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buckysegan · 2 months

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With all my heart, my love and my unfiltered adoration - Part three.

Summary: The letters back and forth between our loves through the rest of the war. Word Count: 2.1K A/N: we are def rolling with some historical inaccuracies in regards to letters here but sue me, do i know how long the letters took? not a clue. but google gave us a good guess. john egan how i miss you, i need your love so here i give you mine. Part two link.

Dear Major Egan,

I'm delighted to hear I'm with you. I hope you know, that you've been with me too. It's rather insane to me if I think about it too much, just how much I've thought about you in the time that I've waited for your letters. Part of me was worried that you would think I was a little crazy righting to a man I didn't know and an even bigger part of me was worried my letters would reach you too late, but I'm glad you were happy to hear from me.

I don't mind that you're a simple guy, in fact I think I like that, then I won't have to worry about impressing you whilst we write back and forth I can just say what comes to mind. I like to think that I laugh quite easily myself, laughter is free right? And right now I think we could all use a little laughter in the world. I'll tell you my favorite song next and then you can tell me yours, I love you are my sunshine, it warms something in my chest whenever it comes on, I just can't help but smile you know? Your turn John!

I wish I could know exactly where you are, then I could know if you were some place safe but I'll settle for knowing you're still out there. As for me, I'm in Washington, Redmond to be more precise, is that anywhere near where you're from? I'd like to meet you very much Major.

With all my anticipation, excitement and continued adoration,

A friend from home x

Dear Darling,

That's what the boys have been calling you ever since your second letter arrived and given I don't know your name, that's what I decided to roll with. I hope that's alright.

I have no idea how your letters keep finding me at the exact right time, it's like fate keeps leaving it till it knows I need to hear from you. You should also know, it wouldn't matter to me if you were a little crazy, I know I'm crazy so you'd just fit right in. I don't think anyone that thinks laughter is free could be considered crazy though. You seem to good for such a thing.

I've had you are my sunshine stuck in my head for the past few days whilst I tried to find paper to write you. I think the boys were grateful at first because I wasn't sinking Blue Skies my old favorite, now I think they're ready to kill us both darling. Next question, do you like cats or dogs more? I'm not telling you my answer till I know you can be trusted.

I am with you. Know that much, and I guess Washington will be my first stop when I'm back home.

Please never stop writing.

With all my wondering, respect and ever growing adoration

John Egan

Dear John,

I could have given you my name. But I've decided that darling will do quite nicely for now. If you want to know my name you're going to have to make it home and come and get it yourself.

Is it sad of me to confess that every day I don't get your letter I get a little bit sadder until one comes through? I just hate the wait each time even though I know that these things take time. Writing you might just be the most stressful thing I decided to be. How does anyone's heart survive doing this?

You'll be pleased to know, I've been annoying the girls plenty in return with Blue Skies since learning that it's your favourite. I feel like it tells me a lot about you Major. Sing it for me sometime? I also feel like your question is a trick, a cat and a dog have very different purposes in life so I'll just chose both if that's ok?

I wanted to tell you I joined the war efforts myself since I last wrote. I'm in the factories now and I have to admit, I've never enjoyed having dirty hands so much. I'm helping to build the planes. The wings specifically, I think they put me here because I wouldn't stop talking about my pilot John.

I wonder if anything I ever build will make it across to you? My letters won't stop as long as yours don't John.

With all my curiosity, joy and bursting adoration.

Your darling from home x

Dear Darling,

I'm in a terrible mood. Buck said I can't start my letter like that but I told him you'd be alright. You don't mind do you? I have to tell someone or I think I might actually start going a little crazy. I might already be crazy if I didn't get just as excited as you do when the mail call comes through.

I wish I knew you before the war. I wish you knew me before the war, I fear I might not be the John that came to England. I don't even know if I'm the John that start writing you all those months ago. I'm just sort of hoping you won't give up on me anyway even if my letters ain't always sunshine.

And I'm glad darling, I'm so god damn glad that waiting on my letters is the most stressful part of your day. Reminds me why we're doing this, what we're over here for. To keep you all safe at that side.

I suppose I can give you cats and dogs though. I wouldn't want to pick either if we really had to come down to it. My girls smart though huh? Making those planes for us to fly? I gotta say the idea of that does something to me and my bad mood in a good way.

What I wouldn't give to be home with you right now and I never even met you.

My longing, wishing and steady adoration

John Egan

Dear John

You can write to me, come rain or shine, bad moods or good. I don't want to just be here for the fun parts Major. I may not have known you before the war, and I may only just be learning who you are now but I don't doubt for a second, every part of you is worth knowing so tell Buck that I'll take it all and he can keep his opinions to himself.

I'm sorry, it was thoughtless of me to say writing letters were stressful when you're over there doing what needs to be done. More news keeps reaching us and each day I am terrified that your name is going to appear on a list somewhere.

I know that you can't be here, and I can't be there, but I wanted you to have some small piece of me with you so I sent you something with this letter. Keep smiling with me John, through the good and the bad, just keep smiling if you can.

I hope to see you so soon.

All my determination, strength and adoration

Darling x

Dear Darling,

Buck said he's sorry. He won't ever doubt you again. I think you two would really like each other you know.

He's my voice of reason these days, or rather he always has been. One of my two favorite people, him here, and you all the way over there. How is home? Does it still smell as sweet as I remember it?

I'm a little convinced that you're too good to be true darling. Your picture caused more whistles and taunts that I've seen from the boys in forever and I would have knocked them all on their ass if Buck didn't strike and tell me to sit down again. How do you not have a solider of your own to be writing too?

Sometimes when I get down time. I like to day dream about what you're up to over there. How many planes you fixed up for us, imagine taking you dancing on a Friday night, do you have siblings? Your folks still around? I've been trying to picture it all.

I dream of that soon more than I care to admit.

With all my promises, thoughts and adoration

John Egan

Dear John,

I'm glad you have a voice of reason. We wouldn't want you getting up to any trouble now would we? Are you the sort to be in trouble a lot? I get the impression you could be Major Egan.

How are your moods holding up these days? I can't help but worry about you over here even when I'm meant to be busy.

If you could see the blush that you have all caused you would all be ashamed of yourself. I promise I'm real. I tried to get my friend Meg to let me send a picture of her but she claimed you were really going to show up here one day and then you'd be looking for the wrong girl.

I like the idea of you imagining things. It means I'm not the only one. I do have siblings, an older sister who works in the factories with me, and a little brother who is out fighting with you somewhere but his own girl writes him. My folks are both still here with me too. What's your family like?

I do have a solider of my own to be writing John, I have you.

Tell me a secret if you can?

Your darling x

Dear Darling,

Forgive me because this letter will be short, but I needed to send it out before we move. If you don't hear from me in a while, don't worry, I'll write back as soon as I'm able. I want that name, I want the dancing, I want you to meet my mom when I'm back.

You want to know a secret darling? I think it's taken me ten letters to fall in love with you after all you've given me.

With my heart, my love and my unfiltered adoration

John Egan

Dear John,

I'm writing even if you might not get this because I refuse to believe anything else other than you're busy for a while. I'll be over here waiting for you remember. I'm with you even when I'm not.

I have so much more to tell you and things I want to learn before I am satisfied.

In fact, no I may never be satisfied and then I never have to let you go.

You'll be in each of my thoughts till I hear from you again John, I think loving you took me one letter.

With all my heart, my love and my unfiltered adoration

Your darling x

Dear John

I don't think I've taken a real breath in weeks. I figured I would write you again, just in case the first one didn't reach you and you thought I hadn't wrote back.

Your name hasn't appeared on any lists so I refuse to believe that you're not still out there waiting to come home to me.

In case you missed it in the first letter, I love you too.

I am still expecting you home John Egan, I'd be with you till you were. That was the deal right?

With all my heart, my love and my unfiltered adoration

Your darling x

Dear John

If my letters and love don't reach you where do they go?

Tell me more secrets please? Tell me anything? Tell me you'll sing for me like I asked? What do I do if I never get to meet you?

I've checked each list I've found twice every day for months now. Meg said I'm a mess but I don't really care, I just want to know that you're alright. Even if you're not coming here. Please just tell me you're safe John.

With all my heart, my love and my unfiltered adoration

Your darling x

Dear Darling,

Sorry, I didn't think a little while would be that long but I've thought of you every damn day I couldn't write to you. I got your letters, all three of them made it to my base some how.

I'm hoping I beat this letter home so that I can tell you in person that I love you.

I hope you like what arrives in Washington darling, but please bare with me if it takes me a second to adjust. I'll tell you everything, all of it, anything you want to know about me. I feel like I have very little to offer you but it's all for you now. I'll be home so soon.

With all my heart, my love and my unfiltered adoration

Yours,

John Egan

#john egan #master of the air #john egan x reader #callum turner #mota drabble #mota fanfic #bucky egan

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vodika-vibes · 7 months

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Crosshair as a LOVING partner lives rent-free in my head.

A Loving Man

Summary: Crosshair comes home to you after a long day.

Pairing: TBB Crosshair x Reader

Word Count: 1361

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: So, I wasn't going to write this until tomorrow. "vodika," I said, "You wrote five stories today, take a break before you hurt yourself". And then I saw this and I needed to write it immediately. So. Here you go.

You hum along with the music as you prepare dinner. This is your favorite time of the day. When the rest of the world starts to slow down and you have time to think, rather than to react to whatever disaster happened to come your way that day.

When you can just relax with whatever meal you decided is on the menu that night. When you can look out the window and see the fireflies flickering to life around the yard, dancing to a tune that only they can hear.

When you know that the love of your life, of any of your lives, will be home at any moment.

And true to your prediction, you hear the front door open only moments later. The familiar sound of the old wooden chair near the front door creaking as he sits down to pull off his boots. The sound of the closet door opening and then squeaking shut as he hangs his jacket. And then light footsteps padding down the hall into the shared bedroom.

He’ll take a quick shower, wash off the strain of the day, and dress in clean relaxing clothes, and then, and only then, will he join you in the kitchen. He hates touching you when he’s covered in a day's work, though he’s no longer a soldier and the worst thing he’ll get on you is motor oil.

You tilt your head to the side as you hear the shower click on. If dinner didn’t require an active participant tonight, you would go and see how he felt about having a shower mate.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

You pop a roasted pepper into your mouth, before you focus your attention back to the meat. It’s getting to be the time of year where you can pull the grill out of storage. Only a few more weeks. Maybe you’ll finally talk Crosshair into learning how to cook if it’s something as enjoyable as using the grill.

And then strong arms slide around your waist and you feel a warm kiss against your cheek, “Snacking, kitten?”

“It’s a tragic side effect of being a cook,” You joke as you pick up a piece of pepper and offer it to him.

He eats it from your hand, and hums thoughtfully, “Needs a little something extra,” Crosshair decides.

“Oh? You think so?” You nod to your spice rack, “Pick your poison, Cross.”

He chuckles under his breath, and presses another lingering kiss against your cheek, before he releases you and heads over to the spice rack. “What did you already use?”

“Mm. Garlic and onion powder, paprika-” You list, “How was your day?”

“Uneventful.”

“Well, better that than over-eventful,” You quip with an easy smile, as he returns with salt and pepper. “Look at you, I’ll make a cook out of you yet.” You take the spices from him, though he doesn’t release them.

Instead he leans in and kisses the tip of your nose, “You’re not tricking me into using that death trap you call a grill, nice try though.”

“It’s not a death trap. It’s only blown up, like, twice.”

“Sure, sure. Buy a new grill and we’ll talk about it,” Crosshair finally releases the spices and he turns to set the table.

“Ha! I’ll hold you to that.”

He shoots you a fond look, “I know you will.” He sets the table with the ease of long practice, “Need anything else done before we eat?”

“Hm…” You run through a mental list, “Will you run into the basement and grab a new carton of ice cream, I think someone ate the last of it last night.”

“Oh. Someone did, did they?” Crosshair teases, “Is this someone you, or do we have rats eating our ice cream?”

You press your hand to your heart, “I would never eat the last of the ice cream.”

“Of course you wouldn’t.” he heads towards the basement, “I’ll get you your ice cream, kitten. But you’re going to share this time, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Totally.” You smile at him angelically as he shoots you a look and then he vanishes into the basement.

Crosshair showed up at your clinic 2 years ago. Badly injured, overly cautious, and absolutely terrified, though he did an excellent job at hiding his fear. You knew, just by looking at him, that he was a deserter from the Empire, though you were very careful to not let on that you knew.

It took you six months of patient care to get him to agree to see a therapist, and it took an additional two months after that before he admitted to you that he deserted the Empire…and before that he abandoned his brothers.

Your relationship started not long after that. Though he never mentioned his brothers to you again. And you never pushed, it’s not your place, even now. Crosshair moved in with you six months after you started dating, and now people are starting to wonder when he’s going to pop the question.

You don’t expect him to. You don’t mind either way, you don’t need a legal document to prove what you know, and what he knows.

You hear the basement door open again, and Crosshair reemerges into your home with a carton of ice cream, which he promptly shoves in the freezer. “Thank you, Cross.”

“You’re welcome.”

You beam at him, “Dinner’s done. Bring me your plate.”

“Oh no you don’t,” He directs you to take your seat at the table, “You sit down, I’ll get us food.” He lightly runs his hand over your hair, “It’s not your job to serve me, kitten. We’ve talked about this.”

“I know. I just…I like doing it. I like taking care of you.”

“And I love that about you, but you’ve been on your feet all day, and I know your feet hurt.” Crosshair serves the food, making sure to give you more of the veggies than the meat, and then he sits next to you.

You smile at him lovingly and tangle your feet with his under the table, and huffs out a laugh, “I love you, Cross.” You say adoringly, mostly because he deserves to know that you love him, but partly because even now his face burns with embarrassment when you say that to him.

“I love you more.” He replies with a slightly ducked head. You don’t mind, a year ago he wouldn’t have even been able to get that much out. So this is a massive step forward.

You decide to have mercy on him and you take a bite of your peppers, and you eat in silence for a time, before Crosshair hesitates and sets his fork down, “Something wrong with the food?”

“No, it’s delicious, as usual.” Crosshair replies, “I…uh…I talked to the Doc today.” You nod, Doc was the only licensed therapist within three hours, and Crosshair has been his patient for over a year now, “He suggests that I reach out to my brothers.”

“Oh.” You set your fork down and fold your hand over his, “Is that what you want to do, Cross?”

He turns his hand over and threads his fingers with yours, “I…don’t know. We…there are some things that can’t be forgiven-”

You nod understandingly, “Do you maybe want to write a letter, and if you decide not to send it, then that’s fine, but it’s there if you want to?”

His shoulders relax, “That’s what Doc suggested. I’d like them to know you, even if they don’t forgive me. They deserve to know the person who encourages me to be better.”

“Well, I’m flattered, Cross.”

He smiles softly, and he reaches out to trail his thumb over your lips, “When I get there, when I’m ready, I intend to ask you to marry me.”

Your lips part in surprise, and then you beam at him, “When you’re ready, Crosshair, then I will be waiting to say yes.”

***********

Three weeks later, on Pabu, Hunter receives a letter from Crosshair. Inside is a simple one page long letter, a picture of you and Crosshair, and an address, if he should want to write back or visit.

#star wars #tcw #tbb crosshair x reader #crosshair x reader #star wars fanfiction #x reader fanfiction #answered asks

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garglyswoof · 15 days

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the space we'll fill with time

For Come What May May 29th: Say the Quiet Parts Out Loud A conversation you don't think they'll ever have but wish they would. | What are some offscreen moments you wish you could see? I won't be around much tomorrow, so posting early.

“What was she like?” Karen’s question is soft as it breaks the comfortable quiet. Frank winces before realizing the reaction is just instinct - he's unbothered by the question. Not when it comes from her.

He turns the wince into a smile that stretches across his face as he remembers. “She was a ballbuster, that’s for sure. Didn’t take any shit from me. Made me understand what a real man needed to be, y’know?” He glances up at Karen where she sits, patient and interested.

“The married guys in my unit would bitch and moan about taking care of their kids when they were on leave, or doing dishes or some shit. And y’know, sometimes that stuff settles into you, right? So I came home once, before Kandahar, and I started complaining about having to do laundry or something, and she let me have it.” Frank shakes his head, grin wide. “God damn my life flashed before my eyes she took me down so hard. She was just merciless,” he laughs.

Karen smiles. “Sounds like she could keep up with you.”

“Yeah. More than.” It’s quiet for a minute as they both sit with their own thoughts. Frank’s the first to break it.

“M’ not saying everything was sunshine and roses, no way," He shakes his head firmly. "We both had our faults. She had trouble letting the kids be independent, and I wanted them to grow up and help their mom out. ‘Specially because I wasn’t around. I guess that was a selfish ask.”

“I don’t think so. I mean I get both sides. They’re just different.”

His hand scrapes the stubble on his face as he agrees, the sound loud in the relative quiet of the apartment. “You want another beer?” He gets up at her nod and grabs them both a bottle, frosted from the refrigerator’s chill. He opens her bottle with his own, an old party trick he learned back in recruit training that never fails to make Karen smile. She lifts a brow and holds her hand out when he can’t find an opener for his own beer, then proceeds to open it for him with a key of all things.

“I’ve been practicing,” she says with a proud smile that slams him in the chest. He sits down at the end of the couch and tugs her into him, her back against his front, her silken hair tickling him until he sweeps it away to gently lay a kiss on her neck.

Karen asks another question, her voice soft again. “Who gave the best gifts?” Frank’s surprised huff is loud in her ear.

“Not me, that’s for sure. I had to learn. She never wanted jewelry, shit like that.” His chin rests on her shoulder and he tilts his face to hers. “You sure you’re okay talking about this?”

“I want to know. She’s a part of your life.” The tense doesn’t go unnoticed, nor does her brief kiss to his lips, silencing his concerns. Part of him wants to get lost in it but he can feel she’s hungry for his words, for the little things that made up his life before.

Before. God, what a small word to fit too much into.

He thinks it over and Karen lets him, he hears her bottle lift and drop, the slosh of liquid and the displacement of air.

Before. Before grief so strong that the only recourse was rage. Before he let himself become The Punisher. He tenses up and Karen places a gentle kiss on his cheek. He slows the thoughts from spiraling, for her. It takes him a few moments to center himself as the living room clock that he swears he's going to find a way to secretly throw out one day ticks loudly, resolutely.

“Y’know that whole thing, not that Women are from Mars shit but the other self-help thing. Uhhh,” he lifts his head from her shoulder and takes a swig. “Your love language, yeah?” He sees her nod and continues. “Maria was an acts of service person, so it worked because that’s what I’m good at. Fix the washer, take the kids to the dentist, she could care less about gifts when it came down to it.”

“What about you, what’s your love language?” And god if the question isn’t so strange, because part of being with Karen is realizing that they haven’t known each other all that long, the moments stretching out like hours through the violence were just that.

“Touch, for one.” He nuzzles into her neck again, as if to illustrate the point. “I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy. After they died, that was the hardest, I think. To know I’d never be able to wrap my arms around her, around the kids.” His chest constricts; his heart knows it will never not hurt, same as his head.

She sits up and turns in his arms. “I should be the one asking if you’re okay.”

He blinks once, twice. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.” Because he knows this is part of the after.

After. He met Karen in the space between, he knows that now, just as he knows she's the one that stretched the moment out, turned time on its head, helped him have this. He smiles and Karen looks at him curiously, her eyes bright and warm. After. Yeah. That word can't hold it all either.

He pulls her into his arms, arms that cross over her back more than they did with Maria. Karen feels different and he’s glad for it. Doesn’t want to confuse the two, ever. Feels disrespectful to both of them. His voice is a little more broken than he intended when he speaks again.

“I love you. And I love her.”

“I know.”

It’s gentle and soft and everything, to the both of them.

#kastle #kastleexchange #kastlenetwork #i keep writing things with 0 editing in an hour ill start thinking im not bad at this maybe #either way this is a moment id love to see #hope you like it too #the good thing about 0 notes is i can edit and no one will know #the bad thing is

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kingbonercar · 2 years

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Bring Me a Dream- Morpheus X Reader

A/N: I wrote this in the middle of the night, so I hope it’s not absolute drivel. Also I didn’t proofread it so… hey! Idk what’s gonna happen! Also it’s very long bc I just WENT FOR IT! I hope you all enjoy!

Word count: 2k

Warnings: mentions of death

Major fluff alert! Slow burn for a oneshot!

Paring: Morpheus x Gender Neutral Reader

Summary: y/n is Alex Burgess’s adult Grandchild coming to visit, but they uncover the “family secret” in the basement, and they vow to release the man trapped for so many centuries.

Nature was outstretching its urgent arms and beckoning me to frolic within its verdant forests and fields. The greenery was speckled with buds of a multitude of pastel colors. I lost myself in this world of sweet-smelling daffodils and buttery rays of sunshine-

“Hey! Uh, you’re here!” The gruff cockney voice of my cab driver jolted me out of my trancelike slumber.

“Oh! Yes! Thank you!” I swallowed, shakily thumbing through my wallet to retrieve my credit card to reimburse the driver.

With a tight-lipped smile, I lugged my suitcase from the trunk with an ungraceful thud, and slammed the banana-yellow lid of it a tad too aggressively. I was still halfway prancing in the dream world like a daft idiot.

As I ambled down the cobblestone walkway of my grandfathers’ estate, I thought to myself, what a lovely dream. I lingered on this moment, as I had been pervasively afraid of the “sleepy sickness” which had affected my mother before her death just three years ago. It seemed as if no one dreamed anymore. I rapped on the door eagerly, for it had been years since I had seen my grandfathers, I had been but a mere child. The heavy door swung open to reveal the grinning face of Alex Burgess, my favorite relative.

“Oh how you’ve grown!” He cooed, beckoning me inside.

“I have a room for you upstairs, but drop your bags anywhere, we need to catch up!”

The man struggled to arise from his wheelchair, but after a few grunts, he stood tall, smiling with open arms.

“Grandpa!” I scolded, “you didn’t need to stand up!”

I embraced him, giggling through my chides.

“Ah but I did! You know that’s my favorite trick to play on people? I’ll be in my chair, looking as if I’m on Death's door, then BAM! I’ll stand up, and not only that, but I’ll rant about how some miracle has cured me! Gets ‘em every time!” Alex sung, clearly proud of his pranking achievements.

“I missed this. God, ever since mom passed away it’s like I was farther away from you. She was like an extension of you, despite being adopted, she really did reflect everything about you.” I sighed. “But I’m happy I’m here now.” I patted him on the shoulder, prompting my grandfather to settle down into his wheelchair.

“Now let me show you to your room.” He uttered.

“I believe it is time for you to learn our family secret. Venture to the basement if you wish to know. But be warned, you must keep this firmly under wraps. We cannot risk knowledge of this being getting out.

Yours,

Grandpa Alex”

A note on yellowed parchment read. I had discovered the letter on my bedside table, waiting to be discovered. I looked upon it with a perplexed demeanor.

“Well, if this is some elaborate plot to kidnap me, it’s better than paying rent in my New York apartment.” I thought.

I descended a myriad of stairs, enough to make my calves groan.

I reached a sinister looking gate barring a larger room from access. Two guards stood beside it, unyielding. I brandished my letter with a shrug.

“Uh, I was told to come down here.” I squeaked.

The individuals nodded at one another, then punched in an unseen code to a pin pad which triggered the barred doors to swing open. I cautiously stepped in. The room was a sweeping expanse of grey, dimly lit walls. If only that were the only thing within. In the center of the area, a giant glass ball was perched in the center of some strange gold circle drawn onto the concrete below. Within the sphere was a man. This person’s skin was as white as an early winter snow, and his hair was obsidian black, so black that it could devour worlds in its endless void of color. The imprisoned man was also lacking clad, he crossed his legs to preserve a shred of dignity for himself, even in this state. I was taken aback at this sight. Why would my family be harboring a human being in their basement, along with keeping this poor soul in the confines of a glass globe, with no clothing or even a blanket? A swarm of emotions floated around my head as I approached the person. I stopped my stride as I reached a safe distance from the metallic circle on the floor, thinking it to be some sort of protective spell, although I couldn’t place it. For even I, someone who dabbles in witchcraft, it was foreign to me. The pale man lifted his chin slowly to meet my gaze with his icy eyes. They narrowed, his face awash with untrusting hatred.

I stepped away, a stirring in my soul told me to avert my prying eyes. I tore my gaze from the floor to look at him again, budding tears clouding my vision.

“God, I can’t believe they did this to you.” I whispered, bringing a hand up to touch the glass empathetically.

His gaze was unfaltering.

“Um, what is your name?” I inquired gently.

His lips remained sealed.

“I-I’m going to have a word with my grandfather about this.” I stated, turning on my heel.

“So just because he hasn’t promised not to harm you, you haven’t let him out? That’s IT?” I cried after Alex had enlightened me on the story of why the man was in the basement.

“Well, yes! Can’t you understand?” He hollered hopelessly.

“Are you sure he can even hear you in that thing?”

“Of course I’m sure! He’s a stubborn bastard!”

“If I weren’t your house guest I would break that fucking glass on my own.”

“But you are my house guest, and he’s a dangerous entity, Y/N.” My grandfather's hands met his head.

“Well at least you could show him some decency. He is the lord of dreams for fucks sake.” I spat as I turned towards the basement door. “And just so it’s clear, the reason your daughter died was because of you keeping him imprisoned. Without that, we wouldn’t have any of the sleepy-sickness bullshit. So just know that.” Words dripped like venom off of my mouth.

The man looked astounded, tears began to form in his eyes as despair clouded his face. He sunk into his wheelchair and wept.

I had been attempting to get the Lord of Dreams to converse for five hours, and I was constantly unsuccessful.

The being had shifted his position so he was laying, his eyes peeking out from behind his forearm. I sat down on the cold concrete, defeated.

“I know your name now, Alex told me. But I guess I am a sucker for proper introductions.” I sighed. I fished a minuscule sketch book and a graphite pencil out of my jacket pocket and began to craft a picture of The Sandman, in all of his foreboding glory. I found his strange muscle patterns endlessly fascinating. My pencil scratched paper for an undetermined amount of time, resulting in a gorgeous piece of Dream himself. I slowly pressed the page to the glass, he gazed upon it with curiosity. He lifted his hand to meet the wall of his entrapment, almost as if to reach for the drawing. His lips parted for mere seconds, just before he slumped into the deflated position that he has been roosting in for hours. I retreated as slumber beckoned me with balmy promises. I scooted to rest against the unyielding wall, eager to submit to the realm of sleep, not caring what consequences were in store for me. My eyelids felt as if they had contracted weights, and my vision blurred as my eyes closed, immediately introducing me to a world so vibrant that it had to be the one of dreams. I stood in the field, the same one in which I had visited in my nap in the taxi. I spun, my unclad feet meshing with the fertile soil below them. I allowed a laugh to escape my lips as I tumbled onto the soft ground. I gazed at the fluffy dandelions perched atop hairy stalks, and the razor-sharp blades of grass concealing the miniature insects within. Although my wonderment was tampered by two combat-boot-adorned feet trampling on the greenery. My eyes shot up accusatorily to view none other than The Lord of Dreams. I regained my bearings and shot to my feet, standing a few inches shorter than he. The being was now wearing clothes, pervasively black ones at that.

“Hi.” I uttered breathlessly.

His presence was strong, overwhelming. I suppose it’s not surprising when one is met with a God.

“Hello. You never told me your name.” He spoke, his voice was rich like oceans of time and caves dripping with jewels. He held universes on his tongue when he crafted his words so calmly.

“My-my name? Oh, well, I’m Y/N. It’s more than a pleasure to finally meet you properly.” I extended my hand, feeling awkward and shaky.

“Y/N,” he let the syllables roll off his silver tongue. “I like that name. I’m Morphius, but you probably were told my name was Dream. Which I suppose is true to some extent.” He obliged to my offer of a handshake. His fingers were freezing, his touch was fleeting.

“Morpheus, that’s a beautiful name. What would you rather I call you?” Speaking his name ignited a flame in my soul.

“You may call me whatever you like, Y/N.” He stated, a small smile gracing his lips.

“Ah, yes. Thank you, Lord Morpheus.” I bowed shallowly, not sure what to do at that particular moment.

“No need for such formalities. I am only here to speak to you.” Morpheus tutted.

“I’m sorry. What are you wanting to speak about?” I swiftly corrected my position.

“I wanted to tell you that I haven’t beheld such bewitching beauty in a thousand years. I have been confined so wretchedly, alone, for so long. And you are the only hope I have ever seen.” The wiry man grew closer to me as he gently took my hand and planted a tender kiss to the top of it.

I was on the verge of fainting, despite being in a dream.

“I see I have made you uncomfortable. Many apologies, dear Y/N. I shall go now.” He turned with sad eyes away from me.

“Morpheus, wait!” I tapped his shoulder urgently.

He turned to meet my gaze. Those eyes held a million words. “Wait. I have never encountered a being who harbors such complex emotion, such confusing luster. But why would The Lord of the Dreamworld want a mere mortal like me?”

“Do not diminish yourself to such titles. You have touched me, Y/N, with your compassion and kindness. I used to think that every human was like Roderick Burgess, but I was wrong. You are different.” His white hands snaked up my forearms and ascended to my shoulders.

“Kiss me. Please.” I knew what I was asking of the Dream Lord and I didn’t care. Lust pervaded me completely. He bored into my eyes as he leaned in, our noses brushing, his arm coiling around my waist, and my fingers playing with his spiky hair. Our lips were almost brushing….

“DON’T FALL ASLEEP IN HIS PRESENCE!” My grandfather awoke me by shaking my shoulders urgently.

“Gah! What?” I spluttered, dazed.

“God it’s all my fault! He’s probably gotten to you now! I forgot to tell you- it’s all my FAULT!” He wailed.

I turned my attention to Morpheus in his cell. He watched, he raised an eyebrow mischievously.

“You know what? Maybe he has gotten to me. And I don’t care if it was all a ploy to get me to release him- but you can’t keep someone caged like this! It’s not right!” I screamed as I leapt towards the circle, scratching out a chunk of it with my heel.

The atmosphere in the dim basement room shifted. The air grew colder and malicious. All I remember is the force of my back hitting the wall. Then, it was silent.

My ears rang nonstop, tears leaked from my eyes uncontrollably. I opened my moistened lids to see a ceiling foreign to any that were in the house. I sat up, confused and disoriented.

“Everything is safe now. Calm yourself.” A sultry and familiar voice droned.

My view came to meet Dream, sitting on a bed adjacent to mine. I noted that we were in what appeared to be a hotel room.

“What… what happened?” I inquired groggily.

“Don’t worry about that. What matters is that we are both out of harm's way.”

“Okay.” I said plainly, not satisfied with his answer. “Um, in the dream, was that… real? Or was that just a plot so I could help you escape?” I bit my lip.

“I suppose it was both.” He arose and made his way over to me. He took my hands and knelt in between my legs. “Everything I said was true.” He uttered. His tone was enough to make me melt. “Ah nervous, are we?”

“Wherever would you get that idea?” I chuckled.

He slowly ascended from his kneeling position to stand in between my legs. His movements were leisurely and deliberate. He tilted my chin up with his thin finger.

“Now, let’s finish where we left off, yes?” He breathed, connecting his lips with mine.

He tasted like starlight and fresh mint. He felt like adoration incarnate, and he was mine; I was his.

#morpheus #morpheus x reader #the sandman x reader #the sandman #Netflix #Netflix the sandman #neil gaiman #Dream x reader #tom sturridge #oneshot #Morpheus oneshot #one shot #fanfic #x reader #x gender neutral reader #Morpheus x gender neutral reader

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hlficlibrary · 11 months

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✤ Mpreg Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ Cold Little Heart by seducedbycurls (T, 194k)

Louis is a soft omega with an abusive past and an alpha child A few months after getting a divorce, Louis meets Harry, an ex-military alpha wolf that offers him something -odd.

In exchange for teaching him how to cook, Harry will babysit his son, Abraham Louis really could use the help.

2️⃣ Queen of Arizella by seducedbycurls (M, 277k)

Stealing from Royalty is punishable by death.

Louis starts over, doing his best to keep his hands at his sides but he is hungry and he tries stealing from the wrong Royal.

Harry is King of Arizella, he needs a Queen and who better than an omega on the run from death? Louis will learn to become the perfect Queen -the perfect fake Queen, but only for a few months.

A fake lover, a fake Queen, but a real bond.

3️⃣ we can take the long way home by eleadore (E, 27k)

“Fertile,” Louis says, and then laughs because it sounds stupid to say out loud. He hasn’t ever really thought of himself in those terms. Baby-making terms. It’s just one of those things his body can do, like exercise, or go without tea. Doesn’t mean he will.

or, The band takes a break. Harry and Louis come together.

4️⃣ Perfect by happilylarry (NR, 117k)

Soulmates had only been in the history books for the past few hundred years, so people were still trying to get the hang of it. From what he's read, back then, if you met your soulmate, that was that. You either chose to be with them and be happy, or be with the one you truly loved and suffer.

Sort of poetic, you know, if he believed in that shit.

5️⃣ Kiss me on the Mouth and Set me Free (but please don't bite) by seducedbycurls (M, 42k)

Harry is the CEO of Flora Corp, Louis is his new secretary.

"...Louis wanted him so badly. Wanted Harry to pick him up, bite him, and break him. Make Louis his, make Louis cry, make Louis a beautiful, plump, pregnant omega..."

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 Know a Trick or Two by @sadaveniren (E, 44k)

The night before Louis is scheduled for a Portkey to begin training with the Vratsa Vultures in Bulgaria he heads into Muggle London for one last night of fun. A few months later he finds out he’s having a child.

Eleven years ago Harry had a one night stand and now there’s a strange man on his doorstep telling him his daughter is something called a wizard and she’s got a place at the British wizarding school Hogwarts.

Aka the one where Muggle Harry and Wizard Louis have a one night stand and get more than they bargained out of it.

💎 My Kind of Rain by @lululawrence (NR, 30k)

Louis Tomlinson is a household name after hitting number one on the country music charts with four songs over the last three years. It's time for his third headlining tour, his biggest yet, while he finishes up his third highly anticipated album.

Personally, though, the past year or two have been rough. He's dealing with the loss of his mother and the fact his long term partner had cheated on him before breaking off their engagement. Despite it all, the stage has always been an escape for him and he's ready to be performing again.

Harry Styles is Louis' opening act this tour and he seems nice enough. His fiancé leaves something to be desired, but overall, Louis can't complain.

Or the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill AU where Louis is Tim, Harry is Faith, and just when Louis thinks he is going to get some rest, his entire world turns upside down thanks to the man with curly hair and the voice that seems to sing right to Louis' heart.

💎 (It's New) The Shape of Your Body by @fallinglikethis (M, 18k)

Taking a deep breath, Louis tears open the packet and holds the test in his hands. Deep down he already knows what it’s going to say. He can feel the certainty of it in his bones but he needs to see it. He needs confirmation.

Movies always make it look like you have to wait a bit to know, like you have to set a timer and give it a few minutes, wringing your hands for an answer. Even the box says it’ll take time, but it actually only takes a second after Louis pees on the strip to see the two pink lines appear that tell him what he already knew. He’s pregnant.

“Oh god,” he breathes, staring down at it. And just like he’d known the test would be positive, he knows now that everything about his life is about to change.

💎 Another One For The Road by @reminiscingintherain (T, 15k)

She looked up at Louis with a smile. "Congratulations Louis. You're pregnant." "Oh fuck," he said softly, before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he promptly passed out.

Or the one where Louis' on tour when he finds out the hard way that men can get pregnant too....

💎 save me, call me baby by delsicle / @eeveedel

Louis didn't plan for him and his husband to be pregnant at the same time. Somehow, it works out.

An omega/omega love story in three snapshots.

#ficrec #hljournal #hlcreators #trackinghappily #trackinghome #1dficvillage #hltracks #hlsource #1dsource #larry fan fiction #delsicle #reminiscingintherain #lululawrence #sadaveniren #seducedbycurls #eleadore #happilylarry #mpreg #28th appreciation

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maniacwatchestheworld · 5 months

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When there's something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Probably not John Constantine...?

I'm still pretty new to these DPxDC spaces, but as I've been exploring it from the perspective of someone currently deep in the throes of DC hyperfixation (and Danny Phantom being a past hyperfixation that I sometimes relapse into) one trend that I find kinda odd (but not necessarily unexpected) is just how prevalent Constantine is in these spaces that are largely dominated by BatFamily AUs and headcanons. Like, I do get it (kind of). Constantine does occasionally show up in Batman stories where Bruce encounters something supernatural and needs consulting on the case, and Constantine definitely appeals to the fandom audience in some pretty clear ways. Yeah, he's a handsome, charming bastard with a secret heart of gold. He's British, witty, cool, and an asshole. He may be one hell of a messy bisexual disaster, but he's OUR messy bisexual disaster, dammit! So we forgive him for being a cynical jerkass sometimes. I haven't consumed much media with him in it, but like... I get it and why out of all the mystical characters that DC has in their roster, why you might choose to include him over other characters. However I do find it kinda odd because like... Constantine is NOT the kind of person that I would see Batman nor anyone in his family particularly going for when they need help when something supernatural comes up... In fact the biggest reason that I haven't seen much from Constantine is that... He just does not appear in a lot of media that Batman is in! So I haven't seen much of him! (In terms of media that I've consumed for the sake of Batman being in it, he's only appeared in Justice League Action. No other animated series for Batman. And he hasn't really been in any recent comics that cross over with Batman that have caught my eye! He didn't even have a story in Knight Terrors!)

Of course there's no shame in using Constantine for your stories. He's popular for a reason, and if he happened to be in the area, then sure, the Bats might grab him to help them with their latest case. But for magic-users that the BatFamily might go to for assistance, he isn't always going to be the best choice. So for anyone who needs a magic-user in their BatPhanfiction, here are a few alternate suggestions.

(Suggestions under the cut for length)

Jason Blood

For people with magical expertise, I would expect the Bat Family to call Jason Blood before anyone else. Jason is old. How old? Old as balls. He's actually been around since the time of Arthurian legend. Apparently he was a scribe for Merlin before being bound to the immortal demon Etrigan which made him immortal too. Having worked for Merlin himself, having some level of innate magic from being bound and therefore sharing a body with a demon, and having been around for hundreds of years, this means that Jason has had plenty of ability and time to learn and practice magic and to perfect his craft. He knows his stuff and has a level of experience that is practically unparalleled on Earth. He's not a man to be trifled with and Batman has worked with him on many an occasion! The biggest reason that the BatFamily would call on him before anyone else? Location, location, location. Jason actually lives in Gotham City, so not only does he have the requisite experience and knowledge, but he's also easy for the BatFamily to get ahold of too! And as a bonus, with a simple rhyme, he can turn into the demon Etrigan who can kick ass on his behalf! Jason may seem to be a bit grumpy and stern on the outside, but he's a reliable ally to have and desires to protect others just as much as Bruce does.

Zatanna Zatara

Zatanna is a stage magician by trade, a master of tricks, illusion, and slight of hand... But she also happens to be among the most powerful actual magic-users in the known DC universe! Honestly, if you know of her and still choose to use Constantine over her in a story when either will do? You're doing yourself a bit of a disservice. Just look at her! She's gorgeous, radiant, optimistic, always has a fun trick up her sleeve, knows how to have a good time, and unlike Constantine, doesn't have the kinds nor number of enemies that he does! And best of all? She's actually buddies with Bruce Wayne! They're good friends! In fact, Bruce trained under her father for a time to learn escape artistry! Honestly it's a bit of a shame that people forget how good of friends they are... They might have dated in the past? But ever since Bruce mastered escape artistry, they've kept in touch! The two honestly would have an unspoken trust with each other and ability to rely on each other that few other characters could have with Bruce. Zatanna is usually on the road performing, but if she's available, she'd likely be more than happy to pop on over to Gotham to help Brucie out with a case! Superman may be Batman's best friend, and Harvey Dent may be Bruce Wayne's best friend... But honestly Zatanna Zatara is a close second place on both accounts! She's GREAT! I crave for her to be included in more stories! WHERE ARE MY AUNTIE ZATANNA AUs!???

Xanthe Zhou

[Image from this post.]

Honestly this is a personal suggestion that I want to see because it's just a damn shame that it doesn't already!

Are you hesitant to use a comic character with a huge backlog of stories that you couldn't possibly hope to get through for fear of messing them up? Do you want to use a canonically LGBT character? Do you want to use a character that's a person of color? What about a character that specializes in interacting with the spirits of the dead for your Danny Phantom crossover fics? Because boy howdy do I have you covered! Say hello to Xanthe Zhou! A nonbinary Chinese-American spirit envoy within the DC universe who first debuted in March of last year (2023)! So guess what! There is no long, confusing continuity to follow! If you want to catch up on all you need to know about them, go ahead and read their 6 issue miniseries Spirit World and you should be covered! And heeeey~ Guess who else is in Spirit World~~~?? One Cassandra Cain and one John Constantine! Plus the art is drop-dead gorgeous!

[Image from this post.]

So please! I beseech you! Check out Spirit World and get to know Xanthe! They are literally everything you are looking for in a character to add to your Danny Phantom and Batman crossover story and are brand-spanking new and it is just a DAMN shame that they aren't already in any DPxDC stories!!! And guess what! They live in Gotham City to boot! (Gotham's Chinatown to be specific.) So please! Do yourself a favor and check out Spirit World and add Xanthe to your stories! If nothing else, I'll certainly read them!

In any case, that's the list and all I can come up with for now! If you have any further suggestions, please don't be afraid to add them on in a reblog! My comics knowledge is very limited and am always happy to hear about other ideas and characters that I've missed! I've actually seen some usage of Klarion the Witch Boy in this phandom which was a pleasant surprise! But sadly, I don't know nearly enough about him to actually say anything about him. But please! Go ahead and tell me about other magic using characters that you think would be suited to the DPxDC universe! And if you make anything of this sort with Xanthe in it... Please send it to me! I want that shit pumped directly into my veins!!!

P.S. I just wanted to say... Batman miiiiight call Santa Claus before he calls Constantine for help on an investigation lol (apparently Bruce apprenticed under Santa for a time :p ).

#dpxdc #danny phantom #gotham city #dc characters #jason blood #etrigan #zatanna zatara #zatanna #xanthe zhou #spirit world #dc x dp #dp x dc crossover #john constantine #batman #dc universe #dc comics #dc heroes

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brunchable · 1 year

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Thurber's Model — PT. 2 || William Thurber × F!Reader

Word Count: 7.1K Genre: Romance, Secrecy, Sneaking Around, Off-Limits Reader, Overwhelming Attraction Warning: Explicit. 18+ Only. unprotected p+v sex. Parings: William Thurber x F!Reader Summary: It took you about a week to learn the pattern of your parent's movements during the night and when you finally did, you sneak out of your family Manor to meet William in his dormitory. A/N: This is for the precious @classicrebound, I know this took A WHILE but I hope you Ben Barnes fans enjoy.

Part 1

William had his eyes on you the whole time. He wasn't even listening to the compliments he was receiving for his artworks anymore. Was it bad that he wanted you even more now that he knew you were out of his league?

As discreetly as possible, you looked down at the piece of parchment in your hand. You groaned inwardly. On the paper clearly written was the name of William Thurber.

This could not be happening…….

William has made a reputation for himself, known for his family's bankruptcy. He earned a scholarship at Miskatonic with his extreme talent at portrait painting. Though your father admits that Will was born to be an artist, he specifically warned you to stay away from men like him, stating the idiom, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." You would have never guessed that he was below elite society when he wore such sophisticated suits and styled himself rather nicely.

William waited until your parents, Mr. Dixon and Joe were ahead of him and you before he grabbed you by the arm and dragged you towards the small hallway behind the grand staircase. It was dark and, most importantly, private.

“Get your hands off me!” you demanded.

“We need to talk,” he said through clenched teeth.

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“I beg to differ.” He forced himself to ignore you soft warm body pressed up against his.

You tried to push past him, but he wasn’t having that. He gently pushed you back against the wall.

“William, let me go! They’ll notice our absence.” you look up to his devilishly handsome features, "And I do not wish to speak with you. Y-you tricked me! You knew my father was Dr. Reid didn't you?!"

“No! I did not. He was the last person I'd thought about being your father—"

You cut him off, averting your eyes, afraid that you might end up kissing him instead, "This was just a mistake, one better off forgotten.”

A mistake? The most passionate night of his life was a mistake? Your first time and that’s what you thought?

That grated on him in the worst way. “Is that what you think? Is it because you now know who I am? The son of a ruined man—”

“No, of course not! I am not that shallow. But if my father finds out about this, he will have you expelled.”

"The only way he'll find out is if you tell him what we did, right now." His eyes raked all over your face, "Or if we get caught."

God, his scent is so hypnotising, what is this man made of? You thought to yourself. Clearly he already made the conclusion that you'll be meeting each other again. He wasn’t wrong. The thought of an escapade just like Romeo and Juliet sent thrills down your spine. You might as well live the life of your fantasies before you leave the country in a few weeks time.

“One week.”

William's brows became knitted together in confusion,“What do you mean?”

“Give me one week. I'm Thurber's model, aren't I?” You tilt your head, your hand cupping one side of his face, your thumb brushing his soft lips, "I have plans already in place. You gave me your address, I know where you live. Wait for me."

A small smile twitched on the corner of William's lips and leaned in for a kiss but you released his cheek and stepped back into the foyer after making sure that it was empty. “Until we meet again, William.”

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

One week later.

You looked over at the grandfather clock clock with much eagerness. You couldn't wait for the time to come when you could sneak out of the house. 09:59 was the time.

It took a long time to figure out your parent's routine, and even longer to suck up the courage to sneak out. You had to sneak out though. You yearned for the risk and for the thrill of rebelling against your parents.

Of course, that freedom would be short-lived. You could only stay outside until 2:00 in the morning at most. Before 2:30, your father always wakes up to get a drink of milk. Usually, he won't check in on you. It's when your mother gets up at 2:40 to put away your father's milk and clean his mess that you have to worry about. She always checks on John and you before she returns to bed.

You watched the clock intently, every tick and every tock of the hand. You lay in bed in your brother's clothing. The ones you sneakily stole from the backyard after the maids left it in the sun for it to dry. Underneath it all you wore your nightgown, so that when you come back, all you have to do is hide your brother's clothes in your wardrobe and jump back into bed.

Moonlight streamed through your clear, glass window that was opened, just a crack, and spilled onto the wooden floorboards below.

Almost there. You thought to yourself, almost there. Then, the clock's hand ticked to 10:00, in an instant, sat up in your bed, your gaze wildly darting from one corner to another throughout your entire room and carefully, quietly, turned, and slipped out from under your covers and off the side of your bed. Your bare feet were soft on the dusty floorboards, and you tip-toed over to the balcony doors. Your palms were sweaty, and your breathing came in hard and rapid gulps.

You inhaled a deep, long breath, and relaxed to the sweet scent of home. Before you started to ever so slowly open the squeaky doors to your balcony, you quickly turned back around. In your excitement to get away you had forgotten to wear a sweater and shoes. It was the middle of December out there, and you'd be stupid to not wear more clothing. After throwing on the sweater and wearing your brother's loafers—which you stuffed with a handkerchief since it's too big on you—you returned to your task of climbing down the balcony and through the lattice covered with vines.

You heard a shuffling sound in your parents' bedroom, but you dismissed it and decided it was the family dog, Otto. You landed softly in the snow then you turned and ran full blast out the gates. Freedom at last.

It was freezing outside, even more cold than you imagined it would be. The wind blew hard and seared through your sweater as though it was nothing. The snow added to the cold weather. As you ran through it, you got bits of snow inside your loafers where it would melt and freeze your toes.

You slowed your run to a steady jog and crossed your arms as you did so. You shivered and huffed and you were sure that your face was flushed and red. When you woke up in the morning you would probably have a cold but you didn't care. You needed to see William. Even for an hour and a half. Any amount of time would do.

As you walked the empty streets, you tucked your long hair underneath your brother's flat cap. You were disguising yourself as a bloke because there was no way on earth would they allow in a lady inside the men's dorm where William lived.

You arrived at the block of red bricked dorm, some of the windows still had their lights on as you observed from afar. You dug the piece of parchment to make sure you were at the right place. The laughter of a group of boys headed towards the dorm caught your attention.

By the luck of the Irish. You thought to yourself because William was one of them. You scurried your way across the road and discreetly joined the group as they entered their dorm. They were either too drunk to notice that there was one additional person with them or you just did not have presence. You stayed closely behind William's tall structure and followed him as they dispersed to go to their own rooms.

You lowered your cap and kept your gaze low as you followed Will up the wooden staircase. Both of you made it up to the second floor until William grabbed you by the arm and slammed you against the wall, "What business do you have sneaking in here boy?"

You tilt your head up and meet with his hardened eyes which softened as soon as he realised who you were, "(Y/N)?"

"Shh." You hushed him, pressing your slender finger over his lips. William scanned the area, making sure it was empty before he practically dragged you up one more level where his room was located on the third floor.

He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. It's been over a week since he last saw you and thought that you were never going to show yourself again. William couldn’t stop thinking about you, there were nights where he couldn't sleep because he needed to know where you've been. He didn't expect you to dress yourself as a man and have the courage to go inside his dorm.

William shoved you into his room, scanning the hallways left to right once more for safety measures that no one saw both of you. He shut the door and locked it before turning around to find you, now with your hair down and slightly messed from being tucked from underneath the cap. God, you looked immaculate even in men’s clothing.

You expected him to have a messy room, it wasn't a surprise since you haven't met an artist who was neat and tidy. Your father certainly wasn’t, hence why your mother always cleans up after him.

"You have until one in the morning to stare at me, Thurber." You smiled softly at him. One that got his heart skipping a beat.

"Do you have any idea how much I looked forward to this day?" he asked, his lips kicking up into a sensual smile as he moved closer to you until there was barely an inch of space between you, "You probably kept me waiting on purpose." he said as he leaned down and brushed his lips tenderly against yours.

Your breath hitched, wanting to capture those lips. You leaned forward to kiss him but he retreated with a teasing smirk on his lips. Your stomach dropped as you watched him eagerly while he grabbed a sketchbook on his desk as well as a pencil case, "You can take the space on my bed."

“Like this?” You played innocent all the while staring at him innocently as you unbuttoned the dress shirt top to bottom painfully slow, revealing your sheer lace nightgown that was tucked under your slacks.

If you weren't too busy removing your top clothing, you would've noticed the clenching of William's jaw as well as the hard bobbing of his Adam's apple as you stood in front of him with nothing underneath that damned nightgown. His dark obs followed you as you sat on his bed, in a way where you flaunt your curves. You gathered your hair to one side, revealing your neck and collar bone to William before smiling sweetly at him.

Blood rushed throughout his body, particularly to the place where he didn’t want it to go because how was he supposed to focus when the shape of his shaft was squeezed up against his slacks, he was aware that you took note of that when your eyes flickered at the outline of his length behind the fabric.

"Are you comfortable like that? You can't move for a while, you know." William cleared his throat and shifted on his seat.

"I'm aware and I'm comfortable." You quickly replied.

Will jerked his head, "Alright."

He starts to sketch the outline of your body, eyes flicking back and forth trying his best to focus, but his cock wholeheartedly disagrees with the way it’s pulsing in his slacks. He can already feel the precum leaking into his briefs and William shifts uncomfortably at the thought that he's in this confined space with you getting harder by the second.

The movement must catch your attention because you look towards him and then down at my lap. “What’s wrong, William?” You asked as if fondling his name.

“Stop it. Don't talk.”

"But I want to talk, you don't want your model falling asleep now would you?" You tell him.

William pauses and notes that your thighs are pressed together, "You have a problem, (Y/N)?"

“Yes, you’re the problem.” A deep blush bloomed across your body, and William wanted to trace its path with his tongue, mark you with his teeth and touch. Proclaim to the world who you belonged to, who you should belong to.

A growl leaves his throat as he fights aside the thought of pouncing onto you on that bed, "Let's talk about something else."

"What do you want to talk about? Mister Thurber?" You blink innocently as you fondle his name one more.

“We cannot tell a soul about anything that happens tonight.”

“Never,” you whisper, “Whatever happens…stays between you and me.”

“Yes.” His eyes are wild with fire and you have a feeling that he'll be a different type of man with you tonight, “I think if you asked me, I would do just about anything you wanted at this point.”

“So…kiss me,” you command, tilting your chin upwards and staring into his eyes. “Press your lips to mine and kiss me like you mean it. Like I’m all that matters to you.”

“You are all that matters to me, (Y/N).”

“Prove it.”

"My art shall prove it for you. Now kindly stop trying to tempt, you little minx." William cracks a short teasing laugh as he holds his opened notebook in front of you like a shield. In minutes he got engrossed in his sketch work.

You elicit a shy smile and try to even out your breaths as Will sketches you—but suddenly a thought too tempting not to ask entered your train of thought.

"William?" You cooed sweetly, trying your best not to move a muscle.

"Hm?" His deep silky voice hummed.

"Do you always draw your models like this?" You asked in a heartbeat. The thought of him doing this to other ladies made your stomach turn and it wasn’t the nicest of ways.

The silence was loud when he didn't answer straight away. Only the friction between paper and pencil could be heard.

". . .No, just you." You notice Will licks his teeth as he grinned and you wish you could squeeze your eyes shut at this moment in attempts to calm yourself down. You feel like you're ready to combust, and William is making it worse.

Did he feel it, the electric current running between us? Or was it only in my imagination?

You observed him closely. You really liked his short black hair and the way that his dark brown eyes twinkled when he smiled. He was also handsome, you decided, not really knowing why that mattered, but it did.

William was trying to stay focused on the task at hand, but he can’t deny the desire he had to reach out and touch you. His eyes are scrolling slowly from your neck all the way down to your feet. Everywhere his eyes focus, and you can feel it. His gaze lingered on you for a second before he looked away as if he was searching for a hint as to what was going on in that beautiful head of yours.

William's eyes dipped to your breasts as his hands kept sketching away. You followed his gaze and noticed for the first time just how thin your nightgown was. Your nipples were so hard they showed clearly through the two layers of flimsy material. His molten gaze pinned you in place, erasing your earlier chill and leaving a deep, fiery ache in its wake. Your heart thudded so hard against your ribcage you half expected it to leap out of your chest and into his arms.

As the wind howled outside, the soft creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath your feet mingled with the sounds of both your breaths—yours shallow, William's deep and even.

“Are you holding up alright?” His voice was full of gravel, dark and rough.

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak, but you managed a small nod.

The heaviness of the air caressed you like a bold lover’s touch, and you knew, deep in your gut, you stood on a dangerous precipice. The slightest movement from you, and you would fall. The question was whether you wanted to save yourself, or if the pleasure would be worth the eventual pain.

You glanced at the clock, it was just past midnight. William glanced at his wrist watch and put down his notebook and pencil, "Is it almost time already?"

"Yes, unfortunately, are you almost finished?"

"Far from finished, I want to get every detail." William rose from his seat and sat down on the space next to you. William's touch skimmed down your neck and over the curve of your shoulder. You shivered, your skin blossoming with a thousand more goosebumps.

Oh, God. Every ounce of oxygen disappeared from your lungs. The fact that the warm light of candles was the only thing that illuminated the room didn't help.

“You should go home, I'll walk you back.”

You shook your head. “Take me, William. I will leave in a few weeks. I don't know when I'll be back. Take me.” You whispered, "Make me yours."

You know you said you didn't want to be any man’s property, but William. . . You just knew he wouldn't treat you that way. He would treat you as an equal.

William groaned, and with that one sound, you knew he’d made his choice. Breathe. Even when there was no oxygen, no air, nothing but him. Breathe.

He dipped his head, but instead of kissing your mouth, he kissed the hollow of your throat. It was so soft it was more a whisper of breath than a kiss, but it was enough to make your knees weaken.

You were a lightning rod, and William was the strike that lit you up from the inside out. You closed your eyes and stifled a moan as he dragged his mouth up your neck, inch by inch. Just as the lazy possessiveness of his touch lulled you into a semi-stupor, he yanked you toward him with one hand and sank his teeth into the curve between your neck and shoulder. Hard. Almost as hard as the thick arousal pressing against your stomach and causing your core to throb with need. William's other hand clamped over your mouth, muffling your surprised yelp.

“Tell me.” His voice lowered. “What would your father think about this?”

He remained still, his muscles coiled with tension. He couldn’t claim you the way he wanted outside these walls, but right here, right now, when it was just the two of you? He was going to take you until you were both utterly ruined.

“He'll be everything but happy—but I don’t care. I want to be selfish for once. I want to be with you.”

“You want to be with me even though you're not supposed to?” William hissed out a breath and released your throat, only to curl his hand around the back of your neck. He yanked you to him again, crushing your mouth to his, and your world imploded. Tongues, teeth, hands.

You devoured each other like the world would end and this was our last chance to feel something. Perhaps it was. But you wouldn’t think about that now, not when your bodies pressed so tight against each other you might as well be one, and you were falling, falling into an abyss you never wanted to get out of.

Your sister was right. You could tell everything from a kiss.

You tugged on William's hair, desperate for more. More of his touch, his taste, his scent. You wanted to fill every inch of your soul with this man. He drew your bottom lip between his teeth and tugged. You gasped, so aroused you could feel your wetness slicking your thighs.

He leaves a wet open-mouthed kiss just at the base of your collarbone before lowering his mouth ever so slightly. His tongue darts out to taste your skin and he traces your bare skin delicately as you mewl beneath him.

“Quiet,” he rasped. “Or someone will hear.”

He swept his palm up your inner thigh to your core and let out a low groan when he discovered how wet you were. The room wasn’t that big, but the anticipation made it seem endless. You glimpsed yourself in the full-length mirror mounted on the wall, and your skin burned at the sight: He fisted your hair with one hand and used the other to unbuckle his pants. His cock sprung out, thick and hard, the swollen head dripping with pre-cum.

God, I needed to taste him. No one had ever turned you on as much as he did. Every word, every touch, every glance. You wanted it all. You scooted out of the bed and knelt in front of him. You stared at him with pleading eyes. William hadn’t finished nodding before you took him in my mouth, savouring his groans and the way he pulled your hair as you eagerly licked and sucked.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” he grunted, pushing his cock deeper until it hit the back of your throat. You spluttered, your eyes watering from the sheer size of him.

You moaned out an unintelligible response. Your hand drifted between your legs, but you didn’t make contact before he yanked you up and captured your mouth in a hard, starving kiss. He has waited for this moment. You could taste it on his tongue, feel it in the roughness of his hands as he squeezed your ass and helped you move until you were straddling his lap.

When he was younger he hadn't cared and never bothered trying, going from one woman to the next had made little difference to him. Over the years, things changed, he'd changed and he wanted more in his life, but no matter what he did nothing changed. He'd dated some wonderful women that would make any other man drop to his knees and thank god that he was alive, but not him.

He hadn't been able to return their feelings and it just about killed him when he couldn't force himself to love them. He could easily think of five of his past lovers that would have probably given him a good life as they grew old together, but he hadn't felt anything for them. Hell, he couldn't even get it up for them without thinking about the woman currently running her fingers through his hair as you urged him to continue with soft little moans that had his cock jerking in appreciation.

This was the woman that his body craved day and night and it would accept no substitutes. It was something that he'd have to worry about, but later. Right now he was going to enjoy the freedom to touch you. Whatever happened later he'd deal with it. Right now, nothing else mattered but you, the woman moaning his name.

"Stop," you said, panting hard as you tried to catch your breath.

Stopping was the last thing that he wanted to do, but he did. He wasn't an asshole and would never force a woman to do anything that she didn't want. It was a struggle, but he somehow managed to pull away from you.

As soon as he made a move and made sure that you were okay, he found himself shoved down onto his back. By the time the movement registered in his mind, you were already climbing over him and gripping his cock by the base as your pert little ass wiggled above his face. He didn't waste any time in raising his face to continue lapping at your slit as his arms wrapped around your body, holding you still.

"So much better," you said in a throaty whisper as you stroked his cock curiously. When you ran your tongue from the head to the base, his hips jerked up in response and when you wrapped your lips around the tip and lightly suckled, he swore that he saw God.

As his head hit the bed he brought you down with him, too greedy for you to allow even a second of separation. Your hard nipples brushed against his stomach, back and forth as you moved your mouth over his cock, taking it as far as your naturally talented mouth would allow while you rode his tongue.

He gripped your ass, restraining some of your movements so that he could slide his tongue in and out of your core to mimic what you were doing to his cock. He ran his tongue slowly between your slit, loving the moan you released around his cock. What you were doing to him felt fucking fantastic, but what he was doing to you was life altering. As you both took your time licking, suckling and nibbling, the only sounds that could be heard in his room were moans, groans and whispered pleads never to stop.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

A loud cry escaped your lips as you struggled to continue giving him pleasure, but you couldn't. You just couldn't take it any longer.

With another strangled cry, you released him from your mouth and was forced to rest your head on his hip less than an inch from the large erection that you'd been worshipping only seconds earlier. Your body tightened as your back bowed, seconds away from what you already knew would be a powerful orgasm.

You bit your lip as you pleaded with your body to hurry before he stopped. He hadn't yet, but in a few seconds he would realise that you'd stopped pleasuring him and he would demand that you continue. Men could be selfish jerks, you thought as you licked your lips hungrily.

Just when you thought that he was finally going to stop, he didn't. Oh no, not even close. His arms tightened around you, holding you securely against him as he devoured you and there really was no other way to describe what the man was doing to you. It felt good, so good……too good.

You tried to pull away, but the damn man refused to give you an inch. Your good hand clenched into a fist, gripping the soft comforter in a death grip as a muffled scream of pleasure like nothing you'd ever heard before ripped from your throat, taking your breath away. The surge of pleasure that rocked your body left you boneless and barely able to softly cry "Stop" as William continued, making your body prepare for another orgasm that would no doubt kill you.

"Shhh, it's okay," William said soothingly as he pulled away and gently rolled you off and onto your back where you lay panting as your overstimulated mind tried to figure out what just happened.

He gently brushed your hair out of your face as he pressed a tender kiss against your lips all while the proof that the man hadn't found any relief pressed against your hip.

"You okay?" he asked, giving you another one of those tender kisses that you were really starting to like.

"Mmmmhmmm," you sighed happily as you found yourself leaning in and kissing him. Right now, you couldn't think past how good he made you feel, how much you wanted him, needed him and suddenly nothing else mattered but you and him.

William growled in approval as he returned your kisses and his cock brushed against your sensitive skin. You reached between you as both of you took your time kissing and when you found what you were looking for, you didn't hesitate in running your hand over it. You couldn't imagine enjoying the way a man felt in your hands like this before. The hot, silky skin that covered the large erection felt incredible and you realised as you took your time running your hand over him that you weren't in a rush to finish this.

You were finding your aching all over for him. It shouldn't be possible, especially not after the incredible orgasms that he'd just given you, but you couldn't help it. The sexy little growls he made every time your hand skimmed over the large head had you shifting your legs as you tried to ignore the need growing inside of you until you couldn't ignore it any longer.

You were both breathing hard, the kiss becoming more aggressive as William reached between you and cupped you between your legs, careful not to get in the way of what you were doing for him. You tried to be good, tried to stay still, but when he ran one long, thick finger between your folds you were lost. You shifted your legs, desperate to give him more access. He growled approvingly as he slid his finger inside of you, matching the way you were moving your hand over him.

Unable to wait another minute, you released him and hooked your leg over his hip. With a gentle nudge, you had him turning over onto his back. He removed his hand from between your legs so that he could wrap his arms around you and take you with him, which was more than fine with you. Better than fine actually.

You shifted back, rolling your hips with the movement. When you slid over his erection you both groaned long and loud and when you moved to do it again, the tip of his erection came to rest at your core.

"Are you sure?" William asked, against your mouth.

"Yes," you said in a harsh whisper as you pushed back, taking the tip inside of you. His loud groan encouraged you to take more, but the problem was that he was a bit bigger from what you remember, but you didn't allow that to discourage you. You wanted this man and you were going to make damn sure that you had him.

A startled gasp escaped your lips as William suddenly thrust, filling you halfway. In the next second you found yourself on your back and William pulling out only to thrust back in, filling you all the way. As you lay there, digging your nails into his back as he stretched you a little too much, you were torn between screaming in frustration and screaming at him to move. You rolled him back over until you found yourself splayed on top of him.

"It's all yours, princess, but you gotta move before I lose my fucking mind," he groaned softly against your lips as his hands moved up to cup your face while he kissed you.

It took you a few seconds to realise what he'd said and done and when you did, you couldn't help but release a satisfied moan as you tentatively rolled your hips. His answering groan was all the encouragement that you needed to continue. You might not be experienced in this position, but you were more than willing to keep doing it until you got it right, you decided with a throaty groan as William slid one hand between them and cupped your breast as the other one moved down your back and palmed your ass as you rode him.

"Don't stop, (Y/N)," he said on a groan as he moved his mouth to your neck just as you registered his hand leaving your bottom and moving up your body to palm your other breast.

"Or what?" You asked breathlessly as you picked up the pace, taking him deeper and harder each time.

"I'll make you forget how to walk and we both know you like your walks." he promised tightly as he moved his mouth back to yours, kissing you and sending you over the edge.

You felt him grow inside of you and if Will hadn't suddenly released your breasts to cup your face and keep your mouth right where it was, you probably would have screamed in pleasure, well, screamed louder. He felt so good, sliding in and out of you as the large velvety head rubbed against you in just the right way.

You tried to make it last longer, but the second that you heard your name leave his lips in a strangled growl, you lost it. A violent orgasm tore through you, leaving you breathless and unable to so much as move as pleasure assaulted your body. You never broke away from William's mouth, somehow knowing that it wouldn't be as good without this connection. Everything about this moment felt perfect, felt right. You couldn't explain it, didn't want to look too deeply into it and wreck this moment.

Long after your bodies were sated, you lay on top of him, kissing him leisurely as you enjoyed the way that he held you. For several minutes you allowed him to hold you, comfort you and make you feel wanted, loved and cherished, but all too soon you realised that you didn't have an excuse to remain in his arms.

"Oh dear, look at the time. I must go." You hopped out of William's arms and hastily plucked your brother's stolen clothes from the floor and began wearing them.

"Allow me to walk you home." William sat up from his bed dressed himself as well.

"Oh no, no need, dearest William. I can walk myself home." You tucked your already buttoned up dress shirt in your pants—until William took you by the chin and tilted your head up.

"I must. If anything happens to you, I won't be able to forgive myself."

You felt your cheeks heat up, "You're too sweet." You placed your palm over his cheek, "This isn't a scheme to figure out where I live now, is it?" You teased him.

"You have me all figured out."

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

William accompanied you all the way to your father's mansion. Though you were dressed as a man, one could never be complacent. Sometimes a drunkard walks the street and picks on innocent passersby for a fight.

“What are your plans later on in the morning?” William asks.

You cleared your throat before you answered. “I thought I’d go for a walk in the park if it’s a beautiful day.”

“Wouldn't it be far too cold for a walk?” he asks.

"Yes but as long as there isn't a breeze that would take me away, you can get used to the temperature." You shrugged, "I also like to watch kids have a snowball fight, it reminds me of my childhood."

"I wish I could join you, during your walks."

"Well? Why don't you? Father introduced us to each other and we could say we get along well. . .maybe too well." You laughed sheepishly and looked away from William.

There she is again with that charming laugh. How does one stay away from her when her whole being just pulls you in? William thought to himself all the while laughing along with you.

The way William looked at you at the night of the exhibit didn't go unnoticed by Dr. Reid. In fact, after the little private conversation between you and William, Dr. Reid had a word with him.

"I saw the way you were looking at my daughter." Dr. Reid said discreetly as he stood next to William, "She is quite the beauty wouldn't you agree?"

William thought of his answer very carefully, "Yes, Sir, I agree."

"She was looking at you the same exact way—I've never seen her look at a man like the way she had her eyes on you tonight." Dr. Reid swirled his wine around before sipping it, "I want you to stay away from her and we won't have a problem."

"I'm sorry?"

Dr. Reid pivoted to face William this time, "You're a talented artist, Thurber. You should focus on that. Unless you have anything good to offer my family, don't even think about lining up to pursue my daughter."

"—Don’t you think? Will? William?" You nudged him out of his trance as both of you stopped right in front of the side of the mansion where the balcony of your room was.

"Hm?" He snapped out of it.

"Where did you go just now?" You chuckled and nodded towards the sky, "Help me up?"

"Just got lost in thought."

"Am I a bore to talk to now?" You teased, nudging him on his side with your elbow.

William gave you the sharpest worried gaze, “No! Of course not.”

“Oh William~ I was just teasing you.” You laughed, “Well? Are you going to help me up the balcony?”

William bent his knees and held his hands together for you to use as a boost to get onto your balcony. You hauled yourself up, trying to be as quiet as possible. You turned around and gazed down at William, who was admiring your beauty from below.

“Would you like to come up?” You asked.

William blinked, did he hear that correctly? “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh come on, Mister Thurber, don’t make me ask you twice.”

William nervously looked around, even though no one but you was around, he felt as though he was being watched.

“You’re killing me, princess.” He muttered and reached up at the ledge with his long arms. Unlike you, he climbed up that balcony effortlessly. Before you could even take another breath he was already in front of you. Yours was a story destined for a tragic ending, but when you were already on a train headed off the cliff, all you could do was hold on tight and make every second count.

William drank you in, not missing a single detail. The wisps of hair curling around your face, the nervous anticipation in your eyes, the way your chest rose and fell in time with his own uneven breaths. Part of him wanted to march over, rip off your clothes, and fuck you right then and there. Another part of him wanted to savour the moment—the last wild, beating seconds before both of you destroyed whatever was left of your boundaries. He was a rule follower by nature. It was how he’d survived most of his life. But for you, he would break every rule in the book.

“So.” You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, your hand trembling. “Now that we’re here, what do you have planned, Mr. thurber?” He smiled, slow and enchanting, and a small, visible shiver rippled through your body.

William grabbed the back of your neck, pulled you close, and crushed his lips to yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your body warm and pliant against his as he plundered your mouth. To him, you tasted like mint and strawberries, and he wanted more. Needed more. His heart was a loud drum in his chest, beating in time with the throbbing in his cock. All of his senses sharpened to near-painful clarity—the taste of you on his tongue, the feel of your skin beneath his hands, the smell of your perfume and the sounds of your little whimpers as you clung to him like you were drowning and William was your last lifeline.

You backed up in your room, pulling William in with you without ever parting your lips, until you landed on your mattress with him on top of you. He rubbed his thumb over your clothed nipples, and you fought back a moan as you arched into his hand— The floor creaked behind your bedroom door. You and William froze in unison, your breathing harsh. You’d gotten so wrapped up in what both of you were doing you’d forgotten all about the people sleeping just a few feet away. You both heard another creak, followed by the shuffle of someone getting out of bed. Your father, if the direction of the sound was any indication. William cursed under his breath and pulled his hand away. It was the smart thing to do, but you still wanted to weep at the loss of contact.

“I guess that’s my cue to head home.” William whispered against your lips. He gently pushed himself aside while he straightened his shirt.

“It’s very late and it’s cold outside,” You scooted closer and rested your chin on his shoulder, “Stay.”

William turned his head towards yours, “You want me to stay?”

You nodded, “We don’t have to do anything but sleep. I have to admit, I feel good being in your arms.”

William chuckled to himself, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse, “I’m starting to think you’ve put me under your spell.” William slipped out of his shoes and jacket before gathering you carefully into his arms, tucking your head into his shoulder and aligning your frozen limbs with his. You felt stiff enough to shatter due to the absence of his warmth, but bit by bit, your muscles began to relax until you lay pliant against him. Pliant and sleeping. It didn’t take very long. Maybe fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes for you to regain yourself. Fifteen minutes for him to lose himself.

At the crack of dawn, your skin buzzed with the warmth of waking up from a deep sleep. You looked up to the same ceiling but this time, William’s dark eyes blocked your view. They were constant yet unfamiliar. Your head eases back when you feel his fingers in your hair, playing thoughtfully with the strands.

“You’re awake.” You said, barely keeping yourself awake.

“So are you, you should go back to sleep.” William whispered and leaned down, leaving a kiss on your forehead. You hummed in return.

William sat still on the side of your bed to make sure you were back into deep sleep before he got up to leave. The sun was peeking slightly in the horizon when William walked out of the balcony, the freezing temperature nipping his skin. Slowly, William climbed down the same way he used to get up to your balcony. He landed on both his feet on the grass with a soft thud.

“Mister Thurber?” Dr. Reid blurted out confused as to what the lad was doing in front of his house. Dr. Reid stood in front of his house, looking well-decent, while William looked, well, like he just woke up, half of his shirt untucked and his hair slightly dishevelled.

“D-Did you just jump down from my daughter’s balcony?!”

Tag List: @intothesoul @ladywhistledownx @ellooo0ooo @mikeikax @fangirlingsimp @misshall14 @iamgettingalife

#ben barnes #william thurber x you #william thurber x reader #william thurber x y/n #ben barnes x you #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes x y/n #ben barnes fanfiction #ben barnes fanfic #ben barnes fluff #ben barnes smut #the cabinet of curiosities au #william thurber

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ao-nungg · 1 year

Text

treasure

✦ pairing ⨾ ao’nung x fem!metkayina!reader

✦ warnings ⨾ best friends to lovers, pure fluff, indescriptive kiss

✦ word count ⨾ 2.8k

a/n – my 2nd request ! thank you for this plot <3

*marve is a character name that I created for this oneshot

› masterlist

“ohhh come on ao’nungggg you should be the one to teach me” you whine as you’re begging for your best friend ao’nung to teach you how to tame a skimwing.

you have been following him from the beach and now on the marui’s dock. it’s hard to keep up with his pace since he’s much taller and has longer legs than yours.

“why don’t you ask marve?” he asked, glancing at you over his shoulder for a second while still walking. your ears flattened at the mention of the lad. “I don’t want anyone else! I could have just ask him before, but I don’t” you said and managed to pull his hand. ao’nung finally stopped at his track and turned around to face you.

both of your hands are holding his right wrist tightly, not letting him walk away. his gaze fixed on you before glancing over your hold again. he knows a skilled hunter like you is more than ready to tame one, and he’s ready to teach you but the jealousy took a turn in him when he saw you talking with marve — another metkayina hunter, by the shore.

“please?” you blinked a few times, not breaking your eye contact, pleading with him to teach and guide you today.

“what I’ll get if I help you?” a smile crept across your face when ao’nung asked that. you already expect that he’ll ask that question, so you already have an answer for it. “I’ll do your hair for a week!”

his eyes sparkled at your answer. ao’nung like— no, he loves it so much when you’re playing with his hair so you’re sure he wouldn’t resist it. “hmm that’s great, but I have something better in mind”

“what is it?” you asked in confusion.

“let’s go find rotxo and tsireya first, and I’ll tell you later after you manage to tame a tsurak” ao’nung answered you before grabbing the saddle and diving into the water. you hopped in afterwards, swimming beside him to find his friend and sister. once he spotted them in the water he signed both of them to follow and they did.

after exploring the water for a few minutes, ao’nung finally signed to catch breath and the 3 of you followed him to the surface. “where are we going?” rotxo is the first one to voice out as he’s panting to catch his breath. “isn’t this tsurak area?” tsireya asked while her eyes wandering around the area she recognized. “yes. our warrior is so ready to tame one now, so both of you need to help me” ao’nung answered with a smirk while nudging to your side.

“listen, tsurak is not an ilu. once tsaheylu is made, tsurak will ride with only one hunter in the whole life” you only nodded your head even if you have heard those same sentences hundreds times from your father.

ao’nung called for his tsurak and here come the big mighty creature out of nowhere. you gulped as you see how big it actually is by this close. ao’nung gently pat the tsurak to calm him down as it keep moving nonstop. “do not look in his eyes” he gently reminded you while setting the saddle on the tsurak before he reached to grab his queue, making tsaheylu with it. the creature screeched as they made the bond which startled you a little bit. “to become taronyu (hunter), you must choose your own tsurak and she must choose you,” he explains while tying a rope to his left hand for support.

“watch and learn” the smudge look was displayed on his face when he said that. you wish you could brush off that annoying smirk off of his face. in a blink of eyes ao’nung ride his tsurak skillfully. he proudly made some tricks to show his skills which made you awe in excitement. both rotxo and tsireya also shouting happily when they saw him riding it without struggle.

“so how would you rate it 10 out of 10?” he asked after he’s done having fun and dis bonding with his tsurak. you couldn’t help but to smile since he is indeed so good at riding the it. this man is so skilled. hunting, weaving, sewing, riding a tsurak, oh just everything… you name it and he could do it for you without struggle. yeah for you. when you said you want to weave another basket to store your clothes but you’re too lazy to do so, he appears at your marui entrance 3 days later with a big basket in his hand. and of course when you need help to sew the tops for the people, he came to offer his help. you’re so shocked when he sews everything perfectly without struggle. when you asked where he learned it, he said he just watched how his father sewing every single afternoon. and also him being a hunter? you don’t want to say much about that. everyone in the village knows who he is. the son of ronal and tonowari, a skilled hunter who is looked up by the other adolescent males.

you playfully rolled your eyes at him while the other 2 just laughed at your reaction. “now it’s time to choose your tsurak. you must follow your heart” ao’nung said and gently placing his big palm against your heart. tsireya and rotxo exchanged a knowing look while your eyes are fixed on ao’nung. you tried so hard to maintain a steady breath. “if she choose you, move quick like I showed. you have one chance y/n” he added before pulling his hand away.

“how will I know if she choose me?” you asked, eyes focused on your best friend. “she will try to kill you” he simply answered your question. “that’s not helping”

ao’nung just shrugged his shoulders and smirked when you splashed the water at him and quickly swam away to find a wild tsurak. he immediately lead you again after he managed to swim ahead of you.

‘over there’ he signed and pointed towards a float of tsuraks in the distance. the excitement fills your body but you sometimes feel frightened by their size. ‘go choose one’

you nodded and moved forward while ao’nung, rotxo and tsireya followed closely behind before settling themselves behind a huge coral cave.

you tie the long rope around your hand before swinging the rest to tie around the tsurak’s mouth. you swim past the float of tsurak and some of them screeching at you before swimming away. your eyes wander around to find the perfect one before they land on the huge creature that looks quite intimidating by your presence. it screeched at you and moved forward a little bit, as if threatening you to leave.

“this is it” you thought to yourself and began to start moving forward as well. ao’nung that was closely behind you smirked at your eagerness. he knows he has taught you well ever since both of you became friends since childhood. you’re growing up just to be a girl version of him.

after struggling to tie the rope around the skimwing, you finally managed to do it. it struggles to free itself, which accidentally makes you hit your back on the huge coral. your friends gasped at the sudden loud thud. you managed to stabilise yourself back and placed yourself on top of it, making the skimwing to swim to the surface. “tsaheylu y/n! make the bond!” ao’nung shouted as he reached the surface too and threw you the saddle he held.

you catch the saddle while panting hardly before you reached for your queue and the tsurak finally managed to calm down a little bit after you made the bond. ao’nung, rotxo and tsireya helped to hold the tsurak in preventing it to move uncontrollably while you put the saddle on. “first ride seals the bond. you cannot wait” ao’nung told you while patting your tsurak. “now remember, when you dive back in, it’s very important to be in good position” you only nodded you head before you instruct the tsurak to fly. even if it fly quite unsteady, you’re still proud that you’re finally able to tame one now. “easy girl” you told your tsurak and deeply inhaled your breath before diving into the water.

however the pressure is too hard you to handle which made you accidentally slipped your hand from the saddle handle. you tsurak swam away drastically. your friends laughed as they’re watching you swam to the surface all alone. “it takes time to form a loyal bond” ao’nung said as he arrived beside you. your tsurak came back afterwards while towering you. “where’s tsireya and rotxo?” you asked while patting the tsurak’s head as you noticed their absence. “I told them to go back” you gave him a confused look but he ignored you and called for his tsurak. “come on, let’s practise” he said as he settled down on his skimwing. you followed his action and he guided you to ride the tsurak afterwards. you went for a multiple fly and ride along with ao’nung and his tsurak right beside you. as you realise your tsurak is getting steadier in flying and swimming after multiple times, a proud smile displayed on your face. you don’t miss that proud smile on ao’nung’s too.

the sky finally turned pinkish as the eclipse was setting by the moment you thought you finally managed to ride your tsurak under control.

“woooo I did it ao’nung!!” you shouted happily as your skimwing was flying proudly above the water. ao’nung smiled with his eyes fixed on you. he couldn’t stop to admire your beauty especially when the wind is running through your hair, giving full access to see your beautiful face without the hair blocking it. he couldn’t hide the fact that he adores you so much. you’re like a treasure to him, and so does he is to you. you don’t want to lose each other.

“let’s go to the three brothers rocks!” ao’nung shouted through the blustering wind before heading towards the said place. you just follow closely behind him since that’s the place where both of you always spend time with. farther from the people, as if the pandora only belong to both of you since it’s a restricted area for metkayina.

“haven’t been here for a quite long time” you said after stepping down from your tsurak onto the big rock. it’s the usual spot where both of you would sit together. “yeah. we’re too busy with the duties” ao’nung agreed as he’s sitting down. “hunting and practising to be a healer is so tiring, but I believe being you is much more exhausting than that” ao’nung just chuckled at your statement. he couldn’t deny it at all. being the only son of the olo’eyktan tonowari and tsahik ronal is indeed exhausting him. he needs to run constant duties in order to be the next olo’eyktan soon.

“you know.. I can’t stop thinking how it would be when it’s time for me to lead our people,” he said after a few minutes, breaking the comfortable silence. you look at him as if waiting for him to voice anything next. his eyes wander around, but you. “…because I want the best for us” he finally added and now his gaze focused on your blue eyes. your lips parted but nothing came out as you’re too shocked. you don’t know if he’s referring that to both of you or the people.

“I’m talking about us” ao’nung added again, as if he could read your confused expression. he reached out for your hands, intertwining your fingers with his. “I don’t want anyone else, y/n. I just want you. I want you to be by my side forever, and I want to build our own little family”

his big blue eyes bore into yours as you’re once again in the loss of words. “ao’nung.. you know my feeling. I also want you to myself. I hope you see that I’m trying my best to be the skilled hunter my parents are proud of and to be the tsahik for you later”

“I do y/n, I do. you’re doing amazingly good, but please don’t overwork yourself, hmm?” his huge hand now caresses your cheek lovingly while the other one is still intertwined with yours. “you too ao’nung”

“I love you so much, y/n”

“I love you more ao’nung” you said and immediately hug him. “so… this is what you meant before?” you asked after remembering what he said this morning. ao’nung smile and nod his head. “yes. I want a date night with you as a reward” he answered while gently running his fingers in your hair.

you blushed when he mentioned those words.

“don’t you think we need to head back to the village? it’s getting darker now” you said as you looked up at the dark sky. ao’nung pulled away and did the same before he stand up and offering his hand at you. “alright let’s go” you smiled and took his hand, following him to your tsurak.

he let you make tsaheylu first and get on top of the skimwing, settling yourself on the big creature. “this position is good, but your leg supposed to be a litt bit lower.. and your thigh..” ao’nung said while moving your leg and thigh a little bit to his preferences. a step back a little bit, admiring his work. “yup! that’s great” you just chuckled and muttered a thank you, waiting for him to get on his skimwing afterwards.

“be careful” he reminded and immediately dive into the water first after you nodded. your giggle and shout filled the night sky. you know you would be grounded when you get back to the village, but all you want is to enjoy this moment with ao’nung first. ao’nung laughed at your excitement. he loves seeing you being this cheeky. the wide grin across your face and the sound of you laughter bring happiness in him. both of you ride beside each other, enjoying the ride back home. you followed everything ao’nung did. when he fly above the water, you did so. when he dive back in, you follow along. when his slender fingers grazing the illuminated coral, you did it too.

“wow! I’ve seen those countless times, but they’re still pretty in my eyes!” you exclaimed enthusiastically after both of you finally back to the surface. “yeah.. you’re right” ao’nung agreed, but his eyes focused on yours. he implied those words on you rather than those coral you’re referring to.

“hey, would you mind going back without me?” he suddenly asked. you shot him a confused look and glance between him and the village light that you could see from distant. you’re already close to the village. “I promise I’ll come back soon. just wait for me by the shore, alright?” he added.

“alright” you finally agreed after thinking for a minute. “wait for me” ao’nung said and unexpectedly give you a kiss. your eyes shut closed at his sudden move, and you gladly returned the kiss. he pulled away after seconds before patting your tsurak, indicating for you to leave. “go” you smiled and nodded your head, swimming alone, back to the village. ao’nung make sure you’re already close to the village first before he swims back into the water.

“y/n! where have you been? we searched for you everywhere! your parents are so worried. they’re looking for you too” a voice bombarded you with questions once you stepped your feet on the sand. you turn around and see marve with a few of his friends coming towards you. you disconnected the queue with your skimwing, patting it to leave.

“I’ll tell my parents later, thank you marve”

“tìyawn” a gentle voice interrupted marve that was about to open his mouth. there come ao’nung from the water with his hands behind his back.

marve’s friends are sharing a look when they heard ao’nung called you with that endearment name.

you lookat ao’nung and your smile widens even more. “ao’nung.. you’re back”

“I told you”

he suddenly pulled out a bouquet of medium blue coral reef, which made you gasp at its beauty. “it’s the coral we saw?!” you asked excitedly. “yes. I picked it for you” he handed the bouquet and you gladly accepted it. “thank you tìyawn” you thanked him and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

ao’nung didn’t expect that, so he’s mad blushing by now. however, his usual smudge look back to display on his face when he saw marve’s white knuckles. ao’nung shamelessly glides his hand to your back, placing it on your waist and guiding you to the marui.

ao’nung smirked when both of you walked past marve. he’s satisfied that you don’t pay attention to that lad anymore, and just focus on the coral flower he got you. “hurry up!! I can smell my mom’s cook!” you grabbed his hand, running happily towards the marui.

#ailiswork #ailisreq #atwow #atwow imagines #atwow x reader #ao’nung #atwow x you #avatar #avatar imagine #atwow ao'nung #atwow fluff #ao’nung x you #ao’nung x y/n #ao’nung x reader #ao’nung imagine #aonung #fluff

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mandos-mind-trick · 1 year

Text

Codename: Midnight

Summary: A series of unfortunate events has Cody in a tight spot. Luckily there’s someone there willing to step in.

Or, how Midnight and Cody met and saved each other's lives.

Pairing: None in this one.

Warnings: Lots of descriptions of life in the underbelly of Coruscant, language, mentions of gangs and violence, a brief (badly written) fight scene, mention of drugs, lots of Senate bashing.

A/N: Did I sit down and write this in 3 hours? Yeah. I don’t know where that came from, but I guess enjoy! This takes place before the entire series, more of a prologue than anything. Shows how Cody and Midnight met and how she came to join the GAR and our boys.

Next > | MASTERLIST

Her knuckles are sore. Out of everything that could hurt, she’s lucky it’s just her hands. Another night, another fight. Another round of meager pay outs to add to the too-light pouch she kept on her person at all times.

For a winner, she sure does feel like a loser.

She debates stopping to get something to eat, but a quick press of her hand against the small bump of her pocket changes her mind. She’s sure she can scrounge up something in the kitchen of the communal living house. They got the days-old leftovers and bits of food even the unfortunate in the absolute ass of Coruscant don’t want from the restaurant below the house.

Just cut off the bad parts.

That’s what her mother had taught her. Cut off the bad parts and it’s almost like new.

Midnight sighs, wiping a hand across her brow. She winces as she hits the tender spot on the side of her face. It’s muggy tonight, in the underbelly of the ecumenopolis. It’ll be raining by morning, she thinks, looking up into the air. The lights disappear into a haze of clouds formed from the air compressed down from the upper levels.

She shoves her hands into her pockets, continuing on. The bar wasn’t far from her home, but far enough to keep her on edge. Most of the inhabitants of this area didn’t mess with her. They’d learned. She has a reputation both in the bar and on the streets. It had taken a long time to build, but she’s proud of it. It keeps her safe.

She’s rounding the corner of the street when she hears it.

“Hey, shiny!”

She stops for a second, thinking it had been directed at her. Her shoulders are tense as she turns, hearing the scuffle of feet.

“We can get a few thousand for this.”

A few feet away from her is a scene. Turn around. Keep walking. Her brain is screaming at her to mind her own business. She’d already been in one fight tonight. She’s done enough.

Yet as she catches a glimpse at the poor soul getting mugged, something inside her blocks out her instincts. First off, he’s far too clean to be from down here. Some poor man that got tricked into coming this low for some gang’s quick payout most likely. He’d disappear and maybe a few people above would notice.

She’d seen it happen many times. Yet, this one is different.

He’s in armor.

She’d heard whispers around the bar about a galactic war and an army. Politicians above spending their efforts fighting a war a galaxy away while trillions of people below them starved and fought just to live. None of them were very popular down below.

Walk away.

Her brain screams it as she moves closer, hands closing into fists at her side. They’re not going to leave without a fight. She just has to beat them.

“Hey!”

They pause at her voice, turning to look at her. There’s only two of them. She’s beaten worse odds. They’re scrappy, though. She can tell just by looking at them.

Lucky for her, she is too.

“Leave. Now.” She says, stopping a few feet from them. If she can distract him, then maybe the man can run for it. Maybe he’d make it to one of the elevators.

Both of them laugh at her, the bigger of the two stepping closer. “You need to mind your own business, little girl. I’d hate to see you getting hurt.”

She grabs the hand that’s reaching for her without a second thought, twisting it until she feels the pop under her hands. The big man lets out a howl, the second one jumping at her. She anticipates the hit, dodging behind the big man. She sends him reeling into a pile of garbage with a swift kick to his ass. The other one is faster, though, recovering from her dodge quicker than she’d expected. He lands a blow to her ribs, her already sore muscles screaming in protest. She doesn’t let it stop her though, ducking below a second hit, sending an uppercut directly to his jaw.

He stumbles back, hitting the pavement hard. The big man has recovered, tackling her from behind. They land on the ground too, Midnight struggling in his grip for a moment. He’s strong, so she changes tactics, sinking her teeth into his arm. He shoves her off him with a few unkind words, and Midnight pushes herself to her feet, taking a fighting stance.

The two share a look, obviously weighing their options. She’s bleeding, but she’s still going, adrenaline pumping through her system. She’s going to sleep great tonight. They rise to their feet, obviously having realized they weren’t going to win this fight. They take off down the street, dodging into an alley.

She doesn't relax until they’ve been out of sight for a moment, sore muscles nearly giving out. She’s definitely going to stay in bed all day tomorrow. She turns as she hears the groan, surprised to see the man still on the ground. He’s sitting up now, at least, rubbing his head.

“You should get out of here.” She says, turning fully to face him. He’s clean shaven, dark hair done in a buzzcut. He’s handsome, if you’re into that kind of thing.

“I’m not even sure how I got here, or where here is.” He slurs.

Drugged.

Midnight sighs. She should just get him to his feet then leave him to get back to wherever he belongs. Yet, she can’t help but pity him. He was so obviously out of place down here. He’d never make it to an elevator in this state.

The air is starting to smell damp. It’s going to rain soon. Midnight sighs once more, rolling up her sleeves before squatting next to the man. “Come on.” She slips an arm around him, helping him unsteadily to his feet. “Let’s get you off the street. It’s going to rain soon and you’ll never get it off that armor.”

They’re slow moving, but thankfully they only have to go a block. He’s heavy, but he moves surprisingly well for being so inebriated. Getting him up the stairs to the communal house is the hardest part, both of them having to rest several times.

Finally after what feels like an hour she gets him to her room. It’s a shared room, as most were in the house. Her roommate is still out thankfully, and likely would be till morning. She’s thankful for it as she eases the man onto her own cot. She doesn’t store much at the house, as it was just as likely for your belongings to get stolen here as it was on the street. Everything she cares about she carries on her person.

She tosses the threadbare blanket over the man, barely enough to cover him. He’s already out again, exhausted from their short journey and whatever else had happened to him tonight. Midnight’s own exhaustion hits her like a speeder, and she drags her feet to her roommate’s cot. She wouldn’t care, more than likely she’d just crawl in next to Midnight if she came back before Midnight got up. It wasn’t unusual down here to do something like that. That’s just how it was.

******

The man is awake when Midnight returns to her room. It’s morning, though you couldn’t tell looking out the window. Their only sign of morning was the artificial lights on the street that got slightly brighter to signify it was daylight above. Midnight, like most inhabitants down here, has never seen the sky, nor the sun.

“Morning, sleepy.” Midnight sits on the edge of the bed next to the man, holding a bowl of soup in each hand. “Yadi made some soup. It’s shit but at least it’s warm.”

The man pushes himself so he’s sitting up, taking a bowl. “Can’t be any worse than rations.”

Midnight watches as he takes a bite, pausing a bit as he chews the tough meat.

“I take that back.” He says, but still goes in for a second bite.

Midnight laughs, eating her own soup. “You’re a soldier.” She says, looking him over. Every bit of him was regimented and postured.

He nods. “I’m Marshal Commander CC-2224 of the Grand Army of the Republic at your service, ma’am. But you can call me Cody.”

“Fancy titles.” She smirks. “I’m Midnight, full-time bare knuckle brawler.”

He smiles a little. “I do remember that. You fight well.” His smile fades. “I can’t remember much else.”

“You were drugged, most likely. Some hustler slipped you something, then brought you down here to get mugged. Probably was promised a cut of whatever they could get for your belongings. You’re lucky I found you. If the crazies didn’t finish you off, the ogres probably would have.”

He stares at her for a moment. “Ogres?”

She nods. “Most people above don’t believe they’re real, but ask anyone down here. We’ve all seen them at least once.”

He stares at her with a shocked expression. She forgets how few people from above actually know what life is like down here. Most of them are too scared, or forget they’re standing above trillions of people.

“Welcome to Level 256, Commander Cody.” She smiles sardonically.

“I didn’t think anyone lived this low.” He says.

“There’s people below us, if you want to call them that. I’ve heard of people going as low as Level 5. Some claim to have been to Level 0, but they’re full of it. This level is dangerous, and it only gets worse the lower you go. There’s more than just gangs down there. Creatures, radiation, the toxic waste that accumulates from the rest of the levels. Lots of people stumble down there only to never return. Lots of people stumble down here and never return. You would have been one, if I hadn’t saved you.”

“Thank you.” He says, sincerity shining in his brown eyes. “I owe you a lot.”

She shrugs. “It was nothing.”

He eyes the many bruises on her body. “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

She looks over her bruised knuckles, shrugging again. “Nah, most of those are from the fight I was coming home from.”

“How long have you been fighting?” He asks her.

“Professionally? Since I was 16, but I started on the streets a lot younger than that. That’s how you survive down here. You fight. My mom worked all day, and sometimes all night. I was alone to fend for myself most of the time. There’s all sorts of seedy people down here. You have to learn to fight them off real quick, or you disappear.” She swallows thickly. “My mom disappeared one night. Never came home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s part of life down here. We’re all trying to make it out, trying to get up there, but most of us don’t. We’re confined to life down here. It’s just the way it is.”

“I could help you.” He says.

Midnight stares at him incredulously. “How?”

“I can get you a job with the GAR. It won’t only get you to the upper levels, it will get you off Coruscant, if that’s what you want.”

Midnight shakes her head. “I don’t think I’d qualify. I mean, the only skills I have are with my knuckles. I don’t even have an education.”

“I can put in a good word for you.” He says. “Consider it repayment for saving my life.”

The door opens before Midnight can say anything else, her roommate stumbling in.

“Rough night?” Midnight asks.

The Twi’lek mumbles incoherently before falling face first on her cot. She’s already snoring by the time she hits the thin mattress. Midnight and Cody watch her for a few moments, before Cody turns back to her.

“I am serious.” He says. “I can get you a job. It might not be the most glamorous, or safe. The food’s not much better, and the beds aren’t much more comfortable. It is cleaner, though.”

Midnight chews on her lip. This was her chance. It’s staring her right in the face. She can take it and run. There’s nothing keeping her down here, except perhaps sentimentality. Even her roommate wouldn’t miss her much if she suddenly disappeared. People disappear all the time down here.

It’s just the way it is.

“You can promise I won’t have to stay on Coruscant?” She asks finally.

“Not permanently. You’ll have to return occasionally, since this is where most battalions spend shore-leave and where GAR headquarters are, but they’re brief stops usually.”

Midnight stares down at the bruises on her knuckles. “I don’t know the first thing about war.”

Cody puts a hand on her shoulder. His touch is firm, but not enough to hurt. “You’ll go through training. All civilians employed by the GAR do. I’ll personally see that you’re stationed somewhere decent.”

Midnight is quiet for a moment. This is her moment. Sure, she might be getting a bit in over her head, but for some reason she trusts Cody. Maybe it’s his genuine sincerity, his kindness, something she’s been shown far too little of in her lifetime. Maybe it was his naivety to, well, what her entire existence consisted of. They weren't all that different. Both of them were fighting a war because of rich politicians, even if they were vastly different wars.

“Okay.” She says finally, finalizing her fate.

Cody smiles. “Okay. That’s good, because I also don’t know how to get out of here.”

“Well lucky for you, Commander Cody, I do.” Midnight laughs as rises from the bed, gathering her few belongings into a bag. Cody rises from the bed, steadying himself for a moment. He’s tall, holding himself upright like he’s waiting for a fight from any direction. Side effects of fighting in a war, she thinks.

“Ready?” He asks as she slings her bag across her body.

“Ready.” She says.

The walk to the elevators is a long one. There weren’t many on this level, mostly to keep the inhabitants from rushing to the top all at once. It was almost as if those above knew if the lower levels banded together, they could overwhelm them easily. Keep them at bay by limiting transport up above. There were many that tried, but most were turned away on upper levels. One could never quite hide the look of belonging in the lower levels no matter how hard one tried.

Midnight steps onto the elevator with Cody when they arrive. “It’s a long ride to the top.” She says.

“If we can get a speeder, it’ll be faster.” Cody says.

“Then we need to go a thousand levels up or so.” She says. “Still, I hope you're not expected anywhere today. You can get me a head start on that training while we go.”

*****

The first thing Midnight does when they arrive at the GAR headquarters is look up. She steps out onto the landing pad, her gaze drawn upward. She stares in awe, blinking up at the thousands of stars overhead. There’s two moons hanging over them, standing clear in the inkiness above.

It’s better than she had ever imagined. She wonders if she’ll get to see it in the morning too. She wonders if it’ll be blue like she always heard.

Cody stops, noticing her not following him. He watches her for a moment, taking in the smile on her face as she looks up at the night sky.

“It’s better than I’ve ever imagined.” She says. She’d caught glimpses of sky in the few holofilms she’d seen, but it never quite did justice to her longing to see it in person. She drops her gaze to look at Cody’s questioning glance. “I’ve never seen the sky before.” She explains. “You don’t see the sky where I’m from.”

He smiles, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Well, kid. I promise you’ll see a lot of skies before this is all over.”

He leads her towards the large building looming in front of them. It all feels very surreal to her, that just a day before she had been living her life as she thought she always would. Now, she’s going to live her dream of escaping Coruscant.

*****

“I’ve got a special assignment for you.”

Cody has assured her this was the perfect thing for her. How she could best serve the GAR.

Her training had been a rigorous three months of learning about everything she needed to know about the GAR and how to function in it. Combat training, weapons training, everything she needed to know in order to best function in the Republic’s army. Of course, her training had been a bit different than the rest of her squad. They were all moving on to medic, strategist, engineering, mechanics training. Cody had put in a special request for her. She was graduating training already, heading straight for the front lines of the war.

Straight to a specialized clone squad.

It was a small squad, created for highly specialized missions. They were...different from the “regular clones,” those she had worked with during her training. They had...special enhancements that made them more useful in special circumstances. She hadn’t asked what those circumstances were, what kinds of missions they went on. They didn’t serve under a Jedi General like the other squads. Instead they got their orders directly from the GAR, constantly on the move.

When she had told Cody she wanted nothing more than to get off Coruscant and see the galaxy, she hadn’t meant quite like this.

The transport ship rocks as it sets down on the landing pad. She rises as the ramp opens, troopers waiting to start unloading the supplies. She blinks against the bright sunlight, something she still wasn’t used to, as she shoulders her pack, making her way down the ramp.

“Midnight, good to see you again.” Cody greets her as she steps off the ramp.

“Commander.” She salutes him.

He waves his hand. “No need for that. I’ll make an exception for you. You did save my ass, remember?”

She grins at him. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”

He shakes his head. “Come on. It’s time to meet your new squad.”

“Right. Clone Force 99?”

Cody nods. “Named after a special clone. They’re good guys, though they may take some time warming up to you.”

“Right. A lot of strikes against me. I’m not a clone, I have no...enhancements...” She gestures to herself. “Woman.”

“You’ll just have to impress them.”

It’s quiet for a moment as he leads her across the landing pad towards an Omicron attack shuttle. “Cody?” She breaks the silence, unable to keep one question at bay. “Why did you assign me to this squad?”

He slows down a bit, glancing at her. “In truth, I had no other choice. Your combat scores were very high, but all your other exam scores were...mediocre. With no formal education, there weren’t many places they were willing to put you. They wanted to keep you at the offices on Coruscant, putting you to work there. I knew you wouldn’t like that. I would have put in word for you to be sent into my battalion, but you’d be overlooked, your skills would go to waste. At worst, you’d be treated like a bolt stopper. With the ‘99, I can trust your skills will be put to better use. That, and I can keep a closer eye on you.”

She tries to give him a smile, but it probably looks more like a nervous grimace.

“Don’t worry.” He pats her shoulder. “You’ll do just fine.”

She’s so kriffing screwed.

The clone that’s waiting for them is unlike any clone she has yet to see. Though her experience with clones was few and far between, this one doesn’t quite look like a clone. Not at first glance, at least. The most striking thing about him is the skull tattoo that covered half his face. It made him look dangerous, imposing. His brow is furrowed, focused as they draw nearer. A red bandana holds back thick curls that fell almost to his shoulders. Longer than any clone she had yet to see. Like the other clones, though, he’s built like a piece of art, broad shoulders and a slim waist. Though he’s covered in armor, she can see the strength in his stance. Her fighting experience gives her a good eye for things like that.

“Good to see you, Commander.” He greets Cody, his voice deep and gravelly.

He turns to her, eyes squinted slightly as they take her in. He’s reading her like a holonovel, flipping through piece by piece. Analyzing, processing.

Cody turns to her. “Midnight, this is your squad leader, Hunter.”

She stands up straighter, saluting him. “Sir.”

The corner of Hunter’s mouth lifts in a smile. “No need for that. Just call me Hunter.”

She relaxes, lowering her hand.

“Midnight saved me a lot of trouble a few months back.” Cody says, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I trust she’ll be in good hands?”

Hunter nods. “We’ll look after her.”

Cody squeezes her shoulder, looking down at her. “This is where I leave you. Remember, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

She nods. “Thanks, Cody.”

Cody says his goodbyes to Hunter before leaving her alone with her new squad. She turns back to face Hunter, finding him staring at her again.

“You must have really done him a big favor.” He finally says.

She shrugs. “Yeah. He was in an...unfortunate situation when I met him. I don’t know how much he’d want me to tell, but let’s just leave it at that. I did him a big favor. He repaid me by getting me off Coruscant.”

Hunter raises his eyebrows at her. “Don’t tell me you’re a fugitive.”

“No, I’ve never been caught.” He stares at her blankly and she can’t help but crack a smile. “I’m joking. Mostly. No, I was dirt poor and had no prospects of ever being anything more than that.”

He nods slowly. “We’re loading up the rest of the supplies before we take off on our next mission. We don’t get to stop a lot, sometimes going four or five missions between breaks. But even our breaks are short. Come on.” He motions for her to follow. “I’ll introduce you to the others.”

Taglist:

@lo0nylexi, @amyroswell, @dangraccoon

#star wars #star wars fic #the bad batch #the bad batch fic #the bad batch x reader #poly bad batch #hunter #tech #wrecker #crosshair #echo #commander cody #clones #clone wars

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itsthestutterforme · 1 year

Text

“A Little Help” (Tom Bennett x black!reader)

Summary: You are Connie’s younger sister. You get set up with a blind date with someone you’re not really interested in. Thankfully, Tom walks by and helps you with your.. situation.

Notes: GIF is not mine, some angst, some fluff, sexual themes (fingering, oral sex, p in v penetration, overstimulation), minors DNI

One of your mates, the few you have, set you up on a blind date. She says that it’s been too long since you got laid and it was starting to make you bitter. You wholeheartedly disagree. You were not bitter, you were just annoyed with the selection of men in Manchester. They were cocky in the mouth and nowhere else.

She pressed you into it every day and now here you were, sitting across from a mid boy who eats like a bloody cow. “I’m still trying to understand how a gorgeous woman like you is without a man.” “My friends say the same,” you spun the spoon around in your tea mug a few times before lifting the cup to take a sip.

He continued to ramble on about derby bets and you find yourself disassociating when a pair of familiar blue eyes caught your attention. You let out a huff when you were met with the smirk of Tom Bennett. He shoved his hands in his jacket as his long legs stride towards you.

You felt some relief when he cocks his head to your date and you shook your head subtly. He nods to you as he approaches. “Hey, your sister is looking for you. She needs you for something.” Tom interrupts your date, giving him a once over. “Prime pickin’, this lot.” He says to you once you stood from your chair.

“We’re in the middle of something, mate.” “Clearly she isn’t enjoying it, mate.” Tom says venomously. “What, are you her boyfriend or something?” You opened your mouth to say something but Tom beat you to it. “And what if I am?” “You let her go out on dates?” “I’d hardly call it a date if she was giving me the help me eyes to get away from you.”

“You sure you know this guy?” Your date asks you. “Yes, I do. Thanks for the date, Peter. But I have to get going.” You tried to pull Tom away by the arm but he wasn’t budging. “The fuck kind of name is Peter?” “It’s my father’s name. You got a problem with that?” Peter says. “Well then your father is a cunt,” Tom prods and Peter is in his face.

“The fuck you just say?” You let out an annoyed breath and squeezed yourself in between the two feuding men. “Peter, just walk away. We’re just leaving.” “I said, you’re father is a cunt,” Tom repeats, sounding out every word like he’s speaking to a child.

Tom nudges you out of the way as Peter shoved him to the ground. Peter lifts his leg to kick Tom and you swung all the way back to throw a solid punch to Peter’s jaw. Thankfully for you, it did the trick and Peter falls unconscious, his head slapping against the pavement on the way down. You shake your hand, cursing as pain shoots through the nerves in your wrist.

“Fuckin’ hell, Y/N. Where did you learn to punch like that?” “Not a word out of you, Bennett.” You scold, reaching into your purse and setting down five pounds on the table for the meal. You wince at the throbbing pain growing in your right fist. Helping Tom up, he noticed your hand.

“You’re hurt. Let me see,” “It’s nothing. Just a sprain.” You dismiss, starting the walk back to your flat. “Why must you always start a fight?” “Because it’s fun,” “Well it’s not going to be fun when someone puts you on your ass. You know you’re lucky that you’re like seven feet tall,” you exaggerate.

“What’s that have to do with anything?” “Most men with common sense don’t pick fights with tall boys,” “Your boy did,” “He’s not my boy. And you called his dad a cunt. What do you expect?” “Why were you on a date with him anyway?” He asks, falling into stride with you.

“A friend set me up with him as a blind date,” “What didn’t you like about him? Other than the fact his name is Peter,” you couldn’t help but laugh at his quarrel with the name Peter. “He’s more boring than our history class,” “Damn,” “Thank you for helping me. But you’re an imbecile for starting something you couldn’t finish,”

The walk to your flat was quicker than anticipated. You’re surprised Tom stayed with you the entire time. He normally busies himself with bets and women.

“You going to invite me in for some tea?” “Come on in then,” you unlocked the door, taking off your jacket and hat as you walked through the door. “He didn’t deserve that dress at all,” you caught him staring at your breasts that were propped up in a red, silk dress.

You slapped his chest hard enough for an umph to leave his mouth. “Stop looking at my tits,” “Ouch, is that anyway to treat a house guest?” He retorts, rubbing his chest. “If they’re staring at my tits, yes.” You kicked off your shoes and made your way into the kitchen.

“How do you like your tea?” “Two cubes and one spoon of honey,” Tom leans on the table behind you, staring at how your dress hugs your ass. “Tom, if you’re ogling me. I will hit you,” “Jokes on you. I like a little foreplay.” You turn around and crossed your arms, which somehow invited Tom to get closer to you.

“I can guarantee you that I know how to appreciate an amazing body and a gorgeous face,” “Tell me that line doesn’t actually work on girls,” you say, completely unfazed. “What girls?” He teases, making you laugh. “Good one,” you turn back around and opened the kettle to let the water in.

You could feel his breath on your neck, and the thought crossed your mind to let things happen. He’s cute and sassy. He’ll at least make things interesting.. on second thought, no. He’s your sister’s best friends little brother. If things go south, you would still have to see each other.

“You mind getting me some ice for my hand?” you asked over your shoulder. He waits a moment before pulling away from you and opening your freezer. He grabs an ice bag and places some ice cubes in it before tying it off. He opens his hand and when you hesitate he takes your hand into his.

You started to enjoy how warm his hand was. But that didn’t last for long, you hissed at the minimal weight of the ice. “Thank you… for having my back.” he says. “You can thank me by learning to fight,” you said with a sigh. “Does that mean you’ll teach me?” “And give you another excuse to touch me? No.”

“Damn. You’re smarter than I thought.” He says, earning another hit from you and he chuckles in return. The door opens and you brought your attention to the hallway. You heard the voices of your sister and your normal client. You would do her knotless braids every four weeks on the dot.

Connie’s eyes fell to your bruising hand. “What the hell happened? Please tell me you didn’t get into a fight.” Connie scolds. “I went on a blind date and-“ “Did Peter force himself on you? I’ll wring out his neck,” your client and close friend asks. “You’re the one that set her up with that wanker?” Tom asks.

“No he didn’t force himself on me. Tom was my alibi to get out of the date. Peter and Tom ended up in a quarrel.” “So he didn’t hurt you?” Connie asks. “No. I hurt him,” “And his pride. Poor sap.” Tom says, earning an eye roll from you. “I can still do your hair though, Denise.” “Your Dad is looking for you,” Connie tells Tom.

“This got to be good,” you pulled away from his hand and cradled your iced hand to your chest. He looked at you and you shrugged. “Rain check on the tea then,” he says as more of a statement instead of a question. “Absolutely not. This isn’t happening.” Connie says, motioning between you two.

“Why not. He’s pretty cute,” Denise says, giving him a once over. “Sorry, honey, I’m spoken for.” Tom sends you a wink as he went out the door. Your mouth fell open in disbelief. “I’m going to kill you,” Connie threatens. “I swear. We are not together. He said the same thing to Peter and I have no idea why.”

“Maybe he wants you to be his.” Denise says. “Doubtful. Guys like Tom don’t commit. But enough about Tom, let’s start on your hair,”

Tom has been over your house multiple times that week. Constantly annoying you while you worked on your clients’ hair. The clients found him entertaining but you threw things at him every chance you got.

“Why can’t you do my hair like that?” Tom asks, his eyes falling on the freshly done faux locs. “Because your hair would fall out,” “Really?” His mouth parted in shock. “Yes, your hair texture and ours is different. Which is why we can keep a hairstyle in for weeks without any damage.“

“Can you pass me the setting foam?” You add. “Y/N, why don’t you give him a chance? He’s willing to learn about your culture. And he’s cute.” “What she said,” Tom states. “You should be all set, Angelina. Thank you.” “Mmhm, bye.” She sits from the chair and looks between you and Tom. It was sunset and this was normally the time you kicked Tom out, not wanting him to get any ideas.

But you thought it was about time to show who really has the power between you. “Looks like the sun setting. Perhaps we should get dinner?” “I was thinking about what Angelina said,” “Oh yeah?” He stands from the couch and made his way over to you. “Yes, but I wanted to make some things clear.” You start, closing the gap between you.

You placed a hand on his chest and slowly slid it upwards, looking up at him with hooded eyes. His chest rises and falls quicker than usual and you knew you had him wrapped around your finger. “You see, me and you are quite similar. Enjoy having sex but don’t fuck just anyone. The difference is.. that I’m just better and I can go a long time without sex without becoming desperate. Can you say the same?” You asked, your voice just below a whisper but he could hear everything clearly.

“I..” you stepped closer to him, his abdomen pressed against yours and you chuckled softly. “I bet your cock is dying to get out of your trousers,” you said with your lips brushing against his. He let a shuddered breath and leaned into kiss you but you pulled away from him before he had the chance.

His eyes darkened with lust, he closed the space between you. “You said you wanted to get dinner,” you tell him. “I’m staring at my dinner right now,” “You have one chance,” “That’s all I need,” he slams his lips on yours, knocking the breath out of you.

His kiss was sloppy and fast as he gathered you in his arms and dropped you on the couch. He tugged off your pants and your underwear in one motion and that’s when everything became real. He watches his fingers disappear between your folds. “Fuck me, you can barely take my fingers.”

He pumps his fingers deep into your cunt, smiling when your thighs start to tremble a bit. “W-wait,” he props one of your legs over his shoulder and rubs figure eights on your clit with his tongue. “S-shit. What if Connie walks in?” You moaned. “It adds excitement don’t you think?”

“I- oh fuck,” the wet sounds of your walls suctioning around his fingers and him licking between your folds. He rolls his fingers quicker, prodding until he found a gspot. He knew he found one when your body jolted forwards. “There it is.” He says against you. You rolled your hip, rubbing your cunt on his rough palm and moaned loudly.

“You just can’t help yourself, huh? You just have to act like a little slut. And here I thought you would be an innocent little angel.” He split your fold open and licked under the hood of your clit until you came in his mouth. “So you like when I call you a slut then?” “Maybe,” you stood from the couch and pulled off your blouse.

He ripped your bra down the middle, groaning when your breast spill out of it. “I’ve been wanting to suck on these for ages,” he cupped your breasts and licked between them, leaving goosebumps in his wake. You pulled away from him and ran up the stairs with him hot on your heels. He watched your every move and now that you have his attention, you spread your legs as you stood over the edge of the bed.

You leaned all the way down until your chest was flushed to the bed. You linked your arms behind your back and did a little wiggle to invite him over to you. “God I wish I could take a picture,” he says, his eyes raking over your naked form. He takes off his shirt, you could hear his belt jangling behind you.

“Fucking slut,” he claps both of his hands down on your ass and you laughed into the sheets below you. Your mouth fell open as your walls expanded around his cock, the tip brushing against a spot in you that made you shiver. He gripped your linked hands and tugged your body back onto his cock.

“Christ, you’re sure you’re not a virgin?” He asks. You clenched around him hard and throw your hips back on him. He chokes out a moan before adding, “Nevermind then,” he reached around your thigh and rubs quick, soft circles on your clit. “T-Tom,” “Tom,” he mocks, thrusting into you harder.

“I fucked you with my fingers till you came and this is the first time you’re saying my name?” He degrades, you whimpered when he started rubbing your clit faster. You whined when he stopped thrusting. He smacked your ass after he pulled out of you. He flipped you on your back, pressing one hand on your stomach as he continued to thrust into you hard and deep.

Your tits bouncing caught his attention and he sucks on one of them. You closed your eyes, arching your back at the building warmth in your stomach. “Tom,” “Are you close, whore?” Your walls trembled around him, sending him over the edge. “Can I..” he trails off when you nod. “I’m on the pill,” you felt his seed fill your cunt to the brim with some leaking form your thigh.

He sucked on your other nipple, squeezing your clit until he felt your body seize once again. “Fuckin hell. That’s not what I thought would happen,” he pulls out of you slowly, noticing the mess. “I’ll get you a towel,” you smiled to yourself when he walks away.

“Not bad, Bennett.” You said once he handed you a moist towel. “Didn’t know you were into degrading, Y/L/N,” “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” you said with a wink.

He thrusts one more time before spilling into you.

Pulling away from your neck, he kisses down your back. You sat up from laying on your stomach and faced him. “Kiss me,” he states, his gaze lingering on your lips. You pressed a peck to his lips, which he deepened and leaning into you so you laid on your back.

“What’s this about?” “What I can’t kiss you anymore?” “You don’t normally kiss me,” he pressed another kiss on your lips and you pulled away from him. “Tom,” he pulls away from you and stands from the bed. “You know what, forget it.” He deadpans, pulling up his boxers.

He picked up his trousers and slid them on. The room was silent as you watched him get dressed with a bewildered look on your face. “I mean, am I so disgusting that you can only fuck me and not kiss me?” “I never said that you were disgusting, Tom. It’s just..” “Kissing is something couples do.” You add after a long pause.

He looks at you for a moment before his gaze fell to the shirt in his hands. “So that’s what this is about. You want to be a couple?” “Is that so hard to believe?” “I just wasn’t expecting that,” “What were you expecting then?” “I thought this was what you wanted. Sex with no attachments. Free to pursue who we want. I..”

“Guys like Tom don’t commit,” he quotes from a conversation you had with your sister. You weren’t aware he was still in ear shot. “Isn’t that true, though?” “Why don’t you quit telling me what I want,” he snaps. “What do you want from me?” “I want someone to care about me, damn it! I want someone to care..”

You grew quiet at his outburst and he let out a sigh, wiping a hand over his face. “I’m tired of being treated like some fuck up. A fucking burden on the people in my life. I’m sick of it.” He pulled his shirt over his head and walked out of the room. “Tom,” you called after him and followed him out of the room.

You made your way in front of him and pressed your hands to his chest. “Look at me,” “Please,” you add softly and his gaze finally met yours. “If I didn’t care about you,” you took his hand into yours and laced them together, sighing when he did the same. “Then I wouldn’t have defended you from Peter,”

“That dumb cunt,” he said, making you chuckle. “I care about you very much, Tom. I’ve cared for you since we were in junior high,” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Decided to save myself the heartbreak and keep it to myself.” “Did you know this would happened later on?” “Mm, I knew you would eventually come to your sense. I mean look at me.”

He presses his lips to yours and you smiled into the kiss. He pulled his hand away from you and wrapped his arms around your waist. “If you wanted to spend the night, I can cook something.” “That sounds like a great idea. When does you sister come home?”

“In an hour,” you pulled him close to you by his belt loops and you walked him back into the bed room. “How do you think she’ll react?” You nudged him to sit on the edge of the bed and he looked up at you with a wide smile on his face. “She’ll probably try to kill you,” “Then at least I’ll die happy,” He took off his shirt and offered it to you. Your graciously took it and draped it over your frame.

“Fuckin hell, you look good.” He noticed the shirt stopping at the middle of your toned thighs. “Oh yeah?” You straddled his lap and took your bottom lip between your teeth. “Does this mean you’re my girlfriend?” “Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend, Tom.” You hummed, kissing him again as he laid down. His hands cupped your ass, pulling you down on his crotch.

“Y/N!” Your sister calls from downstairs, scaring the shit out of you both. “Did just hear a boy’s voice?” She says threateningly low. “Hey, Connie.” Tom calls from the room. “That better not be Tom Bennett, Y/N.” You met Tom’s eyes when you heard the steps creak. You slid off of his lap and stood from the bed, gently taking his hand as you looked to the door and Tom smiled at the gesture. “I’m going to kill you,”

#black!reader #tom bennett #tom bennett x reader #world on fire

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survivalist-anon · 2 months

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Log 7: Spand off, Spand up and DMSO

It was a Mexican standoff.

It was two vs ten, Fjord had been pinned down.

And I was in the middle of it.

"STEN! By bringing that mortal here you've violated our agreement! You and your squad are now obligated by the law of the Codex Astartes to be commissioned in the nearest Imperial Base for security purposes. Surrender now and the human will not be harmed in the process of interrogation!", his voice echoed throughout the pine forest, I could hear birds cawing and flapping in the distance from the sheer volume.

"You forget Aldercon! The purpose of your chapter being here is to defend the mortals on this world! Not subjugate them to Marshall Law!", Sten responed.

Aldercon's face gone red with fury, "YOU DO NOT USE THE EARTH'S LAWS ON ME, STEN! We go by our own conducts!"

Call it curiosity or call it a self destructive itch, I decided to peak over Sten's shoulder. I could see the man's eyes focus from Sten to me, if glaring at someone could shoot bullets, he was shooting rockets.

Something in me boiled over in desperation, I had enough stress for one lifetime."Please! Don't shoot! We just to apologize for last night!".

Sten sharply turned his head towards me, "You have nothing to apologize for, we had reacted on the assumption you were in danger, but it's their transgression and theirs alone."

"if I've learned anything in life is actions speak louder than words, but words can make for a great magic trick called "defusing the situation", just apologize please, this was all just a big misunderstanding anyway!", I couldn't help but raise my voice a bit, I felt terrible doing it too. "Please, I'm....not use to any of this."

I could tell Sten was contemplating my request, at this point it was up to him if he wanted to go through with it. He let out a heavy sigh, "yes....I shall do as you requested.", as he nodded his agreement to me, he turned to Aldercon, "Chaplain Aldercon! We shall only cooperate on a set of conditions! No harm or interrogation shall be bestowed on my human, my pack WILL NOT join your fortress of fools! But, we will admit fault....in our actions, subsequently pay for them if needed!".

I held my sigh of release for just a few moments longer, I look to the chaplain, absolutely no change. It was like he was made of stone, than one of his soldiers methodically goes up to his side whispers in his ear.

By this point whatever was being said, he must have agreed to it.

He adjusts himself to a parade rest, "Alright. Come down slowly!", he commanded.

Sten motioned for Toke to start climbing down the wall, as they did I turned to see that some of the Marines had gone from 'high alert and ready to shoot", to relaxed and somewhat curious. Some of them lowered their guns, even as far as holstering them back. The look on their faces weren't just of harden soldiers, but also of beings who weren't used to visitors to their fort.

As for their leader, his death stare didn't change one bit. He was honed in us.

I didn't know what to make of it. I could even see some had gotten out of a farm house nearby, likely hearing the commotion that had grabbed their attention.

With a turn of his head, all of the soldiers simultaneously went into parade rest nearly in sync.

There was no hesitation in their motions, they weren't even moving. It's was uncanny yet breath taking.

I than remembered my encounter with the gentleman at the hardware store and began to panic. "Ugh, Sten."

He turned his head a little and whispered, "something concerns you?"

I began to blush in embarrassment. How the hell was I going to tell this guy I was put under some pheromone "love spell"....I had to try. "Ugh....that night... wasn't really the first time I was ugh....I don't what to call it? It was like being drunk a-"

"YOU!", a familiar angry voice bombarded the scene.

It was the hardware store guy. Oh no.

"You're that civilian woman who attempted to retrieve your overly aroused companion. The same one from that supply store.....You should be ashamed of yourself for lack of self control! Do have any idea the level of unnerving distraction your pheromones were doing, I could have made detrimental miscount of inventory!", with the wholehearted earnest of someone who has witnessed a lude and lascivious crime, he had just accused me of being the one distracting him?

"...ugh....I.... wasn't the only woman in the st-wait a damn minute you didn't even look at a single person in that story except Mrs Bellcaller, you should be ashamed too...or... something....", I completely fumbled my words, how was anyone supposed to respond to what sounded like the most outlandish accusation?

All the men were looking at me, than the accuser. Toke, Sten and Fjord were also a little confused.

Fjord, still pinned to the ground, "ugh....lass were ya naked or something, yah smell just fine?"

I shot him a look, "Fjord!"

I could see his cheeky grin, he was just playing around.

Aldercon now targeted the tone deaf marine,"..... Bilhard what in the name of the Emperor and all of Terra are you talking about, the tool run, did you not take the suppressor pills? Also GIVE ME FIVE THOUSAND FOR EMBARRASSING ME AGAIN! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

The one named Bilhard immediately dropped down doing pushups, now glaring at me with resentment.

At this point I was shaking not from his glare but from his boss's shouting.

He walked up to me, looked me up and down. Sten was growling at him. "Stay away from her...".

"Oh quit it Sten!", he grunted. "Madame, please pardon the poor behavior of my troops, complacency has been a terrible emerging issue at my facility. My men, as you can see....are not behaved enough to be interacting with the public at this moment.", he then takes a closer look at me, "lift your head up miss."

I do as he says, I lift enough for my neck be a little visible, I flinch as soon as he laid a single finger on me jaw, it was cold from the plated armor. I could feel him lift my jaw higher. I wasn't too sure what he was looking at.

"..... state your name. Occupation and current residency.", commanded what I could imagine was these guy's drill Sargent.

Sten moved to face him while still speaking to me, "you do need to answer him, he....does not answer to your family either, Chaplain Aldercon, you understand I can not disclose the location of my chosen mortals. Or have you forgotten that not everyone needs to be under your watchful eye?"

Aldercon looked at him, looked back at me. He still expected an answer.

"I ....can only give you...uhm....two of those three things....I...um....tell you my name and job...but...if you want a third thing I can tell something else.", I know it was pointless, but it was worth a try.

He looked at me, chuckled a little too, "Negotiating information........fine....my third 'thing'....as per your.....request.....what happened last night?".

The silence was deafening, "um...my name is Lorencia Lakatos Drake...I work at the wildlife rehabilitation center and reserve....and...well..me and my coworkers were out for a drink after work, well....he-", I look at Bilhard still doing pushups, " -and his friends were sitting there. They weren't doing anything I swear, they probably were there for the same reasons too....and...well...Shelly, she's well couldn't resist their charm and ugh....I have to ask....what did he mean by 'pheromones'?....", hopefully this question wasn't going to do anything drastic.

I could see the cogs in his head turning, "hmm....one second madame.". He turns to look for someone, "Sha'kal! I need a word with you!".

I see a huge, extremely dark colored man, jogging as fast as he could to the chaplain. This wasn't just melanin either, it was a deep color, but what surprised me was his eyes. They were a near solid crimson color, like burning embers. I could see that Aldercon and the man were talking to each other and he than looked at me. He came lightly jogging to me and Sten.

"Oh good morning Sten, how have you been!?", he greeted Sten. "Causing mischief as always I presume?"

I could feel Sten wasn't as defensive with this guy. He became relaxed in fact.

"Ah Sha'kal, old friend how have you been? I see you have your work cut out for yourself.", he was probably referring to his chaplain.

"Oh not to worry, things are doing wonders here. You know, you and the others are more than welcome to join too. We could use your talents here.", Sha'kal seemed like a rather friendly guy. More so then the rest so far. "Oh, who is this, hello miss. What is your name? My name is Sha'kal, son of Vulkan, I am very pleased to meet you". He reached out his hand, he didn't show a full palm like one would normally do for a hand shake, he showed his thumb and index finger. Even half closed his hand was enormous, the palm alone could cover my whole face.

I could see his features closer now, he has the facial features of someone from the Polynesian islands. Bright and friendly eyes for someone who's eyes looked like hot metal. He had a strange little metal stud on his right brow, I wasn't sure what was that all about. His smile and friendly demeanor could melt any stone cold heart, in fact he admitted this warm, safe energy. I couldn't explain it, but it's something very rare that you find in people. "My name is Lorencia Drake, but you can call me Lorey. It's a pleasure to meet you too.", I smiled back and shook his finger and thumb.

In spite of the size of his hands, he was wonderfully gentle.

He than examines my hair, face, eyes and teeth for some reason. I was caught off guard but I guess I was getting checked from the neck up.

"ah yes, hmm, let's judging by the health of your external dermis layer you're relatively good in regards to potential skin abrasion, I do see possible signs of melanoma development somewhere in your temporal region in that case I would like you to refer to your local dermatologist and judging by the formation of wrinkles, elasticity of your skin I would like to guess.....25?-", he cheerfully waited.

"ugh...29 actually", I answer back still flabbergasted at what he could tell just by looking at my head.

"oh so close, and remember please wear sunscreen when working outside, I recommend a cream with a moderate level of Zinc and a dash of collagen and iron in your diet. You are keeping very well up with your hygiene levels for someone who works with animals I presume but I will say you're not flossing as much as one should, cut down on any sugary snacks. You may need to get a bit more sleep, I assume it is due to stress, insomnia, drinking or maybe even an irritant in your home or workplace? And lastly based on your ocular reaction to the current brightness of the sun, you are mostly use to wearing sunglasses correct, an outdoorsmen of sorts?"

I giggled and nodded in agreement. This guy was VERY good.

"ah excellent! Sten, she's a healthy girl."

Sten had become a little less tense with Sha'kal

Aldercon was shaking his head, "Sha'kal.", he had waited for him to examine for one more thing.

Sha'kal looked back, motioning with his had for Aldercon to give him some time. "Oh um, please do pardon me for asking, but my I take one small sample of your hair, blood and saliva? It's well...a command from you know", he takes out a small glass petri dish and a syringe, I could tell he was a little bit embarrassed about asking.

Toke walked up to Sten and me wondering was this man asking for blood and spit, "aye don't yah think it's a little silly to be asking anyone for all that on someone's back?", he had pointed out my death grip on Sten's pack.

"oh wow, I'm sorry.", Sten just nodded his head and lowered himself for me to jump off.

Aldercon was watching from a distance the whole thing along with a few other Marines.

"Why does he want you to take blood samples from me?", as I ask I see that Sha'kal offers the petri dish, I do as needed of me for the task. "Is...this about the-"

Sha'kal eyes open a little, "Oh actually yes, you see once a month, most of us go through something close to well....oh it's a little silly to say out loud but it happens occasionally-" as he explains this he takes the syringe and sticks it in perfectly without even looking at my arm, "It is a little embarrassing and it gets us into such situations, moodiness, boisterous outbursts, the works. I've been making a suppressor for it for some time and I can't seem to get it right. I had been close a few times before but it's changes every cycle I suppose. Other than that, the effects you must have felt are completely normal for those...well...not fully exposed to us. It's just our bodies reacting to the nutrients on this planet likely enough."

"...so...it's-", I slowly answered back, not fully comprehending the whole situation.

Taking the syringe out of my arm, Sha'kal hums responsivly. "-mmmhmm, completely normal. In fact it happened quite a lot back home. We were just not aware of it as we are here, than again there has been a lot of things...many of us were not aware of.". He cleans up the area with a little wipe and a bandaid.

I wasn't sure what to make of his explanation, I was still worried if, well, something was going to happen. "It's just, well....I felt sick after being near one of them actually, in fact it started to smell like....I don't know like something from an auto shop?"

Sten interjected, "yes, it was unusual....the poor girl was reeking of one of your fists."

A loud, exclaimed grunt had rolled out of Bilhard's mouth as he had just finished his pushups. "Ah that, Urtus had purchased this terrible ointment from a man in town. He stated it would mask any odor.".

Sha'kal was curious as to what this mystery ointment, "hmmm....where is Urtus?"

~~~~~~~

After a long, cold shower, Urtus was applying more of the ointment on his chest in the locker room near the showers. "Tis not the most fragrant thing in the world, but it does smell interesting."

Cahrilo wasn't too keen on the ointment, "it smells like that plant the cantina uses for one of the special menus....what was it called? Garlic?"

Urtus frowned a little at the statement, "Garlic? Ha! It barely smells of the thing, it has even gotten rid of that aching on my neck."

As the two marines were conversing, the facility intercom pings for them, it was Aldercon;

"Urtus, please head to the medical bay immediately. Please bring your recently purchased topical ointment, ON THE DOUBLE."

End of the intercom.

"oh....hmm...I wonder why? Perhaps Sha'kal would like to apply it use?".

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few minutes, Urtus had quickly headed for the medical bay. He opens the door to find not only Sha'kal and Aldercon in the room, but Sten, Bilhard, and I.

Fjord and Toke were waiting in another room to keep them entertained as wait for Sten's and Aldercon meeting to commence.

He looks around and sees me, sitting on an oversized examination table, swinging my legs. The whole place was definitely built for men their size.

"......uh....um....hello miss......ugh good to see that you are ... unharmed?.... Aldercon I thought you stated that mortals were not allowed in the facility....also please believe me and the savage next to her I had not done anything.", of course he was nervous.

"Where is it?", Aldercon curtly asked.

The look on his face when the ointment was mentioned obviously didn't help the situation. He took out a surprisingly large container, it was roughly the size of a mayonnaise lid in diameter and just about as big as a container of that cheaper brand margarine at the store.

Aldercon takes a closer look at the container, "hmm...'Medical Grade DMSO'?. ....what the hell is DMSO?", what was odd was that he asked me as if I knew. The acronym wasn't too unfamiliar to me however, "I remember a long while ago my mother got into a serious fight with my aunt about the stuff but I can't remember why."

Sha'kal took the container, opened it. The smell of garlic was faint but noticable. "Oh my, why on Nocturne would you use this?", asked as he looked at the ingredients label. "This ointment contains small amounts Dimethyl sulfoxide? With a chemical makeup like that it should have practically suffocating Miss Drake here."

All the years of biology class and the literal three chemistry courses had came right back like a Vietnam flashback. "Oh shit that's right, that stuff is used as a paint thinner and car lube."

Urtus was stunned, never in his life would he have expected to be sold paint thinner as some form of solid cologne, "Good throne! Are you serious about that? Why would this be even used for such things?".

A gave a weak shrug, "I have read about these near death home remedies before, sometimes people sell toxic materials to people for profit and sometimes people are desperate and make their own cures out things they shouldn't sometimes."

Aldercon looks at the container, "....from now on. There will be extensive screening on unknown substances."

Sha'kal in the meantime was checking his files on the substances, "ah, it says here the reason why humans began to use it on themselves for medicinal reasons is because it can be used as a pain killer."

It was just then Urtus just realized why his neck pain was gone, "oh....then why is it toxic?".

Sha'kal let out an exacerbated sigh, "likely it's toxic to mortals. We are capable of handling such chemicals naturally through our implants and augmentations Urtus. It's as simple as that."

"Oh goodness, I beg for your forgiveness miss. I shall stop using this right away. I was hoping it would tame a certain condition of mine when the suppressor was not fully in effect....on that thought, how is the other mortal?"

I was glad to see that pretty the entirety of this nonsense was a misunderstanding. "Oh Shelly? She's good ...she even wants to see your friend she liked so much. Oh and it's ok, mistakes happen. Most important thing is that I'm here today to hear your side of the story", I really couldn't stay mad at the guy. He knew who I was talking about, he was even more pleased to see I hadn't taken what had happened in bad faith either.

"Ah, Cahrilo will surely be pleased he has gained an admirer. I hope he enjoys his women well matured. Hahaha.", he looks at Aldercon, hoping he's free to go.

Rolling his eyes and satisfyed with solving the mystery at what had caused the big hole in the transport truck. "You are free to go.".

Urtus nodded, "good day everyone.", he left the room a little more relieved that moment.

Aldercon than looks to Sten, "Are you satisfied?"

Sten had been silently sitting next to me, watching the whole thing. "Yes....as the girl states....the most important thing is that she is alive today....now ..... about our agreement?"

End of Log 7

@kit-williams @barn-anon

#space marine husbandry #warhammer 40k #space marine #survival log #imperial fists #space marines #space wolves #salamander

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