever since coming across the three brothers and you were over the moon that the first of the three was One-Eye. The two of you were doing washing duties, usually you did it on your own or Three-Fingers would do the chore, but today One-Eye wanted to help you since there were some extra loads after the four of you took out a school bus filled to the brim with a college football team, which meant cleaning up any of their stinky clothing for the three boys to wear or use. You were arms deep in scrubbing some pants while One-Eye sat patiently beside you, only handing you dirty clothes and taking the wet ones to put into the other basket. He was such a helpful man, beaming all the while you talked about random stories from your past or some trivia you knew about, sure One-Eye didn’t understand but he was hanging on every word that left your pretty mouth. As you continued on rattling about the types of birds that collected items to woo their female counterparts, you wracked your knuckles against the side of the washing bucket and let out a hiss from how sore it felt, due to how raw and soaked up your skin had gotten from the water. You shook your hand and held it against your chest, having an annoyed look on your face, One-eye reaching over to touch your sore hand gently and let out soft murmurs, lifting your hand up to press a small kiss against the redness, making your cheeks just as flushed. “Thank you, you’re so lovely” You whispered to the cannibal, causing him to give you a large, goofy smile at being able to make you feel better. With your hand now better, being as it was not really that bad of a bump, you went to reach down into the water to grab the scrubber, not realizing One-Eye was doing the same to be helpful, you looked his was in surprise exactly the same time he did and bumping your faces together. Though not only did you smack cheeks but your lips had grazed over each other making you both lean back in surprise, shyness hitting you both at what just happened. One-Eye was first to react, letting out a small nervous snorted laugh, as though what just happened was a silly accident, his eye glancing away and then back at your face as though waiting to see how you would react to the incident. You had taken in a small sharp breath as so many thoughts rushed through your brain, but the loudest was screaming ‘Fucking Kiss Him!’ and so you did. You practically attacked the cannibal's face, hands lashing out and grabbing onto his cheeks, his face going from shy nervousness to complete shock at you coming at his face like this, eye going wide and his arms going up as though he was going to protect himself from an attack. Your lips pressed up against his, unmoving as you both were still against each other until you stopped to get a gasp of air. You had not yet kissed any of the boys since they took you, only just five weeks ago this man you were pressing up against almost ran a pole through your skull and now you were staring into his blue eye that looked surprised by your bold action. Sure you had fucked, or more like been fucked, licked, bitten, grabbed at and pushed around by the other two, with One-Eye not yet joining in possibly out of unsureness or shyness, you assumed as you really didn’t know why he didn’t at least attempt to fuck you like his brothers did. But none had ever properly kissed you either, so the fact that this gentle giant was now the first to kiss your lips was heartwarming, in a twisted way. The man reached up slowly to press his fingers against your bottom lip, tracing over the plumpness and across your cheek until he cupped it, his eye staring at your features as he leaned in closer and continued the kiss, going in soft at the start before pushing it into something more deeper and hungrier, as though he was pent up with need and want, hands moving from your face to your waist to drag you against his body. He was so soft, but his gentleness was starting to tighten and hurt, your pleased moans turning into pained gasps as his grip began to bruise your skin. You had to stop him, pushing back against his chest and speaking sternly “No!….no, not so rough ok”. Your tone surprised the man, his aggressive lusting melting back into his submissive, confused self, his head tilted and expression showing he didn’t understand what he did wrong. “Oh….hun, I…. you were just being a bit rough that’s all” you whispered “You just need to be more gentle, ok?” He nodded in agreement as you stroked his chest gently, leaning in to place a small peck on his nose which caused that lovely goofy smile to come again. “Going to be hard to not want to kiss you all the time now” After a few more kisses, this time more gentle and soft again, you two would return back to finishing the washing, not wanting to receive a stern chiding from Three-Fingers for slaking on the chores. --- Saw-Tooth: Itchy, rough and calloused, this man’s touch was always so intense, even just moving you around left small bumps and bruises on your skin. At the start of living with the three brothers Saw-Tooth would handle you like you were some toy, his expression so tense and he always scowled as he shoved and pushed you around whenever he wanted to have you do something, unlike his usually grunts and gestures to his brothers, mostly the reason he manhandled you so much was simply because he enjoyed feeling your softer skin under his damaged, rough hands. The large man had never kissed you, even when he placed himself onto you or touched you in any sexual manner, Saw-Tooth would always turn his head to the side if your faces ever came into close contact, eyes shifting down or to look elsewhere on your body, as though he was not ready for such an intimate act while you both were just letting out your pleasures. The closest he has ever gotten was running his slimy, fat tongue along your neck and up to your cheek, which may as well be a guilty pleasure of yours despite how grossly stinky their breaths were. It was now week 5, a whole month and 1 week had passed since you began your new life with the three boys and things were looking better than they were from week 1. You’ve proven yourself more freedoms, though there was always one of the boys by your side at all times, you were allowed a little bit of privacy when going to the bathroom or having a little nap inside the hut, but outside you were always watched and supervised. The pushing and bullying had gone down a bit, as though the excitement of a new plaything had died down and they were becoming comfortable with a fourth person living amongst them. Saw-Tooth was still forceful and gave you a bit of a stank-eye here and there whenever you did something odd or stupid, even if it amused the other two boys. You were mostly always watched by one of the younger boys, but today was the rare chance of Saw-Tooth watching you and it was purely not his choice. The large brute had gotten two make-shift spears through his thigh and hip thanks to some very determined hikers who fought back, though it was all in vain as all had ended up being slaughtered and stored to be the next few days’ meals. So now Saw-Tooth sat on the large wooden chair on the hut’s porch, a glass of unknown red fluids in one hand and his damaged leg covered in bandages, his eyes watching you craft some new arrows. You could feel his eyes boring into the back of your head, wondering why he couldn’t just stare into the scenery instead of making your feel scrutinized and judged, even if he was simply just staring it was making it difficult for you to work on the fletching of the arrows you were crafting, with a annoyed mumble you looked back at the staring giant and raised a brow. “Is there something you need or are your eyes just glued staring towards me?” You snarked, a little cheeky grin splattered on your face. The big cannibal let out a short huff and narrowed his eyes, but he kept his gaze on you as he lifted a hand and gestured for you to come over, in which you complied though you stilled let out a few annoyed grumbles that you were being disrupted, but it was better to do as you're told than anger a very wild beast, not that you think Saw-Tooth would ever kill or maim you for simply ignoring him but he sure would leave a large hand mark from where he may grab and pull at you. 

When you walked over and were at grabbing range, he reached over and took hold of your arms in a surprisingly gentle way, pulling you towards him so that you straddled his good leg, his hands moving from your arms to rest on your hips instead, thumbs pushing your shirt up to rub at your skin. “I don’t think your legs healed up enough for any rough action” You commented, putting your hands on his chest to keep yourself propped up, watching his expression to see how he would react to you slowly explore his features. He was definitely not a pretty man, he was always so sweaty and hairy, covered in scars, lumps and either drool or blood, it being his own or a victim you'd never know. Your hands would caress up past his neck towards that shaggy, tangled up beard of his, always dirty and filled with fluids or dirt, he smelt as bad as he looked but by now you were getting used to the scent, he would only close his eyes and let out a soft grumble when you pressed you thumb against his jaw and traced the bone structure towards his ear and past up into his messy hair, feeling how oily and tangled it was. He was silently enjoying the gentle caresses and affection, allowing you to run your fingers through his hair and drag your nails along his scalp causing him to let out a more deeper groan at how wonderful it felt. You were smiling to yourself at how much control you were currently having over the usually cruel giant, how he was just melting like butter under your touch. Biting at your bottom lip, you took the chance to run your hands back down towards his mouth, the exposed flesh and teeth from where his upper lip was so deformed it gave the man a forever scowling expression, pressing your thumb against his bottom lip caused Saw-Tooth to open his mouth and trace his tongue along your thumb, his dark eyes now open and stared into your own which made your breath hitch in surprise at how gentle he was being right now, considering every other time you felt like you were almost going to die with how rough he always was. You had to take the chance now, with how relaxed and sweet Saw-Tooth was currently being, you knew you would never get such a rare moment for a very long time. Removing your thumb from his wandering tongue and large bottom lip you placed both hands on the sides of the man’s face, checking his reaction to see if he was going to pick up on what you were planning and throw you off, but there was nothing other than a blank calmed expression.  So with sharp intake of breath you leaned in fast and closed your eyes as you were heading in towards his mouth, the large cannibal’s brows going up in surprise but he did not move away or make a sound as your lip clashes against his exposed teeth and enlarged bottom lip. It was not exactly the softest kiss, his taste was sour and oddly meaty, with how deformed his mouth was you didn’t really expect much action for a kiss, but when Saw-Tooth began to shift your eyes shot open and you were about to get off the man only to be stopped as he wrapped his large arms around your back and pulled you in deeper against his body and mouth, opening it up to drag his tongue along your lips, forcing it past them to get inside. You didn’t struggle against Saw-Tooth, you knew better than that, it was better to comply and welcome his advances, which to be honest was not really that bad of an idea with how sensual and intimate the large cannibal was being for once. His grip was usually so harsh and tight, but at this moment he was being so gentle, you were surprised that he wasn’t squeezing the life out of your body with how his arms enveloped you, his tongue rolling against your own causing you to let out moans, you eyes had once against shut as you soaked in the loving attention. But like all things in this forest, it was short lived.  A sharp, high-pitched laugh snapped you out of your hot and bothered state, almost causing you to bite down on Saw-Tooth's tongue as you pushed back off him and out of his arms in surprise at being caught by a snickering, grinning Three-Fingers and wide-eyed One-Eye. The eldest brother let out a displeased grunt and shot the youngest a frustrated look as he giggled and babbled in a mocking way before pointing to four dead bodies the two of them had just dragged from the forest, this catching Saw-Tooth’s attention enough to slowly get up and help the boys with the fresh meat. You were quite flustered and just as frustrated, letting out small huffs and muttering under your breath about their bad timing, but work was work and you had to return to crafting the rest of those arrows, plus you knew once the large man was finished helping he was going to give you more than just a kiss. --- Three-Fingers: Cruel, cunning and conniving. The youngest Hilliker was an evil little weasel, always skittering around and giggling his manic laugh, he was terrifyingly accurate with his kills and hunts, if you hadn’t been taken in you knew you’d be slaughtered like a pig. But now it was week 5 with living with them, you had proven yourself trustworthy enough to take on hunts and killing people, as well as basic chores to earn your right to belong in their strange mutant family and now you were currently on a walk with the thinly, small cannibal to check on the traps littered around the forest. The first time you went on trap checking with Three-Fingers, he was very pushy and snappy with you at times, though still showed patience as he understood you were new to this type of work and had to learn. Now though, you could handle the traps without being watched over, you were quick and diligent when setting them up and though you didn’t need it, you loved whenever Three-Fingers came over and praised you with shoulder pats and happy chittering noises. The two of you had spent almost four hours going around checking the perimeter of the forest, reaching the area of the large waterfalls, the sky was starting to darken with heavy grey clouds, you were looking up at them as Three-Fingers was tightening a trip wire. “Hey….I think we should start heading back, looks like it’s going to start raining” you piped up, looking over at the youngest Hilliker as he finished off with the trap and made his way over to you, glancing up at the sky as well, baring his teeth slightly as he nodded and let out a few incoherent grumbled words which you assumed was a ‘yeah, let’s go back’ You doubted you both would make it back to the hut in time, the clouds above growing darker and angrier to the point it had pushed both you and Three-Fingers to start running, but nature was not having it and heavy rains started falling from the sky, a crack of lightning following right after. The two of you were soaked like drowned rats and home was still another hour and half walk away, your shoes completely filled with water with mud all over your legs, you knew if you stayed out in the rain any longer you were definitely going to catch a cold. Three-Fingers was looking around frantically, grabbing your hand as he pulled you through the density of the forest, you trusted his sense of direction, but there was still a slight doubtfulness in the back of your mind saying that he got you both lost, thankfully that doubt was squashed out when you saw  the small cannibal had taken you both to a cave, pulling you under the rocky cover. The both of you were quick to start a fire and get your wet clothes off until you both were just in your underwear, which mostly consisted of you wearing a dirty undershirt and some fairly loose, dirty, boxers whilst Three-Fingers had the most nastiest tighty-whities on, or what should be whities as they were no longer white and now stained in multiple colours of brown, yellows and red, despite your attempts to washing their clothing the stains never came out. You were huddled around the fire, hands out to feel the warmth as you shivered, the rain heavier than ever with the lighting cracking across the sky, you were trapped until the storm passed, it wasn’t safe to travel in such a heavy storm in the mountain forest after all. The scrawny cannibal had settled right next to you, watching as you shivered from the cold so he scooted closer and reached one of his arms around you and pulled you in close to cuddle up. He was such a boney, thin and pasty man unlike his more plumper, larger brothers, but that didn’t stop his hugs and cuddles from being just as warm and soft. You leaned in close to Three-Fingers, feeling his oversized deformed fingers wrap around your shoulder and pull you in against his pasty chest which you placed your head against and stared into the fire. Despite the situation, it was almost romantic, sitting by the campfire and holding onto each other, the two of you rarely ever got to have such simple, quiet moments when it was always so hectic at the hut with the brothers and even when you both did get more private alone time it was always short lived, though at least with Three-Fingers, sex was much more gentler than with Saw-Tooth, but it was still just as intense, and just like his brothers, he never really gave you a proper kiss other than running his tongue over your cheek or biting your neck. A large crack from the lightning snapped you from your thoughts, looking out the entrance of the cave at the rain, Three-Fingers chittering softly and running his deformed hand through your hair. “I’m all good, it’s just cold” You said softly, looking up at the cannibal with a sweet smile who responded by leaning in and placing a small peck on your lips which was a surprise for so many reasons and by how the cannibal cackled your reaction must have been priceless. This cheeky bastard thought he could place his very first proper kiss on you so lightly and like it was nothing, oh no he was not getting away with it and you voiced that very loudly to him as you grabbed the sides of his face quickly “Oh no you don’t, we’re doing this now” You laughed, attempting to pull Three-Fingers down to give him a proper kiss, but the man was giving you a bit of a struggle as he bared his teeth in a playful manner and leaning as far back away from you as he could, letting out his signature laugh as you started to wrestle the man  for that good kiss. “Hey! Get your scrawny ass here and let me lay one on you!” You were trying to pin the wriggling Three-Fingers but only being able to land the kisses on his cheek or nose. You finally were able to pin him down long enough to narrow your eyes and go in for one more strike, if you missed this was going to be the last time and it seemed the man knew this too as he stopped struggling and accepted your smooches that you have been so aggressively trying to place on him. Finally being able to place a kiss on the toothy feral cannibal was satisfying, you would finally get to taste and feel him against your lips and to be honest it was not exactly the best but it was the best you’d ever get in your current situation. Just like his brothers, Three-Fingers taste so sourly disgusting, like you were kissing a rotten cheese carcass that had sharp teeth and a perverted tongue that was currently pushing itself into your mouth. He was making the kiss deep, his hands reaching up to tangle through your hair, his long pointed nose pressed up against your cheek. You laid atop of him, heart beating and face flushed, completely ignoring your surroundings for the passionate kiss with the deadly murderer that the both of you hadn’t even realized the storm had passed on. A deep moan lifted from your lips as Three-Fingers hands started to explore your body, his mouth leaving love bites along your jawline and towards your neck, forcing you to sit up more and straddle him. He grabbed the ends of your undershirt and you began to lift your arms up to allow him to take it off only to let out a yelp as something bit your thigh. You looked down to see what in the world was making your leg itch and feel sore only to see that during the passionate kissing you both had rolled onto an ants nest that had now gotten riled up and the ants began attacking by biting you both. You let out another ‘ow!’ as you got bit again and jumped up from the ground, swiping at your legs and helping Three-Fingers to his feet who was doing the same, scowling all the while at the mood being killed by a bunch of insects. “Christ…damn it.....” You hissed, looking around at the ground and then towards the fire by the entrance, noticing that there was no more storm. “well at least the rain stopped.” You pointed out, rubbing at your now sore red bite marks, the ants were harmless but their bites still itched. “Let’s get dressed and head back, rub some creams on these…” Though he was annoyed, Three-Fingers nodded in agreement, his poor bottom had gotten attacked by those little bastards and now itched like crazy, but the thought of you rubbing cream all over it ass cheeks lifted up his spirits. The both of you would put on your now, slightly drier, clothing and kick the fire out. It was a long walk, but you both eventually made it back to the hut and you both couldn’t wait to lay down on the bed and wrapped each other in the warm blankets, right after tending to your little ant bites. 

Stay | Zuko x Reader

warnings: none, mostly fluff, a little bit of angst

summary: Y/N and the Gaang are visiting the Fire Nation a few months after Zuko’s coronation, and Y/N is disappointed when he doesn’t have much time to spend with them. 

It had been a tough week.

You felt like that was the understatement of the century. It had been terrible. You usually loved travel and getting out of the frigid South Pole where you’d been staying with Katara and Sokka was a welcome vacation. But so many things had gone wrong, and your stay in the Fire Nation capital wasn’t off to a great start, either.

To be honest, things hadn’t been going well since the war officially ended. For some reason, you had expected that everything would be perfect, although you had no idea what life looked like without the war. It turned out that it could be pretty damn lonely.

You looked around the empty royal garden. There weren’t even any turtleducks out on the pond. You sighed. Your head was pounding after yet another grueling meeting. You hadn’t expected the Fire Nation councilmembers to be so… disdainful. Even the brand-new, younger councilmen seemed distrustful of you and lacking respect, even though you were a close friend of the Fire Lord. Your headache only intensified thinking about Zuko.

You’d barely even had the chance to speak with him yet, and you’d arrived three days ago. He had been able to great you and your friends when you arrived, albeit late, before he was rushed away to go to a meeting. You hadn’t seen each other in months, not since his coronation, and it looked like you might not see him on your visit at all.

You looked out at the sun that was beginning to set over the palace walls. The sky was beginning to turn a bright orange. You heard someone walking towards you as you sat on the grass.

“Doing okay?” Katara asked, taking a seat beside you.

“Yeah,” you lied, running a hand through your hair. “These meetings are driving me crazy.”

“You, too?” Katara made a face. “Aang won’t stop complaining. He says that they’re too boring.” You laugh. “I don’t know what he expected.”

“How’s Appa?” You asked, looking at the Water Tribe girl. That had been just one of your setbacks on the journey to the Fire Nation—Appa had been sick.

“He’s good,” Katara answered, fiddling with one of her hair-loops. “He’s back to eating a shipload every day, so Aang has finally stopped worrying.” You hummed, having seen firsthand how much the Avatar worries about his bison.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Katara prodded. That girl was too observant for her own good, but she was an even better friend. You were grateful that the two of you had met.

“Yeah,” you replied, looking into her blue eyes, which were filled with concern, “I was just hoping to relax a bit more, you know?”

“And see Zuko?” Katara added knowingly, raising an eyebrow.

“Shut up,” you gave a light laugh. “Yeah, I was. It’s just that we haven’t all been together in so long.”

“Just go find him and talk to him, Y/N. I’m sure he wants to see you, he’s just got a lot on his plate, and sometimes he’s a little too focused. Besides, I think he’s having dinner with us tonight.”

“You’re probably right,” you agreed, giving Katara a smile. “Thanks, Katara.”

“You’re welcome,” Katara beamed back. “Now, let’s go get some food. I’m sure Sokka is starving.”

“I’m starving!” Sokka groaned as soon as you and Katara entered the royal dining hall. You both giggled.

“Me, too,” Aang agreed, slumping back in his chair for emphasis. Katara laughed as she took the seat next to him. You took up a chair to Sokka’s left, while Toph sat on his right. You assumed the large, ornate chair at the end of table was reserved for Zuko. You could hardly contain your excitement at the chance to finally get to speak with him.

“Dinner will be served shortly,” one of the servants stated flatly. “Unfortunately, the Fire Lord will be unable to accompany you this evening.” Oh. You felt yourself deflate, and Katara shot you a sympathetic glance from across the table.

“You know Sparky,” Toph drawled. “Too bad he’s missing out.” Toph shrugged. “Oh well, more for me!”

Dinner went on without that much excitement. Although your disappointment still weighed on you, you had to admit that having your friends around made you feel a lot better. Just spending time with everyone—well, nearly everyone—for once was incredible. You couldn’t remember the last time you had all gotten to sit around a table together.

Eventually, you all dispersed and headed off to your rooms. You had expected the palace’s accommodations to be fancy, but nothing could prepare you for how lavish they really were. You had your own en suite and the bed was about as big as your old room back in the Earth Kingdom. It was probably the most comfortable thing you’d ever been in, but you still struggled to fall asleep.

You felt restless, and your own mind kept betraying you. You couldn’t help but worry about what would happen once your stay at the palace was over, and what the future held for you and your tight-knit group of friends. Aang was always away Avatar-ing, and Zuko had a whole country to run. Katara would follow Aang anywhere, and be a valuable asset to him, and Sokka would soon become Chief of the Southern Tribe. You tried not to let it, but the thought came to you anyway; what if this was the last time you were all together?

You sighed and kicked your legs out from under the covers, then swung around to sit up and get out of bed. Maybe a walk would be helpful, and there was plenty of ground to cover in the palace itself. You didn’t bother to change out of your light sleeping clothes—you pulled one of the plush white guest robes out of the closet and wrapped it around yourself tightly before slipping out the door.

The halls of the palace were dark and empty. You didn’t really know where you were going, but you figured you would find your way back eventually. You wandered for quite some time, admiring the portraits and mosaics of previous Fire Lords and Fire Ladies. You noticed that there was a blank space on the wall and stopped in front of it, looking at the chips in the chunk of stone in the otherwise immaculate palace.

“Fire Lord Zuko.”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard the voice from down the hall. You turned to see a bearded man in Fire Nation robes; his face illuminated by orange light.

“The ambassador from the colonies is requesting to meet with you right away,” the man continued.

“Can’t it wait?” Another voice replied. Zuko. You felt like you should leave, but you stayed frozen to your spot.

“Sir, the ambassador has had a long journey…”

“So have my guests.” You can sense the irritation in Zuko’s voice. “You had no problem making them wait.”

“But sir—”

“Tomorrow, Lao,” Zuko said with finally.

“Yes, my Lord.” The man looked down dejectedly before disappearing down the corridor.

You felt like you should leave. Zuko was obviously busy, and stressed, and didn’t need you to be bothering him. You turned to go, and barely made it two steps before you heard his voice again.

“Y/N?”

You turned around, and the sight of him immediately made your heart beat faster. He walked towards you, concern written across his face, a fire alight in his hand.

“What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” you replied simply as he neared you. “It’s a little weird being here.”

“I get it,” Zuko agreed. You knew he understood more than anybody about not belonging; you knew he felt out of place in his own palace. He looked over at the blank spot on the wall that you had been staring at, and the fire he held flickered. “My father’s portrait was there. I had it removed the week after my coronation.” Oh.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he said, giving you a sympathetic look. You noticed that his dark hair was beginning to fall out of its knot. How long had he been working? With the help of the firelight, you could also see the dark circles forming under his eyes. He looked so, so tired. “Walk with me?”

“Sure,” you answered. You were tempted to reach out for his empty hand as he fell into step beside you. A beat. “Why isn’t your portrait up yet?” Zuko blushed. It was odd to see such a light, relaxed expression on his face.

“I don’t really have the time. Besides, I don’t really want one, I think they’re tacky.”

“They’re regal, Zuko,” you teased, trying to ignore the way your heart sped up when his shoulder bumped into yours. Zuko sighed, the calm expression leaving his face as you turned your head to look at him.

“I’m really sorry that I haven’t gotten to spend much time with you, Y/N. You or the others.” He sounded so genuinely upset that you started to feel guilty for your annoyance at him earlier.

“It’s alright,” you reassured him, “I know you’re busy.” He shot you a look.

“That’s not an excuse.” You started to open to your mouth to retort, but he held up a hand to stop you. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, and you traveled for days, and I’ve been a terrible host and a terrible friend.”

“It’s okay,” you said again. “We can handle ourselves for a few days.” Zuko managed a smile at that.

“I’m starving,” Zuko admitted suddenly. “Want to get a snack?”

“What kind of question is that, Sparky?” You laughed, and Zuko scowled.

“Please don’t start calling me that,” Zuko pleaded. “And I’ll take that as a yes.”

To your surprise, Zuko didn’t lead you to the kitchens or the dining hall. He stopped in front of a door blocked by two guards, who stepped out of the way as he approached.

“My Lord,” one of the guards greeted while the other opened the door.

“Could you send someone to fetch us some snacks, please?” Zuko requested politely, stepping through the open door and motioning for you to follow.

“Of course, my Lord,” the other guard replied as you follow Zuko inside. The guard closes the door behind you, and then you realized that Zuko has brought you to his room.

Or, rooms, you supposed you should say. And if you thought your room was fancy… Zuko’s was over-the-top with regality and garnishment. The area you had just stepped into had a giant fireplace on the left wall and a large sofa in front of it, as well as a full table setting with four chairs. There were two doors on the right wall, and large windows overlooking the courtyard directly in front of you. Everything was deep reds, maroons, and gold.

“I’ll be right back,” Zuko told you. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. He walked away and disappeared through one of the doors to your right.

Even though it felt very odd, you walked over and sat down awkwardly on the sofa and waited for Zuko to return. You blushed as you looked around, and you silently cursed yourself for your immaturity. You weren’t in his room. The knot in your stomach didn’t listen to you.

You turned when you heard the door Zuko had gone through open again. He reenters, and you feel like you have the breath knocked out of you, even though he really doesn’t look much different than before; you suppose he just does that to you. After months apart, seeing him feels like a shock to your system.

He’d changed out of his Fire Lord garb into long, black pants and a robe much like yours, except his was dark red with gold trim and a gold Fire Nation insignia embroidered on the breast. He stopped at the door to the hall just in time for you to hear a servant knock; Zuko opened the door, and the servant brought a huge platter covered in all kinds of snacks, barely managing to balance it as they set it on the table in front of the sofa. Your eyes widened at the enormous spread in front of you.

“Thank you.” Zuko dismissed the servant with a nod. They gave a quick bow and exited curtly. Zuko took a seat next to you and immediately dug into the pile of rolls on the platter.

“Hungry?” You laughed. Zuko looked at you sheepishly.

“I haven’t eaten dinner yet,” he admitted, mouth stuffed full of bread. So much for Fire Lord manners.

“Zuko!” You swatted at him, hitting him on the arm. “You have to take care of yourself.” You let him hear your concern—the combination of the dark circles and the lack of nutrition was plenty enough to worry you.

“I know, it’s just…” Zuko looked up at you, a stray hair from his topknot falling in front of his face. “I have so much work to do, Y/N.”

“You can’t expect to do it all in a year, Zuko,” you reasoned, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. “No one else is expecting it, either.”

“I know,” Zuko sighed. “But I need to fix my father’s mistakes and make things right. It’s my job to bring back honor to my nation.”

“The walls of Ba Sing Se weren’t built in a day, Zuko. But the world sees the good that you’re doing. I’ve seen it.” Zuko’s gaze softened as he looked at you.

“What about you?” You’re surprised by his question.

“What do you mean?” You looked away and snatched a roll off the platter.

“I mean,” Zuko continued, eyeing you, “what have you been up to?”

“Nothing, really,” you admitted. You can tell your voice has betrayed your feelings, because you could see concern growing in his golden eyes. “I’ve just been hanging out in the South Pole, I guess. Nothing very interesting.”

“What’s wrong?” Zuko pressed, leaning in towards you as you took your hand off his shoulder. “You can talk to me, Y/N.”

“After the war,” you began, “I thought everything would be great. I can’t really explain what I thought would happen. I guess I didn’t know, but… I feel like I don’t really have a place anymore.

“My whole journey started when I joined the others. I had a goal, and it was to help win the war. And now it’s over, and Aang is still the Avatar. Katara and Toph are still two of the world’s most powerful benders. Sokka is going to become Chief. I feel like…” you sighed, not sure of how to continue. “I feel like my journey’s over. I can’t go back to my village in the Earth Kingdom. I have no one there, and the South Pole doesn’t feel like a home, especially when Sokka and Katara are hardly around.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Zuko looked at you with sympathy. You averted his gaze. “I should’ve written to you more, or visited, or something. I had no idea how you felt, and I should have. I’m supposed to…” Zuko trailed off, looking down at his hands.

“Supposed to what?”

“I’m supposed to take care of you,” Zuko said. You felt your heartbeat race. “You’re supposed to take care of people you care about, and I didn’t even make the time to talk to you until now.”

“It’s not your fault,” you replied, but Zuko wasn’t having it.

“I should’ve just pushed back my meetings when you and the others arrived. I’ve missed you all so much. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” you said, looking into Zuko’s eyes. His hands were warm as he reached and grabbed onto yours.

“You know,” Zuko said, what looked like a light blush rising to his cheeks, “you could stay here, if you wanted to.”

“What?”

“You could stay and work here,” Zuko repeated, before quickly backtracking. “I mean, if you wanted to. And not like, as a servant or anything. You could be my adviser. If you wanted to.”

“What?” You repeated again, dumbfounded by his offer.

“I actually meant to ask you a while ago,” Zuko rambled, “along with this other conversation I’ve been meaning to have with you, but I held off because I don’t know if it’s something you want.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to?” You asked honestly, wondering what he possibly thinks would keep you away. Zuko shrugged. “But you don’t have to give me place here.” You didn’t understand why he’d be making this offer now. You weren’t exactly qualified.

“Umm…” Zuko shifted, pulling his hands away from yours. You missed their warmth immediately. “I…” Zuko took a deep breath, seeming to steel himself to say something. “I want you to stay even if you don’t want to be my adviser, because I’ve missed you, and… I really, really like you, Y/N.” You felt your heart and jaw hit the floor. Zuko paled immediately and was about to say something else before you abruptly moved forward. Before you could convince yourself not to, you pressed a soft kiss to his lips.  

Zuko didn’t move for a moment, and you felt your whole body go cold. But then he was kissing you back, and you felt his arms wrap around you, filling you will warmth as you melted into him. He pulled away from you entirely too soon, and you looked up at him, brushing another dark, stray hair out of his face. His eyes were full of admiration and a light blush had risen in his cheeks. He looked beautiful.

“Woah,” he said dumbly, staring at you. You giggled. “So—”

You cut him off. “I like you too, Zuko.” You pressed another quick kiss to his lips. “Can I stay?”

He looked at you in confusion. “I told you, you can stay here as long as you want.”

“I mean here,” you said again, looking at him and tapping on his chest with one of your hands that was trapped between you.

“Oh,” Zuko looked at you. “Oh. Yes, definitely.” You felt his arms tighten around you, and you smiled as you tilted your head up to kiss him again.

it’s late and no one is on so clearly this is the best time to post

fandom: star wars rebels

relationship: kanan jarrus/hera syndulla

rating: n/r

word count: 1.6k

~

Kanan hadn’t been sleeping well lately and it wasn’t that hard to figure out why. These last few months had been hard on him, even if he pretended otherwise and when he was able to get some shut eye, his sleep was anything but restful. 

Hera hadn’t fared all that better. It was hard work trying to hide a rebel cell in plain sight. But she finally thought she had every one settled on Garel - or as much as they could be. Even if Senator Organa had deep pockets, their current set up at the spaceport was going to burn through his slush fund in record time. 

They needed to find a base. And fast. 

So Hera was busy scrolling through the list of potential planets that Captain Rex had been kind enough to provide for them, even though it was deep in the planet’s night cycle and the rest of her crew tucked away in their bunks sleeping soundly. She was sitting with her legs folded on the curved acceleration couch in the lounge, the lights set to their lowest level. Kanan had his head pillowed in her lap, his long legs stretched out along the couch, his face pressed into her stomach. It couldn’t have been the most comfortable sleeping position but Hera was just grateful that he was finally sleeping. 

A green finger slowly dragged across the screen of her datapad while her other hand swept through the silky strands of Kanan’s hair, the sounds of his soft snoring mixing with the slight hum of power from the Ghost’s generators. It was peaceful like this, reminding Hera of the early days, when it was just her and Kanan against the galaxy. She smiled at the memory. 

Her peace was interrupted as the door to the lounge slid open to reveal the  imposing shadow of Captain Rex standing in the doorway.

“Sorry.” Rex said quietly as he stepped into the lounge. “I didn’t think anyone would be up.”

“It’s alright.” Hera smiled at him, her hand going back to stroking Kanan’s hair. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Rex rubbed sheepishly at the back of his bald head. “You could say that.”

Hera hummed in acknowledgment before saying, “There’s some caf left in galley if you’d like some.”

“I’m good thanks.” His eyes cut to Kanan’s sleeping form. “You mind if I join you for a bit?”

“Not at all, in fact, I’m going over the list you gave us. Maybe you can help me narrow things down?”

“It would be an honor.” Rex smiled at her, taking a seat on one of the stools. Hera toggled a knob on the side of the holotable and projected her datapad so they could both look at it. For a while, they researched planet after planet, hoping to come across a suitable location for a base, Kanan sleeping peacefully in her lap the whole time. She wondered for a moment, if she should wake him up and send him to her cabin but she was afraid that if she did that, he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. He desperately needed the sleep and Hera wasn’t going to deny him the opportunity. Besides, she kind of liked how he was cuddled up to her, even if she was starting to lose feeling in her toes. 

Rex, as it turned out, was a wealth of information that had her questioning why Fulcrum didn’t utilize him sooner. She assumed it was mostly because he had served his time and wanted to live out the rest of  his life in peace. It was probably what the old clone deserved after everything he had gone through. Still, she was grateful that he had joined the fight once more. They needed someone with his experience and knowledge if they really wanted to take down the Empire for good.

Hera didn’t know how long they worked, the time passing with little care or notice. It was only when Kanan made a pitiful noise, a cross between a whimper and a groan, that caused them to pause their work. Fear shot through Hera at the sound, her lekku going tight and her breath catching in her throat. Her attention zeroed in on him, everything else falling by the wayside, completely forgotten. Hera’s hands flew to his face, stroking her thumbs over the tight lines of pain that had begun to form around his closed eyes. 

“Shhh love.” She said gently, bowing her head so their foreheads were touching. “It’s alright. You’re alright.” She had to work to keep her voice even, emotion making her throat tight. “It’s alright love. It’s just a dream.”

Kanan continued to tremble in her arms, terrible, horrible little whimpers escaping his lips, each one like a knife to her heart. He was in pain, awful pain, but there was nothing Hera could do to help but hold him through it. Eventually, his shaking slowed and the tension began to leach from his body until he was restfully sleeping once again. 

Hera sighed heavily and leaned back against the soft cushions of the couch. It took her longer than she would have liked to register that Rex was still there, sitting across from her at the table. His old face looked weary, his warm brown eyes misty and full of understanding. 

“He get those a lot?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Hera nodded. “Lately, more than usual.”

Rex looked down at his scarred fingers. “I’m sure my presence here hasn’t helped much.” he chuckled darkly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they've gotten worse because of me.” 

Hera frowned at him. “He just needs time Rex.”

“Oh I know.” he took a breath, rolling his shoulders. “It hasn’t been easy for me either...but for what it’s worth, I’m glad he survived. He seems like a good man.”

“The very best.” she ran a hand down the side of his face. There wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t thank the goddess that Kanan survived the Purge. That this wonderful, kind, brave human that stole her heart, lived and breathed when so many of his people had perished. She knew how the weight of his survival hung heavy on his shoulders but Hera couldn’t help but feel so immensely grateful that he was one of the few that were spared. 

“Do you know where he was?” Rex asked suddenly. “When it happened?”

Hera bit down on her bottom lip, thinking about how to answer. Kanan never did like to talk much about his past, he tended to keep most things close to his chest and only divulged his secrets in small, uncommon pockets of vulnerability. Hera didn’t feel right spilling his secrets to a man he might not ever trust. But at the same time, she felt that Rex deserved to know something.

“Kaller I think.” she said finally. 

Rex hummed, looking lost in thought before responding, “Kaller...I don’t remember what battalion was stationed on Kaller. Who was his master?”

Hera glanced down at Kanan, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. When she didn’t reply Rex sat back, creating space between them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just in my experience, you can tell a lot about a Jedi based on how they treat their men. I thought if I recognized the General that maybe...I understand that Kanan might not want me to know.”

“Her name was Depa Billaba.” Hera said softly, twirling a strand of Kanan’s hair around her finger. “That was his master.”

Rex rubbed her beard. “Ah, General Billaba. General Kenobi spoke highly of her, she was a good leader, cared deeply for her troops.”

“She gave her life to save him.” She said, not taking her eyes from Kanan’s sleeping face. She had lost her own mother at a young age but she couldn’t imagine having to watch her die with her own eyes, killed at the hands of people she once called friends. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. 

Hera glanced up at him and offered him a kind smile. “It wasn’t your fault Rex.”

“It doesn’t make it any less true.”

“I know.” she nodded. “And I think deep down Kanan knows that too.”

He just needed time, they both did. 

“Well,” Rex said after a moment, pushing himself gingerly to his feet. “I should probably try and get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Thanks for your help Rex.” she said as he made his way to the door. 

He paused as the doors slid open, a warm smile on his weathered face. “Anytime Captain.” he gave her a jaunty two finger salute before disappearing down the hallway. Hera sat there, her finger tips resting on the underside of Kanan’s jaw, feeling his pulse beat out a steady rhythm. 

The past few days had been a challenge but they had been through worse and they had survived. This was no different. Kanan would come around eventually with Rex, or maybe he wouldn’t. But Hera had hope. 

She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his brow. “Kanan?” she prodded. “Love, I need you to wake up.”

Kanna groaned in response, his face scrunching up with displeasure. Hera chuckled at the sight. “I know dear but don’t you think you’d be more comfortable in a bed?”

At that Kanan cracked open his eyes, the familiar teal hue clouded over with sleep. “Wh’ happen’d?”

“You fell asleep.” she responded with a kiss.

“Oh.” his eyes slipped shut.

Hera hoisted him up, ignoring his grumble of protest. “C’mon love. Let’s get you in a bed.”

Kanan let Hera maneuver him to his feet, leaning heavily on her as they trekked back to her cabin. He flopped bonelessly on to the cot and curled around her the second she slipped under the covers. From one breath to the next, he was asleep. 

Hera held him close, her cheek pressed against the top of his head. Her eyes slipped close, Kanan’s slow and even breathing lulling her to sleep.

Addicted to You

Part 1: The Chain

Summary/Author's Note: As the sister of veteran turned freelance for hire Santiago "Pope" Garcia, you grew up close to his friends and ex-military squad. Frankie Morales always had your heart, in the same way you always had his--the two of you just never seemed to get the timing right. Trying to escape the violence of a military career based family, you turned to journalism and humanitarian work in war torn countries. But three days ago your crew was ambushed and after three days without any contact, Pope is getting the guys back together for a rescue mission. (Follows Canon events very closely with added character and liberties) Thank you to @winters-buck for headcanoning with me about Frankie and getting me pumped up enough to write this.

Pairing: Frankie "Catfish" Morales x Pope's sister!Reader Word Count: 4.6k (idk what happened...) Warnings/rating: (NC-17)/18+ Language, smoking, implied drug use, PTSD, sex/smut, kidnapping, blood, violence, threats, fluff and feelings

MASTERLIST

Present Day Somewhere in Texas, USA

Santiago "Pope" Garcia had always had a talent when it came to lying, but never had that talent been used so willingly on his closest friends. He was a good bluffer. It had helped his career in the military with his superiors, it had helped him on their weekly poker nights, but he had never planned on getting the five of them back together to boldly lie directly to their faces. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the locker room as Will looked him over skeptically.

"What did he say?" Will asked, straddling the wooden bench and crossing his arms to mirror his friend.

"He's taking a look at it," Pope sighed, taking off his hat and running a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "He may not be up for this."

Of course he was talking about their friend Tom. Tom, code name 'Redfly' had been their captain back in the day, their leader, and his brutality and no bull shit attitude made him a good one. Pope knew if he wasn't on board with this, then Will would be out, and the rest of them would drop like flies before this even began.

"You know he's the best with something this complex, and he needs this right now," Will said and Pope agreed with a silent nod.

Beyond the concrete walls of the locker room a cheering crowd could be heard albeit muffled. Both men turned and looked in the direction of the noise before Will shook his head and leaned forward on the bench.

"This shit is fuckin depressing," he said.

"Come on let your brother have some fun. Support him." Pope offered with a wave of his hand like Will's brother getting the shit kicked out of him for a couple hundred bucks wasn't a big deal.

"I've been supporting him since the day he was born." Will pointed to the wall that stood between them and the mixed martial arts arena. "That kid's a one in a million talent, going out there playing the fucking clown to a bunch of hillbillies."

Pope started to respond but the door opened and a man dressed in nothing but loose fitting shorts and the med tape wrapped around his hands entered.

"Where are my boys at?!" He yelled in a deep voice like an announcer and threw his hands in the air.

"Benny! There he is!" Pope embraced him before patting him on the back and passing him off to his brother who stood up from the bench.

"Hey, shithead," a familiar voice said in Spanish and Pope turned around to see Frankie, a wide grin on his face.

Frankie "Catfish" Morales, known mostly by 'cat' or 'fish' to his friends, was probably the closest thing Pope had to a best friend. Even though it had been two years since they had last seen one another, Frankie looked exactly like he always did. His dark curly hair stuck out under his trademark, ratted, ball cap. His lips held a full mustache while the rest of his face had what was probably week old scruff and the brightest smile of the group. It didn't hit him until they were embraced in a tight hug just how much he had missed the man.

"How' you doing?" Pope asked, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hanging in there, I guess." Frankie nodded, finally letting go and moving to sit on the bench opposite of Will. "Is Tom coming?"

"Yeah, he said he would be here," Pope nodded looking at all of them in front of him. "You assholes get my texts?"

All of them looked in various stages of guilt, rubbing the back of their neck, adjusting their ball cap, not meeting Pope's eyes. Of course they had gotten his texts and by the tension in the room none of them had responded.

"Yeah," Frankie finally broke the silence. "Yeah I got your texts."

"And? I need a pilot." Pope looked at his best friend.

"I don't do that anymore, man." Frankie shook his head and sighed. "Besides, I lost my license."

"I don't need a pilot with a license, I need a pilot I can trust. And that's you." Pope pointed at his chest and held his gaze.

Frankie rubbed his hand over his face and stood up, leaning back against the lockers and looking up at the ceiling. "Will, you in?"

"I told Pope, if Redfly was in, then so was I." Will turned his sights to his friend and shrugged.

"And what about you, Benny?" Pope said, asking the man who had been quiet the longest.

"Of course I'm in."

Pope ruffled his short, dirty blond hair roughly with a smile and a word of praise and Benny shoved him away with a grin.

"Fuck," Frankie sighed and shook his head. "So, what's the job?"

"Can we talk details later? It's fight night--I got other shit to think about." Benny pleaded, looking around to the other three as the crowd cheered again through the concrete walls.

"Sure, wouldn't want you to be late," Will scoffed and stood, offering a hand to his brother and helping him up off the bench. The three men left the locker room and started down the concrete tunnel that led out to the arena. Benny was in front, holding his fists out in front of him like a true heavyweight and mumbling what sounded like a well rehearsed pep-talk to hype himself up.

Frankie and Pope hung back a few steps beside the other two, falling into step with one another like they shared the same brain. The other boys often joked that they did. Frankie put his hand on Pope's shoulder and rubbed his own beard in thought before he broke the silence.

"So, I got busted. That's why my license lapsed. It's not a big deal." He let the sentence hang in the air before he shook his head and sighed. "Okay, so it is a big deal."

Pope turned and looked at him. "Coke?" When Frankie nodded in agreement Pope rolled his eyes. "Jesus, Cat."

"It's still pending. But I'm clean now--I swear."

Pope nodded as they kept walking. He believed him. Frankie was a man of his word, and he knew he didn't have to prove anything to him. If he said he was clean, then he was clean. And cocaine or not, Frankie was the best damn pilot he had seen in his entire career, he wanted him for this job. No one else was going to cut it. Not when the objective was this important.

"Hey," Frankie said, trying to act casual but sounding anything but. "Have you talked to (y/n) lately? How--uh, how's she doing?"

There it was. He had to hand it to him, it took him longer to ask than he would have thought, but where it was normally endearing how much Fankie was still in love with you, this time it made Pope sick to his stomach. Did he tell him? He should tell him--even if it was just him. It was the right thing to do. Instead, as they approached the arena, the lie fell from his mouth.

"She's uh--she's good. Took a job down south, but I haven't heard from her this week." It wasn't a total lie. Pope didn't look at him and he could feel his friend staring intently at him.

Frankie let it go, even though his expression said he didn't want to. "So, what is this job really? What aren't you telling me?"

Pope looked over his shoulder, "It is what I said. Simple recon. We can talk details after the fight."

"Sure, whatever you say, man," he shook his head as they walked into the crowd and Benny greeted Tom with a cheer and a hug as the taller man started passing out beers he had just gotten from the concession stand. "I'm in." Frankie said flatly and walked passed Pope, taking a beer from Tom and giving him a clap on the shoulder.

Pope stopped short and watched the other man smile and interact with the rest of his friends. Frankie was his oldest friend, and lying to him hurt worse than that time he was shot down in Peru. Frankie had been in love with you for as long as he could remember, and if Pope was being honest with himself, he was the only man that deserved you and that he trusted to take care of you. He thought you guys would really make it work, and the day you called it quits hurt him too. Why wouldn't he want his best friend to take care of his sister? Protect you when he couldn't? Make sure you spend the rest of your life happy.

The four of them sat in the front row as Benny walked up the steps to the raised fighting platform, ducking under one of the ropes and bouncing around like there were springs on his feet. Pope looked back at Frankie and when the other man smiled, Pope returned it but it was a lie. He knew he was going to be crushed when he found out why the gang was really back together. When Frankie found out you were missing, nothing was going to stop him from getting you back--that's the real reason Frankie was the most important part of this crew. Because just like Pope, Frankie would get you back...or burn the whole country down trying.

--

Two years earlier

It was just supposed to be drinks and pool, maybe some darts if he talked you into it--you were a terrible shot and it made him laugh until his eyes watered. Frankie had asked you to go to the bar while he was in town and you had happily said yes. You missed him. And by the look on his face you knew he missed you too.

It was never awkward when you were with Frankie. No matter how much time had passed, as soon as the two of you were back together it was like picking up right where you left off. Gentle touches, knowing each other's drink order, holding hands, it was all so natural. He opened every door for you, bought every seven and seven you ordered, and paid for every round of pool, shoving more quarters into the metal slot and racking up the balls the second the previous game ended.

The first part of the date ended when Frankie tried to teach you how to do a trick shot in the corner pocket. He leaned his pool cue against the table and stood behind you, wrapping his arms around yours and putting his large hands over yours on your own pool stick. He smelled like fresh air, like the woodsy smell of recently cut grass, clean earth, and just a hint of campfire smoke--musky and comfortable and safe. He spoke in your ear telling you where to aim, and even though he had to speak over the other patrons and the juke box it felt like he was whispering just for you. When he pressed himself against your ass, your body erupted in goosebumps. He must have felt it too because he asked, "Wanna get out of here?" And all you could do was nod.

The both of you fumbled into your apartment, he barely got the door closed by kicking it, as you dropped your purse and keys on the floor and started unbuttoning his shirt. Of course all of this would have been easier if either of you could pull away from each other's lips, but that wasn't happening.

"Bedroom or couch?" You said as you shoved his shirt off of his shoulders.

He grabbed the hem of your own shirt and pulled it over your head in one smooth motion. "Both." The two of you laughed and kept kissing as he walked you backwards towards the hallway. "Kitchen. Floor. Shower." He kissed you after each word and you blushed, laughing again at his suggestion. This was the Frankie you remembered. This was the Frankie you fell in love with.

"Got big plans for this weekend, do ya?"

"Yup," he bent slightly and gripped the backs of your thighs, hoisting you up to wrap your legs around his waist. "And they all involve you."

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and kissed him hard on the lips. His tongue slid into your mouth like it had so many times before, exploring, tasting, moaning softly into you. He knew where your bedroom was, walking down the hall like he lived there and nudging the door open with his hip. Some summers, back when both of your lives were simpler, it was almost like he did live there. He had his own drawers, his own side of the bed, and you made sure his favorite coffee was always in the cabinet.

"Frankie," you breathed against his mouth and his grip tightened on you. You slid your fingers into his hair, removing his ball cap and tossing it behind you.

"Tell me, baby," he mumbled back, putting you down on the bed and crawling over your body.

"I missed you," you said and he froze, looking down at you with those enchanting brown eyes.

He swallowed hard and tried to slow his breathing. "I missed you, too."

The both of you took a moment just staring at one another. He leaned down and gave you another soft kiss before moving to trail his lips down your jaw, moving to your breasts and unclipping the snap in the front. He took each of your breasts in his hands, squeezing and kneading them as you closed your eyes and carded your fingers through his hair again. When he took one of your nipples between his teeth you gasped, arching your back off of the bed and holding him against you.

"You still like that?" He mumbled, moving to the other nipple and repeating the motion, sucking it into his mouth along with as much of your breast as he could. The feel of his teeth against your skin was exquisite and you could have let him do what he was doing all night.

"What do you think?" You laughed as he moved from your breasts down your stomach, biting and kissing his way to the edge of your jeans. "You always were a boob man."

"For your perfect tits? Absolutely." He undid the button and zipper, grabbing opposite sides of your pants and underwear, shimmying them off of your hips.

"Charming." You scoffed, raising your hips to help him as he stood and did the same to his own.

"You always thought so."

He knelt on the bed, stroking his half hard cock before he fell on top of you, making the mattress bounce gently. You gripped his shoulder and rolled him over onto his back, enjoying the surprise on his face and the absolute adoration as your breasts hung directly in front of his face. He started to raise up to put them in his mouth again but you pressed his shoulders back into the bed.

"My turn," you grinned and he nodded, letting you move down his body, kneeling off to the side.

As soon as you wrapped your hand around his dick, his eyes fluttered closed. You worked him slowly before bowing your head and letting some saliva pool in the front of your mouth and letting it drop slowly onto the head and down the shaft. Your hand worked the liquid down, making it slide easier as you pumped him.

"Fuck, (y/n)," he sighed as he watched you. "You're killing me."

"You still like that?" You asked, playfully, mocking his earlier question and he chuckled.

"Smart ass."

You smiled again before taking him in your mouth and you revelled in the way he moaned softly and slid his hand into your hair at the back of your head. You bobbed in tandem with your hand, working the entire shaft as you sucked the head of his cock and his grip on your hair tightened. You took as much of him into your mouth as you could, your lips meeting your fist and a small sound escaped you as he hit the back of your throat. He thrusted up involuntarily and when you gagged slightly, he opened his eyes and looked at you worriedly.

"I'm sorry," he breathed and you shook your head, continuing to suck him off, running your tongue along the large vein that ran the length of him. There was no apology needed, you were just as desperate to remember his body as he was yours. He held out for a few more pumps, rock hard in your hands before he sat up and grabbed you by the arm. "Come here. Come here, baby."

You let him pull you to him as he leaned his back against the headboard and pulled you into his lap. He reached his hand between the two of you and ran two thick fingers along the slit of your pussy.

"Shit," he cursed quietly as he felt how wet you already were. He loved how quickly you were ready for him, it had always been like that. He could have you dripping for him before he even got you undressed and he loved reaching up your skirt or your dress and feeling you against the lace of your thong. "You're so wet."

"You love it," you said as he continued to stroke you and you straddled his hips, putting his arms around his shoulders.

"Always have," he said and it was in a voice tender enough that you weren't sure if you were talking about the same thing any more.

You leaned up on your knees as he took his cock in his hand and lined it up between your thighs. You lowered yourself on to him, sinking down slowly and letting your body adjust to his length. He throbbed inside of you as you paused, letting yourself adjust to his girth. The stretch was intense and you wanted it to last forever, feeling every inch of him as the bottom of your thighs touched the top of his and you settled in his lap. Your fingers found their way into his dark, soft hair. It was a little longer at the ends and you liked the way it curled around his hat, but that hat was currently on the floor with the rest of your clothes so you could touch the soft locks as much as you wanted.

"You ready, baby?"

You nod and hold him close, your breasts pressing against his chest, your foreheads coming together as he wrapped his arms around your waist. "Fuck me, Frankie. Please, please." You whisper the last few words over his lips as he started to thrust up inside of you.

You both released a contented sigh at the same time and it made you smile. Even in your worst days, it always felt like you and Frankie were in sync, two halves of a whole. How your body had missed him, missed the soft way he said your name and the way he held you close to him like he wouldn't be satisfied no matter how close you were.

"I missed you," he said, closing his eyes as he guided your hips up and down, rocking against him as your stomachs brushed together.

"You said that already," you smiled, moaning softly as he hit a particularly sweet spot deep inside of you.

"And I'll say it again," he grinned, pressing his nose against your cheek and kissing your lips.

"Charmer," you kissed him back, soft and slowly.

He dipped his head and kissed your neck, sucking along the soft skin of your throat. You wanted him to leave marks like you both were in grade school, making out in the back of the movie theater, kissing in the bed of his truck, back when things were simpler. His arms tightened around your back as you nosed his hair, breathing him in and kissing the top of his head.

"Fuck," he cursed quietly as you ground your hips down on his lap. "You feel so good, baby."

"Don't stop," you moaned softly in his ear as he picked up the pace. "Harder, Cat, harder, please."

He held you tightly as he looked up and put his hand on the back of your neck. "Look at me." You opened your eyes and leaned back slightly to look down at him with heavy eyes. "God damn, you're so beautiful," he whispered and it made you blush. You kissed him hard and slid a hand between the two of you, frantically searching out your clit as his thrusts started to get sporadic and uneven.

"I'm gonna cum, Cat-" you watched as he looked at you and nodded encouragingly.

"Come on, baby. Give it to me. I got you," he panted close to your face as his cock hit the end of you, pumping up inside of you.

Your orgasm took you suddenly and completely. Your mouth opened but no sound came out as you clenched around his cock and squeezed your thighs around his lap. You felt the heat rise up from your core to the rest of your body in a way that made you curl your toes against the bedspread. You threw your head back and groaned out your pleasure to the ceiling, his name falling from your lips with sweet ecstasy as you clung to his shoulders.

He followed right behind you, spilling himself inside your cunt, the feeling of him hot and wet around his cock and starting down your thighs. He thrust hard, and spaced out, a few more times, grunting a mixture of his pleasure and your name with each movement.

"Jesus Christ," he breathed, leaning back against the headboard and pulling you against him.

You pressed your cheek against his chest, breathing hard as you ran your hand up his neck and played your fingers against the scruff along his jaw. He was still inside you and you clenched your thighs again, an afterthought of a muscle twitch left over from your orgasm. It made him groan again and tighten his grip on your hips.

"Sorry," you laughed softly and he chuckled.

"We still got it, don't we?" He asked, looking down at you with a boyish grin.

"I never had any doubts." You crossed your arms on his chest and laid your head on top of them, looking up into his eyes. You shivered as he lifted your hips slightly and his softening cock slid out of you and you both got more comfortable. It was definitely quicker than the two of your normally liked it to be, but after being apart for so long, you had a feeling anything that happened tonight would be desperate and fast.

He dipped his head and kissed you softly, each kiss punctuated but a soft pop in the silence of your bedroom. He brushed your hair away from your face and smiled.

"You want me to head out soon?" He asked, trying to hide the fear in his face of the possibility that you would make him leave.

"No," you said quickly, shaking your head and staying firmly planted on top of his lap. "No, stay the night. Please." You added the last word sweetly and his face relaxed.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." He nosed your hairline and kissed your forehead.

You knew this couldn't last. You knew he was leaving tomorrow for another mission, another pilot seminar, and you were headed upstate for your job as well. You loved Frankie Morales with all of your heart and he felt the same way--life just always seemed to have other plans. And yet, life was just as cruel as it was sweet because somehow, someway, it always brought you two back together.

---

Present Day Some where in the jungles of Columbia

You weren't sure how long you had been traveling. In fact, when you thought about it, you didn't know much of anything. You twisted your wrists in a desperate attempt to relieve the pressure the zip ties were leaving on your skin.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," you whispered, leaning your head back against the side of the van. The bumps and potholes in whatever shitty road you were on caused the back of your skull to bump against the metal. How had this happened?

The last few days had been a blur. You and a group of journalists were having dinner in a local village. You had teamed up with a group of doctors and, in between travel, were lending a hand providing basic medical care to anyone who needed it in the surrounding towns. You cut bandages, gathered clean water, played soccer with the children, and took photos to add to your collection and publish when you got back to the States. It had been a pretty uneventful trip, enjoyable actually, until Lorea's men had shown up. No one seemed to know what the dangers narcos drug lord would be doing in a place like this.

Before you knew what was even happening, there were guns pointed at your crew, men yelling in Spanish that you only vaguely understood, and you raised your hands above your head shouting back, pleading them to calm down. Did they want money? No, that would have been too easy, and as a traveling journalist that dabbled in humanitarian efforts, money was not something you had a lot of anyway.

A rather large man grabbed you by the wrists and even though you struggled, even though you screamed, it didn't make any difference. A hand on your head made you duck as you were shoved into a van along with a few of the others on your crew and the door slammed shut behind you.

"Stop, stop," you tried as the van revved and pulled away down the street. "You don't have to do this--" The man who grabbed you ignored your words, if it was because he didn't understand English or because he didn't care, you weren't sure.

He jerked your wrists in front of your body and wrapped the zip tie around them, pulling it tight. Your heart was beating way too fast and you could feel the blood rushing in your ears and on instinct you pulled your hands away from him and screamed again, turning towards the door. He yelled something in Spanish and pulled his arm back before punching you in the side of the face. Your world exploded into flashes of white as you hit the floor of the van. With the wind knocked from your lungs, you gasped for air and coughed, your eyes burning with hot tears.

The man driving turned and yelled something over his shoulder, obviously upset at his partner for roughing up the merchandise. Your stomach felt nauseous and the last thing you remember was some kind of scratchy material being put over your eyes and the rest of the world went black.

Tag List: @stevieharrrr​ @zeldasayer​ @winters-buck​ @seawhisperer​ If you wanna be tagged, lemmie know!

Unlikely Delights

Part 6

Summary: Some firsts…things become real.

Warning: Oral m receiving, blink & there praise kink and oral f receiving.

Bonus - Gif within the post closer to how he looks likes (love Dan with that soft beard!)

With his back against the wall, Dan wrapped his arms around you.

Your eyes twinkled as you met his. “Are you sure it’s ok that we’re watching a Disney movie?”

He chuckled. “I love Disney movies, it’s just been a while.” He gave you a gentle squeeze. After seeing the shadow fall over your eyes when talking about the nightmare, it convinced him more than ever to always keep you safe and let you feel his love. He’d do what he could to keep those damn things away from you. “I want that horrible nightmare out of your head.”

He smiled as he felt you nestle close. Closing his eyes, a smile curled on his lips as he felt you press a kiss against his bearded chin.

“You’re the best.” You beamed. “Ok, so Cinderella or Beauty and Beast?”

He rose an eyebrow and made a thoughtful sound. “Why not both?”

You smiled broader. “Ok, but last time you fell asleep halfway through the first movie.”

He chuckled. “That was after a double and honestly being with you after that hard work, I couldn’t help but just drift off.” Your love, comfort and with how tantalizing you could be was more than he could have ever dreamt of having in his life.

“I suppose that’s ok then.” You giggled. “That’s why we’re so good for each other.”

“I was just thinking that.” He smiled broadly.

******

Without even realizing it, Dan had let his fingertips trace the edge of your sleepshirt. Perhaps it was because both of you were laying above the blankets, but he couldn’t keep himself from touching you.

“Dan.” You said softly.

“Yes, honey?”

He had to suppress the gasp that wanted to pour from his lips as your mind gave him such a strong image, it made his heart begin to race. It showed him how you wanted him to touch you, how you wanted him to make you feel good.

“Nothing.” The single word came out so soft and sweet in sharp contrast to the sheer wantonness of your need for his touch in your mind.

If he didn’t already know you didn’t have the shining, he could have sworn your were teasing him. It was all he wanted to do now. To touch, to feel more of you.

Slipping his hand just under your nightshirt, he inhaled deeply and caught the soft scent of your shampoo that managed to cling to the soft strands of your hair. It made him smile.

Hearing you exhale, his lips curled into a half smile. Your imagination teased him. His heart squeezed as you led his hand between your legs, but then squeezed your thighs together.

“Honey?” He whispered close to your ear. “Don’t you want me to make you feel good?”

A deep sound came from you. “Dan,” you breathed his name. “Your hand feels so good.”

“You feel good,” He added. “But we can continue cuddling.”

Turning your head, your eyes met his and you nodded. “Please but... But...” He saw as you tried to find the right words. You bit your bottom lip. “Can you keep your hand there?”

“Of course. Whatever you want, honey.” He would never push you. Everything would go by your own pace.

******

“You see, I have the other shoe.” Cinderella sighed softly.

Over the course of the rest of the movie, Dan gently moved his hand so that it rested on your thigh. He was so wonderful. You had heard awful stories from friends, how their boys had not stopped until repeatedly asked or how they had even gotten angry. Not your Dan. You had wanted him so much, but watching Cinderella with him had meant so much more to you.

It was time you showed him even more of how much you loved him. You had been contemplating this for a while. The idea had tickled your senses and with him you wanted to do it more then anything. Now was as good a time as any. You felt him reach over for the remote to stop the dvd.

“So Beauty and the Beast?” He looked down at you.

“Maybe in a little while.” You easily straddled him.

“Honey?” His hands came to rest beside your legs, his thumbs gently touching.

Prickles of nervousness filled you. You could only hope you would be good at this. You had imagined it on and off for a while.

“I want to kiss you Dan.” You said softly.

“Then please do so.”

Gently at first, you moved so you rested against him as you kissed. It made your heart pick up speed. His beard tickled a little but it also felt so good, so right.

Feeling a little breathless, you reached between the two of you. Feeling his arousal made a soft sound come from you. “I do this you, Dan?” You let your hand drift over his length. Your own excitement built feeling him. Knowing how it felt.

He nodded, you noticed his eyes become that dark warm shade of blue that only appeared when the two of you were intimate.

“Yes honey, that is what kissing you does to me.” His voice had become deeper.

You made a soft sound. “Good.” You pressed some kisses to his throat. “You always make me feel so good. Now I want you to.”

“You always do.” As your grip on him tightened, a soft sound came from him.

Taking a breath and shifting down you took hold of his pajama pants. “Dan, help me.”

In only his t-shirt you took all of him. The sight made you ache between your legs. “What are you thinking?”

“You’ll see.”

Easily he made room for you as you drew close to him once again. You took hold of him, your fingers gently gliding over him. “I want to taste you Dan, I want to finally take you into my mouth.”

“Honey.” He breathed. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Scooting down, you followed your imagination. You licked at the length of him before taking him into your mouth. He felt much bigger there. Above you, his breathing had become ragged and from the corners of your eyes you could see as his grip tightened and loosened on the blanket.

Gathering a breath, you released him from your mouth. Glancing up, you saw he had tossed his head back. His eyes were closed as he breathed deeply. When he opened them they met yours, “Honey, you are making me feel so good.” One of his hands came to rest on your cheek.

You smiled. “I’m so glad.”

His thumb caressed your cheek. “Is this your first time?”

You nodded.

A deep flush filled his cheeks. “I am honored to be your first. Now tell me while I gather my breath.” He gave you a smile. “Would you like me to finish in your mouth or inside of you?”

The excitement that ripped through you at the ideas, was almost too much. You gently bit down on your lip again as your heart had continued to thud hard in your chest.

“I want to taste you, Dan.”

He nodded. “Oh, sweetheart.” You felt a tremble go through him as he swallowed. “Now, if it doesn’t taste good and you want to spit it out, please do so. And that is perfectly ok.”

You nodded. “Ok.” You smiled. But the idea excited you, something about it sharpened the ache between your legs.

You lowered your mouth upon him once again. It felt so good. Feeling brave, you moved your tongue and lips.

“Oh, honey.” You heard Dan manage to say between moans. “I am getting so close.”

Encouraged by his words you increased your movements. His body tightened under you. You knew he was very close.

Arching, he filled you even more. Feeling him graze the back of your throat made you want to take him in even farther, so you did as much as you could before he shook under you. Your name was a breath, a moan.

Then you felt as he came deep into your mouth. It felt different than when he would cum inside you. Though it still made you feel incredibly good.

His taste consumed you, there was a tanginess to it that you enjoyed. Easily and eagerly you swallowed all of it. As you felt his body calm somewhat, you licked your lips. Realizing a little had escaped because he had filled your mouth so much.

“Oh, honey.” He breathed, closing his eyes.

You knelt beside him once again. You let your hands drift over you. As your hands laid on your thighs, Dan cupped you.

A deep sound came from him. “Allow me.” Was all he said. It wasn’t long before his fingers caressed and rubbed at you. You moved with his fingers.

“Dan.” You barely were able to say. You had grown incredibly wet while having him in your mouth, so it didn’t take long.

“That’s my girl, help me make you feel good.” His voice was deep and helped.

You arched, closing your eyes. Your breath didn’t remain steady. All you could do was moan and pant, his fingers felt so good. He pulled exquisite joy from you as you called out and shaking, you came hard around his fingers. Coming down from it, you slouched where you knelt.

Through your mostly hooded eyes from the pleasure he just gave him, you just caught as he licked at his fingers. It made a fresh new ache blossom in you.

He moved and pulled you close. “Honey,” He pressed kisses here and there on your face. “Lay back, now it’s my turn.” You happily closed your eyes.

“But, but I may swoon.” You whispered, slowly opening your eyes.

“I certainly hope so.” You helped him free you from your sleepshirt.

Easing you onto your back, you loved how he looked as he settled between your legs. He placed kisses on your soft inner thighs. When you first felt his lips and his tongue on you, you called out.

“Oh... Oh Dan.” You managed to pant, you could have sworn you felt him smile.

******

“Be ouuuuuuuur guest.” Was the last thing you heard before turning sleepily and nestling close to Dan’s warm chest, finally drifting off.

“Your turn to fall asleep.” He whispered and kissed the top of your hair.

*******

He struggled to move, it was some kind of force that held his wrists down. He pulled against it, but he was barely able to wiggle. As a cold, clammy hand wrapped around his throat, his attention turned to what was in front of him.

He was face to face with a black, sludgy creature. He was certain, in the haze of fear that had gripped him, that this was the creature from your nightmares.

“Enjoy your time together.” It cackled. “Because soon the darkness in a tomb will be your only companion.” The voice rasped.

Shaking, he awoke and fell out bed. He was grateful you had not awoken. Carefully sliding back into bed, he pulled you close. Glancing, around his room nothing was there except the purple bluish light from the coming dawn, that slipped between the curtains that hung over his windows.

You continued to breath even and deep.

His hand went to his throat. He felt some kind of residue, his heart squeezed.

“You will never get us.” He promised.

He held you closer.

@blondekel77 @thebeckyjolene @blackberries45 @sithonis @mrskenobi19 @hollow-r-us @shantellorraine

FFVI - Deceit

Possible spoilers for FFVI - Set after The End.

---

Sabin shivered as the pub’s door shut out the cold behind him. A warm fire beckoned him from the left, but the bartender called from his right. He came for a purpose. He nodded to the barman as he shucked off his jacket and made his way across the room. Only a few customers littered the tables, too early in the day for drinking. As Sabin passed, he winced at the scent of one particularly miserable looking man. The bartender pulled a face for a short moment, though Sabin could not be sure if the target were him or the drunk.

“Afternoon, good sir.” Sabin climbed into a barstool and rested his jacket over the stool beside him.

“What can I get for ya?” Despite the stereotype, the man simply waited with his hands on the counter behind the bar.

Sabin glanced at the wall of liquor behind him. He’d never been one to indulge too much, especially not in alcohol. But he had a purpose. What would his brother do in this situation?

The bartender tilted his head, impatient.  “Ah, do you have any wines?”

The man chuckled and shook his head. “Only sell those to my VIP clients. Unless you’re looking to spend?”

Sabin barely contained his frustration. He sighed sharply and tilted his head. “How much?”

Thick, greying eyebrows lowered as the man assessed Sabin. He leaned over the bar, glanced at the jacket, and straightened up. “Got a few options for ya. What’re you lookin’ for?”

Sabin closed his eyes. Goddess grant me strength. “Actually, I was looking for one particular gi-… bottle? Goes by- It’s called Nova?”

The bartender laughed openly, a sardonic guffaw, if it were possible. “That’s not available until tonight, young’n.”

Sabin rubbed his eyes, a heavy frustrated sigh escaping him. “How much to make it available now?”

A hand disappeared into the man’s salt and pepper beard. The curly hairs shifted and moved as he pondered. Sabin arched an angry brow. “40,000 Gil.”

“Fourty-!” Sabin hissed his surprise. He came here for a purpose. “Fine.” He fished out his wallet and began to rummage for the largest Gil bills.

The bartender raised his eyebrows. He apparently expected to deter the beefy man. Excitement took over as he waited for Sabin to find all the money to slap on the bar. “Upstairs, last door on the left.”

Sabin nodded with a disingenuous smile. How his brother had afforded this… service boggled him.

---

She groaned at her reflection. The makeup she needed to cover up her scars had gotten rarer as the world disintegrated outside. She might have to return to her old life if this kept up. Most clients didn’t care for her rugged look. A pain tugged at her chest, but she picked up the eyeliner pencil. He’s gone.

A knock startled her. Gemma knew her schedule. She shouldn’t have a knock this early. “Good morning! You might have the wrong room. Lenore is across the hall.”

She heard a few steps at the door, the man turning in place, and then he knocked again. “Sorry to bother you so early?” She rolled her eyes. “This is Miss Nova, correct?”

She sighed from her position in the closet attached to the room. “Yes, it is.”

The door to the room opened. She dropped her head with a heavy sigh.

The boots sounded much heavier than she expected. “Good. I’ve actually come to see you, miss.”

A memory stirred and her heart fluttered. He’s gone. She swallowed, her breath tremulous, and pushed the closet door, the weight of her clothes keeping it open just a crack. “Well, I’m not even indecent, so perhaps you could wait in there?”

A heavy sigh brought the sound of boots to the closet door. “Miss, please, I’m in a bit of a hurry-“

He pushed the door to the closet open. She pressed her lips together for a moment, her true frustration before she slapped on her salacious smirk.

The man squealed, his arms flung upward, his jacket obscuring her view. “I’m sorry!” He yanked the closet door closed, his large jacket swept into the closet with her.

She looked down to herself. She hadn’t yet been able to get her makeup on, but any normal man might find her enticing in her simple bra and panty. Her eyes closed. A virgin?

In her room, she heard the heavy boots pacing for a moment, then the rhythmic taps of running in place, or maybe martial arts? He grunted a few times. Perhaps to calm himself. If he had gotten this far, he had to have paid. Her eyes fell to his large jacket.

“That’s quite all right.” She scooped up the jacket and turned it around. A patch on one arm looked familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it. “Seeing as you’re in such a hurry.” She pulled the large man’s jacket around herself. “I suppose we should get started.”

She opened the closet door, the jacket draped around herself to reveal the slip of her flesh between the buttons. She raised her arm along the edge of the door, her head tilted to reveal her neck around the collar. Broad shoulders met her, a purplish tank tucked into white pants, tucked into a pair of boots. Ashy blonde hair stirred another memory, more pain in her chest, but she smirked in an effort to hide it. He turned arouned.

“I’ll be whate-“ All attempts to maintain her composure failed.

A familiar face, the same but somehow different, turned around to her. Blue eyes roamed over her atop crimson cheeks. Her arm dropped, her brow furrowed, as he rubbed a hand over his cropped hair to his ponytail, a slight little rat tail sticking out of the back of his head. He sighed and turned away, the big, meaty arm blocking her view of his facial features.

“I’m sorry, Miss Nova, there seems to be a misunderstanding here. I’m not… here for… the wine?” His eyes darted to her a few times as he spoke around his arm.

She pulled his jacket tight around her mostly naked body. Did he not remember her? Did he have amnesia again? “Then what are you here for?”

He cleared his throat, an attempt to calm himself. “I, uh…” His arm dropped. She studied his jawline. The same, but different. “I heard that you have a ticket to South Figaro. Is that right?”

The question threw her. She furrowed her brow. She had acquired that ticket as a gift from Gemma for her birthday. She never understood why he exchanged her birthday pay for that ticket, she’d never expressed an interest in it before, but she held onto it. She assumed he meant it as a thank you for her service, as a ticket to freedom, should she desire it.

“Who told you that?”

He waved a dismissive hand and wandered over to sit on the edge of the bed. “That’s… not really important. But you do have one, correct?”

Her body covered and a topic at hand, he seemed to have gained some level of control over himself. “I might. Why are you asking? Did you want to buy it?”

His brow furrowed. “Buy it?”

She nodded and stepped into the room. “What’s it worth to you?”

“It’s worth a great deal to me.” Her chest tightened. He’s gone.

She sighed and dropped into a chair at the table in the room. “Well, I suppose I could sell it. But I won’t go under what the going rate is.”

He looked genuinely confused. “You’d sell it?” Not excited.

She frowned. “That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it?”

He shook his head. “No! No. I was actually hoping to convince you to use it.”

Her brow lifted almost to her hairline. “Use it?” Her brow furrowed. “You want me to run away with you?”

He laughed and shook his head again. Her heart ached. “N-… Maybe? It’s a bit complicated.”

She set her jaw. “Or maybe you’re hoping to save me?”

His lips mushed, his eyes searching for a proper response. “No. Not that.”

He sighed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. She looked to his hands; a fighter’s hand, rough and red on the knuckles, meaty calloused fingers.

“There’s…” He looked to the window. His brow furrowed. “An opportunity.” He looked back to her, his brow set in conviction. “I’m opening a bar in South Figaro and I need girls.”

She scoffed. “Not a very good liar.”

He sighed, found out. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told the truth.” He rubbed his forehead. “Fine. I want you to go to Figaro and I can’t tell you why. How do I make this happen?"

Her breath hitched as fear gripped her throat. She glanced to his bulging arms, the tan lines for knuckles across his fingers, and focused on his face. She struggled to keep herself calm, controlled. “You want a companion for the end of the world and I’m the one you chose?”

Confusion twisted up his face for a moment. He leaned back, hand at the back of his neck again. She waited, tense.

He drew a slow, calming breath. “Yeah, sure. What’ll it take?”

She narrowed her eyes at his stubbled jawline. “I suppose you’ll have to make it worth Gemma’s while. I work for him.”

He took a deep breath and she felt the tension in his sigh, watched his muscles work under the skin, watched his shoulders roll. “If I do, you’ll get on that boat tomorrow?”

She stiffened. “Tomorrow? You expect me to drop-“ If he convinced Gemma, he’d be her new boss. She weighed her words, calmed herself; there was no way. “You know what, sure.”

He nodded and stood. “Good. Gemma is the bartender?”

“Owner.” She confirmed.

His face twisted in disgust and he stepped for the door. He looked down at his arm, then back to her. The flush rose on his cheeks again, the color spreading to his ears. “You can… hold onto the jacket.”

She chuckled a bit as he scurried out the door.

---

The sea air tasted different after the End of the World. The wind whipped her hair around, stronger than before. She remembered it all, a distant nostalgia of something she knew would never return. Maybe someday, far into the future, the grass might grow green again, the water a bright and clear blue, but not today.

A grunt and thunk behind her pulled her attention. The blonde man from yesterday dropped her two trunks onto the dock. Part of her admired the way his muscles flexed, impressed that he had the strength to carry both, but she swallowed her work and looked to his face. He’s gone.

“That’s all you have?” He rubbed his hands together.

She nodded and held out his knapsack. “Are you offering to buy me more?”

He laughed and accepted the bag with a grateful nod. “Just making sure you don’t forget anything.”

A strained smile found her face. “Not things I’ll be missing.”

He looked confused for a moment. A slight shrug found his broad shoulders and he ambled his way toward the dockworkers, presumably to ensure her items were loaded onto the boat. She looked back to Nikeah, over the dirty houses with incomplete roofs, to the bar that had come to be her home for years. From the door spilled a group of people that she couldn’t quite make out, but the vibrant colors of their clothing meant one thing. She grinned and hurried back up the dock toward town.

“Nova!” One of the girls waved feverishly as Nova jogged back up the dock.

The man turned to watch the proceedings for a moment, then turned back to the worker. “Not too long now, Miss Nova!”

The girls all tittered and waved at him. He flushed a crimson they could see from their distance and hurried up the plank onto the ship.

Lenore, a redhead, one of the younger girls, slapped Nova on the shoulder. “Lucky~! You found yourself a patron. And he’s so handsome!”

Nova laughed once. “And he still hasn’t told me his name.” The girls all looked to her. “Thank you for coming to see me off, ladies.”

“We’ll miss you, you know.” A brunette shouted from behind the pack.

Lenore nodded. “I just hope that Gemma can find someone half as good to replace you.”

Nova smiled. She didn’t mean it. She nodded. “You girls remember what I taught you, hm? And make sure Gemma hires a better bodyguard.”

Lenore reached out to grab her hand. “You won’t forget us, will you?”

Nova looked to her hand. “Of course not.”

“And if he has a brother or something-“

Nova scoffed and ripped her hand from Lenore’s. “Take care of yourselves, girls.”

She tromped back toward the boat. She really expected more. They all competed for men in the bar, but she expected a sisterhood during the light of day. Lenore had come recently, still held the competition above all else. She earned more than the other girls and liked to flaunt it. Perhaps it was for the best that Nova had a patron. She hated it. She preferred monster hunting.

“Nova!” The brunette rushed after her.

Nova stopped and turned around. “Nimsy…”

Nimsy panted slightly and held out a medium roll of canvas. Nova took it carefully. “What’s this?”

Nimsy looked back to the girls, all waving as Lenore stepped back toward the pub, waving to a few men on the streets. The men glanced between each other and started to argue.

Nova took the canvas and started to unroll it. Nimsy wrung her hands. “It’s… it’s just a little something I had. Thought it might… help you remember us. Remember your time here. And, ah…” She trailed off, nervous.

Nova unfurled the roll to a half-finished collection of portraits stitched to the larger canvas, each face in various states of artistry. The complete ones, the oldest girls at the bar since Nimsy’s arrival. Lenore barely had lines painted for her features. Nova smiled, her eyes crinkled up with the rise of her cheeks.

“Nimsy, I didn’t know you had the talent.” Nova’s eyes continued to scan the faces.

Nimsy shrugged. “Not much use now, world being what it is.”

Nova looked up to her a moment, then back to the faces. “Well, I suppose this means I’ll have to bring my patron back again.”

Nimsy straightened. “What? Why?”

Nova rolled the canvas up as carefully as she could. “Well, for starters, your face isn’t here.” Nimsy gasped. “But mostly because not all of them are finished.”

Nimsy giggled and nodded. “I look forward to it.”

Nova hugged the roll to herself.

---

The sway of the ship, however slight, upset his balance. He had trained on solid ground, in a mountain, for years. The slight rocking of a large vessel should be nothing to him. And yet the kicks never landed where they should.

“Oi! That mast isn’t your bloody dummy!” The helmsman held on hand on the large spoked wheel behind him.

Sabin chuckled and bowed slightly. “Sorry!”

A girlish chuckle found him from the door to the cabins. He looked to the woman, Nova, and frowned. “What?”

She shrugged. He much appreciated her fully clothed, though he questioned her choice of a dress for their travel. She had insisted, still under the assumption that he was to be her “Patron”, whatever that meant. He assumed it meant something like the man that paid for Relm’s paintings, but she didn’t paint. A heat rose on his cheeks and he rolled his eyes – he was far too old to be getting flustered.

“What are you chuckling about?” He moved away from her onto the larger area of the deck.

She followed after him. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just thought your enthusiasm was charming. I didn’t mean any offense.”

He growled and took up a stance in the middle of the empty deck. She stopped by the edge of the area. He waited for a moment, for her to say anything, for mockery or flirtations. When none came, he started through a training regimen.

He forgot her presence after a few punches. But he certainly did not have a clear mind. He attempted the kicks as best he could, but the rocking of the boat made it difficult. His master, Duncan, might’ve provided him with some manner of wisdom. He should visit him after this mess is concluded. Embarrassing, though, that he had managed to fight on airships and floating chunks of rock and high up in the clouds with a nihilistic God-creature, and the rock of a ship set him off balance.

“You’re very good.”

Her voice startled him. He looked back to her. “Thank you.”

She offered him a perky smile, meant to disarm him. It worked. He looked away quickly. “If I may.” She crossed the deck to him.

He stiffened at her approach. “You mean to teach me something?”

Her head pulled back, offended for a moment. She chuckled lightly and shook her head. “No, sir.” He clicked his teeth. “I don’t know how to address you.”

His brow lifted. His mouth dropped open and he pondered the events of the last day. Mirth bubbled up in his belly and he released a guffaw. “By the Gods, you’re right. I’m terribly sorry. I am Sabin R-“ He froze. Would she recognize the name?

She smiled, his laughter contagious, and waited. “Sabin?”

A slight noise escaped his throat. He nodded. “Yeah. Just Sabin.”

She placed a hand on his upper arm. He looked down to her, his eyes graced over her cleavage, and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks again. “It’s a pleasure, Sabin.”

He cleared his throat and backed away from her. “S-so how long have you had that ticket to Figaro, anyway?”

She furrowed her brow, confused, but retracted her hand. “Almost a year now, I suppose. Why do you ask?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. He had simply grasped at a different topic but answering her question might tip her off to his true purpose. He furrowed his brow. How to salvage. He drifted to the edge of the boat and gazed out at the dull, grey waters.

“Is that why you chose me? Out of all the other girls?” She moved to stand beside him.

He looked to her. “What do you mean?”

She set her jaw and looked to the ocean. “I’ve never been very popular, even before working at that brothel. Was I just the cheapest option?”

He looked at her. Her shoulders squared, her jaw set, her gaze steel. A fighter at heart. He overheard what she told the girls, “remember what I taught you”. A smile tugged at his lips. “Ah, no… To be honest, you weren’t cheap.” He looked back to the sea and crossed his arms. “Though, in my defense, I’m not entirely sure what’s expensive or not anymore.”

A chuckle exploded from her tight jaw. “Economy went to shambles since the… everything.”

He hummed agreement.

“How did you manage to make your money, then?” She glanced to him, relaxed for the moment.

He tensed up again. “Ah… inherited it.” Not untrue, not really.

She hummed. “I’m surprised there was anything left for you to inherit.” She stiffened. “Though I am grateful.” She turned and smiled to him, all brightness and charm.

A mask.

Sabin had seen the same mask on his brother ever since they met up again. The End of the World had taken something from all of them, but Edgar, despite all his reassurances, felt them stronger than most. The Returners had found each other, each finding closure or purpose in the World of Ruin, in defeating Kefka again. Edgar did his best to become a monarch that the world could rely upon, and Sabin did his best to assist, but he could feel the sadness on him.

Sabiin uncrossed his arms. “Do you have a dream?”

The mask fell away, replaced with confusion. “I’m sorry?”

A noise escaped his throat. “Sorry, I got lost in thought.” He cleared his throat. “Now that you’re… here, you can ask for anything you want.” He smiled. “So? What do you want?”

Her brow furrowed and she looked down, finger to her lips. “You know, I’ve never given it much thought. I just assumed I’d be serving you.” Her eyes roamed his torso. “What is that you want, Sabin?”

His eyes unfocused at her seductive tone. He took a deep breath and turned away. “You’re not going to be… serving me. Not… like that.” A sound escaped her and he gestured nervously. “Not that you aren’t a… lovely… woman. Just that… I’m- I’m- It’s not why-“

Her hand found his arm again and he found her giggling. “That’s all right! We can take it slow.”

Frustration and embarrassment clawed at his mind. “No, you don’t- There’s been a misunderstanding. I-“

Rain hit his arm. He jerked back as rain dropped on her. Sabin checked the skies. Not a terrible storm, but rainclouds all the same. He gestured toward the lower decks and Nova rushed away. He thanked the Gods for the interruption.

---

She found him on the deck again, practicing the martial arts with a mastery she could only pray for. Despite his constant protestations over their short time knowing each other, she wondered when he would give in to take what he paid for. Despite her best efforts, she found him attractive, though the pain in her heart reminded her constantly as to why. He’s Gone.

“Oh! Nova.” He stood from his landing out of some flip. His wide grin spread to tug at her lips.

She waved to him. “Sabin. You’re looking better today.”

His brow lifted, but the grin spread wider. “Thank you! I feel better.”

She chuckled. “Mental health is just as important and physical health, eh?”

Teeth spread through the grin and he nodded. “Yes, thank you for the talk last night!” He walked toward her and gestured to the strip of fabric on the barrels beside her. “Did it help you sleep as well?” He grabbed the water skin under the towel and drank thirstily.

He practically dwarfed her in size, not just from his massive bulk, but his height. She blushed and her chest tightened. She wanted to answer him that No, memories still haunted her, but she smiled. “Of course. Though I might’ve slept better with you beside me.”

He spilled water from the skin on himself. He coughed a bit and wiped his face.

She sighed. “Why did you hire me if not for that?”

He cleared his throat. His eyes searched around the ship, over the water, the sky. Searching for some kind of lie, she had learned. “I need… a partner.”

One brow lifted. “Why hire a prostitute?”

His cheeks flushed at the word. “I heard… you used to… be a monster hunter. Before the… everything.” He chugged more water from the skin.

Her eyes narrowed. “Then how about you teach me a few of those moves, so that I might serve you properly.”

He lowered the waterskin, cheeks full, ponderous. He swallowed the water and nodded. “You know what? Sure. I’m no Duncan, but I am a Ki-“ He froze. “Keeeeee-ind man.” He jammed the stopper into the waterskin a little too hard. “You should probably put on some trousers or something, though.”

She laughed, incredulous. “Truly?” He nodded. “Well… I’ll see if I can find any.”

---

He heaved a relieved sigh as he stepped foot on the dock. He had barely gotten used to the rocking of the ship, if ever, and longed for the steadiness of ground. Behind him, Nova smiled, a bit more genuinely than she had at the beginning of the adventure. He turned around and offered her a hand to help her down. She took it graciously.

He smiled as she released his hand. “Okay, you stay here while I go hire some Chocobos.”

She started. “Chocobos? Where are we going?”

He tilted his head as he walked backward. “On an adventure!”

She looked uneasy but settled for his answer as he drifted further away.

Thankfully the Chocobo Rental had a cart. He checked in town if there were any deliveries for the castle and loaded them up as well. Nova, for her part, attempted to take their new load in stride, but she appeared confused and uneasy.

“Are you all right?” Sabin tossed a sack of X-Potions into the cart, his attention focused on Nova on the bench at the front.

She inhaled slowly. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but… I assumed you lived here. Or that… we would stay here for a while, at least.”

He grinned and dropped a box of tents into the cart, the last of the items. “No, I don’t live here. Did you want to stay? I suppose we could postpone the trip a bit.”

Her forehead scrunched up, at odds with whatever duties she thought she had and her comfort. Sabin frowned. Her face pulled tighter. He sighed. “Or are you afraid of what’s out there?”

She spun on him, surprised. The first time he had unsettled her since their meeting. Her eyes roamed the ground as she searched for an answer. He hopped up onto the driving bench. “Hey, Nova, it’s okay. I’ll protect you.”

Her hands closed tightly, that melancholy back behind her eyes. He reminded her of something, someone.

“You became my patron to be a partner, right? I should be beside you if battle comes.” A deflection?

He chuckled. “Well, do you want to stop by the arsenal? Get you some weapons and armor? I never did ask what your preferred method of combat was.”

She tilted her head at him. She looked down to her dress, chosen for their arrival and assumed tourism or home visit he gathered, and nodded. “Armor might do me good.”

A new wardrobe purchased, Sabin flicked the reins on the Chocobos. They whistled and proceeded on their way, ambling along the path that Sabin directed them toward. Beside him, Nova pressed on various spots of her new armor, a new leather piece not yet broken in, and frowned. He chuckled.

It took several minutes of her adjusting the armor before she groaned and started to fiddle with her chakram. She had migrated to them in the store, then refused to purchase them, instead focused on the lances at the front. When pressed, she eventually admitted that combat actually terrified her. She preferred ranged weaponry, to keep her distance from the monster. And her throw had atrophied over the years. He had slapped her on the back, causing her to stumble, and reassured her that she was perfectly fine and normal. It might take time, but she could regain her strength if she wanted, maybe even surpass her old limits. She thanked him, still uneasy, until he dropped a Bard’s Hat on her. A chuckle escaped her and he thanked her for being open with him.

Their passage through the desert took longer than he had wanted, but he found her prowess in combat much higher than she led him to believe. Either she had been purposely clumsy during their training sessions on the ship or she remembered more than she thought. He greatly appreciated her backup, always ready with a Potion of some kind, and her skill with the Chakram took out many enemies that attempted to attack him over the corpse of their pack mate.

They made camp about another day’s travel from the castle. He set up the chocobos with food and water and settled in by the bundle of sticks that Nova had managed to find along the way. She gazed at them, her eyes lost to the melancholy again. Sabin moved to sit beside her. She jolted at his presence and tossed a few more on the bundle. He stretched a hand to cast Fire, but caught himself. Thankfully, Nova seemed lost in thought.

“Penny for your thoughts?” He moved to gather the flint and tinder.

She shook her head. “I don’t think even you have enough money for my thoughts.”

He paused before striking the materials together and looked to her. “That many, huh?”

The fire blazed to life in the reflection in her eyes. She blinked. “Missing someone, I guess.”

He tensed as he stored the rocks back in their pouch. His eyes roamed as he desperately thought of something to say.

“Oh! He’s… He’s gone. You have nothing to worry about.” She attempted a fake smile at him.

He settled back into the sand beside her. He knew. But he couldn’t let her know that. It had to be a surprise. For the both of them. He took a deep breath. “Wanna tell me about him anyway?”

Her brow furrowed. Her eyes closed. Her knees lifted toward her chin and she hugged her legs. “No. It wouldn’t be fair to you. I tell you about the men I’ve been with before and you get jealous and it poisons our relationship.” She looked to him, her eyes roaming his features again.

He felt the heat threaten his cheeks despite the warm desert air. He cleared his throat, startling one of the chocobos for a moment before being calmed by the other. He planted his feet on the sand and draped his arms over his knees. “You really should rein that in. I’ve told you already that I’m not interested in that with you.”

She looked away again. Silence filled the camp for several moments and she rested her forehead on her knees. He looked to her and rolled his eyes.

“I just… I don’t understand why you paid for me.” Her voice escaped quietly, meekly, through her tangle of limbs.

He reached over to slap a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll become clear tomorrow, I promise.”

---

Everything packed up, they made their way further into the desert. Her new employer, her not-patron, kept her in the dark. He had warned her, before they started this journey together, that he couldn’t tell her why he needed her to use that ticket to Figaro, but she didn’t realize what that truly meant.

The journey forced her to confront old memories, memories that she had attempted to lock away. The way he laughed, or smiled, or the way he looked with his hair down the few times she caught him after a bath. He looked and sounded so much like him. He’s Gone! She had to remind herself constantly. But it became harder and harder for her to accept that when his ghost fought beside her.

At least he never used magic. One thing about him had been his use of magic. He lit the fire under the bathing tub, lit the fire in the pub, used wind or ice to snuff them out. He’d even cast a healing magic or two before, when one of the girls got hurt by a client. She tried not to remember the times he had used magic to punish those clients that got out of line. But Sabin, at least, only ever used his fists. Nothing like him.

“There it is.” Sabin flicked the reins.

Nova lifted her eyes and in the distance, through the haze of heat distortion, she made out a castle, wiggling high over the desert. Her heart jumped. She stood on the wagon, hand on Sabin’s shoulder, and blocked the sun with the other. Sure enough, the castle remained, clearer the closer they got. Sabin laughed and the chocobos whistled.

“We’re heading there!?” She wheeled on him.

“Yup!” He beamed with the distinct look of a man happy to be heading home.

Couldn’t be. She shook her head. “Figaro Castle?”

He nodded. “The one and only. You know it?”

Her chest tightened. Uneven sand jostled the wagon, upsetting her balance. She fell to the bench beside Sabin. “I knew someone that did.”

Several minutes passed in silence as the castle loomed directly before them. Too many thoughts ravaged her mind to process any single one. Finally, she settled on one. “Why are we going there?”

His eyes roamed, his tell. He eventually gestured to the cargo. “Making a delivery.” He left it at that, a simple not-lie.

She sneered. “You’re still not a good liar.”

He chuckled nervously. “What! You think all these crates and barrels of stuff are for us?”

She leaned forward, chin on hand, elbow on knee. “No.”

Before her mind could process another question out, they made it to the castle.

“Ah! Sir, you’re back!” The guards jogged from the entrance to meet the chocobo and her not-patron respectively.

Sabin nodded and handed the reins to the guard. “Got some supplies from South Figaro that need unloading. Rented the ‘bos and the cart, so they’ll need to be returned. Any idea where Wellager is?”

The men moved to follow Sabin’s orders. “He should be in his office, sir. But you can never tell these days.”

Sabin jumped down from the cart and offered a hand to Nova. The guards paid her little mind. She took his hand and hopped down beside him. “Wellager?”

Sabin nodded and gestured for her to follow him. “Yeah, he’ll want to check in with me.”

Overloaded with confusion, she followed Sabin absently into the castle. She scanned her surroundings, not entirely taking what she saw, and dodged around random servants, guards, and technicians. Machines whirred in every exposed bit of wall, filling the building with a hum. Sabin travelled the halls with familiarity.

“Ah! There you are, Wellager!” Sabin waved at a man in the hall.

The man looked up from a stack of papers, large rolls of canvas tucked until one arm, a bucket of tools from the other. “Hm?”

Sabin jogged forward. “Ah, this is the surprise I sent you a letter about.” He tilted his head in what could only be described as an intimidating gesture.

Wellager, not intimidated, understood the meaning behind his words and nodded. “O-of course, sir.” He looked directly to Nova. “His- He’s down below right now, though, working on the machinery.”

Sabin nodded. “Did you make up a room for her?”

The man nodded and tilted his head. “Well, let’s have a look at her, hm?”

He thrust his items into Sabin’s large arms and stepped toward her. She took in his appearance, now free of his load. A blue and yellow turban with a gold circlet adorned his head and a bit of fabric to protect his neck from the sun, fancy pauldrons of blue and yellow with gold accents held up a cape that covered a set of armor. She swallowed hard and bowed to the man, unsure of the protocol and why Sabin had such a close relationship with the man. But then again, he did have money; perhaps a merchant adventurer then?

“Well, at least she has manners. Come, stand.” The man started to circle her, clearly assessing her.

Nova watched the man circle until he moved out of sight. She looked back to Sabin. “Are you… selling me to him?”

The man pulled up beside her and looked to Sabin. “Pardon?”

Sabin laughed, dropping all the items that Wellager had handed him, and moved to grab her arm rather forcefully. “Nothing, Chancellor. Don’t listen to her. I think it’s about time we found my brother, don’t you think?”

Her brow furrowed as Sabin pushed her down the hall away from the Chancellor. Her eyes widened. “Chancellor!?”

Sabin shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

The Chancellor called after them and scooped up all the scattered items on the floor.

Having wended their way through the castle to meet with the Chancellor, Nova had no idea where Sabin directed her to at high speed. She merely moved at his prodding. “You’re hurting me.” He yanked his hand back with apologies and continued to direct her through a door and down a set of stairs.

The sound of machinery grew ever louder as they descended into the pits of the castle. Figaro Castle had been famous long before the End for its ability to disappear into the sand, but to see it up close awed her. And nearly deafened her. She tried to turn back to Sabin to ask something, anything, and he shook his head. Behind them, she made out the green and red cape of the Chancellor following close behind.

They emerged through a door to a room with a huge metal piston, unmoving, as a group of men worked on the surrounding machinery, huge metal masks covering their faces.

“Ah, here we are!” Sabin shouted, though the noise level in the room had diminished greatly.

Each man lifted their head to reveal a set of large gloves protecting them from a rod that created sparks. A few of the men looked between each other and back to the pair. One man in particular dropped his rod and stood. The others looked to him and to each other again. He frantically removed the gloves to reveal blue tunic sleeves. The same urgency led his hands to pull at the back of the mask even as he lifted the front and together he worked the large metal mask off his face.

His face.

Nova felt her heart clench, her throat go dry, as he stepped over his equipment even as he dropped it. He surged forward, hair a sweaty mess against his face, eyes wide and just as beautiful, jaw cleanly shaven, an apron over his front. Even through her teary eyes, she recognized this man.

“Gerad!” She barely forced the word out, her body quivering, unable to process what she saw.

He panted as he moved to stand before her. His hands lifted toward her, hovered over her features, as if unable to believe she existed either. Sabin moved away to stand by the wall, arms crossed. She could almost make out his smug smile.

“There you are!” The Chancellor burst through the door behind her.

That broke whatever spell paralyzed the two. Gerad straightened up and his features affixed into a mask she did not recognize. He smiled, bowed his head every so slightly, his posture completely stiff and formal. He flashed her a smile, one he intended to be charming. “My lady, the engine room is no place for one such as you-“

She slapped him. Though she struggled to contain them, tears crept down her cheeks. He’s not gone! He had used her, cared for her, betrayed her, left her. She assumed he had died in this castle when the Crimson Robbers returned with their loot. She never received another letter. She had mourned him. And here he stood, alive and well, performing maintenance on the castle!

Gerad stumbled back from the blow, his face turned away, shocked. She saw a new scar on his neck. The other workers stiffened as he stood there. Sabin merely chuckled. The Chancellor gasped and hurried into the room to drop his items, ready to perform whatever duty required on her.

She watched Gerad’s eyes dim, harden. He kept his face away, allowing his cheek to redden. “I suppose I deserved that.” His eyes turned to her. “Unless you have more?”

She set her jaw. “I have plenty more, you bastard.”

The Chancellor advanced on her. “That is quite enough of that, young lady!”

Gerad reacted quickly to grab the man’s pauldron. “No, Wellager.”

The Chancellor spun on him. “But, Your Majesty-“

“What!?” Nova felt her mind break. She focused on Gerad. “WHAT?”

He inhaled slowly. “I see we have much to discuss.” He gestured back toward where he had been working. “Wellager, if you please.”

The Chancellor sighed heavily, obviously displeased with this turn of events, and moved to fiddle with the equipment Gerad had been working with. For his part, Gerad removed the oiled leather apron and hung it on a hook by Sabin. He glared daggers at the man that shared his face. Nova furrowed her brow. He had called him brother.

“Wait.” She pointed to Sabin. “You’re his brother?”

Gerad looked back to her, then to Sabin. “What did you do?”

Sabin raised his hands defensively. “I only did what I thought best.”

Gerad’s expression hardened, all angles, and he frowned. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Sabin growled as Gerad turned away to her. He softened almost immediately, but she felt the his melancholy. Her chest tightened as she fought her desire to comfort him, her feelings for him, with her anger and frustration at his betrayal.

He extended a hand toward her, one around his back. Formal. Royal. “If you will accompany me, my lady.” He gestured his hand toward the door.

She waited on the other side of the door and watched as he turned back to the room of workers in their strange equipment. “Gentlemen, if you would continue without me.” They all jolted, flustered, and returned to their sparks.

Gerad closed the door and nodded to her. “Thank you for waiting. Follow me, if you please.”

He did not wait for a response as he continued up the stairs. She glared at his back, the unkempt sweaty hair, familiar in an entirely different way to Sabin’s. The color had changed from when she knew him, but she knew the style, the way it frayed. She recognized his broad shoulders, knew what they looked like under the indigo fabric. Part of her begged to touch him, to return to that time, to that bed. She set her jaw and followed him.

He nodded absently to a few people as they made their way through the castle. He did not stop for any of them, apologizing briefly as he made his way by. They all glanced to her in confusion, but promised to address him later. He kept a hand at the small of his back as he walked, his posture upright, stiff. Formal. Royal.

Eventually he led her through what she assumed to be the throne room. Large, empty, a red carpet through the center with two ostentatious stairs in the back. He strode across without hesitation and through the back. Presumably into the King’s Chambers.

Could you possibly write a frank x female reader who is fairly androgynous. Like really short hair who mostly wears sweats and crappy shirts. Im tired of reading so many Uber feminine reader fits. Hard to relate. Thank you!

Thanks for your request! This is actually my first time writing a requested fic, so be warned.

Note :Since I can actually relate a lot to your request, as I myself often wear stuff that isn’t really feminine , and occasionally shop in the guys section. (funny how xs for women and xl for men fits me the same, seriously sizes are confusing af. ) I corrected this at 1 A.M. so be warned

Warnings: grapic descriptions of violence and language

Pairing: frank castle x reader

Anyways here a little summary: I decided to go with Frank from season 1 episode 1 aka Construction worker Frank. The female reader is a co worker of Frank, and those bullies at the construction who bullied Frank (calling him a gimp etc.) are occasionally picking on her too. She actually thinks Frank is alright , but doesn’t try to pry to much so she just keeps a safe distance. Frank Frank kinda likes her too, you’ll see.

It had been three months since you started working here and had completed your apprenticeship. You quickly figured out that you were the only female on this construction site. That didn’t bother you though, as long as you could do your job , you were fine. There were some things that annoyed you though, on this particular site were a lot of douchebags, some were bullying everyone that didn’t fit in, which included you and some guy that didn’t play well with others, and of course there were guys that couldn’t stop commenting on your figure , even though you wore the same work clothes as them, since they didn’t have any of them fit for women they were pretty baggy on you, but you never were one to put much effort into dressing feminine . That didn’t matter apparently. You didn’t let them bring you down though, if someone commented on your appearance or mocked the way you behaved you were sure to give them a hard time.

Today a new worker was joining the construction team. You hadn’t really been introduced yet; the bullies usually beat you to it. As always, they were showing the new guy around, making him familiar with the site. You went ahead to go do your todays task, you had been assigned to work with Pete, so you made your way up to his workplace. As you arrived the guys that were showing the new guy around were picking on Pete. One was poking him in the chest, calling him a “gimp”. Pete didn’t react though, just staring at the guy and then turning his back. They seemed to lose interest and moved on.

“I hate those assholes.” You muttered passing Pete and putting your gear on the ground next to you. Pete just gave you a wordless shrug as answer and picked up his hammer. From there on you two worked silently next to each other, until it was time for lunch.

You were just unpacking your lunch when you heard some guys talking about a gig , to make some fast money ,illegally apparently. Pete must have heard it too, because he was looking a lot grumpier than usual. Just as you wanted to say something one of the guys that had been talking started to walk towards Pete bellowing in his face that he was intruding. When the guy started stomping on Pete’s lunch, you had had enough of it. You knew that Pete could take care of himself, he was more that capable of that , but you just couldn’t let it stand that those guys were treating another human being like that.

” Hey dirtbag, I am here too , he isn’t the only one that heard you talking bout your fucking illegal business! Maybe you’re just too damn stupid to realize it but that ain´t exactly the stuff to talk about at your workplace with your coworkers around!” You bellowed in his face.

“What did you just say you fucking bitch?!” The dirtbag shouted at you.

“Your dick may be small, that’s okey , but don’t let your frustration at your inability to get laid out on other people!” You countered in a mocking tone.

Well you didn’t expect to hear Pete chuckle, and you certainly didn’t expect your coworker to smack you in the face. You saw stars for a moment , but then you recovered quickly to land a precise punch on his nose. In your peripheral you could see his friends emerging, and started to brace yourself for a real fight. Two guys were advancing you, when Pete suddenly pulled you behind him. While he was busy with those two you had to go against the guy that had started it all, he had picked up a sledgehammer and was trying to hit you with it. Seeing the hole in the wall it had produced next to you, you quickly started to get real nervous , you hastily picked up a metal bar that was lying beside you. It was clear by now that these guys were trying to kill you, and apparently Pete too. While you had been dodging the one guy , Pete had at least killed one guy and knocked two others out, one of them not wanting to stay down it seemed. You had heard shots too, apparently someone had pulled a gun , but Pete had quickly gotten a hold of it and killed them.

With a loud crash the hammer collided with the bar you were using to defend yourself with. Slowly you began to think that you might not make it out of here alive.

All of a sudden Pete appeared behind your assailant and grabbed a hold of the hammer. He smashed it into the guys skull , he fell down immediately. His lifeless form now decorating the ground with his blood. You looked up at Pete a shocked expression plastered on your face. He just growled:” You don’t fucking hit a woman.”

You wanted to say something when you noticed another guy aiming his gun at Pete. Pushing Pete out of the way you quickly charged at the man effectively knocking the gun out of his hand. It clattered to the floor, and before you could reach for it, Pete had it aimed at the guy and shot him straight in the head.

It was sickening the stench of blood everywhere, but your focus was on Pete , or maybe you should call him Frank.

You hadn’t been sure at first but his little massacre just now had confirmed your suspicions that he was indeed the punisher.

“We need to go,” was all he said before gripping your hand and pulling you with him. Wordlessly you followed him down the stairs.

When you arrived at the yard you said:” W-We can take my c-car.” Given that you were in shock you just handed him the keys to your black chevy truck.

Apparently there were no witnesses, since it had been around lunch there hadn’t been anyone else on the site at the time it happened. Since you two were missing , you were a suspect. So you stayed with Frank for a while.

It had been more than a while since the incident, and you and Frank were sitting at a diner talking. “I talked to a friend, and he said he can help you.Gget you a new identity, you could start over.” Frank suggested in a hushed voice. “We have been over this , I don’t want a new start.But if you don’t want me to stay with you anymore that’s fine.” You mumbled. Looking into his eyes , searching for something unknown. Franks response was a little agitated , he grabbed your hand that was laying on the table next to his. Squeezing it he mumbled: “That is not what I am saying, I just want you to have a choice.” You wanted to say something when the waitress called to you saying there was someone on thenphone for Frank.

It had been an awful couple of days, Frank and you both had tried to find out as much as you could about this Micro guy. Frank had cut off his beard and gotten a buzz cut, which you didn’t mind one bit by the way. You had had to change you appearance too, cutting off your hair till it was just below your ears and dying it black. You had just finished rubbing it dry with a towel and were putting on your cargo pants, Frank had the same ones just a few sizes bigger, when he walked in and looked at you :”You know you can still back out now, you don’t have to do this for me, we have no idea who this guy even is.” He tried to convince you.

“I told you already , I will not let you do this alone, I have your back. Besides if we are right then he is just some nerd guy that wants to get back to his family.” You walked towards him. He looked at you like he was in deep thought before he said, cupping your face with his hands:” You stay behind me , and remember what we talked about. If you get hurt I don’t know what I will do.”

It was the first time he admitted that you meant something to him. You got on your tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his cheek instead of his lips , as you didn’t want to overstep anything. But he wouldn’t have it, leaning in he pulled you towards him once more , kissing you gently on the lips. You leaned into it trying to hold in the moan that eventually escaped your lips. You both parted panting and looking at each other.

“You want this?” He asked hastily while his hand squeezed your hip. “Yes , yes I do.“ You panted, just before he pulled you in again , crushing his lips to yours.

You barely made it to the bed.

Micro would have to wait.

Extra Help

Pairing: Teacher!Chris EvansxBlack Reader

⚠️: None, all fluff💕!

You weren’t quite sure what to expect when your best friend called needing you to fill in for her at the monthly parent teacher conference. Ronan wasn’t a bad kid by any means, so you doubt that it was about him being disruptive or getting into a fight. Then again, like any 10 year old boy, he could have his moments, bringing you back to square one wondering what would be discussed at this meeting.

Reaching the wooden door, you turn the handle revealing a childlike, decorated classroom brightly lit from the remaining sun shining outside before it was due to set. Various drawings from stick figures to flowers littered the walls along with scholastic posters showing the water cycle and how to use the infamous PEMDAS, just to name a few. There were also posters of superheroes and even some of puppies that made you softly smile.

“Auntie Y/N!,” Ronan smiles hopping up from his desk to hug your legs. “Mom’s not coming?”

“Not this time, she had to work late. Now what did you do that we have to have this meeting?,” you ask eyeing him suspiciously making Ronan giggle.

“Nothing bestest auntie.”

“Bestest auntie? Now I know you definitely did something,” you respond tickling his sides.

“Hi! You must be Ronan’s godmother.” Red plaid button up hanging over his dark jeans, a man who you assume to be Ronan’s teacher emerges from his office with black frames resting on his cheeks and impeccably clean white sneakers on his feet. His gold pendant gleaming in the light only brings more attention to his broad chest, and rolled up sleeves display his muscular arms. “I’m his teacher Mr. Evans.”

His hand envelopes yours in softness and warmth as he greets you with a handshake. The bright smile on his lips not only captures you, but somehow brings comfort even though you only just met. Ronan had told countless stories of his favorite teacher, Mr. Evans, and how he was so cool, funny, and smart.

The figure standing in front of you now compared to who you envisioned then, though, was definitely not the same.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N,” you smile back. “Nina apologizes again for not being able to make it.”

“She doesn’t have to apologize, I completely understand. Please have a seat at my desk and we can get started.” Pulling up one of the bigger chairs for you as Ronan gets one of the student chairs for himself, you both sit in front of the mahogany desk soon meeting with his welcoming blue eyes.

“Is everything okay with Ronan? He hasn’t been any trouble has he?”

“No! No, behavior wise Ronan’s one of the best in my class! He’s polite, always tries to help out, follows the rules.”

“That’s great!,” you smile lightly nudging his arm making him shyly look down to his feet. “And what about his work?”

“For the most part it’s good, but that’s the main thing I wanted to discuss. In his other subjects, Ronan completes his assignments with no problems and participates in our class discussions answering every question I give him. However, I’ve noticed with science he struggles a bit and will kinda close off, not even wanting to try when he doesn’t understand something.”

“Why don’t you ask for help Ro? That’s part of the reason your teacher’s here.”

“I know, but I want to try to figure it out on my own. By then, everyone’s moved on though so then I can’t catch up.”

“Well that’s when you ask for help. And if you don’t want to ask in front of everybody ask after school or during downtime. Or you can always ask me or your mom. Does she already know about his science grades?,” you ask looking back at his teacher who was lightly scratching his thick beard.

“That’s um the other thing I wanted to discuss...”

“Mr. Evansss,” Ronan whines attempting to talk in a hushed tone clearly forgetting you were sat right next to him and could hear every word. “You said you wouldn’t tell.”

“I said I wouldn’t tell your mom bud, not your godmom,” he replies in the same hushed tone nearly making you laugh from their interaction. “If any of the kids have a C or lower, I make a note on their progress report or report card and they have to give it back to me signed. The last report card and past two progress reports Ronan brought them back signed and everything was fine. I ran into his mom at the store one day and she asked why did we switch to having grades online rather than physically handing them out, which confused me until I put it together and realized someone had been forging his mom’s signature.”

“Ronan Michael..”

“You do it all the time though auntie!”

“Yea to send off bills your mom may forget to sign or to get packages for you guys, which she knows about me doing! You signing for your grades is definitely not the same and wrong Ronan, you know that.”

Guilt apparent from his deep brown eyes to his pouted lips, he lightly swings his legs back and forth with hands placed under his thighs. “I was gonna bring my grade up so then I wouldn’t have to do it anymore and then mom wouldn’t know. No harm done.”

“While that’s a nice plan, you still weren’t getting any help though. So what would’ve happened if your grade didn’t get better?”

“....I uh didn’t really think that far ahead,” he answers shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay well since we don’t have a plan for that, here’s what I think. Everyday after school, you meet with Mr. Evans to go over your science lesson and do that until your grades get better and stay that way,” you suggest before once again meeting the soft eyes of his teacher. “But what do you say Mr. Evans? I don’t want to take away from your personal time or home life.”

“I don’t have a problem with it. Plus it’s just me and my dog, who I’m sure wouldn’t mind me not being there to annoy him,” he lightly chuckles making you smile. “And in fact, you and Nina are both welcome in to hear how it’s going so you don’t have to wait outside for him.”

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to let her know. Mostly it’ll be her coming, but the days she can’t make it I’ll be here.”

“Sounds good,” he smiles drumming his fingers on the desk. “Well that was pretty much everything I wanted to discuss. Do you have any questions for me?”

“No, at least not right now.” Scribbling his information down, he peels off the sticky note containing his number and email address before handing it to you.

“If anything comes up just give me a call, or you can email me. I usually respond back the same day if I have time.”

“Thanks, I could’ve gotten all this from Nina though. You didn’t have to waste a stick note on me.”

“Um right,” he sheepishly states, cheeks turning a light pink as he nervously chuckles to himself. “Well one less step then.”

Looking between both your laughing faces, Ronan wasn’t quite sure what was going on between his favorite teacher and bestest aunt, but he didn’t like it.

The weeks that followed, he met with Mr. Evans as he was told usually being joined by his mother who would sit beside him making sure he really understood what was being taught. You would show up sometimes also sitting next to him making sure he got everything, but he couldn’t help but notice Mr. Evans smile a little brighter when you walked in the room. Similar to how he would get excited when his mom would say they were having pizza for dinner. And he was more talkative too, asking about her day which would eventually turn into a random conversation about things they liked or some other topic.

“So, um we’re having a field trip to the planetarium next week and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?,” he asked one day trying to be quiet as Ronan answered his last couple questions.

“To chaperone? I’d love to help out but honestly if I have to look after more than five kids, it’s gonna be a disaster,” you answer making him laugh.

“You don’t have to worry, on paper yea you’re a chaperone but really you’ll just be with me. And since we’re not having class after and the kids can go home as soon as we get back, I was thinking we could go grab dinner at that place I was telling you about.”

You tried to hide your face so he wouldn’t see the giddy smile forming on your lips, but from his own deep chuckle and his fingers briefly grazing yours resting on the table you knew you weren’t quick enough.

“I’m hoping that smile means yes?,” he whispers.

“Done!,” Ronan interrupts before you can answer, quickly gathering his backpack before pulling your hand. “Cmon auntie I’m starving.”

“Hold on Ro, we have to see if your answers are right first then we can leave,” you giggle.

“But I know it’s right! I’ve been doing really well, even Mr. Evans will tell you.”

“Yep everything’s right, and that is true he is doing much better.”

“See? Now time for food! Bye Mr. Evans!,” Ronan rushes pulling you behind him.

“Bye Ronan,” he chuckles before looking at you. “I’ll see you next week?”

“Yea, I’ll let you know if anything changes though.” With a final wave, you feel your heart swell with excitement for your upcoming date as you walk down the hall. Ronan, on the other hand, hoped for anything to stop you from going with his teacher next week.

———

“Hey what’s up with your godmom and Mr. Evans?,” Sarah, one of friends, asks as they watch the two giggle while going over the constellation map shining on the wall.

After getting all the students organized in their groups with their chaperones, and saying everything he needed to, the both of you had been connected at the hip walking around and exploring everything the exhibits had to offer. Ronan wanted nothing more than to go home so he wouldn’t have to see you two together.

“Nothing.”

“Because they look at each other the way my parents do. All lovey dovey and cutesy like.”

“They’re just friends,” he answers, a little annoyed by everything going on around him.

“Well if they do get together,” Zach, his other friend begins, “say bye to your aunt.”

“Say goodbye?”

“Yea. It’s like with my older brother, he got a girlfriend and now I barely see him.”

“Ooh and if Mr. Evans becomes your uncle, he’s gonna be tougher on you,” Sarah adds. “My grandma was my mom’s teacher and she said she was so hard on her she couldn’t even make a B and if she did, she got in trouble.”

Ronan knew his teacher and he’d never do that. He was like a friend and friend’s wouldn’t be mean to each other. Plus his godmother would never let him treat her precious godson that way. Watching the two of you walk to another exhibit, he began to think though, what if you forgot all about him now that you had Mr. Evans?

What if his friends were right and you dating him caused all these bad things to happen? He didn’t know how he would do it, but he had to stop this quick before things got worse.

———

“Did you know Jupiter is so big, 1000 Earth’s can fit in it?,” Chris asks as you both walk through the life size replica of the solar system.

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“And the sun makes up 99% of the solar system’s mass, which is crazy since what can be seen in the sky is just a small dot. And although we know about our own galaxy, there are so many more we’ve discovered, and have yet to, possibly with various planets of their own that have their own unique properties, which just astounds me and-.”

Hearing your slight giggle, he turns to see your brown eyes on him now realizing how you probably felt like you were back in elementary school yourself from his information dump.

“S-sorry about the rambling. I know it’s probably boring, and I’ve been told I really need to stop-.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s not boring at all! I’d actually like it if you keep going,” you shyly smile holding onto his hand. Thumb rubbing against the back of your hand, he slowly steps closer to you stopping inches from your chests being pressed together.

“Okay well let’s see. Both Neptune and Uranus have rain storms of solid diamonds. And while I’m sure that would be a beautiful sight, it’s nothing compared to what’s in front of me right now.”

Before you can speak, you both hear approaching small footsteps making you separate to find Ronan grabbing his stomach as if he was in pain.

“Ro you okay? Why are you holding your stomach?,” you ask walking up to him with Chris following close behind.

“No, it hurts auntie. I think I need to go home.”

“Well the bus is our ride back, do you think you can hold on until it’s time for everyone to go?”

“No, I think I need to go now,” he groans rubbing his stomach.

“Alright, let me call your mom and see if she’ll come get you.”

“I want you to come too though,” he whines hugging your mid section as you dial your friend’s number.

“Ro your mom can handle it. I’ll come by and check on you later though okay?”

“No, you have to leave when I do!,” he protests hiding his face in your abdomen as you rub his back confused by his outburst and sudden clinginess.

Clearly something else was going on here besides an upset stomach.

“Hey, can you give us a minute?,” you ask Chris, to which he nods his head giving you a sympathetic smile.

“I’ll be outside if you guys need me.” Sneakers squeaking against the tile floor, you wait until he leaves before squatting down to meet Ronan’s red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

“What’s really going on Ro? Is somebody bothering you?,” you ask wiping his tears.

“Yea, Mr. Evans.”

“How is he bothering you?”

“Because he’s gonna take you away and we’re never gonna see each other again. Then he’s gonna be mean to me for making less than an A and-,”

“Whoa whoa where is all this coming from?”

“Well...i-it’s what my friends said,” he responds making you softly laugh.

“Honey no one will EVER take me away from you. Not Mr. Evans or any other guy that may come along. And your teacher would never be rude to you like that, he cares about all of you guys and just wants to make sure you do your best. Look how much he helped you get your science grade back up.”

“Yea but that’s before you get married and he changes,” he sniffles.

“What all do these kids talk about?,” you wonder as you shake your head. “Buddy I can promise you marriage is definitely a far far FAR off topic that isn’t in sight anytime soon,” you softly smile. “But from what I’ve seen, even if we did get married, he would still be that fun teacher you always say is your favorite. You don’t need to worry about that though okay? You keep focusing on being the funny, smart, amazing kid I know and love.”

“Okay, and you promise nothing’s gonna change?,” he asks with those big brown eyes that could turn stone into the softest powder.

“I promise with every breath in my body.” Hugging him close, he giggles as you repeatedly kiss his cheeks squeezing him tight.

“Auntie I can’t breathe!”

“Too bad because I’m not letting you go,” you both laugh as you hug each other.

“Hey they’re about to start loading up the buses soon so we can go back to school,” Chris says walking up to the both of you. “Your stomach still hurt Ronan?”

“No, it’s better now. Just a false alarm.”

“That’s good, if it starts again though let one of us know and we’ll call your mom okay?”

“Okay,” he smiles up at the much taller man. “Um Mr. Evans?”

“Yea bud?”

“It’s okay if you and my auntie like each other. I’m fine with it now.”

“Oh, um, well thank you for your blessing,” he chuckles looking at you softly laughing yourself.

Proudly nodding once, he walks to the door with you and Chris not that far behind.

“What was that about?,” he asks still amused by what he just witnessed.

“I’ll tell you later,” you giggle joining hands as you both walk out side by side.

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To Be A Knight

This is the beginning of a collection of one shots following Seth's adventures as a Knight of the Dawn

Description: Like most young boys Seth had always dreamed of being a spy. He had spent most of his childhood sneaking around the house with a walky-talky while humming the Mission Impossible theme song. And while he technically still wasn't a spy,he was pretty darn close.

May 20

St.Matthew's Island, Alaska

6:25 pm

"Sorenson, I've got a job for you." came a gruff voice from down the hall. Seth turned and saw his handler, a man by the name of Flynn Hotching, leaning out of the door to his office. Flynn was a tall and strong man with a broad frame. At fifty five he was in excellent shape and the only indications to his age were the flecks of white that were sprinkled throughout his dark hair and neatly trimmed beard. Flynn was a serious man and often gave off an intimidating vibe, but Seth knew that he wasn't that bad once you got to know him.

Seth stood, ignoring the way his back popped and cracked in protest because of how long he had spent sitting in the rather uncomfortable wooden chair. He had once started a petition to replace them with those really comfortable bean bag chairs. He actually had quite a few supporters. But Flynn, being the man he was, just rolled his eyes and walked away. Seth could feel the stares of his fellow knights burning into the back of his head as he made his way over but opted to ignore it. Seth got missions quite frequently, a fact that many knights were slightly jealous of since it would occasionally get him out of some the more mundane tasks a Knight had to complete. For example, paper work. Which is what he had been doing when he had been called. He quickly made his way over, eager to get away from the evil sea of inevitable paper cuts. He couldn't help but chuckle as he mentally heard Eve calling him a drama queen. Though she wasn't much better.

Flynn barely waited for the door of his to close behind him before he began pouring out the details of whatever job he had lined up.

" There's a dealer that's been causing us some problems. They are preying on creatures such as unicorns and there has been some rumors that they are working with some less than savory characters. I need you to track them down. " Flynn stated firmly. Seth narrowed his eyes, there was no way it was that easy. If it was that simple then they would have brought in a rookie.

"Ok, what's the catch." He replied crossing his arms over his chest.The man heaved a sigh before sliding a file towards him.

" The catch is we don't have any idea who the dealer is. We don't even have a description. However, all of our dealers crimes have a certain flare to them and we have reason to believe that he is human. We have intercepted news of a deal taking place in three days in Belize. "

Seth read the file and whistled at the lack of information. The file was extremely limited which meant that whoever was doing this knew what they were doing. The Knights of the Dawn had excellent connections and kept tabs on every possible threat so for them to be this uninformed- well lets just say it wasn't good. It also meant he was walking into this mission completely blind. He couldn't plan for anything meaning he had to plan for everything. He had no idea what was going to happen once he got there but, if you ask Seth, that was part of the fun.

"Alright I'll do it." Seth replied after a moment of thought. He had to admit he only pretended to think about it, mostly just for the suspense. He had always loved a good mystery and this mission honestly excited him.

"Good, your plane leaves tomorrow at eight am sharp. You will be issued a bag that will be stocked with supplies but I advise you to bring anything you think would be useful" He said gesturing to the satchel over his shoulder, that served as his emergency kit. " I have wired five thousand dollars into your account but if you need more than that you know who to call." Seth nodded, placing the folder in his satchel and walked out of the office, heading to his apartment to prepare for the mission ahead. He pulled his coat tighter around his body as he walked outside and realized that it was later than he had originally thought. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon and though Seth loved the pinks and oranges that painted the sky, he could practically feel the temperature dropping. Last time he had checked it was 25 degrees, which is no where near as cold as it could get but it was still very cold. Despite how long he had been in Alaska, he had yet to get used to the bitter cold. And he honestly didn't think he ever would. Seth guessed he should count himself lucky, this was the Knights biggest base and it had been cleverly hidden by distractor spells as well as the natural terrain of the island. Seth shivered as a strong gust of wind blew through the base reminding him of the other reason it stayed hidden from most people. Luckily he lived on the grounds of the base so it was only about a minutes walk.

The Knights of the Dawn had no shortage of money. Seth wasn't sure how they got there hands on so much money and honestly he didn't want to know. It was all warranted though considering how many supplies they had to buy along with the amount of damage control. It was amazing sometimes how much chaos a secret organization could cause. Seth knew he definitely wasn't the favourite over in the legal department because of some of the 'incidents' that had been a result of his missions. Seth was proud to be able to state that these incidents were few and far between but when they did happen he knew they had to be a nightmare to clean up.

Needless to say, with all that money, his apartment was very nice. It had a decent size living room and kitchen which connected go a small dining area. Upstairs there was two bedrooms and a bathroom. Seth's furniture was pretty sparse if he was being honest. He had a couch that had been there when he moved in, his bed, a desk, a small dining table that has also come with the apartment, as well as few chairs scattered here and there. It didn't bother him in the slightest. He honestly wasn't here that often. He slept there when he wasn't out on missions which, once again, was pretty rare. Besides the real fun began downstairs. He walked down the stairs into what appeared to be a musty, unfinished basement. A punching bag hung from one of the exposed beams and a small pile of weights sat not far from it. Seth rarely used those, they were reserved for restless nights when the big communal gym and training area was closed for the night.

Seth strode confidently towards the back wall and slid away a lose board revealing a keypad. It was truly a horrible hiding spot for something that important but there wasn't really anything he could do about it. The neat thing about the keypad though was that it had been enchanted so that he was the only one who could touch it. Meaning that not only did you need the correct code, but he had to be the one to punch it in. He wasn't exactly sure what would happen if someone else touched it but he knew it would do more than just set off an alarm. Stuff like always made Seth feel like a true spy and totally made up for the unsecured hiding space.

Seth punched in the code and heard the distinct sound of stone scraping on stone, briefly reminding him of his few days spent in the Sphinx's prison. When the sound stopped, a small opening was revealed that lead to a room containing his weapons and supplies. From the outside the room appeared to be tiny and cramped but it had also been enchanted to be much bigger on the inside. It wasn't quite as big as the knapsack they had all those years ago but it was nothing to sneeze at. Still, no matter how big it was on the outside, Seth had to crouch down to fit through the opening. The door frame was ridiculously short and the amount of time he had smacked his head against the top was honestly embarrassing. The supplies inside the room was a knights dream. There was everything you could dream of, swords, daggers, armor, bows, you name it. The special thing about this room though, was that most of the items were his. They were things he had gathered prior to becoming a knight. Seth also had several magical talismans and tools that had gotten him out of more than a few sketchy situations. His favorite talisman was a ring that sat on his right forefinger. The ring had been a gift from The Fairy King when Seth had been accepted into the Knights Academy. It was pitch black and didn't look like much at first glance however, when you looked closer you could see three unicorns that were engraved on its surface, each of which served more functional purposes. The first unicorn, when pressed, sent out a distress signal strong enough to reach Bracken even if he was in the fairy realm. The distress signal also went out to anyone who had a connected talisman. At this point the only ones being himself and Kendra who had gotten hers when she officially began dating Bracken in the form of a bracelet. The second unicorn held a few precious drops of unicorn blood. The substance could heal almost anything but it could only be used once. The final unicorn was arguably Seth's favorite. When it was pressed it would release a pearly white dagger which had been extremely helpful in the past. The downside to this tool was that, since it was made of light, he tended to have a harder time controlling it.

Seth looked through his stash, trying to decide which weapons were right for this particular mission. He knew at this point stealth was key but if you leave for a job without a weapon, you're just going to get yourself killed.

When going on stealth missions the best route to take is small weapons that can be easily concealed, such as daggers or blow darts. However, the problem with that was those were easily detected when going through airport security. Ever since becoming a knight Seth had decided that he hated flying. It was loud, chaotic, and absolutely impossible to tell who was a danger to you.

Plus carrying weapons onto the plane was pretty much impossible but, a knight needed to be prepared in every situation. The weapon had to be easily accessible, ready at a moments notice, and the best way to do that is to build a weapon that doesn't look like a weapon. Seth walked over to a small red tool box tucked away in the corner, and pulled out a large nut and and tied a piece of cord to it. He secured the cord and then started to spin it, making sure nothing was going to fall off. And just like that he had a weapon that made a killer whip and could easily crack a mans skull if it came down to that. The best part was that it wouldn't trip any alarms. Sure it might seem a little odd that someone carries a piece of cord tied to a nut but, he wouldn't get arrested for it. Seth tied the lose cord around his neck, creating a necklace that he could hide underneath his shirt until it was needed. When that was finished he turned his attention to his emergency kit and sifted through the various items, taking out anything that would tip off a scanner. Seth gathered the items that he had taken out and moved towards the suitcase that he would be taking with him. He felt around one of the sides and unzipped a pocket so small that you most likely wouldn't see unless you knew it was there. In the pocket he placed the remaining items of his emergency kit. This time he wasn't worried about the items being seen as the pocket had been enchanted to hide the items from sight. Seth then repeated the process with the bottom of the suitcase, peeling back the inside to reveal a similar compartment that had also been enchanted to be bigger. In this pocket he placed two daggers, A blow gun and darts, and his favorite sword. He pulled the sword out of it's sheath and inspected it for any chips or dull edges. The sword was jet black and held the name Shadow Slayer, which was kind of ironic given its nature. The sword held just enough darkness to work well with him but not so much that there was a risk it would corrupt him. He had found the sword while on a mission for the fairy realm not long before joining the Knights. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to use it because lets face it, milk or no milk a sword was still a sword. However, Seth had learned that it payed to be prepared. So with that thought in mind, he placed the sheathed sword in the compartment, closed it up, and began to carry it upstairs to his bedroom. He filled the rest of the suit case with clothes and other essentials and once he was satisfied that he had everything, he closed it up.

He slumped down in his desk chair and pulled out the file he had stashed in his emergency kit, pouring over what little detail it had and attempting to prepare for what was to come.

†††††

May 21

St.Matthews Island, Alaska

5:00am

The next morning Seth was up well before five am preparing for the mission ahead. Thankfully he had always been a morning person so the early hour didn't bother him in the slightest. He grabbed his bags and exited the apartment, heading to the missions office to pick up the final things he would need for this job.

The lady at the desk, He pretty sure her name is Jennifer, smiled at him as he approached the counter. She was a women in her mid thirties and she was one of the nicer people that worked the desk. There were quite a few of the people working here that obviously didn't want to and others who even seemed to resent it. Seth really couldn't blame them though, he had worked here for a few months while he was going through training and it definitely hadn't been the most fun or exciting job out there.

" ID and case number?" She asked as more of a formality than anything else. Seth was such a regular visitor that he was pretty sure they knew who he was. However, since it was required, he slid showed them his badge and rattled the number off anyway. Seth supposed that he coukd see the logic behind the badge. It was a way of identifing someone beyond ther looks. All of them had been enchanted fo return to their owners, generally via their pocket, should they be lost. Seems simple and secure enough. However, in their line of work things were rarely that black and white. Seth is not entirely sure what would happen to the badge if their was a stingbuld or if the enchantment could be removed. Luckily they didn't do much. They were just means of identification and they didn't let you into anything at all. Any area qhich required a certain level of access had several different enchantments placed on it. Ones that were designed to recognize the person requesting access and weed out potential imposters. After the battle of Zzyzx and the whole mess with the Evening Star, the knights had undergone huge security upgrades. Bracken as well as one of his sisters, Iredessa, had set mist of the enchantments. Kendra had also played a major part on strengthening these enchantments a few years ago.

The case numbers were pretty harmless. Not the most secure but all they did was let the people at the desk know what bag of supplies to get. It didn't give access to any crucial or confidential information. The most a fake could get was an issued duffle bag and possibly some.plane tickets.

Jennifer smiled as she stood and disappeared through a secured metal door. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying a black duffle bag which she passed to him over the counter along with a two way plane ticket.

"Thanks a lot," Seth told her, flashing a bright smile her way. She hummed in response before responding,

"Stay safe out there,"

"I'll try my best," Seth replied with a grin as he headed towards the door and began the short treck to the parking lot where a car would take him to the airport. He knew he must have looked a little funny carrying around a huge duffle bag, suit case and a leather satchel that sat across his shoulder but he wasn't worried. Every Knight here had been in similar situations before. Seth looked around the parking lot, squinting in the bright morning sun, before making his way to the small grey jeep that sat close to the front. Leaning against the side was a tall guy with wind blown red hair and a lean build. Seth smiled when he spotted him. The man's name was Parker and he was one of Seth's closest friends here on the base. They had gone through training together though, Parker was about three years older than him. He was twenty-four while Seth was only twenty-one. Seth, unfortunately, hadn't had a lot of friends at that time. Because of his shadow charmer status, people tended to be wary of him but Parker had never been deterred by his abnormal abilities.

In between his own missions Parker volunteered to drive Knights back and forth to the airport. Due to Seth's frequent missions, the two usually ended up paired together.

"Another one Sorenson? Didn't you just finish that one in Sweeping Pine preserve like a week ago?"

" Yeah, Jealous?" Seth teased, raising his eyebrows. Parker laughed and shot a playful glare at the taller boy. Despite Parker's tall height, he was still at least and inch shorter than Seth. Though to be fair, not many people were taller than Seth. A fact that many people found unsettling.

" Just a little bit dude. What, you trying to show the rest of us up or something?" Parker laughed back, poking Seth in the side as he got into the car. Seth rolled his eyes as he loaded his bags into the car before following Parker's lead. They road in silence for several minutes as Parker navigated his way out of the crowded base and set up the directions to the international airport. It wasn't everyday that a Knight flew internationally for a mission. Generally if they were going to somewhere outside the country they were going to a preserve and would have to be flown there by helicopter or other means. So while it did happen, it didn't happen often.

Seth used the temporary quiet to unzip the bulky duffle bag and look at its contents.

Looking into his bag for a mission and seeing the certain supplies or gadgets still made him a bit giddy. Like most young boys, Seth had always wanted to be a spy. He had spent most of his childhood sneaking around the house with a cheap walky-talky while humming the mission impossible theme song. And while he technically wasn't a spy, he was pretty darn close. One of the common misconceptions about the Knights of the Dawn was that they didn't use any human or modern technology such as computers and other gadgets to do their job. However that was far from true. Sure they tended to avoid it when dealing directly with magical creatures, but they often used these gadgets for things such reconnaissance.

Inside the bag was some of the things you would expect such a binoculars and many more that you wouldn't expect. Seth's favorite part of these bags were the small box near the bottom that generally came with each one. The box contained different potions that you might need for the mission. Seth had always found potions to be fascinating. There had even been a time that he had considered going into the field himself. For this particular mission he had been given a night vision potion which was pretty self explanatory, An eavesdropping potion that enhanced his hearing and allowed him to listen in on a conversation without getting too close, and a form of truth serum that would loosen the lips of of someone you wish to get information from. There was at least three bottles of each along with the normal defense and first aid potions that were added. Such as, the gaseous potion, a potion for pain, a salve for injuries and many more. On top of that Tanu insisted on making sure that Seth was always stocked with his own personal set of potions. Tanu usually supplied him with more gaseous potions, a gummy potion, a giant potion, a new potion that enhanced his focus and his reflexes, as well as plenty of first aid related ones. He seemed to be convinced that Seth would end up seriously injured on every mission. Though sadly, Seth could admit, that the worry wasn't completely unfounded. Other than the potions, the bag contained an enchanted communicator, a few listening devices, a laptop, and a few other useful knick knacks.

" Got anything good in there?" Parker questioned.

" You bet," Seth replied holding up the box of potions that was in his bag even knowing that with his friends eyes on the road and so Parker probably couldn't see them. Parker laughed anyway not needing his eyes to know what Seth was referring to.

" Seth, I swear I have never seen anyone get so excited over potions before."

" What can I say, I'm a simple guy," He replied earning a scoff from Parker.

" Uh huh, says the literal Shadow Charmer who has a mission every other week," The pair laughed once again and fell into an easy back and forth banter. Continuing there shenanigans until they pulled into the airport. It was then, as much as he, loathed to do it he bid Parker farewell , thanked him for the ride, and walked into the crowded airport.

Arriving at the airport was just as hectic as he expected it to be. Of course it was crazy for everyone but, it was even more so when you are constantly looking over your shoulder or waiting to get stopped by airport security. Thankfully he was able to board the plane okay even if his makeshift weapon did raise a few eyebrows.

Something Seth had learned was that a knight should always fly economy. It may not be the most comfortable but few people would start a fight with that many witnesses around. Plus it was easier to blend in. A tee shirt and some jeans and you were all set. Ready to settle in for a long flight.

Seth popped one ear bud in his ear but left the other out in order to let him hear incoming threats. Seth found it impossible to sleep on a plane, no matter how long the journey was, because of the unknown circumstances. It would be difficult to keep an eye on people and to know who was a threat. Unlike Kendra, Seth hated reading. Only a few books had every managed to hold his attention for any.period of time. He was too restless. He would much rather be doing something outside. Moving and exploring. He didn't mind doing art, sketching being his favorite. However, that was difficult to do in a crowded, bunny plane. So Seth resigned himself to a long ride half listening to music and ignoring the guy beside him who vaguely smelled like onions.

††††

May 22

Corazol, Belize

4:45 pm

Seth stretched his stiff legs as he walked from baggage claim to the exit of the airport. He breathed deeply and relished the feeling of the sun on his skin, even though he knew he would quickly become hot. But, after a long eight and a half hour flight, they were welcome changes. He glanced at the clock hung on the wall and noted the time. He knew that Corazol Belize was about two hours ahead of Alaska. Not that it mattered. Seth was pretty much immune to jet lag at this point. Not necessarily because of the constant travel, though that certainly helped, but because of the erratic and uncertain sleep schedule he had become used to while on any mission. His body had become well trained in sleeping whenever it was told. The only thing that interrupted this was nightmares but he rarely got those while on missions because his mind was too focused on other things. Seth would never admit it but that's one of the reasons he takes on as many missions as they will give him.

Seth's hotel was not far from the airport so he opted to walk there. He had done some research the night before and found a hotel that he rented under the name of Roger Alpine. The Knights would usually rent one for you but Seth preferred to do it himself. To say the hotel he chose was run down would be putting it nicely. The paint was peeling horribly from the siding and it was definitely not on the nicest side of town. The rooms were separated from the outside by a door with A flimsy looking lock, something Seth would secure once he had settled in. The room held a musty scent mixed with the smell of cigarette smoke. There was a bed in the center of the room, covered in some unsettling stains, a side table and lamp beside it, and a desk under the window. The window itself had a pair of thin ratty curtains and crooked blinds. There wasn't much Seth could do about the window, except string up a blanket, which he did. Opening his suitcase and removing his clothes, he opened the hidden compartment. From inside he took out the pieces of his emergency kit that he had stashed. He also opened up the duffle bag he had and pulled out a few other various knick knacks that he thought he might find useful. He then empty the remaining items into the compartment at the bottom of his suitcase. Leaving the duffle bag empty. This was.common practice for Seth in a place like this. He didn't want to leave his unused supplies in a relatively unprotected duffle bag while he was away. Unfortunately this was something Seth had learned the hard way.

In the end Seth was left with: the box of potions, a rope, a small bottle which held a thin dust that immediately soaked into the skin upon contact allowing the victim to be tracked, dark sunglasses (which did indeed have a camera and microphone installed) , a slingshot, some marbles( which as Seth had found were great for distractions), binoculars, and a pair of ear buds. All of these things were packed neatly into his emergency kit, ready for use. He still had his makeshift weapon secured around his neck and two knife secured in a holster and strapped to each of his legs. He had glanced mournfully at his sword but knew that it would only draw in wanted attention. Besides today wasn't about getting into a fight. Today was about exploring Corazol and getting a lay of the land. Still it played to be prepared, hence the knives. Finally, satisfied that he was ready, Seth left the dingy hotel room and began to wander along the streets. Searching for anything that might lead him in the right direction.

Corazol was a quaint little sea side town. You could smell the salt in the air, carried by the cool breeze. Corazol was small in population but it also had its fair amount of tourists. Especially right now with summer just around the corner. The busy streets were lined with street vendors all vying for his attention but Seth was more interest in searching his surroundings. The smells coming from said street vendors were heavenly and caused his stomach to crumble loudly reminding him that not only had he not eaten breakfast this morning, but that he had been walking for over an hour. Technically he could have rented a car, he definitely had the funds for it, and most Knights probably would. However Seth, was not most Knights. He didn't like rental cars for many reasons, one because it was easier to see a car and a license plate then just someone walking in a crowd. Two, every rental car was required to have trackers and such in them to prevent theft which was fine in most cases but problematic for him. That wasn't necessarily a huge risk but it was still one Seth wasn't willing to take. Maybe he had grown paranoid, but he was still alive so there's that. Finally he didn't like rental cars because, in his line of work, it was likely to get beaten up or destroyed. Plus having a car would cause him to miss out on the unique sights, sounds, and smells. That is yet another thing Seth loved about his job. It allowed him to travel the world and to see as well as, experience things he would never get to otherwise.

He had to admit this was a good place to go if you were going to hunt for artifacts and magical creatures and then illegally sell them . The Cerror Ruins were only a few miles away and Seth knew that it was a prime spot for missing person's cases, especially when people wandered off alone. He hoped beyond hope that he wouldn't have to venture there during this trip but, that's definitely where he would go if he was an illegal dealer trying to avoid the Knights as well as any other prying eyes and ears. Plus it wasn't exactly a place you would expect anything big to happen. And besides the Cerror Ruins, their wasn't really anything magical about the place. It honestly seemed kind of ordinary. It was perfect because it tended to be overlooked.

After another thirty minutes had past, the rumbling in Seth's stomach became too overwhelming to ignore and he resolved find a place to eat. He stumbled upon a small hole in the wall restaurant that seemed to be pretty popular amongst the locals. Meaning it was the perfect place for Seth to gather some information.

Even though he worked directly with magical creatures, you'd be surprised how many times he had to interact with regular people. The knowledge gathered from these people was often shaky at best and should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. However, this information often helped him form some semblance of an idea. In his experience Seth had learned that regular people noticed a lot more than even they realize. In addition most people never pass up a chance for a good gossip. And since they didn't know how valuable their information was, they were a lot less stingy with it. The only problem you run into is when they begin to ask questions and wonder why you're asking and who you are. When that happens you become the subject of gossip and word will eventually get back to you enemy. That's why Seth hated small towns. The information might be easier to come by, but it was also easier to get caught. And getting caught meant revealing your mission too soon.

In his line of work , timing was everything. Move in too soon and you risk blowing you cover as well as the entire mission. However, if you don't move in quick enough you'll miss your chance to get your guy. That perfect timing came only when you knew you enemy better than they knew themselves. It came from careful observation and lots of Intel.

Gathering Intel was arguably one of the most boring and tedious parts of Seth's job. It involved a lot of waiting, listening, learning, more waiting, and every once and awhile, a well calculated risk. Luckily, for Seth, his shade walking gave him an edge in this particular area. The ability allowed him to get closer to his enemies so he could overhear plans and put together one of his own. However no ability came without its share of risks. He had gotten a lot better at learning to shroud himself in the shadow to help cover his movements when shade walking but it wasn't an exact science. Not adding enough shadow would reveal his position should he happen to move too quickly however, adding too much shadow could be just as revealing.

Seth's favorite way of gathering Intel was doing exactly what he was doing now. Finding a place to eat while he sat back and listened. Small places like the diner he had just entered were prime spots for gossip. Additionally, they gave him an opening to talk with the locals in a relatively unsuspicious way. People tended to loosen up and talk more freely when both parties were eating. Plus it gave Seth a reason to try all the local dishes. Most of which were pretty good. The smell of home cooked food hit his nose the minute he walked through the door making his mouth water so much it was a wonder he didn't start drooling. He was met at the entrance by a plump, kind looking lady, who appeared to be somewhere in her mid fifties judging by the gray streaking through her black hair. The hair was pulled tightly into a bun at the back of her head, accentuating her full rosy cheeks. He apron stated that he name was Rosa which somehow seemed to fit her perfectly, even thought Seth didn't know her. She gave off a very motherly vibe that instantly made Seth feel at home. With a smile she led Seth to a table and asked him for his drink order. To which he replied with a simple black coffee. Coffee was something Seth had quickly become addicted when he became a Knight. It often helped him through the multiple all nighters he pulled while on a mission. Some minutes later she returned with his coffee, this time ready for his order of food.

" What would you recommend. I'm from out of town so I'm counting on you to hook me up with the good stuff," He said with a wink. Rosa laughed heartily and replied with a thick accent,

" Well only for you I will tell you my personal favorite," She rattled off the name of a dish which sounded completely foreign to Seth but he wasn't going to admit that.

" Ok then, you've talked me into it,.I'll get that," He replied and as Rosa turned to leave he continued, " And could you do me a favor and just wave your little magic wand and take all the fat and calories out for me," Once again Rosa replied with a full bellied laugh.

"You are a funny man. But for you I will have to add extra. Maybe then some of it will stick. You look like you need it," She teased in return before turning a leaving Seth alone once more. He leaned back in his chair, and pulled out his phone. Absent mindedly scrolling through something or another and trying to hide the fact that he was listening to the conversations around him. The diner was loud, making it difficult to discern the voice of only one person. Seth was tempted to use the potion he had that would hone his eyesight and hearing but didn't want to waste it seeing as he only had one. It would be unfortunate to use all of it now at the beginning of the mission when he could need it more later on.

His thoughts were interrupted by Rose who had come with his food. Seth was shocked at how quick the service was seeing as it was rush hour and the small diner was packed to the gills. With the meal she also brought his check. Seth glanced at the check, surprised at the low prices considering the quality of the food.

" Well would you look at that! you must have given me the senior citizen discount!" He paused for the laugh that he had come to expect and then followed up with, "So what are some cool things to do and see while I'm here, anything particularly interesting?"

" Oh well the Cerror Ruins are always a prime spot for tourism but you must be careful to stay on the trails. Too many people wander off and go missing. One of my favorite things is to see the sights at night. The water takes on this stunning color and you can see the star as clear as day. But if you choose that route you best stay away from Devils Tavern. Its on the North end of Corazol, close to the beaches. That place is nothing but trouble, and full of shady characters, especially recently," Rosa said. Rosa was obviously the type of person who talked openly once you got them going. The last part of her sentence caught Seth's attention.

" Really, shady people in this town? Surely not everyone seems so nice,"

" You are young. You haven't seen the darkness of man. People are not always as they seem child," She replied with a sad smile. Seth internally rolled his eyes. If only she knew. " But yes, a week or so ago , this man arrived and came into the diner to eat. He seemed normal enough even if he was a bit rude. However, later that night I saw him outside the Devils Tavern, its on my route home you see, and he was talking in hushed tones with another man. They were standing in the shadows real creepy like. I wasn't really able to hear what they were saying but they didn't sound to happy and they looked like they were planning something, " Rosa finished with a grim look on her face. A look that didn't last long as it was replaced with her usual bright smile.

Seth stored the information away for later, and smiled brightly in return. Acting as if the information had no effect on him at all. Something that had always made Seth a good agent was his poker face. He had a good control over which emotions showed on his face. This was a vast contrast to Kendra who tended to be easily read, like an open book. One with pictures and big letters. A fact that Seth ,and surprisingly Bracken, had teased her relentlessly for.

" Well I won't keep you, thanks for chatting with me . And I will be sure to check out those suggestions," He said, putting an end to the conversation. Seth then dug into his food, nearly moaning at the taste. It was incredibly good. Probably one of the best meals he's had while on a mission. While he ate, he began to sift through the information that he had been given. As always he had to wonder how much of it was true, seeing as people had a tendency to exaggerate. He also couldn't bring himself to believe that Rosa stumbled upon the Devil's Tavern, a place she claimed to despise, on her way home. From what he had seen of Corazol most of the housing was away from that part of the beaches. He wasn't going to completely discredit it but as Rosa had said, people aren't always who they seemed. However, no how much truth there was in the statement, one thing remained true. Tonight he was heading to the Devil's Tavern.

†††††

May 22

Corazol, Belize

10:00pm

Seth walked through the darkened streets. Careful to remain close enough to the street lights so as not to unintentionally shade walk. He had gotten a lot better at controlling it but it still happened from time to time. And he couldn't afford giving himself away like that. Just in case there were eyes watching him that he could not see. He had done a pretty good job of keeping on the down low. After lunch he had wandered around the streets a bit more and then headed to the beaches. Particularly the part of the beach close to the Devil's Tavern. The Devil's Tavern had been relatively quiet during the day. The sign had stated that they were opened but it had seemed oddly empty. That was a stark contrast to what he was seeing now.

The tavern now seemed to be packed to the gills with people. And even more of them were standing outside. Even from where he was standing a few feet away he could hear the loud music that played he could see the bright, colorful lights shiny through the windows. As Seth drew closer he saw a problem. Standing at the door was a big burly man wearing dark sunglasses and a tight short sleeved T-shirt that accented his bulging muscles. He was shorter than Seth, most people were, but he made up for it in width. Seth was considered to have pretty wide shoulders and his years of training had hardened his muscles into steel cords. However, none of this reassured him as he stared at a man that looked like he could snap him in half like a twig. He wasn't scared of the man per say. But, he was definitely cautious.

As Seth approached the man he seemed to be doing his own analysis and his stance showed that he didn't feel even the slightest bit intimidated. Which was fair and actually worked to Seth's advantage He had done his best to tone down the darkness of his aura that seemed to put people on edge. Plus the leather jacket he had opted to wear hit the bulk of his muscles, which weren't overly pronounced to begin with, as well as a few... other tools. Aside from the daggers strapped to his legs and the makeshift weapon around his neck, he had three throwing knives cleverly hidden in the folds of his jacket. Unfortunately, much to Seth's displeasure, he had once again leave his sword behind. As weird as it may sound he felt like the sword gave him a better sense of security than the multiple knives strapped to his body. He was dangerous with both weapons and that was disregarding the fact that he was a shadow charmer. So even without the sword, he was hardly helpless. Still, he always felt oddly bare without it. A look settled on the bouncers face. A look that Seth had often seen on bullies when he was a kid. In the end that was all this guy was. A bully. And obviously he saw Seth as his next victim. However, despite all the scenarios Seth was mentally planning for, all the man did was sneer. Seth did his best to pretend he was scared as he entered the building

The air smelled heavily of alcohol and the music, which had been loud before, now seemed to shake the floor. He immediately began to weave his way through the sweaty bodies packing the room searching for signs of anything that was amiss. You would think that a place with this much chaos would make it harder to find anything let alone one person but for Seth it made it easier. If there was one thing that the file full of its limited information had taught Seth was that this guy was far from careless. He wouldn't risk anything that might loosen his tongue. The rest of the people in this place shared no such caution. So find the guy who can walk a straight line and that was probably who Seth was looking for.

He hadn't been searching for more than five minutes when something caught his eyes. His eyes darted to what had caught his attention and and, confirming his previous suspicions to be true, he found Rosa.

†††††

So there is part one!!!! Most of this collection will be one shots but seeing as this z alone is over seven thousand words I figured I needed to split them up. I will hopefully be able to post the next part very soon. It needs a few touch ups and changes but.other than that its.practically done. This took SOOO much research its not even funny. I'm pretty sure trip advisor things I'm moving to Belize. Anyway I really hope you all like it, it is probably one of my favorite fics to date so let me know what you think. I apologize for any mistakes you may find. Let me know what adventures you want Seth to have in this book or any other requests you have!!!!!

Second Chance Ch.10

Waking up you yawned and gave a little stretch, rubbing your eyes you sighed and sat up from the couch, feeling only a little ache in your chest as you did so. Looking around the home you saw the early morning light coming in through the windows and grinned. From the empty sound you didn't think Ed was up yet. Swinging your legs around over the edge you stood and started folding the blanket that you had been using, tossing it over the back of the couch and fluffing the throw pillow back up you nodded, satisfied with it looking like you hadn't been sleeping there for the past week. Remembering how that conversation had went you felt the corner of your lip lift up the slightest amount.

Washing your face and braiding your hair down you back you walked back out to the living room and saw it empty. Listening you could hear the shower from Edward's bedroom and figured he was getting ready for bed himself. The both of you had ate supper with Marco and his wife Zella, staying to talk to them both about your world and some other things. Zella was very nice and for the now second time in your life you could see a blossoming friendship there... maybe... maybe she was just being nice. Biting your lip you decided it was best not to overthink it. 

Seeing as the lights were off, other than his bedroom one you walked over to the couch and looked around. Biting the inside of your lip you reached out to pull the throw from the armchair. Turning to the couch you moved to lay down on it, adjusting the throw pillow behind your head and turning to your side. Pulling up your legs so the throw would cover a bit more of you, you sighed. You hated sleeping with pants on, jeans especially but you would just have to deal with it. This wasn't your home, it was his and you didn't want to seem like you weren't respective of that. Closing your eyes you yawned, at least you were already tired. Relaxing you felt yourself drifting off when suddenly a deep, low voice spoke and jolted you from sleep. "Wha..." you asked looking to the back of the couch that you were facing and then turning your head some to see him standing above you. 

"I asked you what the hell you thought you were doing?" 

Blinking in confusion you felt your bow twitch, "Going to sleep." you answered in an unsure voice.

"You are not sleeping on the couch lass." 

Opening and closing your mouth you looked back to the couch and then up to him, "Th..then where do you want me to sleep?" you asked in a low voice. He wouldn't ask you to sleep on the floor would he?

"In the bed of course." 

Knitting your brows you looked to him and shook your head. "That's your bed." 

"I am not letting you sleep out here on the couch." 

"Well I'm not taking your bed so it's either here or the floor." you told him with a firm look. 

"I said you're not sleeping on the couch. After everything you did to help me when I ended up in your world I will not allow you to sleep on the couch while I sleep in a bed." 

"Yes you will. I am fine here. Plus there is no way you can fit on this thin comfortably." 

"I'll make it work now come on, go get in bed." 

"No." you huffed, rolling back over to face the back of the couch. 

"Y/n." 

"Edward." you mocked in the same irritated voice as his. Hearing him growl you kept your eyes close. 

"You are so stubborn." 

"Maybe you're just too used to getting your way." you shrugged. Hearing a grunt you assumed he had walked away to go to bed but then felt as the throw was ripped from you to be replaced by a heaviness. Opening your eyes to see he had thrown another blanket over you looked up to see him standing there with his brows lowered and his arms crossed over his chest in what looked to be a pout. 

"You'll at least use a better blanket than that damn thing." 

Grinning you saw him let out a sigh before those warm yellow eyes dropped down to you. "Thank you." hearing him only grunt in response you chuckled "Aren't you too old to pout when things don't go your way." 

"Keep it up darling and I'll go get them ropes." 

Giggling you saw his lip lift into the smallest grin "Goodnight Ed." 

"Sweet dreams lass." 

Hearing how low his voice went made those butterflies in your stomach flutter and you turned back to the couch to hide your blush. Closing your eyes you listened to him walk to his bedroom but didn't hear his door close. 

Every night he had offered you his bed but every night you had turned him down. He was already feeding you and offering you shelter, he took time out of his day to spend with you and he had even gotten the a seamstress in town to make you some more clothes, you would not take his bed. Walking to the bathroom you looked in the closet to see the basket that held you clothes. Taking off the large shirt of his that you had more or less claimed as a sleeping shirt, you folded it up and picked out your clothes for today. Pulling on a pair of jean shorts, your bra and a navy loose fitting tank top you pulled loose you hair and ran your fingers through it before nodded and letting out a little hum. Walking out of the bathroom you moved to the kitchen and made him a quick omelet, your way of paying for your stay was cooking for him and cleaning, even though he told you on multiple occasions that you didn't have to. Good thing was you seemed to mostly wake before him so there wasn't much he could do to stop you. Sitting his plate at the head of the table where he always sat you also got his tea cup ready. Cleaning up you made your way outside, breathing in a deep breath of the clean fresh air. 

"Good morning y/n."

Looking over to the close line not too far from Edward's house you saw Zella there hanging up a load of laundry and smiled. Walking over to her, "Good Morning Zella." 

"How are you feeling today?" she asked. 

"Good. My head isn't even hurting anymore and neither is my chest." you told her

"I am glad to hear. I'm sure Whitebeard is happy to see you no longer in pain as well." Smiling up at the woman she hung up her husband's pants. "So what is it you are going to do today?"

"Umm I don't really know. Is there anything I can help you with?" 

"Not help per say but I'm going to the market when I get done hanging out clothes and you are more than welcome to join me if you would like." 

Smiling you nodded. Helping her hang up the rest of her and Marco's clothing the two of you were soon off to the market. While you didn't have any money to buy anything it was fun to just hang out with Zella and look at all the different foods and stuff. Things here looked and smelled so much better than in your world with nothing being processed. Everything tasted better too, although you really missed pizza. You could probably make it but you would have to get the ingredients first and well yet again you had no money. 

"...I'll pay you fifty berries...." 

"No way!" 

"Fine a hundred berries." 

"I said no! Anyone would have to be a fool to do it." 

"Well I can't leave this island until it's done... I'm not leaving that damn chest down there."

"Best I can tell you is start asking around. Whoever take the job is going to have to be a damn good swimmer is all I'ma say...either that or one of them fishmen."

Having caught on to the conversation between the two men you bit your lip. Looking down to Zella you tapped her shoulder. "I'll be right back." you told her and saw her nod. Walking over to the two men you licked your lips. "Um excuse me sir but I heard you talking about a job you needed done, one that would need a good swimmer and I... well I'd like to take it." you said and saw both of them looking up to you in shock. 

"Girl this ain't no job for..." the one started but felt a jab to hsi ribs and shut up.

"Is that right doll? Well I must ask, are you a decent swimmer?" 

Looking to the man with the long scraggly beard you nodded. While you hated being called doll you would bite your tongue in favor of making some money. "Yes sir, I'd like to say so. What exactly is it you need done?"

"Well you see doll my ship collide with the reef out there during that storm two weeks ago and the damn thing sunk. Me and my crew just did make it out before the sea swallowed it up but my chest of goods, including my log book and post are in that chest so you see I kinda need it back before we can set off again. It's finally low enough tide that someone would be able to dive down and fetch it for me, I'd go myself but I'm not a good swimmer and neither is none of my crew." he told the abnormally tall young woman. 

Nodding you tilted your head. "So where is the chest at exactly?" 

"It's in my cabin, second floor of the ship." 

Nodding again you looked him in the eye. "A hundred berries if I bring it back to you?"

"Aye. I'll sweeten the deal, I'll give you two if you also manage to bring up my hat and sword, I had them on my nightstand when I went to sleep that night." he grinned.

"Alright I'll do it." 

"Well then let us show you the way." he grinned. 

Quickly going back over to Zella and telling her you would catch up with her later you saw her knitted brows as you only told her you had gotten a quick job. Hearing the men call for you, you gave her a grin. "I'll be fine. if Edward asks just tell him I'll be back later." you told her before turning around to follow the men towards the shipwreck. Arriving at the beach you saw some of the reef and rocks sticking up but you didn't see a ship which meant it was deep underwater. 

"She's just there doll. Remember my cabin is just left off the stairs, second floor." 

Taking a deep breath you nodded. You were sure your heart was beating hard enough against your ribs that it just might burst through. 'Calm down. You've swarm back and forth across the lake a million times, this is going to be a piece of cake. Besides if you do this you will be able to pay Edward back for the clothes and buy enough stuff to make Pizza for You, Ed, Marco and Zella. Hell maybe even some type of desert too.' taking a step out into the water you felt it decently warm, good at least you wouldn't be freezing to death. Slowly walking out into the water you felt the waves crash into you but pushed on. 

"I'll be waiting for you doll." 

.........................

Waking up he walked into the kitchen and saw breakfast waiting for him on the table like usual, sighing he moved to sit down at his seat to eat, knowing she had probably not made herself anything. She was constantly cleaning and cooking for him. He told her repeatedly that she didn't have to but did she listen, No. Y/n was a hard headed woman but she was also kind and funny and caring. Between her world and his own he had taken notice how she always put herself last, like her boots, those hole ridden things should have been replaced by now but instead she had used her money to buy him clothes and food. He knew she didn't make much working at the bar and when he had accidentally knocked a notebook from the coffee table one day he had opened it to see papers stating things she had to pay, he still found it odd people there had to pay for something as simple as water. Adding them up he knew she was by no means a wealthy person but she never complained. Smiling to himself he took another bite of the omelet. 

"What has you smiling so much Pops?" 

Snapping his eyes over he saw Marco walking into the room with a soft grin on his face. "Oh nothing really..."

"Mmm maybe I should have asked who, although I'm pretty sure I already know." Marco chuckled. 

Humming he took another bite of his omelet, bacon and cheese, his favorite, well she did add in spinach but he wouldn't complain. She tended to add vegetables into everyone of his meals. Seeing Marco take a seat at the table beside him he swallowed his food. "What is it you have been doing this morning?" 

"Helped Mrs. Harp deliver her new granddaughter." 

Smiling he gave a light chuckle. "Oh yea, I'll have to go tell them congratulations. Rea and the babe all healthy?"

Nodding he grinned. "Yep both of them are doing great." Rubbing the back of his head he leaned back in the large chair, "So Jozu, Vista and Izo are on their way back here."

Looking back up he blinked, "Did you tell them?" he asked and saw Marco shake his head. 

"No I thought it would be easier in person."

"Do you know when they will be here?"

"Within the next week." 

Humming he finished off his food. While he was excited to see his children again he knew he would never be able to see all of them. He and Marco had already spoken and he agreed with his son, it was best if Whitebeard stayed dead. Standing he carried his pate over to the sink to wash, if he didn't go ahead and do it she would. Putting on the kettle to make his tea his mind  drifted again to his soulmate. He wanted to do something for her, something special but he didn't know what yet. Glancing up out the window he saw Zella outside, she looked to be just getting back from the market judging by the basket in her arms. Seeing her looking around he grinned softly. "Marco lad, I think your wife is looking for you?" 

Standing Marco moved to push in the chair. "You know Pops I could be saying that same thing to you before long." 

Hearing this he felt his body stiffen a bit, "Marco..." he said in warning but his first only chuckled in response. Being left alone in the house he couldn't help but think on his son's words. The thought of being able to call y/n his wife made his chest warm up, a upward tug of his lips. He knew he was falling in love with her, he had been around long enough to be in touch with his own feelings and emotions. He was also well past the age to be playing around, he knew what he wanted, he wanted her. There was only one thing holding him back. Her. Nothing about her in particular, hell in his eyes she was perfect. Perfect for him. BUT, she herself wasn't there yet. She had started to open up more and more to him. He knew her likes and dislikes. He knew how she liked her food, how she enjoyed exploring and the water. He knew her favorite color, he knew that she hated bugs and how she wasn't fond of the sitting around but the one thing he knew nothing about other than the little he had been able to piece together himself was her past. She kept that part of herself locked away in a deep abyss that he knew even she wished she could just forget about. She couldn't' though, it was something else learned with age, something she had yet to grasp. A person can move on from their past, learn from it but you could never forget it. Until she got that, until she opened up to him, trusted him he knew their relationship could go no further.

Snapped out of his thoughts by the kettle he moved over to pour himself a cup of tea. Sipping at the hot drink he looked towards the couch she had been sleeping on and frowned. He really had to find her somewhere else to sleep. When he had built himself a home he had assumed he would never have anyone to share it with. His boys stayed where ever doing God knows what when they docked on his home island while he chose to spend it quietly. So being that he had only ever built one room, his room. Yes the other rooms were larger, big enough that if his crew came over to eat or whatever else they could but sleeping wise, no, there was no where else. Sitting his cup down on table he walked over to the book shelf and looked through them until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing the green spined book he opened it and took out the folded plans for the home. Carrying them back over to the table he opened them up and set them down to look them over. Crossing his arms he tapped his finger on his arm in thought. He could easily add another room off of the living room. Finding a pencil he moved to sit down to start making the plans when he heard the door open again and what sounded like the rushed steps. "Marco what..."

"We have a problem..."

.................................

Kicking your arms and feet you kept your head above water, bobbing up and down with the waves as you swam to where to reef was and the apparent sunken ship. Luckily the water was clear so you could make out the ship once you rounded the large rocks. Fish were swimming around so hopefully that meant no sharks. Getting to where you were just over the wreckage you took a few deep breaths, readying yourself. "You got this." you told yourself. With one deep breath you dived under. Swimming down deeper and deeper you saw the ship come into full view. Taking a moment to look the whole thing over you grinned and then moved towards the stairs. Second floor to the left. Second floor to the left. Repeating it over and over in your head you paused when it got much darker inside. Letting your eyes adjust you went into the room that had to be the captain's cabin. Seeing a few fish swimming about you scanned the room for the chest. At first you didn't see it but then you saw something under a knocked over chair. Swimming over you placed your feet on the floor and pulled it up. Thankfully it was a smaller chest and so you grabbed it and started swimming out of the ship. Getting to the surface you set the chest on the rocks that were above water.

Taking a few minutes to regain your breathing you dived back down to get the hat and sword that he said he would pay extra for. Finding your way to his room easily this time you started searching for the sword and hat. He had said they were on his table but everything had been knocked over when it sunk. Seeing a shining sword against the wall you grabbed it, putting it over your arm for now. Now for the hat. Looking over the whole room you ran out of breath and had to take the sword back up. Placing it on the rocks as well you decide to go look on more time, wanting to pay Ed back. Swimming your way down to the ship and getting to the room you looked it over again. Seeing the bed you got down to peek under it and long and behold there was the hat. Reaching under it you felt the material of the hat and grabbed it. Pulling it out you suddenly felt a sharp pain on your arm. Snatching your arm out you saw a eel biting you. Having let out a scream when it bit you you didn't have much air left. Hitting it to try and make it let go it only started to shake, blood coming from around it. Clenching your teeth you grabbed a shard of the broken mirror on the floor and stabbed it. As soon as it let go you dropped the glass and quickly took hold of the hat. Swimming out of the ship you saw blood pouring from your arm but ignored it as your lungs burned. Kicking your feet and arms about you pushed for the surface, desperate for air.

As soon as you broke out you gasped for air, coughing the water that had started to fill your lungs. Crawling up onto the rocks you put the hat beside the other items. Lifting your arm you saw the wound bleeding down your arm. The whole area felt like it was on fire. Were eels venomous? You didn't know but you did know that you really needed to get back to shore. Putting the sword strap over your arm you grabbed the chest and shoved the hat through the other handle. Holding onto the other side you slide off the rocks and started your slow swim back to shore. 

...........................

Finding the man in town that Zella had described he saw the man laughing with some other men that he knew weren't from his village. Gritting his teeth he walked over to him and reached down to lift the man off the stool by his shirt. Holding up to his level he looked into his eyes. 

"Hey what's the big deal?"

"You think you are something don't you punk?! Conning an innocent woman to go risk her life out there in those waters!" 

"I didn't con anyone, she made her choice, I didn't hold a gun to her head or nothing."

Growling he looked down to the open chest and saw it filled with a little treasure and a log pose. "I am going to make this quick and simple for you. You and your crew will be off of this island within the next thirty minutes or I will personally see to it that you all join your ship." Seeing the man nod vigorously he dropped him to the ground and went to where his heart was pulling him. 

Walking over to the beach he looked around until a head of h/c hair caught his eye. Moving over to her he saw her sitting in the sand, her hair and clothes soaking wet but that wasn't what caught his attention, it was the blood currently dripping down her arm. It looked to be in the shape of a moray eel bite and he could hear her mumbling as he got closer. "Can you not go a full two weeks without injury?" 

Snapping your eyes up to the all too familiar voice you saw a look on his face of both annoyance and concern. "I can, I just ah... well..." seeing his brow raise as he crouched down in front of you you snapped your mouth shut. 

Moving to kneel in front of her he grabbed her arm and turned it to look the bite over fully. Sighing he pulled her up and lifted her up into his arm, hearing her let out a little 'eep'. Turning and walking towards his home he heard her huff, feeling water run down his front. 

Being carried in one of his arms you huffed out, "You do know I can walk, it's my arm, not my leg." you complained but secretly loved the warmth his large body was giving your chilled, wet one. 

"I can see that but as it turns out darling I can not trust you not to do something to put yourself in danger so I am going to carry you." 

"I didn't tell the eel to bite me!" 

"No you just decided to go swim out to a shipwreck in waters that are infested with sea kings and a million other things that would swallow you up in an instant. All for nothing I might add." 

"It wasn't for nothing." 

"Then tell me lass what was it for?" 

Turning a little in his hold you grabbed the folded money from your pocket. "It was a job." 

Looking to the berries he knit his brows, "So you risked your life so you could have some money? What do you need money for?"

"It's not for me, it's for you." you told him leaning over him to shove the money into his back pocket. 

Quickly pulling the money out of his pocket he looked to see about two hundred berries there and shook his head at her, "Why is it for me?"

"To pay you back for the clothes and food and letting me stay with you." 

"I'm not taking this." 

Feeling him shove the money back into your hands you knit your brows. "Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." Going to put it in his pocket you saw him hold his hand over it to stop you. Sitting up you reached up to push it under his bandana. 

"Y/n." he grunted. Trying to reach up to take the money out of his bandana he felt her grab his hand to try and stop him. 

"Ed please just take it I want to pay you back, I...I don't want to bum off of you or make it seem like I'm not grateful." 

Sighing he held her hands in one of his and looked into her eyes. "Lass I know you're not bumming off of me, I know you are grateful. I won't allow you to pay me back because there is nothing for you to pay me back for." seeing her go to speak he pressed his finger to her lips while still holding her hands still. "Did you not buy me clothes, feed me, shelter me and spend your money on other things of entertainment while I was in your world?"

"Well yeah but that's different..."

Chuckling he rose his brows, "How so?"

"Because you...you fixed my roof." 

"I patched your roof once. That one deed doesn't count as payment." 

"You chopped wood..."

"Hmmm chopped wood for a fire to keep us both warm, still not enough." 

Looking down you thought on the main point that had been filling your mind, "You kept me company."

Hearing how soft her voice had gone he felt his brows lower and the smile slowly fall from his face. "Aren't you doing the same thing with me darling?"

"It's not the same thing. You have friends here, your son, your family. You don't need me." biting the inside of your lip you looked away.

Furrowing his brows he  placed her down on the log bench outside of his home. Kneeling down in front of her he curled his finger under her chin to force her eyes to his while the other rested on the bench by her thigh. "Need no, want yes. Don't ever think you are burdening me darling..." licking his lips he dipped his head closer to hers, "... That I won't ever want you by my side." Glancing down to her lips he felt that pulling in his chest.

It felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest the closer his face got to yours. When he was only a few inches from your own you felt your eyes begin to slip close. 

Going to close the distance he dipped his head and...

"Woah what happened to your arm.... oh... um..." 

Tensing up when Marco's voice suddenly sounded from beside the both of you you quickly leaned back and looked down, feeling your whole face heat up with embarrassment. 

Leaning back he glanced down to y/n to see her head dipped down and her shoulders curled inward some. Gritting his teeth he let out a small sigh as he moved to stand. Looking to his son he gave him a glare that he knew Marco understood when he saw him making that same guilty face he had made since he was a young boy. Glancing back down to his lass he saw her very uncomfortable and knew even if he told Marco to leave there was no going back to that moment right now. "Marco tend to her arm while I go get her a towel. Lass don't give him a fuss." Rubbing her shoulder he saw her nod but still not lift her eyes to his.

"I'll go get my kit Y/n, be right back."

Walking towards the door he gave his son a smack to the back of his head as he passed, hearing him mumble out a small 'sorry'.

..............................

Once Marco had cleaned your arm and bandaged it you looked up to his eyes and gave him a small grin, "Thank you, I'm sorry I keep using up your bandages and stuff." 

Chuckling he looked to the woman and smiled, "Nah you're fine Y/n. Keeps my skills refreshed." he said and saw her smile. "So Zel told me about this thing called a pizza you told her about, what is it exactly?" 

"Well actually I was thinking maybe I could make us some for supper, if your father is okay with it that is?" you asked finally looking back up to the man for the first time since what now had to be one of the most embarrassing moments of your life. Just thinking about what had almost happened made your cheeks heat up again. 

Looking down to her eyes he saw a blush on her cheeks but said nothing and nodded. "Of course lass, as long as it won't bother your arm." When she smiled he grinned as well. "Alright then well let's go back into town and get the stuff you need." 

Nodding you got off the bench and moved to hang up the damp towel on the clothes line to dry. Your clothes were only a little damp now, along with your hair but in the sun they would dry quickly. Walking back over to Ed and Marco you saw the man look to you. 

"Anything me and Zel can do or bring?" Marco asked, packing up his things.

Shaking your head you smiled, "Just yourselves."

"Alright then. I'll see you both at supper then." 

Walking beside her towards town he glanced down to her arm, the bite wasn't that big on her as it would have been a normal sized person but he knew it still hurt, eels bites were nothing to take lightly. "You make sure to keep that bite clean lass." Seeing her nod he licked his lips and reached up to rub the back of his head. He wasn't liking how awkward this felt. 

Wanting something to talk about but not wanting to talk about that you glanced up to the mountain and tilted your head. "What's up there?"

Humming he followed her eyes up tot he mountain and rose his brows, "Ah what do you mean?"

"Like is it flat or are there more trees or something else?" 

"Don't know. Probably just rocks." he shrugged.

Tilting your head you grinned up at him. "You've never climbed up there?"

"No." 

Pursing your lips you smiled. 

Seeing her smiling and looking towards the mountain he knit his brows, looking back and forth between the woman and the land mass. "Don't even think about it." 

Hearing him say that you looked to him and grinned. "What?"

"You are not climbing up there." 

"And why not?"

"What do you mean why not? Because it's dangerous that's why."

Waving him off you smiled, "It'll be fine, I climbed the mountains back home loads of times. Besides I want to see what's up there." 

"I said no. We are not climbing that mountain."

"I didn't say you had to go."

"Well I sure as hell ain't letting you go up there by yourself."

"If you're scared though there is no reason in you..."

"Scared?! You think I am scared?!" Chuckling and then laughing he shook his head. "We are not climbing the mountain and it's not because I'm scared." 

Looking to him you smirked "Bock bock bock." 

"Chicken noises really? I am not a chicken. I'm not scared." Crossing his arms over his chest he looked down at her and saw her still looking up at him with that teasing grin. "Don't they teach children to respect their elders where you are from?"

"I mean they do but I didn't know you when you were older and technically we don't know how old you are now so I could very well be your elder." 

'That'd not how that works." he grumbled.

"Oh come on it'll be fun." you smiled. Seeing his brow lower you wrapped your arms around one of his. "Please?" you begged in the sweetest voice you could.

Casting a glance down at her he saw her smiling sweetly at him, batting her lashes as a bonus. Sighing he dropped his head back. "You are going to be the death of me." 

"Second death, I wonder what world you will end up in this time?" 

"The next time I die I better stay dead." 

Jealousy Pt1

Thor x Plus Size/Chubby Reader

Imagine: Everyone seems to know about Thor’s crush on you, except you. How will he react when you start crushing on and dating some other guy?

Word Count: 1.6k 

Warnings: none, unless you count a jelly and moody Thor. 

Masterlist

You weren’t an Avenger but you were Tony’s personal assistant so you were very close to the team and hung out with them all the time, mostly because Tony demanded that you join them. You found yourself a best friend in Thor and when he wasn't dealing with business in Asgard, the two of you were almost inseparable. After Jane, the others weren't sure if Thor would ever be interested in ‘mortal’ women but you seemed to change his mind. Everyone on the team soon clicked on about how Thor felt about you. It was easy to tell when you were as close to each other as the Avengers were but you didn’t find it so easy to tell whenever someone was acting different or strange. 

Natasha was your other close friend, the two of you and Wanda often having girls nights, sometimes with Pepper but she rarely had any free time so she wasn't around very often. Natasha would often try to hint at Thor having feelings for you but you just thought she was joking because of how close the two of you were. Wanda would do the same but you never really took it to heart. Besides, you didn't think a tall, handsome man, a literal god, like Thor would ever be interested in you, a chubby glorified secretary. 

At first the team found it more than amusing to watch Thor try to get your attention in more intimate ways, watching him pine after you, but now it was just plain annoying. It was distracting the whole team because he was the kind of person who just had to tell everyone about his problems, even if they didn't ask in the first place. Natasha needed to get the two of you together because she was going to kill Thor if she had to hear how good your hair smelled one more time, or how sexy your ass looks in a skirt. 

It was the monthly girls night and you, Natasha and Wanda were soon to be heading out to a club that Natasha had recommended. Natasha was the one who usually found places to go to, with you and Wanda not really being very well known with the street life of New York. Natasha didn't like to drink that much so she was always the designated driver of your get togethers. You were currently stood in front of your wardrobe mirror in just your bra and panties, holding two dresses up against your body, torn between which one to choose. 

Natasha sighed when she walked into your room, “Come on, принцесса, by the time you finally decide on what to wear, we’ll have to leave before we step inside.” She was wearing an off shoulder form fitting black dress that went down to just above her knees and had a small side slit that went up her left thigh. You were holding a plain black dress that went down to your knees and was long sleeved in one had, which was your ‘safe’ dress. The other was an outfit that Natasha had gotten you for your birthday; a grey snake print shirt and black leather shorts. You really wanted to wear the outfit but you didn't feel like you could pull it off. 

Natasha saw the two options and immediately reached forward to rip the black dress out of your hands and throw it to the other side of the room, “There’s no way you are wearing that for the tenth time when you haven't worn my gift once. You’re wearing that shirt and those shorts or no more girls night.” You pouted a little, whining like a small child while Natasha smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, glad that you were finally going to wear something that would actually flatter your body instead of covering it up. 

After you had gotten dressed in the shirt and shorts, Natasha picked out a pair of knee length high heeled grey boots to complete the look. You let her do your makeup, she liked using you as a guinea pig, experimenting looks on you that you were too scared to try yourself. “All done, you look amazing.” You blushed a little and stood up, looking at yourself in the mirror and you let out a tiny squeal from how good you thought you looked, feeling very confident for once. Natasha grinned and took your phone and keys, putting them in her purse. After you lost them more than a few times, Natasha didn't trust you to keep them on your person. 

The two of you were meeting Wanda in the living room on the main floor before heading out. You were practically bouncing with excitement over how the others were going to react to your outfit, hoping they were going to love it as much as you do. Natasha walked in front of you and then coughed a little louder than necessary to discreetly get everyone’s attention onto you, who walked in behind her. Everyone kind of froze for a second and Sam was the first one to speak, “God damn girl, you’re looking fine as hell. Where have you been hiding that?” You blushed but was secretly hoping that everyone was going to keep showering you in compliments, it wasn't everyday you felt this good about your body. 

Steve was blushing a little but managed a small, “You look good (Y/N)” behind his glass of water. Tony smirked at you and said, “If only I wasn't engaged to Pepper, we’d have some good times.” You could tell he was only joking with you but it still made you blush a little. Wanda had gasped at the sight of you and then proceeded to tell you how gorgeous she thought you were, mixing English with Ukrainian phrases. The only other person there was Thor and when you glanced his way, he was staring at you with his mouth open a little and there was something about the way he was looking at you that made you feel a little hot under your clothes but you ignored it. 

Natasha and Wanda looked at each other then between you and Thor. The red headed assassin smirked, “Have a good night boys, we’re off to find (Y/N) a man.” She gave Thor a pointed look and knew that he wasn't listening based the way his eyes were glued to your ass as you started to walk away. She rolled her eyes, along with Tony and Sam before hurrying to catch up with you and Wanda. 

The club you were in right now wasn't too bad but it wasn't one of your favourites that Natasha had dragged you to in the past. It wasn't as packed as the others but you liked that, not wanting to push your way past fifty people every time you wanted a drink from the bar. Natasha and Wanda had pulled you onto the dance floor as soon as you entered and the three of you had slowly separated but since you’d had a couple drinks, you weren't that bothered about being around strangers. You were unusually sociable once you’d had a few drinks. 

You were smiling and having fun when you felt a pair of hands grab your hips from behind. You leaned back a little to feel a hard chest behind you and you spun around to see one of the most attractive men you’ve ever seen. He had longish blonde hair pulled back into a bun, blue eyes and a beard. He was tall and you could see how muscular he was even through his clothes. It didn't cross your mind that he looked very much like a certain thunder god back at home. Normally, you probably would’ve blushed and pushed him away to go find Natasha and Wanda before asking to go home but tonight you were feeling a little more daring. 

You put your hands on his chest and watched him smirk at you. The two of you started to talk to each other and you learned that his name was Lucas and that he was an astrologist who worked at a university close by. The two of you spent almost three hours together, splitting it between grinding on the dance floor and talking at the bar. The whole time, Natasha and Wanda had been watching with mixed feelings. They were happy that you had found someone you liked but then they would think about Thor and feel a little guilty. Oh well, Natasha thought, she could deal with that when the time comes to it. 

You gave Lucas your number when Natasha and Wanda decided it was time to go home when they saw you swaying a little too much for their liking. You were practically carried back to Stark Tower and they helped you to the main living room where Thor and Tony still were. You plopped down on the couch next to Thor, giggling when Natasha was taking off your boots for you. She never left you alone when you were drunk, sometimes when you were drunk, your anxiety acted up so Natasha and Wanda would always hang out with you until you finally fell asleep. 

Thor wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you closer. You decided that wasn't comfy enough and you laid down with your head in his lap. Thor played with your hair and chuckled at your drunk state, “Did you have fun tonight?” You laughed a little and nodded, “I met Lucas~” Thor tensed and Natasha, Wanda and Tony glanced over at him to see his reaction. He clenched his jaw but you, of course, didn't notice anything, “Who’s Lucas?” 

To be continued...