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haledamage · 1 year

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Chin for Kira and Adam 👀👀

[ CHIN ]: as they stand close to one another, the sender hooks a finger and tenderly lifts the receiver’s chin, tilting it up so that they can look at one another, and running a thumb across their skin lightly.

A bit of closure I found missing from TWC book 3. Spoilers for pretty much the whole book. 1700 words, Kira/Adam, also starring my truest Wayhaven OTP, Kira/Emotional Vulnerability because my girl thinks she’s Elsa. You can’t “conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know” your way out of this one, Kingston, with musical guest “Adam’s attempt to distance himself is no match for Kira being sad”

There was an envelope on the kitchen table that had Kira’s name on it.

She approached it cautiously, half expecting it to be another fancy invite to some horrifying auction. When nothing jumped out of the shadows or attempted to kidnap her, she gave in to her gnawing curiosity and picked it up.

It looked like a perfectly normal letter, addressed to “Agent Kingston” with the facility’s address underneath. A yellow sticky note was attached to the front covered in Rebecca’s familiar, tidy handwriting:

“Kira, This letter was given to me by mistake. I apologise for opening it, but I promise I stopped reading as soon as I realised it was written to you.”

Kira laughed fondly to herself at her mother’s message. Always so formal, even when accidentally committing mail fraud.

She turned the envelope over to find the neat slit that had been cut across the top, and pulled out the simple sheet of notebook paper inside. She didn’t recognise the handwriting, so she scanned the note quickly to see who it was from and why:

The Agency told me this was the best way to get in touch with you. I really hope they gave me the right person because otherwise I’m going to sound crazy. I guess there are two Agent Kingstons here? This is for the one in Unit Bravo, so if you aren’t her, can you get this to her? Thanks.

Hi. You probably don’t remember me. But I wanted to thank you for saving my life. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be in Trapper custody now. Or worse.

I don’t know how you did it. The last thing I remember was that big man with wings taking me, and then I woke up in the hospital a few days ago. The doctors said someone found me unconscious in town and brought me in.

The rest of the words on the page blurred as Kira’s eyes filled with tears. Her knees gave out under her, and she didn’t bother trying to catch herself before she collapsed to the floor, clutching the letter tightly as she tried to breathe around the lump of emotion in her throat.

As if in a daze, she looked down at her arms, her mind conjuring the memory of long, jagged lacerations carved into them, and the girl that had done it. She remembered her face with vivid clarity, wide-eyed with terror as Sin had practically ripped her from Kira’s grasp.

Several of those marks had scarred, leaving a permanent reminder of that day etched into her skin. One of them bisected the tattoo on her wrist, the black crown broken into two uneven pieces. Numbly, she pressed her thumb to it; she could feel the frantic flutter of her own pulse underneath.

“Kira? Kira!”

She barely heard her name being called. The first time, cautious and surprised, or the second, harsher with the edge of fear.

But she felt it when Adam joined her on the floor. His arrival broke through her daze and what little remained of her composure, and tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Adam’s hands shook as he wiped them away. Kira could feel the tremble in his fingertips where they brushed her face. She covered his hands with her own before he could try to hide it, pressing them more firmly against her skin. Even after everything, she still craved his touch, greedy for every second of it she could get.

He swallowed hard, but didn’t pull away. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”

She shook her head, attempting to give him a shaky smile. “Nothing. Everything is fine.” It sounded so ridiculous, she couldn’t help but laugh. It just sounded like a sob.

Finding the fallen letter on the floor, now tear-stained and partially crumpled, she held it out to him. She watched his expression as he scanned it, but whatever reaction he may have had never showed on his face.

Somehow, Kira’s voice remained strong, even if the rest of her was falling apart. “When she wasn’t with the others at the auction, I--I thought she was--” She didn’t know if she meant to say “dead” or “already sold”, or which would have been the worse fate. A new wave of tears came, and she squeezed her eyes shut as if it could stop them. “But she never made it to the auction. Sin never handed her over. He saved her.”

Adam hooked a finger under her chin, gently coaxing her to open her eyes and look at him. When she did, he smiled softly, eyes warm and shining with pride. “He didn’t save her, Kira.” His thumb brushed lightly over the swell of her bottom lip. “You did.”

A ragged sob tore its way out of her throat, and Kira buried her face in Adam’s shoulder before another one could escape. His arms immediately wrapped around her, pulling her closer until she was practically in his lap.

Through everything that had happened these last few weeks, Kira had refused to let herself cry. She had kept moving, one persistent step at a time, bottling up all her pain and fear and heartbreak. Through the bounty, and the kidnappings, and the breaking and slow mending of her friendship with Verda. Through too much work on too little sleep, and juggling more and more secrets, and buildings collapsing on her head. Through swallowing her rage as she met Anwir’s eyes and hiding it behind a hollow but convincing smile. Through the constant tidal flow of Adam’s affection, pulling her close only to push her away again while all she could do was try to weather the currents.

If she was honest with herself, she’d been fighting to hold everything in for a lot longer than that. Since Murphy’s assault on her apartment. Since she learned the truth about the supernatural. Maybe since the first moment Unit Bravo had stepped into her office.

But this one tiny, unexpected victory had shattered all her hard wrought restraint. The bottle was broken, and everything came pouring out.

Adam held her through all of it, warm and strong and solid, the only place in the world that she felt truly, completely safe. His hands were a soothing weight in her hair and down her spine, his voice a comforting rumble in her ear, though she was too far gone to process anything he was saying.

Even when Kira finally ran out of tears, he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let her go. That felt new. A delicate tendril of hope unfurled in her chest, and for once she let herself feel it without trying to push it away.

Taking a deep and blissfully unfettered breath, she sat up a little, just far enough to rest her temple against his cheekbone. “Thank you.”

Adam chuckled, a gentle and fond sound that made her heart do somersaults. “There is nothing you need to thank me for.”

She leaned back a little more so she could see his face. “For being here to put me back together. Again.” This time when she laughed, she sounded like herself again.

Adam brushed her hair out of her eyes before settling his hand against her cheek. “I will always be here for you, Kira.”

“I know.” And she did know, but it felt so good to hear it out loud. She mapped out the shape of his smile with her fingertips, tracing the curve of his lips and the slight indentations of his dimples. Committing all of it to memory. “I’m here for you too. Whenever you need me.”

“I know.” He almost sounded like he believed it. That was new too.

Before either of them could sabotage the moment by overthinking it, Kira leaned in and kissed him.

It was nothing like the first kiss they shared. There was no edge of despair or desperation, none of the bitter taste of “goodbye”. It was slow and sweet, heat simmering under the surface but never boiling over to become something else. Hungry, but without any bite.

Adam broke away first, gasping in a shaky breath, and Kira braced herself for the inevitable moment when he closed himself off again. With as raw as her emotions were, she’d need a little more time to swallow down the pain.

Except it never came.

When he turned away, it was only to brush his lips against the inside of her wrist. He trailed light kisses along the length of one of her new scars, followed by a firmer kiss on the broken crown tattoo, and a final one in the center of her palm.

He looked up at her, naked need in his eyes and his lips still pressed to her skin, and she forgot how to breathe.

It took every ounce of restraint she could muster for Kira not to immediately grab him and kiss him again.

Adam didn’t give her the opportunity. He dropped her hand and his gaze, suddenly unable to look at her anymore. Clearing his throat did nothing to make his voice less rough. “How do you feel?”

Weightless. Like if you keep kissing me like that, I could fly. “My head is fucking pounding.” It was also the truth, but a much safer one. Still, she couldn’t help but add, “Except for that, I feel great, actually.”

The glint in his eyes told her that maybe he’d heard the part she didn’t say, too. He knew her too well not to. “Then I shall make you some tea, to help with your headache.”

“Wait.” She grabbed his shoulders as soon as he started to move away, clenching her hands into his shirt like it would make any difference if he actually wanted to leave. “Can we… just stay like this a little longer?”

Adam didn’t respond except by settling back down on the floor. He leaned his back against a nearby side table, and then his arms wrapped around her again, pulling her close. Kira released a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. She rested her head on his shoulder and melted against him, trusting him to hold her up.

The rest of the world would still be waiting for them, when they finally decided to move. But for the first time in a long time, Kira felt ready to face it… eventually.

#rhi writes #twc #kira kingston #kira/adam #it bugged me that even though we as players knew what happened to that girl the detective never found out #so I wanted to give kira some closure and she decided 'oh I'm going to fall apart about this thanks'#sometimes you just gotta have an emotional breakdown in the kitchen at 10am ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#I like to think the rest of unit bravo started to walk in on them #but felix went NOPE LET THEM HAVE THIS and shooed nate and mason away before they could interrupt #(kira is one of those people who looks pretty when she cries and I hate her for this a little bit)

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narcissa-black-supermacy · 2 years

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Well, I want in.

13 & 18 my darling Dani. With the prettiest of pleases. And I don’t even care who you do (yes even prongfoot or snirius but the cringe is great and mountainous)

okay so since i am……a complete dyslexic dumbass…..i somehow misread the prompt numbers by one? and i am only now realising these are actually 12 and 17 instead of 13 and 18? but i already wrote it so you will have to accept them (youre welcome to send me another one as an apology tho (like, as me apologising to you - you do not owe me an apology))

(also no great mountainous cringe for you today, i did wolfstar feat. jegulus for you. this is a 2-in-1 package deal) (also i wrote half of that to the song you sent me and the other half to MSI)

12. Do they have many heated arguments? How do they smooth things over? + 17. Who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

Send me an OTP question from the list and a ship and I’ll respond with a drabble.

James glances around the dark backyard, its emptiness amplified even further by the thick layers of white snow covering everything around them. It’s criminally cold outside, to the point that even the usual warming charms they use on the go do not work anymore to chase away this kind of frost.

“I’m telling you, Reg, it’s a bad idea.” He says and brings up his hands to rub them together, breathing out a cloud of warm air onto his frozen palms. “Sirius doesn’t just cancel plans last-minute like this, something must have happened.” The warm breath out of his mouth rises up to his glasses, clouding his vision with hot steam.

“I don’t care, James, they promised us dinner.” Regulus reaches out to take off his glasses, wipes them on the hem of his robes, and runs a quick spell on the glass of the spectacles before gently sliding them back up his nose. “And Sirius’ ideas are bad all the time anyway, I’m allowed to have one bad idea every once in a while.” He turns back to the door and knocks with the bottom of his fist, much more loudly and forcefully than last time. “Open up, we’re freezing out here, you animals!”

There is finally a sign of life from inside, voices and a sound of feet shuffling downstairs before the door is thrown open and Sirius appears in the doorway. Besides a black jumper and jeans, he is wearing a deep frown on his face, glaring down at them like they are a chorus of children asking for donations on Christmas for the seventh time in one evening. He looks mostly tired.

“Hello,” Regulus tilts his head to the side and gives his brother a wide smile. “Next time you keep me out in the cold like this, I’m blowing the door out.” He pushes underneath Sirius’ arm, which is blocking the passage with the way it’s rested against the other side of the wall, and unceremoniously makes his way inside.

Sirius watches him as he does, but does not say anything. Once Regulus is inside, he turns to James.

“Prongs,” He raises a hand to run it through his hair. “don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here?”

James offers him a sheepish smile. “Reg said that if you ask me that, I get to blame everything on him.” He steps forward to pull Sirius into a hug before getting inside. He can feel the tension in his shoulders when he does, although Sirius does return the embrace and steps aside to let him in.

“Reg, I understand that you are a big, pretentious douchebag with no concept of personal space,” he grumbles as they both make their way over to the kitchen of their house, where Regulus has already dropped off his snow-covered coat and is now busy rummaging through the cabinets, “and I respect that, but this is a really bad time.”

“You are about to have a really bad time if I don’t eat.” Regulus yells back from the kitchen.

The commotion draws attention from upstairs and Remus comes down to join them, hair a little dishevelled and the same frown in place that is still present on Sirius’ face as well. “James?” He asks, a little puzzled, just before his eyes wander over to Regulus.

James grins at him and raises his hand in greeting. “Our portkey point was around here, so we thought we would stop by before we head home.” He explains apologetically. “We can go if we’re interrupting, it’s not--”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Regulus cuts him off as he pulls out a half empty box of cereal from one of the cabinets, grimacing in disgust at the packaging before shoving it back inside, “we are staying, they owe us a dinner.”

Remus turns to face Sirius and his eyebrow raises in a silent statement. He nods his head in Regulus’ direction subtly, and Sirius grunts loudly, leaning back against the counter behind him.

“What do you want me to do?” He asks in irritation. “They’re already here.”

“This is exactly what we talked about.” Remus says impatiently. “You have no boundaries.”

“I told them not to come today, they just showed up!” Exclaims Sirius in return, throwing his arm up in the air as he gestures at James next to him.

“Because you allow it!”

“What was I supposed to do, leave them outside?”

“Yes!”

“No!”

James uses the opportunity to slide away from between them while he remains unnoticed and joins Regulus, who is now crouched down by the freezer, studying the contents of it with a careful concentration on his face.

He pulls out a long plate with a row of frozen lamb ribs in it. “How about some ribs on the grill?” He drops the plate on top of the counter and goes for the fridge next. “With some..” he pauses, eyes scanning the insides of the appliance methodically, “mashed potatoes and asparagus. Merlin, these two really need help with their shopping, there aren’t even any mushrooms in here.”

“My friends don’t show up here unannounced whenever they feel like it.” Remus goes on, the accusation in his tone growing as they keep arguing.

“Sounds like a plan.” James agrees. He snaps his fingers at the utensils drawer to float the necessary tools out of it while Regulus performs a thawing charm on the frozen ribs. “I’ll start on the potatoes and the salads.”

“Your friends? What friends do you even have, Remus? We have the same friends, James is your friend as much as he’s mine--”

“Oh, come on, now you’re just being a cunt.”

Regulus gives them both a funny look. “Let it be stated for the record that I am friends with none of you. I only have unfortunate family ties in this room.”

“Go freeze to death.” Sirius snaps at him harshly at the same time Remus turns his head to say, “Shut it, Regulus.”

Regulus pushes his bottom lip out in a mock-offended pout and turns to gaze at James sadly. “They are being mean to me.”

James smiles despite himself and reaches out a hand to ruffle the other’s hair gently. “You should probably leave them alone unless you’re actually trying to get us kicked out.”

Regulus leans into the touch. His gaze wanders back over to the bickering pair. “What’s their deal anyway?” he asks with a click of his tongue.

James shrugs his shoulder. “They fought about something before we got here.”

Regulus stares off at the wall thoughtfully for a moment, then turns to address his brother again. “When was the last time you had sex? That usually solves--” James hurries to quickly slap a hand over his mouth.

“See?” Remus exclaims pointedly, turning to look at Sirius. “No fucking boundaries. Either of you three.”

Sirius lets out a low bark of laughter. “Oh, that’s rich coming from you.”

Remus’ eyes narrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Regulus arches an eyebrow and turns to face James once more. “Are they arguing about boundaries? Them, seriously?”

James tunes out the rest of their argument to focus on the dinner instead. Regulus works swiftly and methodically, and he is even faster when he is hungry, which is very fortunate because while James hates to be the kind of person to diminish other people’s problems, he can not help but agree that sometimes certain grudges just go away on their own if you sit two people down in a warm living room and shove a bit of well-cooked food down their throats. The human body is just magical like that sometimes.

“If you ask me,” Regulus says, lowering his voice to half a whisper when they sit down at the table after the ribs have been seasoned and pushed into the oven to cook. “All they really need is some hot, steamy shower sex and a plate of hot grilled ribs.”

James pulls up the kettle at the centre of the table to pour them both a mug of chai. “Before or after the ribs?”

“Before, obviously.” Regulus deadpans, offering him a grateful nod when James slides the mug over to his side. “Food is best after sex.”

“Mmm.” James feels his lips curl up in a smirk as he brings up the cup to his lips. “Now you’re just giving me ideas on purpose.”

“Can you two stop being gross all over our dining table,” Sirius says with a grimace as he flops down on a chair across from them. The argument seems to have died down a little by now, but the heavy atmosphere still hangs in the air between them. “I’m about to throw up, thank you.”

Regulus watches his brother for a moment, the mug pressed between his fingers tightly. He looks over to James, gestures at Sirius with his eyes and raises his eyebrows in question. James gives him a subtle nod, to which Regulus blinks slowly in confirmation.

“I shall go check on the ribs.” Regulus announces loudly, pushing himself up from the table. I’ll talk to Lupin, he mouths at James wordlessly over his shoulder before leaving him and Sirius alone at the table.

James’ eyes wander over to Sirius, watching him as he drums his fingers against the surface of the table impatiently, eyes staring off at an unfocused point on the wall across from him. James sighs and reaches out a hand to close it over Sirius’.

“What is this about, Pads? Really.”

Sirius exhales slowly through his nose. He shuts his eyes and raises a hand to run it through his hair in a nervous gesture. “I don’t know, it’s not really… about anything, you know? It’s just..” He huffs out a sigh, averting his gaze to the window beside them. The snow keeps pouring on, covering everything in a dirty shade of white.

“Everything.” James agrees with a nod. “I know.” And he knows from the heavy look in Sirius’ eyes that he also knows.

It’s not a secret that the past few years after the war have been tough on all of them. And while it seems like it was such a long time ago, these things have a tendency to stick, to a point he could never even imagine to himself. Grieving people does not really have an expiration date on it, and apparently neither do the legal trials at the Supreme Wizarding Court.

Even Regulus’ trial, which was by far not as controversial as many of the others, like Bellatrix’ and Malfoy’s, was still dragged out into years and years of unending hearings, publicised in a way that should have never been allowed in the first place. The Ministry insisted on milking every last drop out of their stories, until Sirius was prepared to actually march down to the Minister’s office himself and threaten to set fire to the entire building if they don’t stop this absurd charade.

They were all promised a clean sheet, an opportunity to start over and change the society they live in, secure a better environment than the one they grew up in for kids at Hogwarts, a stronger support system for kids from non-magical families, better laws and conditions for marginalised groups in the wizarding world; werewolves, goblins, elves.

But what they were not told was that nothing came without a price, and that after all the fighting they’ve already done, most of it was still ahead of them, and nobody was going to give it to them that easily. Sirius was very vocal about his opinions in favour of the disbandment of the Beasts Unit and complete reform of the Registry, which did not always draw the most positive of attention.

All in all, it was not easy for either of them. Sometimes things just boiled over and got the best of them. James knows it for a fact because he and Regulus used to fight about that too, all the time. They still do, although it’s been getting better.

“How’s Harry?” Sirius asks suddenly.

James looks up to meet his eye. “With his mum and Mary. They have that thing in Ireland next month, so he’s staying with them this week instead.” He glances at the snow storm outside for a moment before returning his gaze back to Sirius. His fingers are still dancing against the table restlessly, drumming out an anxious melody.

“You know, Pads.. he’s not really upset about anything you said or did. It’s more about.. It’s frustrating. When these things get to us. Because it’s supposed to be us against them, you know? And instead here we are, fighting with each other over minor bullshit. It feels like losing to them.”

Sirius watched him for a long moment. “Yeah, I know.” He says quietly. “I hate that.” He admits, and James can hear the strain in his voice when he says that. “I will burn down the Ministry one day, mark my words.”

James feels his lips curl up in a smirk despite himself. “Just don’t forget to call me.”

There is a noise from upstairs and Regulus makes his way back into the kitchen, followed by Remus shortly after. James quickly excuses himself from the table under the alibi of having to help Regulus set the table, but more with the intent of leaving Remus and Sirius alone to talk for a minute than anything else.

“Sorry for yelling.” Sirius says quietly after a moment of silence between them when Remus lowers himself down into the chair across from him, eyes fixated on his own hands.

Remus raises his gaze to meet the other’s. “Sorry for calling you a cunt.”

Sirius blinks at him, then a small smile tugs at his lips. “Yeah, that was a bit uncalled for. You’ve been spending way too much time with my brother lately.”

Remus mirrors the smile. “Oh, yeah, and whose fault is that, Padfoot?”

Sirius rolls his eyes at him, but there’s a hint of affection in it. He gets up from his seat and hops over to take the chair next to Remus, leaning in to press a quick peck to his lips as he does so.

James does not realise he is staring until Regulus clears his throat next to him. “I think I also deserve a kiss for my matchmaking services.”

James turns to smile at him warmly. “Oh, you deserve a kiss regardless, love.” He reaches out a hand to wrap it around Regulus’ waist and pulls him closer against him, tilting his head in an angle to press a strong kiss to the other’s lips.

“So, you were saying ribs?” Sirius yells at them from the table.

Regulus clicks his tongue and begrudgingly pulls away. “Honestly, what would you do without us.” He grumbles.

#this is 2.5K words?? what??#i enjoyed every second i am sobbing my heart hurts i love them so much precious babies #wolfstar feat jegulus is just......the ultimate go to dynamic i love them #this warms my soul #hope you enjoy this #wolfstar #jegulus #james x regulus #regulus x james #james/regulus #sirius x remus #sirius/remus #my writing

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runicmagitek · 2 years

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I will ask Ashe right back at you because I want to hear your thoughts!

Why I like them. I always loved how unapologetically angry Ashe was. After everything that was torn away from her, she took it upon herself to make things right, by any means necessary. I loved how it wasn't until she was ALMOST at a point of no return that she had a change of heart, but DAMN, I always loved that for her. Be angry, girl. Be violent.

Why I don’t. I also wasn't big on the ending with how she reacted to Balthier staying behind. I felt like there was a scene or two or ten missing to lead to That Reaction.

Favorite scene. I know Ashe has a ton of badass/important scenes, but I always loved the opening wedding parade, just because she's smiling and so happy. It's like the calm before the storm, but it warms my heart to know she at least had that before everything went to utter shit.

Favorite line. "I desire its power. I want, yet I also fear. I must protect Dalmasca. I can't afford to fear anything."

Favorite outfit. Again, her wedding outfit is gorgeous.

OTP. I'm forever a sucker for Ashe/Basch, mostly for the loyalty kink, but also just how utterly tragic and bittersweet they are. They are introduced in the game on SUCH the wrong foot and yet Basch continues to do his best to aid her, even though Ashe wants nothing to do with him. And just when she's starting to warm up to him, they part ways and tend to their sworn duties because of course they do. Just gets me right in the feels every time. Also forever amused by Al-Cid swooning for Ashe and her just playing along for shits and giggles.

Brotp. I guess the main party, in general? Almost everyone Ashe trusts either dies or betrays her :'(

Head Canon. I always imagined that when the group confronted Ultima, the esper saw into Ashe's heart, knew exactly what she desired, absolutely approved, and thus offered her powers to aid them. I've wanted to write a fic about it for ages ;~; maybe one day

Unpopular opinion. LET HER BE ANGRY. LET HER LASH OUT ಠ_ಠ

A wish. I hope she has a peaceful reign as queen and many lovely naps.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen. No more people she cares about dying on her

5 words to best describe them. Proud, resolute, blunt, unflinching, and enduring

My nickname for them. From my last playthrough, my bf and I called her Berserker Badass, bc we accidentally left berserk on her with… I think Excalibur and some items that upped her white magic or something… aaaaand so she murdered zodiark in literally under 10 seconds

#runic rambles #meme thing #many thanks for the ask! ahhhh i love ashe and ffxii so much

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thelonewolf48 · 1 year

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I HAVE THIS URGENT FEELING OF WRITING SOMETHING FOR MY OTP (ATSUMINA) BUT LIKE I'M BUSY 😭😭

I just rewatched that old clip where Acchan says that if she's 30 or 40 and she's not in a relationship/haven't fallen in love, then she wants to live with Takamina for the rest of her life. Then she adds the comment, "we should just get married or something" and let's ignore how the interviewer tells Acchan that's not possible....

Like she's already past 30... but Takamina is married... 😭😭😭 so I want a fluff AU where they end up together.

Like, Takamina isn't married. Acchan still went through with a marriage and has a kid, then got a divorce. Let's say they kinda fought for something (not important, maybe), and now, Acchan needs someone to help her with her son.

Takamina is her first choice but she remembers they've been on bad terms... so, she asks around and when no one can help her, not even her parents. Acchan swallows her pride and calls Takamina.

Obviously, Minami says yes. Minami can't say no to Acchan.

The kid knows Minami, but still is shy. Atsuko promises ice cream, a day in the park, and some snacks the next day if he's a good kid. Minami says it's fine, she will find a way to keep him busy.

Atsuko can't quite look at Minami's eyes. She still feels a bit embarrassed.

"Everything will be fine," Minami says softly, holding Atsuko's hand and giving her a light squeeze. "I'll take good care of him. He won't even realize you will be gone for long."

Minami mistakes her embarrassment for worry. And Atsuko wants to smack Minami's head and also kiss her.

The thing is, Atsuko goes. She works and the time pass. When the director of the drama she's shooting yells 'Cut!' Atsuko asks for the hour.

2am. Way past the hour she told Minami.

She doesn't know if she should knock on the door, press the bell, or send Minami a text. She opts for a call.

Minami opens the door of her apartment, a hand rubbing the sleep off her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, the recording went far longer than I anticipated," Atsuko whispers as she walks inside of the dark apartment.

"It's fine," Minami whispers back, her voice hoarse. "I predicted as much and planned accordingly. You should stay. He's deep asleep."

Atsuko stops then, a few steps away from what she knows is Minami's door. She's not surprised that Minami knew how to distract a kid, she always was better with kids, but it surprises her that Ken-chan is sleeping in Minami's room. She guessed Minami would place him on the guest room.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I still have some of your clothes in the closet," she opens the door, slowly and with care as to not disturb the kid inside. "Just change and come to bed.

There's a little light coming from the bathroom, the door left slightly open, enough to wash the room with a yellowish light, but not bright enough to wake the people inside.

"He told me you bought him a doraemon light to help him." Minami smiles, sitting at the edge of the bed as Atsuko leaves her bag need the closet and proceeds to search for her clothes. "He wanted to be big and brave though."

Atsuko turns, an old, big T-shirt in hand, her son lays on the left side of the king size bed. He holds his safety blanket tightly, his thumb on his mouth —habit Atsuko has tried to get rid of, unsuccessfully.

"I told him grown ups use the light of the bathroom."

Both share a soft chuckle.

Atsuko changes in the bathroom. Not because she's shy to undress, after so many years, they're not shy when it's only them. But because she really wants to have a warm bath.

By the time she finishes, it's past 3am.

The warmth water relaxed her, all the stress and her worries left her body and her eyes feel heavy.

Minami now lays on the middle of the bed, and Ken-chan moved to snuggle next to her. The light of the bathroom doesn't disturb them but is enough to allow a photo. After taking a few dozen, she puts her phone on silent mode and finally gets on the bed.

Not near and neither far away from the two of the most important people Atsuko treasures.

Even in her sleep, Minami reaches blindly for Atsuko. Pulls her closer, and only when Atsuko's head is on her shoulder, an arm around her middle. Minami sighs and continues sleeping. This time, a light snoring fills the silence.

Normally, Atsuko has trouble sleeping. On this night, however, Atsuko is asleep before her brain can process it.

#this always happens 😭😭#Atsumina #maeda atsuko #takahashi minami #takamina #acchan #ex-AKB48 #I wrote it because I needed it #got scolded cuz I stopped working #WHATEVER #AKB48

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milirii · 2 years

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For the spring OTP prompts, may I have number 7 with Joonas and Joel pls! (platonic or romantic, your call <3)

I was struggling to come up with ideas for this one 😂 But then I browsed through UMK's instagram posts from last spring and one of them said that there was riding a bike in boys schedule on free days and I finally got an idea. So here you go, I hope you like it 🤗

7. Thrift shopping, words: 1167, can be either platonic or romantic

Nowadays free days were a rare luxury for Blind channel. Life was hectic and they have been pulled in different directions by journalists and interviewers and important label peoples all the spring after Darkside came out. And even more so when UMK was over and they had wiped the floor with other contestants. Every fiber of their bodies and souls and the very meaning of their life aimed only for one thing: to get their asses on Rotterdam and on the big stage of Ahoy-arena and in front of cameras and live audience. To make the statement and force people to look at them and acknowledge their existence.

But all moving parts around them made Joel anxious. To have constantly 666 things in their To Do-list was great for giving him no time to think too much, but now when their semifinal was only a day away and everything was ready and only waiting for them to step up on the stage, the life had quieted down enough for Joel to hear the anxious and panicked whispering of his head. It made him nauseous and fidgety and fucked up his already non-existent sleeping schedule.

But if life had given him a mean head that didn’t let him have the peaceful moment, it has also given him five best friends who picked up the pieces when Joel didn’t have strength to do so and even prevented some of the breakdowns before Joel had fully noticed them even approaching.

And especially Joel was thankful for having one specific person in his life.

“We are going to ride a bike and look around the city!” Joonas dragged Joel behind him towards the door of the conference room where they had spent the morning, doing last checks over things.

Tommi waved them off with: “Don’t do anything reckless, we need to be able to perform tomorrow”, before turning back to his phone.

“We know and we won’t get the plague”, Joonas rolled his eyes and tugged Joel more insistently with him and all but pushed him out of the door. “We will be back in three hours, bye!”

Door closed behind them and now Joonas turned to look at Joel. “This door separates you from all the Eurovision stuff we have been doing all spring. All of it is behind this door and none of it is on this side. We are going to now spend our free three hours doing basic tourist things and you can’t think of this Eurovision circus because it doesn't exist in the rest of Rotterdam.”

Joel just blinked in confusion and Joonas gave him a smile. “You are restless and anxious and we need to fix that before you break. Best I can offer you now is to take you away from this for a while, if you are up to it.”

“Fuck yes, please let’s get out of here!” Trust for Joonas to see everything, Joel thought. Joonas’ happy squeal and swift kiss pressed on his cheek made Joel already feel a bit better.

****

Warm wind felt nice on his face when they rode their bikes down the streets. Together with Joonas’ continuous talking and observing the colorful buildings and green parks, Joel could almost feel how the extra stress melted away. When they stopped to buy some ice cream from the stall they found in one of the parks, he didn’t feel anymore like his esophagus was about to wrap itself around his neck and throttle him. Breathing felt so nice without the heavy weight of the hoped breakthrough on his chest.

“We need to get some souvenirs, don’t you think?” Joonas suddenly asked while he licked his ice cream and walked his bike next to Joel.

“We can’t go anywhere, so just take a picture of your ice cream and consider it done.” Joel shrugged and continued to enjoy his own ice cream cone.

“What if we twist the rules a little bit?”

“How?” Joel sighed exasperated. “It feels nice to pretend we are not performing tomorrow in front of hundreds of thousands of people, but we can’t ignore the fact that we actually are performing tomorrow and we can’t get ourselves sick. This is too important, Joonas.”

“I know! But there is an open-air flea market and I kinda want to go and see what we could find. There aren't too many people in there and we can keep our distance and use face masks.”

Joonas’ pleading voice made Joel consider. Joonas loved thrift shops and Joel had sometimes made good findings too. Like old vinyls with some classic songs. Once he had rummaged through a huge box of C-cassettes just to piss off Tommi and found a record of Mäntypistiäinen, which he had later given Tommi as a birthday gift. No one had a proper player to actually listen to it, but it was considered a treasure anyway. Sometimes he found other cool stuff, like hockey cards or jewelleries and one time he had even ran into a hockey jersey in Kärppä-colors and Lasse Kukkonen’s number.

So yeah, he actually wanted to twist the rules with Joonas a little and go visit the outdoors thrift shop.

“Let’s go then!”

****

Circling among the tables full of books, clothes, CD’s and other knick-knacks was the final thing needed to pull Joel out of his Eurovision anxiety. It felt so normal to walk through the sales area where others had little to no idea who they were. No one was expecting anything from him. It felt refreshing.

He didn’t even buy anything. Nothing really caught his eyes and when Joonas drifted away to inspect something he had considered interesting and came back with a smooth rock, Joel decided to just grab Joonas’ arm and drag him away from the place. It was time to get back to the hotel anyway.

“What are you going to do with it? You could have just taken a rock from the ground?” Joel asked when they returned the rented bikes.

“You’ll see.” Joonas smirked at him.

****

Flight from Rotterdam to Finland with no sleep and terrible hangover wasn’t the best thing Joel had experienced. But in all it’s horriblesness, Joel knew that the flight was not only the end of this mad Eurovision wringer, it was foremost the flight that got them towards the dreams that had kept them going. The breakthrough happened and now they needed to make sure the wave would take them as far as possible and that they would stay on the surface.

Joonas was sleeping against his shoulder and snoring lightly. Joel would have liked to take advantage of the couple of hours they would be on air and close his eyes, but he was still too high on the adrenaline.

He brushed his finger on the surface of the rock Joonas had given him before boarding. There was written: “Time to make a hundred million people listen”

Yes it was. Joel smiled and turned to press a kiss on Joonas’ hair.

#Actually the thrift shopping part is pretty short 😐#And hey everyone consider this: i am old enough to know what c-cassette is 😎 (also meantioned just briefly but still)#Joel is btw the hardest one to write for me so thanks for the challenge! I hope this is adequate 😅#Mil's spring prompts #Joel/Joonas #blind channel rpf #milirii writes

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haphira · 2 years

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OTP Prompts: Lukanette

NSFW-ish?

"I swear I'm gonna fuck the next person that walks through that door."

“I swear I’m gonna fuck the next person that walks through that door.” A muffled, familiar voice said.

Luka stopped outside his bedroom door, with his fist raised with the intent to knock. He wasn’t sure if he should enter now after hearing that declaration. But before he could make any decision the door flew open to reveal his sister, Marinette and the rest of the girls in her class sitting on the ground in the room. He was sure that his face was red and he couldn’t help but look directly at Marinette. Marinette on the other hand was calm and had a determined look on her face.

“Ooo, guess that makes you’re gonna fuck Luka, huh?” One of the girls teased, fully expecting a blushing loud denial, Luka was surprised to see Marinette stand up and say “Yup.” Much to the surprise of everyone else too.

Luka heard a quiet “Ew.” From right next to him, and it was the first time he registered that his sister opened the door. But she had her mischievous smile on her face and something told Luka that she heard him coming.

Luka heard sputtering before Alya stood up too, “You can’t be serious, it was a joke Mari!” Marinette started walking up to Luka who was still frozen with his arm raised in the doorway. Without missing a beat or looking back Marinette replied, “I was serious, and I already told you, Adrien and I are over, I don’t want anything to do with him anymore.”

Alya sputtered and looked pissed, although Luka wasn’t sure about what specifically. But another bomb was dropped on him in that moment. He had heard that they broke up and after offering his condolences he stayed away from Marinette. Luka didn’t think that the break-up would stick but something had changed with Marinette, and he was starting to see it.

Marinette grabbed his raised hand and dragged him back up stairs with the girls talking over each other and yelling after Marinette, and he supposed that Juleka was barring the door so they could escape. He owed his sister and was a bit nervous as to what she would collect on.

Marinette didn’t stop until they were in the green house, hidden from prying eyes. She plopped down on a nearby crate putting her face into her hands and gave a big sigh. Luka’s heart hurt seeing her like this, he had to wonder about some of her friends if saying something like that was the only way to try to get them to listen.

“Marinette, are you alright?” He asked her. Sitting down on the crate next to her offering his hand in comfort. Marinette took it and looked up at him, she looked tired and completely done with everything.

“I just don’t understand why Alya won’t back off! I’ve told her as much as I feel comfortable and she still won’t drop it. I’m over Adrien and I’m done being his friend. Why can’t she get that I don’t want to see him let alone date him again?!” Tears were forming in her eyes and Luka was a bit nervous that a butterfly would come.

“Well, you could always take your frustrations out on me, I’d be happy to accept that.” Luka joked referencing her declaration to ‘fuck the next person who walked through the door.’

Marinette looked horrified, “No! I would never try to-” then his meaning kicked in and Marinette blushed a bright red.

“Sorry, that was a poor joke,” Luka ran his hand through his hair, unconsciously tightening his grip on her hand. Marinette bit her lip before asking, “Why was it a poor joke?”

Luka glanced at her then down at his shoes, never letting her hand go, “...because I meant it. IF that is all you want from me I would gladly take it, I would give you as much love and attention you wanted and if you decided that it wasn’t what you want in the long run, I’ll let you go.” Luka didn’t see the wonder and hope in Marinette’s eyes.

“What if I wanted you for much longer and much more than that?” Marinette asked softly. Luka looked at her in surprise and hope.

“Then I’m yours.”

Marinette smiled, “And I’m yours too.”

Luka and Marinette grinned at each other and slowly kissed. Vaguely the sounds of yelling had died down but they paid no mind to that, both just as lost in the other, in their own bubble of happiness.

#Pro Lukamari #pro lukanette #otp prompts #lukanette

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multifandom-garbage-compactor · 2 years

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Dincobb 🤝 Ineffable Husbands

Arrangements

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demonslayedher · 3 years

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Hello! I don't know if you've been asked about this before but I love your analysis and reflections and I'd love to know all your thoughts about Zennezu if you don't mind 👀⚡🎀 Thanks so much for this blog!! 😊💝

Thank you again for your patience, as well as your comments on my fics and stuff in the meantime (even on Bird Fic, kya~ thank you <3). All my thoughts, hmmmmn…. Well, clearly I am a fluffy ZenNezu shipper and ship-content creator now, but I sure didn’t start that way. This may be long and rambling and mixed between analysis and personal taste. (Actually, it turned into almost 4000 words.)

So. First a little background. I usually am not much of a shipper. The very few OTPs I have all ended in horrific tragedy, and when romance is a big focus of something I’m otherwise enjoying I usually end up not paying much attention to it in favor of all the other elements I like. This is so much more the case when you can tell they’re going to wind up happily ever after. So what happened to make me so soft and fuzzy about the Kimetsu ships, when I otherwise usually don’t have an appetite for happy fluffy romantic endings?

Three major factors: 1. I’m obsessed. 2. I love these characters and want to see anything and everything about them. 3. Romance wasn’t actually a big element at all in canon, so it left me with an appetite and curiosity for it.

Even though I figured from long ago that ZenNezu would be end game, initially I was somewhere between indifferent and put-off. As much as I love Zenitsu, and I acknowledge that Ufotable the added the “run around and chase Nezuko” bit and removed the part with Zenitsu adoringly talking to Nezuko through her box, and as much as he can be defended for being lonely rather a pervert, the fact still stands that his level of appreciation for girls makes the characters around him uncomfortable. His most cringe-worthy lines at the Butterfly Mansion are all straight from the manga, and even though he was easily one of my favorite characters by the end of my initial watch of the series, I was very put off by his “girls are all queens” surface-level comments and more disturbing pleasure he took in the presence of girls (especially when he could physically interact with them), not to mention his pathetic introduction bothering a complete stranger and displaying that he doesn’t actually take girls’ feelings into consideration.

All this made me inwardly groan, feeling bad for Nezuko, figuring they were going to wind up together because she’s a saint who can find the patience to deal with someone like that, as he clearly wasn’t going to be desirable to any of the rest of the female cast. Enjoying the series well enough despite this, it didn’t bother me terribly much, pairings happen, whatever, I have a history of ignoring them. But one day, well and deep into caring about this whole cast like they’re all my children, I realized something. Isn’t… isn’t it cute how they both get their strength from taking naps? W-wouldn’t it be cute to see them innocently take naps together? Naps to protect each other? Oh. Oh-h-h-h-h. Oh dear. Oh no, it’s cute. Oh no. OH NO.

And that was how my warming up to this pairing started, it very quickly grew into “I love these children and I want them to be happy, being with Nezuko will make Zenitsu very, very happy, I love seeing him happy, happy Zenitsu” but was still a little reserved about Nezuko. Zenitsu was going to make her happy, right? It wasn’t just going to be a case of Nezuko having gotten fond of him over the course of everything they’ve been though, he is actually going to be her taste and make her heart go “kyun” right? Oh Nezuko, oh saintly Nezuko…

Let’s take a moment to pause here and think chronologically, though, as well as analyze their personalities and tastes. Neither of them are particularly picky, we can start there. Aside from fussy busy-bodies like Aoi, as long as it’s a girl, any girl is Zenitsu’s type. He’s desperate, and he’s painted the whole of girl-kind in pretty similar, not always realistic rosy colors. Even though he’s been used and abused by so many girls in his past, it’s his desire to believe that each new one he meets will fit that rosy imaginary color he paints over them that he chooses to let himself be duped, because he really is that lonely. I’ll give him that, sure, he’s a healthy young man with an interest in physical touch, but his dream in Mugen Ressha gives a good indication of what he’s really looking for: companionship, someone who likes spending time with him, someone who will find him useful and believe in him and look to him for protection, someone who likes him enough to spare him the physical intimacy of simply holding his hand. This is all an extension of what Zenitsu desires as whole, hoping he can better himself enough to be reliable and valued in general. Picturing it in the form of a significant other is one very vivid way to focus all those feelings, resulting in that rosy ideal which Zenitsu probably knows in his heart of hearts is too good to be true. That’s why he probably doesn’t think he’s ever going to find it, and therefore why he’s all over any slightest chance of attaining it.

My gosh, if being abandoned over and over isn’t enough, the fact that none of the girls he dated in the past were ever willing to even hold his hand hurts so much.

Nezuko, though, grew up in a secure family with a good relationship to observe between her parents. She probably always envisioned growing up to be like her mother, the quintessential “good wife, wise mother” (a phrase coined later on in the Taisho period to idealize the traditional roles of a woman). She cooks and cleans and sews and the first fanbook even tells us she was good at using an abacus, so she can handle family finances like a pro. Her traditional values probably made her tastes pretty standard, hoping for a reliable protector, but also someone who might be as kind as her father and her brother. But as for what makes her heart go doki-doki? The extra comic at the end of volume 3 tells us that she does long since have a type, it’s a person who’s like a Hisha.

Hisha: a chess/Shougi piece that can move an unlimited number of spaces in horizontal and vertical directions, and is crowned a dragon when it enters enemy territory.

So, yes, this is the part where we all smile and point at Gotouge and say, “I see what you did there, Wani-sensei.”

I find this reassuring; it tells me that Nezuko can find her heart squeezed at how cool Zenitsu is instead of just coming around and liking him because she was flattered by his affection and learned to see how nice he is and stuff. There are plenty of nice Demon Slayers who are strong and cool protectors, but that ZING that Zenitsu has (when he’s asleep) is something that can make her heart race. I’m all for this. I hinge so much of my ZenNezu feelings on this Hisha comment.

The second fanbook states that Nezuko initially had trouble sorting out her memories, and because Zenitsu gave her two such different impressions, it felt like memories of two different people, but over time the memories overlapped to form one complete person. We could say that she and Zenitsu had two first meetings.

Initially, when she was in the box, her little demon heart did go doki-doki; it was the first time a boy besides her brother had protected her, so even though Oniichan is Number One in her heart for the general duration of canon, this encounter was sure to leave a flattering impression. However, when they met face to face that night, he was just some confusing dandelion yelling and screaming about weird stuff, and then he was just a confusing (and possible bothersome) dandelion wanting to hang around her and give her flowers and stuff. It’s anyone’s guess just how “there” Nezuko was at this stage, as she does seem to gain back more of her own will and thought processes over the course of the series, rather than being guided by very, very simple rules to govern her behavior.

Zenitsu feel in love at first sight, and the second fanbook tells us he asked Tanjiro about her human personality, seeing as she wasn’t fully there. He was initially doubtful that anyone so perfect as Nezuko could exist and figured Tanjiro must had been biased and therefore exaggerating, but can we blame Zenitsu for being a smidge guarded? He’s been let down a lot, after all.

We know from Taisho Secrets and side novels that Zenitsu spent a lot of time with Nezuko during their long recovery at the Butterfly Mansion. Even how much more thought we see Nezuko display in the Train arc, she probably underwent a lot of mental development in this time, and my guess is that due to how much he interacted with her, this is probably when Zenitsu went from being a strange dandelion to a strange companion. She probably focused more on the goldfish and the pretty flowers (which he did take her to see!) and any flattering mention of her brother, though. Zenitsu, I’m relieved to say, seemed to genuinely care about what would make Nezuko happy instead of selfishly assuming something like “she likes me too, she wants to marry me.” But knowing Zenitsu, he probably assumed that her willingness to spend time with him was an indication of being willing to talk marriage once she was more herself again, though.

Let’s pause here and put on our Oniichan goggles, though. Early on, Tanjiro has to insist to just about everyone that Nezuko is still her own person with her own thoughts and feelings. Being a demon has taken a lot of her freedom to act on her true nature away from her, but he knows she’s still in there and he treats her like an equal human being. He had to watch over and over as people see his sister and only think, “demon.”

And then there’s his friend Zenitsu, who looks at her and thinks, “girl. Girl! Girl. Girl. Sweet girl, adorable girl, best girl in the world.” And maybe that’s a little bothersome, but yes, someone gets it!! Someone understands! Even though Tanjiro’s initial concerns are keeping Nezuko from being bothered by unwelcome advances, as long as Zenitsu is willing to respect that Nezuko is not entirely able to speak for herself now, he seems pretty approving of Zenitsu (provided Nezuko decides she likes him back). I’d like to think there was an unspoken promise between bros on what boundaries to follow. Besides that, Tanjiro believes in Zenitsu a lot more than Zenitsu believes in himself, so Tanjiro probably wasn’t worried about the “strong protector” role a future husband should fulfil. Or at least, Tanjiro doesn’t seem concerned once he gets to know Zenitsu, he’d have rejected Zenitsu flat-out on that first meeting. Zenitsu, you are so lucky Tanjiro is so forgiving.

However, for as much as Zenitsu sees Nezuko as “GIRL!! Girl, girl, girl!”, he’s still got his rosy vision that conveniently clouds out any disturbing realities. She is, after all, a demon.

This is something Zenitsu never actually had the chance to struggle with, and I would have really liked to see him challenged by that reality a bit more. He never witnessed Nezuko’s berserker mode, nor did he ever see her struggle to keep from eating someone, he wasn’t even awake to watch her fight like a violent animal/angry toddler on the train. Had there been a scene of Zenitsu forced to face how terrifying she had potential to be, it would had really sold his commitment to Nezuko specifically, instead of only Nezuko as his most likely girlfriend candidate.

On the train, Nezuko has the good fortune of seeing another side of Zenitsu, getting one hell of a doki-doki moment. As she’s gaining more self-awareness back, it probably made those doki-dokis more complex too. While I understand there wasn’t a good opportunity to fit in the pace of the story, I love that Taisho Secret of her concerned about him before he wakes up. Instead of him just being that boy who shows her pretty things and says nice things about her Oniichan, this is when he starts becoming something a little more unique among all the people whom little demon Nezuko has bet and who have been nice to her.

In the months that follow, we don’t get much deviation from this slow development. Zenitsu’s feelings toward Nezuko don’t really change at all, but there’s another thing about this ship: neither one chose the other over anybody else. They sort of just came together, Zenitsu gets hooked on one girl at a time, but what if someone had come along with an interest in him? At what point would he had given up on Nezuko? Probably pretty quickly, if someone was serious enough about him. It wouldn’t have been a break up either, since he was still in the pursuing stages (might be more of a break-up conversation with Tanjiro, who had been tacitly supportive).

Actually, for most of the remainder of the series, the affection that Nezuko and Zenitsu build for each other is done when they’re apart, dwelling on their thoughts of each other. For Nezuko, we see this come out after the Swordsmith Village arc in her sunlit elation to see him again, and her efforts to greet him. She very clearly recognizes him and is happy to see him, a big difference compared to how she was more elated by the sight of a fishbowl before. In Zenitsu’s case, this deepening of his affections and running away with his thoughts and feelings results him declaring once and for all, this is her. He’s found her. This is the girl who he will be committed to his whole life, in his heart she is already his wife.

When human!Nezuko is gaining her memories back, her first impressions are of the boy showing her pretty things and giving her flowers, someone who probably has a crush on her, rather than thinking back to someone who she may have had a crush on. (Those cool impressions probably hit her later, I’m assuming, given the stress of the moment.) Romance is not immediately on her mind, though she does quickly recall having friendly affection for this boy for has always been so sweet to her. And Nezuko, handling his surprising level of affection gracefully, helps Zenitsu off the battlefield while he’s in terrible pain (though she probably was too, my poor girl, that fight with demon!Tanjiro was so rough). But honestly, not only is she probably too overwhelmed by everything to think much about romance, but she probably doesn’t take Zenitsu very seriously initially. She knows he’s got a tendency to overexaggerate, and it’s nice that he’s so sweet to her, but since he acts all fluffy and silly around her she probably thinks he’s not being that serious either. Furthermore, she’s got a lot of people to suddenly care about, Zenitsu has a lot to contend with for trying to get special attention. Hell, Zenitsu was probably awake and causing a racket while she was frantic with worry that comatose Giyuu might die. While she did remake Jiichan’s haori to fit Zenitsu’s later, see spent her time in the hospital mending Giyuu’s haori (Nezuko, baby, doesn’t your hand hurt though!?). While Zenitsu was swept up in happy “Nezuko is human now, we’re totally gonna get married” feels, he probably didn’t even notice that he was only one slice in a very big pie of memories that Nezuko suddenly found in her lap and had to slowly chew and digest.

So… this brings us to the extra post-canon comic in the second fanbook, which I initially did not like very much back when it came out in February. I’ve come around a lot to it, but what really hit me at first was “oh no, Nezuko really is only going to accept this marriage because she’s a saint, he’s not being desirable at all.”

But, treating it with a little more patience and sympathy for Zenitsu… he’s just gotten what he’s always wanted, of course he’s going to stop striving a bit and get blissfully carried away in it. And Nezuko, the ever sweet, isn’t going to stop him.

Some of the other commentary in the fanbook states that Zenitsu, for a time, found himself terrified of how girls could be sweet to his face while hiding their true thoughts about him. But, finding that Nezuko was not at all two-faced, he nearly “died and went to heaven” as the exaggeration goes. He doesn’t like to work hard in the first place (but does, because it will make people like Jiichan proud), so getting away with being spoiled is too big of a temptation to resist. Nezuko is sensitive to what makes the people around her happy or uncomfortable, so she never makes any request of Zenitsu. She’s so grateful to have their new little family that her happiness is everyone else’s happiness, she doesn’t really desire a heartthrob romance, even if being a wife and mother is an eventual goal. And, without being under any pressure to make someone proud, Zenitsu gets swept away and indulges.

Thank you, Tanjiro, for putting a stop to this.

He’s still rooting for Zenitsu, since this is his friend and he knows it would make his friend happy to wind up with Nezuko, but he’s setting himself up for failure, or setting Nezuko up to be cheated out on a good match at this rate (if she were to accept out of being nice). Very, very thankfully, Zenitsu responds well to pressure. By this point Nezuko has gotten so used to sweet but indulgent Zenitsu that he seems she totally accepted that his Hisha side didn’t exist anymore, if it even existed in the first place.

Good for Zenitsu asking for her response a year later (when they’d be getting to the legal marriage ages for the Taisho period anyway), he knew he still had shaping up to do to earn her affection. And Nezuko probably needed time to build some admiration for him again, since the doki-dokis were so gone. Even if he couldn’t use that super cool Thunder Breath anymore, it would probably catch her attention to see him strive again, to put effort into being manly, specifically for her. It wasn’t just the Thunder Breath that gave her doki-dokis, it was the Hisha knight-like attitude too, whether asleep and acting on his inner potential, or awake and bravely defending her based on his own goodness and faith.

I hope that in their married life, Zenitsu will retain that sort of manliness in being a provider for her, even he does get indulged a lot at home.

Now for how this plays into some of my fanwork and headcanons:

You know how I said all my OTPs were tragedies? Yeah, I love a good dose of angst. I did start writing a single-scene fic one time of injured Zenitsu desperately trying to cover Nezuko from the sun while waiting for Tanjiro to find them, and in Nezuko’s panic about the sun she starts losing her self-control over her appetite, and Zenitsu is forced to confront that the girl he loves could very easily kill him. I never finished it, though, and it was embarrassingly self-indulgent.

For my big favorite AU of a monster fanfic, I did add more ZenNezu on the massive edit, because by this point I just enjoy ZenNezu so much that I wanted more of it. But!! What I really like about working with it in this fic is that there’s a conflict: Demon!Tanjiro. In this canon divergence, Human!Nezuko and Zenitsu get to interact more than they ever did while she was a demon, and they both already have affection for each other, but the lingering fact that Tanjiro is technically their enemy gives me some tension and angst to work with.

Yes, I wrote a One Shot of Zenitsu and Nezuko as fresh new parents, but it was a bit of a dark dive into Zenitsu’s feelings of inadequacy. But domesticity comes with some inevitable fluff anyway, and likewise it felt embarrassing indulgent, and I can’t write fluff without a little bittersweetness. M…maybe the reason I’m not a shipper is because I’m easily flustered???

I’d like to think that Zenitsu got a desk job that he worked hard at because he wants to be a provider, and Nezuko does find his hard work attractive. I headcanon it was at an electric company, because hahahaha, electricity. I’d like to think he had a long career in that company (and although his colleagues know him for having a bit of an extreme personality and being obsessed with his wife, they sometimes catch glimpses of a very, very strong side of Zenitsu—like, scarily strong), and that when he’s old and retired in the Postwar Economic Miracle, he buys a fancy camera to take pictures of Nezuko (instead of “say cheese” it’s “Thunderclap and Flash!”), and he takes Nezuko to Paris because that’s the romantic thing to do. Also, I don’t like moustaches as a rule, but I totally approve of old man Zenitsu having a fluffy moustache.

World War Two, though… I’d like to think that if his job had him in the city, he was extremely reliable when it came to protecting his family in case of bombing. I’d also like to think that this was when the Kamado family moved to the city, because Nezuko was worried about Kanao and her nieces and nephews, so Zenitsu made sure they were all together. Inosuke might had taken the opposite route and taken his family to the mountains to shelter out there in the wild.

AAAAHHHH, listen to me being so self-indulgent with headcanons, I pride myself on sticking close to canon in my fanwork, I will never produce this, AAAAHHHH, I’m embarrassed~~~~I---I’m not a shipper! No! I don’t have a shipper’s bone in my body! Who needs romance, it means nothing to me, I don’t get swept up in happy fantasies about young newlywed Zenitsu and Nezuko, really I don’t, I take what canon gives me and I stick with it, I’m here for bromance and comradery and fights to the death, I—I don’t need disgusting fluffy feelings, ew, ew, no, really-----ahhh, too flustered, too flustered, too flustered, no, no, no, no, no, no, WHEN DID I BECOME A SHIPPER, nnnnnnnnhhhhjjjj

Which is all to say that Zenitsu and Nezuko as a pairing really grew on me, even though it is essentially a fluffy happy pairing that only got surface-level interaction and was never seriously challenged. It’s got some shadows lurking in there, especially diving into Zenitsu’s heart, but in general this was a slow build-up of mutual affection between two characters with pretty simple desires of their own, and most of all, a desire to see each other happy. That makes it a good comfort ship.

And they’re both are sleepyheads, hNNNGGGHHHhhhhHHHHHHHHHHH

#4000 words over the course of which I slowly begin to lose my cool #Zennezu #Zenitsu x Nezuko #Agatsuma Zenitsu #Kamado Nezuko #Kimetsu no Yaiba #kny #demon slayer #KnY Fandom Theories and Meta

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bellamyblakru · 3 years

Note

omg ok so idk how many im allowed to ask for the otp ask game thingy BUT if this is too many just do the ones you really want:D (SORRY I GOT EXCITED)

merthur & 2, 6, 7, 13, 24, 29, 30

oh my god roya i went ham on these. i apologize in advance 💀i got so excited too siskksksksks thank you so much for this holy shit, it was literally so much fun

2. Big spoon/Little spoon?

omg i think it depends on who got the drama arc that day ajclajfefkafn i would say normally merlin is 100% the big spoon LOL he just has that “need to comfort and protect” vibe, you feel?

6. What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

oooo so interesting, like physical features? id wanna say merlin loves arthur’s hands the most. like he can just sit for hours watching arthur signing documents and writing speeches and all that shit, plus arthur is definitely a hands on man (since he was touched starved to the max) so merlin always craves those little moments where arthur’s hand lingers on his own, or on his neck, or on his chest. the first thing to come to my mind for arthur is that he absolutely adores merlin’s hair. like when he forgets to cut it short and it gets a bit longer and more curly, the wildness just fits merlin so nicely. his hair in the morning is just so messy and perfect and the way the light hits it makes merlin feel more ethereal--its in those moments, right before merlin wakes up, where arthur just stares at this magical king and wonders what god he should thank for giving him someone so lovely.

7. What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

OH GOD. dude, the first thing that changes for merlin is what he thinks about as he helps arthur dress for the day. now, he notices the subtle way arthur leans into his touch, the way arthur smiles softly when merlin fixes his collar, the way his own hands tremble, ever-so slightly, as he smooths out arthur’s shirt. ARTHUR. man, the first thing that changes for arthur when he realized he has feelings for merlin is EVERYTHING. my mans tries to not change a fucking thing about the routine or day--but he tries way too fucking hard and its painfully noticeable that something is happening in his mind. merlin notices it, of course, but thinks arthur is stressed about something kingly. you know who tells him to fucking stop? LANCELOT. that man walks up to arthur, drags his ass aside, and gently, but not weakly, says “you suck at this” and helps him understand that merlin is already head over heels for him wjsjjsksksks

13. Who reaches for the other’s hand first?

arthur. 100%. touch is his thingggg™️. merlin has probably ached to hold arthur’s hand for years, but arthur does it first. i imagine two different scenarios: one, its fucking chaos out. there is some bad guy or some shit they are fighting, the knights are scattered, they are bloodied, bruised, and tired, but merlin hasn’t left his side for even a moment. the warlock’s back is still straight, his chin is still high, the defiance burning so brightly in those eyes that arthur cant help but reach over and grab the man’s hand to try to gain some of his resilience and passion and strength. two, it could be the laziest fucking day of the year. the knights of the roundtable are laughing and eating in arthur’s chambers, lance and gwen are making doe-eyes at one another, gwaine and percy are stealin little glances, and arthur is just so fucking content. like he looks around to smiles, and laughing, and happiness, and he turns his head to see merlin staring at him in concern. and he cant help it, man, he just reaches over and squeezes his hand. merlin’s eyes widen, but a soft smile grows there. arthur just doesn’t let go though, so merlin leans over and puts his head on arthur’s shoulder being completely beautifully content together.

24. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?

BRUH THIS SCREAMS MERLIN. I'M LAUGHING SO MUCH FKHNNSKNR. dudee. imagine it?? they are seated at a Very Important Dinner™️ with some Very Important People™️ and arthur is just about to make a toast and BAM-merlin whispers something outrageously fucking dirty. ARTHUR SPLUTTERS AND TURNS SO FUCKING RED ASDFGHHJK. merlin just smiles (his most regal smile) and turns away to talk to Very Important Someone™️ and arthur has to wait a few more minutes to compose himself and vows to get back at merlin later (he never does because merlin always beats him to it). OR LIKE DURING AUDIENCES? like this fucking farmer is complaining that he thinks his neighbor stole his chicken named Clucky and merlin just walks up to arthur and Says Something™️ that makes arthur cough...violently...and merlin turns around, solves the farmer’s problem, and goes back to his spot like nothing happened. arthur stares at him for much longer than he is suppose to before leon steps in and taps arthur’s shoulder to continue LOLLL

29. one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

oh lord,,, where to start? im not sure if this is a common headcanon or not, but that merlin actually could have saved arthur. he is the most powerful warlock to ever fucking exist, and he couldn’t save him? i call bullshit. i think he had the power to, and i think deep down he realizes that when its too late (like arthur’s eyes fluttering shut too late) and thats what breaks him. what haunts him for literal centuries. the simple fact that he could have saved him. i think he didn’t know enough about his magic yet, or that he refused to acknowledge that kind of power simmering under his skin, or that he just didn’t believe enough in himself because of how many times shit had hit the fan when merlin did magic near arthur. so..yeah…yikes

30. one headcanon about this OTP that mends it

LOL im full of angsty headcanons so hmmm. during arthur’s reign, they used to stay up late at night in arthur’s chambers. it didn’t matter what they did: whether it was arthur teaching merlin how to play chess as merlin complained the entire time that strategy at midnight was a cruel and unnecessary punishment, or arthur helped merlin clean his chambers as merlin hummed an old song his mother used to sing to him before bed, or just the two of them sitting in front of the fireplace with two glasses of wine talking about everything and nothing all at once. but once the quiet hits, its never, ever, uncomfortable. they can sit in silence for hours and never be bored or scared to break it. they just sit there, side by side, leaning on one another like they do in everything in life.

thank you again😭💖💖 akakakakak i might have gotten too excited?😂

otp ask game

#ashley answers #IM SO SORRY ITS SO MUCH #I FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT THEM #merthur #merlin #merlin bbc #bbc merlin #merlin headcanons #otp ask game #arthur pendragon #should this been ashley rambles too LOLL #long post #there are probably typos #skskskskks

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imaginejamesandsirius · 3 years

Note

First of all like many here i'd like to say that i love your blog so much and im so happy someone is doing my OTP justice so thank you for that! I'd like to request a prompt if you're not too busy: Sirius struggling with an eating disorder during Hogwarts (not eating enough at all, or caring about his health in that regard), and James reaction to it once he gets whats happening (with some angst and/or protective James?) id love to read something about that if you have time to write it.

((A/N: Warning for eating disorder))

James hadn't consciously put it together. He hadn't seen the issues Sirius was having, thought about it in those exact terms, and then acted on it. All he knew was that one day he kept his hands to himself, and at some point, he started pushing food onto Sirius's plate.

For the most part, Sirius ignored it. James pushed food onto his plate, and Sirius didn't touch it. Every once in a while, he'd try a bite or two of it. Very rarely were the times when Sirius ate all of it, but when he did, it meant that something else on his plate didn't get eaten.

James didn't make a big deal about it in the beginning because he didn't really think that there was anything to make a fuss about. He'd notice occasionally that Sirius hadn't eaten very much at breakfast, but everyone was tired in the mornings, and they had different second classes before lunch. If he ever thought about it, he would come to the conclusion that clearly, Sirius was dropping by the kitchens when they went in their separate ways, and that intermediate snack was why he also didn't eat as much as James did at lunch.

It all boiled down to one thing: James had tried fixing a problem that he hadn't known existed for about a year and a half. After that year and a half is when his brain finally connected the dots. Sirius wasn't eating enough. It wasn't just one meal a week that he was skimping on. It was two of three meals that he went light on, almost every single day of the week, and he'd been doing it for two years. Maybe a little less than that. But then, it might also be more. James had no idea. More than that, he didn't know why Sirius hadn't said something.

The only reason James knew is because they'd been snogging, he'd put his hands on Sirius's waist under his shirt, and Sirius had squirmed a little, like he wanted to get away from his touch but also didn't want to make James think that he hated it. "You okay?" James had asked.

"Tickled," Sirius said, and kissed him again.

It had made sense to him in the moment, until he remembered that the only place Sirius was ticklish was his feet. His ribs had never been the least bit ticklish-- and James had tried, back before they started dating and were in the wrestling part of their friendship.

Sirius was faint more often than the rest of them-- except Moony after the full moon. He couldn't run as long as Peter could. Piece by piece, he noticed signs of a problem and didn't figure it out.

Everything was fine, and then one meal, it all slotted into place. Sirius had problems with food. At first, James thought that it was that he wasn't hungry during meal times, but several kitchen runs at odd times of the day disproved that theory. He didn't think it was a problem with the food itself, since several of the items that the house elves made were Sirius's favourites. It's like... they didn't make him happy anymore. He nibbled, then stopped. Sometimes, he would shovel bowls of soup and stew down his throat like he couldn't be bothered to chew.

James didn't know what to do. He'd tried giving him more food. He'd tried giving him different types of food-- even soup wasn't a guarantee. He'd tried giving him food at all times of the day. None of it had worked.

"Tell me what to do," James said one day. He was sat on Sirius's bed; they both were. They were supposed to be doing homework, but James hadn't been able to concentrate. He'd just been staring at the textbook for ten minutes, eyes not moving.

Sirius looked at him, then blinked. "Is this some sort of weird roleplay you want to try?"

"No," he said, shutting the book with a thump. "You have problems with food."

Sirius paled-- more than he already was. Merlin, he was so pale these days, like his face couldn't reflect a healthy colour because he wasn't healthy.

"I've been trying to help, but I don't know how. I've tried so many things, and none of it has worked. Just tell me what to do. However I can help you, I will."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius said, but he was obviously panicking.

James wanted to fight, to push it, but he knew that if he did, Sirius would flee. He opened his book again. "Fine. But if there was a problem you were having, you could talk to me. I wouldn't need an explanation, and I wouldn't ask any questions if you didn't want me to. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I wouldn't judge you. I mean, you know that I'll help you no matter what, right?"

A slight pause, then Sirius said, "Yeah, I know."

"And I just want for you to be okay."

"I'm okay now."

"I think you could be more okay," James said quietly, shoulders hunching in a little defensively.

There was a long moment between James saying it and Sirius's response. He didn't say anything. All he did was nudge their knees together. When James looked up, Sirius gave him a small smile. He looked kind of miserable, but not like he was going to run off anymore.

It was half an hour later when one of them talked again, and Sirius said, "I can't tell you what the problem is, because I don't know what the problem is."

"That's fine. Just tell me if there's anything I can do to make it the least bit better for you. I don't even need to know why it would help you. I’ll do whatever you need."

Sirius took a deep breath, let it out, then said, “Cake. Chocolate cake. I’m in the mood for it right now.”

James immediately shut the book. “Let’s go get some cake.”

#prongsfoot #marauders #james potter #sirius black #fanfic #filled #hogwarts time #no voldemort au #established relationship #eating disorder cw #siriuslystarbucks

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lorirwritesfanfic · 3 years

Text

Long Distance Love - Part 2: Going Away Gift

Author's note: Last OTP ficlet for Liam and Jade! [Original characters are creations of this author. The other ones are owned by Pixelberry studios] Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: T Word count: 507 Reading time: ~2min Summary: Jade gives her husband a little something so he can remember her by. Based on the prompt: OTP question meme #28: What do they do when they’re away from each other?

Jade stepped into her room and lied back on her bed after a long day of work and a bath. The king-sized bed that usually was so comfortable and, at times, small for her and her husband's antics suddenly felt too big, too cold.

The queen looked to her husband's side of the bed and reached for his pillow, pressing it against his face. Yearning consumed her every thought as she inhaled his scent, still lingering in the fabric. It had been only a day since he went on a trip to attend a political conference in Germany. Was it too soon to miss him?

She was about to reach for her phone when her phone buzzed on the night stand. Sitting up to reach for it, the queen beamed and answered the phone.

"Hello, my love."

"Hello, my queen. How's everything?"

"Pretty much the same. We just have one problem today."

"What is it?"

"I miss my husband."

The king's features softened as he smiled. "I miss you too. Are you wearing my shirt again?"

"And your boxer." Jade inclined the phone to show herself wearing his white shirt and the silk Versace boxer she bought for him when they were still newlyweds.

His eyes darkened. "I didn't think it could be possible, but you never looked more beautiful."

"Really? Not even with that gown with the cleavage in back you said you love when I wear it?"

"You look beautiful wearing anything or nothing at all, my love.” He answered and let out a sigh. “You make me wish I had something of yours with me. Perhaps I should've brought your pillow.”

"Aw, that's so sweet of you... But it's fine. I got you covered," she said, lying back on the bed. "Your coat pocket has a little surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Liam arched an eyebrow and stood up, carrying the phone with him as he opened the closet. "Which coat did you put it on?"

"All of them."

"What?!" He then reached for the jacket he was wearing and found a blue lace thong in it. "Jade, I walked around the conference with this jacket all day!"

"And you didn't find it there?"

"No!"

The queen giggled.

Liam shook his head, unsure if he should be mad or amused with his wife's antics. "Did you really put a lingerie of yours in all my coats?"

"Yeah."

"You could've caused an international incident with this, you know."

"In Germany? I think you'd be be just fine. The worst that could happen is getting caught by the tabloids. You'd just have to tell them the truth."

"How is that not a problem? We could've caused a scandal."

"Just like old times, right?" She winked.

"You're incorrigible, Jade."

"You knew that before we got married and chose me anyway. Deal with it."

The king laughed as he sat back on his bed. "Oh, I fully intend to when I come back. But I have to admit having this with me makes it hard for me to get some sleep."

"I can help with that, my king," Jade murmured, lying on her stomach to make herself more comfortable.

A slow smile spread on his lips. "I was hoping you'd say that."

#choices fanfic #the royal romance fanfic #liam rys #liam x mc #lorirwritesfanfic #lorircreates #otp asks

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kanerallels · 3 years

Text

My Heart Is In Your Hands

(For Kanera Week, based on the prompt "ultimate OTP moment/night out")

Read on AO3 here!

@kaneraweek

Word Count: 5,250

Tags/Warnings: rated G

Summary: The Jedi throw an engagement party that Kanan and Hera in particular find very... engaging

Hera couldn’t believe how fast the next two weeks slipped by. Maybe it was because of all the work that needed to be done in preparation-- many of the guests invited were Imperial, so they had to make sure there were no signs of Mace, Depa and Kanan’s work with the Rebellion. There was also a lot of cleaning, cooking and various preparations to be done in general. Hera and Kanan had their own way to get ready, going over their story repeatedly to make sure they didn’t forget it, memorizing key details and producing answers for any possible questions that could be asked.

Of course, there was also the fact that Hera had started working with the cell on Lothal, alongside Kanan. She was usually the getaway pilot, but she’d gone on a couple of actual ops as well. After the first mission, Kanan relaxed significantly about her being out in the field, although Hera still wasn’t sure why he’d gotten so jumpy. She didn’t have much time to think about it, though.

Most of the guests would be arriving the day of the party, but a few arrived a couple days before. Kanan and Hera went down to meet some of them at the front door, the first of which was a tall Kalleran. The moment the Kalleran spotted Kanan he all but crushed him in a hug. “Kid! Since when are you getting married?”

“Kriff, Kasmir-- can’t breathe-- Kanan gasped.

Releasing him, the Kalleran turned to Hera and gave her a gentlemanly bow. “Janus Kasmir at your service. A pleasure to meet the young woman who caught Kanan’s heart. I have to know everything. How’d you two meet?”

“Believe it or not, it was only a month or two ago,” Hera said, slipping her arm through Kanan’s. “I was having… a little trouble with a street gang, and Kanan stepped in to give me a hand. By which I mean he handled one of them, and I took out the rest.”

“Give me a little credit,” Kanan protested. “I handled at least two.”

“Uh-huh. Sure, dear,” Hera said, unable to prevent the smile crossing her face at Kanan’s fake chagrin.

Chuckling, Kasmir said, “She’s good for you, kid. I like her.”

“Don’t call me kid,” Kanan grumbled. “But I like her, too.”

“I should hope so, you are marrying her,” Kasmir said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Excuse me, I’m gonna go say hi to your Jedi mom and your kid who’s cooler than you.”

As the Kalleran strode into the house, Hera turned to Kanan, trying not to laugh. “So, he’s… interesting. I like him, I will say.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Kanan said with some drama, and Hera smirked.

“Well, I kept you around, didn’t I?”

The next guest was an older man, mostly bald with a fringe of white hair, and a white beard. Directing a warm smile at them, he said, “Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise? Two of my favorite people are getting married.”

“What-- Okadiah?” Kanan said, and Hera’s gaze snapped to him.

“Wait, you know Okadiah?”

“YOU know Okadiah?” Kanan countered.

“Indeed,” Okadiah said with a chuckle. “I met Hera when she was just starting out on her own. Gave her a place to stay for a while and helped her on her way.”

“And how did you meet Kanan?” Hera asked curiously.

“It’s a long story,” Kanan cut in hastily. “That we don’t have time for right now. Suffice to say there was a moon that was about to be blown up, actually a few crazy cyborgs, and a couple barroom brawls involved.”

“I’ll regale you with the full tale another time,” Okadiah assured Hera. “In the meantime, let me just say I couldn’t have chosen better for you two if I had chosen myself. I congratulate you both deeply.

“Thanks, Oke,” Kanan said, shooting the older man a smile as he headed inside.

Next, they found themselves facing the third group, which was an eclectic group Hera had not expected-- a Mandalorian woman in green-blue armor, a Mirialan woman with purple skin, curly hair and exceptional fashion, and a human man holding hands with her. In their free hands, both of the latter two carried hefty suitcases, and the Mandalorian was lugging two more.

Grinning, Kanan stepped forward. “Cinya! How are you?”

“Still very willing to punch you out again,” the Mandalorian said tartly.

“But you won’t because he’s only got a week until his big party,” the Mirialan reminded her. Turning to Hera, she smiled warmly. “I’m Hadassah, and this is Lanter.” She nodded at the man next to her, who shot Hera a friendly smile.

“They’re dating,” Cinya said, and Kanan’s eyes lit up.

“About time-- congratulations, you two.”

“Thanks,” Lanter said, grinning. “Congratulations to you-- I can’t believe you’re getting married! Seems like only yesterday Cinya tried to kill you in Hadassah’s juice bar.”

“Good times,” Kanan said remiscently.

“I take it there’s something of a story here,” Hera remarked, and Hadassah laughed.

“You have no idea. Luckily, we'll have plenty of time to tell you. Lanter and I are your stylists for the party.”

“Really?” Kanan said, surprised. “I didn't know Mace and Depa asked you guys to do that.”

“You bet your life, you tall string bean,” Lanter said with a grin. “Lanter and Hadassah are here to save the day.”

Kanan looked at him for a moment, then turned to Cinya. “He watched “The Princess Diaries” on the way here, didn't he?”

Cinya nodded. “Both of them, and he cried twice during the second one.”

“I won't apologize for my love for Clarisse and Joe,” Lanter said dramatically. “They're the ultimate couple goals. Hadassah is my Clarisse.”

“You are so sweet,” Hadassah said, kissing him on the cheek.

Cinya let out a dramatic sigh. "You guys are so ridiculously sappy. Let's get moving.”

The five of them headed into the house and up to a suite that had clearly been prepared for this very reason-- a table was set up with a mirror on it, a swivel chair in front of it. At one end of the room Hera spotted a folding screen set up to change behind.

Lanter and Hadassah instantly started unpacking from their suitcases-- hairbrushes, makeup containers, ear cone pendants, perfumes, and a thousand other things that could be useful. “You… really came prepared,” Hera said, staring as Lanter pulled out a curling iron. “However, I doubt I’m going to need that.”

“Oh, that’s for Dassah,” Lanter assured her. “But if Kanan could just let me do his hair--”

“Absolutely not,” Kanan said immediately. “I already told Sabine she could.”

“But Kanan, I have the perfect--”

“Under no circumstances are you giving me the moose hairdo from “The Princess Diaries”, Lanter.”

Smirking, Lanter said, “But you would be a handsome moose. Make all the girl moose go WHUA!”

Kanan groaned, but Hera couldn’t help but laugh. “I think I’m going to like you,” she told Lanter, who beamed.

“Why thank you, Ms. Syndulla, I like you very much, too!”

Grinning, Hadassah said, “Alright, we have work to do, and I'm sure that you two do, as well. But before you go-- color preferences for your outfits? Keep in mind that they have to be somewhat coordinated.”

“Nah, I trust you not to put me in anything too reprehensible,” Kanan said jokingly.

Rolling her eyes, Hadassah said, “Immeasurably unhelpful. Fine-- I'm thinking of a blue and green color scheme for the two of you. Lanter, what do you think?”

“Perfect,” Lanter immediately agreed. “We'll get to work straight away.”

“And we'll leave you to it,” Hera said. Looping her arm through Kanan's, she tugged him forward, and they headed out.

As they made their way down the hall, Kanan murmured, “Nice job with Kasmir earlier. He can be a little too nosy for his own good.”

“No worries-- he seems nice,” Hera commented. “Very excited about us.”

A slight smile pulled at the corner of Kanan's mouth. “He's an old friend. I'm not surprised he's so excited, frankly. It's kind of who he is.”

Hera nodded without speaking, but felt an internal twinge. Part of her couldn't help but dislike the fact they were deceiving so many people, good people. They didn't deserve to be lied to like this.

And there was also another part of her. A part that found herself noticing Kanan's quiet determination and his kindness around Ezra and the grin he'd give her sometimes-- and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed the fact that she was engaged to an extremely handsome man. There was a part of her that felt a flutter in her chest at his touch.

And that part of her wished that this whole thing wasn't based on a lie.

“Hera?” Kanan's concerned voice broke through her thoughts, and she glanced up to see him frowning at her. “You okay?”

Hera gave her head a quick shake, like the motion would send those thoughts flying. But they’d been there too long for that. “Fine, sorry-- were you saying something?”

A slight furrow in Kanan’s brow hinted that he wasn’t quite satisfied with her response, but all he said was, “I was wondering if you still think your father won’t accept his invitation.”

“Oh.” Hera shook her head. “No, he won’t come. Especially since you’re inviting Imperials to keep our cover. He doesn’t know that-- he’ll probably assume I’m all but colluding with them. So either he won’t come, or I’ll wish he hadn’t.” Releasing a sigh, she said, “I guess I always assumed he and my mother would be here for this.”

Kanan slipped his arm from around hers long enough to catch hold of her hand, and Hera felt her heartbeat stutter as his fingers laced through hers. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

“It’s okay,” Hera told him, returning the gesture. “I may not have my father and mother, but I have you, and everyone else here. And at this point, they feel like family almost more than my father does.”

The smile Kanan gave her was a soft one with that unusual warmth shining around the edges, the light that she saw in his eyes more and more these days. Hera couldn’t bring herself to look away, despite the flush she knew was growing on her cheeks. Time to get out of here, she decided. Before I do something truly stupid.

“I should probably--” she started.

“Do you ever--” Kanan began at the same time. They both stopped short, and Hera laughed, feeling a flash of self-consciousness.

“Sorry, you go ahead,” Kanan said, giving her the crooked grin, the one that was Hera’s favorite. For just a second, her gaze lingered on it, and she found herself wondering what it would be like to close the distance, to drop a kiss against the upturned corner of his mouth--

What are you THINKING, Hera? She scolded herself. You can’t just start thinking about kissing Kanan, not now. Clearing her throat, she said, “I was just going to say that I’d better get going-- plenty to do before our party.”

“Right, yeah,” Kanan said, and was Hera imagining it or was there something a little strained about his voice? “Same here. See you later?”

“Yes-- but didn’t you want to tell me something?” Hera asked.

Kanan opened his mouth to speak, and stopped for a moment. Closing it, he finally shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’d better get going.”

Releasing Hera’s hand, he headed off down the hall, leaving Hera staring after him. Well, that was… strange. But she really didn’t have time to spend thinking about why Kanan was acting so strangely.

So of course, over the next three days leading up to their engagement party, that was all she thought about. Especially since Kanan seemed to be avoiding her. He was always out on some sort of business of some kind or in a fitting with Lanter or working to help clean out the ballroom.

And Hera didn’t feel hurt by that. That would be ridiculous. They were both busy, she didn’t exactly have time to spend with him either.

Or maybe she was avoiding him, too. Either way, it didn’t matter. Much.

Alright, it definitely did matter, but some part of Hera didn’t want to bring it up. Maybe she was afraid of the answer, maybe she was afraid she’d lose what she had with Kanan, maybe she was afraid that she was falling in love with a man she wasn’t supposed to technically fall for.

So she kept pushing aside the thoughts, and threw herself into working for the engagement party. And before she knew it, it was the evening of the party, and she was heading up to Hadassah’s suite to get her dress.

The Mirialan was waiting with excitement stamped across her face, and a companion-- Depa Billaba. Throwing her a smile, Depa said, “Don’t mind me, I’m just here to see my future daughter in law get ready. It’s my prerogative.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hera said, giving Depa a smile and pretending like the “daughter in law” part didn’t throw her for a loop. “Okay-- where’s my dress?”

“Here,” Hadassah said, darting over to the changing screen and pulling a dress on a hanger from behind it. She held it up, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “What do you think?”

Hera’s eyes widened at the sight-- a sleeveless dress with a high neckline, made of fluttery fabric, the color shading from teal into a deep cobalt blue. It was stunning-- Hera knew just by looking at it that she’d never owned anything so expensive and beautiful in her life, other than the Ghost.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, brushing a hand across the smooth cloth. “I-- I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Well, Depa paid us,” Hadassah said with a shrug. “But you can repay us by going out and having a good time with your fiance tonight. Speaking of which, I’d better get going-- Lanter’s waiting for me downstairs.”

Giving them a quick wave, Hadassah slipped out of the room, leaving Hera with Depa. Glancing at the Jedi, Hera said, “Thank you. I don’t know how I can repay you--”

“No repayment necessary,” Depa said firmly. “I’m happy to do it.” As Hera admired the dress for a moment longer, she added, “However, I do have a question for you.”

Hera glanced at Depa curiously, and saw the Jedi wearing a patiently curious expression. “I’ve noticed you and Kanan have been avoiding each other lately. Did something happen?”

“No, I-- we’re not-- what makes you think--” Hera stammered, and Depa held up a hand.

“Hera. I’m not the blind one. You two used to spend every day together, but I haven’t seen you with my apprentice in days. What’s going on?”

Hera bit her lip, her eyes flicking from Depa to the floor and then back again. Part of her felt that saying how she felt out loud would make it far too real. But the sympathy and understanding in Depa’s eyes pulled the words out of her. “I don’t want to avoid him. But things are just… complicated right now.”

Narrowing her eyes, Depa said, “Did he make a move on you?”

“What? No, of course not.” Hera felt herself flush at her next words. “Do you think-- would he-- never mind.”

“Ahhh.” A knowing smile grew on Depa’s face. “I see.”

“See… what?” Frustration boiled through Hera at the almost desperate curiosity in her words. She felt so irritatingly petty about this whole thing.

“That you’re in love with my apprentice,” Depa said matter of factly.

Oh. Oh, dear. But she wasn’t wrong. “I… I didn’t expect this to happen,” Hera said softly. “I had no idea that Kanan would be…” Handsome? Charming? So incredibly caring and kind? The kind of man I could spend my life with?

“I know,” Depa said, her tone soft and sympathetic. “It can’t be easy to be in a relationship without actually being in a relationship. Hera-- if I may give you some advice?”

“Okay,” Hera said hesitantly.

“You don’t seem to be the kind of woman who would give her heart easily. But if Kanan’s the one who’s earned it, don’t give up on that. Both of you deserve better than that.”

“He does, you’re right,” Hera agreed, her voice low. “I just don’t want to ruin what Kanan and I have by--”

“Telling him that you love him?” Depa reached out and touched her hand, her eyes kind. “You don’t have to. But honesty is important in any relationship, whether it’s romantic or not. And will you regret it if you don’t? Just think about it, please.”

“I-- I will,” Hera promised, unsure whether it was fear or determination swelling in her chest. Depa smiled and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“Good. Now, get dressed. You have a party to get to.”

Half an hour later, Hera was wearing the amazing dress Hadassah had given her, along with a set of silver ear cone pendants set with teal gems and a matching bracelet. She waited by the door of the ballroom for Kanan, who still hadn’t arrived. Is he even coming? She wondered with a flash of worry-- silly worry, really. Kanan wouldn’t just stand her up, and it was his party, too.

Seconds after she thought the words, she heard footsteps behind her, and Kanna’s voice. “Sorry I’m late,” he called. “Ezra needed something before I left.”

“Don’t worry about it--”

Hera’s words stuttered to a halt in her mouth as she stared at Kanan, who gaped right back at her. She usually saw him in his casual every-day wear, or occasionally Jedi robes. What he wore now was nothing like that.

He wore a crisp white shirt with long sleeves and dark trousers. Over the shirt, he had on a navy blue jerkin with teal embroidery that brought out the vibrant color in his eyes. At his hip hung his lightsaber, which Hera had only rarely seen him with.

“Wow,” he breathed as he stared at her. “You’re… wow.”

“You… you look incredible,” Hera managed. And it was the truth. A small smile lifted the corner of Kanan’s mouth.

“Thanks,” he said, closing the distance between them and capturing her hand in his. Hera felt her heart start pounding as he gazed at her, seeming to drink in the sight of her. “But trust me,” he murmured. “No one’s going to be looking at me when you’re standing next to me.”

“I will be.” Hera felt her face warm the minute the words slipped out of her mouth, because it sounded like flirting. It was flirting, she knew. But she really couldn’t help herself, especially with him standing inches away from her, looking at her the way he was.

A crooked grin danced across Kanan’s face. “Really, Captain Syndulla? Flirting at a time like this?”

“Well, it is our engagement party,” Hera pointed out, feeling a ridiculous sense of relief. Kanan was here with her, and even his presence made this whole thing a little easier to deal with. Well, except for the fact that she was incredibly caught off guard by how handsome he looked tonight.

Offering her his arm, Kanan said, “That’s true. And we should probably head in. Are you ready?”

Looping her arm around his, Hera replied, “Not remotely. Let’s do this.”

“That’s the spirit.”

They moved into the ballroom subtly, but somehow everyone noticed them the moment they set foot inside. Hera could feel the eyes on her, and she stiffened, trying not to panic. Kanan’s thumb brushed against her bare upper arm, sending a quick shiver down her spine. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice too low for anyone else to hear. “Take a deep breath. I’m here.”

Somehow, that was more comforting than anything else he could have said. Hera took a quick deep breath as Mace and Depa headed their way. Depa was clad in a lavender dress, while Mace looked majestically elegant in formal Jedi robes, the dark scar across his eyes totally unhidden.

Giving both of them a warm smile, Depa said, “You both look wonderful, although you are a little late.”

“Sorry-- Ezra was trying to convince me to smuggle him cake in my pockets,” Kanan apologized.

“I’m sure that’s what the guests will think happened,” Mace muttered with a small smirk that looked a little too much like his grand Padawan’s.

“Manners, Mace,” Depa said. “And I can’t believe I’m saying that to you instead of the other way around. Okay, here’s what you two need to do-- mingle a little bit, say hello to the guests. Make sure to greet Governor Pryce--”

“Absolutely not,” Kanan said flatly. “She’s the reason Ezra’s parents are--”

“I know that, but we have to be careful, Kanan,” Depa said, her voice firm.

“What-- Pryce isn’t some invincible succubus,” Kanan protested. “She’s a regular succubus, who can be defeated.”

Releasing a sigh, Depa turned to Hera. “When Pryce comes over-- she’s the one with the short black hair, Imperial uniform--”

“Don’t look straight into her eyes, though,” Kanan muttered.

“Why, because she’ll turn you to stone?” Mace asked.

“No, because her eyes are ugly.”

Letting out a sigh, Depa said, “Perhaps it’s better if Hera does the talking.”

“Perhaps,” Hera agreed.

“Fine,” Kanan said, not looking upset. “Anything else?”

Nodding, Depa said, “Yes. Actually try to have a good time. And don’t forget to have at least one dance.”

“Finally, something I can get behind,” Kanan said with a grin, and Hera was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing, of his arm brushing against hers.

She saw a slight smile flicker across Depa's face, but all the Jedi said was, “Have fun, you two.”

Turning, she led Mace away as the music began and a few couples started to move out onto the dance floor. One in particular caught Hera’s eye--- a man with dark hair and a scar across one eye, dressed in all black, including a long black coat embroidered in gold. At his side was a slight woman, her long curly hair hanging loose and free. She was dressed in a floor length golden silk gown, with a decorative aqua panel along the bodice and a matching sash. Slim straps hung the gown from her shoulders, which were bare except for a gauzy aqua veil that was clasped to her wrists with cuffs made of the same golden silk.

“Is that Senator Amidala?” she asked Kanan quietly.

“Yeah-- as it turns out, giant engagement parties are a really good way to get your Rebellion contacts in close proximity so you can exchange information. There’ll probably be a meeting tonight with some of the leaders-- including them.”

Hera followed Kanan’s discreet nod to a dark haired woman wearing dark blue, dancing with a man in a matching cape who Hera suddenly recognized. “Wait-- Senator Organa’s here, too?”

Nodding, Kann said, “As is Senator Mothma, the Duchess of Mandalore, and about a dozen others. The Jedi aren’t submitting. We’re just waiting for the right moment to strike.” Flashing her a teasing grin, he added, “And to think, you thought we were just sitting around letting the Empire walk all over us.”

“Well, you were acting that way very convincingly,” Hera pointed out.

“Glad to hear it.”

Spotting a tall woman in Imperial greys making her way through the crowd towards them. Hera muttered, “I think I spotted your friend, Governor Pryce.”

“What? Kriff.” Kanan grimaced. “Time to pretend to be polite.”

“Unless you didn’t see her, and you had something else very pressing to address,” Hera pointed out. “After all, you do owe me at least one dance. Probably more.”

A grin slowly crossed Kanan’s face. “I do, don’t I?” Giving her a bow, he offered her a hand. “Will you dance, Captain Hera?”

Placing her hand in his, Hera said, “With you, I will.”

The two of them moved out onto the dance floor together. The music in the background was sweet and elegant, and she had an excellent partner. True to form, Kanan’s movements were smooth and graceful. “You dance better than I expected,” Hera observed.

“I’ve been practicing,” Kanan admitted with that crooked grin of his. “Didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my fiancee, after all. Spin.”

Hera obligingly twirled away from Kanan, her hand still locked securely in his. With a gentle tug, Kanan brought her back to him, his arm slipping back around her waist. Hera felt her breath catch as she met his eyes, and was suddenly very aware of the space between them. She was close enough she could sense the warmth of Kanan’s skin, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at her sent a flutter through her stomach.

“You’re staring, dear,” she told him in a soft undertone.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked, his voice equally low.

Lifting an eyebrow, Hera said, “I mean. A little.”

A small wince crossed Kanan’s face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable isn’t the word I’d use,” Hera replied, and something flickered in Kanan’s eyes.

“Then… what would you call it?” he asked, his low baritone holding a soft question beyond his words.

“Cherished.”

The word slipped out before Hera could help it. But it was true. No one had ever looked at her the way Kanan had, the way he was looking at her now. Not like she was an object or a price on the slave market. Like she was something truly priceless.

Kanan’s eyes widened, and he started to speak. But before he could, a voice caught their attention. “Kanan! Mind if I have a word?”

Hera glanced towards the sound, catching sight of Anakin Skywalker heading towards them, a bearded man at his side who Hera realized must be Obi-Wan Kenobi. He shot Hera a look that could only be translated as “I am so sorry for this” as Anakin paused next to them.

“It’s important,” he told Kanan as he and Hera came to a halt.

“Of course,” Kanan said, releasing Hera and stepping away from her. Hera thought she saw a flash of reluctance in his eyes, but if it was there, he masked it well. Glancing at her, he said, “I’m sorry--”

“It’s fine, love,” Hera told him, forcing a smile. “I’ll leave you to it.”

She slipped away from the three of them and headed into the crowd, feeling Kanan’s eyes follow her as she walked. But it wasn’t long before she was out of their sight.

At the far end of the ballroom, there was a door that led out onto a balcony overlooking the Lothal prairie beyond the house. Hera made her way there, and slipped outside.

The cool night breeze was a relief after the nearly stifling warmth of the ballroom-- although not all of it was from the amount of people in there, Hera knew. She felt heat sweep over her again as her mind wandered back to dancing with Kanan, the warmth of his skin seeping through her dress.

Taking a quick breath, Hera pressed her hands against the cold stone of the balcony railing and stared out at Lothal’s moons shimmering amongst the stars above them. Two out of the three were full, just like the night when she’d first met Kanan. She never would have thought that evening that all of this would come about, that she would end up engaged to a man she’d just met.

That she would end up falling in love with him.

Hera pressed her eyes shut, taking a shaky breath. Force. She wasn’t even sure if he felt the same way. But that didn’t exactly stop her from thinking about Kanan, from wanting to be near him, from wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

“Hera?”

Kanan’s voice came from directly behind her, low and warm. Hera took in a quick breath, then turned to face him. The light from the doorway illuminated him from behind, the shadows obscuring his expression.

“Depa said she saw you heading this way,” he said, moving up next to her. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” Hera said, and Kanan settled beside her, resting his forearms on the balcony railing.

“Sorry we got interrupted earlier,” he said, flicking a quick glance her way. “Apparently, Skywalker’s daughter had collected some important intel he wanted to share as soon as possible.”

“It’s fine, love,” Hera said. “I understand.”

She sensed Kanan stiffen next to her, and frowned. What did I-- oh.

“You called me love,” he said, his voice soft.

“I-- yeah, I did,” Hera said, feeling herself flushing. Of course this would be how it came out. She was trying to think of what to say next when Kanan spoke.

“Do you ever wish this was real?”

Hera froze, her brain going blank. All she could manage to say was, “What?”

“This whole thing, this engagement. Do you ever wish it was real? Because I-- I can’t lie to you, Hera.” Kanan turned towards her, and Hera felt her heart stutter against her breastbone as he met her gaze. “I do,” he said. “I’m sorry--”

“Don’t be.” The words slipped out of Hera’s mouth, but she didn’t even try to take them back. She couldn’t, not with the way Kanan was looking at her now, his eyes wide but full of something that made Hera flush.

“Hera,” he whispered. “I would never, ever do anything to push past your boundaries.”

“I know,” Hera said, her gaze locked on Kanan’s face and her heartbeat steadily rising as she watched him.

“But I really, really want to kiss you right now.” Kanan paused, his eyes lingering on her, then stepped a little closer. “Can I…?”

Hera closed the distance between them without hesitation. Her lips met his, and Hera was nearly swept off her feet by the dizzy array of emotions washing over her. A strong arm slipping around her waist steadied her as Kanan kissed her back, gently drawing her close.

They broke apart a few moments later, and Hera took a quick breath in. “Force, Kanan.”

“Can you tell I’ve been waiting a while to do that?” Kanan asked, his voice amused.

“Maybe a little,” Hera said, letting her forehead rest against his. “I-- how does this even happen? Who could have seen this coming?”

Kanan paused, then let out a soft chuckle that Hera more felt that heard. “Uh. Possibly Mace.”

“What??” Hera pulled back enough to see his face. “What are you talking about?”

“The first day you were here, he told me the Force led him to you, and it wanted you here,” Kanan said. “I didn’t know why at the time, but he seemed pretty confident.”

“And you think the Force wanted us together?” Hera said, lifting an eyebrow. “The mystical Force that binds the whole galaxy together could not possibly be invested in our relationship.”

“Well, you never know,” Kanan said, giving her a cocky smirk. “We are pretty amazing.”

“You are a pain, dear,” Hera said with a roll of her eyes.

“Lucky for you I’m your pain,” Kanan said. Pausing, he asked, “Will you call me love again?”

“Kiss me, love,” Hera said, and Kanan happily obliged.

#kaneraweek2021 #kanan jarrus #hera syndulla #swr #star wars rebels #kanera #kanera is love kanera is life #swr fan fic #depa billaba #mace windu #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #padme amidala #okadiah garson #janus kasmir #not my ocs #but someones and they're really great. jk they're accidental-spice's #it was dope. the end #fake engagement

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maladaptive-ninja-returns · 3 years

Text

It’s The Avengers (03x15)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 3 Episode 15: Not All Rainbows

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: did someone just go and tell the otp about the otp?

Word Count: you know that feeling when you have had a bad experience on some project or assignment or homework before. And you know that thing is going to come around again next month or something like that. And you just age yourself by giving yourself anxiety by thinking everything that could go worse in that area. Yeah. So, I kinda shut that off for a few hours and wrote this.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

An ice pack sits partially on the sofa’s arm and partially on the head that is being knocked softly- but repeatedly- by its designated owner. The fist taps that forehead with the vigour of a dedicated hammer that is softly checking the tensile strength of its mettle. The second camera takes the liberty to zoom in on Tony’s face that has the tension the size of the Alps looming over his head. Other spectators sit around, going about their activities with their five senses while the sixth was stuck on Tony. One camera panned on Wanda’s figure standing in the kitchenette, stirring her coffee cautiously, locking eyes with the lens.

Wanda: Only if you could see the monstrous cloud looming over his head. *stretches the corner of her lips* It’s made less of anger and more of worry and embarrassment. *blinks and furrows her brows* And choco-chip ice cream for some reason. *shrugs* Though I'm just glad that nothing was broken or smashed today. *stops midway* *raises her index finger* Although...

Scott: *glows inside out with a big smile stuck on his red face* *swings from side to side in the chair* Huh? What? *shakes head* Nothing. Just *inhales* I'm worried about Tony *continues to smile*

"So-" Steve took the first step and everyone held their breath- "now we know why we weren't able to reach Carol before. She is clearly...kinda...sorta stuck right where Y/N and Loki are? I think the kids are safe now." "Oh? The kids are safe? I must have missed the scene where they returned home with another weird pet," Tony remarked monotonously with his eyes still closed. Peter leaned in towards Scott. "So Loki is one of the 'kids' now." Both the shippers fist-bumped discreetly before looking all serious. The camera swivelled right towards Wanda, who shared a look of bewilderment while pointing at the joy of the shippers who were clearly not reading Tony's wavelength. And Tony was not the only one on the wavelength. There in the corner on the dining table, Clint sat lost in some thought so deep that his resting face was now a resting bitch face while he dipped his arrows in tiny bottles- the purpose of which only he knew- and handled them like his own babies. "You still have to find a way to stab him with these," Natasha was quick to mention as she walked towards her friend and sat opposite him. "Oh, I'll find a way. I was in his head too, remember," Clint pointed out. "He completely underestimates me." "Hmm," she scrunched her nose, "just remove that itch-like thing on your neck before you go after him though." "Where?" He asked as he scratched the side of his neck with the end of his arrow, his furrowed brows suddenly releasing themselves at the dawn of realisation before disappearing from the camera frame to fall down from the seat with a thud. "Told you not to wipe both ends with the same cloth," she muttered while wistfully looking down at an unconscious Hawkeye.

That One Steamy Dungeon™ No one knew how, when or why Lulu was sitting there in Carol's lap like he knew her for ages. No one knew why Carol was stroking him with the back of her fingers while her eyes were stuck on you like two magnetic poles finding that one direction and sticking to it. And you genuinely did not know why you could not stop looking at Carol. All of Carol Danvers. Especially her lips. "What?" Carol finally dismissed the silence with one casual word. "Ag-sa-wuu-you're looking beautiful," was what you came up with. Loki stared at Lulu's camera with one long blink of...slowed surprise. The buzzing camera caught all three of you sitting in the returning silence over dried hay, looking at each other before you scooched down a little to hide the embarrassment visible over your face.

You: *whisper* W-well, she does look pretty despite all the dirt she's lying in. I mean *violently points at Carol in the background* look at her!!! How can someone look sooooo fucking beautiful??? *lick your lips* Except for Loki of course. That dude is on a whole another level.

Carol threw a shirt over Loki's face from her backpack. "Weren't your looks enough this time?" "Wasn't your hairstyle enough this time?" came the retort. You sat there in the middle, your eyes moving between both of them to calculate this new chemistry you were seeing. The camera caught you pulling your legs closer to your chest. "I didn't know you two were so...close to each other."

Javier: *signing* Why? *Furrows his brows* does that make you furious, Y/N? *wiggles his brows up and down in question* Hmm? *zooms in on his face* Hmm? *turns the camera towards the screen from which he and Green are watching the live broadcast*

"Close? I met him on one mission and this punk would have been dead had I not saved his ass back then." Carol smirked through the sentence and you did not realise any time sooner that you were staring at her, your mouth almost at the edge of drooling. "You blew my cover," Loki stressed while putting on the grey free size shirt. "And then she had the audacity to make me pay for her bar bill on the next stop," he gasped while looking at you. Javier took the opportunity to make his drone zoom at your iris, catching your pupils dilate in 4K as soon as Loki started narrating the story to you while you nodded in enthusiasm. "You do realise your ex-girlfriend wants to cut off your new girlfriend's head right this moment, right?" Carol was generous to point out while getting up and wiping off all the dirt and hay. "I'm not his girlfriend." "She's not my ex-" Both of you had the synchronisation of an orchestra. Carol took this opportunity to let her eyes pass the judgment- which played from one face to another and back for sheer entertainment.

Carol: *shrugs* *runs her hand through her pixie cut hair* Priorities, I guess. *nods*

"Anyways," Loki tried to cut this weird air surrounding the three of them that apparently Lulu was the only one enjoying, rubbing himself all around Carol's leg, "do you have a plan to get out of here?" "Of course," Carol simply jerked her shoulders, "punch my way through." You blinked at the camera.

You: Is that why they are called Captain? It has to be, right?

You shook your head and looked around in the ground, leaving Loki to do the bickering on your part as well. "Well, Miss one-punch woman, this time you are not the only one that needs to escape." You found a stick in the corner. It seemed to be made of the same ashen wood that Aellae sat on in her throne room. "We have tiny mortals to save too." Carol chuckled. You raised the stick your eye level, feeling the weight in your hands when suddenly your eyes grow wide and your mouth turns into a horror-filled 'O' "What? Where is the comedy?" A violent grunt came from your lungs, turning both Carol and Loki into attack and defence mode in your direction. Lulu's camera caught you taking the stick out of the orc's stomach. The dull creature blankly looked at the blood turning into sparks flying against the gravity before slowly consuming the whole creature, taking him with them. The next twenty seconds were a pause on every breath. You finally turned around, the stick still in your hand. "Did I kill him?" you asked in a whisper. Loki and Carol shared a glance. "It was just a bruise" Loki shoved your concern away with his hands. "He's in heaven now," Carol sang. "He was a bad guy, right?" "Yes," both of them nearly shouted. "It's good that he disappeared. You helped the universe get rid of a bad guy," Loki clapped his hands before give you an awkward thumbs up. You blinked at both of them. The smile eroding on your lips slowly turned the duo uncomfortable. "Good." Was all you said for your stature completely transformed. "Because that felt..." you did not finish the sentence, clearly concerning your company. Well, Lulu seemed to like whatever vibes you were giving off. “Y/N,” Loki pretty much sang your name cautiously, slowly lifting his hands in the air to have a word with you to process whatever you were feeling. But you were already running outside with the most suspicious giggle the room had ever heard. Carol even shivered a bit to shake it off of her.

My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun You better run

The one buzzing drone in the hallway caught the slow-motion emotion of you walking into the hallway with the ash stick in your hand like a gun- locked and loaded- with something fierce burning in your eyes. Behind you Loki was trying to catch up with the adrenaline rush you were feeling, calling out your name to stop you. Carol was close behind, cheering you on as much as she could.

My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga

The orcs didn’t even seek you out. One of the reasons was the fact that you were running towards them first, swinging your arms with as much force as your body allowed, screaming your lungs out and jumping with fueled excitement whenever they went up in flames. Loki had to take a moment out of those crucial seconds to look at you. To look at that animalistic look in your eyes. Pausing for a millisecond to consciously question whether to admire it or fear it, he almost smiled. He might have stood there for a few seconds more had he not felt the blue plasmic force run by his side to destroy the one orc aiming for you from your blindside.

It started with the hayloft a-creakin' Well, it just started in the hay (loft) With his longjohns on, pop went a-creeping Out to the barn, up to the hay Young lovers and they are not sleeping Young lovers in the hay (loft) With his gun turned on, pop went a-creeping Out to the barn, up to the hay (loft)

"Seriously?!" He shouted at the glowing Captain who flew past him. "Catch up. Catch up!" she teased him while leaving a trail of bodies in her way. "ANARCHYYYYYY!!!!!!!" You howled as you ran, following your new crush. Loki sighed, his head trying to hang as low as possible as he looked at the sleek shackles around his wrists. Breathing in a lungful, he grabbed the nearest iron rail from the window looking out at the barren mountains and bent it till it broke in his flexing hand. "Is this why I am still alive?" He whispered to himself while continuing to walk in the direction you just dashed in.

My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun You better run My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga

Throne Room Aellae sat on the ash throne frozen in thought when one of her underlings interrupted her daydreaming with its presence. "What?" She did not disguise her displeasure. There has been a mishap on the laboratory floor, my lady." Her body automatically shifted on her seat. "Four guards are dead. The source is unknown." "Is it the woman?" "No, my lady. I just checked up on her after locking Master Loki up." "Then who is it?" "We are yet to find out. My lady." "Then why are you wasting my time by standing here and doing nothing about it?" The skinny elf-like underling bowed down to her and scurried in the opposite direction. It had reached the entrance of the throne room when a weak scream left its lungs and it stepped back- falling down in the process- to make way for the uninvited guest. The poise on Aellae's face took a turn as she looked at the person casually sauntering in her direction, never realising when she got up. "Oh, don't stand on my account," White mentioned breezily with a smirk, coming to a halt right in the middle of the room. "Zune." She called out the name like spitting a curse. "It's been a while, my least favourite Witch of the West Galactica." Zune smiled his precious smile, standing bright in stark contrast to his dull surroundings. "Last time we met, you were grovelling on the floor, begging for mercy in front of the Silver Court, asking them not to punish you for the endless crimes you committed in the last century." The composure was evidently crumbling away in little pieces. Aellae's stone-like glare was slowly turning into fast blinks. Her usually unruffled breaths were now a mocked laugh. "And the court decided to send you to arrest me? Where is the rest of the coven?" She pretended to guess before snapping her pale fingers. "Oh, right. I burned them all. Poor boys. J'uke, Fae and Mi'in were still so young." Zune huffed and smiled. "Hmm. They were really young when they fought you, weren't they? And to answer your question, no. The court did not send me here." Now this made Aellae burst into laughter. "So, you are here for revenge? For your mates?" Licking his teeth, he bit his lip and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, all the playfulness in his feature draining out with every passing second. "I am just here to clean up the mess that you made. But they are the ones who are here for revenge." Taking a step back, Zune gave Aellae a few seconds to realise that they are not the only ones in this room. And just when it dawns upon her, she sees the rest of the 'coven' come out of the shadows, surrounding her from every probable escape route this place could have. "Fae," she whispered with a deep-rooted horror in her throat, backing up into her throne when she looked at the familiar red figure walking towards her. "When you were setting us up on fire-" Fae carried no empathy in his eyes as he moved closer with every step- "you forgot that you cannot make Gods made up of ancient stars disappear when you please." Every cell in Fae's body vibrated with a demonic aura that made the witch go down on her knees. Her breaths shook and her eyes watered. The claustrophobia resulting from just his presence made it hard for her to breathe. "No," she shook her head, trying her best to mask her fear. "No. This cannot be. I destroyed you. I destroyed the senate. I destroyed everything that stood in my path. I cannot fail this time. This world needs to kneel before my power. That God needs to kneel before me. NO!!" The six looked at their leader to begin the ceremony. "Aellae of the covens abandoned, child of the dark refugees, you are hereby sent to the endless pits of the universe for your crimes against the creatures of the universe." The screams of the witch echoed throughout the castle till every last ounce of life in her voice could be heard fading away by the other group at the far end of the other wing. By the time Carol arrived, all that was left were the seven boys and a pile of ash resting by the throne. “That was fast,” she did not refrain from mentioning, “I thought it would take more than that to get her to give up.” Zune shrugged. “Well, it was easy because we had you and your friends this time. She did not have much to distract us with, unlike the last time she was in prison.” Carol smiled a kind smile at them. “I hope they didn’t give you any trouble?” Fae stretched the corner of his lips. “When you first called us to go around the universe to look for a human, we were a little sceptical. But we were glad to have met her.” “Especially Zune,” Mi’in quipped, earning a yank by the ear from the leader. “Thank you for protecting her.” “No biggie. We would have protected her even if you didn’t tell us to.” Carol furrowed her brows at the statement. “Because Loki had already asked us for that favour,” Zune mentioned, clearing any doubts, “and we owed him from way back.” Feeling the ‘ah’ of a satisfactory conclusion coming on her face, she stopped midway to hear your scream turn louder the second you got closer till you turned the corner to enter the hall with your stick, forcing yourself to stop your lungs from going any further than that. “Oh,” you straightened your stance, giving up on the attack position as soon as you realised there was no more threat, “looks like you guys already cleaned the place.” “You almost sound disappointed,” J’uke stressed, judging by your disapproval of the lack of bad guys. Loki stepped in next, clearly having taken care of whatever tried to attack them from the back. "She hurt my friend. I at least wanted to watch her burn," you simply shrugged. Fae patted your head softly. "Don't worry. You'll get your chance." He smiled the most ridiculously comforting smile. "How?" You whined, "you guys already finished her." All the seven boys, Loki and Carol shared a look with each other while you stomped her foot in the ground while staring daggers at the pile of ashes. "Yeah-" Zune blurted out, scratching an itch in the back of his neck- "we definitely, for sure, totally killed her. Like-" he pretended to chop the air with his hand- "so smooth." Everyone nodded in agreement. Our elder boys of the group supported their leader while Carol gave them soft applause. Loki gave them a thumb's up.

You: *turning away from the scene in the background where everyone now sits outside the castle having a chat with each other* Aww *smile widely* it feels so good to watch them get along like that!! *start staring in the distance* *smile still stuck on your face* I wish my family could get along this well too. You know. *tilt your head* If all of them got along with Loki, I feel like half of the world's problems would vanish just like that. *watch Javier sign something to you* What? Merch store? *reads some more* Manga?? *looks closely at Javier as he continues to sign* Fanfi-what does any of it have to do with Loki? *camera pans in on your confused innocent face*

"Here's my little monster!" Carol talked in a tone that one used on babies while stroking a very excited Lulu. "Who's a scary boy! Who's a scary boy!!! You are!!! Yes!! You are!!!" You chuckled, watching Lulu enjoy the love and attention from the Captain, bumping his head with hers, wiggling in her lap before settling down in her arms, his adrenaline going down. "Who's that?" Carol asked him, pointing at you. Lulu chirped. "And who's mamma's boy?" Lulu chirped again. "Aaaand who's gonna protect mamma from bad guys?" Lulu growled. And then he chirped again, hiding his faceless husk hairy face in his paws. "Oh my God, he growls!!!!" you gasped. "Oh, he is got a lot more to show you, mamma! Give him time." You sat down next to Carol and stroked a yawning Lulu, who was now making biscuits in her arms. "This one's helped me a lot through this weird, fatal, dreamy galactic trip," you mentioned wistfully. The camera- as well as Carol- noticed how your brows furrowed slightly before your teeth bit down on your lower lip and you turned your gaze up to search for something in the rocky terrain before finally resting on Loki. Carol watched this subtle shift, patiently spectating how Loki too was stealing glances your way while having some serious looking chat with the boys.

The boys and Loki: *standing in the grey terrain like a bunch of Gods modelling for luxury hair products* Loki: It's spelt Z-U-K-O Zune: You named a dog after the fire God? Loki: Wha-no. It was all her *points at you*. Apparently, Coco was a bit too mushy for her. Something about 'Zuko reminding her of a guy who was in his redemption arc right now'. Whatever that means. Zune: *looked at the camera panning in on his face*

"So, you wanna go back now?" Carol asked you, her hands still busy stroking a purring Lulu. You inhaled to answer but felt yourself turning to look at Loki. Carol noticed it too. "Of course. H-how, long will it take?" you scratched your forehead. "We were actually pretty close to getting Loki free of his...cuffs. And I'm sure two powerful beings is always better than one." Carol chuckled and nodded. "Tell you what-" she took your hand in hers, something that you were not expecting- "I will go and take care of a couple of things for our return journey. Till then-" she stroked your hand- "you find out for yourself. Whatever it is that you're looking for." That gentle tone and those cryptically simple words changed some spectrum of the emotions on your face. You stared at her for a long while with your mouth agape. "What are you talking about?" Your breath asked in exasperation. "Cuffs, I guess?" she proposed softly with a knowing smirk. You forced out a laugh. "I have no idea what you're talking about," You chuckled and found yourself looking back at Loki again.

The boys- well, at a few of them- tried to calm down the God who seemed to be picking up a rock from the ground. "Okay now-" Gin, our green jellybean, raised his hands- "let's all calm down and talk about this." "Yeah, yeah. How about we all go to the nearest oasis and have a cup of starry vodka and discuss how we are all alive. Right, Mi'in?" Me'isri, sweet yellow candy boy suggested casually. "Right," Loki nearly sang. His every step towards the boys made them retreat two. "We should be happy that the witch is gone for now. What could we possibly have had to do with her anyway? Hm? What's that? Oh! She was the one who stole my essence you say?" "Look," Ho, the sky blue cheery lad was suddenly not feeling so cheery at all, "we did not know-" "You numbnuts were the one who told me that!" Loki was practically hissing through his teeth right now, his steps breaking into a jog that was letting out some potential screams waiting in some lungs. Lulu was having a gala time just jumping in whichever direction the boys ran into as Loki chased them.

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