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baddestbittyontheblock · 7 months

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leah williamson fic recs (1/2)

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𖥔 ۫ obsessed leah williamson x reader

-a fic with soft/smitten leah and her teammates making fun of her for it because she’s usually cold and not emotional or soft.

𖥔 ۫ come back... be here. leah williamson x reader

-Leah would tell anyone who asked that she was fine. She had captained the Lionesses to a European Championship, Arsenal was sitting comfortably at the top of the table, and she was on the cover of British GQ. Leah was fine, great even…until she saw you, camera in hand, looking as beautiful as you did the day she first met you; as beautiful as you did the day she fell in love with you; as beautiful as you did the day you left.

OR a post breakup meeting leaves Leah less than fine (though she’d be kidding herself to think she has been anything but broken since you got on that plane to New York).

𖥔 ۫ take a look at my girlfriend (she's the only one i got) leah williamson x reader

-captain leah is proud of all her accomplishments- but calling you her girlfriend is her favourite

𖥔 ۫ oh baby leah williamson x reader | Leah Williamson x Pregnant Actress!Reader, Reader x Platonic Bestie Austin Butler

-Your relationship with Leah has always been a secret to the public. So, when you’re photographed looking very pregnant and hanging out with your best friend, Austin Butler, the internet assumes he is the father. Leah, already hating Austin, gets jealous and wants to announce to the world that you’re married and expecting your first child together.

𖥔 ۫ traitor leah williamson x reader

-Leah and R have started to pursue a relationship with each other. How long will it take for their fans and teammates who are unaware to catch on? part three, you can find part one and part two here.

𖥔 ۫ hoodie leah williamson x reader

-Leah and Reader’s relationship is still building up together. And more people are catching on.

𖥔 ۫ good girls gone bad leah williamson x reader

-inspired by *that* clip

𖥔 ۫ "a williamson would never wear sky blue." leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ public relations leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ flatline leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ sisterly love leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ bedtime stories leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ "you kissed me." leah williamson x reader

-Running off on the adrenaline of winning the Euro's, Leah decides that she doesn't want to hold back how she feels for her childhood best friend

𖥔 ۫ instagram lives with me leah williamson x reader

-the posts that you and leah share on social media

𖥔 ۫ double support leah williamson x reader | alessia russo x reader

-in which; your girlfriends watch you make your return to chelsea after a long haul of recovery.

𖥔 ۫ reconcile. leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ proudest moment leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ only the beginning leah williamson x reader

-This is a follow up Proudest Moment which you can find here!

𖥔 ۫ It’s All Fun and Games... leah williamson x morgan!reader

𖥔 ۫ setbacks leah williamson x bronze!reader

-The Prequels: Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five

𖥔 ۫ introductions leah williamson x bronze!reader

𖥔 ۫ the reveal leah williamson x bronze!reader

-Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Setbacks

𖥔 ۫ hoodie leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ well you were leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ meeting morgan leah williamson x reader

-Sisterly Love Masterlist

𖥔 ۫ leah williamson blurb. leah williamson x reader

-Whispering jokes/loving words in a lecture/ school/church/a meeting. Trying not to laugh/ flirt back in fear of disturbing everyone else who's trying to pay attention.

𖥔 ۫ face masks and horror films. leah williamson x reader

-soft girlfriend banter

𖥔 ۫ leah williamson blurb leah williamson x reader

-“If we get caught, I’m blaming you” + “…You can’t make out with someone platonically.”

𖥔 ۫ lessi and leah blurb leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ “I swear if we get caught I’m actually going to kill you” leah williamson x reader | Fluff mostly, slight sexual references

-Leah’s GF has been busy during her injury period, meaning they’ve been like ships in the night. Reader decides to surprise her at one of her games.

𖥔 ۫ mrs williamson leah williamson x reader

-leah williamson supremecy always, all day every day

𖥔 ۫ ignorance is bliss ficlet leah williamson x reader

-feel free to read the proper full fic that this is a spin off from here

𖥔 ۫ like real people do leah williamson x reader

-a collection of private moments from a relationship between two public figures.

𖥔 ۫ abs leah williamson x reader | SMUT

-you shouldn’t be this distracted by your teammates abs, but its a good thing you are or something between you two never would have happened

𖥔 ۫ how could i ever (treat my baby that way) leah williamson x reader

-You’d think that between the chilly air coming out of the air conditioning in the room and the freezing cold drink in your hand that you’d be comfortably cool, body not overheating despite being in a slightly crowded bar.

𖥔 ۫ i'm so furious (at you for making me feel this way) leah williamson x reader

-“What? You’re not gonna say ‘hi’?”

𖥔 ۫ first steps leah williamson x reader | fluff, boyfriend!leah, leah's first day back (fully)

-its leah first day running post-acl surgery and she's upset you're not able come, but viv, beth, and laura have a surprise for her

𖥔 ۫ playgirl leah williamson x reader | 18 + minors dni (smut, fingering, cunnilingus,) lots of angst, smut, hurt, fluff, fluffy soft smut

𖥔 ۫ I'd follow you around the world leah williamson x reader

𖥔 ۫ heels leah williamson x reader

-+ the gucci exhibition outfit

-𖥔 ۫ obvious leah williamson x fem!reader | blurb, fluff

-leah thinks she is slick, but she is quite the opposite

-𖥔 ۫ handyman leah williamson x fem!reader

-"-love do you have to stop at every single display room?" leah sighed with a tired smile as you collapsed on yet another sofa you had no intention of buying. "lee it's all a part of the experience! come, sit with me." you patted the brown leather with a beaming grin that leah just couldn't say no to as she wandered over and sat beside you.

-𖥔 ۫ work wife leah williamson x reader

-reader is Leah’s girlfriend and an Aussie or an American but plays for Arsenal and is the same age as less? so Leah requests they befriend less and make her feel welcome but then they become besties and Leah gets all pouty and jealous which reader finds hilarious cause her and less are just friends but she loves to wind Leah up

-𖥔 ۫ i licked it so its mine a.russo x l.williamson x reader

-katie’s story of “I licked it so it’s mine”, inspired a funny crack blurb with Leah x Less x Reader

-𖥔 ۫ all yours leah williamson x reader x lia wälti | fluff, angst, confessions of love, lack of taking care of themselves

-when r finds out that their two bestfriends (and secret crushes) have gotten together on a trip they go into a meltdown of feeling left out and unloved - lw2 sort them out and show them just how loved they are by the two of them

-𖥔 ۫ lucky charms leah williamson x reader

-leah wearing this rly full cross body bag to all the games so far and I’ve just thought how does a girl need so much stuff with her to watch the game?! Maybe a fic where Leah’s gf questions her about the cross body bag, she gets all shy and it turns out she’s carrying something of her gfs (lucky item, fav t shirt etc) to bring luck for the game.

-𖥔 ۫ losing leah williamson x reader

-you’d never felt more heart broken in your life than you did in this moment. Looking out at a crowd of people you didn’t know, a crowd of people that were feeling a fraction of the disappointment you were. You’d collapsed to the grass as soon as the whistle had blown, your heart shattering into a million pieces on the pitch. You’d worked your ass off, your whole team had worked their asses off, and yet you’d still fallen short, it still wasn’t enough.

-𖥔 ۫ asthma attacks leah williamson x reader | sickness angst and heart warming fluff

#woso x reader #woso #woso imagines #engwnt #engwnt x reader #lionesses #lionesses x reader #arsenal wfc #leah williamson #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson imagine #fic recs

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darkbluekies · 9 months

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Don't know if anyone asked but what would the yandere's reaction be to the reader patching them up after they get injured?

Warnings: mentions of cuts, blood, killing, yandere, feeling depressed? (I'm not sure what to call it)

Silas:

He is strongly against you seeing him in this kind of condition. He’s supposed to be your protector, supposed to take care of you … not the other way around. But you manage to push him down on the toilet and start to clean his wounds while he hisses and curses, although afterwards, he’ll shower you in kisses and tell you how grateful he is.

“You’re not supposed to — fuck — do this. I can take care of myself, you know. Give me that — oh motherfucker — that disinfectant and I’ll do it myself. Yes, I am happy that you’re worried about me, but this isn’t my proudest moment, baby. Let me spare some damn dignity.”

Dr Kry:

He has cut his palm deeply on one of his sharp tools while cleaning up after a surgery. He returns to your room where he keeps all of his stuff. His hands are shaking too much to be able to clean it. You decide to help him before he bleeds out. Dr Kry guides you through the process to make sure you do everything as you should.

“Take that and pat it on my hand. Be careful though, that disinfectant is pretty strong. Ouch — I’m fine, don’t worry. Then you have to take the bandage and wrap it around my hand nad wrist. Don’t wrap it until my hand turns blue, but make sure that its tight. Good job, Y/N. I think I’m good now. But now you need to get back to bed, you know that you shouldn’t be out too much … as a thank you, I can get you dessert after dinner, alright?”

King Edmund:

Cut in the shoulder by a sword. An enemy had caught him in a vulnerable moment. You sit him down on the side of the bed and remove his shirt before starting to clean the wound. Edmund groans and throws his head back to avoid seeing the mess. Although complaining a lot, he doesn’t want anyone else treating him. No one but you are worthy enough to touch his body.

“Hurry up, please! For the love of all mighty, aren’t you done soon? I’m going to die! Yes, I am, you wouldn’t know. I’m going to mangle that scum who had the nerve to dislocate my shoulder. Y/N, you are going to take care of me until I’m well again, won’t you? You have to. I’m your king … your husband. You need to take care of me.”

Jerry:

Another one who’s extremely against you seeing her in this condition. She tries to push you away when you try to help her, but she’s too weak. In the end, you manage to corner her in the bathroom and treat her bloody wounds. For once, her hard demeanor seem to fall. She’s quiet, limp. You ask what’s on her mind, fearing for why she’s not being her normal dramatic, sarcastic self.

“I honestly thought that I was going to die … I have never been so … scared before. I’m pathetic, aren’t I? Yes, I am. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. I know it already. You should have left me alone, Y/N. You shouldn’t patch me up. You should have left me to die. I love you. I know I don’t say that a lot, I just wanted you to … know. Sorry for being a pathetic pussy … I just … nevermind.”

Hedwig:

She’s crying while you clean the wound on her cheek. She had been shaving off some baby hairs — a trick she’d seen online — but had been too uncertain, resulting in her cutting herself. You clean it softly and place a bandaid over it.

“I look so ugly, don’t I? I can’t go to school like this! People will laugh at me. Everyone will know that i tried to shave and that I couldn’t do it. Please stay with me, Y/N, stay with me forever. You’re the only one who doesn’t care what I look like. It doesn’t look … that bad … right? I never want to be without you, i dont think i could do it.”

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere imagines #yandere drabbles #yandere oc x you #yandere mafia #yandere oc x reader #yandere male #yandere female #yandere doctor #yandere king #yandere reactions #yandere headcanon #yandere x darling #yandere x y/n #tw yandere

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meidnightrain · 6 months

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YOU ARE IN LOVE - childe

❝ and you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars and why i’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words. ❞

summary: you’ve never given thought to your relationship with your childhood friend with the harbinger, until it changes into something different

warnings: reader is gn, none

notes: day 15! this song is one of my absolute favs and hence, why this fic has to be the one i’m the proudest of! hope you like it!

taglist (open): @staretes , @rynnlvrs , @sentifua , @i-probably-sleep-too-much , @reilly34 , @qqingque , @akutasoda , @mhiieee , @starryshinyskies , @kazemiya , @pix-stuff , @inscaraithrust

you’ve never been a stranger to his looks, able to read the boy you’ve grown up with your whole life like an open book. and this smile, hidden with so many emotions threatening to burst at the seams in this dark room you both were in, was only for your watchful eyes.

time always moved too fast when you were with him, the days that once dragged endlessly were not gone in a blink of an eye. you’d always play it back in your memory like rewinding a phonograph, skipping to your favourite part and reliving every moment all over again.

when he had came back from a long mission in liyue, buttoned and draped his coat jacket over your shivering body, apologised for taking so long to come back home to you. when he would make lighthearted jokes that were more misses than hits, see the way his lips would turn down slightly, frown turned upside down by a single kiss on the cheek. it wasn’t proof, not much of it but you saw enough.

he had always loved small talk and long walks in the winter wonderland of your homeland, the sneaky pranks he’d once pull by placing his freezing hands on your neck and make you shriek in shock. that was years ago, his cold hands had turned warm, his every touch warming you up quicker than any warmth a fire could offer.

when you would have coffee from fontaine, which he had specially imported for you at midnight, his strong arms around your waist and his bed-head snuggled in the crook of your neck as you made two steaming cups.

the moonlight reflected the chain on his neck, the necklace that you had gifted to him long ago, one with the sigil of a snowflake.

a snowflake that carried more meaning to the both of you, a snowflake that he had tried to gift you when you were kids. to him you were as pure as snow, beautiful and fragile in his gentle touch. and when he had murmured for you to look up and caused the both of your shoulders to brush. it wasn’t proof, not much of it but you felt enough.

when you woke up with him in the morning, the sunlight shining through the curtains. his once failed attempts at making you breakfast, laughing sheepishly as he held two pieces of burnt toast. you’d keep his shirt, a reminder of him when he had to leave for his duties carried him elsewhere and he’d keep his promise to always return to you.

and for once, childe could let go of his fears and ghosts when he was around you. the abyss, the fatui, the thrill of battle wearing him down like a soldier who had spent his whole life on the frontline. not with you, you were the home he looked forward to and he was the soldier you waited for to come back from the war. one small step for him, not much but it was enough.

when he would kiss you on the sidewalk after a long mission, twirl you in the air and you’d hold your breath to savour the moment as you drank him in like water thirstily. when the aftermath of a fight would linger heavily between you two till the point you’d both cave in and talk, for you couldn’t live without the other.

when he had woke up one night with a strange look on his face, the way he had paused and uncharacteristically stumbled over his words. your confused but amused smile at the realisation of how young the both of you were, young idiots in true love. he was never the eleventh of the fatui harbingers to you, he was ajax, your ajax always and forevermore.

“you’re my best friend,” he had said, pinching both your cheeks sleepily and shifting to hold onto you tighter. you knew what it was, being spooned in his embrace, he was in love.

and so it goes, it was like the both of you were dancing in a snow globe round and round. from when your short stubby legs would chase him around in the snow to waltzing with him in the middle of the night, the whole world asleep and only the two of you were awake. it was a whole collection of snow globes picturing the moments and growth of your relationship. from your first encounter, from when you had both become best friends, from when you had realised that you were in love.

when childe would miss you on the nights he had to spend without you, long torturous days where all his dreams were about feeling the ghost of your lips on him, your phantom fingers tracing his body in all the places you had memorised so long ago, your invisible touch causing him to buckle and fall to his knees. how he’d cope by taking out the picture he had of you in his pocket, in his office back at the fatui headquarters, your smile captured on film not as bright as the one he would come home too.

when he would come home to you injured and battle-scarred, your heartbeat on the high line as you watched this strong man you loved so flinch at your touch. only wanting you and only you to patch him up, kiss it all better, only you to see this side of him. and you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars. and why he’d spend his whole life trying to put into words, words that would describe how much you meant to him.

cause you could hear it in the silence, feel it on the way home with his arm linked in yours. you could see it with the lights out, the whole room shrouded in darkness except for him, who glowed and shined brighter than any star you’ve ever seen in the night sky.

that you are in love, true love.

<- prev masterpost next ->

#🕊️ - 1989 event #・ nouveau livre ˎˊ˗#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin x you #genshin impact x gender neutral reader #genshin x gender neutral reader #genshin impact x gn reader #genshin x gn reader #childe x reader #childe x you #ajax x reader #ajax x you #tartaglia x reader #tartaglia x you #🪧 - event: 1988 #🗞️ - genshin impact fics

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linkbetweenlinksau · 2 months

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3, 5, 15 of you’re accepting asks about that linkverse list

3. Which character is the hardest to write for? Oh boy, good question. I’m not sure, I feel like Time and Wild in particular are hard to write. I try to make Wild more of a comic relief, but he always sounds forced and too modern. He has this sort of dry humor in canon that’s kinda hard to replicate. Time is difficult too, having to write what I have in mind is a challenge. It’s just hard cuz linkverse fans are very particular about how Links are written and it’s kinda overwhelming to actually try out of fear of pissing off some lunatics. But yeah those two are hard.

5. Do any of the Links have full names? Nope! I suppose Hyrule’s real name is Orchard, but overall they’re just Link with no other names. They might have some middle names but frankly I don’t have the strength for that lol. Now if we’re talking about my TCOD original Link, HE has a full name, but he’s not in lbl so…

6. What’s one thing you’re proudest of making? Idk, I guess I’ll pick a comic page!

I really love how this page turned out. It’s scary, the effects turned out good, it portrays the horro that Link felt in this moment. The lighting also turned out good. It’s a shame this was scrapped cuz I really love this page. Hope that counts lol!

#asks

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sc0tters · 9 months

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Welcome Wagon | Andrei Svechnikov

summary: when less that fortunate circumstances cause you to live with your older brother, you realise it might not be as bad as you once thought once you meet his teammate Andrei.

song: Last Great American Dynasty - Taylor Swift

request: yes/no

warnings: like three swear words, two allusions to sexual thoughts but nothing explicit.

word count: 2.76k

authors note: to the person who requested this, I hope you have the best day like ever! As a proud cat owner it was only right that I picked that Andrei picture. Wikipedia was where I got all of the little facts and Google is where I went for the Russian nickname used in this. Realised that I honestly didn’t keep to the song as much as a probably should have but I hope you still like this! If you want to check out more from the celly you can do so here!

You were never a fan of stability.

Deemed the wild child of the Staal family or as you liked to see it, the accident child given that there was over 9 years between you and your closest brother in age.

Never truly seeming to settle in a place as you had moved all around the US after getting your degree in Canada last year.

All four of your brothers were worried about it when you used your one call to get out of jail on the youngest of the boys, Jared. You thought that he would be the understanding one since he had spent a night in jail before, but clearly you were wrong when you were met with an irritated Jordan who was stood at the door of the police station with his arms crossed. The idea of trying to explain to him that you arrested for trespassing because of a drunk truth or dare game was not something you wanted to hear the lecture about so instead you just ignored the entire interrogation from him.

You had to admit that you were impressed by the way he stood up. Within two weeks you were moved into the guest bedroom of his home where he could keep a watchful eye on you before you gave either one of your parents a heart attack.

The first month went by pretty slot for you, despite your best efforts Jordan didn’t want you meeting his teammates as he feared what they might do when they knew you were there. Jordan knew that you weren’t ugly -as much as the boys like to make you think that you were when you were a child- and he knew that there were key players in the team that if they made a move on you then you’d be in your brothers arms in a week in tears complaining how they broke your heart. As much as he wanted to act like his teammates were better than that, he knew that you had a type and some of the Canes players slotted right into that category.

One player that wasn’t on his radar was Andrei, the total Russian softie. The winger had actually come over one day as Heather had convinced Jordan to invite the lonely boy over for dinner. Andrei had just been dumped by his long term girlfriend and it was safe to say that he had been a wreck “you’re shorter than I thought you’d be. You blurted out as you opened the door as you were met with the boy.

It was suffice to say that Andrei was shocked by your forwardness “you’re not as polite as I thought you’d be.” He shot back wondering who you were.

A giggle fell from your lips as you smiled “I think I’m going to like you.” You confessed as you leaned backwards to look towards the kitchen “Andrei is here!” You called out as you waited for Jordan to make his way over to the door.

Jordan sent you a warning look to behave as he knew what you were like sometimes “I see you’ve met my sister,” the Canes captain pointed out as he motioned to you.

Just as predicted you stuck your hand out “y/n,” you introduced yourself as you smirked. You could see the way that Andrei’s face dropped, everyone and their mother knew that if there’s one person you don’t go for. It’s your captains sister.

Now what you did next was not your proudest of moments, but you wanted to see how face you could push the boy “but you could call me anything you want.” There was a playful gleam in your eyes as you watched the Russian turn red.

Jordan scoffed as he reminded you that he was still there “inside,” your brother rolled his eyes as he pushed you back inside letting the younger hockey player come in too.

Heather couldn’t help but laugh as she could already see what you were plotting “he’s a good kid,” she pointed out as you nodded.

You just smiled “I’m sure he’s good at a lot of things.” Your words were a mumble that only the two of you could hear “preach to that.” It was comforting that your brothers wife was your little cheerleader in what was inevitably going to get at least one of you in trouble.

That dinner had gone down like fine wine as you let your eyes do more talking than your mouth. You would let them linger on the Russian long enough for him to know that you were definitely interested but not to the point where it was weird and inappropriate. Heather had helped your cause when she convinced Jordan to come check on the kids with her as Andrei was leaving “thanks for dinner,” he smiled as he waved the duo up the stairs.

The North Carolina air was humid as it hit your faces “isn’t the boy meant to walk the girl back to her car after the first date?” You joked as you cracked your cheeky grin.

It was actually really nice for Andrei to have someone in his life who was displaying this much interest in him “our first date is not going to involve your brother.” He was quick to point out as he got to his car.

You had to admit that your thighs were very much clenched in that moment “who says that I want to go on a date with you?” You asked as your crossed your arms sending him a thoughtful glance.

That moment when the hockey players lips turned into a smirk you were taken off guard “I’ve been seeing the way you’ve looked at me all night.” Andrei explained as he took a step forward as he brushed the hair out of your face.

You felt your cheeks turn pink at the moment of intimacy “you’re going to need a way to contact me then,” you pointed out as you held your hand out so he could put his phone in it.

The hockey player let out a soft laugh as he shook his head before he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He loved the sound of your nails tapping on his screen as you put your contact info into the device “look forward to hearing from you Andrei.” You smiled as you handed his phone back to him.

The boy placed his phone back into his pocket “don’t miss me too much now radnaja,” he sent you a soft salute but was almost knocked off of his feet when you stood on your tippy toes to kiss him “goodnight Andrei.” You mimicked your actions before you began to walk away making sure that you let out your little laughing cheer before the door was between you two.

Month two of living with Jordan was all of a sudden far more interesting once Andrei let it slip to Pyotr that the Canadians sister was living with him. Within two days you ended up meeting the whole team. Most nights you spent sat on FaceTime with the winger as you two spoke about stupid shit. The topics ranged from what your plans were to what stupid shit Jordan did during the day “I’ve got to get going,” you let out a giggle as you had been trying to get off of the call for the last twenty minutes.

Andrei forced his lips into a pout “don’t leave me just yet radnaja.” He begged as you playfully rolled your eyes.

You fiddled with the ends of your hoodie strings “if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were getting clingy Andrei.” Your tongue darted out of your mouth as it swiped across your lower lip.

The boy scoffed as he shook his head “how can I be clingy if we haven’t even gone on that date yet?” He shot back causing you to laugh “who’s fault is that!” You pointed out in a duh tone.

Yes it had been over a month since you met Andrei and after 34 days of talking -not that you were counting because that would have been weird- he still hadn’t taken you on that date that you two spoke about on the first night you met “thinking I’ll get one out of Jack first.” It didn’t take a genius to see that Andrei wasn’t a fan of how your friendship with the American had blossomed. Sure it might have sounded selfish but the Russian wanted you for his eyes and company only.

So naturally your comment caused his expression to harden “I’m taking you out tomorrow.” He announced causing your eyes to go wide.

The way the boys voice got deeper and his eyes went darker made you feel the pool that formed in your panties “how do you know I don’t have plans then already?” You sipped at your water as you held in another laugh.

All Andrei could do was smirk “we both know that you’d cancel them for me.” His voice was confident as he knew what he was talking about, and he certainly wasn’t wrong.

So naturally you had spent the entire next day getting ready for the date. When you came downstairs you were surprised to see that Andrei and Jordan were in the middle of a pretty normal sounding conversation.

Andrei almost lost his entire train of thought when he saw you walking over to them “you better not be threatening him Jordy,” you warned as you sent your brother a serious look.

It made the Canes captain smile how oblivious you were. Andrei had told him about his desires to take you out exactly fifteen days ago. It started with the Russian pulling him aside after training as he was desperate to get it off of his chest “was just telling him to make sure that you are home before midnight.” Now that part was true, Jordan did not need to hear you strolling back into the house at two in the morning because if he did then the captain was going to make a morning training session.

Andrei was quick to nod “should we get going?” He asked as he watched you kiss your brothers cheek as you locked your hand in the Russians before you pulled him out of the house.

Jordan couldn’t help it when he laughed “she’s going to kill him.” He smiled to himself as he shook his head before he walked back to the living room.

The winger was quick to place his arm around your shoulders as he slowed down the pace to his car “you look nice,” his compliment caused your cheeks to turn flushed as you looked up at him “one of us had to look good.” You shrugged softly smiling to yourself as the Russian opened the door for you.

Part of you thought that going on a date with Andrei would be a disappointment, most of the dates you went on with guys your age usually were. You began to think that you were the problem in those dates as you were always the common denominator. But tonight squashed each and every one of those doubts and bits of hesitancy.

You had learnt about Andrei’s family, his favourite Russian words, even what he missed about home. And he had gotten the chance to learn about what brought you to North Carolina.

As he walked you back to the front door of the house you let a smile fall onto your lips “glad you held up on your promise Andrei.” You mumbled as the boy placed his hand on the small of your back.

Andrei couldn’t help it but grin when you brought up your joke from the first night you met him “always knew I would radnaja.” There was that name he kept on using for you.

When you stopped in your tracks it caused him to grow slightly alarmed “what does that mean?” You asked as you furrowed your eyebrows “what?” He cocked his head as he had no clue what you were talking about.

For someone who had heard the word so many times, you sure did butcher the pronunciation of it “ranada,” it fell from your lips like he should have known exactly what it was.

The hockey player laughed as he used his hand to cup your cheek “Radnaja is like daring.” When he saw that your mouth opened like you were trying to process what he had said, Andrei instantly thought that he had butchered it “darling?” You let out a giggle when he nodded.

All you could do was smile as you looked up at the boy “maybe we should spend some time learning each others languages better.” You proposed causing the boy to chuckle “I like the sound of that.” He nodded as he smiled.

The idea of teaching you Russian made his heart warm, but nothing was going to be prepare him for what you did next “we should do this again soon.” You shrugged as you placed a kiss on his cheek.

The gesture was one that was familiar to the two of you, but somehow he was never going to get used to it.

Andrei was totally unaware of the fact that it was the whole reason why you did it. Yes it might have been a touch manipulative but you loved how you could pull so many reactions from him whenever you did that “goodnight Andrei.” You laughed as you saw Jordan watching the two of through the window.

The captain had no shame as he was honestly just watching out of curiosity, he knew you’d be telling Heather the truth about the date so for Jordan to learn about it he’d have to partake in the game of broken telephone.

Stability used to freak you out, even make you feel out of place. But by month four you were craving it. Another two dates had gone by with Andrei and he still hadn’t kissed you. Don’t get you wrong, you loved how respectful he was as it was a stark difference from the guys you used to be with. Yet you were almost growing concerned that he had lost interest in you. Thankfully though for you, you had voiced these concerns off to Heather who quickly shut them down “he looks at you like you’re the only girl in the world.” She pointed out in a duh tone making it sound like you were the idiot for not picking up on how the boy felt about you.

That conversation with her was how you got to another one of your language lessons with Andrei. Every Tuesday you’d do them if he wasn’t on a road trip “that’s just a stupid phrase!” You scoffed causing the boy to throw his head back in amusement “no it’s not!” He laughed as you threw some popcorn at him.

Tuesday language lessons weren’t complete if they didn’t have snacks “I have a phrase I was you to learn.” It was like a lightbulb moment where you had to do your best to mask your smirk as you tucked your hair behind your ears “I have a phrase I want you to repeat.” You smiled as you inched your leg ever so closer to him “fire away.” Andrei nodded as he placed his hand on your knee.

Somehow you weren’t that nervous to say it “I want you to kiss me.” You blurted out causing his eyes to go wide.

He took a second to process your words before he gave you an ‘are you being serious’ type of look. All you had to do was nod and his lips were on yours. Andrei’s hand that came to cup your cheek was almost the same size as your face but neither one of you seemed to care. In all of it you had somehow found your place on his lap “wait,” you were quick to pull away causing the boy to softly tug at your bottom lip leaving it now slightly swollen “yes?” Andrei asked as he cocked his head.

You tried your best to make it look like were being serious “you haven’t taught me the translation.” You batted your eyelashes at him causing the boy to let out a groan “seriously?”

When his head feel back you couldn’t help but laugh as you hooked two fingers under his chin “I’m just screwing with you.”

Maybe North Carolina wasn’t as bad as it first seemed.

#andrei svechnikov #Andrei Svechnikov imagines #Andrei Svechnikov oneshots #hockey imagine #nhl imagine #nhl oneshot #hockey imagines #imagines #oneshots #ambers 150 celly #amber writes fics

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throwaway-yandere · 10 months

Text

Misaligned Strings (Jing Yuan/Reader)

A/n: The reader is AMAB at the beginning (nothing angstier than gender norms–) and gn in the time skip. If there are incorrect translations, please comment!!!! I’d be very happy to change it :DD and im very happy with how my drawing turned out ngl-

For the sake of flashbacks: ████████ = prince reader's previous name, ████ = jing yuan's previous name

Synopsis: He held his feelings back once for you were his prince and he was but a knight. But for Jing Yuan, he doesn't care if you're a human prince or a foxian, you are always worth the wait. Even when it literally took a lifetime. He's not so different from Snowmoon, you know?

CW: none. slight angst and fluff so don’t worry. Prolly the cutest and lowkey proudest work I’ve done in a while. I was actively whispering "me when" while writing lmao. This one's for you, 😋 anon.

遠在天邊，近在眼前，千里姻緣一線牽.

From the Most Distant Horizon at the Ends of Where the Heavens Stretch, to Right in Front of One's Eyes, the Single Thread Crosses Unfathomable Distances to Draw in those that are Tethered to it.

In silent whispers and inaudible footsteps, a taizi and his ménkè would stroll about in the crack of dawn. The Crown Prince of the old dynasty seldom ever initiated conversations, but his servant didn't venture to strike up an exchange. Since the prince wasn’t one to like entertaining large sums and enjoyed the comfort of nature, he has a habit of dragging his favorite retainer alongside him when trekking woodlands. The white-haired servant was perfectly content with this as he listened to the sound of the streams of the nearby water bank and the morning birds’ humming.

But most of all, the retainer couldn’t think of spending his mornings better than to be by Prince ████████’s side. Deep down, he knew his calloused hands did not deserve to touch such an expensive fabric. The decorative embellishments embroidered in such as gold-laced threads, jades, and ████████’s birthstones mustn't be soiled by a commoner like him. He thinks his hands, which frequently danced with blood, are cleaner than the stains that mud had left on his prince's long robes.

And yet, the retainer feared he loved his prince too much to stop.

“My Lord…” the white-haired man mutters gently, daring to tug the noble’s robes. The (h/c) haired man peered in his direction.

Atop the prince's head was a mianguan that further accentuates their difference in social status. Despite it being a rare ceremonial headdress only to be worn on sacrificial events, the prince had one custom made by a famous jeweler for his daily use. His fashionable headdress chimed for a brief moment as he turned, but he did not stare him in the eye.

Still, the prince smiled so sweetly.

“Yes, baozi?”

The retainer’s breath hitched.

He knew he shouldn’t harbor such emotions– he knew it shouldn’t make him happy that the prince would call him his treasure. However, there was not a trace of deceit in Prince ████████’s voice.

“Be careful,” the retainer heaved, staring at the ground. “There’s a fallen trunk nearby, you would’ve tripped.”

“O-Oh?”

The prince’s smile faltered before he regained it in a concerningly quick but regal fashion.

“My apologies, it was not my intention to make you worry,” he laughed, but there was no joy to be conveyed. “I’m afraid I will have to depend on you once more.”

The prince's laugh, once filled with warmth and adoration whenever they met, now sounded distant. It was veiled sorrow, yet not to the point where the prince would be willing to sever whatever thread bound their fates together. During their quiet moments, ████ would catch glimpses of that sorrow lingering in the prince's demeanor.

It was as if a shadow loomed over their secret rendezvous. The retainer wondered if his suspicions were true— if the prince's noble lineage would soon bind him to political arrangements. A duty that will tear them both apart.

But he didn’t wish to entertain those thoughts.

The retainer nodded while speaking. “Anything for you, My lord.”

The prince turned back to the lying trunk.

Everyone in Asia knew of Prince ████████’s impaired eyes.

The Emperor’s heir lacked vision in a battle he somberly forbids any to reminisce about. It was the very same battle his beloved retainer first fought in since he was a new hire at the time. This led to several concubines shoving their children to the feet of the emperor, but satisfyingly, none could beat the prince in any aspect. Their attempts to weaken both the prince and the empress’s political hold were grounds for concern. Ultimately, that resulted in nothing.

That does not make the prince any less bitter about it, but he never held ████ accountable. His presence was the royal’s only comfort, even if he never saw his face at least once. The prince never trusted his parents with any of his inner turmoil.

Although, the retainer wished he saw his prince’s eyes at least once. His Highness had always wrapped a red cloth around his eyes like half a mask. This is why, in the humble servant’s prayers, he wished for his master to be more secure with his body

“Prince ████████…” The white-haired retainer starts again, this time, his voice was laced with mischief. “Have I ever told you that you are the most gorgeous man in the land?”

“W-Where is this coming from?” The prince laughed heartily. Prince ████████ knew that his retainer wanted to cheer him up, but he’d rather hear him say it.

“Nothing,” the retainer smiled. “I just wanted you to hear it. You’re incredibly handsome.”

“Stop!” The prince chuckled, hiding his face with his silk clothes. “You are embarrassing, ████.”

The white-haired man chuckled.

“Only for you, my baobei.”

It was silent for a moment. Suddenly, the prince exhaled. The retainer quietly noted that it was not the same sound he’d hear whenever they would peacefully stroll in the woods as they usually do. This one sounded stifled as if he wanted to trap it in his throat.

He may not be able to see, but he still looked away.

“████, I have something I need to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

Silence again.

Despite being warned that there might be a trunk in his way, the prince took small steps forward. As though he hoped to trip– as though he hoped someone would catch him.

Yet, the words spoken next were delivered unlike a damsel in distress but a man in solitude.

“I am to be wed around the coming months.” He stuttered. “I-I’m afraid I can no longer remain both blind and deaf to my mother and the Emperor’s nagging.”

Time stood still.

The solace of nature faded into insignificance, leaving only the sound of cracks inside ████’s head. In that silence, unspoken words passed between them. Only the sound of their restricted breathing remained. It was a poignant acknowledgment– an unspoken promise of love that fate had cruelly denied them. Swallowing his pain, the retainer fought to maintain a facade of unwavering loyalty. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

The dynasty would burn before their union would ever be accepted.

The retainer stood tall, a pillar of fortitude even as his heart fractured with each beat. As always, Prince ████████ was the image of his unattainable desires. He will always play his role as the prince's retainer, his heart bleeding in silence, forever locked away.

In the depths of his being, ████’s cherished stolen glances and clandestine touches— precious moments of tenderness concealed beneath the weight of their stations— will remain hidden but never forgotten. He will carry their shared memories as he vowed to “only” protect Prince █████████ on the surface.

The prince continued. Tears welled up in his eyes, but as his father has stated, a man cannot cry. Much less the next emperor.

“████—”

“It is alright,” the retainer spoke, voice already jaded. “We both knew that this is how it ends.”

“Would it be selfish of me to ask you a favor?”

The retainer took a deep breath.

“Do not make this harder, Your Highness.”

It pained his heart to hear the prince gulp in anguish. No use of “my”, just an unpossessed “your”. Even the retainer could not forgive himself for calling him by his title so distantly and without so much as using any honorifics that he is his prince.

He was his prince.

But the prince was not deterred.

“Can you promise me that you’ll find me again?”

He cupped his retainer’s hand with his eyes closed peacefully. The retainer paused before also placing his other hand above his prince’s. Prince ████████ quietly sobbed. “Please…”

“Promise me– promise that you’ll find me in the next life.”

The retainer nodded weakly.

“I promise.”

“Soon, I shall take the Imperial Princess Consort as my Empress, but–”

The prince tilted his retainer’s head down and gently kissed him. The white-haired man felt his knees giving in as the prince then kissed his upper left cheek, just below his eye. That had always been his favorite spot to pepper. Even in the end, his highness will always cherish planting feather-like kisses as though it would soothe his troubles. The prince’s smile never left his face yet unbeknownst to him, a couple of his tears had already fallen.

“Why don’t we talk about a life we could’ve had, even for just a small fraction of this ephemeral life?”

The conversation that followed was regrettably sweet. Throughout their exchange, they remained seated on the fallen tree as the prince gingerly ran his fingers through his retainer’s white hair. They both ingrained every detail of this memory in their head for they knew this would be their last intimate moment.

Their conversations lasted as if the outside world never existed. They talked about the places they could’ve been, a kingdom they should’ve had until they reached the topic of their true desires:

A domestic life.

A life where they could say ‘Baobei, I’m home’.

“What about a little lion?”

“Your ideas for a housepet are very peculiar,” the retainer humored him, but his voice echoed how cautious the thought made him. “Had I been in your position, I would’ve been tempted to care for timid endangered animals instead.”

“Well, you sounded disinterested when I brought up carps. So, what about little lions?”

“Are you referring to shih tzus?” The royal has an affinity for trying new things so the white-haired man already knew he’d never refer to a simple dog.

“Perhaps,” the prince laughed. “But not quite.”

“You don’t mean to imply you want a genuine cub now…?”

“What if I do?”

“You have a dangerous habit of giving your retainers more reasons to worry,” his lover muttered.

He pretended not to hear it, “what would you name it?”

“Hmm…how about…”

“Snowmoon.”

Caelus looked up at the General who was focusing on the bustling streets of the Exalting Sanctum.

After the events that unfolded in the Xianzhou Luofu, he and Jing Yuan had grown closer. To him, the general was a good role model and a nice change of pace after being dragged along by Clara’s adventures in the robot settlement and Serval and Natasha’s heartbreaking familial tales. Caelus was appreciative that the general messaged him to ask if he wished to accompany him to buy meat for Mimi. The trailblazer simply wished for something he can sign as a “day off” in Pom-Pom's log book without incurring any physical damages. For now, he doesn’t want to think about how Blade is running loose.

Now that he’s hanging out with Jing Yuan though, it seems as though he miscalculated everything. He didn't expect emotional expenses instead.

“That’s your old lion’s name?”

The trailblazer pretended not to know. It was a rather heavy story and he didn’t want to seem like a person who relied on gossip. Besides, Qingzu wasn’t a reliable storyteller.

As they talked, they walked past both merchants and pedestrians. There must be an event or an ongoing flea market since the ratio between sellers and consumers was staggeringly unequal. There’s a nosier place they haven’t traversed yet; there must be a sale going on. Although Caelus had more than enough money to his name (thanks to his latest deal with Sampo Koski), he did not tempt himself with a glance at any merchandise. His eyes were on the attractive “dozing general” instead.

“Yes, he was a loyal one…” Jing Yuan smiled softly. “I had a special connection to Snowmoon.”

“I heard it waited for 300 years.”

“Ah, so you are aware of what this story is about already.”

Caelus laughed awkwardly.

“Yes. Yes, Snowmoon did wait for me,” Jing Yuan said. “And I will forever understand that undying loyalty. That’s when I knew I’d truly reconnected with the lion.”

“In its final moments, all I thought to myself was how much the little cub and I were so much alike,” he recalled with a sad smile on his face.

“For him to wait for so long to see a loved one return– and to lay in his arms. I wonder what that would be like for me.”

Caelus blinked.

“You’re waiting for someone?” Caelus tilted his head. “I see you doing more sleeping than waiting. But who’s the lucky person?”

“I’m afraid you would not understand,” Jing Yuan said. “It’s rather difficult to explain. My mother and father did not comprehend it– then again, they didn’t understand my decision to be a soldier either.”

“Is this person the reason why you’re a general now?”

He stopped and raised an eyebrow.

“Spot on. How did you figure?”

Caelus shrugged, uncommitted. “Just a guess.”

The general chuckled.

“I’ve been waiting for him since I was reborn.”

Jing Yuan looked at their surroundings again as they resumed their walk. His hands were both behind his back as they took in the atmosphere. For him, the experience was not unlike his strolls with Yanqing– and for Caelus, he had compared him with Mr. Yang.

“There is a Foxian custom wherein very young children would figuratively carve their future career path by choosing between the objects their parents had laid down. Unsurprisingly, I grabbed a toy sword in hopes I can find him.”

The general rambled as though Caelus would understand the context. The trailblazer can only nod along, reminded of how old people do whatever Jing Yuan was doing at present.

“Alas, maybe he didn’t reincarnate as I had hoped,” Jing Yuan breathed in shakily. “I’ve traveled far and still, nothing. I’m afraid at this point they won’t be able to recognize me. While my voice was similar to how it was in my previous life, it had deepened with age. And I won't have any luck with my appearance either.”

Caelus frowned for him.

Jing Yuan was optimistic when Jingliu had taken him in as an apprentice– he thought it was an opportunity to find him again. There were numerous thoughts that maybe he will thread a similar path to his first life. In the realm of Xianzhou Luofu, where long and short-life species coexisted, he thought he glimpsed his baobei several times. With each encounter, his heart would skip a beat, hope blossoming like a new leaf, only to be shattered in the next breath. Jing Yuan had grown weary, not unlike Snowmoon. He's now somber and wiser.

If only he had not died so early. If only he didn't save the Imperial Consort when the palace burned. Would he have lived enough to stand at the prince’s side if he didn't put his duty as a soldier first?

Then again, none of that matters now. Today, he is Jing Yuan, the “Dozing” (and sometimes “Glutton”) General and not ████, the Crown Prince’s retainer. He should not burden himself with the regrets of a failed servant. But the thought of dying without ever seeing ████████'s face again... Jing Yuan hopes it will not happen again in this life. The General would continue searching for he had faith that one day, his prince would find his way. It may not be a popular tale in this realm and era, but he still believes that the red string binds their souls across the ages.

At the mention of reincarnation, Caelus’ ears perked up.

“Reincarnate…?”

“To live again in another form.”

“I know what it means. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

“Based on what Mr. Yang had told me, I’m inclined to believe that your situation is nearly synonymous with that phrase.” Jing Yuan teased.

“Come to think of it,” Jing Yuan looked at his phone. “It is ██/██ today, is it not?”

“Huh? Yeah. Do you have other plans, General?”

Caelus tried to keep up the pace with Jing Yuan. They were nearing the especially crowded and noisy area they saw before and he was worried he wouldn’t hear his response.

“No, none of the sort. On the contrary, I often take a day off on this particular date,” Jing Yuan answered nonchalantly. “Truth is, it’s ████████’s birthday–”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU!!!”

The crowd roared and the two halted. As it turns out, there was no sale in the area, but a celebration. The both of them stopped specifically at certain familiar voices in the crowd. Caelus was certain that he heard both Qingque and Tingyun,

but Jing Yuan’s intuition spoke for something else.

“Hey, isn’t that Miss Tingyun– woah, why are you running?!”

He left Caelus and immediately dashed to the noise. A couple of restaurant staff glanced over in confusion as the man pushed the door farther open. Some servers had made way upon recognizing the general and others who weren't quick on the uptake tried to stop him from meddling with the event. But when the staff had caught on that he was a man they cannot dismiss, a questionable scene had begun unfolding before anyone could control it.

The song died as soon as everyone saw the general standing near the middle of the tables and seated chairs. There were familiar faces just as Caelus had mentioned— Qingque and Sushang's presence can be felt. He stared, shocked at who sat beside Tingyun.

The Foxian amicassador then guardedly placed a hand on top of the person's shoulders, looking at Jing Yuan as though he was an animal ready to strike. He didn't know what her look meant, but everyone else in the room concurred that it didn't appear as though he was there to make small talk.

"Can we help you, General?"

"... My Lord?"

Jing Yuan whispered weakly.

"Prince ████████... Is that truly you...?" He laughed, sounding nearly defeated. “I have not reached geriatric psychosis so soon, have I?”

The man had both his knees down on the ground, looking up at the birthday celebrant.

You.

Prince ████████– rather— (Y/n) (L/n), a Foxian now aged 250, sat amidst the room wearing robes embroidered with relatively inexpensive jades and gems gifted by friends and family. You were at a loss for what to do and looked to colleagues for advice before gazing back at the strange white-haired person kneeling on the ground.

Before he had made himself known, you appeared slightly uncomfortable. He wagered it had something to do with the crowd. The others must’ve thrown this as a surprise makeover and party, but as much as you wished to understand and be more in touch with your friendships, you likely found this situation rather difficult. And Jing Yuan was not helping.

You’d have to forgive him later. He just can’t help himself.

Your vulpine ears stood up straighter, alert as he reluctantly reached for your hand. If you could postpone this birthday “party” and finish all these tiring exchanges later, you probably would. You were taken aback at how fast his movements were– you swore that in one second he stood by the door and in the next he knelt near your chair.

You still look so wonderful…

“Y-Your Majesty…”

He grabbed your hands.

“████████…” Jing Yuan gasped for a strip of breath. “You have no idea how long I have waited. I-I have waited for you for s-so SO long– I had nearly thrown all hope I had of finding you several times but I knew we’ll find one another again…”

He looked up, hope in his eyes.

“It’s me, My Lord. I have fulfilled my promise.”

The general’s heart raced as he finally laid eyes on his reincarnated lover, sitting before him in all your ethereal beauty. His eyes lingered on your face, speechless at the softness that remained despite the passage of time. Your features held a timeless allure, radiant– and will forever enrapture his poor old heart.

His gaze respectfully traced the lines of your figure, adorned with jades that only accentuated your presence. The vibrant gems seemed to mirror the regalness of your past self– as if the jades themselves will always choose to highlight your inherent grace.

But it was in your eyes that General Jing Yuan found himself lost. The eyes that he never got to see a lifetime before. That calming sense of expression in your (e/c) eyes held a depth that stirred his soul. They sparkled with a familiar light, revealing the person he had loved throughout the centuries. In your stare, he had grasped the solace he had been waiting for– the emotion Snowmoon had felt in his 300-year-long return– the "reconnection" that eased the most troubled of spirits.

Amidst the confusion that surrounded you both, Jing Yuan remained on bended knees, cherishing the sight, grateful for the opportunity to witness your enchanting presence once more.

He finally saw your eyes.

And you finally saw him.

With a heart brimming with emotions, Jing Yuan whispered:

"You are as stunning as ever, My Lord. Even in this new timeline, your beauty is unmatched– the most gorgeous person in the universe." His voice carried the weight of longing.

You jolted. There was something in your expression that made his hopes bubble up more. Was it a glint of remembrance? Did you retain your memories since birth as he did? He was uncertain but his grip on you tightened.

“I missed you so much,” he said almost inaudibly. “It’s overwhelming.”

No one spoke as the general looked at you without any intention to be the first to break eye contact. Everyone invited was too stunned to move or resume the song. Most notably, Qingque was preparing to sneak out in fear of more work while Sushang took out her notebook, scribbling notes on how to "paralyze" onlookers in what she dubbed as "The General Jing Yuan style". Only Tingyun was animated in the sense that she was willing to hand the intruder a phony smile and mouth the words "What are you doing here?" behind your back.

But there's always a true oddball waiting to bounce amongst a sea of people. And in this case, it was the "not born yesterday" trailblazer, Caelus.

Unpredictable as he is, he joined in on the “farce.” He puffed his chest and strode large steps to reach where Tingyun, you, and Jingyuan were. Caelus fixed his sleeves and coughed loudly, which brought nearly everyone's attention to him except for the lovestruck General.

And then, he brazenly declared:

“AND I AM DAN HENG,” he mimicked his crewmate’s voice. “ALSO KNOWN AS COLD DRAGON YOUNG.”

Pause.

People started snorting, no longer stiff. Qingque quietly muttered with a hand slowly letting go of the doorknob that it must’ve been just a “bit” to liven up the party. Eventually, that became everyone's final interpretation.

That… effectively switched the mood.

“W-What?” That flicker in your eyes was gone in an instant.

You shook your head.

“Seriously? What’s going on?! Stop! You’re all being silly!!!”

For a moment, you contemplated throwing a spoon in Caelus’ direction but decided against it. Caelus is a friend of yours and you will not put a strain on that relationship on your birthday. But this guy? Who?

You tore your hands away from Jing Yuan, which effectively broke his heart.

“And WHO are you anyways?!”

Tingyun laughed, hard. Both you and Jing Yuan didn't notice her, so she brought attention to herself. The amicassador, whom you nearly forgot was with you from all the ruckus, tapped your shoulder with a shrewd grin.

“Love, I have a guess as to why he introduced himself like that, but for now, that’s General Jing Yuan.”

“Okay, Mister Jing Yuan–” you started, barely threatening despite your hesitant intentions to make him uneased. “Let’s talk outside– wait.”

Your head snapped back at Tingyun.

“Babygirl, did you just say General Jing Yuan?” You gawked.

“Like, THE Dozing General, Jing Yuan?” You turned your back on him, discreetly whispering and pointing. “The one you sold overpriced photocards of?”

Tingyun hid her mouth behind her fan.

Sure, you’re not a big fan of draining your social battery so much that you’ll remember everyone’s faces, but how come you only remembered who he was based on how Tingyun exploited his looks?

“Pff– Yes, that’s him. That's the one, love. Welcome to (Y/n)’s birthday party, General!”

Caelus stood beside Jing Yuan, shaking his head. “No. That is not General Jing Yuan! That is–... Err– I didn’t get his new name. What did you say your name was, General?”

“No, no way,” Sushang cut in, slightly pushing the trailblazer. “You’re not Dan Heng! And that’s definitely General Jing Yuan, one of the seven Arbiter-Generals!!!”

Sushang then bowed to the general, spouting apologies and greetings in one incoherent jumble. Since it was Sushang who said it, you were 100% convinced this man is an important figure… and you also 100% got yourself a headache.

"Haaaaah…?!"

You brought your attention back to Jing Yuan, who diligently awaited any of your instructions like a pup. You squinted as you tried to make out what a general could possibly want with you on your birthday of all days. Then, you recalled what he called you.

That's... Not your current name.

"Weird..." You muttered.

You took a deep breath, terrified of your next course of action but deemed it necessary for the festivities to resume. The chair squeaked as you stood from your seat, staring nervously at the general. You seriously don’t want to talk to a stranger one-on-one.

"L-Let's talk outside."

Jing Yuan perked up.

"Of course, My Lord."

"Why are you calling me–" Whispers started making rounds as soon as Jing Yuan spoke those words. You shouted, panicking. "I'M NOT HIS LORD OR ANYTHING IMPORTANT, I PROMISE!!!"

That didn't seem to clear any suspicions but at least you made an attempt. You grabbed Jing Yuan's hand and led him outside, failing to see him smile like a dog as he thought about how you were both holding hands.

Outside, it was silent.

The party went on without its birthday celebrant and "heckler." Notably, Tingyun's playing host, and her voice can be heard from your location. Jing Yuan crossed his arms while you leaned on the wall. Both of you were waiting for the other to initiate the conversation. Although you can start the conversation, it’s not something you prefer to do. Eventually, the general couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"████████–"

"Sir–"

You both awkwardly paused. Honestly, you weren't planning on saying anything, you spoke by mere instinct.

Jing Yuan shook his head.

"You go first, My Lord."

"... W-Why are you calling me that?"

For a moment, his lips curled into a frown but he was not quick enough to hide it from you. He smiled politely and bowed with a hand on his chest.

"Because you are my prince–" Jing Yuan added with a mutter. "At least, you were mine for just a small fraction of that ephemeral life."

You swore you heard those words from somewhere.

Did you say them before?

"... Which one?"

He stood up straighter. His posture was enough to indicate that he is indeed a general. "Which what? Would you kindly elucidate me more?"

"Which one of my retainers were you?"

Jing Yuan's face brightened.

"You can recall–!"

"Not much, to be honest," you laughed, strained. "And I'm sorry if that question was rude. Tingyun– well, we both knew her as my Empress– told me that our physical attributes are very similar to the ones we have in our previous lives, but I was blind before. And your voice is unfamiliar."

Tingyun's… the Imperial Court Princess?

The same woman he sacrificed his life to save?

“... I see… So that’s why you called her ‘babygirl’...” Jing Yuan spoke bitterly.

Who is he kidding? Of course, you've moved on.

And he's here. Foolishly awaiting no one. A lion had more luck than him in both lives.

You continued.

"So… forgive me for my lack of– whatever words I used to have back then. I'm just not royal as I used to be. I-I like being casual.” you chuckled nervously. “But w-who are you? A-Are you ██?”

“... I have never heard that name before.”

“W-Welp, I guess you’re not my childhood babysitter huh?” You joked, mildly disappointed. “Poor ██, I hope you’re not dead yet in this world.”

Jing Yuan’s face crumpled in confusion.

“Why would you assume that I’m ██?”

“Same hair, and you reincarnated waaayyy before me and Tingyun s-so I was just trying to figure out who died before we did.”

“████.” Jing Yuan closed his eyes, pained. “████ died before you did.”

Why haven't you mentioned his old name?

“Yes, ████…” Your eyes softened and your next words sounded broken. “Of course, that’s… unfortunately… true…but if you knew him, I guess that just means you’re someone I knew in my late twenties.”

You smiled. “████… I still hope he’s out there. I miss him a lot.”

That smile.

That was the smile he had not seen in his last days. From the last secret meeting they shared, the prince’s smile and laughter seemed rather distant, devoid of life. This time, it was the polar opposite. He felt the same affection the prince once gave to his beloved retainer.

With eyes looking back at the party, your tone has shifted from tender to authoritative, truly deserving of the title once bestowed upon you.

“Jing Yuan, I do not know who you were in my first life, but I will say this–

“Back then, I couldn’t reveal this, but I will tell everyone I will reunite with now. There’s no one else I loved romantically more than ████.” You glared at him. “He has always been there for me– and he will forever be someone dear to me.”

You were no longer nervous. You did not care that he was a stranger– you didn’t care about the prejudice that might follow. You were going to speak your truth. No matter what.

“I don’t give a damn if you’re an Arbiter-General. If you cannot respect that love, then do not call me your prince. That’s all.”

…

You were expecting another rant about honor like what another reincarnated nobleman whose name you never bothered to remember had done or a “who cares” and an “I knew since the beginning” like your royal jade specialist, ███ or Qingque, had said.

But his response baffled you more.

“Thank you.”

Seeing Jing Yuan smile proudly with tears forming in his eyes was the last thing you expected.

“A-And I still love you too.”

…

“Baozi…?” Your eyes widened.

“Baobei…” Jing Yuan reached for your hand again. “As I announced proudly earlier, I fulfilled my promise.

I found you again. In another life.”

You wish you could say you had a brilliant time after that revelation. You wish you could say you went back to Tingyun and giddily told her everything. You wish you could say you returned home with a smile on your face.

But no. You were too mentally and socially spent as a result of the unanticipated events. It brought back vivid memories of how, in a previous life, you would retreat to your room after banquets to avoid further conversations. Realistically, the only course of action that could have been taken after that was for you to ask him for his contact information and request some time to gather your thoughts because despite how wonderful it was to see the person you loved most after 250 years and more, the mechanical hands continue to haunt you.

Jing Yuan has existed and will continue to exist for a very long time. The same cannot be said for you.

But despite delaying all interactions, his invitations never ceased. On the first day, he tried to invite you to the Divine Seat of Foresight using Qingque– but she forgot about that task and only told you about it in the middle of a game. On the second day, he wrote you a letter stating that you were always welcome to visit him and that you have full access to all rooms (his trust for you concerned Yukong.) And yesterday, Tingyun implied that Mimi wanted to see you, joking about how it’s about time you adopt a lion.

And today, he is at your door, holding a bouquet.

You can't delay this anymore.

“I-I’m sorry, baozi, but I don’t think we should talk.”

“How so?” Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow, not irritated but genuinely confused. “We’re finally together– you and I— unless…”

He looked down. In an instant, you knew he was thinking about Tingyun– rather– your past Empress. Who you never had feelings for and never consummated the marriage with. And she’d say the same about you.

“Oh, no, no, no, no,” you shook your head. “We’re not together. Nope. No way.”

“Are you certain?”

“Obviously, duh!” You said. Curiously enough, you sounded very annoyed at that. “If it’s because of that babygirl thing– dude, I swear, that was a joke cause everyone thinks we’re in love so we’re just playing along as a joke like we used to when we were quote-unquote ‘married’ and– man, why am I explaining this? Welp, I’ll try to shut up now.”

You put your head in your hands, which would’ve normally made Jing Yuan laugh, but he was more concerned than anything.

“Then why are you being deterred?”

“It’s just,” you sighed, giving up. “I’m a Foxian.”

“And so?”

“My life… is relatively brief compared to yours.”

You held his hands, slowly tracing his palms.

“I’ve heard of snippets of your life on the streets. I heard you got statues of your deceased lion when it died.”

You looked up, smiling sadly. It reminded him so much of the expression you’d wear when the ministers have shared intel regarding casualties. He never enjoyed gazing at that look.

“Other than the fact I kinda don’t want a statue of me inside the Divine Seat of Foresight,” you joked. “I don’t want to make you feel the same pain or worse.”

“I’m 250 years old. If I’m lucky and if I take care of myself better, add 150 more and that will be the end of it.” You explained. “Just that... You're a human that can live for millennia, and I can only live till 400."

You took a sharp breath. At the time, he could only hear you and your movements, the sounds of your neighborhood were non-existent.

"Wouldn't being with me just make you sad in the end? My life is just like Snowmoon. I don't want to know that being with me will just make your heart break." You laughed cheaply.

"Wouldn't that make me selfish?"

Jing Yuan did not speak. Instead, he grabbed you by the waist and encircled his strong arms around you. In an instant, you felt the urge to cry. You had never been attached to a person quite like him and to know that he feels the same feels painful somehow. Aware of your weakness, you know that emotions can be sometimes hard to understand for you, but that doesn't make you unemotional.

"No. No, you're not. And you never will be for wanting to love again," he spoke, sounding breathy yet low. "It would be more selfish if you to deny this happiness for the both of us."

"Did you fully comprehend how long I've waited for us to reunite? Do you understand how every action I've taken that led us to this point was so that I could see you again? Speak to you again? Touch you again?" Jing Yuan shook his head slowly.

"No. Letting me go on living without you is not only selfish, it is cruel. There is no competition, being with you, even if our time together is but another brief moment like our last rendezvous in the forest, is much more preferable than never seeing you again."

In those excruciating three days of reluctance, those were the words you were hoping to hear from him. And he delivered more.

Your worries were for nothing. You were trying to be “mature”, steeling your resolve for when he’ll “inevitably face the music” and “live to be happy” without pursuing you in this life.

You can’t hold it back any longer. Tears of happiness trickled down your cheeks, and you buried your face in his chest, holding him as tightly as he held you. In that quiet moment of reconnection, your love was reciprocated, and the fear that had held you back was gone, replaced by a profound sense of contentment and belonging.

“Y-You know…”

You had a wet-faced yet wide grin as you slithered a hand on the back of his head, untying his red ribbon. You were kind of proud of yourself for nicknaming him Baozi. With that white hair, he does look like a steamed bun.

Slowly, you cupped his cheek and tilted his face slightly downwards.

“I’ve heard from my fellow Foxians that moles are where your lover from a past life enjoyed kissing you,” you traced his left cheek with your thumb. “What do you think?”

Jing Yuan blushed.

It was unspoken, but it made him happy nonetheless.

You’re letting him love you.

There is no greater joy to be had in his life than to be yours again.

“W-Well, I’d say we proved that myth to be true–” he cleared his throat. “Given how obsessed you were with kissing the spot below my eyelid.”

“So true,” you hummed. “You’re very pretty, Jing Yuan. I wish I could’ve seen how beautiful you are before.”

He was meant to joke about how he would always guide your face to his lips so that you wouldn’t “miss”, but Jing Yuan couldn’t help but melt at your words.

“You’re too wonderful, baobei.”

“I know.”

Jing Yuan chuckled heartily.

“I see your sense of humor is intact.”

You scoffed and quickly stuck your tongue out in a playful quip.

"My humor didn't remain– it evolved– and you got a character arc too didn't you? You went from not liking lions to owning TWO. T-W-O. Way before I got a hand on one as well. Don’t think I forgot about that bet, Mr. ████. You seriously owe me 200 wu zhus."

"I've certainly grown mundane–" Upon realizing what you fully said, he paused and laughed. "–Haha! Sharp as ever. Unfortunately, my lord, finding the old currency would be a tall task. How about 40,000 strales?"

“Hmm… Not a very convincing equivalent exchange.” You shrugged. “You know what? I may not be the brightest math person since I’ve been skipping it for music lessons, but with a bet taking this long, surely we have to consider the interest rate, right? How about adding a wedding ring? ”

His heart skipped a beat.

Jing Yuan pulled you closer.

"... Always with a follow-up argument, but I shall go along with this. After all, I’ve always fantasized about saying…"

The general smiled as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, locking your hands together with his. Jing Yuan, ████— whatever his name is— felt safe and warm in your presence as he kissed your neck.

Finally, a domestic life. A life where they can both say:

“Baobei, I’m home.”

有情人终成眷属

The Lovers are Finally Together; All Shall Be Well.

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gothic-thoughts · 4 months

Note

Hey! Do you plan on doing an Exes2LoversAU with Zoro part 2 where they go though a similar situation three years ago, and reader fears the the same thing happens again where he’ll leave her, but this time, he doesn’t (the reader probably gained some kind of abandonment issues from last time)

Ouuu, I like that. I didn't even have an idea for a part two fr

For the those who don't know, Part 1 is Right Here

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(A/n): Thanks for the request and sorry it took so long, know that I saw it I just couldn't think of a scenario.

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No One Left Behind? (Part 2)

Roronoa Zoro x Black Fem Reader Angst (Fluff)

Exes2LoversAU, PirateAU

CW: Reader learning to trust Zoro again, robbery

TW: abandonment issues??

Word Count: 1050 (give or take)

Previously:

“I know you work alone, but just think about it.”

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Zoro was sitting in another bar after helping Nami save her town. The crew sailed for a while before stopping at this island where the ex-pirate hunter was now indulging himself with a bottle of wine, but he stood out more than he would've liked to. You walk into the same bar, but you recognize those three swords anywhere.

You continue walking casually, pulling out your new dagger while you walk up to his barstool from behind. Once you were close enough, you poke the blade into his lower back and rest your chin on his right shoulder. Zoro’s eyes look to your face, his body still motionless.

“Long time no see again, Roronoa.” You whisper in his ear.

“It seems you have a knack for showing up when I least expect it.”

“Well, I gotta keep the pirate hunter on his toes; you might lose your edge.”

“I've faced stronger opponents than you, and I'll continue to do so." Zoro says, with a smirk, taking another swig of his wine.

You chuckle as you tuck the blade into your boot before sitting on the barstool to his right.

“Guessing you're not in this town because you knew I was here.”

"I could say the same about you; why are you here? You following me now?"

“Tch, following you? You wish. I was on this island first; I saw your floating clubhouse pull in just yesterday.”

"Hm. You didn't answer my question." He raises an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

“You know I go where the wind takes me. Literally. But I’m in this bar specifically for a lead.”

“Lead? You a detective now?”

“Relax, it’s for my own best interest.”

“Thank god, thought you might’ve been turned into some kind of saint.”

“Call it payback,” You say, taking a shot, “Some dickhead stole an entire pouch of berry from me in here yesterday. Was kinda hoping he’d come back.”

"And how'd you let that happen? You getting soft on me?"

“Go ahead, laugh.” You chuckle before taking another shot, “Not one of my proudest moments. The bastard lives in some big, fancy inn.”

“Inn, huh?” Zoro chuckles, sipping more wine, "You must be pretty desperate if you're going after someone who lives in an inn."

“Must you think so low of me, Roronoa? It's a luxury inn, meaning he's loaded; which is why I wanna know why he stole my shit.”

“I guess that means you're gonna have to find out." He asks, with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Thanks, I hadn’t noticed. Though...”

“Though?”

“If you're not busy with your little pirate club, you could help me get it back.”

He chuckles, “You...need help?”

“It's high class, so it'll be crawling with security, I bet. And besides, we haven’t seen each other since last time I wanted to kill you, so it'll be a....bonding...exercise.”

Zoro raises an eyebrow at your comment, a small smile on his lips.

"When do you want to go?"

“Ten.” You stand from your seat, putting a dollar on the bar for the bartender, “Can I trust you to meet me outside the Inn at 10 pm? Or do I have to deal with another heartbreak and drag you from your pirate friends?"

He smirks, "Kicking and screaming?"

"I would hope so. I mean, if it's okay with your captain, of course.”

Zoro finishes off his bottle of wine and then gets up from his seat.

“You have my word.” He says, tossing some coins on the bar before making his way towards the exit.

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At 10pm, I was leaning on the wall outside the Inn, looking back and forth down the road, waiting for Zoro to round the corner. I groan in annoyance with myself before kicking a stray bottle near me, and when it breaks in the middle of the road, I swear under my breath for possibly alerting any guards inside as I start to pace back and forth, trying to console myself down.

"I knew it!" I chuckle in disbelief, "Just like when he left the first time. Ugh, can't believe I trusted him again!"

I punched the wall a couple times before kicking over a barrel, breaking and stepping into it with the heel of my boot.

"Fine." I pull my sword, squeezing the handle tightly. "I should've just handled it my-damn-self."

I take a deep breath, preparing to go through whatever happened inside, no matter how many guards there were between me and my stolen berry. I hear heavy boots stepping against the cobblestone, and I groan loudly, thinking it was passersby that didn't need to get in the way. But when I turn to the sound, I see Zoro approaching with one hand in his pocket and the other on one of his three swords. It was 10:10.

"Sorry, I'm late." He stops a couple inches from me, "You okay?"

"I...." My eyebrows furrow, and my brain fogs with confusion, "You....came?"

"I gave you my word."

"I don't know what your word is worth. We were enemies, remember?"

"Fair. Well, my word is my law—my promise."

"Then where the hell were you?"

"Well, coming out this late had me getting a lot of questions...."

"....Mm."

"And then I took a wrong turn when I got off the boat."

"I...." I stutter, looking away from him as the grip on my sword loosens, "Believe you."

"You sure you're okay? If you're not up to it, I could always get the money back while you wait here."

I snap out of it and look at him, "Don't you 'damsel-in-distress' me! I invited you, and I can handle myself. I just needed someone to watch my six."

"I know, cuz I wasn't going to. And look...I don't know if I said this when you found me at that bar," Zoro says, locking our eyes with a glance, "But I'm not leaving you again. Not if I can help it."

"...And if you can't help it?"

"I'll learn."

I stammer, not knowing how to respond as my heart races. I clear my throat and look at the Inn's front door, gesturing for Zoro to come closer. He gives a dark smirk as he moves, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.

"Shall we?"

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(A/n): dropping a part 3 cuz I can raaahhh

#zoro x reader #zoro fluff #zoro angst #black writers #x black reader #x black fem reader #black reader #opla zoro #zoro opla #one piece live action #zoro roronoa x reader #zoro x black reader #roronoa zoro x reader #roronoa zoro x black reader #one piece zoro #one piece

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darklordofthesimp · 2 years

Text

Fury (Din Djarin x Reader)

After an encounter with some low-life locals, Din almost doesn't make it in time to save you. Fear sends him into a rage that is nothing like the Mandalorian you'd come to know.

Requested by @4ng3lf43: #15 This isn’t you #7 You’re scaring me

A/N: Angry Din is hot Din... not for the reader though, that's scary Din. THIS IS A LOOOOOONG ONE I GOT CARRIED AWAY NOT PROOFREAD

Category: Angst, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending

Warnings: Swearing, Graphic Violence

You hadn't realized just how bad you were at fighting.

Despite what your Mandalorian counterpart had tried to teach you, time and time again, you'd come to realize you were terrible under pressure. Your hands had flailed uselessly and you'd just resorted to biting and kicking, not your proudest moment but the best you could offer at the time.

"Tell us where he is," a voice sounded from behind you, low and mocking. You grimaced and strained against your bindings, the scumbags had tied you to a chair with wire rope and it was cutting into your skin. Though, those movements stopped pretty quick when you felt the tell-tale press of a blaster against the back of your head.

The person rounded your predicament, coming to stand before you with their weapon outstretched, that damned barrel aiming straight between your eyes. It was a Twi', you observed.

He had dark cerulean skin with a deep-set gaze and, once, you might have thought him handsome had you seen him in a cantina somewhere. But you weren't in a bar, you were in a cold, dim room wishing your bounty hunter would hurry up.

"Who?" You rasped, groaning as he pushed the blaster further into your forehead.

"Don't play dumb," he snarled, "where is the Mando?"

Your breath hitched, you didn't have to play dumb, you did a pretty good job of embodying the word every day. There was nothing you could tell him, though. Not that you would.

Your companion had disappeared to find his bounty, leaving you to your own devices in the markets. You had a list of parts that you'd needed, excited to finally have a couple of days to rest and patch up the ship, it had been falling apart despite your patch jobs.

"I don't know," you said honestly. "He doesn't tell me these things."

The Twi' snarled, turning to his entourage behind him. There were around six in his crew, all of them of differing species, shuffling on their feet impatiently. They stared back at him, one of them raising their shoulders in a shrug.

They were amateurs, you realized. As you looked closer you realized they were all relatively young, the Twi' would have been the oldest of them all; but even he was a new adult.

"Is it credits your after?" You asked gently, a newfound softness blooming across your chest. They were new to the game and this planet was unforgiving, you highly doubt they were here by choice.

The azure creature turned to face you, panic evident across his features. From the twist of his mouth and the scrunch of his brow bone, you could tell he was distressed. He had thought this would be easy, and he most likely knew you were telling the truth. Now he had just kidnapped the Mandalorian's counterpart, painted a target across his back and gotten nothing to gain from the whole disaster.

"He's my bounty," he snapped, raising the weapon to your face once more. You knew better than to underestimate him, a panicking person is a trigger happy person- Mando had taught you that early on.

"You're not going to get him, kid." You shook your head, your gaze imploring. "You're only going to get hurt if you don't let me go."

Something lit up in his expression, and your heart sunk to your stomach. The corner of his mouth quirked as he turned to face his crew once more, blaster holstered back into his belt. His fingers tangled into your hair and gripped hard as he dragged you forward in your seat. You bit down the cry threatening to let loose.

"We're gonna wait," he said, hope staining his words. "He'll come for them, we'll set an ambush right kriffin' here and he won't know 'til it's too late."

Your heart leapt into your throat when he glanced down at you once more. There was a hungriness in his eyes that had your lungs in a death grip, breath rattling in your chest.

"And you," he seethed, kneeling down to be at eye level where he held you. "You will suffer every minute that we have to wait."

"You don't want to do this," you rasped tremulously, fear spiking along the length of your spine like an ice-cold drip. "Please."

He said nothing, only offering a cruel and twisted smile.

Only when he raised his fist, a merciful warning of what was to come, did you close your eyes.

___

"He's here!"

Your lids felt as though they were glued shut. Maybe they were, you wouldn't have been surprised if that was some sort of new torture tactic. Distantly, in the part of your mind that was still working, you felt stupid.

So, so stupid.

The empathy you had felt for the people before you, forced into a life they never would have chosen otherwise, it had gotten you into this situation to begin with. Your compassion was always your downfall, and your Mandalorian had even told you that one day you would learn your lesson.

This was definitely it.

You had failed the class but Maker had you learned.

The sound of a blaster shot whizzing by your ear jolted you to full consciousness. Forcing your eyes open, you tried to observe your surroundings despite the fuzziness of the scene. The wood behind your head was scorched, as was the rope holding you down. Someone had shot your bindings, someone had set you free.

There was the sound of muffled yelling, and the overhead lights flashed.

"Get him!"

You rubbed your eyes hard, falling to your knees gracelessly. You couldn't see anything, there was so much blood and sweat caking your lashes you were virtually blind. Your battered limbs groaned in agony with every movement, but you couldn't fall into that, you needed to get out of there.

There was the familiar sound of a flamethrower, then wretched screams that rattled your soul. Beautiful chrome armor glinted in the blurry arc of your vision and a gasp fell from your lips.

Your Mandalorian had come for you.

And he was furious.

"Who sent you?"

That voice was unrecognizable, yet you knew it was him. The fury that gripped every syllable with a fearsome growl made your knees quiver. He was a bounty hunter, a fearsome race of warrior people and he was as dangerous as they came; you knew that. But, despite all the situations you had been through, you had never seen him like this. It was terrifying to watch, and you almost wished your vision hadn't been so clear anymore.

The sound of death deafened you, and the sight of it was paralyzing.

"Get him to stop," the whisper was harsh in your ear, as you were gripped by your shoulders and pulled upright. "We surrender, just tell him to stop!"

The Twi' was behind you, using you as a human shield to protect him from the Mandalorian's wrath, but you knew that it would only provoke him. One by one, his friends fell, disfigured and agonized. You could only imagine how it felt knowing that you were next, coming to terms with the armored reaper before you.

But these were children, barely of age. While the Twi' behind you was an adult, he had barely begun his journey, and most likely had never experienced life with freedom as an option. This was the best they could do with themselves if they wanted to survive and provide for their families, you knew because you had been there.

They didn't deserve this, but then again neither had you.

Were you not all victims of an unjust society?

The room fell quiet, eerily so. There were no moans of pain, no sounds of blaster fire or metal on metal, there was nothing. You realized it was because there was no one left, no one besides the Twi' that held you in his arms.

The Mandalorian stood before you, his breathing even despite the entire incident that he had just incurred. His blaster was raised, well above your head, targeting the space between the man's eyes.

"Let them go."

The words were hard and unforgiving. You knew then that he was going to kill him.

"Mando," you whispered and the hunter's gaze snapped to yours, the tilt of the helmet indicating that you had his attention. "Just leave it. He won't hurt me if you let him go."

"He won't hurt you regardless," the words were hissed, as if spoken through gritted teeth.

"Just let me go," the Twi' pleaded. "You can have them but just let me go."

You could feel his fingers digging into your skin, inadvertently seeking comfort in someone he didn't know, in someone he had harmed. It was a dizzying thought.

"You think you deserve to go free after what you've done?" The Mandalorian jerked his head in your direction, a gesture to draw attention to your gruesome appearance.

"I'm sorry," was the broken whisper from over your shoulder.

"He's just a kid, Mando," you implored, shaking your head. "They all were."

"And look at what they did," he snapped without a thought. Your heart stuttered in your chest, there was an emptiness in his voice that you didn't recognize and for a second you feared that you wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise.

"They had no choice," you cried.

"There was a choice in that," he gestured towards your face with his free hand. You were mangled, you knew that, but you couldn't help the humiliation at being seen like this. "I had that same choice when I first caught you."

He was right. You had initially been a bounty on his list, someone who had proven themselves to be more useful in his employment than dead in carbonite. He had never hurt you, despite the tussle that had ensued, simply because there was no need.

But he was a seasoned warrior, there was no one he had to be afraid of when he had captured you. You weren't a threat to him, nothing more than a nuisance, and back then there was no one to look for you the way he had just then.

It was different and he had to have known that. "Scared people are trigger-happy people," you whispered, "you taught me that."

There was a beat before he spoke again, and you knew then that you had doomed the boy with that sentence. "Then let me teach him a lesson."

There was no time for anyone to react when the bounty hunter struck, he was as fast as a viper and as lethal as its venom. He had the Twi' in his grip in an instant, throwing him to the ground so hard you heard the crunch of his back on impact.

"No!" You shouted, forcing your body up as Din pulled his fist back. Your knees wobbled beneath you unreliably and you cringed as you launched yourself forward. "Din, stop! This isn't you!"

But he wasn't listening.

Your sob caught in your throat as you half-crawled, half-dragged your way to the altercation. You were terrified, there was no other word that could describe the emotion that gripped your heart so tightly that you thought you might faint.

You had never seen Din like that, not when Grogu had been taken, not when he fought Moff Gideon, not ever. Those times were different, they were desperate and fearful and urgent. This time, it was a completely separate person in front of you.

One look at the Twi's face had your stomach recoiling violently and you knew that he would keep going until he saw his brain matter spattered across the floor. You threw yourself onto the arm that was delivering those deadly blows, praying to whatever deity you could think of that he would stop.

"Please," you sobbed, gripping his bicep as tightly as you could. You wrapped the upper half of your body around the limb, attempting to disable him with whatever feeble strength you had left.

And while he immediately ceased his actions, the hunter's other hand came to pry you from him. "Get off."

"No, no, no, please," you wept desperately, voice shrill and broken. Din was making quick work at detaching you from himself, you had nothing left in you to fight him with. "Din, you're scaring me."

"Off."

Despite his rageful state, his movements were so fucking gentle as he placed you behind him and turned back to his victim. You shook your head, breath seizing in your lungs altogether. You couldn't stop him by holding him back, but maybe you could stop him by taking the Twi's place.

As the Mandalorian raised his fist once more, your gaze flitted to the man laid out beneath him, mangled and wheezing. His emerald gaze rested on you. Your heart stopped. There was peace in those eyes, the knowledge that he wasn't going to make it out of that room, the understanding that this was the end of the line. You could sense the deep regret, not just because of the outcome but as he had appraised your features in the small reprieve he'd received, you knew he was repenting.

Before you could stop yourself, you used the last of your energy to push yourself forward. You collapsed over the man's body, listening to the soft wheeze as you pressed your face against his chest. Letting your hands rest above his face as a pathetic shield, you wept quietly, awaiting the blow from above.

It never came. Of course, it hadn't.

No matter how furious, no matter how rageful, you would never be the one in the Mandalorian's line of fire.

But there was silence. A long, deafening quiet that had your heart racing within your chest, anticipating the words of the warrior above you. You expected him to yell, to call you naive for protecting those that would have killed you given the chance, but he didn't. He only said one thing.

"Why?"

You choked on your own tears, your chest wracking beneath the stress. There was no way you could offer a response, no way you could give him anything intelligible at all. But, as his hands slowly and ever so gently moved to sit you up, you thought he might have understood.

There was no solid reasoning, this mangled man beneath you might have deserved death, for things he could have done and things he might go on to do. But, you only saw yourself.

Why were you given a second chance, where these men were not. They were afraid, they had been uncertain, you had heard their whispers of family and debts and hunger. You had been them.

You knew they deserved punishment, just as you deserved it. But they didn't deserve death, not yet, not for this.

You hadn't even realized that you'd been moved. You suspected that you might not have been fully conscious, to begin with. You were no longer in that room and there was no one but you and the bounty hunter who had retrieved you, seated in a grassy field by a ship you had worked on hundreds of times.

"I-" Din cut himself off, slowly dragging a rag over your wounds. You could smell the bacta on the material and you hissed as it met with your mangled skin. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

You said nothing for a long moment, collecting your thoughts as the medication he had doused you in did its work. Your system was rebooting, and you had begun to understand everything that had just occurred with new clarity.

"I don't know what came over me," he continued in a low murmur, avoiding facing you head-on. He was guilty, but you weren't sure you cared. The hunter kept his gaze strictly on your injuries as he spoke, continuing with a shaky statement. "They're not dead."

You snapped your sight towards him so quickly that you made yourself dizzy. This time, he did look at you, but only briefly.

"I didn't kill them," he said again, "I knew they were kids."

Your mouth was dry and basically glued closed, you couldn't have spoken even if you wanted to. The organ in your chest was so overworked that, when it raced this time, you felt faint. You shook your head softly, confusion furrowing your brows, you could have sworn he'd done it. You were so sure he had killed them. But then again, you were hanging between consciousness and death, nothing was clear.

The Mandalorian nodded his head, and for a moment you thought he could hear your thoughts.

"I'll take you to them once you're better if you don't believe me," he huffed lightly. "I know what it looked like."

"You were out of control," you croaked, the words broken and quiet. His fingers froze with their ministrations, the bacta he had just applied slowly oxidizing along the length of your skin.

"I know."

"Why?" You whispered, although, you thought you might've already known the answer.

"Scared people are trigger-happy people, Cyare." Din murmured thickly.

You blinked owlishly at him, watching as he slowly dragged his gaze to meet your stare. His bare hand slid over yours, holding you so gently that had you not witnessed it, you never would have believed them to be capable of violence.

"And when I walked into that room and saw you like that," he shook his head and whispered your name like a prayer murmured in the desperate hours of the night. "I have never been so scared in my life."

Scared people are trigger-happy people.

And at that moment, you knew that Din would have laid waste to every galaxy if it meant keeping you safe.

#din djarin x reader #mandalorian x reader #din djarin #the mandalorian x reader #star wars #din djarin x y/n #the mandalorian #din djarin x you #baby yoda #grogu

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manicformunson · 2 years

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just- eddie with a badass, metal reader? and he’s too nervous to talk to her, hes almost intimidated, but then she goes up to him and confronts him abt his stares??? i’m done for.

do you wanna touch me

pairing eddie munson x fem!reader

summary reader is the girl of eddie's dreams and he can't help but stare at her any and every chance he got. he never expected her to call him out in front of his friends

note i am a firm believer in eddie being a total perv lol also abrupt ending sorry i like to tease :p

Eddie was a creep, he knew it. He literally could not help but drool over the girl in his math class, Y/N was like his hottest wet dream. She was always sporting shirts from his favorite bands, her hair always dyed unnatural colors and sometimes if he was lucky she wore a skirt, showing off a huge dnd dragon tattoo on her thigh. When that happened Eddie always had to pick his jaw up off the floor and excuse himself to the bathroom.

Eddie found himself more often than not rubbing one out at the thought of her plush thighs around his neck and his face buried in her pussy, or her tits squished up against his cock with her tonuge gingerly licking the tip -- the latter being his favorite.

One time he had to run to the bathroom to jerk off after math class when she wore one of those devilish skirts and moved her legs, causing Eddie to catch a glimpse of her panties. It was not his proudest moment.

Even Gareth had mentioned that Eddie was obsessed and that if he had the balls he should just go up and talk to her, but as funny as it was to everyone else, Eddie was intimidated. He had never met a girl who liked heavy metal and had tattoos of DND dragons, plus she was drop dead gorgeous.

Thank god for the weekend though. It was the only time he got a break from Y/N and her unknowing curse on him.

He had no intention of swimming, just soaking up the sun with a cigarette and maybe checking out the mom's in bikinis until he saw Y/N across the pool. He felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him. "Jesus Christ." He muttered when he was able to breathe again.

Eddie had picked up Gareth, Jeff and Dustin for a day at the pool -- solely Dustin's idea but Eddie would later kiss his feet for it. When they got there they had picked out spots near the gate and Eddie laid out on the chair and pulled out a cigarette, promising to look after they're stuff.

He had thought about asking her to join Hellfire since she'd probably enjoy it but the fear of rejection was too much for him. That and it'd be pretty hard to concentrate on a campaign when Y/N's pretty eyes were on him.

She was wearing a simple black bikini but goddamn, Eddie could see that she had a couple more tattoos -- one on her right breast of a bat with no head, some phrase on her hip bone, and when she turned her back towards him Eddie could see she had little wings right above the waist line of her bottoms.

Jeff and Gareth noticed him drooling over her and decided to follow Dustin to the pool, leaving Eddie a mumbling mess. All he could think about is her tramp stamp and how it contrasted against her wet skin, god Eddie had to fight popping a semi right then and there.

"There a reason your staring at me Munson?" Y/N said through a taunting smile, swaying her hips until she was standing over him. Eddie only held his hands up in defense, "I just, I uh. I mean-" Y/N crossed her arms, making Eddie very aware of how her boobs squished against her arms.

"I just wanted, wanted to-" Eddie couldn't think -- she was so much hotter than Eddie had thought. "Wanted to?" Y/N cocked her eyebrow at him, her fingers tapping against her elbows. "Your tattoos! You got, you got nice tattoos."

She laughed at him and Eddie couldn't help but smile at it, even if she was laughing at him. Y/N decided to sit down in the chair beside him and lean in a little, unknowingly giving him access to see the forbidden valleys of her breasts.

"You're practically drooling, and you're trying to tell me it's because of my tattoos?"

Eddie didn't respond, his brain only focused on the tattoo on her tits which made her grab his chin, forcing him to look at her and continue to mumble out nonsense.

Y/N knew that he had a crush on her, it was a bit pathetic but damn did she think it was cute. She couldn't help but tease.

She leaned closer to him, enough that her perfume clogged his senses, and pressed her lips to his ear, "You know, I got a few more tats underneath my swimsuit if you ever wanna see them."

She licked the shell of his ear causing him to visibly shutter and moan. Eddie grabbed her arm, "I, I got a van." Y/N giggled down at his desperate state. "Hm. I was thinking maybe back at my place later. So I could show you all of my pretty tattoos, and you could take the time to appreciate them."

Her hand was now rubbing up and down his arm giving him goosebumps and his head was so foggy with her presents that Eddie couldn't register what she was insinuating, he just nodded.

When her soft lips pressed against his cheek is when he felt his dick jump at the sudden feeling, "See you then pretty boy." And she was gone, leaving Eddie dazed and with a semi.

Little did he know he wasn't being very secretive about his staring, catching her attention and jumping when she starting storming over to him. Oh shit, he thought before trying to come up with an excuse.

#eddie munson #stranger things #joseph quinn #eddie munson x reader #eddie stranger things #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x reader smut #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you smut #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x female reader smut #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female character

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ctitan98official · 3 months

Text

@alexander-23 : Ok ok ok ok sooooooooooo! How are we feeling about foster kid reader who really likes plants and sculpting with model clay to make things for her plants like lil mushrooms and stuff. Larissa is fostering her and they have a day to garden and reader shows her the little mushrooms, bunnies, garden gnomes, and more they made and they make a lil garden village scene there together.

I love this! Reader, as usual, is gender-neutral. Let’s get into it!

Life has definitely not dealt you any favors. You never knew your parents or had any relatives. You’d always been in the foster system and had it rough growing up. You felt like a burden, like something in other people’s way. You try to talk as little as possible, especially to your foster parents. You don’t want to annoy anyone.

However… Your newest foster mom is decidedly different from any you’ve had before. Larissa Weems… She’s actually the headmistress of a prestigious high school called Nevermore. She not only took you in when you needed a place to stay, but was even able to get you enrolled. While the school normally doesn’t admit students in the middle of a semester, your grades are impeccable and the school made an exception. They simply had to have such a bright student. You’d never felt so… Special before. Larissa had the proudest smile on her face when she told you that you would be going to Nevermore. “We’ll get to be together all the time, darling!” She gushed.

You gave her a shy smile and nervously nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. There’s a lot of changes happening.

Larissa has been so sweet. She cooks for you, does your laundry, and she loves to talk to you and tell you stories. While you don’t speak a lot, your eyes are wide with wonder at how good of a storyteller she is.

Larissa can see the curious spark in your eyes and knows you will one day grow up to do something great. She just needs to find a way to get you out of your shell. You’re still acclimating to your new environment, but Larissa really wishes you’d open up to her more. She knows that your past experiences color your view of the world, understandably so, but she wants to show you that there are people who genuinely care about you, herself included. In fact, it’s so strange, but ever since she met you she felt a deep connection. Almost as if you two complete each other. When she got the call that you would be placed in her care, she cried a bit. You’re just such a good kid and she only wants the best for you. She had always wanted to be a mom and you made that dream come true.

A few weeks into you starting at Nevermore, Larissa decides that you two could use some quality time together. She gets you out of classes for the day and lets you pick how you want to spend it. You’ve never had a lot of free time. You always have to fit yourself into other people’s schedules. But, Larissa’s eyes are soft with affection as she looks at you, her voice gentle and warm. “What would you like to do today, my dear? I want to make it special for you.”

You panic for a moment, not sure what to say. You shift your weight nervously, fiddling with the edge of your shirt. The idea of suggesting something fills you with both excitement and fear. You take a deep breath, mustering your courage, and finally speak up. “Um, well, I actually really enjoy gardening. It’s… It’s something I do when I need some… Peace.”

Larissa’s smile widens and she gently places a hand on your arm. “That sounds absolutely lovely. I adore gardening too. It’s such a calming activity. Let’s make it happen, Y/N.”

You can’t help but feel relieved. The fact that Larissa is genuinely interested in your idea fills you with a sense of validation. A small smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you begin to feel more comfortable. You grab your backpack that you bring everywhere and nod at her.

As you head outside, Larissa walks beside you and gently takes your hand in her own. Her presence is comforting and reassuring. She looks at you with a twinkle in her eyes. “Where do you think we should start, darling?” She asks.

Your hesitation returns momentarily, but then you remember the secluded patch of soil you’ve been carefully tending. You glance at Larissa. “I… Actually have kind of a secret garden. It’s not much, but… I’ve been working on it for a while.”

Larissa’s eyes widen with curiosity and delight. “A secret garden? How enchanting! I’d love to see it. Lead the way!”

Your heart swells as you guide Larissa to your hidden oasis. As you reach it, you show her the array of vibrant flowers that you’ve nurtured with tender care.

Larissa’s breath catches. “Y/N… This is beautiful. You did all of this yourself?” She asks.

You nod, feeling glad that she approves. A small part of you worried that she would be angry at you for using her garden planter without asking her first. But, she seems in awe of your work. She looks over each plant and marvels at how well you did.

But, there’s more to your garden than just plants. You take a deep breath and reach into your bag, retrieving the small sculptures you’ve meticulously crafted from modeling clay.

Larissa’s eyes widen in amazement as you present the tiny creations—Mushrooms, bunnies, and garden gnomes. She delicately picks up one of the miniature sculptures, inspecting its intricate details. “Oh my goodness, these are absolutely delightful, darling! You have such a talent.”

A blush creeps up your cheeks at Larissa’s words. She appreciates the things you create, the pieces of your imagination that you’ve brought to life. It’s a powerful moment of connection and understanding.

Together, you and Larissa carefully place the sculptures throughout the garden, weaving them into the natural beauty of the surroundings. Each addition enhances the atmosphere, transforming your secret garden into a whimsical village scene.

As you work side by side, Larissa’s gentle guidance and curiosity for your sculptures make you feel safe and valued. In her company, your shyness slowly melts away, replaced by a growing sense of comfort and trust.

As the day progresses, you find yourself opening up to Larissa, sharing your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. She listens attentively, offering kind words of support. The bond between you strengthens with every word and you begin to realize that Larissa’s feelings for you go beyond anything you’ve ever felt before. She’s beginning to love you like her own child, drawn to your unique spirit and the beauty you bring into her life.

As the sun sets, casting a warm, golden hue over your garden village, you both settle down on a cozy bench. The scent of flowers fills the air as Larissa wraps her arm around your shoulder, pulling you into a loving embrace. You lean into her, feeling a sense of belonging and contentment.

“You know,” Larissa murmurs, her voice filled with maternal affection, “I can’t express how grateful I am to have you in my life, Y/N. Today has been truly special and I hope we can do things like this often.”

A smile spreads across your face and you nestle closer to Larissa. With the garden as your canvas and her love as your guiding light, you know that this relationship will continue to grow. Just like the flowers in your secret garden.

Masterlist

#larissa weems #larissa weems x reader #larissa weems x y/n #larissa weems x you #wednesday netflix #principal weems #larissa x reader #larissa x y/n #netflix wednesday #wednesday imagine

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yourantag · 11 months

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New Beginnings (Ithaqua×Reader)

AN: Honestly not the proudest of this one, but I'm happy enough with it that I deem it as good as done. This is part of a collaboration of sorts with a few people from the Ithaqua discord server with a prompt focusing on a modern AU where Ithaqua has a healthy family relationship and takes you to prom. Hope you enjoy my take on this! On another note, I think I should probably try to make an introduction post and a masterlist. Problem is, I am simply too lazy and probably won't do it until like,,, 5 months later. Someone send help. Word count: 4.0k words Summary: Anxiety consumes him alive, to the point he's paralyzed in fear. Ithaqua doesn't want to lose you, but it seems no matter what he does, he will. Unbeknownst to him, you feel much the same. Senior year really does smack people in the face, doesn't it?

The Norwell twins are odd, though not in a way that is truly unusual for most siblings. The two are complete opposites, constantly bickering, yet also very close. Since they were separated at birth, many expected that there would be a rift between them. That didn't end up the case, for better or for worse.

Nathaniel was the heir to the notorious Norwell Conglomerate, treated like a prince since birth. Ithaqua was their long lost brother, raised by a kind woman in a rural area. No matter how anyone looked at it, Nathaniel would either have a sense of superiority or feel threatened by his brother returning. Ithaqua, in turn, would feel inferior to his brother who had been perfectly raised to be a leader.

Yet, none of those speculations and expectations became a reality.

Ithaqua quite literally denounced his right to be heir the moment he met his birth parents. He claimed he was perfectly content living life as he was, and didn't need anything the Norwell family may feel inclined to give him. While it was a bit blunt, it was honest. It put many people at ease, including his brother. Nathaniel immediately took a liking to his twin after that, which no one could really understand. When asked, he simply shrugged and said "I like straightforward people who know what they want."

Nathaniel is all sly words and cunning, charming in a way that is alluring like the gentle call of the depths of a ravine. He's used to the deceptive nature of business and people of the upper class. Honestly, he's so used to it that it sickens him. To finally meet the brother he'd always wanted to get to know, and find that he is everything that he'd ever want him to be? Well, Nathaniel couldn't be any more pleased.

Ithaqua is blunt and straightforward, but not unkind. He's someone who does what is right and is considerate of people, even if he doesn't seem like it. With a loving adoptive mother who taught him well, it was impossible for him to ever lust for more than he needed. All Ithaqua wants is a nice job and a house big enough for him, his mom, and maybe a caretaker for his mom when he isn't able to take care of her.

With how pure he is morally, it's expected that Ithaqua didn't particularly like his brother, or his whole biological family really, at first. Still, he gave them the benefit of the doubt and found that they weren't nearly as bad as he had thought they'd be. They were rather normal for a family, just... rich. He could ignore that if he squinted enough.

Not as much changed as he'd anticipated. It was merely requested that Ithaqua and his adoptive mother moved into the Norwell mansion, and that Ithaqua went to the same high school as his brother. It wasn't strictly required, and the Norwell's claimed that regardless of their choice, they'd respect it and send the two money to take care of themselves.

They agreed to live with the Norwell's in the end.

Two years had passed since then, and it was shocking to see how the twins acted now. Nathaniel would lightly poke fun at Ithaqua, and he in turn would poke back. The two had their differences, but ultimately ended up quite good friends. It was almost surreal to some students to watch the proud, arrogant heir suddenly become a teasing older brother of sorts. It made him feel less unreachable, more human.

With senior year rapidly coming to an end, many were either panicking or celebrating. Soon, they'd be going to college, trade school, or the like, becoming "real adults" and having more freedom than they'd know what to do with. It was nerve-wracking, it was exhilarating.

With the desire to have no regrets, many asked Nathaniel to prom. He rejected everyone, practically the whole school, while clinging to Ithaqua and claiming he wouldn't go with anyone in fear that his poor little brother would be lonely.

If Ithaqua's deadpan expression didn't show how much of a lie that was, Nathaniel's shit eating grin sure did.

The truth of the matter was, Nathaniel couldn't go with anyone in fear of either tainting their family reputation or giving someone false hope of a relationship he had no interest in. Even if he was sly, cunning, or as other people put it, a bastard, he still had his morals. Needlessly breaking hearts or hurting his family was not something he wanted to do. Ithaqua knew this, which was why he let his brother use him as an excuse. Not a good excuse, but an excuse nonetheless.

"Ah, I wish someone would go with my poor, unfortunate brother. So lonely, with zero friends and a personality that repels literally everyone! I sincerely wish my brother could have a partner, but alas, he has no rizz." Nathaniel dramatically proclaimed, draping himself over his twin. Ithaqua looked like he had half the mind to push him off, and after a moment of thought, he did. The older teen yelped, barely stabilizing himself before he could fall. "Hey! That was mean."

While the childish actions of his brother were mildly annoying, Ithaqua was too preoccupied to truly get mad at him. After all, he had more important matters to attend to. Specifically, thinking about how to ask you out to prom.

You were Ithaqua's first friend when he transferred into Oletus High School. With most either trying to butter him up or ignoring him, he thought he wouldn't be able to make a friend at all. Then you came, in all your fumbling glory.

You were in all of his classes, sometimes sitting right besides him. The class he first really noticed you in was drama. Ithaqua can't help but laugh remembering how you completely butchered your role as Mercutio.

Everyone was given a role from Romeo and Juliet at random, Ithaqua being Romeo and you being Mercutio. Technically, you could say anything as the whole purpose of this project was to modernize the script. It was entertaining, to say the least, to give teenagers complete free reign over a play that was pretty much made with the memes of the time in mind.

"Romeo, my guy, you were in love with Rosaline literally a day ago. Now, you're saying you love this- this Juliet you just met. I know we're hormonal teenagers but really?"

"She's attractive though."

"Yeah, well you're attractive too and you don't see me simping over you all the time."

"You simp over me half the time?"

"..."

"Mercurio?"

"Bye."

Honestly, most of the improved scenes were pure gold, but Ithaqua only remembered the ones with you. After all, to him, those were the funniest ones. It was what got him to reach out and interact with you.

He was pleasantly surprised to see you had no clue who the Norwell's were. Ithaqua expected you to know who he was, or who Nathaniel was at least, but you did not know and did not care. It was a miracle considering the Norwell Conglomerate was in charge of a lot of major brands, but he wasn't going to complain.

You treated him normally, making lighthearted jabs at him, casually joking with him, and offering him comfort when school and life became too much. In a new environment where most didn't want to interact with him for good reasons, you were like a shining beacon of light.

Being able to be himself without any judgment was nice. It was why he treasured your friendship more than anything else. Sure, many can claim his life is overall better than before, but you were the one who truly made it that way. Without you, Ithaqua is sure he would've grown to hate it all.

It's why he hesitated asking you to prom at all. It's not necessarily all that suggestive, perhaps, but prom is a place many go to with their romantic interests. There's an inherent sense of intimacy in asking someone to go with you. So, for Ithaqua to ask you to prom, it'd be tantamount to confessing his feelings without really doing so.

He couldn't bring himself to do that considering he didn't know if you returned his feelings. What if you didn't like him back? What if you stopped being friends with him? Would your friendship become more and more strained until your bond became nothing more than a fleeting memory?

Ithaqua, for all his honesty and straightforward nature, was truly not all that bold. But he could at least admit one thing.

He was scared.

He was scared of losing you.

Perhaps he's being a bit dramatic- asking someone to prom isn't always something romantic. But when it concerns you, Ithaqua's brain simply stops working. He can't help but fret over everything, drowning in a lake of anxiety that he created.

"Just ask them. Worst case scenario, they realize you like them, but your feelings aren't returned. After that, you'll be heartbroken, but at the very least you won't experience the awkwardness of being around your crush who doesn't reciprocate your feelings. We'll be graduating in a few weeks, so is there really anything to lose? Do you have any time for regrets?"

Sometimes, Ithaqua wanted to throw his brother out the window. He's being completely logical, yes, but matters of the heart aren't so simple. Ithaqua has been swallowing his feelings for so long because he didn't want you to leave his life. Sure, you guys may never meet again after high school, or maybe you will, but he wanted the last of his memories with you to be happy regardless. Ones he will yearn for, smile over, laugh with melancholy at, not cry and despair over.

Nathaniel shook his head as he watched his younger brother scowl at him, still deep in thought. It was painfully obvious to him that you returned Ithaqua's feelings, but neither of you were willing to try and confess. At this point, he should just do it for you guys!

...or so he feels, but he knows this is something for Ithaqua to deal with. Nathaniel wants to protect Ithaqua and make sure he's happy, but he can't do that for his whole life. A helicopter parent (brother?) is not what Ithaqua needs, so he remains silent.

Above all else, Ithaqua's feelings on this matter, along with yours, matter the most. Whether he gains the courage to ask you or not is up to him, not Nathaniel. It was honestly torturous to watch, but this is not something he should overly involve himself in. Nathaniel knew better than anyone else what it felt like to have your privacy violated, and he'd never want to subject either of you through such a thing.

Nathaniel can only pray that whatever happens, he gets a chance to shove Ithaqua into you so you'll finally kiss and stop going around each other in circles.

Days turned into weeks, each moment passing by faster and faster until finally, it was the day for prom. Ithaqua failed to muster up the courage to ask you to go with him.

It wasn't that big a deal, sure, since you were planning on going with him and his brother anyway. You three were a trio, a close-knit friend group, so it wasn't weird by any means. Still, he'd at least wanted to try. It was pathetic that he'd simply given up before he even could.

Regardless, what's done was done. Ithaqua had done nothing, so he'd face the consequences that came with that. At the least, he could be glad he'd be going with you.

...and his brother.

Pulling up to the venue, Ithaqua maintained a frosty exterior. He picked at the smooth fabric of his vest, muttering complaints as he threw his suit jacket over his shoulder. Nathaniel smiled brightly as he whistled, dragging his brother into the building.

Ithaqua was dressed in a white dress shirt, black vest, and blue trousers. Though his jacket was supposed to be worn and matching with his pants, he'd all but hissed at Nathaniel that he'd rather die than wear it properly. It wasn't like he hated the jacket, but it was too stuffy and thick considering the weather. Even with his hair pulled into a ponytail, his neck was getting sweaty just standing in the sun.

Nathaniel didn't seem to have that problem, wearing a crimson red suit in its entirety and not seeming bothered in the least. Ithaqua wondered if it was because he'd lived in the city for so long, or was just used to wearing stuffy clothes for business meetings. Probably both.

"C'mon Itha, you should wear the jacket once we get inside! They have air conditioning so it won't be that bad." Nathaniel whined, pressing the button to the 5th floor in the elevator. Ithaqua huffed, rolling his eyes as he scrolled through his phone quickly.

"I'd really rather not. Besides, you shouldn't worry about how I look considering the fact that you look like a red envelope given during Chinese New Year." Ithaqua responded, shoving his phone into his pocket as the elevator doors opened.

"Hey! I do not! I'm not wearing gold!" Nathaniel exclaimed, pouting as he followed Ithaqua. He was pretty much ignored, however, as Ithaqua was too busy checking in with the staff before entering the ballroom.

The ballroom was considerably large, enough for the hundred or so teens that were bound to show up. With the theme of "new beginnings," Ithaqua had expected weird decorations or the sort. (Seriously, why did the school choose such a vague theme?) Regardless, the venue was rather nicely decorated with butterflies and flowers.

"Well, I guess that works." Ithaqua muttered before turning around. He sighed, watching as his brother completely ditched him for his other friends. Unsurprised, yet nonetheless disappointed, he shook his head. Looking around, Ithaqua chose to sit at the table farthest from the dance floor. Being close to the overwhelming music and mass of bodies that would follow it later on would be undesirable.

In the next few minutes, the room filled quite quickly. The chatter of friends and constant movement was followed by colorful fabrics and extravagant outfits, the wearers sometimes needing assistance walking due to that. Although his eyes continuously scored over the crowd, Ithaqua couldn't find you.

Frustrated, he stood up to search for you. Pushing past people while apologizing the whole time, Ithaqua nearly tripped as he tried to step over Vera's dress. Stumbling, he bumped into someone. He quickly grasped their shoulders to prevent either of them from falling, stabilizing both of them.

"Ah! Sorry!"

He blinked in surprise as he finally saw who he bumped into. There, with the lights of the hallway framing their figure like dew hugging the petals of a flower, was you. With the dim lights of the ballroom, you seemingly glowed. His hold on your shoulders tightened as his breath hitched, face flushing as his heart beat out of his chest.

You looked like what love would be if it became a person. The incarnation of perfection, everything he could want and more, yet something he could only have in a dream. Ithaqua could only wonder if this is what Persephone felt like when she first saw pomegranates. A temptation like no other, beckoning with a siren's call to ensnare one's heart and mind. Divine, yet the sure reason for the descent of an angel into hell.

Well, he was never an angel in the first place, Ithaqua thought. But if he was, and it was for you, he'd gladly scrape his knees falling from grace.

You weren't just attractive, no, in this moment, you looked absolutely ethereal.

"Ithaqua? Are you alright?" You asked, concern clear upon your face. He cleared his throat awkwardly, removing his hands from your shoulders and stepping back. Quickly recovering, he nodded. Still, his eyes were stuck to you, completely enamored.

"Yeah, perfectly fine. Just, er, surprised. You look, you look good." He stuttered. You looked like you were going to ask questions, so Ithaqua dragged you to the table he'd claimed for the three of you. He pulled out a seat for you before sitting in his own, desperately trying to prevent himself from looking at you.

It was completely and utterly unfair that you, who already was the definition of perfection, just became even more... well, perfect. He was left to scramble for composure while you didn't even look vaguely affected by his appearance. To be fair, he was just wearing a plain old suit, but still.

Ithaqua didn't know if he'd be able to survive the night, and he couldn't decide if this was heaven or hell with how things were going.

You didn't understand why Ithaqua was avoiding looking at you, but it stung quite a bit. Admittedly, you'd hoped dressing up would, you know, do the opposite, but that didn't seem to be the case. Maybe he didn't like the colors? Or maybe he thought you looked ugly but didn't want to say it?

Regardless, your mood was worse than before, though you tried to remain cheerful. No matter what, today had to be the day. You had to confess your feelings to Ithaqua once and for all, or else you'd never do it.

Truth be told, you had originally intended to ask him to prom before, but you chickened out. You felt like you were going to die every time you tried, so you ran away each time with the excuse of doing something else.

You're positive Nathaniel laughed at you every time, that traitor.

With senior year coming to an end, you were left with a sense of dread as the future came rushing at you. Jobs, taxes, education, whatever, you were honestly terrified to face it all. Sure, you'd have people to help you when you stumble, but it's so hard to ask for it. In the first place, this fear isn't necessarily the fear of the future, but the fear of the unknown.

You didn't want to face anything, but you knew you had to. Still, you tried to ignore it.

However, one thing you had to acknowledge was that with the end of your high school year, you'd probably not be able to meet Ithaqua quite as much. You wouldn't be able to go to the arcade with him, laugh as he failed to get the plushie he wanted for the millionth time, or walk in the park while eating ice cream with him.

It left you feeling hollow and cold, the thought of losing him to time and distance devastating. He'd surely be able to make friends with his new classmates, live a good life, and even get a partner. He wouldn't need you.

The thought of him forgetting you made you want to cry.

You know he isn't the sort to abandon people, and surely he'd never do that to you, but time changes people. It brings new winds, ending things and creating new beginnings. You couldn't help but feel like you'd be left behind as his past, just that one friend he had in high school.

You didn't want this friendship of yours to end, or at the very least, for you to have never admitted you'd felt more for him than that.

He held you when you cried, laughed at you when you fell, picked you up when you needed help, and remained a constant comfort by your side. It was impossible not to fall in love with him.

You never confessed since you always felt like your love would never be returned. Like Mercutio who loved his best friend, who went as far as to die for him, yet would never be able to be with him, a tragic romance of his own.

At the least, you wanted to confess your feelings instead of leaving them unsaid forever. If fate decided to bring him to you, it'll be Ithaqua himself who will decide if he'll bend destiny to his will to stay by your side.

So, when you heard the gentle notes of a slow song start, you took Ithaqua to the dance floor. He seemed surprised, but allowed it as you held his hands. With careful steps, the two of you moved along with the crowd, swaying to the music.

He held you close so you didn't get pulled away, firm yet gentle in his touch. You wanted to tell him now, but with how quiet things were, excluding the music playing in the background, it felt awkward to do so. Another problem was that with Ithaqua so close, you could barely think straight.

By the end of the song, you hadn't accomplished your goal, though you felt considerably better than before. Nervous and shaky, yes, but happier.

You clasped your hands together to try and get them to stop shaking, though it didn't work too well. You purse your lips in displeasure, a frown quickly forming.

"Let's go out to the balcony. It's too stuffy here."

You stared at Ithaqua for a moment before immediately taking his outstretched hand. It was, as one would expect, getting quite stifling with so many people in one room. It didn't help that the floor shook whenever the DJ played a popular song as the crowd jumped up and down. Which was basically 95% of the time.

Stepping out onto the balcony, you take a deep breath. The calm evening wind cools you off considerably, bringing you back to life. Ithaqua seems more at ease, too. You can't help but smile softly as you lean on the ledge, staring at him.

Ithaqua's eyes are closed as he faces the sky, embracing the fresh air and the freedom of the outdoors. The moon seems to shine on him especially, making him look ethereal. His smile seems gentler, as though he were truly at peace now.

Your heart hammers against your chest as you take another deep breath in, closing your eyes as you try to gather all the courage you can. It all goes down the drain, however, when he opens his eyes.

With him smiling softly, his eyes half-lidded and illuminated by the moonlight, Ithaqua is unfairly attractive, stealing the breath you'd only just taken. You're sure that if anyone were to show you what you looked like right now, you'd look completely love struck.

"I love you."

You can't tell who said it first, but both of you said it for sure. It has your eyes widening in surprise, watching as he does the same. At that moment, it hits you that this whole time, the two of you have been pining for the other.

No wonder Nathaniel was laughing at you.

Regardless, as you stare at each other, finally understanding the other completely, the two of you draw closer. Softly, sweetly, your lips meet, and you know, then and there, that everything will be alright. Even if the inescapable future is marching towards you, you'll have Ithaqua by your side.

That's all you need.

So, you kiss goodbye what feels like the last of your youth, ready to greet the new beginnings of another chapter of your life. After all, it can't be that bad when it also is the start of your new relationship.

BONUS SCENE:

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

You nearly jump out of your skin at the new voice, whipping around to see Nathaniel with a smug smile. Ithaqua glares at him, a look of pure exasperation and annoyance upon his face. However, the two of you could see the underlying notes of embarrassment as well, his ears tinged a light pink.

“Did you really come out here to tell the equivalent of “I told you so,” Nathaniel?”

“No, actually. I came here to say I am sooooo telling mom and dad.”

“...”

“...so what flowers should I bring to his grave?”

“Don’t even bother, I’m dumping his body into the river.”

“Oh come on I wasn’t being seriou- ITHA WHA- STOP- I’M SORRY! OW!”

“GET BACK HERE NATHANIEL BABEL NORWELL!”

“Ah good old brotherly love!”

“HELP ME!”

#idv #identity v #identity 5 #idv ithaqua #ithaqua x reader #idv fanfic #identity v fanfic

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